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Hi there! Just popping in to give a little update since yesterday marked exactly one year since I completed the Superior Hiking Trail! And the Southern Minnesota State Park Hiking Club video just published! Video editing is time consuming, but worth it just to get to re-live the adventure. I hope you enjoy it!
Superior Hiking Trail-a-versary
As challenging as 2020 has been, it’s hard to believe its already been a year since I was standing on my head at the Southern Terminus, with a surreal sense of accomplishment and Duluth Grill’s Fish Tacos on my mind. Its an experience that I will carry with me forever…and I hope you don’t mind that I refer back to it here so much. Hiking this trail changed me. If I had it to do all over again, I would hike less miles at the start, take my time, worry less about following a plan, bring more chocolate, take more mushroom pictures, and read the book ‘Fixing Your Feet’ beforehand, (instead of after I actually had to fix my feet… ). Fortunately, I had these things I figured out by the time I completed the last section. Thank you to everyone who hiked and encouraged me along the way! That was the best part of the journey!
If you are new to this blog and want to read about my 310 mile LASH (Long Amazing Section Hike), you can start here, hit the SHT tab above, or check out the podcasts under my digital features section. Planning your own SHT hike or have questions? Shoot me a note in the comments, I’d love to hear about it.
Hiking Southern Minnesota
In case you missed it, here’s the two part post about last month’s trip! The prairie has a unique beauty and history that I am still learning more about. I’m also realizing the importance of knowing our history, in order to learn from it and avoid repeating it. So, if you are like me, and history was not your favorite subject; I encourage you to do dig in, listen and educate yourself. The ‘This American Life-Little War on the Prairie’ podcast series was a starting point for me, along with this resource from the Minnesota Historical Society. Please share any books or resources you may have, I appreciate it!
This new video highlights some of our adventure! Hiking, camping and learning important history about the Dakota Mdewakanton , Anishinabewaki ᐊᓂᔑᓈᐯᐗᑭ , Očhéthi Šakówiŋ people and their land; currently known as the following parks: Pipestone National Monument, Kilen Woods, Fort Ridgely, Blue Mounds, Split Rock Creek, and Lake Shetek State Parks.
There’s another grouping of parks just North of the area we visited, and I’m already scheming how to pull together a trip to explore those! If you would like to see a video of our trip and see more of this area of Minnesota, check it out and be sure to subscribe to be notified of new content.
What’s next?
The garden is winding down…Fall is in the air, and the smoke from the wildfires on the West coast is covering the country from coast to coast, making our sun look like a fuzzy orange orb against a pale sky. My heart hurts for everyone impacted by the devastation and I’m praying for rain, cool temps, clear air and relief to come quickly. This week, I invited ‘Lampy’ the magical Seasonal Affective Disorder lamp back to my morning routine to help with the transition of seasons (and all of the feelings that come with it).
Coming up next: The Bemidji Glamping trip report is drafted, and I’m getting ready for a backpacking trip up to the BWCA!
Stay tuned, and keep those shoes dirty!
~WP
Fun post, Jen. I’ve not visited many of the regional parks you listed and will get them on my ‘to do’ list. And the pic below Babe the Blue Ox, Section 13 overlook I think, reinforced my interest in getting up that way again this fall with my wife [sect 13 to Penn Blvd]. This is my favorite time of the year to hike. Cheers!
Thanks for reading and checking in Mike! Always good to hear what you are up to. Im watching the color reports come in from hikers on the SHT Facebook page and they are just starting to pop up there! Definitely time for a visit! I’m looking forward to getting away for a few days and enjoying this gorgeous time as well. No bugs! YAY!