Wandering Pine is reader-supported. When you buy through our links, we may earn an affiliate commission at no additional cost to you. Thank you! Learn more.
Awake at 10:30, 3:30 & 5:30am. Gentle rain all night. My tarp and bivy pitched low combined with an umbrella for a door worked great. Stayed warm, had to shed a layer-so glad I brought my winter pad.
Its still raining this morning. I don’t want to get out of bed. Snuck out to pee and jumped right back in. Can I just lay here and read my new book?
Packed up wet gear, will try to dry it at lunch. We are hiking 10ish miles today on flatter terrain (ha, it was actually still very hilly). I was going to save my waterproof socks for tomorrow but they sound wonderful right now. (So glad I wore them! Mud!)
6:30am. Still sitting here. Im going to read.
We ended up hiking 13 miles. Lots of up and down.
Notes:
-crystal creek campsite has a view of lk superior and the best latrine view ever! The covered bridge leading to it is rustic and lovely. Im coming back just for that latrine view tho!
-mushrooms galore! So many mushroom portraits. Moar mushrooms!
-ran into Sherrie and Dave twice! We should have camped with them again at East Caribou!
-amazing alien pitcher plants at the floating bog at alfreds pond
-did an extra two miles, missed camp the first time (sign for West Caribou is easy to miss SOBO, especially if you are taking pictures of EVERY MUSHROOM!)
-Ruth tried to bring us some trail magic (beer!) and somehow missed us. She left a sweet, encouraging note in the trail register that made me cry. ❤️
-feeling a little sad tonight. Looking forward to being done but also not wanting the adventure to end. Feeling emotional, not sleeping well…looking forward to getting off trail for a night and drying out
-Wore rain gear all day and stayed warm and dry. God bless my waterproof socks, pants, jacket!
-wind is picking up, my tarp is low and next to my face-my umbrella is my door. Makes getting dressed interesting.
-East Caribou was the better site. We should have stayed there. Multi group, lots of hammock spots-aluminum foil in fire pit, but easy water access, cell service.
-W caribou is a little further down the trail, rooty surface, tougher to pitch a good tarp. One good hammock spot, big hill to the latrine, glad we didn’t have to share camp with anyone tonight.
-dinner. homemade dehydrated shepherds pie from last year’s thru hike, w coconut oil and a hot electrolyte drink.
-In bed by 8 hope it doesn’t rain, this site is one big hill and we’re in the middle of it.
*NOTE: Im posting trail notes when we find service. For more photos, stories about the first 250 miles, gear and other trail shenanigans, you can follow along here and click the Superior Hiking trail tab at the top of the page. Thanks for reading and Happy Trails!
Your timing couldn’t be more perfect with this. I’m going through this section next week and appreciate the notes. I was planning W Caribou because less people but you changed that for me, thanks! How was the water source at crystal Creek?
Crystal creek water was good but we had lots of rain. Good luck on your hike!!
And I’m gonna head up north soon and bring some dry warm weather with me … 😉
+1 for the latrine view at Crystal Creek! I had bees and butterflies keeping me company when I last used it. 🙂 That looks like a brand new registery – have you noticed others on this hike?
Hike On!
I didnt see another one like this blue one until the end. I did see a couple on earlier trips. This one at Caribou was cool because it was creatively mounted to a massive overturned tree root.