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MinnesotaRambler
12-15-2013, 18:30
Has anyone in this forum hiked much on the Superior Hiking Trail in Minnesota? What are your thoughts on the SHT compared to the AT? Which sections of the AT most resemble to SHT? What are your favorite parts of the SHT? I'm a native Minnesotan and have put in a fair amount of miles in on the SHT in the last couple of years. Just wondering what some of the likes and dislikes of this trail are? One thing I enjoy about the SHT is the low amount of people i encounter on the trail. I've noticed a lot of people around the state parks besides that the traffic on the trail is minimal. I'm hoping to make it out to the coast soon to hike the AT, I just would like to hike a section that has some diversity compared to my home state. I'm curious to see what kind of trips people have taken and the SHT and how they think it compares to the AT.

Crabapple
12-15-2013, 18:35
YES! I also hope someone will reply to these questions, as I've hiked all of the AT but 56 miles, but live closer to the Superior Trail. I've often wondered about terrain and if the miles per day is comparable to the AT, since I might also hike it one summer.

MinnesotaRambler
12-15-2013, 19:49
The SHT is set up am little different than the AT in a few ways. The SHT doesn't have any shelters, it does have established camp sites with a privy, fire ring, and wooden benches. You could average between 12-20 miles a day on the SHT depending on the section, weather conditions, and campsite selection. The farther north you go generally there is less people. If you are going to attempt a thru hike on the SHT I would hike north to south because the northern terminus right now is kind of in the middle of nowhere. The southern terminus is just south of Duluth locates at Jay Cook State Park. I've backpacked around 800 miles on the SHT on the last four years. I know it's not that big of a number compared to the AT. You walk thru every state park on Minnesota's north shore of Lake Superior. There are a lot of rivers, ridge lines, and waterfalls. I absolutely love the SHT so much that I moved from the southern part of Minnesota to the northern part just to be close to the trail. Anyone that has any questions on the SHT feel free to ask and I'll help you the best I can

CoffeeBager
12-15-2013, 19:58
Thanks for the offer of help, MinnesotaRambler. I'm planning to thru the SHT in the late spring/early summer (leaving mid-late May depending on trail conditions) and may have a few questions later. I used to live in MSP, but I wasn't a hiker then. Still, N. Minnesota is one of my favorite places, and I'm excited to come hike the trail!

Cookerhiker
12-16-2013, 22:22
I've hiked the entire AT (in sections, not thru) and nearly all of the SHT. The part of the AT most similar to the SHT is the 100 Mile Wilderness in Maine. Similarities include rocks & roots, lots of water, lakes & ponds, the same trees and bushes, wildlife such as moose and loons. While the SHT has many small ups and downs, it does not feature the long ascents in the 100MW such as Whitecap or Barren mountains. I'd say the first 15 miles of the 100MW north from Monson are the most similar to the SHT.

Ender
12-17-2013, 11:44
I've hiked the entire AT (in sections, not thru) and nearly all of the SHT. The part of the AT most similar to the SHT is the 100 Mile Wilderness in Maine. Similarities include rocks & roots, lots of water, lakes & ponds, the same trees and bushes, wildlife such as moose and loons. While the SHT has many small ups and downs, it does not feature the long ascents in the 100MW such as Whitecap or Barren mountains. I'd say the first 15 miles of the 100MW north from Monson are the most similar to the SHT.

The SHT sounds like a really enjoyable trail. I loved the 100 mile wilderness.

Cookerhiker
12-17-2013, 19:41
One key difference that I should add (for those who care) is that Maine is replete with shelters, giving you an option to get out of the rain. The SHT has a few, unpublicized shelters, none of them near water sources.

map man
12-18-2013, 13:06
1) Has anyone in this forum hiked much on the Superior Hiking Trail in Minnesota? 2) What are your thoughts on the SHT compared to the AT? 3) Which sections of the AT most resemble to SHT? 4) What are your favorite parts of the SHT? I'm a native Minnesotan and have put in a fair amount of miles in on the SHT in the last couple of years. Just wondering what some of the likes and dislikes of this trail are? One thing I enjoy about the SHT is the low amount of people i encounter on the trail. I've noticed a lot of people around the state parks besides that the traffic on the trail is minimal. I'm hoping to make it out to the coast soon to hike the AT, 5) I just would like to hike a section that has some diversity compared to my home state. I'm curious to see what kind of trips people have taken and the SHT and how they think it compares to the AT.

1. I have hiked all of the SHT north of Duluth, most of it two or three times.

2. On balance I prefer the SHT to the parts of the AT south of Damascus VA that I have hiked. Fewer people. Both are very scenic, but in different ways: the SHT highlights are mostly about rivers and lakes (small and large -- can't get larger than Lake Superior) and the plentiful, spectacular waterfalls; the southern AT is more about views of the mountains from the occasional viewpoint or from the balds. Both areas feature a lot of friendly locals. I prefer the SHT tentsites to the AT shelters. I also like all the state parks the SHT runs through with their amenities (showers, for one).

3. Cookerhiker covered this well with his comparison with Maine. He mentions one key difference (shelters), but I will mention another: all stream and river crossings are bridged on the SHT (a lot of volunteer effort goes into keeping these bridges usable after the annual spring iceflows that come down the waterways). You won't be taking your life into your hands when trying to get to the other side of a river during high water, compared to Maine.

