Superior Hiking Trail 100 Miler

wanderingpine

6 years ago

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We’ve been home for a week! The blisters are healed, toenails looking normal but the knees are still creaking from coming down Carlton Peak. Here’s a video of our adventure and some final thoughts below. If you are not subscribed already, stay tuned for an upcoming post about our route, packing list and how we lightened our load.

(yah I know…turn the camera sideways!).
A 20 minute video might seem kind of long, but I did the math and it’s like going 300 mph if you consider it covers 100 miles. That’s some serious Fahrvergnügen. Happy Trails!

Other thoughts:

1. Keith Myrmel ‘s map is awesome. You should buy it!

2. I know it’s been said many times, but the hornet’s nest approaching Andy Creek and at N Carlson are no joke. The Andy Creek Boardwalk Tracker Jackers got my sister through thick wool socks at the beginning of our hike and the swelling bothered her well into day 6.

3. My favorite part of the whole trail was meeting so many cool people! Most days we would hike without seeing anyone, but then would run into people we knew or wonderful people that we became fast friends with at each camp. It really was the highlight of the trip for me. Thank you all for being so cool.

4. Don’t be afraid to schedule a zero day and/or crash at a State Park and get some rest.

5. Take a picture of EVERY SINGLE MUSHROOM you think looks cool and start a SHT Mushroom Instagram page please. I seriously wish I took more pictures of the ridiculous mushrooms we saw on the Northern end of the trail! #SHTshroom

The biggest thing I learned was to trust your instinct. Many people will try to tell you what you should or should not do. Trust yourself and what you know you are capable of.

Finally, the question I have gotten a lot this week was whether or not I considered finishing the trail alone after my sister’s injury. For a split second, I did…and my family and friends all encouraged me…each one told me they would worry about me, but that they supported me no matter what. It was my best friend that tipped the scale when I told her I probably was going to end the hike for myself too.

She said:

“I know you can do this, you have everything it takes to finish this trail alone and if anyone can do it, you can! I support you going solo! I know you are so sad, but you are saving more for later so you GET to go back! And I also want to tell you to do what you want, and this may be an unpopular opinion, but your family does have some say.”

Um. Huh? Instead of feeling stifled by that last part, I felt loved…incredibly loved and missed. Had anyone else said it, it probably would have backfired. Only a best friend can tell you the truth sometimes. It’s hard to explain, but I knew she was right and it comforted me. I want to be a person who’s family has a say in my life. Ultimately it was my decision, but honestly, at that moment, I didn’t want to keep hiking alone, I just wanted to go home and save the rest for another adventure. It’s also worth noting that we had cold rain forecasted for like 10 out of the 11 days left on our trip…I’m not a fair weather camper, but I was ok with skipping that. The pressure to finish the hike lifted off and I was good with our decision.

Our oldest son agreed to come pick us up in the morning and seemed to enjoy the irony of “rescuing” his mom. We enjoyed a relaxing morning at camp (surrounded by RVs), said goodbye to the lake and even stopped at Tobies for Cinnamon Rolls on the way home. Mom met us with chocolate and flowers and I felt like a dirtbag beauty queen. My heart was happy knowing that we accomplished hiking 100 miles together and that we were making our way back home early.

The best part?

THIS IS NOT THE END.

~WP

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