Monday, May 7, 2012
It turned out to be a rather bad night for me. Well, I guess it wasn’t a bad night because I slept well. I guess you could call it a bad morning. It had rained during the night. My tent sagged, and the bottom end of my sleeping bag near my feet got soaked. This was a bad way to start out the day. I started out my day the usual way of boiling water in my Kelly Kettle. But today everything was wet, but I’m prepared for that. I do carry some denatured alcohol for situations like this. So I put some alcohol in the Kelly Kettle and lit it. The water was boiling in just a few minutes. My usual “Choco Oato” breakfast really warmed me up. I packed up a lot of wet stuff, but that didn’t terribly concern me because I knew I would be getting off the trail today. The batteries for my camera were getting low. I carry 6 batteries for my camera, and I was down to my last one or two. I would have to recheck them all to see how much power I had left. I had visited too many photogenic places.
I started up the trail next to the Cross River. There’s a really nice waterfall just up from the two campsites. But what wasn’t so nice was the wet trail. There are rocks and roots that are all slippery and treacherous. Plus the trail goes up and down a lot using wooden 4x4’s as steps. Then there are several little boardwalks and bridges. Everything is wet and slippery. Besides having lots of rocks on the trail, the Cross River had lots of rocks in it, as it curved and cascaded next to the trail. I went up one more little hill next to the river with steps, then went down the other side. That’s when I found the Ledge Campsite.
You hike up about ten steps to the left of the SHT and you get to a little plateau. That’s where the campsite is. And true to its name, there’s a ledge around the campsite near the river. You don’t want to go sleep walking at this campsite. You could fall right off the ledge and tumble down to the SHT and Cross River. It wouldn’t be a super big tumble, maybe 8 to 10 feet, but nevertheless you could do some real damage to yourself. I took my backpack off and put it on the bench at the campfire area. The bench was wet, so I decided to put my backpack on it, then sit on the backpack to keep my rear dry. The first thing I did was to check all my camera batteries by putting each one in the camera and turning it on. It turns out that I had one more good battery than I thought I had. So basically I still had two good batteries. That would last me for the rest of the day, but probably not much more. After taking my usual tour of the Campsite, continued on the SHT next to the Cross River. This section was pretty much the same as the section before the Ledge Campsite. It had many rocks and roots, plus it would go up and down little hills with 4x4 board steps. And everything was still wet making the footing slippery.
I was hiking a while when a saw a big waterfall up the river. I took some photos of it from that vantage point. I kept hiking closer to the falls and when I got up right near it there was a trail going up a hill to the left. Then I saw the sign for the Falls Campsite of the Cross River. I hiked up the little hill into the campsite and set down my gear. I checked out the campsite then I went down the hill again and started taking photos of the waterfall. I took a bunch of photos including some timed self-shots. Wow, that was a wonderful location. I went back up to the campsite and took some shots there. I put on my backpack and hiked out of the campsite.
I was hiking down the trail thinking about the class that I was developing for the Midwest Mountaineering Outdoor Adventure Expo. The class is called “The Coolest Backcountry Campsites on the North Country Trail in Minnesota.” I had attended the Expo several times helping at the North Country Trail booth, and it was suggested to me that I do a class at the Expo. The Expo features over 50 presentations on a variety of subject. Plus I already was successful having a class at Canoecopia. So, when it was suggested that I do a class, I thought about what class I would successfully be able to teach, and I came up with the Campsite Idea. And this Falls Campsite on the Cross River would definitely be included in the class because it was a very cool campsite next to a waterfall. I decided that since I have more than enough battery power, why don’t I go back and make a video at the campsite. So, I dropped my gear and headed back to the campsite with my camera and the hiking pole that I use as a monopod. I mounted the camera on the hiking pole, then shoved the pole into the ground so it would stand on its own. I do this all the time when I do self-shot photos, but this time I was doing a video. I turned the camera on, began talking then I picked up the camera with the pole and started walking around filming the campsite. I then walked down the campsite trail and filmed the waterfall. This was my first video, and I was hoping to use it in the class. I quickly finished and headed back to my gear.
