Superior Hiking Trail #5-3 - Onion River Road to Lutsen Mountains

Superior Hiking Trail

Map 5 - Section 3

Lutsen Mountain Recreation Area to Onion River Road Trailhead, Return via Gitchee-Gumi Trail

Date Hiked - November 23rd, 2025

Miles - 18.5

Elevation Gain - 2418 ft. 

Duration - 7h 10m

It's the same Superior Hiking Trail that it is all year...

Except for the unseasonably lovely weather in November, and how early it got dark, and the lack of North Shore tourists, and no bears, and no mosquitos, and no ticks, and no overgrowth... 

Come to think of it, I think I prefer hiking the SHT in the autumn, especially when I don't have to make the four-hour drive home afterwards! 

I don't know why it took me so long to think of the idea. The hike the previous weekend likely got me wound up for the Superior Hiking Trail after spending most of the summer in Washington state. September saw my life turn into a whirlwind of status quo disturbances, and yet, therapy and proper medication were bringing me to a fully present state in reality in a way I'd never before experienced, and by late November, I appreciated every moment on the trail without the need for escapism or dissociation. 

And again, a lovely weekend stay at the Mountain Inn, rather than attempting to drive four hours after a seven hour hike? Definitely allowed me to press farther and harder than I might've otherwise, especially since all I had to do was walk up the rest of the hill to get started. 

I started northward with a decent climb to the overlook around the bend, fallen leaves crunching beneath every step, and the barren trees leading to incredible sightlines normally impossible at times when most of the tourists are present in Northern Minnesota. Instead of continuing northward, I doubled back and opted for the journey through Mystic and Moose Mountains respectively. Every step along the trail in the solitary seclusion the SHT provided me on that day injected energy and healing into my once-deprived stable state of mind. The steep ascents and descents for which the SHT is notorious didn't bother me in late November as they might've with greenery, bugs, and chokeable humidity levels, and trading that for 40 degrees and an early sunset was more than worth it. 

But also, dear Wanderloon, maybe noting that approach of early darkness would've been advisable to recall while working down an intense and difficult hike when a return trip would need to be considered? 

I'm a wanderer. Even with being therapized and medicated, some things will never change. 

With a few extra hours of daylight, I probably would've done the Oberg Mountain Loop in addition to the considerable miles and elevation gained with this southward trek, but that whole thing of deep woods with no light and treacherous terrain? How about I not do that? 

It still got dark, I'm not hiding from that at all (even though I could've, because it was dark, you see.) But, twilight visibility and decreasing temperatures were easier to manage on a paved trail that placed me back at the road up to Lutsen by the time it was dark, rather than fucking around with rock staircases that take pleasure in tripping fools. 

Superior Hiking Trail #3-7 - Silver Bay to Illgen City

 

Superior Hiking Trail

Map 3 - Section 7

Silver Bay to Illgen City

Date Hiked - November 15th, 2025

Miles - 11.4

Elevation Gain - 1696 ft. 

This was my favorite hike in all of 2025, and not because of the scenery, wonderfully difficult terrain, unseasonably beautiful day, or meeting the challenge of a long segment of the Superior Hiking Trail. It was the company.

Rarely do I get the chance to hike with anyone, and even more seldom is it with someone for whom I don't have to slow down or do less than I typically would. Which is also to say, I don't mind when I'm spending time with someone who doesn't do ridiculous miles or difficult hikes, just that it's exceedingly rare when I'm not accommodating. 

This is also the first time I hiked with two other people on the same level. And what a hike it was! 

AllTrails has its flaws and issues, but through several algorithmic accidents and non-user intuitive communication, I became friends with K. I wrote about our first hike at Afton, but various life difficulties and shenanigans beyond our control, we didn't get to go on our second until this day late in the year, and along with us was meeting my friend J for the first time. We knew the trek would be challenging, even by SHT standards, but the three of us set out with the terribly bright autumn sun reflecting off the Gitchee Gumee like even it was trying to talk us out of it. 

The Bean and Bear Lake loop only recently being restored, mercifully the Verified Complete badge would be attainable. Contrasting my normally silent treks through the remote wilderness, the three of us gabbed it up like we'd been friends all our lives, which is uncharacteristic for me in most settings, let alone trying to climb up steep elevation and rocks slicked with fallen leaves. Thank goodness for trekking poles, or I might've had a one-on-one conversation with a few, possibly getting up close and personal with my face at increased velocity. 

Seeing the difficulty level of this hike under ideal conditions, the Gales of November were like "naw bitch, we're gonna see your mission and raise you 'WANNA SEE A GREAT VIEW OVER THIS CLIFF, THE HARD WAY?!" This section of the SHT offers so many stunning views, a reward for climbing over rock steps that seem designed to taunt you with their steep angles, but these gusts were intense enough that slipping several hundred feet over the edge was a distinct possibility. 

The tracker said 11.4 miles, but taking nearly five hours to complete, it felt more like 20. Not in a bad way, completing this section was earned, but it was a true companionate adventure where three names on a hiking app actually became friends, completed a hike together, and mutually got to go full force without having to hold up. We all became friends that day, and I only hope 2026 is filled with more opportunities for these three Hiker Alphas (K's words) to go conquer something else on which we couldn't take anyone else in our lives.

Superior Hiking Trail #3-2 - Castle Danger to Gooseberry Falls State Park

Happy 100th post to me, thanks for reading! 

Superior Hiking Trail

Map 3 - Section 2

Castle Danger to Gooseberry Falls State Park

Date Hiked - May 11th, 2025

Miles - 14.2

Elevation Gain - 925 ft. 

This marks the point where I stopped trying to Hundred Percent the trail in complete sequential order.

I made no attempts to hide my disappointment with the majority of Map 2. Three hours of driving, no ridesharing available, only to end up wandering through brown grass, ticks, swamps, and not much else, I was on the precipice of abandoning the concept entirely. Therefore, skipping ahead a bit (and returning to do 3-1 at a different time), this reinvigorated my enthusiasm for the trail itself, even if the lack of ridesharing outside of Duluth caused this to be a much longer hike than intended. This would lead me to traverse other sections of this trail with a few hiking friends, or at the very least, bring other people to the North Shore with me who could hang out in the city and then come get me at the appropriate time. Though, due to life circumstances and proximity issues, the continuation of my progress would come at a much later date, as if the series of hikes in Washington didn't already indicate as such. 

