SHT Total Thru-Hike Complete

SHT NOBO (Northbound, starting in Wisconsin ending at the Canadian border) Total thru-hike complete!

 

Total miles: 310+ In the spirit of transparency, I hiked approximately nine SHT trail miles on the Gitchi-Gami Trail. 

Trail start: July 4, 8:46 a.m. Southern Terminus, Wisconsin/Minnesota border 

Trail end: July 28, Northern Terminus, Canadian border

Hike end: July 30, George Floyd Memorial at 38th Street and Chicago Avenue in Minneapolis.

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Total days: 24 days total, of those it rained at some point 21 days.

Days off: Three neros (nearly zero, meaning a partial day off-trail or not hiking).

• Because of a storm: a trail angel in Grand Marais picked me up. I stayed with her family, went to a Black Lives Matter protest, and was a guest on WTIP Radio.                     
• To dry gear, shower, and sleep in a bed at Superior Ridge Resort Motel. It was a bit more than I wanted to spend but worth it! The owners were friendly and kind enough to drive me into town to resupply.             
• For a post office resupply and to soak my arm in a bathroom with soap (I was thinking poison oak). 

Resupply: Two Harbor (post office). Beaver Bay (gas station/post office). Grand Marais (post office/grocery store).

Shortest miles in a day: 8.46

Longest miles in a day: 22 

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Gear change – – – 

Pack: I started with the L.L. Bean AT 38 and switched to the Granite Gear Crown2 60 for more capacity when my tent failed me.         

                              

Shoes: I started with the L.L. Bean Alpine, and switched to the Arcteryx Norva after several days of rain, mudholes, and an inability to keep the boots and my socks dry. I later switched back to the Alpines.         

                           

Socks: I started the journey with three pairs of socks, two for hiking and one for sleep. Due to conditions listed in the shoe section, the number grew to six, five hiking, and one for sleep.

 

Tent: I wanted to love the Nemo Hornet Elite. I did. But after several days of rain, it failed me. I reverted to my Marmot EOS 1P.

 

Animal encounters: Birds, a moose, and a cub. No harm came to me.

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Favorite section: I thoroughly enjoyed the area from the Cascade River to Bally Creek. Walking through the large red pine forest reminded me of my childhood in Florida.

 

Least favorite section: I wasn’t too fond of the Sawmill Creek Pond Boardwalk. The boards were sunken, curved, slick, and missing in places. 

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Random SHT $h*t: I became pre-hypothermic due to rain, wet gear, and wet clothes—not severe or life-threatening, and thus, I live to write this story.

 

SHT Personal ranking: ⭐⭐ ⭐⭐

Volunteers and private landowners maintain the 310-mile hiking trail from Canada to Wisconsin. 

The sections range from well-marked, well-maintained paths to mud and tall grass-covered barley visible sections.

The SHT is a rough trail, lots of roots, mud, and rocks.

You definitely should “Hike That SHT.”

 

p/c: Instagram: dkap09

p/c: Instagram: wanderingseagoat