Blogs from Minnesota, United States, North America - page 11

It's hard to believe Andy's in Two Harbors already. He's on his last map, #2 (#1 covering the trail through Duluth, which he's traversed many times). Tomorrow will be his last re-supply, and it involves a quick hand-off of prepared dried meals, fresh veggies and nuts, and a few other odds and ends--no cushy respite in a hotel room this time. He will push on through to Hartley Park and reach home by mid-week next week, ready to shower and shave and settle into the couch to watch the World Series.... read more

Our fearless hiker called from just west of Beaver Bay today. He shared the Penn Creek campsite with more friendly trekkers last night. I'm looking forward to seeing his photos of what the guide describes as "the lovely Beaver River with its gorgeous falls." It seems the entire trail route is a beaver highway, judging by the number of times this critter is mentioned in the guide. If Andy doesn't come home with a photo of a beaver, I'll be very surprised. If this weather keeps up, Andy might find himself repeating the phrase my brother-in-law often quotes when he's in the Caribbean: "Another s*****y day in Paradise." Actually, it is supposed to sprinkle tonight, so there's not too much danger of that. Into every hiker's life a little rain must fall. Tonight's "lodging" will be ... read more

After a weekend of living in luxury, Andy set off on the third leg of his odyssey. It occurred to him that he could have taken the weekend break at home, but Ghost Writer thinks it was better for him to stay close to the trail, where the reality of everyday responsibilities remains distant. He'll be returning to the world of bills and yard work and traffic and domestic duties soon enough. He's ready to forge ahead with just one simple food drop-off between now and the end of the hike. It was good to hear more about his adventures. He has his routine down pat and a precise way of packing that allows him to find things easily. We did have some momentary panic on Saturday when he couldn't find his camera once we'd arrived ... read more

Thanks to spotty reception and work interference (darn it, some of us still have to punch a time clock), today's report was unsatisfyingly brief. Andy is forging ahead despite the blisters that continue to plague him at a rate of 14-15 miles a day. The word "dramatic" doesn't appear very often in the parts of the guidebook that describe the terrain he's hiking today and tomorrow. Reassuring descriptions like "relatively level hiking" and "gentle ascent" appear here, along with "two spectacular inland lakes." One of the lakes, Sonju Lake, can be reached by boardwalk. The other thing that came across in our short phone conversation was an urgent request to send him yesterday's Twins double-header scores via text. He does have his priorities. Keep your fingers crossed for a better signal tomorrow and a meatier report. ... read more

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