Hiking Dude Blog

Click the picture if you'd like to see a video recap of my Arizona Trail hike. It's about 10 minutes. It won't win any awards, but you can see some of the terrain I covered.
I hiked the trail from March 17 to April 28, 2012. The trail is divided into 43 segments and it coincidentally took me 43 days to hike the trail.
This trek was an awesome adventure and a great first long hike. I learned a lot about extended hiking, met some interesting people, and survived desert hiking. I also helped get a few people involved in the BSA ScoutStrong program.

I'm doing the 300-mile Superior Hiking Trail in about three weeks and will be promoting ScoutStrong during that hike also.

Hike On

I was thinking of hitch hiking up MN Hwy 61 to the end of the Superior Hiking Trail for my thru-hike next month.
My mom says I shouldn't hitch hike.
My wife says I shouldn't hitch hike.
The police, national security, MNDOT, USDOT, and pretty much every other organization says I shouldn't hitch hike.

So, I'm looking for a ride from Duluth to the northern terminus of the Superior Hiking Trail on Otter Lake Road above Grand Marais, MN around Sept. 15. If you, or someone you know, will be heading from Duluth up the North Shore to Grand Marais and would be willing to go a bit further past Hovland, please contact me.
I'll drive to Duluth and leave my car with relatives there if I can arrange a ride to the trail end. I'd happily pay for gas and a bit more.
There are shuttle services that run the north shore, but they're awful expensive and it would be cool to cut out a round trip of gas if it works with someone's schedule.

Or, if you're going up the Gunflint Trail, that would work too. I'd just add the Border Route Trail to the start of the Superior Hiking Trail and take a few more days.

Hike On

There's a new hiking blogs list online and Hiking Dude is listed. If you like this blog, please vote for it at http://hiking-blogs.net/blogs/hiking-dude - Thanks!
If you'd like to read more hiking blogs, check out some of those listed for a wide range of interests and stories.

I updated my Superior Hiking Trail hike page with my expected gear and costs. I received my maps and guidebook from the SHTA and made my initial itinerary. It looks like about 14-16 days and I've got my fingers crossed for colorful leaves.

Hike On

I was planning to do the Ice Age Trail this month and next, but now that I've pushed that to next summer I've been getting antsy to do something more than a weekend long. I've been hiking about 8 miles each morning and looking around for a long, but not too long, trail to do.
The Superior Hiking Trail is exactly what I need. It's almost 300 miles, close to home, and someplace new for me. I was just thinking of it as part of the North Country Scenic Trail, but it's a complete trail by itself, too.

So, on Sept. 15 I'll start walking south from the Canadian border to Jay Cooke State Park in Duluth, MN. I'm hiking it alone and figure it will take about 2 weeks. There's a 10 mile or so section not yet completed just north of Duluth, but the North Shore Trail runs through there and I plan to follow it as a connecting route.

September seems to me like a great time to hike this trail for a few reasons:

• Summer heat and humidity is gone. The weather should be cooler and fewer thunderstorms, but not too cold yet.
• No bugs. Mosquitos, ticks, and black flies should all be gone or nearly so.
• Fall colors are changing. This is right around the best time for the show to begin. If I'm lucky, this might be a great year for colors.
• Wildlife. Animals should be very active preparing for winter.
• Fewer people. School will have just started so I should have the trail pretty much to myself during the week with more day-hikers on the weekends.

And the most important reason is that my youngest son is off to college and my wife will be very, very, very busy with her first few weeks of teaching. It's a good time for me to be out of the way. :-)

I already have my food purchased and left over from my Arizona hike. I already have all the gear I need. I'm in shape to start. This should be an inexpensive, relaxing trek and a great time exploring part of my own backyard that I've not made time to visit yet.

Interested in joining me? If you are, just send me an email and maybe we can work something out. Even if you'd just like to join me for a few days or a weekend, that would be cool. I'll be tracking my progress and blogging along the way so you can just stop and say HI as I walk by if you're in the area.

Hike On

OK, I believe this is the first time I've posted someone else's content, but I thought this was funny. Ribbing folks for buying the latest gimmicky gear.
I may have actually met this guy on the Arizona Trail :-) - just check out the saguaro and other obviously Arizonian terrain.
I gotta get me one of them backpacks...


Hike One

About eight miles of hiking have started every day for the past few weeks. The exercise lets me eat more and I keep hoping it will give me time to collect my thoughts and get creative ideas. I'm still hoping.

What I find actually happens is I suddenly notice it's been two miles and I've not really thought of anything. Instead, I just check out poison ivy, buckthorn, wild grape vines, and all sorts of stuff growing like crazy along the trail. I see chipmunks, cardinals, hawks, snakes, ducks, and an occasional deer or turkey family. A rare bit of trash will also peek out along the edge and get a free ride home.

But, no creative insights, no life-changing decisions, no plans to bring about world peace, not even an idea about what to make for dinner. It doesn't matter if I walk slow, fast, or even jog - I just sweat more then. So, what am I doing wrong?

I guess maybe, for me, this time is more about getting the day started and the body ready. Sort of like that first cup or two of coffee that some folks always have to start their day.

Hike On