{"id":4403,"date":"2018-10-02T20:39:14","date_gmt":"2018-10-02T20:39:14","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.intothewideopen.com\/?page_id=4403"},"modified":"2018-10-24T00:45:33","modified_gmt":"2018-10-24T00:45:33","slug":"superior-hiking-trail","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/www.intothewideopen.com\/?page_id=4403","title":{"rendered":"Superior Hiking Trail"},"content":{"rendered":"<body><p><\/p>\n<h1>Superior Hiking Trail (SHT)<\/h1>\n<p>Please peruse this page for information regarding background and logistics of the trail.\u00a0 If you\u2019d like to get right to the action and read about the journey, use the following links:<\/p>\n<h3><b>SHT Blog<\/b><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><span style=\"color: #0000ff; text-decoration: underline;\"><a style=\"color: #0000ff; text-decoration: underline;\" href=\"http:\/\/www.intothewideopen.com\/?p=4114\">Days 0-3<\/a><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><span style=\"color: #0000ff; text-decoration: underline;\"><a style=\"color: #0000ff; text-decoration: underline;\" href=\"http:\/\/www.intothewideopen.com\/?p=4117\">Days 4-6<\/a><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><span style=\"color: #0000ff; text-decoration: underline;\"><a style=\"color: #0000ff; text-decoration: underline;\" href=\"http:\/\/www.intothewideopen.com\/?p=4119\">Days 7-9<\/a><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><span style=\"color: #0000ff; text-decoration: underline;\"><a style=\"color: #0000ff; text-decoration: underline;\" href=\"http:\/\/www.intothewideopen.com\/?p=4121\">Days 10-12<\/a><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><span style=\"color: #0000ff; text-decoration: underline;\"><a style=\"color: #0000ff; text-decoration: underline;\" href=\"http:\/\/www.intothewideopen.com\/?p=4123\">Days 13-15<\/a><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><span style=\"color: #0000ff; text-decoration: underline;\"><a style=\"color: #0000ff; text-decoration: underline;\" href=\"http:\/\/www.intothewideopen.com\/?p=4126\">Days 16-17<\/a><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/www.intothewideopen.com\/?p=4398\"><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><span style=\"color: #0000ff; text-decoration: underline;\">Final Reflections<\/span><\/span><\/a><\/p>\n<h3><strong>SHT Basics<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p>From September 9 to September 25 (17 days), Carolyn walked from Duluth to Canada on the SHT.\u00a0 This is a foot path (motorized vehicles, bikes, and horses are prohibited) showcasing views of Lake Superior, Minnesota\u2019s Sawtooth Mountains, inland lakes, waterfalls, rivers, and gorges.\u00a0 The trail is managed and maintained by the Superior Hiking Trail Association (<span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><span style=\"color: #0000ff;\"><a style=\"color: #0000ff; text-decoration: underline;\" href=\"https:\/\/superiorhiking.org\/\">SHTA website here<\/a><\/span><\/span>).\u00a0 Carolyn chose to complete a \u201ctraditional\u201d thru-hike which is described below.<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>\u201cTraditional\u201d thru-hike<\/strong> = 260 miles from Martin Road trailhead at northern city limit of Duluth to 270 degree overlook (just short of Canadian border). <em>This segment includes 93 backcountry campsites.<\/em><\/li>\n<li>\u201cTotal\u201d thru-hike = 306 miles from Minnesota\/Wisconsin border south of Jay Cooke State Park to 270 degree overlook (just short of Canadian border).<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>There are no backcountry campsites from the Minnesota\/Wisconsin border to Martin Road.\u00a0 To avoid making reservations (and paying) for commercial campgrounds and motels, Carolyn chose the \u201ctraditional\u201d thru-hike.\u00a0 The trail is marked by blue blazes.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.intothewideopen.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/09\/20180925_084604.jpg\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" data-attachment-id=\"4357\" data-permalink=\"https:\/\/www.intothewideopen.com\/?attachment_id=4357\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.intothewideopen.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/09\/20180925_084604.jpg?fit=4032%2C2268&amp;ssl=1\" data-orig-size=\"4032,2268\" data-comments-opened=\"1\" data-image-meta=\"{&quot;aperture&quot;:&quot;1.7&quot;,&quot;camera&quot;:&quot;SM-G930V&quot;,&quot;created_timestamp&quot;:&quot;1537865164&quot;,&quot;focal_length&quot;:&quot;4.2&quot;,&quot;iso&quot;:&quot;50&quot;,&quot;shutter_speed&quot;:&quot;0.008&quot;,&quot;orientation&quot;:&quot;1&quot;}\" data-image-title=\"20180925_084604\" data-image-description=\"\" data-image-caption=\"\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.intothewideopen.