Hike the Superior Hiking Trail!

Well my usual bloggin routine as of late has been to disappear for a while, and then post a blog having to do with something sweet that I’ve done outside. Here we go again. Alison and I, along with our good friend Chris went backpacking along part of the Superior Hiking Trail this past weekend, and man, it was fun. Really sweaty and difficult, but fun. We hiked from Beaver Bay, MN, to Hwy 1 north of Tettegouchi State Park, which took us through some of MN’s best scenery. I had no idea of how cool the backpacking can be on the SHT until this trip. Previous trips have been enjoyable, but I know now why it is rated consistently within the top 10 long hiking trails in the country. There’s something about going for a long backcountry walk, living for days on the trail and seeing places that you wouldn’t ever see without putting forth the effort to haul a loaded pack that is soooo rewarding. It’s so simple and so fun. You just walk as far as you feel like walking during the day, seeing all sorts of crazy backcountry details, and then hang out at your secluded camp and have a dinner that tastes 100 times better than the dinner at home you did not have to work so hard to earn. I hope to someday through hike a lengthy trail such as the SHT. It may not happen for a while, but I hope to do it. Along the same lines, I hope to road bike across the US at some point in my life. People sometimes make these crazy dreams a reality, but most get lost in chores and duties. I hope I can make it work. With as many months that are in a person’s life, you’d think there’d be a couple to be crazy and meet a goal such as those. Anyway, I have to go home (I’m just finishing at work and am taking advantage of the free internet- it’s once again not working at home- the reason I haven’t blogged as much lately). I’ll leave you with some more SHT pix to dream about:

1st backcountry campsite, at the south Beaver River camp...

One of the many sweet woods sections, good for catching your breath after the steep rocky sections...

Near 2nd backcountry campsite, Bear Lake. Very good swimming. Washes the stink off. Sorry that my nipples are so viewable in this picture. :)

Mt. Trudy overlook. I was pleasantly surpised to find such a view in MN. Thought for a minute I was out west. Very cool place, but you've got to work to get there...

If you hiked the SHT, you'd be as happy as this guy, and as smelly...