Though isolated in Lake Superior, Rock Harbor Lodge in Isle Royale National Park has provided General Manager Kim Alexander and his family a wonderful summer home for a quarter-century/David and Kay Scott

General managers of national park lodges don't have an easy job.  They appear to be in perpetual motion while dealing with issues regarding employees, maintenance, guests, food service, budgets, and the National Park Service. The facilities they manage are often in isolated locations, a factor that can magnify what would normally be minor issues. 

Kim Alexander, has been the general manager of Rock Harbor Lodge in Isle Royale National Park for 25 years. Based on our many visits to various national park lodges, this length of tenure as a general manager is simply amazing.

Kim's hospitality career began in 1977 when he started work at National Park Concessions, a concern that was acquired in 2001 by his current employer, Forever Resorts.  During our most recent trip to Isle Royale National Park, we had an opportunity to sit down and talk with Kim about the lodge, the park, and his career. The following is an edited version of our conversation.

How long does it take to prepare the lodge for guests following the long winters?

I arrive on the National Park Service boat from Houghton, Michigan, along with about 15 of my employees approximately three weeks prior to full opening.  We stay in five of the cottages while preparing lodge buildings for the season. We ready the plumbing and start the boilers and refrigeration units. Rooms are cleaned and supplies that were ordered during the winter begin to arrive. This year we arrived May 17, opened a limited number of cottages for guests on May 22, and were in full operation June 9.

Kim Alexander has managed the Rock Harbor Lodge at Isle Royale for 25 years/David and Kay Scott

How many employees work at the lodge?

We have approximately 65 employees on staff. We attempt to hire individuals who are a good fit for the isolation and wilderness experience of living and working on Isle Royale. To be happy here they need to enjoy outdoor activities including hiking, boating, and fishing.  We occasionally encounter employees who become homesick or unhappy with the isolation and depart prior to the end of the season. However, these are the exception since we try to make clear to potential employees the environment in which they will be working.

How are supplies and equipment transported to Rock Harbor?

Ranger III (the 1950s-era NPS boat that operates twice weekly between Isle Royale and Houghton, Michigan) is our lifeline for everything on the island.  It transports our food, equipment, and supplies.  It also carries out all of our trash.  We share a warehouse in Houghton with the National Park Service where we have an employee who takes care of our supplies. The boat brings virtually everything we require, except most of our lodging guests who choose to arrive via seaplane from Houghton or from Copper Harbor on the Isle Royale Queen IV. 

How do you handle transportation interruptions resulting from bad weather?

Particularly bad weather might result in guests arriving a day late or spending an extra night on the island. Last week the seaplane pilot from Houghton was unable to depart the island because of bad weather so he and his departing passengers remained overnight. So long as arriving and departing guests balance out, weather is more of an inconvenience for our guests than for us. If weather deteriorates after new guests have arrived but before departing guests are able to leave we can have a problem during the busy season when rooms are fully booked. On one occasion when this occurred we housed some guests in the auditorium because all of our lodge rooms and cottages were full. We didn't charge those guests for their stay.

Do you get any time off during your four months on the island?

Being general manager means being on call pretty much all the time.  (During our conversation an employee called Kim with a question about how to fix a problem with an outboard motor). I seldom leave the island and really don't have much of a desire to do so. Isle Royale is tranquil and quite beautiful and I can't think of a better place to spend the summer. In any case, no matter how many hours I spend on the job, I figure the people above me are working even harder.

How does your family figure into all the summers away from home?

My wife and three children have always been part of my summers on Isle Royale.  My wife works at the lodge and we have been bringing our children to the island since they were small. Our youngest daughter was only two months of age when we first brought her to Isle Royale.  Having our entire family on the island each summer has been one of the most rewarding aspects of working here.

How are medical emergencies handled at such an isolated location?

The National Park Service has procedures in place to manage medical emergencies. Rangers are trained for emergencies and will transport the injured or ill person to an island facility near the lodge where doctors in Houghton can be consulted. Depending upon the type of emergency, NPS may transport the person by boat or helicopter to a hospital in Houghton, Michigan, or Thunder Bay, Ontario.

How about closing the lodge at season's end?

Isle Royale National Park undergoes a complete shutdown during the winter months. No employees of either the National Park Service or our company remain on the island. This year the last lodging guests are scheduled for departure on September 10. Approximately 15 employees and I will remain to close all the lodge facilities before departing September 22 on the National Park Service boat for Houghton.

What does the closing entail?

We turn off the heat and drain the pipes. Canoes and kayaks are stored in the restaurant, while benches are piled in the gift shop.  Furniture remains in the rooms and cottages, but moved away from the windows where an errant tree limb might cause damage. Vendors will take back full cases of food and drink items. What can't be returned is donated to a senior meals program operated by Portage Health System in the Houghton, Michigan area.

How do you keep occupied during the winter?  

After closing the facilities at Rock Harbor Lodge our family returns home and I continue work on issues related to our operation on the island. We recruit employees for the next season, work on acquiring supplies, deal with issues relating to maintenance, and take reservations for the upcoming season.  When making reservations we try to make certain callers understand transportation systems to the island. On occasion I work on special projects for my employer, Forever Resorts, that operates several national park facilities and a large number of hospitality concerns around the world. I find there is plenty to do in the winter, but one important difference is I work regular hours from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. five days a week. This is quite a change from my four months on Isle Royale.