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/09\/20180925_084604.jpg?fit=1024%2C576&amp;ssl=1\" class=\"aligncenter size-large wp-image-4357\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.intothewideopen.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/09\/20180925_084604-1024x576.jpg?resize=640%2C360\" alt=\"\" width=\"640\" height=\"360\" loading=\"lazy\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.intothewideopen.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/09\/20180925_084604.jpg?resize=1024%2C576&amp;ssl=1 1024w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.intothewideopen.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/09\/20180925_084604.jpg?resize=300%2C169&amp;ssl=1 300w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.intothewideopen.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/09\/20180925_084604.jpg?resize=768%2C432&amp;ssl=1 768w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.intothewideopen.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/09\/20180925_084604.jpg?w=2000&amp;ssl=1 2000w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.intothewideopen.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/09\/20180925_084604.jpg?w=3000&amp;ssl=1 3000w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p>Backcountry campsites each have a pit toilet, bench, and fire pit.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_4410\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-4410\" style=\"width: 640px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><a href=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.intothewideopen.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/10\/Toilet-and-Bench.jpg\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" data-attachment-id=\"4410\" data-permalink=\"https:\/\/www.intothewideopen.com\/?attachment_id=4410\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.intothewideopen.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/10\/Toilet-and-Bench.jpg?fit=4052%2C4528&amp;ssl=1\" data-orig-size=\"4052,4528\" data-comments-opened=\"1\" data-image-meta=\"{&quot;aperture&quot;:&quot;1.7&quot;,&quot;camera&quot;:&quot;SM-G930V&quot;,&quot;created_timestamp&quot;:&quot;1537874968&quot;,&quot;focal_length&quot;:&quot;4.2&quot;,&quot;iso&quot;:&quot;160&quot;,&quot;shutter_speed&quot;:&quot;0.016666666666667&quot;,&quot;orientation&quot;:&quot;1&quot;}\" data-image-title=\"Toilet and Bench\" data-image-description=\"\" data-image-caption=\"&lt;p&gt;Spoiled on this trail!&lt;\/p&gt;\n\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.intothewideopen.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/10\/Toilet-and-Bench.jpg?fit=916%2C1024&amp;ssl=1\" class=\"size-large wp-image-4410\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.intothewideopen.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/10\/Toilet-and-Bench-916x1024.jpg?resize=640%2C715\" alt=\"\" width=\"640\" height=\"715\" loading=\"lazy\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.intothewideopen.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/10\/Toilet-and-Bench.jpg?resize=916%2C1024&amp;ssl=1 916w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.intothewideopen.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/10\/Toilet-and-Bench.jpg?resize=268%2C300&amp;ssl=1 268w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.intothewideopen.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/10\/Toilet-and-Bench.jpg?resize=768%2C858&amp;ssl=1 768w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.intothewideopen.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/10\/Toilet-and-Bench.jpg?w=2000&amp;ssl=1 2000w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.intothewideopen.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/10\/Toilet-and-Bench.jpg?w=3000&amp;ssl=1 3000w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px\" \/><\/a><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-4410\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Spoiled on this trail!<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Domonick joined Carolyn from Martin Road to Silver Bay (~100 miles), leaving Carolyn to complete the remaining 160 miles solo.\u00a0 This was her longest backpacking trip by herself.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.intothewideopen.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/10\/DSC07791.jpg\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" data-attachment-id=\"4390\" data-permalink=\"https:\/\/www.intothewideopen.com\/?attachment_id=4390\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.intothewideopen.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/10\/DSC07791.jpg?fit=4864%2C3648&amp;ssl=1\" data-orig-size=\"4864,3648\" data-comments-opened=\"1\" data-image-meta=\"{&quot;aperture&quot;:&quot;11&quot;,&quot;camera&quot;:&quot;DSC-RX100M4&quot;,&quot;created_timestamp&quot;:&quot;1536931049&quot;,&quot;focal_length&quot;:&quot;8.8&quot;,&quot;iso&quot;:&quot;125&quot;,&quot;shutter_speed&quot;:&quot;0.00625&quot;,&quot;orientation&quot;:&quot;1&quot;}\" data-image-title=\"DSC07791\" data-image-description=\"\" data-image-caption=\"\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.intothewideopen.