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  1. #1
    New Member gonethinkin's Avatar
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    Looking for guys/gals to "hang out" in August - SHT

    I'm doing my first hiking/hammock trip the 18th through the 25th of August on he Superior Hiking Trail. I have never hiked there before so it's going to be a learning experience for me; I figured if I could meet up with or join someone or a group that would be alright and maybe help ease the anxiousness. Otherwise I will forge it alone and learn from experience. So if anyone's interested or can give me any insight on the area I'd really appreciate it; I did order the map set from them so I guess that's a start anyways.

    Jeff

  2. #2
    alifeoutdoors's Avatar
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    What kind of daily mileage are you shooting for? wanting more populated areas or some remote less crowded section? Physical challenge level?

  3. #3
    New Member gonethinkin's Avatar
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    A friend of mine Dan Dirst, recommended for me to start at Finland and head south to Gooseberry Falls. Until I get my maps it's all a guess... I figured ten to fifteen miles a day wouldn't be bad but I really need to get my plans hammered out as far as food, where I can camp and where I can't and so on. I'm glad Dans done this before and can give me some insight, but whatever it takes I'll get it figured out, just thought I'd see if I might be able to meet new people and get someone to hang out. Physically, I'm a correctional officer at a max security prison so I stay in fairly good shape and kayak and run so anything those hills throw at me I should be able to handle. As far as scenery I'd really like a mix, for my fat experience thought it really doesn't matter.

  4. #4
    alifeoutdoors's Avatar
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    Oh yea then you should have no problem with anything the SHT can throw at you. If you go that route you'll hit one of the toughest scrambles in Tettegouche State Park called the drain pipe. However that would be a beautiful section to do and hits some of the more popular areas such as Bean and Bear lake. Both of those are highly attractive campsites. You'll also hit the Split Rock River "loop" which is gorgeous with a lot of good campsites. Also very popular as it's a quick weekend overnight for locals from Duluth. Those are just the highlights there are many other scenic spots and treks in between Gooseberry and Finland. In your physical condition ten to fifteen miles per day is easily doable especially if you practice any sort of lightweight backpacking. I generally run a base load of 15 lbs and have no problem hitting around twelve to fourteen per day. Camping is actually one of the best parts of the SHT. There's a campsite about every 5 miles. Mid August can be a bit "crowded" in my perspective but I'm one of those that is going into the woods for the least amount of social interaction. Folks are pretty decent about sharing sites but not always the case. Though it would be hard to say no to a max security prison correction officer If you're going to be needing a shuttle look up the superior shuttle people. I can't say enough good things about the guys that run it. I do trail maint. for the a section of the SHT and they have comped my shuttle when I've needed to get it done in a day hike. Just outstanding support of the SHT community. I'm currently building a house this summer so I'm not able to really make any trip commitments this season but you never know what can clear up at the last minute. If I can help you with any information though or can point you in the right direction don't hesitate to ask.
    Last edited by alifeoutdoors; 06-28-2014 at 20:32.

  5. #5
    New Member gonethinkin's Avatar
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    Thanks... I really appreciate the information. My biggest concerns are getting in and out - park south, hike north, park north hike south, can I get a ride back to my vehicle any time or only at certain times if I don't hit my mileage goals. I have 8 days so it does give me some leeway in my route choice. Should I do a food drop or is it feasible to carry enough for the previously mentioned hike all in one shot. Just minor things that I need to figure out before august. Can you hang your hammock anywhere or only in designated areas? Is there certain areas that charge and others that don't.

  6. #6
    alifeoutdoors's Avatar
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    Here's the link to Superior Shuttle's site http://superiorhikingshuttle.com/ They do have a schedule that runs Fri, Sat, Sun where they drive through the listed trailheads to see if anyone needs a lift. They will also customize if you make a reservation and sometimes go out of there way to unscheduled trailheads. The current owner just took it over this year and is offering custom rides on the off days. There is also a couple of other people in the area that will do custom pick up and drop off's. We have a email group through yahoo that you can join and get just a ton of information from. One woman who offers rides, Harriet Quales is a regular poster. Generally any question you ask will get answered with a flood of great advice within a few hours. This is the main info site for the group https://groups.yahoo.com/neo/groups/hiker/info

    Hmmmm personally 8 days of food would be pushing it for me I may split it up into one drop 4/4. The above mentioned group also has a files page where a couple of really dedicated members have made spreadsheets of all the key places to set up a food drop, lodging, mileage etc. I've always just found the likely spot and tucked an ammo can with my stash back in the woods at the trailhead I needed.

    Most of the time they prefer you camp at the designated sites but anytime you are in the national forest you can bush camp as long as you follow the normal NFS rules and don't care about a fire. There are sections that pass through privately held land but the owners are gracious enough to let the trail pass through. Definitely don't camp there, but your maps will point out the areas or the guidebook will. The best part though is all the SHT campsites are free. There is no charge to camp. The only exception would be some areas that you pass through state parks and that is rare and usually only if you get off on a side trail or want to stay down by the lake. It's a case by case basis, just check the state parks site if you plan to stay within the boundaries. I've personally never had to stay a site that needed a fee or reservation while I was on trail. I've also never had a problem finding a place to hang, trees everywhere. Occasionally you have to get creative but there's always a place to hang your head in the end.

  7. #7
    New Member gonethinkin's Avatar
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    I tried joining your group on yahoo but I guess I'm waiting for permission? As I can't seem to go anywhere with it. I have plenty of time to read and ask questions and I do really appreciate the help and I'm really looking forward to this. I've actually spent the last week watching Shug's videos and I believe his name is Hikingdad as well. I learn a lt from watching them but my wife thinks I'm obsessed...

  8. #8
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    I had problems too, needed to log on from a desktop b4 it worked. Not sure why, but that was the ticket for me. Good luck

  9. #9
    New Member gonethinkin's Avatar
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    Thank you!

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