I made it to Duluth, Minnesota a couple days before I was to begin my thru hike of the Superior Hiking Trail. I stayed at the Hostel du Nord, an affordable lodging option right in town. It was a really well done hostel and I enjoyed my stay there immensely. I spent a couple days exploring Duluth on foot. It was a small city and the hostel was close to the main points of attraction. My favorite part was the aquarium. I learned so much about the Great Lakes region and got to see a lot of fascinating fish from around the world.
My friend Mary came out with her husky, Loki, and we got to spend time together. It was so great to see her. Mary and I met when we both worked at Pinnacles National Park in California four years ago. We got to spend time catching up as it had been a while since we had last seen each other. We also got to swap stories of each of our first thru hikes. While I was hiking the Pacific Crest Trail this summer, Mary was hiking the Appalachian Trail. It was so much fun to compare our stories, seeing where our experiences overlapped and what was unheard of to the other. For example, Mary said during one month on trail, there were 3 days when it did not rain. Opposed to my hike where it rained perhaps a total of 4 days my entire time on trail.
Mary had offered to take me and another hiker to the Northern Terminus where we would begin our Superior Hiking Trail thru hikes. He arrived the day before we were to begin hiking. To protect his privacy, I will refer to him as “X” instead of using his actual name. We picked him up from the small Duluth airport and got him settled in at the hostel. Then we all went out to dinner. I didn’t know X very well. We had met very briefly on the PCT in southern Oregon. I was going north and he was headed south. When we crossed paths and stopped to chat, a butterfly landed on my thumb and I demanded he take a photo of it. Then I gave him my phone number so he could text me the picture. After he sent me my butterfly photo, we continued to text here and there. And just after I finished the trail at the Northern Terminus, he was forced to get off it as all the national forests in California closed indefinitely, effectively closing the PCT, due to the out-of-control forest fires. Being forced off early, he still wanted to keep hiking. I suggested the Superior Hiking Trail. I had heard about it from a friend I made on the PCT, and he had already hiked all the other trails I knew. After I suggested it, he asked if I would hike with him.
An interesting proposition, I had thought. I wasn’t adjusting well back to living life in an urban environment. I had never noticed before how strongly city streets reeked of urine or how the monotonous steel buildings blended in with each other and the concrete and asphalt beneath them. Traffic was loud and the trees that grew along the streets looked constrained and sad. I was overwhelmed with how badly I didn’t want to be there. I missed my friends and I missed spending my entire day outside and I missed walking and accomplishing small goals every day. I needed to get back on trail. Plus, this trail would only take about two weeks to hike. I still hadn’t found a job, so what did I have to lose? Sure, I told him.
While the three of us ate dinner and swapped stories, I realized I really didn’t have any idea who this guy was. He had many interesting stories, but I found some of them unnerving and I was unsure why he shared them with us. I was about to spend two weeks with him in the woods? Well, I thought to myself, we are both here for the hike and that’s all that really matters. That’s the only thing we really needed and besides, we were both fully competent. If it wasn’t working out, then we could always split up and we’d be fine. Mary dropped X and I back off at the hostel. I was tired from the day and eager to start hiking, so I made sure I was packed and then went right to bed.
Day 1, September 29, 2021
Mary met X and me at the hostel around 9am. She generously offered to drive us several hours through Minnesota to the Northern Terminus. I sat in the backseat with Loki as X was prone to motion sickness. We stopped for lunch at Hungry Hippie Tacos in Grand Marais. The trail led right back past this small town, so luckily, I will be back here in just a few days to enjoy another round of these tacos. I panicked at the last minute about my decision to not bring a hat and bought a green ball cap with TACOS across the front from the restaurant.
We got to the trail parking around 1pm. The three of us, plus Loki, walked the one mile to the Northern Terminus of the SHT, the start of the trail. It was incredibly beautiful. The terminus sits on a bare rock with gorgeous views of vast Canadian forests, green trees beginning to turn yellow and orange as summer faded into autumn. We took our photos and turned to retrace our steps back the way we had come. Except this time, I was officially hiking the Superior Hiking Trail.
Back at the parking lot, we said our goodbyes to Mary and Loki. I was so grateful she came all the way out here to drive us up here. It was so kind and generous of her. I wish she could come with us. I knew she would add a lot to the hike. I half heartedly joked that she should just keep walking with us, but I knew she and Loki weren’t packed for a literal last second decision to hike for two weeks and abandon her car in Northern Minnesota. We hugged goodbye.
