Superior Hiking Trail - Overnight Solo from Lutsen to Poplar River

So the plan evolved to a one-night solo on a small portion of the Superior Hiking Trail in Northern Minnesota. My focus went from a long backpacking trip to the idea of solo backpacking, which was terrifying to me. 👀 I tightened up my gear to make it more appropriate for such a short trip and started focusing on the mental aspects of backpacking alone. Enough people were telling me I was crazy for wanting to try this that defending my choice gave me the opportunity to focus on the positives of the challenge. The main positive was just the idea of knowing I could be out there on my own if need be. I also believed doing so would improve my backpacking confidence overall.

I chose to start at the Lutsen Mountains Recreation Area and to camp approximately 1.5 miles north at the West Poplar River campsite. The hiking distance was important because I also had to drive approximately five hours, without stops, that day. I got a bit of a late start and didn't end up leaving until about noon. That's not so abnormal for me. But I also know I was putzing around because I felt nervous about being out overnight on my own in bear country.

I had promised those concerned that I would stop to pick up bear spray on my way there. Turns out bear spray (along with fuel canisters) are in short supply as people are heading into the backcountry in droves during COVID19. So I had to drive about 45 minutes out of my way to pick it up (Thanks to Greg at REI Maple Grove for setting the spray and holster aside for me!). Everything went very smoothly and it was beautiful out, but it was a long drive.

I arrived in Lutsen around 6:00pm and parked in the very small gravel parking area right at the trailhead spur. There's a larger parking area down by the Lutsen mountain/gondola. It certainly wasn't dark at that point, but it was close enough to dusk that I was feeling pretty nervous. I considered sleeping in my car and getting started first thing in the morning. But the goal was to face my fears... and here they were, right in my face. So I got my backpack packed up, arranged things in my car so it was clear there was nothing of value in there, and headed out.

The first bit is on gravel road, which took me to the turn toward Mystery Mountain and a bit further to the turn I needed toward Poplar River. I'm not sure how far the gravel road goes but from the map, it doesn't look like it goes much further. So I turned onto the actual Superior Hiking Trail toward North Caribou Trail, which passes Poplar River.

I was immediately enveloped in the dark forest. I knew there was plenty of daylight to walk 1.5-ish miles. But my mind immediately went on hyperdrive and I became afraid of getting caught in the dark and afraid of a potential bear encounter. The first bit is sharply upward, so my mind also went into questioning my ability. Honestly, it was the scariest hike I've ever been on. It felt VERY long! I kept checking my watch to see how far I'd gone and then I'd double check on my Earthmate/inReach to see how far I'd gone. Doing that, of course, added time. lol But I just felt like I needed to know where I was and how much further I needed to go. I assume, with more soloing experience, these thoughts quiet and I would not have to check so often.

I made myself stop at a couple overlooks, partly just to take some deep calming breaths and partly to break out of the suffocating forest. Note: I love suffocating forest usually, but my fears did not allow me to enjoy it this time.

Back on the trail, I powerwalked the rest of the way with a constant string of "Hey bear! Hey bear!" and a periodic "Just coming through!" Honestly... I was scared sh*tless. lol I kept asking myself why I was choosing to do this on my own. Then I thought I could turn around and sleep in the car. Until I went downhill and then decided there was no way I was going to climb again just to get back to the car.

I heard some small cracks and other noises. I stopped once in awhile to listen more closely. It was nothing. Then I went around a curve and heard "THE BIG CRACK." Oh hell. I stopped and heard it again. "Hey Bear!" I kept walking and heard it again. Do bears follow? I thought they turned tail when they heard humans. Then another crack... close. I turned and saw...

The cracking sounds were from a fire a couple people had started in the campsite. lol I was SO relieved to be there. I'm afraid I might have passed by it had they not had a fire going. The sign was not clear going north, I had to turn to see it.

I was also glad there were a couple people there before me. It would have been a "pure" solo if I'd camped alone. But the hike offered enough fears to face.

Got my camp all set up... on an angle. There were no flat spots that I could find. Maybe the two people who got there before me had the only flat spots. Who knows.

