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IceAge
05-06-2008, 17:38
That really is an unfortunate abbreviation for this trail

Fortune has granted me 6 days on the Superior Hiking Trail in late July, I need to finish up at the southern terminus on the morning of 7/25. Is the trail to Duluth finished or is Two Harbors still the southern end?

I have ordered a set of maps for the trail, but since I like to plan things way far in advance, anyone know how difficult the mileage is? I average somewhere between 12-20 miles/day depending on terrain. I'm guessing I could get near the upper part of that average.

Any information anyone has on great camping spots, or great cheeseburgers, or any other advice is helpful. Thanks!

IceAge
05-06-2008, 17:40
My mistake, I need to finish the morning of the 26th.

bulldog49
05-07-2008, 07:29
I believe the trail still ends at Danger Castle trailhead, several miles north of Two Harbors.

You can view maps of the trail online at http://www.shta.org/.

It's a great trail with some magnificant views of Lake superior. With the long days you can easily get near 20 miles a day. Egge Lake is a really great place to camp.

gsingjane
05-07-2008, 10:21
Please, please post a trip report on your return. I am incredibly interested in hearing about this trail and it is very much on my life to-do list. Pix too if you can! Thanks! Jane in CT

IceAge
05-07-2008, 13:14
Thanks for the help bulldog, I'll have to see if Egge Lake fits on my itinerary

Jane I will definitely post a trip report(w/ pix if I remember my camera). I'm looking forward to this, might be my longest hike of the year. :(

IceAge
05-07-2008, 16:52
I knew I forgot to ask something, any good trout streams along the southern half of the trail?

map man
05-07-2008, 22:00
I hiked the length of the SHT NOBO in 2006 and SOBO in 2007 (hiking there for fifteen days again starting this Sunday) so I'll take a stab at your questions.

Burgers? Betty's Pies outside Two Harbors, and right at the turn off from Highway 61 to get to the southern terminus, has burgers and many other comfort foods, including their famous pies, I am told. The parking lot has been crammed every time I've driven by.

Great tentsites? My favorites are along rivers (often near rapids or waterfalls) and next to lakes. Here's a list starting south from the midpoint of the trail:

Cross River tentsites (4 of them, around 97 miles from south end)
Sonju Lake tentsites (2 of them, around 71 miles from south end))
Egge Lake tentsites (2 of them, around 67 miles from south end)
Bear Lake tentsite (around 43 miles from south end)
Beaver River tentsites (2 of them, around 36 miles from south end)
Split Rock River tentsites (4 of them, around 22 miles from south end)

The SHTA wants people to stick to the official tentsites, and they do such a great job planning, building and maintaining the trail that I'm inclined to follow their policies -- there are over 80 free tentsites, plus 7 state parks where pay campsites can be had, on the 205 mile trail. Each tentsite has a pit toilet.

Where does trail end? Right now just outside Two Harbors at the County Road 301 trailhead (not Castle Danger Road -- that's about 6 miles down the trail). In addition they have constructed 39 miles of trail down around Duluth, but no overnight camping is allowed on that part of the trail so it's not suited for multi-day trips -- it's set up for day hikes. In addition they constructed about 6 miles of new trail last year (will officially open the first weekend this June on National Trails Day) northwest of Two Harbors, but it is not connected to the 205 mile trail yet -- the connector is supposed to be built this year and open next June. And then in future years they will connect this to the Duluth section.

How difficult is the trail? Easier than the AT. Average of around 150 feet of vertical rise per mile hiked, which is about two thirds of a typical AT section. It is equivalent, in rise per mile, to the very easiest part of the AT in West Virginia, Maryland and Pennsylvania. I don't know your abilities so have no way of knowing where you fall in the 12 to 20 mile range. I like to hike a dozen miles a day when I'm adjusting the first week, and then increase that to 14 or 15 a day in the second week, but maybe you have younger legs than I do.

Trout streams? Sorry, don't know. Trout would have a tough time fighting their way up some of the major waterfalls on most rivers up there. You'll see what I mean when you hike it.

I have a description of the trail and brief descriptions of previous hikes on another thread in the "Other Trails" Forum here at WB. I last posted on it a little less than a year ago. "SHT thru-hikers?" is the title of the thread.

