Hike With Me - Vadnais-Snail Lake Regional Park

Vadnais-Snail Lake Regional Park

Vadnais Heights, Minnesota

Trail Hiked: Vadnais Lake Trail, Sucker Lake Loop

Distance Hiked: 10.15 miles

Elevation Gain: 282 ft. 

Duration: 3h 26m

This hike is not remarkable from a statistical or difficulty standpoint. That’s not why I’ve hiked in this park more times than any other, by a considerable margin. But it seemed appropriate for a birthday hike this year, and I won’t say what number birthday it was, but I’m writing this in blog form and I’m not on social media, so… I was born in a year with a 1 in front, that’s all you need to know.

The best part of this park is the narrow causeway between the lakes, and it’s not even close. I’ve been on that strip for sunrises and sunsets, spring and fall migration, standing on leaves and ice, smiling brightly and shedding tears. I’ve been there alone and with a partner, on a first date and a last, reconciliation and devastation. I’ve left enough emotional ink on this trail to compose my own symphony. 

It was much better to have a happy memory there than avoid it for remembering a bad breakup or when some family I didn’t even know decided on my worth as a person because I had the nerve to be birdwatching instead of yakking at top volume with strangers 

During the summer, one can park in the middle of the lake, and loon spottings are as common as the gavia immer itself. The winter still provides access between Vadnais and Sucker Lakes respectively. 

The other side of Vadnais is… fine. Mostly wooded, fewer scenic views, doesn’t loop back around, so that makes it an odd 3/4 out-and-back. 

Sucker Lake is… fine. After crossing the county road and railroad tracks, it’s at least a loop, but there isn’t much to see. There is a little strip north of the lake where swans are regular denizens, so unless you’re Jess Mariano, that’s a nice feature.

I hit all those spots for the camera, plus getting some extra miles in to compensate for not traveling far and doing an easy trail. Even picking this trail despite it being a gorgeous weather Saturday was a big deal for me, given that summer weekends mean I’m either getting out early or avoiding anywhere popular as much as possible. This day worked exactly how I needed it to, and was a comforting contrast to the unfortunate events of a Discord phone call a year prior. 

This is a place I go back to when I want to catch the best of spring migration. Before the leaves are back on the trees, after the yellow-rumped warblers are the only new ones for a while, hanging out by the small section where the causeway banks left is a fantastic spot, especially just as the sun is coming up and people haven't ruined it with their bluetooth speakers or obnoxiously loud conversations yet. The sunrises over this lake are phenomenal.

This is a great place to get Northwoods vibes without a three-hour drive, as despite its proximity to the 694, the noise pollution doesn't infect the atmosphere much.

Hike With Me - Hawk Ridge Bird Observatory

Hawk Ridge Bird Observatory

Duluth, Minnesota

Trail Hiked: Hawk Ridge

Distance Hiked: 4.31 miles

Elevation Gain: 272 ft. 

Duration: 1h 34m

This was not my intended destination for this hike. 

Wait, I don’t have those, I’ll rephrase.

I settled for Hawk Ridge because I’d wanted to head north to get some miles on the SHT with fall colors prevalent and summer nuisances, not so much. But, one nuisance that plagues this area from Memorial Day to Labor Day was having a revival tour. Damn. I hadn’t even seen that pop up on my Ticketmaster. I felt left out. 

But also, when the 61 was a standstill well short Two Harbors, I joined several others turning around in the median, now considerably less motivated despite my major milestone goal mere single digits from being achieved, and I wanted to do it somewhere special to me. 

Instead, I settled for Hawk Ridge. Plenty colorful, decent enough trail, and all the road dust you could ever hope to need an inhaler for. 

I feel like I’m giving the place an undeserved bad rap. It’s not wilderness with a vague throughway like Brewer, rather well developed with some great views of Duluth and Gitchee Gumee. It just wasn’t what I wanted that day, so I sleepwalked through it like a New Yorker finally going to the Empire State Building for the first time. “It’s great and all, but I’ve seen it a hundred times.”

All the same, I still hit 2000 miles for the year, and 41 days earlier than last. 

It’s hard to go wrong with a park in Duluth, don’t let my malaise convince you otherwise. Sometimes autists gonna autist, it just wasn’t what I wanted for such a milestone.

That said, I couldn’t ask for better fall colors on my camera. We in Minnesota only get them for about 9.87 seconds, so it’s good to appreciate the fleeting moments before they become soggy slippy dippy hazards compiled on hiking boot bottoms like they want to live vicariously through you to become a spontaneous hockey player.