Immediately this section starts with climbing up some giant-ass rocks to a lovely aerial view of the Gitchee Gumee. This is what was missing from the majority of Map 2, as the name implies some proximity to the lake itself, but a snowmobile trail through the trees considerably off the shore didn't provide nearly as much. The view from Mike's Rock far exceeds the expectations of such a name. I'm sure Mike is lovely, but in my head, I picture some guy standing on a boulder claiming it as his because he touched it first. 

The descent into the area of the Gooseberry River is a challenge of its own. Even in mid-May, a lot of the dead leaves from the ere winter still carpet the majority of the trail, and can make for an unexpected, involuntary launch down a jagged Slip'N'Slide if one isn't careful. While I wasn't expecting to run into many people on Map 2, the weather, the rising temperatures, and the proximity to Memorial Day had me a little more (pleasantly) surprised at my trek of solitude as the trail wound its way toward one of the most popular parks in the state. Once the river starts to bend, one has a choice of continuing on the main trail or taking a rather comparatively lengthy spur toward Gooseberry Falls State Park. Given that Lyft wasn't pinging anything and there would still be the hike back to the car to consider, I opted to journey the three miles to the visitor's center. I thought maybe being near such a touristy area might change my fortune, but I suppose nobody's taking a Lyft to Gooseberry when it already doubles as a rest area. 

I didn't even know there was a Fifth Falls farther up (down?) the trail, and it's considerably wider than the more famous and visited lower sections. That alone was worth the return trip.

Superior Hiking Trail Map #2 - All Sections

 

Superior Hiking Trail

Map 2 - All Sections

Dates Hiked: September 10. 2024, May 6th, 2025, May 10th, 2025

Miles Hiked: 6.0, 13.6, 19.2

Elevation Gain: 512 ft., 646 ft., 932 ft.

Rather than write about each section like I did within map 1, I think I need to encompass all of Map 2 with one essay, lest I end up writing "I hate Map 2 so freaking much" with a bunch of copy-pastes to match my usual word count. The Superior Hiking Trail doesn't deserve that, and especially thru-hikers will probably get a lot more out of it than I did. I just didn't get nearly as much out of Map 2 as I did Maps 1 or 3. 

The first time I ever got on the Superior Hiking Trail, starting at Reeves Road toward Lake 301, I made the mistake of... partaking in a particular leaf that makes a funny smell and causes mild differences in behavior. I was not ready for the consequences of that mistake. Deep within the isolation of the trail, which wasn't what I was expecting having grown up next to the Appalachian Trail, I found myself paranoid at the thickness of the trees and the potential disaster of encountering a bear. Thankfully the latter wouldn't happen until the following Halloween, but in my altered state, a ruffed grouse waited until I was mere feet away to suddenly panic and flutter out, and I'm pretty sure I'm still returning back to Earth Daffy Duck-style from that scare. How does one continue writing about individual sections when they got punked out by a goddamn tree chicken?

My next attempt came when I was a little more accustomed to the SHT's quirks of solitude and structure. But, after 14 sections of peaks, valleys, ascents, bluffs, and epic views of Lake Superior, early spring brownness, trail maintenance, construction crews, and swampfoot couldn't quite match up. Neither could the giant ticks I plucked off my pants after said adventures. 

Going from Ely's Peak to a snowmobile trail with no snow or mobile was a bit of a letdown by comparison. Most of these sections just looked redundant and uninteresting, and especially with the Fifth Falls and Split Rock off in the alluring distance of Map 3, it was really hard to get excited about them at all. I'm struggling to fill my 500-word quota encapsulating the entire thing, so imagine what a section breakdown would've looked like! Again, I'm not trying to discourage anyone from hiking this trail, sections or thru-hike, but I really, really hated my specific hikes at the time I did them. At least I got some damn good mileage out of them, even if the elevation gain also left something to be desired when compared to the rugged climbs of Map 1. 

The coolest thing I saw in any of these three hikes? A young woman passing me by, running on the trail, in short shorts. Maybe I was slightly bitter from an untrustworthy plank sinking into the swamp and thus making my hike that day a soggy mess, but I admired someone who could not only trail run, but invite ticks to dinner so brazenly. 

Superior Hiking Trail #1-14 - Hartley Nature Center to Martin Rd.

 

Superior Hiking Trail

Map 1 - Section 14

Hartley Nature Center to Martin Rd. 

Date Hiked: May 4th, 2025

Other Sections Hiked That Day: Map 1 - Section 12, Map 1 - Section 13

I didn't know it yet, but this was a sign that I wasn't going to enjoy Map 2 nearly as much as the first. 

After leaving Hartley Nature Center, making the decision to not get back in my car from there and instead venture further, perhaps with some notion of determined completionism that is both a blessing and a curse. Most of what I loved about this trail to this point became less abundant, instead replaced by trail with less maintenance, overgrowth, road crossings with confusing entry points, and high brown grass from trails for snowmobiles. 

Knowing what I do about the history of this trail and when it extended farther south, having this be the link between the original southern terminus and the non-concrete portion of Duluth, it made some sense. Still, in retrospect, I wasn't going to enjoy Map 2. The glorious views and rugged elevation gain were no longer a feature. It's also considerable that I was already a good distance into my hike that day, which followed up on a heavy hiking day on the 3rd, so I was more tired than usual. Still, bushwhacking was not on my list of goals for this hike.

I don't know which road crossing it was, but it wasn't clear where the trail picked back up. I thought perhaps this section was meant to be a bit more rough, or that the overgrowth hadn't been cleared, as it was spring. Turns out, I just wasn't on the actual trail, and therefore was crunching through the woods rather than being on the trail itself. Even with the help of AllTrails, that wasn't clear, and it was further compounded by the signs for private property. By the time I got to Martin Rd., I was not only irritated, but walking along the side of a moderately busy road to get back seemed more appealing than the three miles I'd just traversed. Good decision or not, that's what I decided to do. 

