Superior Hiking Trail Day 1: Friday, August 21
/Tenting at Sucker River Campsite (SHT mile 67.5) walked 19.2 miles today
“I am an American aquarium drinker.”
Overindulged on alcohol at the Great Lakes Aquarium, of all places, last night and thus began my long-anticipated Superior Hiking Trail adventure this morning with a bit of a self-inflicted handicap. Local heroes D and Brent swung by where I was staying in Duluth with breakfast, then D shuttled me to the Martin Road trailhead at the edge of town and saw me off. First impressions of the trail, with this particular starting point and in these particular conditions, were poor: the trailhead is right by a rock quarry, with dozens of dump trucks snorting around like stegosaurs in the primordial swamp, except I couldn’t see them because since yesterday afternoon a 100-yard-visibility fog had settled over all of Duluth. After less than a quarter mile of hiking I was utterly lost trying to figure out how and where the trail crossed Martin Road, a situation complicated by my fear of being run over by a stego-truck materializing out of the fog. Eventually I sorted it out and proceeded north, my first test passed.
This fuckin guy.
I met two southbounders within the first hour who both mentioned the same things: that the trail was frustrating for the two days north of where we were, and that it had a lot of bugs. Normally I distrust sobos deeply, but these two were dead on in their assessment. It doesn’t do a lot of good to talk about the trail itself: when it wasn’t part of a snowmobile path, it was suffocating, stagnant and disorienting, even once the fog lifted around noon. One often felt that one was at the lowest point in the surrounding terrain rather than the highest, and any spots that felt open were only “open” because of recent logging. It’s not a problem to me because in the long run I know most days will be more rewarding, but I would hate to be thru-hiking southbound and this be what I was working toward at the end.
I thought this hiker sPeed limit thing was funny the first time i saw it. Then i was on snowmoBile trails for the next ten miles and one could say the novelty wore off.
The Sucker River Campsite where I ended the day proved to be a diamond in the rough, however: a babbling brook that is easy to access (no hacking through a jungle) is 50 yards away, and the campsites are flat and spacious and sheltered. Arriving here at 6:15 or so, I met Blue Berrymore (*exceptional* trail name), a sobo thru-hiker from the Cities who gave me the lowdown on everything north of here and indicated, as others have, that things improve dramatically in another ... well, at some indeterminate point a ways north. Maybe tomorrow.
Saw a bear in the middle of the afternoon while headed to the latrine at a campsite. He looked me in the eye with that classic dumb surprised bear look, then crashed away through the brush. Thoughts and prayers to the people camping there tonight, who will surely be mauled in their sleep.
My left foot hurts in a new and concerning way.
Young men of low breeding and intellect have arrived at this campsite after dark, once I was already in my tent and writing this. I was happy when it was just Blue and our other friend Craig here, but now I have to listen to these dolts giggle and snap branches for their campfire and shine their lights directly into my tent for who knows how long. Fortunately I: a) have earplugs and b) am exhausted.
Tomorrow: possibly 23 miles to a campsite, if my foot is up to it.
Typical Trail scene later once the sun came out. Still doing the snowmobile-path thing, which was actually preferable to the claustrophobic footpath.