IceAge
05-08-2008, 09:21
Thanks map man! Great information, I'm still trying to plan exactly where I am going to hike, it depends somewhat on where I can get rides to, but it looks like I'll probably go from Temperance State Park south to the Two Harbors terminus. I'll definiteyl check out your other thread.

I really wish I could sneak the few extra days to hike the whole thing, but unless gas prices drop between now and then I don't want to make my friends shuttle me around more than necessary.

bulldog49
05-08-2008, 09:37
http://superiorhikingshuttle.com/

I suggest you consider using the shuttle service. You can begin and end at any trailhead except the two eastern most.

I'd also recommend beginning somewhere around Grand Marais and going west and ending near Finland.

IceAge
05-09-2008, 13:46
Thanks bd, do you think I could get them to shuttle me back and forth from Eagle River, WI? :D I have a commitment there the weekend before the hike that is going to be what keeps from doing it all in one shot.

Who knows what the summer will bring, though. Maybe I'll still have a bunch of vacation days left in September and can make another go at it.

IceAge
07-08-2008, 14:57
Just as an update to this planned hike, it now appears that I might have as many as 10 days of walking this trail. I now have the maps and the guidebook, the maps are so-so but the guidebook is great.

I am pretty amazed at the elevation profile included on the maps, much more up and down than I would have thought and alot of it looks steep. I am going to aim for 12 mile days and am still thinking of hiking south from Temperance River.

Still looking for more good info on resupply at trail towns etc...

MOWGLI
07-08-2008, 15:01
This trail is on my short list. I look forward to hearing more about it.

Hammock Hanger
07-08-2008, 15:13
This trail is on my short list. I look forward to hearing more about it.

It in my top 5 of trails to do. My friend did it 2 years ago and loved it.

The Solemates
07-08-2008, 16:01
cant speak for much of it, but what we did up near boundary waters canoe area was wonderful...

RadioFreq
07-09-2008, 12:19
I will be starting at the North end of the SHT on Aug. 2nd. Taking 3 weeks to do the whole thing which comes to about 10 miles/day. I'm treating this as sort of a shakedown trip before starting my AT thru in March.

IceAge
07-17-2008, 17:18
Man, this week has been CRAZY! Until today it looked like I was going to have to cancel, or at least postpone this hike. Now everything appears to be green-lit so I will be packing like a madman tonight so that I can get out of here tomorrow aftermnoon and head NORTH!

Plan now is to hit the shuttle on Saturday morning and get a ride to Temperance River S.P., and hike back to Castle Danger by the 27th. I am allowing 8 days of hiking to cover approx. 105 miles, so about 13 miles per day.

So, what am I forgetting to do? I will call tomorrow and book a spot on the shuttle, I have enough backpacking food in the gear closet to get me through 3-4 days. I'll have my gearlist as I pack so that I will hopefully not forget anything. But if you have any suggestions on must-have stuff, share them today!

fehchet
07-17-2008, 17:33
Good luck and good walking. Let us know wwhat it was all about.
Thanks, TH.

mkmangold
07-17-2008, 19:36
Would you have access to keeping us UTD while hiking or is that impossible? I'm interested too and if you need support let me know.

IceAge
07-17-2008, 21:28
I think I set a record time in packing my pack. I have way too much food, as usual.

Mike, you would love my new stove set-up, I can't find the damn cable that connects to the camera or I would post pictures. Basically the Starlyte, windscreen, measuring cup and lighter all fit in a plastic tube that fits perfectly inside of a Heineken pot, it is cool.

I have no idea what cell service is like, but I am going to try and get my Mobile Email working tomorrow. If I can, I'll try and email you some trip reports.

mkmangold
07-17-2008, 23:10
I think I set a record time in packing my pack. I have way too much food, as usual.

Mike, you would love my new stove set-up, I can't find the damn cable that connects to the camera or I would post pictures. Basically the Starlyte, windscreen, measuring cup and lighter all fit in a plastic tube that fits perfectly inside of a Heineken pot, it is cool.

I have no idea what cell service is like, but I am going to try and get my Mobile Email working tomorrow. If I can, I'll try and email you some trip reports.

