Trip Report Display
Linking people with nature by footpath along Lake Superior's North Shore.
With overcast skies I started the trail from the Castle Danger parking area at ~2:00 pm. The trail ascends steeply then follows a ridgeline overlooking the parking lot giving way to great panoramic views of lake Superior and the Crow Creek valley. The hiking is fairly easy as the trail turns east away from the valley. Eventually the woods turn predominantly maple with birches, cedars, and poplar. The colors through this section are beautiful. Apparently due to the heavy rains over the past weekend, there are wet spots along the trail (nothing deeper than a couple inches of water) and the entire forest floor is wet. The smell of the wet leaves on the ground, the sounds of a breeze in the treetops & an occasional red squirrel, chickadee, etc. combined with the sights of the colorful woods make for a very pleasant hike. Another beautiful lookout at "Mike's Rock", from here the trail starts a steep descent which soon turns to easy hiking. The trail meets up with and then follows the Gooseberry river. As I walk this segment of trail I am blessed with the sight of a mature bald eagle soaring along the river, what a sight! I make camp at the multi-group campsite, the last of a series of three sites before entering Gooseberry Falls State Park. With overcast skies I decide to pitch my tent, after making camp and an MRE for dinner, I mess around on the shore of the river then return to camp. As the light of the evening fades and I am writing in my journal, I'm treated to the song of wolves howling in the near distance across the river. Two endangered species in one day.I sleep in the next morning and take my time breaking camp, it's 11:30 when I hit the trail. The trail hugs the Gooseberry River into the state park, shortly before crossing the park border there is a beaver dam across the river. Lots of beaver signs through this segment, with no sightings of the elusive mammals. I meet a number of people on the park trails and fill my water bottles at the visitor center, twisting my ankle on some steps on the trail leading down to the Hwy 61 crossing. Although my Timberline boots are heavy with rugged foot protection, they are low cut and the soft upper provides little or no ankle support. After a short rest and walk to the Visitor Center, I determine my ankle to be in good enough shape to continue. The trail out of the park is an even incline, the forest become predominantly birch with cedar, spruce, poplar, etc. The trail is mainly through the woods below ridgeline for considerable distance, after passing the campsite the trail comes up to the ridge top and follows the ridgeline, offering great panoramic views of Lake Superior and the colorful forest below. Along this stretch I encounter two illegal fire rings. I stop to dismantle one of them. In addition to the ugly scars of charred rock, wood and ashes, there are canister pop-tops, batteries and other unidentifiable trash discarded here. In the dirt nearby I find a pocketknife in good condition; this knife appears to be of good quality unlike most promotional knives I've seen. As the trail falls into the Split Rock River valley and follows the west side of the river inland, there are steep up and down grades. The earlier injury to my ankle is making itself known. I find the Split Rock River along this segment to be very beautiful: numerous waterfalls and cascades, cool rock formations and not heavily used. I'm planning to camp at the campsite located where the trail crosses the river before turning downstream; as I get there I find that another backpacker has already claimed this site and is setting up. I continue across the river and downstream, encounter two more illegal fire rings built near the river. I reach the southeast campsite as the sun is setting. I am thankful the other campsite was taken, this site is gorgeous; on the river with a waterfall upstream and downstream and two granite pillars across the river. With a lot of spruce roots in the site, there are not many options for pitching a tent. With a forecast for clear skies and a mostly clear sky at sunset, I opt for sleeping under the stars. I am lulled to sleep by the sounds of the waterfalls and am awakened during the night by raindrops on my face. It's a light sprinkle and I hope it ends quickly; it doesn't. I scoot my pack over and slid to the edge of my tarp, wrap the tarp over me and fasten one of the grommets to a nearby spruce with a small bungee cord. This works well to keep me and my pack dry. It sprinkles on and off and I am dry in the morning.I wake up to a beautiful morning. I couldn't ask for a better sight to be greeted by as I sit up in my sleeping bag then go about my morning routine. I take my time this morning as my trip is nearly over, wanting to savor every moment. At 10:45 I depart my site and get back on the trail. The trail continues to follow the river for an estimated few hundred yards with some very nice overlooks of the river below. There is gentle travel through the woods before the trail breaks out onto a ridgetop with more great views of the big lake. After several hundred more yards I reach the spur that takes me down to Hwy 61. I start hitchhiking and get as far as the wayside parking on the other side of the river before being picked up by Bob, a North Shore local living in the woods somewhere past Grand Marais; he gives me a ride right to my truck which is parked a few miles out of his way off of Hwy #61. Thanks, Bob! This was my first hike on the Superior Hiking Trail. I am very pleased with this trail and plan to hike its length in segments; I am hooked on this trail. In only the segment I've hiked I have found the terrain and scenery to be very diverse; the trail is open and clear while being rugged enough to afford a challenge and give a true backcountry experience. |
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