How many live fulltime on the islands – All of us, we just happen to physically be somewhere else several months during the year.
Seriously, I know of only one soul on Cow that truly lives there fulltime. You would need to be physically fit, self reliant and own specialized equipment to survive the times when ice isn’t safe, the power is out and the food runs low. That said, I generally pack up in October – November and am back as soon as ice is out so you can fairly easily access the property seven months by boat and another two months between January and March by ski, snowmobile or other contraption.
It is odd that fifty degrees is much warmer in March than in October and everybody wants to help open camp but few are around to close it.
Yes there are paths around the islands, usually at the waterfront, well worn by generations of folks exploring what lies beyond the next bend. Some have golf cart traffic, most are for scrambling. I find a kayak works fine for visiting neighbors.
The interior is town owned and there is no fixed gathering place but lots of unspoiled forest and artifacts from days gone by.
No, we are not crazy, we just like to paint our boats like cows, dance on our docks to Sinatra tunes, and perhaps go for a midnight swim naked; perfectly sane.