Hey, it’s Minnesota, even the leaves are stereotypes sometimes.

Look, trying to pop the readers with silly hyperbole aside, I’ll say this: it would’ve been really easy to be bitter. Not just this day but the year and change preceding it, and I don’t think people would blame me if I had been. I still have moments, but they’re just as fleeting as the ennui for Hawk Ridge on this hike; when years prior, people would’ve been sick of dealing with its backwash. 

I hit 2000 miles 41 days earlier than last year as I said, but that’s just as much a hiking goal as it was personal validation for the work I’d done in therapy and pushing myself to be better… not just as a hiker, but as a person who no longer gets bogged down in sick cycle carousels and lingering resentment. 

I’m a year older and I’m not slowing down. I don’t need bitterness as fuel when radiant enthusiasm is a default. 

Only one more Proclaimers queue to go for my yearly goal!* 

(From that point, I’m significantly closer as of this writing.)

Hike With Me - Mt. Si

Mt. Si 

North Bend, Washington

Trail Hiked: Mt. Si Trail

Distance Hiked: 8.68 miles

Elevation Gain: 3,228 ft. 

Duration: 4h 20m

I treated this hike like an epic solo quest of personal redemption. Just me and the Twin Peak(s), I’m gonna kick your ass even worse than last time when my mental state was the opposite of its improved status, when I struggled and had to take plenty of rest breaks but now have another year’s endurance and several thousand miles behind it. Just you and me, mountain… who the hell are all these other people? Black Lodge escapees? Transplants from Camel’s Hump to remind me how much more training I need to be a true blue blood long-distance hiker? Inception-like projections before I drop my totem in the moss to make sure I’m not supposed to swan dive off the top to get back to reality? 

Or I’m just not the only person who doesn’t mind hiking in the rain, but that’s not nearly as ridiculous and hyperbolic, now is it? It’s not anything truly unforgivable, like not wanting to dodge horse-based scatological landmines on a Hiking Club trail, but it’s in the conversation. (Sorry to keep picking on you, random person commenting on my Fort Ridgely review, but it’s the most random thing I’ve ever been called out for.)

I was more prepared for this hike than any other I’ve ever done. I had snacks, motivation, my expiring Washington State Parks pass that I’d gotten to use all of once before my life blew up.  I had the motivation to redeem myself for reasons created only by the antagonizing, self-depricating villain in my own head. Fuck the rain, let’s beat this thing like a superpowered fist with BOB’s face on it, and film it!

Of all hikes to forget the damn holster screw, really?!

Guess I’ll see how much balance I’ve gained after another 2500 miles in a year? Turns out, quite a bit, it only fell once. Not bad for someone who almost always almost falls.

This trail sets unreasonable expectations for other mountain hikes. Extremely well-maintained, perfectly-designed switchbacks, rest areas to stop off and wonder why you’re doing this to yourself on purpose... But it’s also like growing up near Gettysburg, going on a field trip there every year, and then thinking “oh, all historically-preserved battlefields must be this amazing!” Oh, Naive version of me I only made up for this anecdote, you’re so silly.

The last little bit of boulder clinging to get a real summit view is no joke, even if I still did it to have even less of a view of nothing than the first time, but I also look legit enough that younger hikers now ask my advice by saying “listen to the professional.” 

Or I’m old. Who knows?

Now, did I get near the bottom and go back up a few hundred feet just to beat my elevation gain record also? 

I didn’t not do that. 

Even “professionals” gotta be unnecessarily ridiculous sometimes. It’s good for ya. A little “but did you die?” for the road, it’s healthy in moderation.

Hike With Me - St. Croix Crossing Trail Loop

 

St. Croix Crossing Trail Loop

Stillwater, Minnesota/Houlton, Wisconsin

Trail Hiked: St. Croix Crossing Loop Trail

Distance Hiked: 6.99 miles

Elevation Gain: 502 ft. 

Duration: 2h 10m

Despite my usual need to complete new trails for verified complete badges, and even with how insanely crowded this trail usually is, it was my 400th hike for 2026 and I just felt like filming something I hadn't before. 

Also, as no doubt the weather will show, anything else was not particularly ideal for the circumstances. 