Once everything was set up, organized, and having a bit of food, the bugs started to come out. I was in my tent by 9pm. It was a near full moon, so it was pretty bright all night long. I kept sliding down sideways and had to reposition myself many times. With the sliding, hearing every single noise, and generally not sleeping well my first night in a new place, I slept approximately one (1) hour the whole night. I did expect that so I had downloaded some shows on my phone to watch. Not something I would usually do while backpacking, but I'm very glad I did this time!

I was up early the next morning and enjoyed my morning couscous on a lookout over Poplar River. That was relaxing!

Then I packed up and headed back to my car. I was still pretty scared walking in the woods. That part surprised me. I can only attribute it to how close in the forest was and how easily a bear could have just popped out of the woods for us to surprise each other. I ran into a couple women and their dog, which was a comfort... except that they didn't have masks and didn't seem concerned with physical distancing. So I moved aside and put my mask on. They asked how long I'd been out and I shared that it had been one night but it was my first solo and they were very encouraging... "You got this woman!" 😁

I made it back to the car without incident and had several other people ask about my trip. Each of them congratulated me on my first solo night in the woods. That helped me feel more pride in the accomplishment as I had been downplaying it in my head the entire time... "It's just a short hike and just one night." But, it was a big deal to me and it felt awesome to have others acknowledge that.

I drove to Grand Marais (there's a detour right now, so be aware) to get some S&O pizza. But they were CLOSED! That's why I'm not putting their whole name. Grr! So I ended up where it seems I always end up when in Grand Marais and got Walleye fingers from Blue Water Cafe, which hit the spot.

After sleeping an hour and all the fear coursing through my body the previous day, I was very tired! So instead of driving all day, I decided to stop at a KOA to get some rest.

I then drove well-rested back home the next day. Overall, a successful trip in which I met the goals I set and managed the mental difficulties and fear of backpacking solo. It was certainly different than the plan for 2 weeks along the TRT. But that will come in the future and I'm happy to have experienced some growth in my backcountry comfort.

Back and Forth, Back and Forth, and a Decision

Back and forth, back and forth! With COVID19 in the mix, my friends decided a couple month ago they would not be doing the TRT. They didn't feel safe flying. I didn't either, so I began planning a drive, which I would do with only stops for gas and for camping. But recently, with California getting worse regarding COVID-19, that didn't seem like the best idea. And now California is basicallly shut down again, so I made a good choice not to go.

So I was looking for multi-day hikes near me. There are many! Everything was up in the air for weeks. I'm pretty comfortable with that overall, but it's starting to get to the point where I need to make a decision. So here it is!

I've continued to work on my fitness. But with everything closed for so long, most of that has been through the Peloton app. I've been spinning, doing body weight strength training, lots of stretching, and walks. I've gotten a few hikes in, but probably not as many as I should have.

I still plan to do the entirety of the TRT... hopefully next year. That'll give me more time to plan and be really ready for some big days. Hopefully, my friends would then be able to join me. But this year I'm planning to do a small portion of the Superior Hiking Trail in Northern Minnesota. I don't have time this year to do the complete 310 miles so I'll likely do a very short section and focus on the fact that it'll be my first time backpacking solo. Which section is still to be determined. This will also allow me to spend some of my vacation time with family.

We'll be taking a road trip to get there. We'll have our food with us so no need to stop for that on the way. We're also camping, so no interactions with people. The only stops that may involve people will be gas. We're still figuring out the bathroom, but are comfortable with copping a squat wherever we can while leaving no trace.

Superior Hiking Trail - Judge CR Magney State Park

We stayed at Judge CR Magney State Park from July 8 to July 11. If I'd had my passport with me, we could have crossed the border into Canada and gone to visit Lorrie and her family. Alas, it was not meant to be. We mainly rested on the 8th. We drove into Grand Marais and did a little shopping at the outdoor store there. We also did some laundry. At some point I sat on a few different things so the back of my pants were decorated with sap and who knows what. I had no others to wear. Pam loaned me a pair of her shorts and a sweatshirt so I could wash my clothes too. She has been on the road awhile so she had a lot of laundry... which means she got to dress like a normal human! With tennis shoes and all!! While I watched the laundry, Pam headed over to the grocery store to pick up some lettuce and fresh veggies for the salad she'd been dreaming about. I watched "I Dream of Jeanie" while she was gone. That was surreal! Afterwards, we headed back to camp for Pam's birthday dinner of fresh salad and clam chowder. Yummy!! We relaxed around the fire until an early bedtime.

