Crossing the threshold- Day one on the SHT
My first day would set the pace I would attempt for the rest of the trail. I moved with purpose, my breaks short, and spirits high. This day also showed me the un-coddling nature of the southern portion. The southern SHT is a no-bullshit trail, the heat baked down on me, bugs bombarded me, and the only view I got was a red Camaro on a roadwalk.
Approaching the top (7:00 am to 12:30 pm)
I woke up squeezed into the backseat/trunk of our car. After a gruelling 17 hour drive the day before, we had chosen a small trailhead to set up shop for the night. I scarfed down a quick iced coffee and honey bun before embarking on the drive down Gunflint trail to the northern terminus. When we parked, only one other car was there, a testament to the lonely path I would take. We then hopped in a stylish late 80s Cadillac driven by our shuttle driver. The drive from the Northern Terminus to Martin Road (One of the many disputed termini) sets up your hike nicely. The highway framed by looming, deep, Lake Superior and cute Midwestern towns shows the both sides of the trail. With the rolling, sun-bled hills of the northern section smeared in light and that classic northern nostalgia. The deep lake gives us a glimpse of the rough and raw southern section.
Jumping off (12:30pm to 4:00 pm)
As I put on my pack I felt nervous, I had 22 miles to cover today and hadn’t been backpacking since march. The first couple miles turned out to be wildly anticlimactic, most of it on a grassy snow machine trail. However, when crossing one of the many backroads I felt for the first time, the urge to immediately crap my pants. When descending on to the road I heard a bark, when I looked up my eyes met with the largest dog I’ve ever seen. Now while I grew up with a dog, he was tiny and spoiled, unlike the 300lb beast staring me down. I cautiously maneuvered around him onto the trail as I lamented my new OR pants I was sure would be stained with the burger I grabbed in Silver Bay.
Hitting the ground (4:00pm to 9:00pm)
The afternoon was uneventful. Monotonous trail and unrelenting heat made perfect conditions for hiking with headphones. While I’m aware many old school purists turn their external frame packs up at listening to music while hiking, I think it enhances my experience. After 15 miles of green tunnel, the refreshment of 50 cent or Kendrick Lamar gives the burst of motivation I need to make it through the next cliff bar. As the canvas began to blacken and the forest dim I made it to Sucker River campsite and met two of the kinds people I met on my entire trip. In classic midwest fashion, they gave me much needed motivation and the couple of litres of water I needed to make it the last 2 miles of night hiking to my site for the night, Fox Farm Pond.
Landing (9:00pm to 9:30)
After 2 protein cookies, 1 conversation, and 4 different chafe marks on my thighs, I had made it to my site. As I strolled in I found 4 tents, in 4 tent sites, with sleeping hikers in all of them. Too tired to ask, or care, I set my one man tent up in a big patch of brushes. I climbed in, too tired to be hungry, and knocked out for the night.
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