I've written about this hike before. Hell, I used it for my Wisconsin portion of the Great Wander of 2026, although that decision was made out of far more distress than this one. Sometimes, something old and familiar with confidently assured miles and a decent level of elevation gain is all one needs, and though 

Stillwater is a beautiful town of old industry that has adapted to the insatiable need for repurposing and consumerism, and I'm not saying that's entirely a bad thing. Clearly it's working. Drive down up the 95 on any day between Memorial Day and Labor Day... if you can... and the parking lots will be almost as full as the crosswalks where folx feel the need to take selfies regardless of the light status. The hike itself is no flat old railway bed (see the nearby Browns Creek State Trail for that itch to scratch), but it's also not so difficult that entire hoards of families on a day with temperatures without any minus qualifiers to toddle along while being completely oblivious. For, in a tradition I imagine is even older than the town itself, gaggles of tourists can't help themselves but walk entirely side-by-side on a busy trail and somehow get offended if anyone else dares to not completely avoid their special bubble... even on a suspension bridge where one side is traffic and the other side is a funny little droppy drop to the river below. 

Hard to imagine why it is that I don't like finding crowded areas at the peak of the nine and a half minutes of perfect weather we get in Minnesota, isn't it? 

My utter disdain for trail tourists (and tourists in general for the most part) aside, on a good day this trail is scenic and picturesque, even if it takes five solid minutes to get one unobstructed. The lift bridge is iconic, regardless of its timely capacity, and the views are spectacular when you can get them. The lift bridge crossing is significantly better than the suspension bridge, mostly because the former isn't parallel to a busy highway with distorting noise pollution at the best of times. Conveniently though, the suspension bridge carves out several places off the trail to snap some of those elevated photographs, and sometimes the trail tourists even manage to find them instead of getting huffy because you dared to go around them while they were taking their 38th selfie in a row while holding up traffic both ways. How dare you, hypothetical person not engaging in this behavior. The 38th selfie was the bestofies, don't you know anything?!

The hike itself? It's fine. Paved, but fine. 

Hike With Me - Appalachian Trail (Cumberland Valley Overlook)

Appalachian Trail

Carlisle, Pennsylvania

Trail Hiked: Cumberland Valley Overlook via Appalachian Trail, Cumberland Valley Overlook from Valley Road

Distance Hiked: 13.94 miles

Elevation Gain: 1,939 ft. 

Duration: 5h 34m

"Someday this will be a stop along the way rather than the starting and ending point," I kept saying to myself on this bright Saturday morning. Having been in Washington state only a week prior, slick conditions from night rain seemed all too familiar, along with the whole "being in Washington state one week and central Pennsylvania the next and needing to hike a mountain on the Appalachian Trail while I was there" thing, but that's too oddly specific to be a cliche, which makes it all the more peculiar that it happened twice. Cue Botchamania Taz animation: "But I digress..."

I was not raised in an outdoorsy family, which teithfully becomes a bigger understatement the more I consider it. I grew up less than a mile from this trail, and this overlook I could see from the house I lived in for over 20 years. Yet, the idea to hike up that way never even occurred to me when I was younger. Maybe I didn’t notice it because of all the sports I played for many years, but the more I got into hiking, kayaking, and wanting to be in the woods, I noticed how many people learned these things from their parents or other relatives, and we’re just used to pretty much everything. I had to learn everything all on my own as an adult, and things that seem to be common knowledge to most outdoorsy types, our lessons I learned the hard way because I didn’t have anybody to teach me. In contrast, with this hike, I’d officially hiked the entirety of Cumberland County on the Appalachian Trail, and since they were all out and back, I’ve done it both northbound and southbound. This was reassuring that sometime in the near future, I’d be able to thru-hike this trail.

Many people I grew up with in Pennsylvania, and others that I know now in Minnesota, they all learned how to camp, and learned how to live in the wilderness from their parents. That’s the part I still haven’t approached, or I’ve already done this hike. Yet, when even my grandmother is asking me where all this hiking and outdoorsy stuff came from, because it certainly wasn’t from my family, I’m never exactly sure how to answer. It seems like it happened by accident, and once I got a taste of it, I just had to keep going and improving. I’ve gone from “what even is an actual hiking trail?” to “I just hiked Mount Si last week (future post), and the elevation gain was too paltry on this one, so I’m going down the other side just to do it back again.” I’d also gone from thinking these were mountains, to hiking ones triple the size of this one, and feeling I needed a bigger challenge. Things sure can change with a lot of practice

The hike itself? Well, this state is called Rocksylvania for a reason. It’s where hiking boots go to die.