This first day on trail left me giddy with how stunning it was. I’ve lived in California most of my life and never really had a chance to see the Fall colors. Where I live, the trees are mostly either evergreen or drought deciduous, meaning they shed their leaves for the dry summer heat, not in preparation for winter. I was blown away by all the reds, yellows, and oranges. This canopy encompassed me in its beauty.
While I was enamored with the sight of the leaves above me, I was equally charmed by the sound of them beneath my feet. Every step I took was a crunchy cacophony. I felt like a little kid, kicking and stomping the fallen leaves just to hear them crackle as I hastened their decomposition.
Along the way, we passed by two other hikers going in the opposite direction as us. X immediately recognized them as famous long-distance hikers with a YouTube presence. They were working on their own thru hike, although they were much farther along than we were at day one. They were hiking the North Country Trail, a 4,800 mile long that spans eight states from Vermont to North Dakota. I was very impressed as not many people thru hike the NCT, mainly because it is unfinished and there is quite a bit of road walking involved. X and one of the hikers got really into talking, while the other hiker and I made small chat. We both were eager to continue our own hikes, but were unsure how to politely let our hiking partners know that we wanted to move on. Finally, they said goodbye and we resumed our hikes.
Day one included notable places such as Rosebush Ridge, the highest elevation point along the entire SHT at a mere 1,829ft, and Hellacious Overlook. I am unsure why it earned that name because there was nothing hellish about it. Both of these locations were also two of the twelve Summit Challenges. This challenge, created by the SHT Association, encouraged hikers to get out and engage with the trail by taking a photo at each of the twelve designated spots along the trail in order to earn a special pin.
We camped near Caribou Pond, about 11 miles south of the northern terminus. There are designated campsites all along the SHT and you are not allowed to camp elsewhere in order to protect the trail. There is a beaver dam complete with a beaver lodge here. I even got to see the builders themselves swimming around in their pond. I had seen their lodges and dams before, but this was my first sighting of the actual beavers. A couple of Sandhill Cranes flew overhead, silhouetted against the evening sky. We set up our tents, chatted about the day while we ate our dinners, and then retired for the night. As I snuggled into my cozy bed, delighted to be back in a tent on trail again, I heard wolves howling. Their long, low howls punctured with high pitched yelps dominated the landscape. I had never heard wolves before. Their long ethereal notes sounded like something out of a fairy tale, but the yips reminded me of their coyote relatives who I was used to hearing. Welcome to the North, I thought to myself and drifted off to sleep.
Day 2 September 30, 2021
I started a bit later than I intended. It didn’t start to get light out until 6:30am and then it took some convincing to actually get out of my tent and pack up. My tent was soaked from condensation, inside and out. I used a bandana to wipe up as much moisture as I could. X was ready long before I was. He was waiting for me and I told him to just start hiking and I’ll catch up, but he said he didn’t mind. I’ve never been comfortable with people delaying on account of me so I felt strangely pressured and wished he would just let me catch up later.
We finally began hiking. Although we missed the actual sunrise, the sun still hung low in the sky and cast a soft light over the forest. I could see the edge of Lake Superior. The day turned nice and warm with blue skies and a gentle breeze. While many of the trees had begun to change color, there was still plenty of green along the footpath. Many were pine trees with evergreen needles, although some were deciduous, still clinging to their chlorophyll and soaking up the autumn sun’s rays before they succumbed to the inevitable seasonal cycle.
I loved the feel of this forest. My feet felt like they were dancing up the trail as they easily navigated the roots and rocks that broke up this otherwise smooth trail. The fallen pine needles that coat the trail softened each step. My footfalls weren’t accompanied by clouds of dust like they were out West. I am excited that this will keep my feet and legs much cleaner.
The trail took us through our first state park: Judge C. R. Magney State Park. Although a rather unromantic name for such a beautiful place, the park was named to celebrate the late Judge Magney, a strong presence in Minnesota history and an instrumental proponent for state parks. The park attracts many people with its stunning waterfalls and accessibility created by parking lots and paved trails. I always delight in getting to see people enjoy nature and their public lands, but I feel out of place among them. I feel a disconnect, as they are here for a few hours and then drive off in their cars, while I am out here day after day and reliant solely on my feet to carry me for miles. I am self-conscious and can feel their eyes on me, asking why that girl is covered in so much dirt.