I started hiking again and at this point the trail was departing from the river. More importantly, it was heading away from all the rocks and roots next to the river. Now I had a nice flat and grassy trail to walk on. It was wonderful. Another thing that happened now that I was away from the rushing water of the river, I could hear the Minnesota Power Plant again. I looked in the SHT Guidebook and I appeared that I was only about 3 miles away from it, if I wanted to bushwhack straight east. But of course, I don’t want to bushwhack anywhere. That’s just too hard work compared to hiking on a beautiful trail.
And speaking of hard work, this section of the trail wasn’t hard work at all. It was fairly flat and there were few rocks and roots to watch out for. I started softly singing my version of Uriah Heep’s “Easy Living.” But instead of “Easy Living” it was “Easy Hiking.” And it WAS easy hiking for a long time. I came up to Gasco Road. But I really wouldn’t call it a road, it was more like a grassy jeep trail. It had plenty of mud holes in it too from the overnight rain. I crossed the road and went forward. Pretty soon I notice a big swampy area to the right of the trail. Then I came up to an opening and there was a sign saying “Boney’s Meadow.” It was a long thin meadow. I’d say it was over a mile long and only about 100 yards wide. On the other side of the meadow there was a long short hill that reminded me of the glacial hills we have in Wisconsin called drumlins. The trail goes along the eastern outskirts of Boney’s Meadow for a long time. I wondered who Boney was, and whoever he was, he must have been pretty thin. Then finally I came to another sign facing the other way saying “Boney’s Meadow,” Then the trail went away from the meadow.
I was hiking in a regular, mixed woods again. I was ready for another refrain of “Easy Hiking” when I saw a creek on the right side of the trail. This creek was flowing rather good, and I wondered if it came out of Boney’s Meadow. I also wondered if this was Fredenberg Creek. Well, it didn’t take me long and I found out because I came up on the Fredenberg Creek Campsite. It seemed like a nice campsite that was very near the creek, so the trail to get water was very short. But I wasn’t really interested in the water trail at that point, I was more interested in the Latrine Trail. I found it. I hiked down the Latrine Trail and used the facilities. I decided to take my Superior Hiking Trail Guidebook so I would have something to read. After I got done with my sit down, I decided I’d take a funny photo of me on the pot. I got my camera and monopod hiking pole and set up the shot. Then I pressed the one-minute timer, sat back down on the latrine, and started reading the SHT Guidebook again. (After the hike I posted the photo on facebook with the caption “The Superior Hiking Trail Guidebook, I always keep a copy in the bathroom.”)
After the campsite the trail goes downhill for about twenty yards and you reach the Fredenberg Creek Bridge. It’s a fairly substantial wooden bridge and the creek was running good below it. After the bridge the trail goes on a slightly uphill trend. But now I was thinking about the Fredenbergs. Fredenberg was a well-known name in Sun Prairie when I grew up. They are a family of racecar drivers who drive Midget Racing Cars down at the Angell Park Speedway, right in Sun Prairie. Well my dad seemed to know the Fredenbergs somehow. I remember him stopping over and talking with them, and they were out working on their car by their garage. Well, not that long after we moved to Sun Prairie back in 1963, Al Fredenberg died in a crash at the speedway. They still have an annual race called the Al Fredenberg Memorial Race every year at the speedway.
After the Fredenberg Creek Bridge, the trail goes on a slightly up hill run. Nothing too bad, but this is where I saw some Moose droppings. I was surprised. This was the first time I saw Moose dropping on this hike, and by now I wasn’t expecting to see any. But the moose must like Boney’s Meadow, which would be pretty good habitat for them. The trail went on an even greater uphill tread, but nothing real bad. Believe me, I’ve seen some bad spots going around Carlton Peak and going up from Temperance River State Park. After hiking a while it looked like I was coming up to something. And I was. It was an overlook, but it wasn’t much of an overlook on this day because it was foggy and overcast. It was not very good conditions for seeing Lake Superior. According to the SHT Guidebook, you’re supposed to be able to see Lake Superior from that overlook.