A colleague of mine told me a few days after this hike that Martin Rd. was a spot of some car break-ins reported recently, the other being Ely's Peak, and I can see why. Despite being on a major road, it is out of view, surrounded by trees, and the shared space with a snowmobile trail begins here, but since it was early May, no snow on the ground meant very little traffic. Ely's Peak, I'm guessing, is more for it being a touristy spot in a rather remote area. Then again, this is the same place where transient people existing is enough of an issue for a warning, so I don't know what to make of it. 

It's going to be difficult to write about Map 2, so maybe I'll cover that all in one or two essays rather than the divided sections as I've been avidly penning them so far. This isn't meant to discourage anyone from doing the entire thru-hike, but merely my reflection of comparative sections. 

Superior Hiking Trail #1-13 - Rose Garden Trailhead to Hartley Nature Center

 

Superior Hiking Trail

Map 1 - Section 13

Rose Garden Trailhead to Hartley Nature Center

Date Hiked: May 4th, 2025

Other Sections Hiked That Day: Map 1 - Section 12, Map 1 - Section 14

The concrete sidewalk ascent after the Rose Garden, despite its incline, is quite the welcome reprieve after the alleged nature trail takes a long detour in the land of the paved and concrete. Duluth's ability to be authentically urban but to immediately transform into a seemingly quarantined nature oasis is uncanny. Once the sidewalk climb turns into the Chester Creek trail, it's hard to remember that these two places are so closely linked with each other. 

Chester Creek is such a magnificent delight, I was amazed this was the first I'd heard of it. Duluth is filled with so many epic views and wonderful excursions that it's easy to get lost in the shuffle, but even amongst Duluth's best, this stands out. A rocky climb next to a pretty raging waterfall, it's hard to believe that roads run mere feet from the idyllic setting. That's Duluth though, managing to balance the two with acceptable levels of separation. 

Keeping with the theme of quick hitter transformations, Chester Creek gives way to the campus of the University of Minnesota-Duluth, which was bittersweet for me. I attended the campus for a cup of coffee in my first attempt at grad school before the second one led me to my degree, and I only left due to complicated financial difficulties that couldn't be solved. Being the first time I'd been back since that devastating, costly mistake, I once again recalled why the urge to attend that campus was so strong, despite the main branch being a few miles away in the Twin Cities metro: the views down the road that most likely take for granted are invigorating and awe-inspiring, no matter how many times one gazes down toward the Gitchee-Gumi from an elevated perspective. There's even a lovely scenic view in the woods shortly after the campus traverse, and given the amount of cans and charred remains of healthy snacks for the 20-year-old soul, it can't be dampened with the smell of stale beer and regret lingering in the empty forest. 

Just as quickly once again, the campus trails give way to a street crossing leading toward the Hartley Nature Center, where my car tempted me to cut short the Section 1 conclusion. I'd visited Hartley once before in the winter of 2024, but this time was different in ways that had little to do with the weather. In that winter adventure pursuing the Adventure Lab finds, the fog was thicker than the worst of Silent Hill during a Pyramidhead encounter, and nothing sealed that vibe like the horn of a freighter cutting through the thickness like a warning shot. On this lovely spring day, no vibes of giant threatening swords were even a wisp of a threat, so the only terrifying presence of evil lay in the mosquitos and ticks just waiting for the moment to strike. I think I'd prefer giant Pointy-Head McGee and his impractical blade of doom rather than those blood-sucking monsters. 

I dismissed the opportunity to stop at Hartley.

Superior Hiking Trail #1-12 - Twin Ponds Trailhead to Rose Garden Trailhead

 

Superior Hiking Trail

Map 1 - Section 12

Twin Ponds Trailhead to Rose Garden Trailhead

Date Hiked: May 4th, 2025

Other Sections Hiked That Day: Map 1 - Section 13, Map 1 - Section 14

In most cases, I would be moderately annoyed that this is the opposite of a nature trail. The absence of a nature trail. The antithesis of a nature trail. It is not in nature, nor is it an actual trail, except for the very beginning where the website (at the time) was cautioning people over vagabonds in the area. I found that weird, considering that thru-hiking is mostly just vagabonding with a budget, but I also know for whom those warnings are. Regardless, there was evidence of people existing near the end of the descent, and I still managed to survive the whole way to the concrete bridge crossing the highway, so I lived to tell my tale. 

Though this is not a nature trail, as repeatedly mentioned, it's hard to complain when the urban trail portion of this hike goes through Canal Park, by the Aerial Lift Bridge, and along the shore of the big lake. Fortunately for me, it was not between Memorial Day and Labor Day, so moving about without clusters of tourists being oblivious to anyone walking around them was not an issue. I also made use of Lyft, with which is not something I'm usually comfortable, but doing section hikes two days in a row led me to not wanting to waste energy doubling back, so I parked at the Hartley Nature Center and got the ride to the Twin Ponds trailhead, which is something I wish was available for future portions of this travelogue, spoiler alert. 

Duluth is one of my favorite places in the world, and the day was immaculate for photography and hiking. After dodging the construction around the Amsoil Arena, the slip bridge was up, which somehow takes more time to complete its process than the lift bridge, but spending time in Canal Park without the mob while the weather wasn't "biting face off" levels of cold was a unique privilege all the same. 

The recently-revitalized trail along the shore heading toward Fitger's is a lovely upgrade from years past. If there is an advantage to being on a paved section of the trail, it's giving the trekking poles a break and just taking in the scenery, at least before the ascent through the streets in section 13. Sometimes the lake breeze on my face and the calming sound of the lake hitting the rocks on the shore is the perfect place for recharging energy, at least with one long section hike the previous day and more difficulty looming after a walk through the rose garden. Having seen that lake when it decides it's tired of everyone's shit and wants to show off how frail and temporary anything floating on it truly can be, relative placidity makes for a considerably easier pace.

After paying respects to Uncle Harvey and his emblematic representation of poor decision-making, there's a little more of Duluth's urban parks to get through. The remainder of civilization with which to intermingle precedes the lingering emptiness of Section 2. 

