Andy is apparently truly off the grid today so there's some guesswork in his progress. It's likely he reached the Temperance River, which means he did some fairly serious rock climbing to get past Carlton Peak. The SHT guidebook mentions that there are lots of wooden walkways over muddy spots in this area. After last week's rain, the hikers are probably thanking their lucky boots for the volunteers who built them as well as the many bridges along the way. The Temperance River, down in its deep canyon, must be quite the sight (and sound). There won't be much traffic noise on this stretch. It's easy to imagine Andy reveling in a perfect fall day. There's nothing like a cool, sunny, colorful day in the woods to help you forget about your aching feet. As promised, ... read more

The morning report today came from Lookout Mountain. (Seriously. That's the decidedly unoriginal name of the mountain.) Andy was damp but happy and looking forward to drying out his gear this weekend, when it's supposed to be dry. He traveled through the scenic Cascade River State Park, bound for either the Spruce Creek or Jonvick Creek campsite. It will be a short walk to the Caribou Trail tomorrow. Judging from the SHT guide description, he saw some dramatic waterfalls and climbed a lot of steps (96, to be exact) at one junction. If the rainy weather didn't get in the way of the view, Andy should have been able to see Eagle Mountain, the highest point in Minnesota, from the Cascade River area. This will probably be the last blog entry until after Andy's fishing rendezvous. ... read more

There are six maps detailing the Superior Hiking Trail, with #1 being for the Duluth end and #6 for the northernmost section. Since Andy is doing the north-to-south route, he started with map #6 on Saturday. Today he reached the milestone of moving on to map #5. He called from what sounds like a gorgeous overlook at about 9:30 this morning to say all is well. The weather has been gorgeous, the bugs aren't bad, the leaves are starting to turn, he's met some fun people on the trail, he's making good time, and his daughter is keeping him posted on the Twins' performance. He has been able to get good reception on his radio in the evenings, so he can get his baseball fix after all. Yesterday when he reached the portion of the trail ... read more

Virtually following Andy's hike with the help of the Guide to the Superior Hiking Trail, there were a lot of ups and downs yesterday and today. Yesterday's segment was mostly on logging roads, but it also included a high point (1,829 feet). The word "steep" appears quite often in the trail descriptions for this segment. But overlooks are worth the hard work, right? How about the Hellacious Overlook? The guide insists it "rewards" hikers. This region sounds like beaver heaven. Part of the trail maintenance includes cairns to help with wayfinding, corduroy in swampy spots, and, as we learned from the SHT store attendant in Two Harbors on Saturday, rain boots for fording streams where there have been bridge washouts. I meant to ask Andy what he thought he'd miss most while on the trail (besides ... read more

The spending continues as last minute gear and food purchases are completed. Just some fresh food to buy and I should be ready. The trip preparation has been good for the local economy. I packed my pack today and weighed it. Without water and some of the food items (cheese, bread, mixed nuts, dried fruits), the pack weighed 32lbs. It should be around 37lbs with water and additional food items. The trip logistics are getting complex as I will be fitting in a canoe trip during my hike. I have all the canoe gear ready and have a couple of spots picked out where I will come off the trail and meet my canoe trip partners. I am also setting up my resupply packs. My canoe trip partners will be bringing my first resupply. My girlfriend ... read more