06:00 - 08:00 a.m.

Day three of our tour around Upper Michigan actually takes us off the peninsula for 24 hours. A quick two hour drive will put us in position for our boat ride to the island.

Isle Royale National Park is one a just a few national parks that is located entirely on an island. The park is over 850 square miles and formed by lava flows that have since tilted and glaciated over time. A series of parallel ridges interspersed with valleys and marshland, the island is home to a rich and diverse ecosystem. Because this land is more difficult to reach than normal, the island remains relatively free from human influence. This has allowed the United Nations to classify it as an International Biosphere Reserve where it provides an excellent environment and natural laboratory for research and education.

Located to the northwest of the U.P. in the Great Lake of Superior, the park is accessable only by boat or plane, so our day will have to start earlier than normal with a van ride to Copper Harbor. Leaving our vehicles behind, we will step into a rustic wilderness adventure. (Don't worry. There will be reservations at the lodge!)

08:00 a.m. - 12:30 p.m.

We will take a ferry ride from Copper Harbor aboard the "Isle Royale Queen III" to Rock Harbor on the island. During this trip, we will enjoy the scenery and discuss how the glaciers played an important role in the formation of the Great Lakes region.

12:30 - 01:30 p.m.

Lunch at the Rock Harbor Lodge.

01:30 - 05:30 p.m.

Isle Royal National Park - The island provides a spectacular opportunity to explore a diverse ecosystem. We will take a Nature walk with a ranger at Rock Harbor to learn a little about the island's history.

As alluded to earlier, the island's bedrock is mostly composed of volcanics, sandstones and conglomerates. While hiking one of the island's numerous trails, we will look for the distinctive greenish blue of the Greenstone, one of nature's oldest rock outcroppings. The basalt flow is up to 800 feet thick and extends under Lake Superior. Its extensive height will allow us to see over large expanses of the island.

After our introduction to the island, we will use the miles of trails to explore the island and discuss its formation, the flora and fauna, and witness the varied ecosystems all contained over a small area.

There will be opportunities to see animals not normally found in many areas of the country. For example, we may run into a grey wolf...

even closer than you would care to see.

05:00 - 06:00 p.m.

Dinner at the Rock Harbor Lodge.

06:00 - 07:00 p.m.

Review of day's activities. Preview of next day's activities to include a weather discussion with interpretation of satellite, radar, surface and upper air analysis to reinforce some of the material from our Meteorolgy courses.

09:00 - ??? p.m.

Due to the isolated nature of Isle Royale, it will be a perfect location to perform our planetary science activities. Using planispheres and star charts, we will look for constellations and planets as long as the weather cooperates. We may also be lucky enough to see a few meteors or the aurora borealis.

Day 4