Superior Hiking Trail: Take Two
In 2018 I first set foot on the Superior Hiking Trail, but I was not equipped well enough and temperatures got way too cold for the gear I brought. I bailed out after the first night.
This year I must redeem myself, so I planned to do the same hike as last year. This time I am equipped with warmer sleeping gear, and the weather was more ideal. The Friday before my trip my car gave me a little issue starting. I was not going to take chances of it not starting when I got up north, so I rented an SUV.
I headed up north on Monday, September 23rd and I stayed at Hungry Hippy Farm and Hostel. I had reserved a private room on AirBnB. When I pulled into the red barn like hostel, I was greeted by the greeter Charlie, he is a dog. He gave me a good sniff guessing he was smelling my girls. I met with the owner who took me to where I was staying. My private room had my name on a sliding barn door. No locks but when I entered, I was greeted with what looked like reclaimed exterior wood walls and light green interior walls, and queen-sized bed. There was a common area with a small kitchen and two bathrooms complete with showers. Upstairs was the bunk rooms only accessible from the outside. I asked the host where a good place is to get some food in town. He pointed me to My Sisters Place, a restaurant right off 61. I ordered their pizza there and it was quite good. I went to bed early and got up early the next morning where I took a shower and loaded up the rental.
I was greeted by Charlie once again and played with him a bit before I set off for breakfast at South of the Border Cafe. The meal was not the best breakfast I ever had. The place only accepted cash and the one thing I can say about it is that it was cheap. I got back into the rental and headed to Cascade River State Park where I checked in with the office and parked my car in the spot, they told me to and waited for Harriet Quarles.
Harriet pulls in smoking a Salem Lights cigarette and I get in her van. Harriet is a lovely lady who shuttles people around in the spring summer and fall but goes to Florida for the winter months. She will tell you like it is. We continue our ride south for about 20 miles and pull over to the wayside of temperance river. She pointed me in the direction to start hiking and I set off hiking north.
The trail follows the Temperance River for a while. Since this is a state park there is a lot of people out walking around for the day, I admired the views and kept walking all the way to Carlton Peak. On the climb up to Carlton Peak I started to get very hot, so I took off the layers I started with, so I was down to my black Smart Wool t-shirt. When I got to the top, I took a short trail off the SHT, called a spur trail to the Carlton Peak overlook.
At Carlton Peak I met another backpacker who had the same orange Zpacks Arc Hall pack that I had. He did not seem very talkative. I ate lunch, it was around 1:30PM and after taking in the views of Lake Superior going into the horizon, I picked up my back and headed down. I soon reached to Britton Peak Trail head and parking lot. I used the vault toilet there and took a seat on the ground for a while. Day hikers were milling about getting in and out of cars. This was clearly a very popular trailhead. It was here where I bailed out the year before, and Harriet came take me back to my car. After I felt rested, I continued. I did not go up Britton Peak because I wanted to get to camp before it got dark
I passed by Springdale Creek Campsite, where I laid awake the previous year because I was too cold. a little past that I met my second south bound backpacker. We chatted a bit, I learned he was a father and had not backpacked alone for a while. He asked me how I felt hiking alone. I told him that it is good meeting other people and I use audio books and podcasts to keep me from feeling too alone. We continued and I walked right through to West Leveaux Pond Campsite. I pitched my tent and made Freeze Dried Macaroni and Cheese. It started to rain a bit as I was eating so I made it quick. It had not fully re-hydrated, but I ate it all, despite it being a bit on the crunchy side. I hung my food bag and took shelter in my tent. I went over the next day’s plan.
I woke up the following morning with a little condensation formed in my tent. That is a known issue with single walled tents. I started to pack up and heated up some water to make apple cider from a packet. I decided to eat breakfast on the trail, and I stuffed my hip belt pockets with snacks then I set off. and came across the Mt Leveaux Spur Trail and decided to see where it led. I was greeted with a large bolder looking over the Superior National Forrest with fall colors and green. It was super windy, so windy that if someone were to yell at me from a little way back. I would not be able to hear them. I sat on the rock and looked over at the blue sky with light clouds. Then I gathered my things and hiked onward.
About two miles in I came across the Oberg Mountain Trailhead parking lot. I used the restroom again. Yes, there are latrines at the camp sites, stools with holes in the ground, but if I can, I rather poop where there are walls around me. I continued hiking, this time up hill to Oberg Mountain. I reached a fork in the trail. Right lead me to the Oberg Mountain loop, and right onward with my journey. I thought about what way to go for a while. A group of women were trying to take their photo by the sign pointing out the direction to the loop trail. They asked me to take their photo for them which I happily did, and they hiked up the trail, I followed them.