On July 9th, we drove up to Grand Portage to see what we could see. Which was not much. There is a casino and a State Park that has a lot of construction happening. Though we did walk up the trail to see High Falls. Which is, apparently, the highest falls in the U.S. Though, as stated on the sign, it has never been measured. I thought that was funny. But it was beautiful! We also stopped in at the Grand Portage museum and checked out what the voyageurs had gone through. My little pack seems so tiny compared to their 190 pound average weight packs! And they are about a foot shorter than me! I bought Lorrie a wine bottle that I thought was very beautiful! Funny, I didn't take a photo of it! We went back down into Grand Marais so that Pam could buy a spoon she'd been looking at. This was her birthday present to herself. (= Back to camp and more relaxing around a campfire before heading off to bed. What's nice about being here at this time is the few people around during the week!

July 10th, we decided we had enough energy to do the "Lake Walk" portion of the Superior Hiking Trail. So we parked near the trail head and walked in. The shore along Lake Superior is full of smooth rocks that have been battered around for who knows how long before being deposited onto the shore. There was one section of large rocks that was pretty difficult to navigate. I imagine it would be VERY difficult with a full pack on. Though I'm keen to try it! We stopped in a shady area under some trees and had a snack and built some cairns. After a little while, we headed back the way we came instead of finishing the whole walk. It's funny the difference between Emma and Milo. Milo's legs are long so he can be pretty selective which rocks he steps on. Emma just barreled through tripping and running through the big rocks. She also wanted to play in the water SO badly! But it's not a great place for her to swim. She waded a little bit and we did find one still pool for her to sit in. We went back into Grand Marais afterwards and just wandered around checking out the shops. Mostly touristy but we did get a few things at Ben Franklin! lol I discovered there is a bike shop in Grand Marais! All the times I've been there and I never saw it. They are on a side street and their sign is totally covered by another shop's sign! That's terrible... they should raise it up a little higher so people like me can see it. Ironically, as soon as I saw it... they closed. Bummer! Back up to camp where Pam wanted to light tea lights instead of having a fire. So we nearly burned down our picnic table with 4 tea lights! lol It was funny until we couldn't get the fire out and had to do some careful maneuvering to get them out. Well... it was still funny but also a little scary. Ironically, there were a couple groups of kids that had shown up that night... and they were behaving very well. So it would have been funny if these 2 grown women had started trouble! Off to bed for our last sleep in Judge Magney.

A note about Judge CR Magney State Park.... the staff is extremely attentive! I loved that! Not nosey or in the way... just attentive. There were no radios or loud noises. The kids that showed up were quiet in their site and went into the woods to be noisy one night. That was fine with me! The staff was very courteous too! I've been at quite a few state parks now and I would say this is the best run of those I've seen. I appreciate that!!

July 11... Lorrie is coming to get me! Yay! Even though we had no wood, I started a little fire. It was cold this morning! Pam read next to the fire and I fiddled with it before taking my shower. We basically just hung around camp all morning and packed things up. Which didn't take me long as I still only had my backpacking gear. But I had erected my tent under a sap tree. So I needed to clean that up. Most of it came off but I needed to do a little more cleaning at home too. Lorrie showed up around 1pm and we took off for Two Harbors. We stopped at the Superior Hiking Trail store and got t-shirts, patches, and stickers. Then we took Pam out for a *real* birthday lunch at Blackwoods Inn. After which, we parted ways. Pam had friends to meet in Duluth and we needed to get home so I can sleep in a real bed! We didn't stop too much on the way home. Mainly just for gas... and later a coffee to help keep us awake.

Home at last!

To view photos from these days, feel free to visit my Flickr page.