Just bring it.

Epic Hikes of Washington State - Zach's Lookout

 

Zach's Lookout

Date Hiked: August 16th, 2025

Trail Hiked: Zach's Lookout, U1100 and Dickerson Falls Loop

Distance Hiked: 9.70 miles

Elevation Gain: 1191 ft. 

Duration: 3h 1m

It's a good thing Zach made a lookout, because otherwise this would be a mildly difficult hill in the Kitsap area without much of a payoff. I mean, other than the stats and gains, but usually the reward of a good climb is the view from the top, so say "yo Zach, what's up, thanks for the lookout" or whatever the kids say these days, because it's the only one you're going to get on this hike. 

The visibility was grand this day, the exact opposite of when I reached the top of Mount Walker and was lucky I could even see my own hand holding the camera when I was taking photographs. This was another one of the days where I wanted a good hike, a decent climb, and a pleasant distraction from the soul-sucking void deep within the Sickness that permeated the essence of my being at the time, but I also didn't feel like traveling very far. Fortunately, in Washington state, only driving five minutes can result in a gorgeous view for "only" an 1200 ft. climb on a Friday with perfect weather. In the Twin Cities, five minutes away for a hike usually means Greenways, traffic noise, and wondering if the scowling dude walking toward you just disappeared your neighbor with impunity. Oh, 2026, what the hell even are you? 

The most notable thing to happen on this particular hike wasn't even the trek itself though. This trail climbs up a hillside before it does a little loop atop the Zach-flavored lookout point. While on that hilltop loop, I found a set of keys with a Seahawks emblem on the chain. Oh good, that would only narrow down the owner of the missing go-go sticks by absolutely nobody, how fortunate for me. 

Luckily, the next two lovely ladies I encountered were the winners of the Showcase Keysdown, so Zach must've been looking out for them too, since the eponymous view was where we briefly met. They didn't have to call a locksmith to a parking lot, I got a momentary reprieve from the maelstrom of self-loathing and regret that wouldn't lift until the Sickness went away a short time later. Everybody got a little shot of dopamine unexpectedly that day is what I'm saying. 

This hike is perfectly fine, by Washington state standards anyway. In most other places, it'd be flooded every weekend with Zach fans and their fancy eyeglasses peering over the single spot where one could see beyond the treeline. There'd still be the straight couple who held up the line by taking 38 indistinguishable selfies (there's always one), but otherwise it'd get a solid 4.5/5 most likely. But, since it is in Washington state, I'd mostly recommend it only if you're near Bremerton, you don't want or need to travel longer than an episode of Zack Morris is Trash, and you want a hike that's good for the moment but you'll forget about it before you get back to the car.

Epic Hikes of Washington State/Hike With Me - Northern State Recreation Area

 

Northern State Recreation Area

Sedro-Woolley, Washington

Dates Hiked: August 6th, 2024; July 6th, 2025; August 28th, 2026

Trail Hiked: Northern State Recreation Area Loop, etc.

Distance Hiked: 3.98 miles; 13.45 miles; 4.41 miles

Elevation Gain: 177 ft.; 699 ft.; 180 ft.

Duration: 2h 1m; 4h 5m; 1h 28m

Hiking has never been the primary reason for making this trek to northern Washington, although it certainly doesn't hurt either. 

Three hikes are listed above, and there were at least two more before I started keeping track with AllTrails. With my penchant for always wanting to go to new places rather than revisit older ones, that should convey just how unique and interesting I find this location. Not only is it symbolic and special in a personal way, not only is it a goldmine for those who enjoy photography of the abandoned variety, but its preservation is chilling and essential for not repeating the mistakes of history and how those with mental illness are treated by society. 

Harbor no illusions here, this is the site of a former asylum, and there's something distinctly uncomfortable about the fact that it's now a disc golf course. I love exploring abandoned buildings, and the time I took the video camera doesn't even begin to cover all the places to find there, but knowing what happened there before contrasts the aesthetic with an unyielding, haunting aura. 

The size of these essays does not even begin to tell the truth behind the crumbling structures, so may I suggest Under the Red Roof: One Hundred Years at Northern State Hospital by Mary J. McGoffin for much more than I can describe in 500 words. There's a cemetery that had to be rediscovered and plotted out by those who cared for folx who died there, so please read more about its history at your discretion. 