It was about noon when I got to the first overlook and I decided to have my lunch. I continued to hike the loop which had one lookout after another. There were a lot of day hikers there to enjoy the overlooks and fall colors of both Superior National Forrest and Lake Superior. I took a selfie at one of these overlooks. By the time I was about done with the loop it started top rain a bit. I had placed wet socks from the day before on the outside of my pack along with my battery pack I used to keep my phone charged. It soon went from a light rain to a heavy rain. I stopped and took out my rain jacket that I keep in the outside mesh pocket of my pack and moved my warm layers and battery pack inside my pack. I kept my wet socks on the outside of my pack, they were already wet, and a bit of rain might clean them up.
It was not long before the first of the day hikers was on my tail. I was blocking the whole trail. I apologized to the man behind me, but he seemed to understand. He asked if I was spending the night out here, to which I confirmed and then I got hiking again with a rain jacket through the wet trail. The rain had stopped about the time I came to Rollins Creek. I used the creek to fill up my water bottle.
I use a Smart Water Bottle that I can put a Sawyer Squeeze water filter on. My bottle has the “dirty” water in, but what comes out is “clean” water. The terms dirty and clean refer more to if it is safe to drink than how it looks. The water filters do very little to remove the tannins or improve the taste. It does keep bacteria and other microbes, like Giardia, out of what I drink making it safe.
On the SHT with every decent, there is an accent. Water sources are found right before an accent. I started to make my ascent. When I got to the top the skies were clear and flat for a while. I met another group of backpackers who just came from Lutsen, a resort, they had taken the Gondola up avoiding several miles of trail. They told me if I took the Gondola there is a place at the resort that served burgers, well I knew what I was doing.
One thing I have noticed is that most backpackers you encounter, while backpacking, are always willing to chat. They will tell you how the trails are ahead of you, and if there are good views. The conversations generally go like this. It starts with a greeting, then you start talking about the recent weather. Where you started the trip, where you camped last night, where you plan to finish your trip, what the trail is like in either direction then you continue your way. Day hikers, however, typically don’t want to have conversations with you. If they do, they are always so impressed that you would live out in the woods for a few days. You often are looked at like a bad ass, bush crafting, Ron Swanson. An expert hiker who can live off the land for months, in fact, without freeze dried, readymade meals I bring, I would starve to death, or die of exposure without my gear.
On my way to the gondola, somehow, I got a little off trail, I avoided a lot of rocks everyone was telling me about. I am taking that as a good thing. As I was approaching the Gondola, I could see a rainbow go right to the building. I could not help but think that there is a pot of gold at the end of the rainbow. I got the ticket for the gondola, which was like 20, or 25 dollars, seemed rather expensive. I took it to the other side of the resort bypassing several miles of trail and walked into a bar called Papa Charlie's.
I got a table by myself and ordered my food. The table next to me there were some of the women who asked me to take a photo of them at Oberg Mountain. We chatted for a bit. They asked me the usual questions day hikers ask while we waited for my food. I made sure to stand at a distance because I am sure my odor would ruin their meal. My meal came and I ate. I was a little disappointed from the burger, but my other meal plan was freeze dried spaghetti, so by those standards I ate like a king with burger, fries, and several refills of Pepsi. I paid up and asked the bartender how to get back on the trail, he told me, and I left.
I am reminded of the hiking language used on the Appalachian Trail. You have white blazes which means you are on the AT. Then you have blue blazes, which means you are on a side trail. Some thru hikers believe that you must hike every white blaze for it to count. They even have the term yellow blazing, which means skipping a section my car because of the yellow lines on the road. Well on the SHT the blue blazes are the SHT, and white blazes are the side trails, but what do you call skipping a section by gondola?
Of course, I had to hike up a mountain to get to my camp site for the night. My plan was to stay at Mystery Mountain camp site, but the Gondola took me right past it. The next camp site was West Poplar Camp Site. It was getting a bit dark, but I had time to look at an overlook and make it to camp.
When I got to camp there were two women there already. I came to find out that they were sisters from Nebraska. They were going southbound but taking their time doing it. I set up my tent and hung my food and chatted with the girls for a bit before retiring to my tent. The following morning one of the women got a forecast on their InReach. Rain was predicted for that night. Up to this point I thought the trails were muddy enough, but my camp mates told me it is worst up ahead. I though more rain was a bad idea, so I started to hatch a plan to end my hike a day early.