Superior Hiking Trail - Day 2

Is anyone surprised that we did not get out as early as intended? I feel slightly more comfortable with the pack on. Mainly in the morning. Each time I take it off and put it back on or stop to readjust it, it gets a little more comfortable and I am figuring out where it should rest on my body. I have slight red marks on my sides where it rests but they are not bad. Well, except when my shirt hiked up and the pack was directly on my skin. That hurt. Then, because my shirt hiked up, guess what happened!? You got it. Mosquito bite! So that was quite irritating for awhile until I just tuned it out. Still... the Deet seems to be working pretty well. When I use it correctly! Arrgh!

As we were getting ready to leave, we both decided it was warm enough for short sleeves. So off came the long-sleeved shirts. I'd Deeted myself up good. On my shirt. So, since I removed my shirt, I had some issues for the first part of the walk. This is all part of the "what should I do and when should I do it?" learning process. As well as not wanting to make everyone stop AGAIN because I forgot to do something. By the time we got to our first rest break, my left shoulder was entirely covered with bites and itching like hell. So I put the Deet on and went on my way.

We walked through a lot of private land today. And meadow. It was really beautiful! Emma was very cute ahead of me in grass that is taller than her. lol There were a lot of rocks and roots, some moose scat as well as moose prints. That was cool! I liked the idea of seeing one though it also scared the hell out of me as well! There were also quite a few climbs today. Some with stairs that seemed to make it more difficult. Though I imagine lots of people sliding down the decline without the stairs. Around noon, we hit a road walk, Tom's Road (something like that). It was really too hot and sunny to be doing that walk at that time. I walked with Emma from shady spot to shady spot. I don't know if all dogs do this, but she has, since she was a puppy, run in the sun and walked in the shade. I think we all just put our heads down and walked this portion. A couple cars passed and the passengers waved. It was a relief to be back on the trail. Though the trail got a lot more difficult after that road.


At some point we climbed up to a meadowy area and got our first glimpse of Lake Superior. That was very cool! Made me feel like we were pretty close to our goal for the day. Which we weren't! lol We walked a little too long today. Pam fell twice. I saw the end of one and her pack hit a tree. I was thankful it wasn't her head!! I'm sure she was too! A second time I came around a corner and she was sitting in a weird spot on the trail. She looked up and said, "This would be where I fell." So that's where we rested.

Eventually we made our way into the Judge CR Magney State Park boundary. But we kept walking and walking... and walking. By this time my feet were getting pretty sore. We started seeing signs that there had been more people in the area. The trail got wider and there were viewing points along the river. Then we ran into a family walking in flip flops. That was a good sign. We turned a corner and all that would come out of my mouth was profanity. There, in front of us, was a staircase steeper and longer than any I'd seen! It turned somewhere up there so I couldn't even see the top of it. lol Emma and I went first. I held my poles in the hand that held the railing. Then I used my other hand to grab the handle on Emma's pack so I could help lift her up a little to make it easier on her. I ran into a photographer with a couple sets of stairs to go and he wanted to stop and chat. I guess I would have thought a photographer would be more in tune to agony on a person's face. But I guess not. So, because I'm "Minnesota nice," we chatted. Until I saw Pam and Milo coming up and then I needed to get out of their way. He was a nice man. From Two Harbors. Had been up to the Canadian border to get some shots. I'd been walking that whole time. (= At the top, I sat with my butt toward the front edge, on a bench. When Pam and Milo got there, we walked again. And walked. And walked. We ran into a few more people. Milo wasn't quite listening to Pam so she was getting frustrated with him. He was attached to her at the point, so when he pulled too hard, she had to step too hard. She got a little cranky with me about the campground location. Which I know is because she was dehydrated and in pain. That's what happens! Eventually we made it to the camp office and did a self check-in. Then we had to climb a final hill to get into the campground. The first campsite didn't have anywhere to put 2 tents so we moved over one. And that is where we stayed! We had been walking for about 8 hours. Does anyone remember me saying that I am not hardcore?? lol But I survived!

We decided to take a rest day tomorrow and just stay in the park for 2 nights before moving on. Then we decided that maybe we should be done with the trail and just camp the rest of the week. And so that became the plan.