Conversely, it's also a very special and sentimental place for me, as my consistent returns have indicated. The unobstructed views of the Cascades are daunting and beautiful, while the hollowed shells of buildings that once were feel trapped in time despite the modern lingo in the endless graffiti. On one of the previous visits with Redacted, all four seasons collided within one trek, as it went from pleasant and sunny to hail onslaught in a mere few hours. Another time I visited was at the height of the Sickness, where I hiked the entire loop twice while spending more time than previous trips capturing as many photographs as possible. 

But, as several more Hike With Me's about Washington will complement, my mileage and time were kept short intentionally during my 2026 trip, as this wasn't even my only stop that day. This was my first solo wander to Washington without any plans, itineraries, or meetings with loved ones. Finding my own validation and wandering for no other reason than I wanted to, Northern State was oddly soothing and liberating despite the scars of the past as visible as ever; my own and the location's alike. 

I love the town of Sedro-Woolley. I set a story there once upon a time too. Northern State Recreation Area though, it's amazing for a good hike, urbex photography, and/or Geocaching, and I assume the disc golf is great too. 

But for me, it was peace.

Hike With Me - Beaver Island Trail

 

Beaver Island Trail

St. Cloud, Minnesota

Trail Hiked: 

Distance Hiked: 12.11 miles

Elevation Gain: 358 ft.

Duration: 3h 58m

Look, not every hike is necessarily about maximizing elevation gain or finding spectacular vistas at the perfect time of day. Sometimes, it’s just “I want to get good distance without nuch in the way of resistance to get the numbers up.” This was one of those times. 

But also, having an Adventure Lab to do along the way certainly helps in terms of motivation and focus.

St. Cloud probably doesn’t crack my top 100 in terms of places I’m excited to go in Minnesota. I always feel like it’s a junction point on my way to more interesting places, and that’s no disrespect to anyone who lives there… Well, maybe some. CityNerd referred to a certain mindset as “self-identified rurality,” and when a city has 70 thousand people, no amount of Truck With Attitude, I’m an Outlaw Despite Having the Exact Same One as the Next Four Behind Me makes it rural.

Beaver Island Trail is… perfectly adequate. It’s not completely bereft of interesting scenery, like perhaps the Dairyland Trail, but it’s not one I’d revisit to take it in again specifically. Going under the bridge, the path goes through a neighborhood before turning into the university, and meeting one of the many dams along the Mississippi River. From there, it’s a great path for tree canopies, local parks, and plenty of road noise nearby. I’m glad it exists, but being serviceable is not much motivation to travel 90 minutes without the lure of Adventure Lab finds and adding another Verified Complete trail to my list. I’d be much happier with something like this if I stepped out of my apartment and jumped right on it, but if I’m already traveling this far, urban trails that weave through neighborhood sidewalks aren’t what I’d seek.

Conveniently, the trail was suitable for the practice of further learning how to use my GoPro on the fly. Regardless of how much of a technical fuddyduddy as it likely makes me seem, figuring out the little tricks of using that thing is far more suited for flat and relatively banal mileage than the slopes of Mt. Si (spoiler alert). Mostly what I learned from my GoPro 5 is that the 12 I decided to buy when the replacement batteries for the 5 didn’t work was infinitely better, so it wasn’t entirely a waste. 

I have no intention of making St. Cloud seem like a featureless wasteland, despite my mostly playful ribbing earlier. Not to worry, no one in St. Cloud has ever said an unkind word about the Twin Cities or anyone who lives there, so I apologize for this uncharacteristic diversion of my usual completely objective travelogue. It’s not like I dared to be annoyed by horseshit on the Fort Ridgely Hiking Club trail during a Polar Vortex and the deepest pit of the Sickness or anything. That would just be silly.

I got 12 miles out of it. There are worse ways to spend a Sunday. I’m from Northeast Ohio, I would know.

Hike With Me - Frontenac State Park

Frontenac State Park

Frontenac, Minnesota

Trail Hiked: Waconia Cliffs Trail, Sandstone Trail, Upper Bluffs Loop, 

Distance Hiked: 7.57 miles

Elevation Gain: 883 ft.

Duration: 2h 50m

Frontenac State Park is one of those places that I end up more often than intended. Not in a negative way necessarily, just that it's closer than the North Shore, less crowded than Barn Bluff, and good to get some elevation gain when I can't get out to a place with mountains; which, given that I live in Minnesota, is most of the time.

