It’s fall and I’m dying to be out on the trail. But grad school awaits and I owe our readers this friendly guide on what we used on our thru hike! We each had base weights around 23-25lbs, up to 30lbs when we added food and water. We were not lightweight nor ultralight hikers by…
SHT Day 22
July 13, 2018 Aspen Knob to Lake County Rd 7 Finland Trailhead End of the flip-flop SHT Thru-Hike The last day on the trail was beautiful, and I passed Sonju and Egge Lakes. The trail from Aspen Knob was mellow with gradual hills, and for awhile it followed the Blesener Creek, which chatted and gurgled…
SHT Day 21
July 12, 2018 Cook County Rd 1 to Aspen Knob • 18.1 miles The AmericInn provided ample opportunity to refuel in the morning with a big breakfast! While I ate, I chatted with two women who also escaped the rain after camping at Temperance. Temperance River is so called because it has no [sand]bar! The…
SHT Day 20
July 11th, 2018 Springdale Creek to Cook County Rd 1 • 15 miles This morning I was so pleased to wake up to a mostly dry tent, but the morning dew had made the underside of the tent a little soggy. In a futile attempt to remedy the situation, I used the cord for the bear…
SHT Day 19
July 10th, 2018 Spruce Creek to Springdale Creek campsites • 19 miles The day started with my least favorite hiking terrain– boggy, muddy, with head-high ferns and vegetation, and started uphill. But, I occupied my mind with thoughts of opening up my own locally-made fruit leather and beer bread stand at a farmer’s market and still…
Expected vs. Actual Itinerary
Monarch and I set out with an expected itinerary, but after many days of rain and adjusting to the realities of our pace, our itinerary changed. Here, we share the expected vs. actual mileage per day. The original spreadsheet should be available on the SHTA website in the near future. Please feel free to contact…
SHT Day 18
July 8th, 2018 Gunflint Trail to Spruce Creek Campsite • 22.3 miles Today was the first day hiking solo. I woke up around 6 a.m. at the Hungry Hippie Hostel, ate some breakfast, and Anne and her mom dropped me off where we got off at the trail. At first, I was very aware of…
SHT Day 17
July 8, 2018 West Devils Track to Gunflint Trail • 3 miles The clouds looked ominous in the morning as Monarch and I set about taking down our tent, bringing up our fun bear hang, and making breakfast. Just as we finished with our oatmeal, some fat rain drops began to suggest that we put…
SHT Day 16
South Little Brule to West Devil’s Track 16.5 miles July 7 This was one of my favorite days by far. We met my mom at the Lake Walk and began the day walking on the loose lake pebbles. It was fun but challenging to find footing and I was glad to be hiking without a…
SHT Day 15
July 6th, 2018 S. Carlson Pond to S. Little Brule River • 15.3 miles Monarch and I woke up at 6 a.m. and crawled out of a dry tent! Everything was dry and glowing in the morning light. We made breakfast of the usual oatmeal, packed up our gear, and were out by 7:20 a.m. We descended…
Crumbs & Dirt 