4. I love the SHT the most between Gooseberry Falls State Park, near Two Harbors, and Judge Magney State Park north of Grand Marais (about half of the SHT) -- most spectacular scenery per mile. My favorite day hike would be from the Silver Bay Trailhead to the Highway 1 trailhead, passing Bean and Bear Lake overlooks and the falls on the Baptism River.

5. I think the part of the AT which offers the greatest contrast to the SHT would be the southern Appalachians in GA, NC and TN. While the flora in the New England sections of the AT, particularly in Maine, is similar to the SHT, the trees and plants you will see in the south are mostly different from northern Minnesota (which has no native rhododendrons!). The mountains are a lot bigger in the southern Appalachians than on the SHT. I encountered a lot of friendliness in both places, but southern culture is a little different from midwestern culture -- both are very nice!, so I'm not trying to start anything here:rolleyes:. You should experience it for yourself.

Odd Man Out
12-18-2013, 21:41
Was hoping to do an AT hike this summer but now you have me thinking the SHT is a viable alternative. Found their web page to be well organized. I have some reading to do. Looking for a good 100 mile stretch. Are there shuttles available for solo section hikers?

map man
12-18-2013, 22:44
Here's a link to the Superior Shuttle:

http://www.superiorhikingshuttle.com/Schedules/index.php

I believe Gooseberry Falls State Park to the Lutsen trailhead would be my favorite 100 mile stretch of the trail. If you hike the SHT in summer bring plenty of deet (unless it's a dry summer). My favorite times to hike the SHT are late May and September to early October.

Ewker
12-19-2013, 00:34
map man, do you have any journals from your trips?

Odd Man Out
12-19-2013, 01:53
Here's a link to the Superior Shuttle:

http://www.superiorhikingshuttle.com/Schedules/index.php

I believe Gooseberry Falls State Park to the Lutsen trailhead would be my favorite 100 mile stretch of the trail. If you hike the SHT in summer bring plenty of deet (unless it's a dry summer). My favorite times to hike the SHT are late May and September to early October.

Thanks. I've been exploring the web site. Found the shuttle info. Nice service. I was thinking Gooseberry to Temperance River would be about right. That's a few miles shorter, but that would give me the chance to make side trips if things are going well. Driving distance to SHT and AT trailheads about the same for me (but in opposite directions). July and early Aug is my only window of opportunity so I'll stock up on the bug juice.

jkahler
12-19-2013, 03:59
I was almost eaten alive by mosquitos on the northernmost section of the SHT in early June on a week long trip. 100% deet did not deter them the least!

I've hiked in ME a little bit, and the SHT is easier, but somewhat similar. Fav time on the SHT is early spring, or fall.

Cookerhiker
12-19-2013, 08:52
We also used Superior Shuttle and found their service quite satisfactory. We left our car at the then-southern terminus south of Two Harbors and got shuttled to the northern end. We sent ourselves maildrops to Finland and Grand Marais. The latter has some wonderful restaurants.

Even with a mid-September start, the mosquitoes were pretty bad for the first week. When I hiked the AT in Maine from mid-August to mid-September, the bugs were practically nonexistent.

Normally I keep a journal, but I didn't on this hike. I had just completed the Colorado Trail thruhike less than 2 weeks prior and I was "journaled out."

CoffeeBager
12-19-2013, 09:01
Here are a few recent trip journals from around the web.
http://hikingdude.com/superior-hiking-trail-journal.php
http://www.grayghost.info/2012/12/2012-superior-hiking-trail-illustrated_30.html
https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10100236310753489&set=a.10100236310523949.1073741831.33804725&type=3&l=1537248a0c&theater

mcstick
12-19-2013, 10:37
Any suggestions for a for or five day section or just some thoughts about a favorite section?

map man
12-19-2013, 10:38
map man, do you have any journals from your trips?

I only journaled once (with paper and pen), in 2006 on the SHT, but when I looked at the journal after the trip with the intention of transcribing it to trailjournals.com, I realized that I had commited an awful lot of ink to complaints about my sore knees and feet. I decided my whininess didn't need to be shared on the web;).

Cookerhiker, you were a little unlucky when you had a lot of mosquitos in the third week of September at the north end -- that's not the norm. I hope you had a great hike anyway.

Odd Man Out, I once hiked for a week in early August on the SHT during a dry year, and the skeeters were spotty. Really bad in some boggy areas, but not bad at all in most other parts of the trail. So much depends on conditions each particular year. My bigger problem during that dry year was water. Even some of the medium sized creeks were dried up, so I was careful about tanking up in the places I did find water. I think my longest dry stretch in the Grand Marais to Canada section that August was maybe 10-12 miles.

map man
12-19-2013, 11:25
Any suggestions for a for or five day section or just some thoughts about a favorite section?

I would want to include the 35 to 40 miles from Gooseberry Falls State Park to the Highway 1 trailhead in a four or five day hike. Gooseberry Falls, Split Rock River, Bean and Bear Lake, and Baptism River Falls are in this section. If you can cover more ground than that keep going north for however long you feel like going. Another good 35 to 40 mile section farther north would be from Temperance River State Park to Cascade River State Park (including the full walk along the southwest side of the Cascade River to the County Road 7 trailhead). This section includes the two rivers (with rapids and falls) in the State Parks, and Carlton Peak and Oberg Mountain and Lake Agnes.