One particular thing I enjoy about (some of) these state parks is when I find a trail that I didn't know about, even after a dozen visits like Frontenac, and what a lovely time to discover them as when I'm coming back because "well, I've been there plenty of times, but never with my camera, so that's a new way to give these trails replay value." Doesn't always work (see future episode or previous entries for Nerstrand-Big Woods State Park), but this was a pleasant instance.

Typical traffic flow (if you can call it traffic most days) heads up the Hiking Club trail toward the bluffs. That is, unless they parked at the top and skipped the initial incline, but that's their prerogative. Most people I've seen are headed that way and end up on the bluffs trails, upper and lower. On other visits, I've taken the prairie loop on the front side, and there's also the oddly separate Rattlesnake area that's lovely... if you can find it on that road so remote it makes Lake Bronson State Park in the winter seem metropolitan. 

On this hike, I was headed the opposite way, intending to take the initial elevation gain up toward the campground, mostly to mix it up a little given the aforementioned frequent visits. But, at the point where I would've turned right to head up the grassy rise, I saw a small brown sign indicating a Waconia Cliffs trail. Not on AllTrails, and since that junction was usually where I turned toward the parking lot, I never noticed it before.

A wonderful world of hills and wildflowers awaited, followed by views of the same quality as the Hiking Club trail and other blufftop hotspots. At the vista point over the lakes below, another brown sign for the Sandstone Trail indicates another access point to these views, so I looped back to the initial junction and took that route. While easily the least maintained of the contiguous park trail, the name isn't false advertising. Journeying up the sandstone cliffs over which the vista peers, they aren't quite as towering as the climbing hotspots back in the other areas, but still rather nice all the same. I don't think I saw another person on either trail the entire time.

With those two completed (and submitted to AllTrails afterward as new routes, so expect to see them never,) I did a final loop around the more common areas. Still gotta get those miles and elevation gains up, after all. Those trails were predictably crowded on a beautiful August day, but at least I enjoyed solitude first.

Minnesota State Parks Revisited/Hike With Me - Beaver Creek Valley State Park

 

Beaver Creek Valley State Park

Caledonia, Minnesota

Trail Hiked: Beaver Creek Valley, Hole-in-Rock, West Rim, Short Loop, Campground

Distance Hiked: 7.09 miles

Elevation Gain: 814 ft.

Duration: 2h 45m

Beaver Creek Valley State Park (no matter how many times I accidentally write Beaver Valley Creek State Park)  is one of those places I've been intending to revisit so long that it was among the first I intended to write about when I started the Revisited series over a year ago. Somehow I always ended up going to Whitewater or Frontenac instead. 

I cannot emphasize how far out of the way this park is, especially coming from the metro. But whereas a place like Whitewater feels remote despite being 8 miles from St. Charles (not exactly a thriving metropolis but not desolate either), Beaver Creek Valley is so remote that signal disappears entirely before even entering the place. What's the nearest town of note? Houston? It's a three hour sojourn to the middle of the middle of nowhere, and I'd always lose my resolve before I made it. It's not like the North Shore where I've intended to continue on the SHT but end up revisiting sites closer to Duluth instead. Beaver Creek Valley is much more all or nothing, and despite how highly I ranked it, it took nearly two years before I finally did it again. 

Hey, this time the bridge is open so I didn't have to go down and back up! And I'm pretty sure the Hiking Club password wasn't in that spot the first time (maybe I missed it, or maybe it was in the closed section? I don't know, it was cold that day.) But holy hell, what a contrasting experience between the Hiking Club speedrun January traverse and this one in late summer.

The wildflowers are unbelievably plentiful in thr flat half of the trail, to the point that I wonder if they're more prevalent there than almost any orher park I've revisited in the months where people can breathe outdoors. But, so are the bugs. Goodness gracious, the bugs. It was only the third time since obtaining a head net that they bullied me into wearing one. The rainy, overcast conditions probably didn't help. Much like the winter hike though, I barely saw anyone there (those with camping spots notwithstanding) so that remained consistent,

The bluff portion of the hike was not nearly the difficult trek it was the first time, as I've hiked a lot more steep and challenging inclines since then. The lush greens made the views less vast and scenic, but were beautiful still in their own right. And that last little portion still felt like the Bridge of Khazad-Dum, but this time I remembered to download it in advance, because as ere stated, the signal at this park is mostly non-existent.

