View Full Version : Superior Hiking Trail (Duluth, MN)
Rollergirl
08-15-2008, 18:34
Greetings all!
I was wondering if a) anyone had hiked this 203 mile trail and b) if anyone has a copy of the guide book they want to loan/rent/sell on the cheap to me? I've been itching to get out in the woods now that I've quit my life-sucking job. I heard great things about a late-Sept to early-Oct hike on the SHT (I would have LOVED to have it be the Superior Hiking International Trail just for the acronym), so that's what I am shooting for. Any insight would, as always, be welcome!!
Muchas Smoochas,
Rollergirl
Hiya Rollergirl,
I hiked 80-some miles of the southern end of the SHT just a few weeks ago, it is a GREAT trail. (You can read about my exploits in the North Country Trail forum here on WB and there are pics in my gallery)
I may be able to loan you the guidebook, gotta see if I can rig up some kind of cover for it. I'll let you know.
I highly recommend this trail, keep in mind that time of year is going to be cold, it was already dipping into the low 40s at night in late July.
There are quite a few people on WB that have hiked more of it than I have, so I'll let them answer any more questions you have.
mkmangold
08-15-2008, 20:37
Greetings all!
I was wondering if a) anyone had hiked this 203 mile trail and b) if anyone has a copy of the guide book they want to loan/rent/sell on the cheap to me? I've been itching to get out in the woods now that I've quit my life-sucking job. I heard great things about a late-Sept to early-Oct hike on the SHT (I would have LOVED to have it be the Superior Hiking International Trail just for the acronym), so that's what I am shooting for. Any insight would, as always, be welcome!!
Muchas Smoochas,
Rollergirl
Y muchas smoochas tambien.
However, be prepared for snow in late September/early October. If you have already quit your life-sucking job, early September there would be spectacular.
Rollergirl
08-16-2008, 20:07
Ugh, snow by late September? *grumble*
If I hadn't already committed to a romp in the Catskills in mid-Sept, I'd go right now!
Iceage, keep me posted on that guidebook. I am very responsible and would send you baked goods in exchange! :)
I've hiked most of the non-Duluth part of the SHT three times over the last three years, so maybe I can be of some help. The late Sept. to early Oct. timeframe has at least two wonderful things going for it: the skeeters are usually gone by then, and it is prime fall leaf color season (the leaves usually aren't changing yet in early Sept.).
Drawbacks: 1) as others have mentioned, the temps can get cold (average overnight lows moving from 42 to 36 from Sept. 20 to Oct. 10; highs from 62 to 54; record lows from the high 20s to the low 20s -- all this according to weather.com for an inland town typical of the SHT) so though you probably won't get snowed on in that time frame, you can't rule it out; 2) because of the fall color it is the single most popular time to hike the SHT so you will see more people (this is relative, though -- it's not near as busy as the AT in your home state of North Carolina, and you probably will not be sharing a tent site with other hikers except on weekends).
If you've hiked any of the AT in North Carolina, it might be useful to know that the SHT has just half the vertical rise and fall per mile that the AT in the NC/TN area has. Yes, some parts are still rugged, and the trail is rocky and rooty in places, but overall it's not as physically demanding as the AT in NC.
The SHT does not have shelters (designated tent sites instead) or hiker-catering hostels, but the trail does pass through seven state parks, spaced out fairly evenly, and six of them have restrooms/showers (though it's worth looking at the Minnesota State Parks web-site to see when each park turns off its plumbing in the fall).
Resupply towns are also spaced pretty evenly apart, most less than a two mile walk from the trail. From south to north, Beaver Bay and Silver Bay are about a quarter of the way along the 204 miles, Finland a third of the way, Tofte halfway, and Grand Marais about three quarters of the way.
You won't believe how many great views of lakes (including Superior, of course) rivers and waterfalls you will see on this trail. I've always enjoyed hiking it and I hope you enjoy your trip!
Bill Strickland
08-17-2008, 10:10
Can I get by with hiking the SHT from Sept. 21st until approximately Oct. 7th without having any really harsh weather? Jakebrake
Hi all,
I have hiked in N MN in late Sept/early Oct in '05 (specifically the Northern 100 miles) and had cool nights and pleasant days (maybe 30's/40's at night and 50's, 60's during the day.) It was possibly the most beautiful hiking I have ever done. We camped alone on all 10 nights at the beautiful designated spots. (Most of which are extremely pretty and have a water source.) The only time we saw a lot of people was one Sat morning, walking through a state park clost to Hwy 61.
I was in Duluth and surrounding areas in late Oct of last year, and they were having a positive heatwave, temps reaching the 70's during the day.
I guess my point is, weather is a crapshoot in that area. In '05, the frost was really, really late, and last year, as everyone in the Midwest knows, extremely warm fall temps extended into November. But this is N MN, which can get as cold as the arctic, no joke. So you may have gorgeous hiking weather on Oct 15, or snow overnight on Sept 21.
That being said, it's not like it's going to blizzard or anything. You're not going to run into any dangerously cold weather that time of year, but don't think you can get by one summer gear. Bring your cold weather gear. Just be prepared for N MN and you'll be fine.
Sorry for all the mistypes, I had carpal tunnel surgery last week and I'm still typing 1 handed.
mkmangold
08-17-2008, 22:34
Can I get by with hiking the SHT from Sept. 21st until approximately Oct. 7th without having any really harsh weather? Jakebrake
Maybe. Maybe not. Be looking for the low and outside pitch but be prepared for the high and tight (misquoting "Field of Dreams").
Rollergirl
08-18-2008, 18:04
Jakebrake, I might see you out there on the trail!
I guess it's time to pull out the old zero degree down bag again. Woot!
Thanks for all the insight about the crazy and uncertain weather...I might go scrounge up a farmer's almanac for the area just to see.
There's nothing more crazy and uncertain about the weather in northern Minnesota than in other places with a continental climate (and most of the U.S. has a continental climate). You can expect the same average highs, lows, and record lows in late Sept./early Oct. there that you would experience in your home town of Raleigh NC in late November, according to weather.com. So prepare for your hike as if you were hiking around Raleigh at Thanksgiving. Northern Minnesota gets less precipitation than Raleigh, so there is less chance of getting rained or snowed on there in late September than there is in Raleigh in late November. You shouldn't need a zero degree bag unless you are a really cold sleeper -- although it sounds like it might give you more peace of mind:D.
Rollergirl,
I didn't mean to imply that the weather would be "crazy." Although I've lived in the more northern states all my life, so I don't find snow and colder weather to be that out there. I just meant that it might get cold at night, you perhaps might have snow--a little. The crapshoot I was refering to was actually the bizarre warm weather I've experienced up there--60's and humidity at night in Oct, 70's in the afternoon, etc.
The trail on the other side of the ridge near the lake will be warmer as well--Lake Superior is huge and retains a bit of warmth from the summer.
Just to reiterate--being in N MN that time of year is possibly the best. The trees are so beautiful--especially when you are going through a patch of maple forest, or there is a bright, young, flaming red tree growing under the birches. And the sky is so blue. Minnesota is SO BEAUTIFUL, and the people in that area of the country are also the nicest.
If I were to go up there again--and I will--I would definetely go in the fall.
I hope you have a great hike. Please keep us updated.
Tilly
Hey Rollergirl, PM your address to me and I'll get that guidebook sent out to you. It's a little beat-up and somehow a number of mosquitoes ended up squished between the pages, hope that doesn't bother you too much!