Superior Hiking Trail - Need Thru-Hiking Advice

[BryanE]

I guess it's worth a shot. I'll bring my bag with when I go to try on boots/trail runners and see what they have to say. Maybe I should just keep it as a summer bag though, I'll have to give that some thought.

I am nervous about down bags because to my understanding they perform very poorly when they get wet. The trade off is that they are a lot lighter for their heat though right? I'll keep my eye out for a deal on a good, warm bag in the next couple of months and see what pops up. I just grabbed a headlamp off of SAC and maybe I'll see a bag there as well.

I got an amazing cheat sheet from Map Man that is going to make planning this trip much easier. I am planning on hiking south bound, and am going to start making an itinerary soon. The only problem is that I don't have a good grasp on my hiking speed. I think I'll plan for about 10 miles a day, plus two zero days, but I'll have to see how that fits into the distances between campsites.

My lease on my current place ends on May 31st I am pretty sure that I am going to move into a new place on June 1st, so that is going to be interesting to work into my trip. I was planning on leaving around May 13th, and won't be able to get the trail done by then (I definitely don't want to be rushed). I might just move all of my stuff out before I leave and then move into the new place a week or two later.

[MNBackpacker]

Bryan,

I have section hiked the southern half of the trail and have just started planning a SOBO thru-hike for Fall 2012. I have some used gear in excellent condition you may be interested in and am certainly willing to share any information that you are looking for. Let me know.

Mike

[Lyle]

Bryan,

Check out this thread for a discussion of Down vs. Synthetic. Lots of good info.

http://www.whiteblaze.net/forum/show...-for-thru-hike

[BryanE]

Hmmm, great post in that thread Lyle. That really has me considering down. I guess I could get a down bag for cold weather and keep my synthetic bag for summer.

MNBackpacker - how did you like the trail? I still need stuff sacks, trekking poles, compass, and head net. If you have any of that you can go ahead and shoot me a PM.

[MNBackpacker]

REI will let you return anything for any reason. I have yet to have them tell me no even after a year since purchase. I LOVE this trail! I have some stuff sacks and a bag that seems to fit your needs if you are looking for one. I also have plenty of ideas on how to save $$$ on many of these items.

[Cookerhiker]

I hiked nearly all of the Superior Trail just this past September; I ended less than 20 miles short of a thruhike because of excruciating heel blisters that were starting to become infected. I don't think the problem was my trail runners per se so I think you'll be OK with them.

Resupply will definitely be a challenge for you. We sent ourselves maildrops in Grand Marais and Finland. There are also decent grocery stores in both towns.

By definition, you don't face any long 1,000'+ ups and downs like the AT but most of the ascents & descents are very steep. Also much of the Trail is rock and root strewn similar to New England.

Re. water, I used Aqua Mira with no problems. Water availability was an issue in some parts but you should be OK with a May hike.

If you can time it, camp one night at Gooseberry Falls State Park. You pay a reduced rate for backpackers and the backpackers' campsites are right on the lake - much better than the car campers.

I recommend an overnight stay in Grand Marais and dinner at the Angry Trout restaurant. In addition to superb Lake Trout, everything on their menu is health-conscious. For example, all their veggies come from local sources. The only issue is whether they're open in May or not. I know they close for the winter.

Finally if you haven't discovered it yet, the guidebook is geared to day and section hikers, not thruhikers. So the mileage is misstated because it includes side trail miles from parking areas not on the SHT itself.

It's a very nice trail. Good luck. And check out WB's "Other Trails" forums; do a search and you'll find other Superior Trail threads: http://www.whiteblaze.net/forum/sear...earchid=709988

Oh - to edit your posts, join WB as a Donating Member.

Cool! Did you hike SOBO or NOBO? A zero in Grand Marais would be really cool. The Angry Trout looks like a really nice place, and it's right on the lake too. They say that they are open starting in May, so it looks like I will be able to do that.

Did you have any problems with sediment in the water? Oh my, I spent one night in Gooseberry right on the lake with no tent, just right under the stars. It happened to be during a meteor shower. I was with my ex-girlfriend and it was one of the best nights of my life. I would love to work another night there into my trip.

The guidebook is still in the mail, and this is extremely disappointing to hear. I was really counting on that to plan my hike....

Sorry for the late reply - I just returned home after rather sporadic internet access.

We hiked it southbound. Parked my car at Fox Farm Rd. trailhead and obtained a shuttle from the Superior Shuttle. For 2 of us, it was $75 each. If you're hiking alone, it's $90 or thereabouts.

I didn't mean to imply that the guidebook is useless - just read it carefully. There are only a few segments where the mileage is off.

In general, we found the Trail corridor hitchhike-friendly. We even encountered an impromptu Trail Angel near Finland who shuttled us for a slackpack day. Speaking of Finland, the grocery store is OK but the restaurant situation is limited in light of your dietary restrictions. But you could also do a town stop in Beaver Bay which is close to the Trail and features several restaurants.

I don't recall any problems with sediment in water, not even those places where the water was marginal. Hiking in May means you should have plenty of water.

Nice trail - have a good hike!

[BryanE]

$90 for a single person? Ouch, this trip is going to by a lot more expensive than I thought. Yes, I received the guidebook in the mail. So far I've only read all the prepping sections (history, wildlife, etc.). I have really enjoyed it. I'll have to venture into the trail parts soon.