 

 

Superior Hiking Trail #1-11 - Haines Road to Twin Ponds Trailhead

 

Superior Hiking Trail

Map 1 - Section 11

Haines Road to Twin Ponds Trailhead

Date Hiked: May 3rd, 2025

Other Sections Hiked That Day: Map 1 - Section 8, Map 1 - Section 9, Map 1 - Section 10

 

Not all miles are created equal. 

 

For example, the 12.5 miles of this hike are not equivalent to the same distance on the nearby Munger trail. While there may be gentle grade on an old railroad trail, it is generally easier to add distance without nearly as much of a strain. This section, these 12.5 miles, had just under 2000 feet of elevation gain. This trail proved wonderful for spending some of my summer hiking mountains in the Pacific Northwest, and that is not hyperbole to say. Most of the state may not be able to provide such practice, but the Superior Hiking Trail be all like "what's that, a hill? What if we went straight up? What mud? Here's a rock, have fun." That is not a complaint, for the record, just an observation. This trail is not for novice hikers. 

 

By the time I reached this section, I was regretting my life decisions. I had a ride waiting to meet me at an undetermined stopping point, and I figured with only a mile and a half to go, I might as well knock out just one more section. What harm could it do, after all? 

 

Sections 8-11 took nearly six hours for me, and I am nothing if not stubborn. On a relatively flat trail, I can usually average 16 minutes a mile speedwise. This hike? It was a 27 average, and if you haven't gathered by now, I am no beginner-level hiker. That is also not a complaint, because I wanted the challenge. I had dreams of hiking Mt. Si as my first (which would happen, but that's for another day), so the Superior Hiking Trail was exactly what I needed to prepare myself. 

 

But I really should've stopped at Haines Road. 

 

I've been spoiled by trails with bathrooms and water fountains. My empty water bottle clanging in my backpack pocket, taunting me with its severe lack of hydration, I was stumbling toward Enger Park, aiming for some arbitrary stopping point based on a now-irrelevant scene from a memory, but alas.

 

One thing that perked me up was the Forgotten Park, as from the Hiking Club trails you'll know that the chance for abandoned photography is always a booster in the point system. Passing a basketball court with a Cthaeh habitat dominating what once was a basketball court made me forget about my zero percent physical battery. 

 

Superior Hiking Trail #1-10 - Skyline Parkway to Haines Road

Superior Hiking Trail

Map 1 - Section 10

Skyline Parkway to Haines Road

Date Hiked: May 3rd, 2025

Other Sections Hiked That Day: Map 1 - Section 8, Map 1 - Section 9, Map 1 - Section 11

 

This was one of those hikes where I wished I'd chosen to stop one section before I did, and the empty clanging of my water bottle only further emphasized that lack of better judgment. 

 

With this early May jaunt providing tremendous views of Canal Park and the big ol' eponymous gnarly bitch of a lake, it was also accompanied with a surprising level of heat to which I had not yet adjusted. After all, mere weeks earlier I was pushing myself through temperatures with a minus in front of them and questioning my life choices for pressing on through thigh deep snow in a town where they'd have to figure out where it was before even attempting to find my Shining-esque, hilariously frozen hiker face amongst the rest of the Nothing. 

 

Reflecting on these hikes now, given how long it's been since my entire summer of displacement, disappointment, heartbreak, and dearth of terrible decisions, it's hard to remember when completing this trail was the foremost goal in my mind. As of this writing, recent attempts to pick up where I left off in section 3 have led me to pick the wrong place for an entrance, be warded off by the dangerous levels of smoke being about, and also opting for paved, photogenic lakeside paths when I've been up in the arrowhead. Perhaps I'll continue finding sections to highlight on my massive poster when spring comes back around, but it feels like a different lifetime when I was pursuing this milestone, so the distinction between sections is a bit harder to recall than it was months ago when I was penning these entries as they were fresh in my mind. Life comes at you fast, and if you don't flip Ferris Bueller the bird and empathize with poor Jennifer Gray's character, you could miss it.  

 

The Brewer Park loop section is among the more difficult in Section 1, including for making Enger Tower appear much closer than it actually is, at least by hiking standards. It reminds me a lot of the bluff trails in the Hiking Club reviews, with the trails along the edges of massive hills and rocks. They make one grateful for the scenery and relative lack of leaves that haven't obstructed the views quite yet, but also for trekking poles, as one slip on the steep elevation gains and declines could make for a less than pleasant afternoon from headbanging with a rock the size of a bulldozer.  

 

While the views of the urban landscape, particularly of the gorgeous architecture that is Duluth, the scenes in distant, diorama spectacle aren't quite equal to crossing roads and dodging drivers uploading their panoramic shots with thumbs visible in the corner while driving up the hills. It may be part of the territory for section 1 before it becomes dystopian levels of rural, but it's still not what I prefer in the general context of hiking. Though by the time the trail reached lakeside, it was paltry by comparison.

Superior Hiking Trail #1-9 - Waseca Street to Skyline Parkway

 

Superior Hiking Trail

Map 1 - Section 9

Waseca Street to Skyline Parkway

Date Hiked: May 3rd, 2025

Other Sections Hiked That Day: Map 1 - Section 8, Map 1 - Section 10, Map 1 - Section 11

I had to keep reminding myself that this was the urban section of the trail. Duluth is magical that way, in the sense that you can be near a dense section of the city, but within a few steps, you're transported to something that feels like it should be 100 miles north. The noise doesn't always reflect that illusion, but Duluth does an amazing job of providing that separate immersion without the necessity of pushing onward beyond cell phone signal or bathrooms that would make characters in a Laura Ingalls Wilder setting feel a bit apprehensive. I'm sure there are people more rugged than me that laugh at such an idea, but they're also the ones who can sleep outside and not be constantly worried that there's a bug crawling on their skin, so I take any mocking condescension with a "you were raised in this shit and are used to it" grain of salt. With how I grew up, my family's idea of camping was sleeping on Grandma's couch instead of one of the guest rooms because more than my parents and sister were visiting at one time. Don't laugh, that couch had abrasive ridges that would leave imprints on my face, and my skin is so sensitive to texture that it takes over my entire internal monologue. 