I don't think this park has much replay value for me, given the distance to get there, but also, there isn't much to hike beyond the Hiking Club trail, and if I'm going to do something I've already done, I'll stick to closer trails of comparable difficulty. But it is absolutely worth the trip at least once.

Hike With Me - Superior Hiking Trail (Brewer Park)

 

Superior Hiking Trail

Duluth, Minnesota

Trail Hiked: Brewer Park Loop, Superior Hiking Trail and Stovetop Upper Burner Loop

Distance Hiked: 5.85 miles

Elevation Gain: 738 ft.

Duration: 2h 30m

I've spent a lot of energy on the Superior Hiking Trail this year without technically making much progress on the undone portions. A snow hike from the Rose Garden to Hartley most notably, and as I got stuck on Hundred Percenting shorter long distance trails this winter, the distance and remoteness needed to get the unfinished sections didn't feel worth it. Then, during the summer, wildfire smoke, an encounter with a family of bears (Isanti), and three-plus weeks on the Great Wander all contributed to my lack of progress. The one new section I did (Split Rock to Beaver Bay) was so overgrown and thick with bugs and ticks made me put it off even longer until fall. The terrifying encounter with an entire family of bears admittedly had me leery of going anywhere too remote, as with the common thread of consolation always being "they're not a problem unless the cubs are around" had me even more paranoid than usual.

All that to say, when I got to Duluth with my new camera and mission for the first time, I opted for the shorter Drive and picking up a verified complete badge from section 1 that I hadn't gotten along the way on 2025's completion.

Having traversed the side closest to the lake previously, once I went under the tunnel, I turned right to explore the side I hadn't seen before the loop met the junction at the familiar trek. 

The word "park" in the title has certain implications, even in Duluth. Even aside from the state parks, much of section 1 goes through considerably developed park areas, like Enger most notably. Brewer Park is pretty much indistinguishable from other remote sections of the SHT. The views on the main were still lovely, of course, and they looked different than in the early spring, which was to be expected. It's fine, it isn't a complaint at all, it just didn't seem like what I was expecting for a park specifically, given the complete lack of anything I saw other than the trail. It feels weird to say it, but alas. Maybe I've watched too many Dustin Poynter videos and I feel like I'm saying "am I the red flag for thinking that a park was more than a trail in the wilderness?" Which is a very odd thing to ask, but feels like it would be better than some of the other "absolutely not totally staged" skits online people do, or "am I the asshole for lighting my ex's house on fire and singing the Star Spangled Banner at the top of my lungs while she attempted to put out the fire on the irreplaceable photos of her great-grandparents who were the last two residents of the Isle of Fuchsia?" 

I shouldn't write on my lunch walk at work.

I feel like I'm getting better at the camera thing. I'm hoping to have it down a little more before hitting some mountains in Washington. Really wanna get those views.

Hike With Me - Interstate State Park

Interstate State Park

Taylor's Falls, Minnesota/St. Croix Falls, Wisconsin

Trail Hiked: Interstate State Park Loop, Walter F. Mondale River Trail and Railroad Trail Loop, Lake of the Dalles Trail, Silverbrook Trail, Eagle Peak Trail

Distance Hiked: 9.94 miles

Elevation Gain: 906 ft. 

Duration: 3h 30m

Minnesota State Parks now have these tank-like chairs that allow folx with disabilities to traverse the often-rough terrain of their trails. I was fortunate to be joined by a very dear friend of mine for this exact purpose, and the delight it brought me to be able to hike with them is beyond description. Though the kindly gentleman up front seemed rather confused by the request, it ended up being a success. 

I'm not going to stop writing about hikes, goodness where would I be without that motivation to compose 500 words about each step of a wander? But, as hiking YouTube veers away from what I liked about it (like so many things I've enjoyed over the years), I'm taking the advice a creator once gave me about an entirely different media: "Find whatever it is you wish you were seeing and aren't, then make that." 

Now, does that mean channels doing what I am don't exist? Of course not, I'm not that naive. However, channels I used to binge, ones that talked about hikers, hiking culture, and adventures, or even hiking-related mysteries, they seem to have become over-produced, clickbaity, edited in a way that annoys me (and possibly only me, I'm willing to accept that), or they're entirely focused on gear. The latter of which, I'm not even saying is invalid or not necessary, I just can't find the energy to give even half of a shit to listen to someone talking about how cutting a toothbrush in half saves contributing weight. 

