On September 15, 2012 I drove from my cabin in NE Iowa up to Duluth, Minnesota, and from there headed up the North Shore of Lake Superior. My goal was to take a week to hike sections of the Superior Hiking Trail, one of the premier hiking trails in the country. I stayed four nights at a motel near Gooseberry State Park, then drove 70 miles further North and stayed four nights at Cascade Lodge about 10 miles South of Grand Marais. Each day I hiked a different section of the SHT.
On Day 1 I hiked the Split Rock River Loop. The 8 mile hike took me up one side of the Split Rock River and then down the other. It was a gorgeous day, the air cool and crisp and scented by the spruce, pine, and balsam fir trees along the trail. The aspen and birch leaves were turning to their characteristic yellow, and many of the maples were beginning to show shades of red and orange.
The next day I explored beautiful Gooseberry State Park. There is much to explore here, including a wonderful Interpretive Center. The park has many trails, including some that connect with the SHT. Along the picturesque Gooseberry River there are many dramatic waterfalls, including 5th Falls, the Upper Falls, Middle Falls (pictured below) and the Lower Falls.
On Day 3, I returned to Gooseberry State Park, where there were many trails within the park to explore. I hiked two trails, the River View Trail and the Gitchi Gummi Trail. The River View Trail took me along the Gooseberry River, which eventually entered Lake Superior. Later I took a park trail that connected with the SHT and I hiked to a high vantage point called Mike's Rock. Today's hike was a long one, about 13 miles, though my feet told me I'd hiked much further.
The following day I checked out of my motel and drove North to Finland, then to a county road and a parking area for SHT hikers. Leaving my car I took a spur trail from the parking lot that intersected the SHT. Once on the SHT I hiked to two lovely lakes, Egge Lake and Sonju Lake. I rested a while at Sonju Lake then hiked back to the car, a round trip hike of 12 miles. The trail to the two lakes was through lovely mixed forest of evergreens and hardwoods. At one point on the well-maintained trail, as I walked through a lovely grove of birch trees I encountered a large boulder, likely deposited by the last glacier. During this all-day hike I didn't encounter another human being the entire time. I made it back to the car, slightly wet from a sudden brief downpour, then drove up to Cascade River State Park and checked into Cascade Lodge for 4 nights.
The following day I hiked another loop trail, this one the Cascade River Loop, which goes up one side of the Cascade River and then down the other.
The next day I left the lodge and took a spur trail to the SHT, and then hiked to Lookout Mountain, which offered spectacular views of the forests and of Lake Superior. I then hiked back to the state park and explored more of the Cascade River which cascades down to Lake Superior in a series of dramatic waterfalls.
At the mouth of the Cascade River I discovered that the salmon had started running. They were leaving the lake and swimming up the river. They were only able to swim the first several hundred yards or so before they encountered a some high waterfalls that blocked their way. There are several different species of salmon that live in the lake and the local fisherman call this species "pinkies".
On my last day I joined a group hike sponsored by the Superior Hiking Trail Association (SHTA). The hike was open to anyone who wanted to participate, but most of the 60 or so people who showed up for the hike were members of the SHTA. Maintenance of the SHT is a volunteer effort by persons who love the outdoors and recreational hiking. The association gets no funding from local, state, or federal agencies, and relies exclusively on private citizens who become members, and thus help maintain this wonderful hiking trail.
During my 7 days on the SHT, I figure I hiked approximately 60 miles (it seemed much longer). I discovered that mid-September is a terrific time to hike the trail. There are few other hikers, so one can find solitude and quietude on the trail, experiencing the natural world more intimately and with few distractions. There are no pesky mosquitoes or biting flies to contend with, the air is crisp and invigoratingly cool, and the leaves are changing color, providing wonderful images for both eyes and camera.
