June 27, 2024 Cliff Creek Campsite to Grand Marais via the North Shore State Trail 10.8 miles It was cold last night, I didn’t sleep well, and I was slow to wake up today, even though I knew I was going into town. “Hello in there!” Machine called tentatively just as I became conscious. “What …
June 26, 2024 Judge C. R. Magney State Park to Cliff Creek 13.4 miles I woke up to the sound of raindrops again. I had to poke my head out of my tent to roll down my vestibule (which Machine calls a “vegetable”) and decided that if I had to be awake, I may as …
June 25, 2024 Caribou Pond to campsite at Judge C. R. Magney State Park 17.0 miles It thunderstormed last night out of nowhere. One minute I was falling asleep and the next, it was pouring rain and thundering so loud it seemed like it was right next to us. I rearranged the inside of my …
June 24, 2024 Northern Terminus to Caribou Pond 11.3 miles I didn’t sleep well because I never sleep well the first night of a backpacking trip, but on the bright side, the moon was absolutely gorgeous last night, huge and round and low in the sky reflecting on the water. This morning was cold and …
Continue reading Superior Hiking Trail Day 1: Otterly Out Here
Man, it feels good to be on a long trail again. And to be writing about it again. Opening the WordPress app for the first time since last summer gave me crazy amounts of dopamine and adrenaline. Like the years of masquerading as a real adult in between thru-hikes can be shed for the summer …
August 6-7, 2023 August 6: ~3 miles hiked I wake up without an alarm around 7:45. It’s smoky today all of a sudden. I’m extremely grateful all over again for the great weather we’ve had this whole trip. Apart from Trauma Night, as we’ve been calling the cold wet talus experience, it has been very …
August 5, 2023 ~3 miles hiked Without an alarm, I wake up around 8. The sun is filtering through the trees and warming up my tent so pleasantly. Ahh. Sleeping in. When I pop my head out I can see that Carrot and Chelsea are sitting on the gravel bar around a fire in the …
Continue reading Brooks Range Day 7: Morning Fire, Afternoon Meander
August 4, 2023 ~10 miles hiked It’s town day! Town day! The energy is decidedly excellent this morning even if the packing up of wet sandy tents is not. It feels exactly like a short nero into town along a long-distance trail. We follow the gravel in the river until we spot the ATV track …
August 3, 2023 ~14 miles Our starts are creeping progressively earlier every day. Today my 5:15 alarm wakes me up mid-dream, open-mouthed and drooling. I can’t locate my phone and I’m so confused. Finally I find it, struggle very hard with the temptation to just go back to sleep, and force myself up. Hello! It’s …
Continue reading Brooks Range Day 5: In the Land of Cloudberries
August 2, 2023 ~10 miles hiked Since I put off going outside to pee last night for so long, I wake up pretty early and decide to just do that and get my bear bag at the same time. I have what feels like all the time in the world to have breakfast and wake …
