Isle Royale Forums

I've just started using trekking poles this year and I love them, but I haven't used the mud baskets they came with yet. I'll be hiking from Rock Harbor to Windigo & back via both the Greenstone Ridge & Minong Ridge in the beginning of June. Should I bring my mud baskets? Or would just the carbide tips be fine? I've heard mixed things about mud baskets, but if there's gonna be pretty deep mud for a lot of the hiking it seems like they would be nice to have.

The "mud baskets" might well be snow baskets for use with snowshoes. I personally find them awkward in the kind of terrain you'll find at Isle Royale. The poles tend to get tangled in the underbrush when they have larger baskets, which slows your travel. My preferred tip for established hiking trails is a broad rubber tip. The carbide spikes scratch up the rock you're walking on and punch holes in the dirt when the surface is softer. See what's available for your brand of poles!

Do you have two sets of baskets small and large? Small baskets might come in handy for crossing a beaver dam. Large baskets are overkill. I've gone without baskets for many years to avoid dragging in the undergrowth. Also, the greenstone and minong trails are heavily travelled, so undergrowth won't be a problem.

Ya I have small baskets & large. I've heard it's really annoying having them basically suctioning to the mud nonstop but I wonder if drilling a couple holes in them would help with that.

I don't think I've ever encountered enough mud to worry about it. If I did, I'd probably choose a different place to hike.

Take them off as you will find you will not need them for 99% of the trails environments you encounter.