After the overlook the trail went downhill for a little ways then flattened out. It went over a little bridge or boardwalk every once in a while. But this was easy hiking again all the way over to Cook County Hwy 1. Right before you get to the Hwy you cross the Two Island River. Then you are out to the road with the trailhead up to your right. Also down by the trailhead was a recently clear-cut area. Wow, I had not seen anything like that for a while.
I was at Cook County 1, this is where I was going to take a gamble. It was still pretty early, only around 12:30 pm. I decided I would ditch my gear here, and hike down to Sugarloaf Road on the SHT with minimal gear. Maybe I would make it all the way down to the Caribou Wayside. Sugarloaf Road was 5.5 trail miles away and the Caribou Wayside was 9 miles away. So, I took a few items that I really thought I needed and put them in my vest. Then I found a secluded place under a pine tree to put my backpack. It was right off the road, but you couldn’t see the backpack because of the pine tree branches.
This was a calculated risk because I still couldn’t call anyone. Where the SHT crosses Cook County 1 was about 4 to 5 miles from Hwy 61. If I hiked down to Sugarloaf Road, it was only 1 mile to Hwy 61 and if I made it all the way down to the Caribou Wayside, that was right on Hwy 61. The trail would be going in a diagonal pattern towards the highway. So, I was betting that if I couldn’t get a hold of Jan and Kathy, that maybe I could catch a ride back to their place. Besides, they knew that I might be calling them to pick me up because I told them I would probably only last 4 or 5 days. I didn’t take enough food for much longer than that.
I left Cook County Hwy 1 and after less than 1/8 mile the SHT gets to a Power Line Right of Way. And these were big power lines. Probably taking power away from the Minnesota Power Plant down on Lake Superior. So, I cross the grassy right of way and went back in the woods. Then in less than 1/8 mile there is a road. It’s Dyer’s Lake Road, which the SHT take a left onto. Then it promptly goes over railroad tracks. Again, it must be tracks going to the Power Plant. I followed the road just a little bit longer then the SHT takes a left into the woods. Whew, hopefully that will be the end of the man-made infrastructure for a while.
I’m hiking along and I see a creek to the left of the trail. It seemed to be running very well, after all, it rained the night before. Then the trail goes up a hill gradually then heads down some stairs back to the creek again. It seemed like the SHT went up the hill and back down again for no good reason. It could have just stayed down by the creek. Soon I see a big A Frame bridge going over the creek. But before I could get to the bridge, there was a campsite on the left-hand side of the trail. So I pulled in and checked out the campsite. It was the Dyer’s Creek Campsite, and the first thing I noticed were all the rocks all over the place. There were tent pads, but these tent pads were filled with rocks. Other than that the campsite seemed okay. It was just a short walk to get water from the creek, and it had a nice campfire area with wooden seating. But there were rocks everywhere. It looked like such an uncomfortable place to sleep. I headed down and crossed the big A Frame Bridge. It looked fairly new but not brand new. Maybe it’s a year old or so.
After going across the bridge, the SHT goes on an uphill tear. It’s a short but steep ascent, and then you reach an overlook. Again the view wasn’t all that great because of the clouds. But the clouds seemed to be breaking up a little bit. After the overlook it was easy walking for a long ways as the trail went gradually downhill then flattened out. Along the way there were some small boardwalks and some wet spots where there should be boardwalks. Then I got to a tree with a sign on the ground in front of it. The sign was supposed to be on the tree but it must have fell down and some Good Samaritan placed it at the foot of the tree so you could read it. The sign said “Sensitive Area Ahead, Please Stay on Trail.” I must be getting close to Alfred’s Pond.