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/10\/DSC07791.jpg?fit=1024%2C768&amp;ssl=1\" class=\"aligncenter size-large wp-image-4390\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.intothewideopen.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/10\/DSC07791-1024x768.jpg?resize=640%2C480\" alt=\"\" width=\"640\" height=\"480\" loading=\"lazy\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.intothewideopen.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/10\/DSC07791.jpg?resize=1024%2C768&amp;ssl=1 1024w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.intothewideopen.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/10\/DSC07791.jpg?resize=300%2C225&amp;ssl=1 300w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.intothewideopen.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/10\/DSC07791.jpg?resize=768%2C576&amp;ssl=1 768w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.intothewideopen.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/10\/DSC07791.jpg?w=2000&amp;ssl=1 2000w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.intothewideopen.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/10\/DSC07791.jpg?w=3000&amp;ssl=1 3000w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p>The weather started out in the high 70\u2019s, progressively cooling down, with highs in the 50\u2019s at completion.\u00a0 Rain was fairly common in the later half of her journey.\u00a0 Autumn foliage was beginning to change, and backcountry campsites always had availability.\u00a0 Few other thru-hikers were seen on the trail, but occasional section hikers were seen.\u00a0 Water levels were fairly low, but she never had to carry more than 2 liters of water.\u00a0 Water needs vary by hiker, but Carolyn\u2019s hike proved comfortable with this level of water carry at that time of year, with those conditions.\u00a0 She never relied on water from sources listed in the guidebook as \u201cunreliable in dry conditions\u201d, and she never collected water from ponds.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_4342\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-4342\" style=\"width: 640px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><a href=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.intothewideopen.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/09\/20180924_130222.jpg\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" data-attachment-id=\"4342\" data-permalink=\"https:\/\/www.intothewideopen.com\/?attachment_id=4342\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.intothewideopen.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/09\/20180924_130222.jpg?fit=4032%2C2268&amp;ssl=1\" data-orig-size=\"4032,2268\" data-comments-opened=\"1\" data-image-meta=\"{&quot;aperture&quot;:&quot;1.7&quot;,&quot;camera&quot;:&quot;SM-G930V&quot;,&quot;created_timestamp&quot;:&quot;1537794142&quot;,&quot;focal_length&quot;:&quot;4.2&quot;,&quot;iso&quot;:&quot;50&quot;,&quot;shutter_speed&quot;:&quot;0.0010893246187364&quot;,&quot;orientation&quot;:&quot;1&quot;}\" data-image-title=\"20180924_130222\" data-image-description=\"\" data-image-caption=\"&lt;p&gt;Brule River &amp;#8211; about 230 miles into the trip&lt;\/p&gt;\n\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.intothewideopen.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/09\/20180924_130222.jpg?fit=1024%2C576&amp;ssl=1\" class=\"size-large wp-image-4342\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.intothewideopen.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/09\/20180924_130222-1024x576.jpg?resize=640%2C360\" alt=\"\" width=\"640\" height=\"360\" loading=\"lazy\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.intothewideopen.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/09\/20180924_130222.jpg?resize=1024%2C576&amp;ssl=1 1024w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.intothewideopen.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/09\/20180924_130222.jpg?resize=300%2C169&amp;ssl=1 300w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.intothewideopen.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/09\/20180924_130222.jpg?resize=768%2C432&amp;ssl=1 768w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.intothewideopen.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/09\/20180924_130222.jpg?w=2000&amp;ssl=1 2000w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.intothewideopen.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/09\/20180924_130222.jpg?w=3000&amp;ssl=1 3000w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px\" \/><\/a><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-4342\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Brule River \u2013 about 230 miles into the trip<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<h3><strong>Navigation<\/strong><\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li>The latest edition of the guidebook and maps were used (ordered online from the SHTA website):<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.intothewideopen.