Eric's Hikes: Superior Hiking Trail: Grand Marais to 270 Degree Overlook

Days 13-15: September 16-18, 2014
Grand Marais to 270 Degree Overlook (14.4+25.5+18.3= 58.2 miles)
Cumulative SHT Miles(counting spurs and road walks to town): 262.15+58.2=320.35)
NCT/Lake Superior Adventure Cumulative miles: 457.65 miles

Highlights: Pincushion Mountain, Devil Track River, Kadunce River, Brule River, Hellacious Overlook, Jackson Lake, 270 Degree Overlook

The Superior Hiking Trail was Part 2 of 6 of my NCT/ Lake Superior Adventure.

Campsites:
Cliff Creek
South Carlson Pond

Highlights: Pincushion Mountain, Devil Track River, Kadunce River, Brule River, Judge C. R. Magney State Park, Hellacious Overlook, 270 Degree Overlook

Day 13: Grand Marais to Cliff Creek (1.8+.5+1.6+10+.5= 14.4)
It was a nice climb back to the trail from Grand Marais. The trail then headed to the Pincushion Mountain Trailhead with sweeping Lake Superior views.

There was a nice view of Grand Marais and an informative Superior National Forest Sign, the only national forest that the SHT passes through.

I continued on a ski trail until I reached the spur for Pincushion Mountain, one of the must-do spur trails on the SHT. There was a short, steep climb up a rocky slab and then a large rocky summit.

Looking back to Grand Marais

Pincushion Mountain

Back on the trail, I came to the deep canyon of the Devil Track River with it unique rocky colors. The water flowed from the Swamp River, a river that I would see in the future on the Border Route Trail.

There was an impressive overlook of the river far below.

After Woods Creek, the trail climbed to one of my favorite views of Lake Superior on the trail. It was a nice open field with completely unobstructed views.

The view back to Pincushion Mountain

I met a few Southbound hikers, some of them thru-hikers I believe. Most of them seemed rushed and didn't talk much.

I set up camp at the Cliff Creek Campsite and I barely remember it, so I must have had a relaxing evening.

Day 14: Cliff Creek to South Carlson Pond (25.5 miles)

The next morning I came to another overlook of Lake Superior and then came to the scenic Kimball Creek.

Kimball Creek

I next came to the Kadunce River.

The Kadunce River was great. I wish I could have hiked more of it on the spur trail from the parking lot.

My excitement for the upcoming Lakewalk was growing as I passed through a young forest.

The Lakewalk was a highlight of the trail, the only section outside of the Duluth Lakewalk actually on Lake Superior.

I passed a group of southbound hikers while on the lakewalk.

It was windy and there were some waves.

There was even some rocky shoreline.

The waves were so big in places that I had to time them in order to not get wet.

Near the east end, there was an island.

At the east end of the Lakewalk I met a couple of south bound long distance hikers. They asked if I was planning to continue on the Border Route Trail. With a big smile I informed them that I was. They let me know of their tough experience on it and "how it hadn't been maintained in years." They had had to leave the trail and were trying to hike south on the SHT as far as they could with the time they had remaining. They told me that I would just have to push through it. Hopefully they had a better experience on the SHT.

After the Lakewalk I passed a nice bridge.

I stopped in the Judge Magney State Park parking lot for a snack and to fill my water bottle. There were a number of day-hikers in the area heading to Devil's Kettle Falls even though it was chilly and starting to rain. A woman came by and asked if I was hiking the trail and I told her that I was. She went and got me a fresh orange. Thank you!

I met a day hiker that knew a lot about the trails on the north shore. He knew all the state parks and had just been hiking up by Grand Portage. He also was into backpacking sections of the SHT.

Brule River

Upper Falls of the Brule River

I talked to another couple for awhile on a big stairway and then I went to the intriguing Devil's Kettle Falls where half of the water disappears into the kettle. This was one of my favorites waters on the trail.

I found a closer look of the falls on a side trail.

After leaving the Brule River the trail was somewhat overgrown and I got soaked by all the wet underbrush. I crossed the Flute Reed River and had some road walking to a nice pond. In one spot the trail turned off the road in a somewhat rough section, only to return shortly later. Arriving back on the road, there was no trail marker. I just kept walking the road and had no problems.

Near Carlson Pond I head some difficulty losing the trail as I crossed Carlson Creek. There were some ribbons but maybe I just wasn't paying close enough attention. Eventually I found the trail on the other side and set up my last camp on the SHT at South Carlson Pond Campsite.

Day 15: South Carlson Pond to 270 degree overlook(18.3 miles)
There were mystifying views of Carlson Pond in the morning.

I had a challenge crossing a beaver dam. The trail was quite wet here. I went to step down from a boardwalk and my feet slipped right out from underneath. I was fine, but one of my trekking poles snapped.

After mistakingly taking the spur to the Arrowhead parking lot, I returned to the main SHT and later had outstanding views out to Lake Superior and ponds below.

On the horizon I could faintly make out Isle Royale National Park and where I had completed Part One of this exciting NCT/Lake Superior Adventure.

The views from Hellacious Overlook were breathtaking!

I was beginning to grasp that the SHT was almost complete, but I was quite excited that this great NCT/ Lake Superior journey had more excitement to come.

The trail through this remote section was maintained very well, better than I anticipated from previous hiker reports.

Jackson Lake

The orange leaves were just coming out in this area.

The trail was forested as I climbed Rosebush Ridge to the highest point on the SHT.

There was a view carved through the trees a little after the high point.

The end of the trail became very real as I came to the last trailhead sign before Otter Lake Road. I saw a day-hiker out enjoying one of the most remote parts of this scenic trail.

I traveled through some nice meadows before coming to the former "official" end of the trail.

My thruhike was not complete, however, as the SHT's new official terminus is after a mile of shared trail on the Border Route Trail to the 270 degree overlook of the Pigeon River and Canada.

While flipping the trail register, I found an entry from the couple I had met while on the Lakewalk. This was somewhat concerning as I probably only had five days of food.

I have not included their names for privacy, but what was more concerning was that the guy when he signed it indicated that he had hiked the Appalachian Trail, Long Trail, and Pacific Crest Trail as well as many others around the world. He definitely had more trail mileage experience than me, but I was going in with the mindset that the BRT would be an off-trail route and any form of a trail would be a bonus. His normal miles/day was quite similar to mine, but 5 miles/days seemed daunting. Having to leave a trail is a decision I have never had to make. I commend them for making such a tough decision and for warning future hikers.