Following the Blue Blaze, Day 14

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Andy had a little change in plans last night. He discovered that if he were to stay at the Chapins Creek campsite, he'd have to share it with about 15 other people, including some lively kids, so he pushed on to Split Rock, where things were a little quieter. It meant he ended up traveling 19 miles yesterday, five more than originally anticipated. It did include a little detour when he missed a turn on the SHT and walked about a half-mile on a snowmobile trail before he realized his mistake and headed back to Blue Blaze Territory.

Someone is looking out for this hiker. Last night's rain wasn't too bad, so his feet just got a little wet, and today was cloudy but dry. He reached the part of the trail that requires a detour down to the paved Gitchi-Gami Trail (thanks to too many clueless hikers who didn't understand that many private landowners allow the Superior Hiking Trail to run through their property). The flip side of having to walk on asphalt was that it is dry and even, allowing his feet to dry out and faster coverage of miles.

Tonight's accommodations are in Gooseberry Park. It won't be long before he is paralleling the Grandma's Marathon course, going at a slower pace than he ran the Garry Bjorklund half-marathon this past summer. (No doubt his training for the run helped build up his endurance for this walkabout.)

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