I love the Starlyte so the set-up sounds interesting. If you can email but not connect to the internet, I can post yours here for you.
Either way, enjoy enjoy!

map man
07-17-2008, 23:40
If you're starting at Temperance River State Park and going south and are starting with 3-4 days of food, I'm guessing you will want to resupply at the town of Finland -- about 35 miles from your start point. Silver Bay will be about 60 miles from your start. Stores where you can buy food are between 1 and 2 miles from the trail in both cases. Have a great hike!

RadioFreq
07-18-2008, 11:36
I have no idea what cell service is like, but I am going to try and get my Mobile Email working tomorrow. If I can, I'll try and email you some trip reports.

My experience driving up and down the north shore is that cell service is
very spotty. Verizon works well in the Duluth area and in Grand Marais
but not very well in between. Good luck.

IceAge
07-18-2008, 12:39
Thanks for all the tips and advice! I am outta here in about 10 minutes. The Subaru is full of gas and she just got a fresh oil change, so I should get to the shuttle parking lot about 8pm.

I ended up packing about 5 days worth of food (i think), so Finland sounds like a good stop to re-evaluate. Pack weight is awesome, 29.5 pounds with food included.

See you on the trail!

Lilred
07-18-2008, 12:55
Thanks for all the tips and advice! I am outta here in about 10 minutes. The Subaru is full of gas and she just got a fresh oil change, so I should get to the shuttle parking lot about 8pm.

I ended up packing about 5 days worth of food (i think), so Finland sounds like a good stop to re-evaluate. Pack weight is awesome, 29.5 pounds with food included.

See you on the trail!

Be sure to let us know how it went. Would love to hear a trip report.

IceAge
07-28-2008, 12:45
Here's my trip report for my approx. 90 mile trip on the SHT. First off, I changed my plan at the last minute and hiked south from the Caribou River Wayside on Hwy 61 instead of Temperance River, so that's where we will start:

Day 1: Dropped off by the Superior Shuttle at 9:45. Stopped at Caribou River to fill my water bottle and my Camelbak. I was oh-so-very-impressed with my new technique of filling the bladder while it was still in the pack, what a timesaver! Put my pack on and instantly felt dampness, the bladder had a crack in the hard plastic by the fill spout and leaked all over the inside of my pack! Luckily I noticed it right away and got everything out of the pack and dried off before things got too wet. Took the spur trail to the bottom of the falls, quite impressive! Quite rugged hiking today, a hard introduction to the trail. The trail leading into Crosby-Manitou park is not well blazed, but is still easy to follow. Camped at Aspen Knob campsite, best water on the trail, in my opinion. Rained all night but thoughtfully cleared up before hitting the trail.

Day 2: Left camp about 8am, microfiber towel did a great job of drying off the rainfly. Much easier trail today, but boggier and buggier. And of course I forgot my bugspray back at the campsite! Hit Sonju Lake and walked down the boardwalk to the little island. Absolutely beautiful, and there were a couple of guys leaving the area who offered me bananas, and BUGSPRAY! Awesome timing. Highly recommend camping at Sonju Lake. I pushed on to South Egge Lake, also very cool and scenic. A pair of playful beavers were fun to watch, then it started raining out of a clear blue sky. Ate an early dinner and hid in the tent as the rain turned into dramatic storms. The beavers would slap their tails against the water anytime that the thunder was particularly close, not sure if they were imitating it or trying to scare it away. Woke up to amazing loon calls, walked to the lake and there were seven loons swimming together. I decided to call it an "asylum" of loons.

Day 3: Decided to hike into Finland today to call and reassure my wife that I am alive. Grabbed a bit of food from the grocery store there, and they will let you use the phone in the back for free, just have to use a calling card or call collect.Walked back to the trail, saw two black bears run cross the road about a half-mile up, then put on some serious miles through some of the toughest terrain I've seen, mostly the last 4-5 miles. Being in town softened me so I skipped stopping at the Kennedy Creek campsites and pushed into Tettagouche State Park, where there are showers. (IMPORTANT NOTE: You do not have to walk all the way back to the highway to claim a campsite, find the "camp host" and he/she will call the office and you can reserve a campsite for the night using a credit card.) Fell asleep to the sounds of couples arguing and people running generators. Still, it had a shower! Camp host lady was super nice and informed me of using Solomon's Seal root to quell knee pain.