Basically the same routine as the previous 2 nights. Though getting water was significantly easier. There was hardly anyone in the campground. But there was a family across from us and the man agreed to take Pam back to her car to pick it up. I had no idea it was as close as it was... driving distance anyway. So that was that. Our backpacking trip is over. And our camping trip begins.

I am not sure right now if I'm more relieved or more disappointed. I had wanted to go further. But with Pam falling twice and both of us being so tired from today's long haul, it seems like the safe thing to do. We can always change our minds on Thursday (7.9.9).

To see all the photos, visit flickr.com/photos/twotiredoc

Superior Hiking Trail - Day 1

Steps = 16,163
Mileage = approximately 6.4 miles (per my pedometer, Pam thought it closer to 5.5)
Camp: Hazel Campsite

I didn't sleep much at all last night. I wasn't feeling nervous at all but that doesn't mean I wasn't. We did go to bed pretty early so that may have affected me. I am more of a night person. It didn't get dark ever really but it got most dark around 10:30 or 11pm. The last time I saw was about 3:30am and then woke again around 6am. That didn't seem to affect me too much on the trail though. It was just frustrating.

I also woke up with a mosquito bite on my left eyelid. So I look like I've been in a fight or something. I find this one funny. But it's a reminder to put the bug repellent on first thing!

We got on the trail around 10am. I know this is late for hardcore people. And I'll try to do better in the future. But I, as those close to me know, am a futzer. Unintentionally. Though with this situation, I don't believe I am actually futzing. I believe that I am still learning what needs to be done and how to do it. And therefore should get some slack regarding the amount of time it takes me to get ready. lol Pam was very patient and seemed to be trying to pace herself with me. But she knows what she needs to do and when so I'm sure that was hard for her!

The hiking is hard! Surprise! lol Emma Blue is doing SO great!! Milo, Pam's dog, a retired sled dog, leads us, then Pam, then Emma right on Pam's heels. And then I come along about 20 yards back. I stop to take photos and am being extremely mindful of my steps. There are a lot of roots and rocks hidden under high grass. Pam stops about every hour for a break, which works great for me. The first stop was at another part of Carlson Pond where Emma and Milo could sortof play in water... though mainly it was mud. We refilled water bottles even though the water wasn't the greatest source. But out here you never know when you'll get another source. Pam has tablets to treat the water and I have a filtering system. So we are okay even if we have to drink this water. The dogs drink freely. We didn't stop too long. Though I did take time to put a mole skin on a scar I have on my foot that seems to be rubbing or something. Nothing major but I don't want it to turn into anything major either. Off we go again... same order.

Lunch was at yet another side of Carlson Pond, which had a campsite. It was nice to have someplace to sit and eat lunch. There was also nicer access to the lake so we got rid of the other water and filled up with this water instead. If nothing else, at least we have more for the dogs before it gets treated. For lunch I had a curry tuna wrap. Once I had everything out and was adding the curry, I realized I'd had curry last night. I'll have to make a note to spread that out so I can enjoy the spice a little more. I like not having to think about my food though. It's already prepared. I just have to reach in the appropriate meal bag and pull out one of the freezer bags.

After lunch, I'm not happy to be putting that pack back on. I haven't gotten used to it yet. However, my hip flexor's seem surprisingly happy about this new movement and maybe even the weight. I find that interesting and enjoy the feeling for quite a while. Maybe they have missed cycling more than I have! I make a mental note to get back on that bicycle as soon as I get home and recover.

I am starting to notice my enjoyment of this quiet time. I can see why people who spend so much time in the outdoors and alone write so much. Not saying that I'm coming up with brilliant world changing theories or anything like that. But I think about my life and the direction it's taking. I think about my personality and how it affects my interactions with others, which of course affects my life in general. Most of it is good but there are places I think I could make some changes. I realize, yet again, how much I love being outdoors. Then I start analyzing why I don't spend more time out here. And I have this epiphany that, for me, it is just as important who I am with as it is where I am or what I'm doing. I've done a lot of things on my own. And I've enjoyed them. But the things I have enjoyed the most have been with others. This confuses me... as I've never considered myself a people person. Not anti-social in the slightest. Just more introverted. And I do enjoy quiet time alone and with Lorrie. I conclude that I could never be one of those adventurers who goes away from family and friends for extended periods of time on a regular basis to pursue the next adventure. Unless my family was with me... then I'm off to Everest as soon as we can get the gear together! (=

