The trees of Gold Medal Park were starting to look threadbare as we headed out for our Sunday morning walk. Occasional gusts of wind sent leaves flying. All reminders of the inevitability of winter and motivation to do some planning for winter travel.
Category: Walk
Meeting our shadows on a bridge
On our Sunday morning walk, the low sun drew out long shadows, bringing to mind Haruki Murakami’s exploration of the subject. I’d recently read both “Hard-Boiled Wonderland and the End of the World” and its core-story reworking, “The City and its Uncertain Walls.” In both novels, the protagonist is detached from his shadow, making me wonder: how long would it actually take me to realize mine was gone?
Straight-through hike via Poplar River viewpoint
Our brother-in-law joined us for today’s hike. By dropping a car at our Lutsen finish point, we were able to hike straight-through instead of doing a loop. This section of the Superior Hiking Trail first took us along Lake Agnes, a body of water largely created by a beaver dam. From there, we headed uphill to great viewpoints, including one of my favorite views, shown here, looking toward the Poplar River.
Two-river loop
Hiked a loop: Cross River on the ascent, a wooded ridge trail with glimpses of Lake Superior, then Temperance River on the descent.
Lutsen Mountains hike
Fortified by GORP we hiked a moderately energetic loop starting at the lodge where we’re staying in Lutsen’s ski area. Here, early in the hike, we crossed the Poplar River. If you squint, you can just see Lake Superior in the distance.
Split Rock River hike
Hiked up one side of Split Rock River, improvised a river crossing (the bridge was out), then hiked back down the other side. Here, towards the end of our hike, this split rock is possibly the origin of the river’s name. Behind, the river flows through a gorge. And overhead the blue sky promises to hold for the next few days.
Foraging for hiking snacks
Structured today’s bike ride as a foraging exercise for hiking snacks. I picked up wasabi peas from United Noodles (a large Asian supermarket) and was pleased to confirm wasabi was on the ingredient list, not the commonly substituted horseradish. I also filled up on generic M&Ms from Seward Co-op and granola bars from Trader Joe’s.
Fowl interlude
The weather was great for our Sunday walk without jackets: the 70s and dry… until it wasn’t. A couple of short deluges forced us to make for cover. Here, we’re sitting in a park shelter watching geese embracing the downpour by having a feast.
A bit of everything for the SHT
At Wedge Co-op’s bulk section collected small quantities of ingredients for GORP for our upcoming hikes along the Superior Hiking Trail. So far: cashews, yogurt-coated raisins, pistachios, Brazil nuts, granola, dried papaya, rice crackers, and garlic sesame sticks. GORP stands for Good Old Raisins and Peanuts, so I guess I’m taking a few liberties. We like to make different mixes, some savory, some sweeter.
A splash of autumn on the Mississippi
Halfway through our Sunday walk, we crossed the bridge connecting Nicollet Island to Boom Island Park, a trail section that used to be a railroad line. A tiny, bright splash of red in the trees, just visible in this photo, reminded us that it’s officially fall.