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/10\/Guidebook-e1538594384985.jpg\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" data-attachment-id=\"4406\" data-permalink=\"https:\/\/www.intothewideopen.com\/?attachment_id=4406\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.intothewideopen.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/10\/Guidebook-e1538594384985.jpg?fit=4032%2C2268&amp;ssl=1\" data-orig-size=\"4032,2268\" data-comments-opened=\"1\" data-image-meta=\"{&quot;aperture&quot;:&quot;1.7&quot;,&quot;camera&quot;:&quot;SM-G930V&quot;,&quot;created_timestamp&quot;:&quot;1538574024&quot;,&quot;focal_length&quot;:&quot;4.2&quot;,&quot;iso&quot;:&quot;160&quot;,&quot;shutter_speed&quot;:&quot;0.041666666666667&quot;,&quot;orientation&quot;:&quot;3&quot;}\" data-image-title=\"Guidebook\" data-image-description=\"\" data-image-caption=\"\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.intothewideopen.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/10\/Guidebook-e1538594384985.jpg?fit=1024%2C576&amp;ssl=1\" class=\"aligncenter size-large wp-image-4406\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.intothewideopen.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/10\/Guidebook-e1538594384985-1024x576.jpg?resize=640%2C360\" alt=\"\" width=\"640\" height=\"360\" loading=\"lazy\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.intothewideopen.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/10\/Guidebook-e1538594384985.jpg?resize=1024%2C576&amp;ssl=1 1024w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.intothewideopen.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/10\/Guidebook-e1538594384985.jpg?resize=300%2C169&amp;ssl=1 300w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.intothewideopen.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/10\/Guidebook-e1538594384985.jpg?resize=768%2C432&amp;ssl=1 768w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.intothewideopen.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/10\/Guidebook-e1538594384985.jpg?w=2000&amp;ssl=1 2000w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.intothewideopen.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/10\/Guidebook-e1538594384985.jpg?w=3000&amp;ssl=1 3000w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Carolyn\u2019s main gripe with the above resources was the elevation profile in the six fold-up maps.\u00a0 They did not include mileage.<\/li>\n<li>Check the website for\u00a0<span style=\"color: #339966;\"><a style=\"color: #339966;\" href=\"https:\/\/superiorhiking.org\/trail-conditions\/\"><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><span style=\"color: #0000ff; text-decoration: underline;\">current trail conditions<\/span><\/span><\/a><\/span>.<\/li>\n<li>This <span style=\"color: #339966;\"><a style=\"color: #339966;\" href=\"http:\/\/www.intothewideopen.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/10\/2017_SHT_Reference_Sheet.pdf\"><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><span style=\"color: #0000ff; text-decoration: underline;\">reference sheet<\/span><\/span><\/a><\/span> (compiled by a volunteer) proved useful in conjunction with the guidebook.<\/li>\n<li>Carolyn also downloaded <span style=\"color: #339966;\"><a style=\"color: #339966;\" href=\"https:\/\/superiorhiking.org\/guide-book-maps-and-gps\/\"><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><span style=\"color: #0000ff; text-decoration: underline;\">GPS tracks and campsite waypoints<\/span><\/span><\/a><\/span> from the SHTA website to use in the OsmAnd app on her smartphone.<\/li>\n<li>Carolyn\u2019s planned and actual itineraries can be found <span style=\"color: #ff00ff;\"><a style=\"color: #ff00ff;\" href=\"http:\/\/www.intothewideopen.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/10\/SHT-Plan_03.xlsx\"><span style=\"color: #339966;\"><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><span style=\"color: #0000ff; text-decoration: underline;\">here<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/a><\/span>.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3><strong>Re-supply and Transportation<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p>Carolyn bought all of her food ahead of time and distributed resupply boxes in Silver Bay (left in Domonick\u2019s car), Lutsen Mountains Ski Area, and Grand Marais (Lake Superior Trading Post).<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_4148\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-4148\" style=\"width: 640px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><a href=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.intothewideopen.