And, perhaps most importantly, I refuse to pretend I don't notice the voice inflection changing right before they start trying to sell me whichever possibly relevant product they're hawking this week. For the record, I do not begrudge the creators for doing this. I respect the game, but it sure does break my immersion into the story, location, or adventure. 

I'm new to a GoPro, figuring it out as I use it. The editing is minimalist, not because I can't edit video, but because I don't want it to be flashy or fancy or (again, may only be me that's annoyed by it) over-produced, speeding up with royalty-free music and missing the experience itself. 

That's what I'm going for. I want to share my experience as it happened, as much as time, space, and battery power allow. My unfamiliarity with GoPro was prevalent in this particular hike, as I'd unscrewed the camera from the frame to retrieve the SD card the previous evening, but when I put it back in the frame, I forgot to re-fasten it appropriately. I also had no idea the battery would drain so fast, so on my first attempt filming, it crapped out about halfway through a relatively short excursion. I'm quite proud of how this came out, especially with my camera only staying on my shoulder strap by sheer balance of will and hope. 

And, hey! A new excuse to return to places I've already hiked without getting bored! Bonus! 

The Great Wander of 2026 - Stats and Rankings

 Miles - 154.9

Elevation Gain - 11350

States - 17

Mountains - 7

Miles hiked in each state

PA - 30.2

ME - 19.4

WI - 17.9

VT - 16.6

MD - 15.8

MN - 13.8

RI - 5.8

NY - 5.6

CT - 5.3

OH - 4.8

VA - 4.8

MA - 4.4

NH - 3.0

IN - 2.2

IA - 1.8

MI - 1.8

WV - 1.7

Elevation gain per state

VT - 3763

PA - 1616

WI - 1559

MD - 1214

ME - 890

MN - 522

NH - 407

IA - 348

NY - 277

RI - 236

VA - 233

OH - 72

WV - 69

CT - 62

IN - 59

MA - 49

MI - 43

Verified completed trails

Annapolis Rock via Appalachian Trail - MD

Appalachian Trail: Boiling Springs to White Rocks - PA

Bicentennial, Hickory, and Birch Loop - WI

Big Rivers Regional Trail - MN

Burlington Bike Path - VT

Burnt Mountain via Westline Trail - NH

Burrows Trail - VT

Camel’s Hump via Forest City, Long, and Burrows Trails - VT

Confederate Flank Trail - VA

Cornfield Trail - MD

Crown Point Trail - NY

Fish Farm Mounds State Preserve - IA

Forest City Trail - VT

Fort Adams Bay Walk - RI

Fort Preble and Spring Point - ME

Fort Williams Park Loop - ME

Green Point via Quoddy Head Light - ME

Inland Trail - ME

Kent’s Ledge Trail - VT

Loon Lake Nature Preserve Trail - IN

Marshall Point Lighthouse Nature Trail - ME

Methuen Rail Trail from Hampshire Road - MA

Middlesex Township Park Trail - PA

Oak Trail to Hickory Trail to Bicentennial Trail Loop - WI

Owls Head Lighthouse - ME

Plym Park to Riverfront Park via River Valley Trail - MI

Quoddy Coast Guard Trail - ME

Snavely Ford Antietam National Battlefield Trail - MD

Stone Bridges Trail - CT

Third Winchester Battlefield Park - Red Bud Run Trail - VA

Two Lights State Park Loop - ME

Wainwright Recreation and Greenbelt Walkway - ME

West Quoddy Head Lighthouse Trail - ME

States ranked

#1 - Vermont

#2 - Maine

#3 - Pennsylvania

#4 - Maryland

#5 - Minnesota

#6 - Wisconsin

#7 - New York

#8 - Virginia

#9 - New Hampshire

#10 - Rhode Island

#11 - Connecticut

#12 - Massachusetts

#13 - Ohio

#14 - Indiana

#15 - Michigan

#16 - West Virginia

#17 - Iowa

Mountains/Bluffs

Camel’s Hump - 2536 ft. elev. gain - VT

Hixon Woods Bluff - 1152 ft. elev. gain - WI

Kent’s Ledge - 1040 ft. elev. gain - VT

Annapolis Rock - 837 ft. elev. gain - MD

Center Point Knob - 771 ft. elev. gain - PA

Burnt Mountain - 356 ft. elev. gain - NH

Fish Farm Mounds State Preserve - 348 ft. elev. gain - IA