X and I did the Lakewalk section together, where the trail is directly on the shore of Lake Superior for about one and a half miles. Walking along the edge of this greatest of lakes was a gift. The sun was sinking down in the sky, lengthening shadows and softening rocky edges. It was so beautiful. It also was difficult. The rocky beach was challenging and tiresome to hike along. Small rocks and sand found their way into my shoes. I admit I was a bit relieved to veer away from the edge of the lake and resume along a dirt footpath under the trees.
Things got a little tense between X and I. I prefer hiking alone, spending my days on trail for myself. Movement along the trail has felt more private to me, as I feel a deeper connection with the earth through my walking. It’s my love letter to the mountains, written by my steps. When I get to camp, I enjoy spending that sedentary time with friends. We were on different pages. He expected us to hike all day together. I had not realized that I was the primary reason he came out to do this trail. If I had told him No when he asked if I would hike the SHT too, he wouldn’t have even come out here and would have stuck to a trail closer to home. I was unaware of these facts and felt immensely pressured and slightly uncomfortable. I’ve never been particularly adept at picking up on romantic cues, and it seems I completely missed them this time. I was annoyed at him for seemingly thinking that this was a two week long first date. And I was annoyed at myself for not reading the situation better and not stating my intentions more clearly. I felt stuck, guilty for being the reason he was out here and not being what he expected, but resolute that it was not my problem and that I was still going to enjoy my time out here.
We made it to Kadunce River, about 37 miles into the trail so far. In camp, things felt more comfortable and we were able to have a nice chat around the campfire he built before we retired to our tents. It’s supposed to rain beginning in the morning. I hope it holds off until I’m packed and back on trail.
Day 3 October 1, 2021
I had trouble getting up again this morning. I didn’t start hiking until 7:30 again. But luckily, the rain had held off and the morning was sunny and warm. It was also humid. I felt sticky and sweaty. After talking last night about how we preferred to hike, X didn’t wait for me today. He had started earlier and got going while I was still packing up.
The trail continued much the same as the past two days. Beautiful views, breezy trails, and gorgeous forests. I did find some mystery blue wood. Dead fallen branches along the trail caught my eye because they were blue. The insides were a deep teal color. I became a little obsessed over them. What caused them to be blue? Why had I never seen or heard about this phenomenon? Were they blue when they were alive, or did they turn blue after falling to the forest floor? Did the blue play a role in their death? It was such a rich color that I had never seen in nature before and I was so confused by it. I later learned that it was a type of fungus that kills the tree and causes the beautiful hue. The fungus is transported to other trees by the Pine beetle and together they hasten the death of the tree and can cause widespread outbreaks. A beautiful destruction.
I seemed to make things tense again with X when I caught up to him and he asked if I wanted to stop for lunch at 10:30am. And then again at 11:30am. Both times I told him I’d rather keep hiking. It was still way too early in the day for me to want to stop hiking and eat, as I normally ate snacks throughout the morning and didn’t stop for a sitdown lunch until well after noon. I would feel antsy if I stopped any earlier. Plus, we were going into town today and I wanted to wait until then to eat. This made perfect sense to me, but his obvious annoyance showed that, clearly, we were still on different pages.
We made it into Grand Marais together, quieter than usual, the tension still hanging between us. We went to Hungry Hippie Tacos for a late lunch. I got a burrito this time and it tasted so good. Everything tastes better after hiking, and we had done over 50 miles so far. We got to charge our devices as we ate. It started raining as we sat in the restaurant, just a light drizzle. When we finished eating, we took turns going to the grocery store next door to do our food resupplies so that one of us could stay behind and watch our packs and charging devices. We left town around 4pm with one and a half miles to get us back to the trail, and another seven and a half miles to the next campsite.
The rain stopped and started again several times the rest of the day. We hiked the last mile in the dark. This campsite, at South Bally Creek Pond at about mile 58.5, had two different sites where people were allowed to pitch their tents. This was lucky, as the first site was completely full. We were able to squeeze our tents in at the second site. There was a break in the rain as I set up my tent, and just as I finished, the rain resumed. A lucky break that helped me keep my gear dry. We ate dinner in the drizzle with our fellow campers. They had a big golden retriever named Teddy who was a gentle sweetheart.
It was interesting talking to the other hikers. From them, and other people I’ve talked to so far, it seems that most people don’t know about thru hiking, or that thru hiking this trail was even possible, or something that people would even want to do. I know that thru hiking isn’t everyone’s cup of tea, but I thought there would be more people out here that we would meet, especially at this time of year, with plans to hike this entire trail from end to end in one trip.
Oh my gosh, I don't think I realized just how beautiful this trail is! And blue tree killing fungi?? No way!!!