Day 4: One of the most beautiful sections of trail I've seen, especially in the Bear and Bean Lake areas, where you are standing on the edge of 500 foot cliffs on one side of the trail and gazing at Lake Superior to the other. Mt. Trudee is another that is just awe-inspiring. Planned on staying at Penn Creek, but it was still early so I decided to press on to the Beaver River campsites. Lots of up and down ridges to get there, and all of it was on ROCK! The feet were getting a bit sore from walking on rock all day, but it was still gorgeous. Beaver River campsites were both full of kids and counselors from some wilderness therapy group, but I was too tired to go any farther, so I camped on the outskirts of N. Beaver River site. Trains and stupid foghorn every 10 minutes helped keep me awake most of the night. Lots of raspberries along train tracks, though.

Day 5 : Got up and hiked into Beaver Bay, great little town only about 1.5 miles from Beaver River campsite. Did laundry at laundromat behind Holiday gas station. Holiday has a flimited selection of pack friendly foods. Ate a double blue cheese burger at the diner ( Blue Anchor, maybe?), delicious! Walked back to the trail, hiking to Chapins Ridge campsite. Found a few handfuls of blueberries on Fault Line Ridge. Got to Chapins Ridge and the water there was murky, brown, fetid, and even had a scary oily sheen on top. Decided to walk on to the Split Rock area. Ended up camping at site on north side of the canyon, very cool campsite.

Day 6: Realized that if I do another 15 miles or so, I will finish today. Given the scary weather outlook for the next day, I decide to make that my goal. Lots of "green tunnel' hiking early in the day. Trails inside Gooseberry Falls State park are wide and well marked. Amazing views along river and cool falls. Once you leave the park, all bets are off. The trail is slightly better than a game trail, only 4-5 inches wide and mostly following the river. Waist-high weeds and vegetation hide the trail effectively and it was washed out in several areas near the riverbanks. Watch for orange surveyors tape to show you where to go in those areas. This continued until the Nestor Grade, where conditions improved. It started raining not far past Nestor. At this point I was in a hurry to finish and escape the weather, but Mike's Rock and Wolf Rock were challenging and I'm sure quite beautiful when the weather cooperates. Got back to my car about 6 pm and just sat there for awhile and dried off the best I could.

So that was my trip, it was just incredible and indescribable. You actually get to the point that breathtaking views and waterfalls become commonplace. I am psyched to go up there next summer and do the whole thing. I think I could do it in 2.5 weeks or so, given my pace on the southern end. I'd be happy to answer any questions you may have!

mudhead
07-28-2008, 19:31
Good stuff.

mkmangold
07-28-2008, 21:47
Thanks my friend. I printed off the report for more careful perusing. Mebbe someday we'll get there ourselves.

mkmangold
07-28-2008, 23:26
Ok, all done. Good job. Now, I have a few questions.
1. Your bladder cracked. Is that common? I ask that because I have just recently converted from carrying my water in containers outside of my pack to internal bladders. Is one manufacturer better than another?
2. An "asylum of loons" is very funny. :D I used to work at Mendota.
3. Did you have the equipment necessary to clean "murky, brown, fetid, and even scary oily" water if needed? Or is your plan to just wait for clean water to show up?
Again, good job and thanks for the report.

IceAge
07-29-2008, 12:13
1. No idea. This is the first time I've had a bladder leak, and it was the hard plastic area around the cap that cracked and caused the leak, not sure how that happened. I have only used CamelBak bladders, so I'm unfamiliar with brand differences.

2. I thought it was pretty funny too!

3. I carry a Katadyn Hiker Pro water filter. In an emergency I would not hesitate to use it on the nastiest water imaginable. When there are a large number of available water sources along the trail, as there are on the SHT, I saw no reason to clog up my filter with it, or to camp at a site where that was the only option.

There are a lot of wide ranging opinions on water treatment, I just happen to like the filter because can I drink the water immediately, I usually even stick the output hose in my mouth and drink after having filled my water bottles. To me, it is worth the 12 ounces, but as I said opinions vary, especially when talking about something that heavy.

sheepdog
07-29-2008, 13:22
Good report IceAge. Have you ever considered Pictured Rocks in Michigans UP? It is a continuation of the North Country trail.

