Topic
Border Route Trail MN
Forum Posting
A Membership is required to post in the forums. Login or become a member to post in the member forums!
Home › Forums › Campfire › Member Trip Reports › Border Route Trail MN
- This topic is empty.
-
AuthorPosts
-
Aug 22, 2007 at 10:00 am #1224718
Has anyone been on the Border Route Trail in MN this year? I was planning to do the SHT in Sept but now they are saying there is a water shortage for hikers, so I am thinking about doing the Border Route instead.
Aug 22, 2007 at 11:00 am #1399593The Border Route was part of Andrew Skurka's "Ultralight in the Nation's Icebox" trek last January. (listen to podcasts here at BPL) IIRC, he reported a single day on the Border Route where he encountered a large number of deadfalls (200??)
The current conditions page at http://www.shta.org starts out with "Unless you plan your trip very carefully", implying that it'll be possible to plan a successful hike. I've section hiked the entire SHT, many sections multiple times and from what I recall plus the detailed report from the trail assn I think it'd be possible to hike the trail using the reliable water sources and "camel techniques" plus about half a dozen water caches.
Also, the area received a little rain the last couple days and the forecast for the next week includes rain as a possibility on about half the days … so it bears watching.
Aug 22, 2007 at 10:57 pm #1399683Tammy,
I would agree with Jim that The SHT is still doable if you are willing to carry 4 to 5 liters of water and hike about 15 miles per day. The weather up here is starting to turn cooler so the amount of water you would need to carry should be less compared with a few weeks ago when it was in the upper 80's. I am planning a two night trip on the SHT next week and I will report back on conditions if you are interested.
My understanding is that the western end of the BRT was part of the fires on the gunflint this spring and may not be hikeable. But as far as I am aware the eastern part of the BRT has not burned yet so it would be passible if the blowdowns have be cleared but you might end up doing a fair amount of route finding. (disclaimer: everything I said about the BRT is second hand info, I have not been on the trail this year)
Aug 23, 2007 at 6:05 am #1399693Thanks for your input. Yes, I would be interested in how you do next week. Again, thanks for the information.
Aug 29, 2007 at 3:23 pm #1400414Tammy,
As you have probably seen on the SHTA website we got some rain up here this week. I went for a day hike yesterday on the section near Jay Cooke state park and it felt like I was hiking in a rain forest. The temp was in the upper 60's but the humidity was near 100% and everything was still wet from the rain monday night. Every creek had water in it but only half the creeks had flowing water.
I am getting out tomorrow for an overnight on the section just north of two harbors. If you are still interested I will let you know what the water situation is like on that section.
Sep 17, 2007 at 10:49 am #1402505To the OP,
I was out last weekend on the SHT and the water conditions are just fine. Smaller creeks and streams are dried up but if you check the SHT's website they have a pretty accurate description of what water sources are good.
I tend to carry 2 letiers of water when backpacking. Even during the dryest part of the summer I never ran into problems with water. Whenever I came accross a good water source I simply topped of my hydration bladder and never got thirsty. Personally I think carrying 4-5 liters of water is overkill, and I drink a lot of water (8 liters a day)
On a side note the fire ban has been lifted on the SHT and the fire danger is moderate.
-
AuthorPosts
- You must be logged in to reply to this topic.
Forum Posting
A Membership is required to post in the forums. Login or become a member to post in the member forums!
Our Community Posts are Moderated
Backpacking Light community posts are moderated and here to foster helpful and positive discussions about lightweight backpacking. Please be mindful of our values and boundaries and review our Community Guidelines prior to posting.
Get the Newsletter
Gear Research & Discovery Tools
- Browse our curated Gear Shop
- See the latest Gear Deals and Sales
- Our Recommendations
- Search for Gear on Sale with the Gear Finder
- Used Gear Swap
- Member Gear Reviews and BPL Gear Review Articles
- Browse by Gear Type or Brand.