Last night our wonderful campfire was cut short by
thunderstorms rolling in around 9:30. We
made it into our tents, and were both kept up a lot of the night by the thunder
and rain. Fortunately, within about 10
minutes of waking up, the rain tapered off.
Dad drove me back to the southernmost SHT trailhead at Fox Farm road,
and my journey finally began!
Not even 100 yards into the trail, I gained a real sense of
appreciation for the volunteers who maintain the SHT. The trail crossed through a wetland area with
ferns, wildflowers, and about 6 inch deep water! What would have been a nightmare to walk
through was instead an easy jaunt over a small boardwalk constructed by the
Superior Hiking Trail association. The
trail the entire day was very well maintained, with nice bridges or boardwalks
over the wet areas\creek crossings and very few downed trees to negotiate. So far, the SHT has proven to be one of the
most well maintained backcountry trails I've encountered.
One of the highlights of the day was passing several beaver
ponds. It's truly amazing that such a
small animal is able to down trees and divert waterways. Everyone says dolphins & orangutans are
so smart, but I know of no other animal that can manipulate its natural
environment the way a beaver can.
One of many beaver ponds I would encounter during the day
The southern portion of the SHT doesn't have the scenic
ridge top views that the central and northern sections do, but the walk was
still marked by tranquil woods, picturesque creeks and even a small waterfall. When I was about 15 miles into my hike, the
wind started to kick up and the rain soon followed. Fortunately, my rain gear kept me pretty dry
during what would be an hour long shower (just wish I could say the same for my
"waterproof" hiking shoes).
Waterfall
on McCarthy Creek
The rain gradually cut back to a slight drizzle, and I soon
met my dad at a road crossing just shy of the 22 mile mark. We're back at Gooseberry State park, waiting
out another rainstorm in the park visitor center. The weather forecast for tomorrow is showing
sunny and 68. I'm looking forward to
taking in some good views, staying dry and putting some more miles under my
feet!
Matt
It sounds like you are in for quite an adventure! Best of luck with your hike - looking forward to hearing more about it along the way.
ReplyDeleteLet's hear it for trail maintainers! They sure do make a big difference. Hope your shoes and feet dry out, Matt. Wet feet and socks are the main ingredient for blisters. Sure don't want those to slow you down. Great pictures, too.
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