That's good to hear. When you got a ride were you just walking with your pack and somebody stopped, or were you actively looking for a ride? Wow, that was really nice of that person to shuttle you, it's nice to hear of positive human interaction. I've been kind of losing faith in humanity recently.

Thank you for the heads-up on the restaurants. I will make sure to do some research to see what towns it would make sense for me to stop in and which ones it wouldn't. I hadn't thought of that.

Ok, I may have to switch to Aqua Mira if that is the case. I could always filter through my bandana too if necessary.

Thank you very much! 5 and a half months to go, I can't wait.


Those down bags aren't cheap are they? I'll have to see if REI can take my 40* back, otherwise I don't think I can work it into my budget.


I'm working on my clothes list and this is what I have so far:

§ SHTA moisture-wicking microfiber t-shirt – 22 (grey or navy)
§ SHTA long sleeve microfiber jersey – 27 (grey or navy)
§ SHTA Bandana – 6 (purple, tan, red, yellow)
§ SHTA Hiker Hat – 22 (khaki or olive)
§ Rain Jacket ~
§ Light wind jacket ~
§ Pants ~
§ 3 Pair Socks ~
§ Fleece sweater/down jacket ~
o Bug Net ~ $10
Trail Runners
Trekking Poles
Underwear ~

I still have a lot of work to do as you can see. I really appreciate all of you guys helping me out so much, it really is a life saver.

[Spokes]

Might want to contact Shug for some perspective once you get your gear worked out......

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MuGD8uXDkTw

[BryanE]

Haha, I love his videos. I've been living vicariously through them for the past week. He seems like a really fun guy. I hope I run into him on the trail.

[Spokes]

Woo Buddy!

[AndyB]

SHT is on my 2013 itinerary. The North is one of my favorite places to be in the Fall

[Cookerhiker]

$90 for a single person? Ouch, this trip is going to by a lot more expensive than I thought. Yes, I received the guidebook in the mail. So far I've only read all the prepping sections (history, wildlife, etc.). I have really enjoyed it. I'll have to venture into the trail parts soon.

That's good to hear. When you got a ride were you just walking with your pack and somebody stopped, or were you actively looking for a ride? Wow, that was really nice of that person to shuttle you, it's nice to hear of positive human interaction. I've been kind of losing faith in humanity recently. ....

Re the shuttle, keep in mind it's 200 trail miles and probably at least 150 road miles so it's not a real bad price.

All of the rides we got were hitching i.e. sticking out our thumbs except for one time when we bumbed a ride at the grocery store in Finland. The motel in Finland was about 1.5 miles from the grocery store, PO, and restaurant so we hitched sans packs and got rides every time except after dark.

[AndyB]

righ,t so you're looking at paying the shuttler for a 300 mile round trip. 90 is plenty fair, imo. Rte 61 is very hitchhiking friendly as I recall but at the beginning of a long hike or trip I don't want to mess around finding rides. Where will you be coming from and how are planning to get there?

[BryanE]

Yeah I suppose the price isn't that bad, I just need to pump a little more money into this than I thought.
I am coming from the cities and will be driving a car up there.
Thank you for the tips on hitching. I still need to plan my itinerary before I get any further into this.

Woo buddy!

[Cookerhiker]

righ,t so you're looking at paying the shuttler for a 300 mile round trip. 90 is plenty fair, imo. Rte 61 is very hitchhiking friendly as I recall but at the beginning of a long hike or trip I don't want to mess around finding rides...

Even if you successfully hitched all the way up Rt. 61, it would be nigh impossible to get a ride from 61 to the Northern trailhead unless you asked your last hitch to take you there and of course, offered plenty of $$$ incentive.

[AndyB]

That's a fact. i'd be wary of anyone wanting to take me that far out,lol.
I hitched successfully off the Gunflint many times but that's a highway in comparison

[BryanE]

I didn't mean to give the impression that I want to hitchhike to the north end. I was simply curious about the method in which he got to town. I will definitely pay 90 dollars for the piece of mind. I'm not going to plan this trip and prepare for 5 months and then have it hinge on somebody stopping to pick me up.

Thank you for the concern though.

[BryanE]

So I've decided to cut my thru-hike down to a week or so hike along the trail. I need to be back by the first anyway and don't really have enough experience to go out for a month on my own. Now I just need to decide on a suitable section. The only part I've done before is the hike right by Bear and Bean Lake, man that's a nice area. Fond memories there. Lots of fresh blueberries too when I went last.

[Erin]

Definitely take a camera. It is a beautiful hike and I mean stunning views. Our group did the a 35 mile section to Grand Marais in September of last year. It was extremely wet and deep muddy so I was glad I had boots but some of our group had over the ankle lighter boots which I wish I had.
We had alot of water discoloration from the tanins, the water was brown but drinkable. We ditched the book, just got the section maps and the trail is very well marked. Lake Agnes was our favorite camping site. I posted a pic of it on WB under my photos but don't know it it shows after all the changes.
I definitely recommend Grand Marais. It is a very nice town and welcoming to hikers. We had two vegetarians and there are places that will work with your dietary restrictions.
Have a wonderful time!!!

[Erin]

Just saw the above post from another hiker. We also used the shuttle, it was fine and on time. We were staying at one of the parks the first night and he even stopped so we could buy a six pack for our one night at the state park. We also hitched to get back to our vehicle. People up there are super friendly to hikers and hitching was no problem. We are over 40 so we look pretty harmless but...well, we fell in love with Minnesota. Hiking Isle Royale is now on my life list.