Guest Post: Superior Hiking Trail 2023

Hello and welcome to a hunting/Diva Days Saturday here at the Wannaskan Almanac. Today is November 4th. 

In keeping with the all-things-awesome-hiking spirit, today I have a guest post from Myrtle Turnquist,the winner of the 1st Annual All Roads Lead to Wannaska Writing Contest-Opportunity-Celebration.

Superior Hiking Trail 2023

“Why am I doing this?” I asked myself. After hiking down an old logging road and past barking Rottweilers, I arrived alone at the Bald Eagle campground. The dogs didn’t get close to the trail, but on my first day solo hiking, I noticed everything.  

When I decided to attempt thru-hiking Minnesota’s 300-mile Superior Hiking Trail, my husband Eric agreed to join me on weekends and became my resupply guy and hiking partner three days each week. We hiked northbound (NOBO) from the Southern Terminus at the Minnesota/Wisconsin border near Jay Cooke State Park through Duluth over a long weekend of day hikes. Duluth experienced unusual flooding earlier in September, but as we hiked through the city, we stayed dry. Starting out just north of Duluth, I was on my own.   

On Friday afternoon, after three days of solo hiking, I met Eric at the Rossini Road Trailhead. We treated ourselves to dinner out and a hotel stay.  

On Saturday morning, the Superior Shuttle driver picked us up at the Penn Boulevard Trailhead, moved slowly through the mist, and finally dropped us off at another trailhead so we could start our three-day hike. With the forecast of rain all day, I decided to wear a rain poncho from the start. As we walked, the rain fell harder. We forded Encampment River with no issues, but as we approached Gooseberry River, the water started accumulating on the trail. We joked about not having to use the blue blazes to identify the trail because we could follow the water flowing down the well-trodden path. Standing under my poncho, we ate lunch and then hiked on to camp at East Gooseberry River. The rain held off as we set up the tent and boiled water to hydrate our freeze-dried dinner. We stayed dry inside our tent, but outside, the rain fell all night. The next morning we sat inside hoping the drops would stop. When we could wait no longer, we finally forced ourselves to take the tent down in the rain. We hiked on as water flowed on either side of boardwalks and overran rock passageways. Boots on, we decided to ford through knee-deep water. I wore my rain jacket to make it easier to hike. As we headed to Split Rock River, we met a few happy hikers slogging through the water who told us the river ahead was not passable. 

Without a bridge, many hikers find a way to cross Split Rock River by walking across rocks or fording through shallow water, but after so much rain, we would not be able to cross. I wondered how the trail, which ran next to the river, was not washed away. When we reached the spur trail to the wayside rest, we decided to abort the hike for the rest of the weekend. We called for a ride to Silver Bay where we could get a hotel room and dry out before I started solo again.  

  

For three weeks, I followed the same hiking pattern. I hiked on my own during the week, met Eric on Friday afternoons, and we hiked together for three days until Eric left for home. We hiked through many cloudy, rainy days, but never as much rain as that first weekend. I never appreciated my rain gear as much as I did on this hike during the wettest fall the Duluth area had experienced in 150 years.

I had started the hike armed with the latest version of the Superior Hiking Trail Guidebook and Atlas. I looked to the trail website (superiorhiking.org) and the Facebook page for up-to-date trail information. Even though I planned ahead, I learned much about the Superior Hiking Trail during my thru-hike. I saw the most hikers, day hikers and dog walkers, at popular locations like Oberg Loop and Britton Peak. I realized the entire Superior Hiking Trail can be done through a series of day hikes. On the weekends, we saw many weekenders hiking to campgrounds near trailheads. I ran into far less thru-hikers, and most of them, determined to make many miles each day, didn’t have a lot of time to stop and talk.  

I discovered many less-known places I will visit again like Egge Lake, Devil Track River, and the North Terminus. In sunny weather, I might even go back to Gooseberry and Split Rock Rivers. On the Superior Hiking trail, there is something for everyone: overlooks, boardwalks, beach, and many challenging areas of rocks and roots.

During this record-breaking rainy autumn, I found the trail can be majestic in any weather. We passed many fog-covered overlooks, which provided its own beauty, but when the weather cleared, we also experienced all the fall colors of Lake Superior’s North Shore.

I learned I am capable of solo backpacking and thru-hiking. Through rain, sun, and even a couple minor falls, I did it one day at a time and finished in 28 days. Even though I can call myself a thru-hiker, shorter backpacking trips are more my style. Thru hikers worry about miles traveled each day while a backpacker is more concerned about the next campground. I like to stop, take pictures, take in the overlooks, and just take more time. The thru-hikers I saw sped along, walking poles flying. As I neared the finish line, I noticed myself doing the same. 

Whatever hiking style, I encourage everyone to find a way to enjoy this Minnesota treasure. Why did I thru hike the Superior Hiking Trail? To challenge myself to finish the entire trail in one season. Next time, I will hike to enjoy the loop and spur trails I missed and to revisit the special places I encountered this year. I know whatever the weather or time of year, the trail will share something new each time I visit.