I did go by a little pond to the right of the trail. Then I made it down to a beaver dam with a boardwalk. I kept going and soon I saw a small lake to the right of the trail. Then there was a side trail that was a boardwalk going out to the lake. I hiked the boardwalk trail out to the edge of the small lake where there was a bench. I had made it to Alfred’s Pond. I tried stepping off the boardwalk, just to see what would happen, and my foot sank down a little bit. It was like walking on a springboard. I sat down on the bench and took a break. Alfred’s Pond is a great place to visit. It is very peaceful and serene.
After Alfred’s Pond it was easy hiking for a ways, then the trail went over a hill. There was a slight overlook on the hill, but nothing too exciting. Then the trail went on a downhill trend and I came to a trail going to the right. It was the trail for the Sugarloaf Pond Campsite. I hiked down the trail, which was fairly long for a Campsite Trail. And I made it to the campsite. This campsite was in a scrubby area near a big meadow with a small pond. The campsite looked very sunny, but had one large pine tree with a bench under it if you needed shade. Otherwise the whole campsite including the campfire area was exposed to the sun. In fact the sun was showing up right at the moment, because the clouds were breaking up. It would be a hot campsite in August. But the campsite was really grassy, which would be good for sleeping on, not like the rocky Dyer’s Creek Campsite.
It was about 4:15 pm when I made it to the campsite. I was able to get Cell Phone reception here, so I called the Cobblestone Cabins. Kathy answered and I asked it she would be able to come pick me up some time this evening. She said she had a meeting this evening, and Jan was working on a project, but she would have some time within the next couple hours to pick me up. I said that I was a mile from the Sugarloaf Road Trailhead. She said she would come and pick me up there in about 45 minutes. I asked her if she had a place to put me up for the evening because I needed to charge my camera batteries. She said that the cabins were closed but she could get the Barter Cabin open for me. Wow, everything was coming together for me.
So I head out from the Sugarloaf Pond Campsite with a new spring in my step. I flew down the trail. The trail went for a ways next to the Sugarloaf Pond meadow. It was like Boney’s Meadow because it was long and thin. This one was smaller, I’d say a half mile long and 100 yards wide. It was easy hiking here again. Before I knew it, I was up to a bridge over Sugarloaf Creek. It was a little bit bigger creek and bridge than the others I had crossed recently, and the water was running good beneath the bridge. After the bridge it was only a short walk to Sugarloaf Road
When I got to the road, Kathy wasn’t there yet. I had made really good time hiking that last mile from the campsite. So, I set out my Spot Messenger to mark the end of the hike for the day. Then I set up a self-shot photo at the Sugarloaf Road SHT sign. I was looking around the trailhead when Kathy pulled in. I hopped in the passenger side and showed Kathy where we needed to go to pick up my backpack. She would take the back roads over to Hwy 1, which she called the Cramer Road. So, she took Sugarloaf Road and connected with Hwy 8, then Hwy 1. I told her to stop right near the trail crossing, then I got out and retrieved my backpack from under the pine tree. She seemed puzzled why I would just leave my backpack someplace. I told her that I sometimes do that when I know I would be getting picked up or back to my van. I wouldn’t need my sleeping bag, tent and other gear, so why carry it. It just makes the hiking a lot easier. The truth is that I really like day hiking. At 54, I’m more of a day hiker than backpacker. And when you only have one week to hike, it makes it harder to get into true backpacking shape.
I asked Kathy if she could shuttle me again in the morning, and she said they were going to Duluth in the morning, so it would work out perfectly. She drove me back to the Cobblestone Cabins where Jan came out to greet me. The first thing he wanted to know was the condition of the segment he maintains near Leveau Mountain. I said that the whole trail was really good, and that I encountered few blowdowns. And I bet there were less than 5 in his section, if that.