Hey, it's almost like that's why I'm pushing through as much of this trail as I can before the mosquitos invade or something! Even if they aren't biting me, the feel of anything buzzing or crawling near my skin (these wounds they will not heal), fear is how I fall into a constant state of swatting around my head and getting the sensation of prickly little pointy bastards on my arms whether they're there or not, thus confusing what is real. 

Might be a stretch, but there is a Lincoln Park in Duluth and I can't not hear that shit in my head every time it's even mentioned. Say you were a teenager in the late 90s without saying you were a late teenager in the late 90s, check. 

I probably could've paid more attention to where the sections were splitting between each other, but that would involve looking at street signs and such, and my mind was indeed elsewhere along this hike. Like other sections, every mile was at least twice earned. 6 miles of flat hiking was not 6 miles of Superior Hiking, and the ascents and descents were quick to remind me of that whether I asked for confirmation or not. 

I could see Enger Tower in the distance, though the distance could've been deceptive, given how easy it is for a massive structure on top of a giant hill to stand out. It was still a good motivating waypoint, though the amount of sweat I was producing led me to once again question my life decisions and my compulsive, obsessive need to push past ridiculous and arbitrary goals no one else but me had forced onto myself. 

Superior Hiking Trail #1-8 - Grand Ave. Chalet to Waseca Street

 

Superior Hiking Trail

Map 1 - Section 8

Grand Ave. Chalet to Waseca Street

Date Hiked: May 3rd, 2025

Other Sections Hiked That Day: Map 1 - Section 9, Map 1 - Section 10, Map 1 - Section 11

With a memory of the view from the top of Enger Tower, I set out from the Spirit Mountain parking lot with the intention of reaching that park, despite both the heat and how crowded it might be on a gorgeous Saturday in the north. The first spur led me to see the ski lifts from the other side, so I knew the visibility was going to be outstanding. With no familiarity of these sections, I couldn't predict how difficult it would be to reach Enger Park and meet my ride, but missing someone who stood in the top of the tower with me that day, the next best thing I could do was pursue a scene from a memory. 

Normally a trail getting this close to a major interstate would be a turn-off, but it was the magic section of the 35, the one for which I'm always building up for someone taking the trip to Duluth and the North Shore for the first time. After two hours of mostly uninteresting highway driving, crossing over the hill and the following descent into Duluth is one of my favorite sights, and this day's hike would give me the chance to admire it as long as I wanted to from a place where I didn't have to worry about driving while sneaking glances at both the view and the first-timer's face when it unveils itself. 

Along the ridges, mud was still a factor, but not as much as it had been with a few of the previous hikes. The urban sections were naturally going to have more than just remote nature, which had both advantages and disadvantages. There was more likely to be infrastructure like bathrooms or places to fill up on water, but it also meant concrete, sidewalks, crossing roads of varying traffic flow, thus increasing the noise level from which a sensory sensitive autistic person like me is constantly trying to flee. 

Going under the 35, briefly reacquainting with the DWP trail, and heading back into the woods, my confidence was high that I could reach my goal. The heat was becoming a factor though, as I was more sensitive to it than ever before. It took so much conditioning and adjustment to complete the winter speedrun of the Minnesota Hiking Club that conversely, the heat felt more overwhelming to me than it likely would've at any other point in time. I wrote about this in my William O'Brien log for the Minnesota Hiking Club series, where 70 degrees seemed like 120 because I'd only recently been used to numbers with negative signs next to them . Year-round hiking is a series of adjustments in all capacities, but temperature tolerance is one that's constantly in flux. It's either tempering the cold and finding ways to minimize the impact it has on your motivation, or it's wondering why you're suddenly going through so much water and your chest seems heavy even though you haven't put in the miles you're used to. 

Superior Hiking Trail #1-7 - Magney Snively to Grand Ave. Chalet

 

Superior Hiking Trail

Map 1 - Section 7

Magney Snively to Grand Ave. Chalet

Date Hiked: April 28th, 2025

Other Sections Hiked That Day: Map 1 - Section 6

Damn, that's a big pokeyboi on a very skinny treetop!

This was another section with which I was familiar. The previous fall, my delusions of being ready for this trail were confronted by my obsessive need to complete every Adventure Lab in existence (if you don't know what ALs are, it's a Geocaching thing. If you don't know what that is, I can't help you. I'd say 'Google it' but even that's not good advice anymore). Autumn ere, I was working on a Lab about trails in Duluth and I used the Superior hill descent to reach the DWP, a rail trail following a similar path through the hills into Duluth proper. It involved crossing the same high bridge, but where I once stayed on the flat and paved route, this time I followed the blazes into the hills and rocks. 

But not before I saw this guy while crossing that bridge! I've never seen a porcupine in the wild before! While my constant running paranoia mistook every noise for a bear or mountain lion making chomps out of my solo hiking ass, giant porcupine in the tree nearly passed me by. But, even from across the bridge, I couldn't help but be like "what's that giant thing up there?" As a birdwatcher, I'm used to mistaking vague bird shapes for branches or bunches of leaves, but... Are they that excellent of climbers or are the birches that deceptively robust?

This is a smaller section of the 14 in Map 1, and my views of sections will alter dramatically by Map 2, but even then, I am devoting so much of the uniform word limit to this fella because... even if only doing this section, nostalgia and spinyguy are really all I remember. I mean, this was the same hike as starting off with Ely's Peak, which is like having Ospreay/Omega as the curtain-jerker but featuring a tag match with no stakes in the main event; not necessarily bad, but damn is it difficult to follow (If you don't know wrestling either, just insert a comparison of whatever subculture is appropriate for your comparison). 

I could talk about how the final patch approaching the chalet had become a miniature waterfall, but it's spring in Duluth. The mud comes with the territory, despite what some in reviewer culture would have you believe. I could talk about how I picked this stopping point because the Munger Trail was right across the street, but I've referenced that hike so many times that you're likely filling in the background of it yourself if you've read this blog more than ever. I will say though, after it took me over three hours to get the six miles of these two sections, the steady grade going back up the hill only taking an hour and ten minutes was a pleasant surprise, as well as a marker of how far I'd come. 