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/09\/20180906_111427.jpg\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" data-attachment-id=\"4148\" data-permalink=\"https:\/\/www.intothewideopen.com\/?attachment_id=4148\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.intothewideopen.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/09\/20180906_111427.jpg?fit=7088%2C1984&amp;ssl=1\" data-orig-size=\"7088,1984\" data-comments-opened=\"1\" data-image-meta=\"{&quot;aperture&quot;:&quot;1.7&quot;,&quot;camera&quot;:&quot;SM-G930V&quot;,&quot;created_timestamp&quot;:&quot;1536232467&quot;,&quot;focal_length&quot;:&quot;4.2&quot;,&quot;orientation&quot;:&quot;1&quot;}\" data-image-title=\"20180906_111427\" data-image-description=\"\" data-image-caption=\"&lt;p&gt;Food of champions&lt;\/p&gt;\n\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.intothewideopen.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/09\/20180906_111427.jpg?fit=1024%2C287&amp;ssl=1\" class=\"size-large wp-image-4148\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.intothewideopen.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/09\/20180906_111427-1024x287.jpg?resize=640%2C179\" alt=\"\" width=\"640\" height=\"179\" loading=\"lazy\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.intothewideopen.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/09\/20180906_111427.jpg?resize=1024%2C287&amp;ssl=1 1024w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.intothewideopen.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/09\/20180906_111427.jpg?resize=300%2C84&amp;ssl=1 300w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.intothewideopen.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/09\/20180906_111427.jpg?resize=768%2C215&amp;ssl=1 768w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.intothewideopen.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/09\/20180906_111427.jpg?w=2000&amp;ssl=1 2000w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.intothewideopen.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/09\/20180906_111427.jpg?w=3000&amp;ssl=1 3000w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px\" \/><\/a><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-4148\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Food of champions<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Because Domonick and Carolyn drove to Minnesota separately, Carolyn was able to leave her car near the Northern terminus, at the Otter Lake Road parking area (after ensuring in the guidebook that overnight parking was permitted).\u00a0 There are <span style=\"color: #339966;\"><a style=\"color: #339966;\" href=\"http:\/\/superiorhikingshuttle.com\/\"><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><span style=\"color: #0000ff; text-decoration: underline;\">shuttle services<\/span><\/span><\/a><\/span> available if needed.\u00a0 Check out the SHTA website for all available resources.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.intothewideopen.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/09\/20180919_094219-e1538591048586.jpg\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" data-attachment-id=\"4269\" data-permalink=\"https:\/\/www.intothewideopen.com\/?attachment_id=4269\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.intothewideopen.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/09\/20180919_094219-e1538591048586.jpg?fit=2268%2C4032&amp;ssl=1\" data-orig-size=\"2268,4032\" data-comments-opened=\"1\" data-image-meta=\"{&quot;aperture&quot;:&quot;1.7&quot;,&quot;camera&quot;:&quot;SM-G930V&quot;,&quot;created_timestamp&quot;:&quot;1537350139&quot;,&quot;focal_length&quot;:&quot;4.2&quot;,&quot;iso&quot;:&quot;100&quot;,&quot;shutter_speed&quot;:&quot;0.0083333333333333&quot;,&quot;orientation&quot;:&quot;6&quot;}\" data-image-title=\"20180919_094219\" data-image-description=\"\" data-image-caption=\"\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.intothewideopen.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/09\/20180919_094219-e1538591048586.jpg?fit=576%2C1024&amp;ssl=1\" class=\"aligncenter size-medium wp-image-4269\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.intothewideopen.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/09\/20180919_094219-e1538591048586-169x300.jpg?resize=169%2C300\" alt=\"\" width=\"169\" height=\"300\" loading=\"lazy\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.intothewideopen.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/09\/20180919_094219-e1538591048586.jpg?resize=169%2C300&amp;ssl=1 169w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.intothewideopen.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/09\/20180919_094219-e1538591048586.jpg?resize=768%2C1365&amp;ssl=1 768w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.intothewideopen.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/09\/20180919_094219-e1538591048586.jpg?resize=576%2C1024&amp;ssl=1 576w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.intothewideopen.