From Sept 5-8 my wife Mary, sister Barb and I hiked 24.1 miles on the Superior Hiking Trail. We kept the mileage short because my wife (due to foot and knee issues) hadn’t been able to backpack for the last three years. We started at Crosby-Manitou State Park and hiked 7.9 miles to the East Caribou River campsite. It is one of the more rugged sections on the SHT but her Mary did real well, other than the aches and pains from the first backpacking trip of the year. The second day was mostly boggy and not very scenic. It was the starting day for the Superior 100, an annual trail race on the SHT. (https://www.superiorfalltrailrace.com/100-mile-info/). After 7.1 miles we set up camp at Dyers Creek. At around 2 AM I started hearing 100 mile runners going by. The next morning we got started around 9 AM and for the whole day we spent time moving aside for runners. One of the more interesting things that happened was meeting a pair of 100 milers who were going to get married later in the day. Well as we got to the TH on Cook County Rd., lo and behold a wedding broke. The bride and groom changed and professed their vows in front of a very large crowd. That afternoon we made it to the North Cross River campsite. My sister Barb and I had both been carrying Tenkara rods and were finally able to use them. Between us we caught 8 wild Brook trout. It sure was fun. Due to lack of firewood we didn’t keep any even though I had been carrying a lightweight grille the whole trip. Runners kept going by until around 4 PM when the race cleanup crew came by. The last few runners were really suffering and they still had nearly 20 miles to go. The next morning we got to our car in about an hour. After buying showers ($5 each) at the American Inn we stopped at the “New Scenic Cafe” for a gourmet lunch. A couple of gear notes: Copper Spur HV 3 person tent – it weighs 3# 10 oz but is a palace. Also very easy to set up. I’ll take it on our next trip. McHale Pack – At 4# it is quite a bit heavier than my other pack (Helios 55) but it is so comfortable that it is my go to pack.
If I ever carry a grille on the SHT again I will also have to bring a small saw. There is very little downed wood available at many of the campsites. All in all though it was a great trip.
https://www.flickr.com/photos/d1948n/albums/72157710842585371
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