May 4th Update

I have a couple of updates this week as I plan this thru-hike.

Refined the Travel Plan

So, my original plan was to hike north until I reached Grand Marais.  From there, I would take a shuttle to near the Northern Terminus and hike back.  That required me to park my car near the Southern Terminus, probably the Martin Street trailhead, for fifteen to eighteen days.  Doing some research, leaving my car for that long is a bit iffy.  Also, I didn't know what shuttle service I was going to use.

Part of my research for hiking the PCT was to read trail journals of similar aged hikers.  It just makes sense to learn from the successes and failures of those I follow.  On the PCT, there are a ton of hiking journals.  Like the Ice Age Trail, the number of Superior Hiking Trail journals are much more limited.  However, Trail Journals has a few.  I read the journal of a 2020 hiker with the trail name of High Loon.

(If High Loon is reading this, thank you for your wisdom.)

He wrote in his log on the first day of his hike the following:

I drove up to Grand Marais from Ohio and parked my vehicle with Harriet Quarles, who's been driving shuttles along this trail for twenty years.  Harriet's a real gem, with a wry smile and a twinkle in her eyes.  She's irreverent and hilarious.  I liked her immediately.

At Harriet's kind and generous suggestion, I took an Arrowhead Transit bus from Grand Marais to Duluth.  Then I took a Duluth city bus to a stop within a mile of the Martin Road trailhead, the southern terminus of my hike.  The cost of these two bus rides?  Zero!!  I told you she was a gem.

I had read a number of posts from Harriet on the SHT Facebook group, so I reached out to her.  I talked with her that evening and everything High Loon said was the same with one exception.  The Arrowhead Transit bus is no longer free.  It is $10.

With that I have refined my travel plan.  Instead of driving to Duluth, I will drive to Grand Marais on a Monday and park my car at Harriet's place.  I'll spend the night in Grand Marais and take the Arrowhead Transit bus back to Duluth.  I'll hike north towards Grand Marais.  When I am getting close, I'll text Harriet and get on her schedule.  She will take me to the Northern Terminus and I will hike back to Grand Marais.

The only thing left that I have to do is decide which Monday I'm going and buy a ticket.

Gear Updates

I will be writing a gear update in the future, but there are a couple of pieces from my PCT hike that I will need to replace.  I've starting doing that.

The first piece of gear I needed to replace was my gaiters.  My black Dirty Girl gaiters took a beating on the PCT.  The held up wonderfully, but they are not ready for another thru-hike.  They have some holes and the Velcro is no longer as adhesive as it used to be.  So, I ordered a new set.  They have a wide range of colors and patterns.  I actively looked to see if I wanted a more exotic pair.  Ultimately, I chose to be boring and by a new black pair.  Ticks are a major issue on this trail, so I will treat them with Permethrin.

I will be wearing a new hiking shirt I purchased at Costco.  That will also be treated with Permethrin.

Most likely, I will be taking my fleece sweatshirt instead of my Ghost Whisperer fleece jacket.  I expect to be walking in the rain and fleece does a much better job of keeping you warm when it is wet.

Training

I'm up to 25 pounds on my backpack, and I have been completing 8-to-9 mile hikes with no issues or blisters.  I'd like to loose some more of this COVID weight before I leave, but if I'm not able to do so, I should be fine.  Once I'm on trail and hiking all day, the weight will melt off.

What is important is that my feet are prepared.  No blisters means a happy hike.

Resupply

I have purchased ten freeze dried meals.  I have a couple left over from the PCT.  I should be good to go there.

Conclusion

I'm on course for a good thru-hike.  Waiting is a bit of a drag, so I'm reading my PCT blog and following other hikers.  I discovered that Fish Tank is attempting the CDT.  That is pretty bold.  I wish him well.