So, this is backpacking. Walking. With a heavy pack on my back. Thinking. Stopping periodically to look around and take photographs. I like all of it except that heavy pack. Though I know I can decrease the weight of this pack with some experience.... or I could just buy a smaller pack! lol

We walk up a Sled Dog Training Trail. Pam says that Milo flinched and started moving a little quicker to get away. lol He is a retired sled dog. He didn't like it. He won a lot and apprently was quite talented. But he was miserable. So the owner gave him to Pam so that Milo would be happier. And I'm sure to make room for another dog that actually wanted to sled. (= We rest along the road, have some water and a snack. It's a little hotter and I think I'm about ready to be done for the day. We turn off the double track to more singletrack and in another hour or so are in camp. By 4pm. I didn't think that was too bad.

Basically the same routine as yesterday. Got my tent out and set that up right away. Then started emptying some things in there. But I was hungry so everything else was put on hold while I got my water boiling. I got Emma Blue fed though she was much more interested in Milo's food than her own. Pam gives him venison with his protein-heavy kibble. Emma thought that was fabulous. So she got some venison in her food too. Funny thing about dog nature, Milo was more interested in Emma's kibble. So we did some mixing and matching and both ended up happy. They are perfect travel companions. Neither of them likes dogs who are in their faces and sniffing them all the time. They leave each other alone for the most part though seem to check on each other periodically. It's relaxing for me not to have to worry if Emma is going to snap at him or not. She just doesn't seem inclined to.

At each camp there is a "Bear Cord" sign. Yesterday we did our own (I should say, Pam did our own) bear lines and hung the food. Today she saw that "Bear Cord" meant they had hung strong cord or wire or something across the trail to make it easier for us to hang our food. Awesome! It took less than half the time to get everything hung tonight.

I have been a little worried about water. Probably with no reason. But my trips like this have mainly been in the Boundary Waters. Water was never an issue. So I'm not sure how low we can get before we need to be careful. Pam checks out the map and sees a "Reference Point" a little beyond our campsite. She thinks it may be water so we take a walk toward it. It ends up being a nice cool creek. So she fills some bottles and break out my Katadyn Basecamp and we fill that up. With the water from that we are able to fill up my hydration pack, and 4 or 5 other bottles. I am relieved! I also learned an excellent lesson about reading maps after we've stopped for the day and going beyond the campsite to check for water.

We again don't stay up late after we eat. I need to determine if this is what I like or not. It's Pam's preference and I'm certainly not going to try and keep her awake to entertain me. But I might have liked to build a small fire. As it turned out, I have been laying here reading and writing. Then Emma perked up. She didn't look startled. Curious maybe. So we sat there a moment and listened. Nothing. So I let her out of the tent to explore. She went over to Pam's tent and said hi to her and Milo. Once I was decent and had shoes on, I peeked out. I don't know if it's what she was sensing, but one of the half-burned logs left on the fire from previous inhabitants was smoking. There was no flame and no risk of anything that I could tell. But my pup would not know that. So I put it out and she came back into the tent. Interesting.

Still not dark. But we are going to try to get out of camp earlier tomorrow morning. 9am is the goal. And yes, again, I know that is not kosher for the hardcore. By now you should have figured out that I am not hardcore. (=

Later in the night, or maybe it was still evening, there was a surreal howling/barking... pretty close by. And then definite howling... a little further. And then more definite howling... even further. Emma sat up and listened. Then laid right back down. I figured if there was any danger Pam or Emma would let me know. Turns out the first "noise" was sled dogs barking. Apparently Milo freaked out a little by that sound! lol Poor guy! Pam knew it was sled dogs because they all sounded different and were not in sync. The other 2 were wolf packs... definitely in sync. It was amazing to hear... though a little disconcerting. We are definitely in the wild now!

