Day 2 of Superior Hiking Trail

We hiked a lot today. Awoke late at Caribou campsite to Sinem saying "is it time to wake up?" Then we ate breakfast- farina with dried strawberries- and headed out of camp. We kept up a good pace throughout the day, and saw some pretty impressive scenery. My favorite parts of the hike included a meadow near a beaver dam, and waterfalls at Brule River in Judge Magney State Park. Unfortunately just when we finished admiring the falls and were looking forward to the campsite a couple miles ahead, we had to climb 5 flights of stairs or so-- pretty discouraging at the end of a long day.

However, all in all, it was a good, hard day, but I didn't feel overwhelmed. 18 miles of hiking today total, and we're planning for 20 tomorrow. We are camped at Judge Magney State Park campground. We had high expectations of showers and flush toilets, but our plans were foiled when we found the bathrooms were locked for the winter already.

THE SLOW LIFE
It's been about a month since I hiked the Superior Hiking Trail on the north shore of lake superior, and yet it feel like it was just yesterday and years ago at the same time. When you're on an adventure like that you nearly loose all sense of time and reality. Life is not about getting to work, walking the dog, cooking, cleaning, schedules and meetings. Instead, life is only about eating, sleeping, hiking, and going somewhere. Here's my journal entry from the first day on the Superior Hiking Trail:

9/13/06: Day 1 of the Superior Hiking Trail.
So good to be back on the trail. The sun is setting right now, and I'm relaxing at camp. Today, we woke up in Lutsen, MN to a beautiful view of Lake Superior from a friend's cabin, before heading out to do errands and get some food. We ate breakfast in Grand Marais at the "Pie Place" (delicious), then drove up to Otter Lake Road to leave the car and set off. It was cool to flip through the trail registry and read about people's experiences. Quite a few thru hikers. It reminded me of finishing the Pacific Crest Trail because I saw some entries saying "I finished! 230 miles along Lake Superior"

So, we headed out, Sinem and I, and first hit a lot of clear cut areas, but then started seeing a ton of beautiful fall colors in the thick woods. We saw a huge moose skull and a red tailed hawk. We had lunch at a nice campsite at Jackson creek and were temped to stay, but decided to move on a bit more because both had energy. Sinem makes a great hiking partner! We came to a couple nice vistas (one was called Hellacious Overlook), and had a few good climbs. Now, we are camped at Caribou Woods campsite 11 miles from our start point. All in all, it feels great so far to be back on the trail, and I'm looking forward to the rest of the hike.

Reminders of Past Adventures

It's cold in Minnesota, this mid-October day. I am reminded of one year ago, when I first moved here after completing 1400 miles of the Pacific Crest Trail. Then, like now, I was unsure of how to answer that recurrent question of life: what now? My dog and I are both holed up in the apartment. Intimidated by the weather and satiated by hours of video viewing.

But, this fall season also gives me time to reminisce on the past and make plans for the future. I am reminded of the feelings of pride and satisfaction after completing my trek accross the west coast, and also of the mild depression which followed. These reminders motivate me to find new adventures. I recently finished the 200 mile Superior Hiking Trail, the longest trail in Minnesota. So, what's next? A friend wants me plan a trip accross Patagonia, and I'm thrilled and intimidated by the prospect. We'll see.