2022
With a hiking trip Up North next week, it was time for the annual Curation of the Gorp. I like to select a range of ingredients so we can vary the mixture each day.
Hiked trails, including part of the Superior Hiking Trail, in Jay Cooke State Park.
On our Superior Hiking Trail hike today, a view we’ve seen so many times before. The evergreens were punctuated with something I don’t recall seeing before: golden deciduous tamaracks, a member of the pine family that loses its needles in the fall.
We hiked a long hike. Towards the end, at Cascade River, our nephews still had plenty energy. How the younger one got on that rock, we’ll never know. His brother was being more cautious.
Dwight brought coffee to me in bed and showed me this photo he’d taken of the sun rising over Lake Superior.
2021: Fall
It was a blustery walk across the Duluth Aerial Lift Bridge back to our hotel after dinner.
Nephews, full of life, Bluefin Bay (where we’re staying), north shore of Lake Superior, parents, uncles, and a pumpkin looking on.
Our Superior Hiking Trail hike included a ridge trail looking out towards Lake Superior: Cook County 1 to Temperance River, then the Gitchi-Gami trail back to Bluefin Bay for the night.
At Carlton Peak, on the Superior Hiking Trail, the nephews opted for the road less traveled: a pattern repeated throughout the day wherever there were rocks.
Lake Agnes, today, from the Superior Hiking Trail. Without a beaver dam at one end, there wouldn’t be much of a lake.
“Highway 61 Revisited” along the North Shore of Lake Superior towards Bob Dylan’s birthplace, Duluth, then beyond to Minneapolis.
2021: Spring
Stocked up on gorp ingredients to fuel upcoming hikes: cashews, granola, pistachios, Asian rice crackers, sesame sticks, wasabi peas, generic M&M’s, raisins, and dried pineapple.
End of our hike, looking down Baptism River towards Lake Superior, Tettegouche State Park, Minnesota.
Lake Agnes from the Superior Hiking Trail. Normally we do a through-hike, here, but today we did an in-and-out. This meant we got to see places we love twice, from different angles. The lake would be smaller and more than four feet shallower without a beaver dam.
Walked on a boardwalk beside Lake Superior to breakfast. Lakewalk, Bluefin Bay resort, Tofte, Minnesota.
2020
Stocked up on gorp ingredients for hikes later this week. Overdid the generic M&Ms, so ate some on the way home.
Today: long drive, short hike, our annual visit to the North Shore of Lake Superior. Tomorrow and Saturday our nephews (11 and 13) and their dad join us on the trails.
We’d expected rain, but instead we got to hike morning and afternoon in a beautiful, slowly transforming world: the first real snowfall of the season. Back at base, the boys recharged with s’mores and cocoa
2019
Loaded maps into my Garmin. We've planned a bunch of hikes in the coming weeks.
Blue daubs guided us, as they do every year around this time. Superior Hiking Trail near Lutsen.
Today we were fair-weather hikers. When there was a pause in the rain, we took to the trail.
The first part of our hike took us past several waterfalls as Cascade River tumbled towards Lake Superior. The trails were constructed by the Civilian Conservation Corps in the 1930’s. I'd applaud the return of the Corps.
We’ve walked beside several wild rivers this week. Temperance River towards the end of our final hike before we head home tomorrow.
2018
Loaded trail maps on to my GPS. I still prefer a GPS to a smartphone when hiking. It's waterproof, and it's tough.
Spent the entire day walking through lovely backcountry on the Superior Hiking Trail. At Lake Agnes we marveled at how the lake would be a fraction of its size without beaver dams.
Walked a gorgeous section of the Superior Hiking Trail, north of Grand Marais. Woods, deep gorges, rapids, waterfalls, climbing, ridge trail, leading to Pincushion Mountain. Stood on basalt, thrown up a billion years ago, trees growing in cracks, looking
Our hike, today, kept us close to the fast-flowing Cascade River. The “root beer” water is due to tannins from up-stream swamps
Hiked another section of the Superior Hiking Trail, including Carlton Peak and Temperance River State Park. Along the way, Dwight took this photo of a peeling birch.
Bade farewell to Bluefin Bay, on Lake Superior's North Shore. We rent the same unit every year around this time.
2017
Vestiges of Fall, caught by Dwight, on our Superior Trail hike south of our base, Cascade Lodge.
On our walk to breakfast at our current base: Bluefin Bay Resort on Lake Superior. Stoked for another day of hiking.
Nature strutted its stuff on a birch stump as we headed towards the end of our final Superior Hiking Trail walk for this year.
2016
Stocked up on trail snacks for our next excursion:--Gorp--Rice cracker mix--Wasabi peas--Carob raisins--Sesame sticks
Monday: escaped to Naniboujou Lodge for 2 nights, Lake Superior, 30 miles from the Canadian border. No Internet/cell signal/radio/TV/Tr_mp.
One of many magical sightings on our Superior Trail walk from Oberg Mountain to Temperance River. Fungi community on cedar stump.
Walked north on the Superior Hiking Trail through a forest of maples towards Cross River, then Temperance River.
The mist rolled off Lake Superior onto Bluefin Bay where we've been staying for the last three nights.
2015
Packed today for a week of Superior Trail dayhiking. A car means I completely violated my minimal packing standards.
Lake Superior at Duluth's harbor entrance seemed wilder than the North Sea off Northumberland, England, a week ago.
Our walk included the one segment of the Superior Trail actually on the shoreline of Lake Superior.
We passed beaver dams as we walked to the end of the Superior Trail, near Canada. This one formed an infinity pool.
Superior Hiking Trail, heading for Lutsen. Long shadows, leaves crunching underfoot.
We don't hike the Superior Hiking Trail to stare at rapids and waterfalls, but they're lovely nonetheless.
Our last day of hiking the Superior Trail... for this year. Today: mist, green (moss, lichen, cedar, pine), views.
Rain mixed with snow. Maybe today's a good day to be driving home, rather than hiking.
2014
This afternoon, walked a short section of the Superior Hiking Trail (at Oberg Mountain).
Superior Trail today: watched beavers extending their lodge. One told us to go away by bashing its tail on the water.
On today's final North Shore hike, we looked down on the Manitou River, churning its way towards Lake Superior.
2013
Planning hike along Superior Hiking Trail. Sometimes you need paper, Scotch tape, and Post-Its.
20 miles, Grand Marais to Cascade Lodge. Resisted calling Harriett, the full-of-life octogenarian shuttle lady.
Cascade Lodge to Lutsen Mountains. Thank you, Dwight, for reminding me a hike is built from lots of small stuff.
Superior Hiking Trail blue waymark on birch. Lutsen Mountains to Tofte (Bluefin Bay Resort).