He said he would be clearing his section in the next few days, and he showed me his specially modified backpack with the chain saw in it. He grabbed a bucket of water and took me over to the Barter Cabin, where he already had a fire going in the woodburning stove, so it was nice and warm. The reason it was called the Barter Cabin was that because they don’t rent it out because it isn’t finished. Instead they exchange items and work for the Barter Cabin. He gave me some examples. One guy works on the cabin itself in exchange for staying there. Another person brings their hydraulic wood splitter and splits wood. And then there is another cabin resort owner that they exchange stays with. Originally the cabin was their daughter’s cabin that she was remodeling. But she moved to Alaska with her boyfriend. So, now they just use the cabin as a Barter Cabin. At any rate, the water wasn’t turned on in the cabin yet, so I would have to use the water in the bucket to flush the toilet. Seemed reasonable. Jan needed to go finish the project he was working on. They had just built a new water system for two other cabins, and the inspector approved it today, so he needed to bury the water system. Evidently, when they rebuilt Hwy 61 a couple of years ago, they did some blasting, and ever since then the water in those two cabins did not pass the water quality test. So, they actually got a grant from the Department of Transportation to help put in the new water system
I went back to my van that was located near the main house. I needed to get some gear so it could dry it. But I talked with Kathy about me taking them out to dinner. She said that she couldn’t go because she had to go to a meeting. And Jan would be working for the next hour or so on the water system. I asked her if anyplace stayed open late around here, and she said the Lutsen Lodge just 3 miles down the road stayed open until 9pm. I said great, I would take Jan out to eat there. I headed back to the Barter Cabin and unpacked my backpack. There was a bunch of wet stuff in there including the sleeping bag. I put a couple chairs over near the wood stove and hung the wet stuff over the chairs to dry. I also plugged in the battery charger for the camera and started charging a battery. Then I headed out where Jan was working on the water system. He was moving dirt into a hole using a bobcat. He seemed to be a very good bobcat driver. I walked up near him and he stopped the bobcat. I asked him if he needed any help, and he said no, the bobcat should get the work done. Then I told him that after he got done, I would treat him out to dinner at the Lutsen Lodge. He gave me a thumbs up. I walked away and he continued filling the hole with the bobcat.
I walked back to the Barter Cabin. I poured some of the water in the bathroom sink and washed up. I put some clean clothes on. Since I had cell phone reception here, I called my mother and my girlfriend. I heard that the bobcat had stopped running outside, so Jan must have finished the job. He went in his house to wash up a little bit. Soon he was ready to go. I drove my van up Hwy 61 and pulled into the parking lot. There was huge lodge building with rustic wood. We walked towards the Lodge when I saw Joe out in the parking lot. Joe was the guy I met at Temperance River State Park and he let me share his fire to cook my supper. He said that he had been out hiking the Superior Hiking Trail earlier in the day, and he really liked it. I was happy to hear that. Perhaps I inspired him to go out hiking on the trail. We said goodbye. Jan and I proceeded into the big lodge resort building. Once we got in I saw a dining room ahead so I headed that way. When I got over by the dining room, I noticed there was a bar to the left. The dining room was empty, so I asked the waiter there if they served food in the bar, and he said yes. So Jan and I headed in that direction. We got a booth table in the bar. Everything in this resort had the old log cabin décor, and the bar was no different. It was a cool place. We each ordered a beer and a meal, then we started talking. Jan is quite the character. At any rate, he says they stop by Madison every spring on the way back from South Carolina. Kathy has some sort of event she attends, and he does the Crazy Legs Run. I told him that when he visits Madison next April to give me a call and I take him out to eat.
We had a good meal at the Lutsen Resort. Then we headed back to the Cobblestone Cabins and I headed for the Barter Cabin. I sorted out some gear I would be using the next day. I changed batteries in the battery charger. Then I did my voice recording, and put some more wood in the wood stove. I went to sleep on a big futon sofa they have in the cabin.