Last week I spent two days pulling the liquid out of various foods — peaches, blueberries, vegetables, beans — and spent $150 on various forms of oats, pasta, and seeds: oatmeal, granola, granola bars, nut bars, cereal bars, pasta sides…

I was looking for something to do – so I started walking toward Canada.

The Superior Hiking Trail (SHT), a 297-mile footpath extending from the Wisconsin-Minnesota border to the Canadian border, has been on my bucket list for a number of years, likely since my mother and aunt hiked much if it ca. 2002. Three weeks ago, I realized I might have the right window of time to attempt walking 300 miles, so I began reading guides and blog posts and Facebook group threads in anticipation of getting dirty and stinky and tired. After some hemming and hawing, some gentle encouragement from family, and some wrinkled foreheads and worried eyebrows from others, I opted to start my NOBO (northbound) trek on August 23.

The first big hurdle was the infamous “Duluth section”. While the SHT has 94 fee-free backcountry backpacking sites, none of them exist within the city limits of Duluth, resulting in 53.1 miles requiring alternate lodging.

Enter Super Sister Julie! She was willing to bum in a motel for two nights to help shuttle me to/from trailheads while I “slack packed” (hiking carrying only what I needed for the day) my way across Duluth. I figured it would be a great way to get my trail legs and to figure out my pace to further plan my upcoming itinerary before having to schlep ±25 pounds down the trail.

And here began a series of bumbling readjustments and itinerary revisions…

Stay tuned for more!