But I was honestly just relieved for the thankfully easy hike to loop back up.

Superior Hiking Trail #1-6 - Becks Rd. to Magney Snively

Superior Hiking Trail

Map 1 - Section 6

Becks Rd. Trailhead to Magney Snively

Date Hiked: April 28th, 2025

Other Sections Hiked That Day: Map 1 - Section 7

My plan of working on the Superior Hiking Trail on Saturdays lasted an entire two of them. Given the previous series about the Minnesota Hiking Club, the only surprise about that is likely that I made it an entire week without jumping ahead. Even with how exhausted I felt staring at the impending Ely's Peak at the end of the previous hike, temptation won out. When the weather looked to be relatively cool and dreary, and with the season of bugs and North Shore crowds approaching, I imagined that this section might be one of the more popular weekend spots. Therefore, a cold morning summit felt like a good way to knock some miles off the highlight poster. (Why does that sound dirtier than it is?)

Only one other car was at the Becks Road trailhead that morning, as compared to the overflow situation that past Saturday. further validating my decision. Granted, that one car was one of the "Idling in the Car for Hours at a Time at a Park" Club I've seen so much of in the last few years, but I digress. 

A few flurries began to fall as I recalled the tank top weather only a couple days earlier. The FAQ on the SHT website makes sure people know that the trail doesn't control the weather's predictability any more than it manifests mosquitoes and deer ticks, because some people apparently think going through the remote northwoods in the summer has an off switch that's only not flipped because fuck you, that's why. I wonder if they think mud is also a conspiracy to piss off the rubes. 

I couldn't help but recall two previous adventures as I slowly pushed myself up the steep, rocky incline. First, that time my partner and I accidentally climbed Cougar mountain (no, accidentally is not a typo), where I was in mesh shoes, had no water, and every step on the hike down hurt my knees. How far I had come in three years, indeed. Second, my longest hike to date (as of this writing on May 14th, 2025), the 22.2 miles on the Münger Trail, likely because it was right below and I'd be taking it on the way back, but also because there was a time where that rail grade incline seemed difficult. 

Blue blazes on rocks as a guiding sign were really useful. Good invention, them trail blazes, because AllTrails can be a liar. The views were good, but some white blazes led to the actual peak, and I was already there. Why not stare down from the place at which I stared up hours earlier? I mean, it's no Unimpressive Overlook, but it's alright, I guess. It's not its fault that it can't meet the impossible standard of Unimpressive, that doesn't mean it should stop trying. 

After that though, it starts feeling like getting lost in Emyn Muil for a while (and that's not a bad thing, unless you're going in circles), but Duluth's skyview awaits. 

Superior Hiking Trail #1-5 - 131st Ave. W to Becks Rd. Trailhead

 

Superior Hiking Trail

Map 1 - Section 5

131st Ave. W. to Becks Rd. Trailhead

Date Hiked: April 26th, 2025

Other Sections Hiked That Day: Map 1 - Section 3, Map 1 - Section 4

"How much harder could 2.4 miles be?" my mind taunted me with that silly question on repeat as I pushed myself toward my pickup location when I could've gotten off my feet sooner at 131st. My ride had even offered to pick me up there, but no, I had to push on for some impractical idea of outdoing my first hike with three sections instead of two, which mattered to me and literally nobody else. All the while, news of my Browns selecting Shedeur Sanders reached my fleeting data signal long enough for flashbacks of the circus around Johnny Football to flood my brain. At least those were nicer than other mental torment chambers from which hiking was often an escape? Even mushroom clouds have silver linings. 

After the jaunt down by the river, where I did not see Matt Foley but instead thought of a pleasant memory drifting along the river toward Duluth, I was now back with the bare branches, crossing bike trail junctions, and inching my way closer to Becks Road, where there would be graciously-provided beverages and no more need to climb up hills. The inclines on this trail are like the area itself gained sentience around the time the term "flyover country" became colloquial, and therefore the trail had to punish everyone for the commonality of such a thought. "I'll show you flyover country, climb up this flat, boring plain, bitch!" After 10+ miles and several hours, the internal monologue's perception of difficulty may have been exaggerated slightly, but without that, all that remains is the cautiously-guarded optimism someone from Cleveland gently pushes out into the universe, knowing that other shoe's gonna drop like a fourth down pass right on the numbers. 

What was even running through my head at this point? I'm not pretending it's organized or sensical, I'm just a travel essayist telling the events as I experienced them. What, you don't also have thoughts like "oh god, my team's up by 26, now they've got us exactly where they want us!" I'm not saying it's rational. 

A similar level of relatable jadedness seemed to greet me along this relatively short section, where a sign pointed me toward an "Unimpressive Overlook." 

Sign me up for some of that irony! 

Said overlook is the first picture on this post, and as you can see, even without any leaves on the trees, the overlook just doesn't have the self-confidence necessary to own exactly what it is. With Ely's Peak looming nearby on the next NOBO section, it must be hard to get worked up and excited about showing off what you got.

With the Beck's Road trailhead mere dots away on my tracker, I looked up at the steep ridge giving me its forest middle finger taunt. For the first time since Split Rock with no spikes, I ate it hard and my water bottle slid to the bottom. Flyover country indeed, having pushed on yet again in a way nobody asked of me.

Superior Hiking Trail #1-4 - Grand Portage Trailhead to 131st Ave W. Trailhead

Superior Hiking Trail

Map 1 - Section 4

Grand Portage Trailhead to 131st Ave. W. Trailhead

Date Hiked: April 26th, 2025

Other Sections Hiked That Day: Map 1 - Section 3, Map 1 - Section 5

After rugged and remote scenes taking over shortly after leaving Jay Cooke State Park, or at least the visitor's center area, the riverside stroll wasn't the only surprising sudden change, and not just realizing that I was still within the bounds of the massive aforementioned state park's grounds. The trailhead had groups of people heading in either direction, and the road nearby had somewhat regular traffic. To go from near isolation to seeing human congregation and vehicular consistency was the inverse of the journey into the wilderness from the previous post, and this is only the halfway point of a single hike. 