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/09\/20180919_094219-e1538591048586.jpg?w=2000&amp;ssl=1 2000w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 169px) 100vw, 169px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<h3><strong>Overall Recommendation<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p>Minnesota\u2019s \u201cNorth Coast\u201d is beautiful.\u00a0 The beginning sections (from Martin Road to about Beaver Bay) were not incredibly scenic, but the rest of the trail made up for it.\u00a0 There were some steep sections providing moderately challenging hiking, but overall, the hiking was fairly level.\u00a0 Carolyn recommends a thru-hike for those with the time, especially in late September when the bugs are gone (her first three days on the trail were fairly buggy).\u00a0 There are also some nice section hikes as well as loop day-hikes which are great for those with less time.\u00a0 Carolyn recommends this trail for beginners and experienced hikers alike!<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_4421\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-4421\" style=\"width: 640px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><a href=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.intothewideopen.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/10\/Shake-down.jpg\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" data-attachment-id=\"4421\" data-permalink=\"https:\/\/www.intothewideopen.com\/?attachment_id=4421\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.intothewideopen.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/10\/Shake-down.jpg?fit=2268%2C2950&amp;ssl=1\" data-orig-size=\"2268,2950\" data-comments-opened=\"1\" data-image-meta=\"{&quot;aperture&quot;:&quot;1.7&quot;,&quot;camera&quot;:&quot;SM-G930V&quot;,&quot;created_timestamp&quot;:&quot;1536270790&quot;,&quot;focal_length&quot;:&quot;4.2&quot;,&quot;iso&quot;:&quot;200&quot;,&quot;shutter_speed&quot;:&quot;0.1&quot;,&quot;orientation&quot;:&quot;1&quot;}\" data-image-title=\"Shake down\" data-image-description=\"\" data-image-caption=\"&lt;p&gt;Always good to make sure everything fits in your pack (and you can carry it!) before hitting the trail =)&lt;\/p&gt;\n\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.intothewideopen.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/10\/Shake-down.jpg?fit=787%2C1024&amp;ssl=1\" class=\"size-large wp-image-4421\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.intothewideopen.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/10\/Shake-down-787x1024.jpg?resize=640%2C833\" alt=\"\" width=\"640\" height=\"833\" loading=\"lazy\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.intothewideopen.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/10\/Shake-down.jpg?resize=787%2C1024&amp;ssl=1 787w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.intothewideopen.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/10\/Shake-down.jpg?resize=231%2C300&amp;ssl=1 231w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.intothewideopen.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/10\/Shake-down.jpg?resize=768%2C999&amp;ssl=1 768w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.intothewideopen.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/10\/Shake-down.jpg?w=2000&amp;ssl=1 2000w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px\" \/><\/a><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-4421\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Always good to make sure everything fits in your pack (and you can carry it!) before hitting the trail =)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/body>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Superior Hiking Trail (SHT) Please peruse this page for information regarding background and logistics of the trail.\u00a0 If you\u2019d like to get right to the action and read about the journey, use the following links: SHT Blog Days 0-3 Days 4-6 Days 7-9 Days 10-12 Days 13-15 Days 16-17 Final Reflections SHT Basics From September [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"parent":0,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"site-sidebar-layout":"default","site-content-layout":"","ast-site-content-layout":"default","site-content-style":"default","site-sidebar-style":"default","ast-global-header-display":"","ast-banner-title-visibility":"","ast-main-header-display":"","ast-hfb-above-header-display":"","ast-hfb-below-header-display":"","ast-hfb-mobile-header-display":"","site-post-title":"","ast-breadcrumbs-content":"","ast-featured-img":"","footer-sml-layout":"","ast-disable-related-posts":"","theme-transparent-header-meta":"","adv-header-id-meta":"","stick-header-meta":"","header-above-stick-meta":"","header-main-stick-meta":"","header-below-stick-meta":"","astra-migrate-meta-layouts":"default","ast-page-background-enabled":"default","ast-page-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center 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