A group of women paddlers ventured to Isle Royale on Lake Superior this fall for a multi-day packrafting and backpacking trip. The group brought Alpacka packrafts, mixing backpacking with paddling on inland lakes and Lake Superior.

Kate Wright and Isabelle Nelson, two members of the paddling group, share reflections on the experience, including the benefits of mixing paddling and backpacking at Isle Royale.

Their journey concluded at the end of a massive search for a missing hike at Isle Royale in September 2026, a storyline that infused with many trips this fall to the big island on Lake Superior.

This episode is supported by Tex’s Riverways, Cooke Custom Sewing, Friends of the Boundary Waters, and Sawtooth Outfitters.