Last weekend I wasn’t really planning on much, since I’ve got so many projects with bike maintenance and other things going on around home, but when Saturday morning came, I just couldn’t resist the good weather and time off, so I got organized in a hurry for a North Shore overnight. Since I’ve recently been able to get back to light riding, I brought along my Karate Monkey to check out some forest roads, and also planned on some hiking. Gotta work on loosing this post surgery, sitting around gut, right? May as well do it where there’s scenery and skip the treadmill. I arrived in the early afternoon, which is late, at Temperance River State Park, which had a campsite for me. I set up quick and hopped on my bike to ride the following loop: Hwy 61, right on FR343, right on FR166, right on Sawbill Tr, right on Hwy 61 back to camp. It was just short of 20 miles, the majority on gravel in the woods. It felt great to be out of town on bike again, especially in the North Woods. I’ve got some ideas for some gravel touring up there for the future, as there are some good National Forest Campgrounds around.
I started out climbing up from Lake Superior along FR343, otherwise known as Temperance River Rd, and quickly passed several people around event tents where the road intersected with the Superior Hiking Trail. I then realized it was the weekend when the Superior trail running ultras were occurring. There is a regular trail marathon, as well as 50 and 100 mile ultra marathons. I’d really like to run the “humble” regular trail marathon sometime when my body is strong enough again. Next year? We’ll see if I actually heal correctly this time. It would be fun to try the run. Anyhow, I continued climbing up the road until it leveled off, and I proceeded along side but above the Temperance River and Heartbreak Creek Valleys. Off to my right there were occasionally great views of the valleys, and Carlton Peak beyond. Then I hit the intersection with FR166, which I took to lead me over to Sawbill Tr as mentioned. FR166 had some good climbing, including a hill named after the creek (or creek after the hill, or something)- Heartbreak Hill. I guess the early loggers couldn’t get up it in the winter with their loads. I did better with my bail out granny gear (I don’t have a front shifter/derailleur right now on the KM, but I can move the chain manually for such an occasion- I know, dumb, I should just buy a derailleur, but I haven’t yet and the 1x9 setup has done the trick almost always in the Cities). After the hill, I dropped back down to cross the Temperance River. I spent a bit of time hanging out down there, as the River is always scenic to gawk at. I then connected with Sawbill Tr, which is a much bigger but still gravel road (until you get close to Lake Superior), that took me around the other side of Carlton Peak (with Britton on my left). Clouds, combined with smoke from the Pagami Creek Fire in the Boundary Waters, made for a surreal evening as I got closer to the big lake. I couldn’t really capture this on an iPhone camera, or I’d try to share it. I suggest just getting up North and riding for yourself. J Once back to Hwy 61, I had a very short stretch back to the campground. In the whole time on the forest roads, I saw 5 vehicles. This took 2 seconds on 61. If you’re riding the Shore, sample the gravel; it’s good. I’d share the GPS track of this ride with you, but I accidently deleted it. It’s a very simple route and you’ll see it on any worthwhile map of the area.
A Surly is always at home on woodsy gravel...
Dropping back down to the river after "Heartbreak Hill"...doesn't look very heartbreaking...just looks like good gravel riding...
Back at camp, I dined on daal from a can, cooked over an Esbit stove, and a fat apple from our latest CSA box. Forgot tea, which would have been nice. I caught a shower, which is a perk of the expensive state park campgounds, and then settled in around a good fire with my Nook for some reading from Jonathan Waterman’s Running Dry, which is a good adventure essay on the current state of the Colorado River.
I didn’t sleep very well. I was excited to try my new Big Agnes Seedhouse SL1, which I picked up on sale for solo ventures and hadn’t yet slept in. The tent was just fine, but I’m not quite comfortable on the ground again after all this surgery. I don’t sleep on my side well on hard surfaces. It should get better with time and I’ll be at home again during cold, confined tent nights.
The morning was relaxed with oatmeal and map reading, which was a bit unnecessary, as I ended up choosing to hike the quintessential Temperance hike- the river to Carlton Peak and back, but I like pouring over maps nonetheless, looking for new adventures.
I took off up the River and the weather was perfect. The leaves are also just starting to change. I really enjoyed the walk up to the peak, which I’d done before, but everything seems better if you’ve been in the office too much lately. I chilled out on top for a bit, and noticed smoke moving in again from the wildfire in the BWCA, and started down. By the time I reached the river again, the NW winds had brought in a ton of smoke and ash from the fire, and it was getting gross out. Ash flakes were falling like light snow flurries, and I was breathing more smoke than I cared to. I didn’t spend as much time in the gorge as I normally would on this hike soaking in scenery, as I wanted out of the bad air. When I got to my pickup, which is black, it was speckled in the little white ash flakes. As soon as I drove south probably ten miles, I was completely out of it. The winds were basically just right to have moved the stuff to exactly where I was hiking from so far away. It was still a great day.
Superior Hiking Trail heading to Carlton Peak...
I’m sure I’ll be back up to take in more of the Shore, be it hiking or biking, as the fall colors mature. Officials are saying it could be one of our best fall color years in quite a while. I hope they’re right.
That’s the weekend trip, I think I’ll post separately on the flight and bike projects…
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