To see all the photos, visit flickr.com/photos/twotiredoc

Superior Hiking Trail - Day 0

The preparations are done... mostly. Lorrie and I get out of the house around 8am. We had talked about 7am. But that's all it ended up being. Talk! My family was here for the 4th of July as is the tradition. It was great having them here and everyone seemed to have a good time. But it made last day and last minute preparations difficult. Though, God love my mom, she did help me out! We had to stop at Gander Mountain once we got through St. Paul so that I could stop and buy a CamelBak bladder. I know! I know! It's not smart to buy something like that on the day you need it... unless you love the taste and smell of acid and rubber. Which I don't. But I was desperate and had not been able to find either of the 2 I already owned. So we stopped. And I got one. And some small travel size Nalgene bottles to decrease the amount of liquids I carry. The closer we got to Grand Marais, the more nervous I started to get about this trip. I wasn't sure I had prepared enough. I wasn't sure I'd prepared Emma Blue enough, which felt even worse to me since she had no choice in the matter. I also felt bad that I didn't have my pack ready to put on and go. Lorrie was going to drop us off at the starting point and then take off to Canada for some time with Tori her family... on the beach. (just a reminder... Emma Blue and Tori are our dogs).

So we met Pam at Java Moose in Grand Marais around 2pm. Not too late. I got an iced coffee... figured it would be my last for a little while. Then we caravaned to our ending spot near Kadunce River before cramming all 3 of us plus 3 dogs into my SUV. Funny thing... Emma Blue can be a little aggressive if she feels trapped... so she got the front passenger seat while Pam, Milo, Tori, and I crammed into the backseat. What a little princess! lol So Lorrie dropped us off at 14, Arrowhead Trail. Well, I use "dropped off" lightly. She had to stand there and help Pam and me decrease my stuff so that she could take with her what I don't need. I know she was antsy to get going so I am grateful for her patient nature! And decrease it we did! I won't even list all the things Pam suggested I get rid of. They are too many and I might get embarrassed writing so much! lol But I am inexperienced so I can't be expected to know exactly what I need. Eventually we got it all in my pack. It's heavy... but I have no idea how much weight I'm carrying. We got Emma Blue's awesome Ruff Wear Palisades pack all ready for her. We posed for our outgoing shot by the sign and then took off into the wild. (Hey, good title for a book... and movie! But I digress...)

Lorrie took off... slowly. I could tell. I know she watched us disappear. Because that's what she does. And I know this is an outdoor journal but my life is part of that. And it is significant that in two years, Lorrie and I have not spent this much time away from each other. And to do so without any possibility of communication for much of the time is also significant.

Our first hike was very short. We knew we would be starting late in the day and so decided that just getting into the trail and setting up camp right away would be a good plan. That would also give me practice setting up and taking down when I am not exhausted. So, we went in about 1 mile to Carlson Pond. There was SO much tall grass. Some of it was pressed where tents had been but it was on it's way back up. There was a wooden plank bench all around the fire pit, a picnic table, and a latrine. I got everything set up without issue. The vestibules of my tent were filled with high grass, which actually looked cool from inside. And I liked the swaying sound.

Pam dumped everything from her pack out onto the picnic table. She said she would have to repack everything tomorrow anyway so she just empties it out. I did the same except that I put a lot of mine directly into my tent. I have a 2-person tent while hers is a 1-person. So I have a little more room to maneuver with stuff tossed in.

Time for dinner. I had used "Freezer Bag Cooking" to prepare all my meals. Tonight, it's curry chicken rice for me except that I used tuna instead of chicken. The bugs came out pretty quickly so we were in our tents pretty quickly. You may recall my extreme sensitivity to bug bites from my Boundary Waters trip reports. I brought 100% deet this time... but figured I would just get inside for tonight. It's only about 8pm. I have 1/2 the tent. My backpack takes up a little less than 1/4 of the tent and Emma Blue has the rest. She uses my sweatshirt and other random things as padding and rests her head on my plastic ziploc full of clean underwear. What will she rest her head on in about 5 days?? lol

Tomorrow, we *really* start!


To see the rest of the photos, visit flickr.com/photos/twotiredoc