From West Poplar River Camp Site there was about 14 miles for me to finish my hike. I would not be taking many breaks. I started on my way. I passed East Poplar River Camp site through the muddy trail and started a climb to an overlook of the Poplar river. I took a quick photo. Half hour after that I hit Lake Agnes. With the fall colors and the blue skies, the lake was gorgeous. I took another quick photo and headed on my way. There was a lot of day hikers out for the beautiful sights around Lake Agnes. I kept walking. I came across a board walk that took me over a beaver pond. It was very rickety and uneven. This would be the last photo I took on my hike, it was already 1, but most of the hike was trudging through mud, very few views. It was a long day and I was cursing the trail today. my feet were wet, I changed socks several times, but I was just putting on less damp socks each time. I persevered on. I came across another backpacker on high ground, we had the typical conversation and we parted ways. around 5 I passed by Indian Creek Campsite. I sat outside the spur trail leading to it deciding if I was turn in for the night or finish this hike. I was only a few miles away. At this point every step hurt. I decided to go on and I finished my hike at around 7 PM. I walked to the rental so happy that I was there. I camper at the state park sitting by the camp site next to her camper saw me. I dropped my pack and dug for the car key and unlatched the back. I grabbed a change of clothes I had stashed there and changed in the parking lot. This was my longest, more difficult day of hiking I ever have done. All said, hiked a total of 36 miles, well minus a couple for the gondola ride
Now I had to think fast. I had a hostel reservation the following night, but no place to stay tonight. I drove back up to Grand Marais and went back to my sisters’ place for another pizza, and a Pepsi, and a large shake. On my phone I reserved a room at a motel at a very high price. After dinner I checked into the motel and went to my room. I took a long shower, but I found my skin was breaking out in a rash, probably from rubbing against my wool shirt. I was out of Benadryl and did not want to go anywhere. Everything smelled and I brought it all into the room and went to bed after posting a few photos from my trip to the SHT Facebook group. One of the women I stayed with that last night commented on the post, apparently her and her sister also finished earlier than expected. I went to bed and woke up very sore.
I took another hot shower then I headed to the breakfast the motel had, it was nothing special, but it filled me up and I went back to the room and could smell everything from the night before. The motel had a washing machine that was free for guest to use, you just had to buy your own soap. I got change to use in the soap dispenser and tossed all my clothes in that I wore on the trail and washed them. My socks were still rank when I took them out of the dryer, but no time to waste, I was going to make use of this day along the north shore. I tossed all the clothes into a bag, except the socks, I tossed them, along with my hiking shoes in the back of the rental and headed north.
It did not take long to find myself at the Canadian border. I handed the customs agent my passport and answered a few questions, he then welcomed me to Ontario, and I drove to Thunder bay for some lunch. So, I just used my phone to find a place, I was a little underwhelmed, but then I headed back to the US.
When I got to the border crossing again, I was asked to pull over and come inside. The agent asked me a ton of questions about where I live, what I am doing, how long was I in Canada, where I rented my car, why I rented the car, where I stayed last night, what I do for a living, and a whole lot of other questions. Then she went out to search the car. When I pulled in, I saw a dog going inside, so I figured they would use the dog to sniff for drugs. I must admit, being in Canada for only a couple hours in a rental might look a little suspicious. I feel bad for the dog that they most likely took to sniff my car, I am so sorry for my shoes in socks in the back.
I was allowed to leave, and I decided to stop at the Grand Portage State Park and do the hiking club trail. It was all paved and took me to a beautiful lookout with a waterfall. I headed back and got in the car then went to Grand Portage National Monument. I was looking around the store when a staff member called out that the movie was about to start so I just went with the flow and watched it. The video was about the history of the area and the native population. It also talked about how with the treaty between England and the US cut the natives population’s land in half. The video talked about the beaver trade the Voyageurs. Following the video there was a tour of the rebuilt fort where I learned some more interesting facts.
I got back in my car and went back to the Hostel I had booked that night. After dropping off my things I went to Sven & Ole's Pizza. I was not that impressed I must admit. I thought it was very high priced and just OK. I took the leftovers to the hostel and put them in the fridge.
I was greeted again by another hostel guest who was there when I first showed up, I chatted with her about what I was up to and how the last few days went. She was a wonderful retired lady. A group of younger women showed up, they were heading up to Canada for a birthday celebration but stopped there for the night. They had reserved bunks upstairs. We all had a good conversation.
I went to bed and woke up early. I hit the road just before sunrise and found a nice place to pull over to watch the sun rise over Lake Superior. I made a stop at Betty’s Pies and grabbed a slice for me and a pie to bring into work when I returned, and I headed south returning the rental and getting my dogs from the Rover dog sitter.
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