No matter how many times I get reacquainted with the St. Louis River, one memory in particular will always resurface. A short-lived but nonetheless impactful relationship I had in 2018 gave me an unusual adventure where my special interest in trains combined with a love of kayaking, and I ended up with a hand-crafted wooden loon that still remains prominently displayed on my bookshelf to this day. That was the day I did the Choo-Choo Paddle, where an excursion train dropped us off six miles from the marina, and we paddled back on the St. Louis River by ourselves on a perfect day for weather and affection that would soon regrettably dissipate. Now, seven years later and being a completely different person in countless ways, the river and I caught up like old friends at a high school reunion. There was no animosity or frustration expressed over the duration between visits, but circumstances necessitated the encounter's brevity, and one bend in the trail later left me once again on a short overlook spur, hiking away from my lost contact before I even realized it was over. Such is the nature of a new trail, but lost connections can be such sweet sorrow. 

The white pines were comforting, drifting in the wind with the recognition of someone encountering the steep inclines on which they've been rooted for generations. They were nice enough to provide me with the brief reprieve of a stone bridge before giving me the choice of ending at the 131st Ave. Trailhead or moving on to the Beck's Road stop a mere 2.4 miles farther. I opted for the latter, though I was halfway down the spur route to the trailhead before realizing my error. 

Cell phone signal reconnections were brief and fleeting, but I did manage to alert the person gracious enough to provide me with transport as to where I'd need to be picked up. How much harder could a few miles be on such a glorious sunny Saturday after all? The previous weekend, I'd added 10+ miles after the initial 8.5 of this trail, it couldn't be that bad without having to double back, right? 

Being too exhausted to bother looking for the nearby Geocaches answered that question for me. I once again reminded myself that I'd spent most of the winter hiking trails that were 6 miles or less. 

Alas.

Superior Hiking Trail #1-3 - Jay Cooke State Park to Grand Portage Trailhead

 

Superior Hiking Trail

Map 1 - Section 3

Jay Cooke State Park to Grand Portage Trailhead

Date Hiked: April 26th, 2025

Other Sections Hiked That Day: Map 1 - Section 4, Map 1 - Section 5

Finally, a NOBO hike where I didn't have to worry about how to get back to the starting point! Although, of all the places on the trail where that would be a concern, a parallel with the Munger trail was probably among the most convenient of options. Not only was it rail grade and paved, but being the trail on which I'd recorded my longest hike to date (as of this writing on May 9th), familiarity was a bonus too, considering the dense remoteness of the majority of the Superior Hiking Trail. 

It's amazing how quickly this trail transitions from "hanging out with everyone at the state park" to "when did I get out of the Red Lodge and why is everyone calling me Dougie?" The Northwoods in general have a knack for that skill, but it never becomes less surprising. With Jay Cooke in the proverbial rearview, I straddled the line of intentional isolation among its copious ridges. Turning around a bend, I'd be traversing the ledge of one, spotting another several hundred yards away, and nothing but cavernous abyss between them. Then, without fail, a descent worthy of the hopes and dreams of northeast Ohioan football fans would bring the trail to a creek whose idea of a bridge was "hop on that rock and hope it's steady." Continuing on, almost immediately, the upward trajectory brought the trail back to the other side of that ridge, where I could look back fondly and realize that even a year ago, I'd have been struggling and sore from those two elevation changes, and not just because I hadn't yet discovered the magic of trekking poles. I'd feel really good about myself, and then inevitably be passed in either direction by a trail runner. 

Trail runners simultaneously reminded me of two very different things:

- For all the physical progress and endurance I've gained since becoming a serious hiker, they're on a level I cannot even begin to comprehend. I didn't even like to run playing team sports when I had to. Doing it by choice on such terrain blew my mind. But also...

-The level of difficulty on this trail mostly keeps it limited to those who are serious and dedicated to trail activity, as compared to my "couldn't find a date today/let's take that 38th selfie while blocking the narrow trail" excursion to Judge CR Magney State Park back in February. At some point, maybe by the time you're reading this, I'll have revisited that section as part of the Superior Hiking Trail as opposed to the Minnesota Hiking Club, which now seems like a distant childhood memory of whimsical proportions. 

The timing of this hike presented me with views that would likely very soon be covered up by dense leaves and swarms of bugs. The St. Louis River peeked out beyond thousands of temporarily empty branches, before it would inevitably greet me upon the second section of this hike. 

I wasn't anywhere near ready to be done yet. 

Superior Hiking Trail #1-2 - Jay Cooke State Park to Wild Valley Road

 

Superior Hiking Trail

Map 1 - Section 2

Jay Cooke State Park to Wild Valley Road 

Date Hiked: April 19th, 2025

Other Sections Hiked That Day: Map 1 - Section 1

Grabbing a parking spot early in the day at Jay Cooke State Park was a familiar act. 

A little more than a month prior, I'd done the same thing when I completed the Jay Cooke State Park Hiking Club trail as my first stop of the day. By the time I got back to my car after that three-mile trek, the parking lot was jam-packed. I expected a similar scenario on a day that was even nicer than that one, although I'd be gone much longer this time. 

While I'd decided to begin section-hiking the Superior Hiking Trail, whether or not I'd be going north or south from Jay Cooke was still a question in my mind. It seemed like many people ignored those first two sections to the south, as even AllTrails had a complete route that started from Jay Cooke and concluded at the northern terminus. This likely has to do with the southern portions of the trail, through Duluth and beyond, being much newer than the rest of the trail. Alas, the curse of the completionist struck again, and after turning around several times on the swinging bridge (as rad of a bridge as it was the first time), I was off. 

Two times during the previous summer, I'd attempted sections of the Superior Hiking Trail. Admittedly, doing that while stoned for the first time was a terrible idea, especially as I had no idea how rugged and remote the trail was near the 301 trailhead. A sudden flapping ruffed grouse increased my paranoia, convincing me I'd run into a bear, and I opted to take the road back to my car. I took similar action after hiking a rocky cliffside near Tettegouche later that summer. This time, however, I was prepared. Remoteness, ruggedness, solitude; all things for which 67 state park winter hikes trained me, this time I wouldn't be bailing out to a road after a mile. I'd be bailing out to a road after 8.5 miles, and that's totally different because I completed the sections first! 

