Superior Hiking Trail marker nailed to a Birch tree
Superior Hiking Trail Journal
Every time I talk about my Superior Hiking Trail thru hike, I feel the uncontrollable urge to instantly clarify that it is named for Lake Superior, as this 300 mile trail follows the lakeshore in northern Minnesota. Otherwise, it sounds quite pompous to insist on how this hiking trail is indeed quite Superior to all others.
I had no intention of hiking this trail. Well, perhaps maybe one day, but certainly not so soon after finishing my dream thru hike of the Pacific Crest Trail. I had only first heard about it from my friend "Good News" from the PCT. We had met in Northern California. She was doing a flip-flop having just started in Truckee. But she had done a thru hike of the SHT (oh yeah, it's not only the Superior trail, it's also the SHT) earlier that summer before she came out west. I was certainly intrigued as I was already beginning to realize that one long distance trail wasn't going to be enough for me in this lifetime.
When I came off the PCT, I was hit pretty hard with, what hikers commonly refer to as, post trail depression. I had moved back to the San Francisco Bay Area to live with and resume helping care for my sick mother, and search for a new job. But I was unhappy. Instead of being amongst trees and mountains, I was choked in by concrete and high-rises. I was no longer achieving my daily goals. I felt like I lost my friends as I was no longer surrounded by the hiking community I had garnered. And even though I exercised, I wasn't getting the same endorphins I got when I had hiked for 15 hours every day. It was rough feeling this way after achieving this goal I had held for years. So when I received an opportunity to hike another trail, I pounced on it. If I could delay these feelings for a little bit longer, then yes, absolutely, sign me up.
In the month between the PCT and SHT, I upgraded some of my gear. I replaced my pack and tent with much lighter options that I found on a ultralight used gear buy/sell/trade subreddit. I also bought a fanny pack to replace the hip belt pockets that the new pack did not have. I trimmed a couple of other items, but otherwise, my gear was much the same as the PCT.
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The Superior Hiking Trail runs follows the ridge of Minnesota's Sawtooth Mountains, some of the only elevation to be found in the Midwest, along the north shore of Lake Superior. The northern terminus lies at the border of Minnesota - Canada, while the southern terminus is at the Minnesota - Wisconsin border. The trail is about 300 miles long and would take about two weeks. I chose to go southbound in order to best chase the color-changing autumn leaves.
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Hiking the SHT was an amazing experience and it really helped me transition back into the "real" world. I have a lot of love for this trail. You can begin reading my SHT Journal.
Me standing on Lookout Mountain overlooking the forests of Northern Minnesota
SHT Journal Table of Contents
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Gear List COMING SOON
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Resources
About the Trail
Superior Hiking Trail Association
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Maps
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