IceAge
07-30-2008, 12:00
I was planning a trip to the Porcupines next summer, hadn't thought about Pictured Rocks but it's definitely something to consider.

I am torn now as to whether I'll go back to the SHT next year and try to thru it, or if I'll head for the U.P., both have their attractions. I guess we'll see what my wife has to say about it, as well! I am trying to get more active on the Ice Age Trail, and taking a week to build trail next year is yet another option.

sheepdog
07-30-2008, 12:10
People don't realize what great hiking there is around lake superior. I am hitting Isle Royale the end of August; moose, wolves, the whole nine yards.
The Porkies are excellent by the way. You will like them.

IceAge
07-30-2008, 12:56
Definitely post a trip report on your visit to Isle Royale and let us know about it. I would love to go there, just don't know when I'll get there.

zelph
07-31-2008, 20:30
People don't realize what great hiking there is around lake superior. I am hitting Isle Royale the end of August; moose, wolves, the whole nine yards.
The Porkies are excellent by the way. You will like them.

My daughter and I spent a couple of days up on the UP of MI. Spent some time learning about the ancient Native Americans that mined copper there and also on Isle Royal. I might try the UP in Oct. after the skeeters have checked out. I heard Isle Royal has their share of the little kritters also. Have fun on your trip.

I camped with my wife 2 weeks ago at Jay Cook State Park just south of Duluth. Terrific weather and no mosquitos in camp. 50 degrees at night and low 70's during the daytime(and sunny). Marvelous 7 days!!!!!!! Very nice easy hiking trails in the park, terrific State Park, we plan to return for longer stays. :)

mudhead
08-01-2008, 06:21
Did you go swimming?

zelph
08-01-2008, 15:57
Did you go swimming?

In the Upper Peninsula we did. (in the motel pool:)) the water was too cold in Portage lake which is fed by Lake Superior. The locals say that summer is 2 weeks behind this year, brrr!!!!

Photos of the lake from our motel room.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v228/obijiwa/sub%20one/th_4thofjulystove052.jpg (http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v228/obijiwa/sub%20one/4thofjulystove052.jpg)

Typical 2 lane road in the UP
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v228/obijiwa/sub%20one/th_4thofjulystove131.jpg (http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v228/obijiwa/sub%20one/4thofjulystove131.jpg)
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v228/obijiwa/sub%20one/th_4thofjulystove109.jpg (http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v228/obijiwa/sub%20one/4thofjulystove109.jpg)View of Portage Lake from motel parking lot.

mudhead
08-01-2008, 16:29
I got talked into jumping into Superior. Wicked smaht.

sheepdog
08-01-2008, 18:01
The ice doesn't melt in Lake Superior, it just sinks to the bottom and waits.

ki0eh
08-01-2008, 21:53
Just about a year ago we were at a pebbly inviting looking beach on a warm day at Gooseberry Falls. Bone chilling just begins to describe the feeling of taking even an ankle deep dip. :)

samh
08-11-2008, 21:42
How did your hike go, Ice Age?

samh
08-11-2008, 21:43
Sorry, didn't notice there was a second page to the thread. Doh.

bkrownd
08-21-2008, 01:38
People don't realize what great hiking there is around lake superior. I am hitting Isle Royale the end of August; moose, wolves, the whole nine yards..

One of my favorite birdwatching experiences was on the SHT in Finland, MN. Saw 8 warbler species and various others in just 3 hours on a cold overcast day. Can't wait to visit there again, and I'd love to see more of it. Someday I'll be able to move back to Minnesota - hope it isn't a lot more crowded by then...

IceAge
08-21-2008, 09:54
Hey bkrownd, this may be an impossible question, but do you know the bird with the song that starts with a long very high note, stops, then repeats a short note 5-7 times an octave lower? I realize that describing a birdsong with words may be impossible.

Anyway, it is a cool sounding bird and very common, just never saw one. I also discovered on my trip that I am losing the hearing in my left ear because I couldn't hear that top note when my right ear was on the pillow, it was kinda weird.

bkrownd
08-22-2008, 16:48
The bird song I most associate with the North is the haunting white throated sparrow, but it doesn't quite match that description. The wikipedia page for it has recordings.

IceAge
08-22-2008, 19:01
Nice work, that's the one! Thanks!