The epidemic of AllTrails users downrating trails for having the nerve to be muddy in the spring would've had a field day with this 5.9-mile section of the SHT, because slipping and sliding on these kinds of inclines produce more than a multi-colored pant leg. Without trekking poles, the risk of face-planting and getting nature's chilly skincare treatment becomes an even bigger possibility. I was stunned to still see ice in the valleys, but I had to remind myself that despite sporting my Doc Holliday tanktop, it was 50 in Northern Minnesota that day and only felt like summer because I'd experienced a 70-degree differential from other North Shore hikes within those past three months. 

The hills seem to go straight up, and crossing the stream requires steady rock hopping. The leaves on the trees must make the views even more impressive sight, but not being eaten alive by flies and mosquitos was a considerable compromise. 

Superior Hiking Trail #1-1 - Wild Valley Road to Southern Terminus

 

Superior Hiking Trail

Map 1 - Section 1

Wild Valley Road to Southern Terminus

Date Hiked: April 19th, 2025

Other Sections Hiked That Day: Map 1 - Section 2

I'm not a thru-hiker, not yet. 

Not because I can't do the hikes, but as I stated in the introduction, sleeping outside is not something I'm yet inclined to pursue. Don't get me wrong, I consider it a tremendous amount of progress, considering I wasn't raised in outdoor culture at all and picked everything up on my own. But, while I can be outside from the moment I'm awake, once it's time to get some sleep, the idea of hard ground and canvas surrounding me isn't exactly appealing for a multitude of reasons. Bears, bugs, and other wildlife are a consideration, but even higher on the list is, quite simply, I've been a professional athlete in two different contact sports since I was 20, so... X number of years of impact and recovery on these muscles and bones, well... Air mattresses and the forest floor don't sound conducive to waking up in any condition to continue hiking. Maybe I'll get there someday, but for now, section hiking is my next step up. If that doesn't make me a "real" hiker, so be it, I've never been much of a real anything in various subcultures anyway. 

I started out in Jay Cooke State Park, a familiar sight to my eyes and hiking boots, and I'll detail those six miles in the next post, but suffice it to summarize: it's a bit harder than the Jay Cooke State Park Hiking Club trail, even though the two share the same path heading southbound. While I know that most people hike the SHT northbound, the website said that the Wild Valley Road trailhead was closed, and the Minnesota Hiking Club taught me, if nothing else, trying to work around parking lot closures was a terrible idea, even without several feet of snow on the ground. 

Alas, as I approached the aforementioned trailhead, I saw plenty of cars parked outside the gate on the gravel road, and though AllTrails listed this section as an out-and-back, I wasn't yet sure if I'd be willing to repeat those eight miles on the SHT going the other way. For as difficult as the Prairie and Deer Valley Loop at Afton was, logging in over 16 miles on a trail listed as "hard," half the distance on the SHT was considerably more strenuous, thus the conundrum of the solo section hiker. 

Other than a passing train, I saw nary a presence on this section, which does require southbound traversing, even for Northbound thru-hikers, in order to access. Once I reached the southern terminus and state border, it took a few minutes to decide to continue on the North Country border trail and return to my car another way rather than doubling back. While this may have expanded my overall mile count to 18, traveling on the side of the road until I reached the Wrenshall biking trail, then cutting back in through the West Ridge in Jay Cooke was more appealing than trying to do those two sections again. 

Superior Hiking Trail - Introduction to the next Wanderloon Travel Series

AUTHOR'S NOTE: Due to logistics and other reasons, mainly fire-related, I was not able to complete the SHT this summer, so while I will be sharing the parts I did complete, this will not be a finished series this year.

Superior Hiking Trail

Introduction

Once I finished the Minnesota Hiking Club (and the Passport Club the next day), I spent a solid month just chasing those precious "Verified Complete" badges on my AllTrails account. For a while, it was nice to just pick a random place and go from there, and it was a relief to be able to focus on birding and Geocaching (or Adventure Labs... Mostly Adventure Labs). But, Autism Brain thrives much better with a focus, a goal, a map to highlight, and something active to pursue. 

Within weeks of the Hiking Club's conclusion, I was losing my grip a bit. I mostly stopped traveling, as the four thousand miles I'd driven in the final span of the speedrun wore me down for a while. Then, there was a planned long-distance hike with my friend K, and given that I did the entire Minnesota Hiking Club as a solo hiker (because who else was going out in the -17 weather with me?), I was thrilled to have a companion, and we were both equally joyous over hiking with someone who could keep up with each other for long distances. We did the Prairie and Deer Valley Loop, a 15.5 trek through Afton State Park. 

Now, I know you're asking, did I enjoy that one more than the ho-hum ice dance I did on their Hiking Club trail? The answer to that question is very well a definite... maybe. 

While waiting for those verified complete badges to come through, as well as through the many conversations I had with K, an old, familiar urge reignited my professional wandering spirit. An urge that involved long distances, blazes on trees, and an odd sense of home that I felt for a tiny section of a familiar trail far before I even knew what hiking was; the Appalachian Trail was calling to me. 

I'd talked myself out of that dream many times. Not that I didn't think I could do the hike or find a way to make it work with time and finance, that was never the issue. Sleeping outside and using the woods as a bathroom though? For all the skills and other outdoorsy characteristics I'd pursued and gained on my own, those had yet to envelop me. Growing up right next to the AT though, walking around on that small branch of it when kids were still allowed to leave the yard without parents being arrested for negligence, something about it just ached in my soul. 

That brought my thoughts back to a more local pursuit, one that I could reasonably challenge without the necessity of sleeping outside or taking months off work: the Superior Hiking Trail. The blue blazes not only greeted me warmly on the North Shore Hiking Club runs, but I'd tried small sections the previous summer without realizing how remote and rugged it was. 

Now, with those six sections of map just begging to be highlighted, I had my new active focus. 

Superior Hiking Trail: You're next!