Minnesota State Parks

[xl_target]

Tim,
It is truly gorgeous up there. The scenery was spectacular!
At this time of year, we saw no bugs at all. Cool nights and warm days made for perfect hiking weather.
The growing season in Northern MN is about a week or two behind Southern MN, so we hit the wildflower bloom again.


On the way to the first campsite, we crested a few ridges and I was able to get another panoramic view.


(click on the image to view a larger version)

Here is a panorama of the water point:

We hung our feet in the water here to cool off and we also filled up our water containers.
(click on the image to view a larger version

After we filled up, we went back to the campsite and two passing hikers relayed the info. to us that JJ was on the way and would be there shortly.
That night the camp site filled up and we had a father and his thirteen year old son (from Southern MN) and a couple in their fifties (also from MN). Everyone was friendly and we started a small fire to sit around. We exchanged yarns for a while and BG and JJ kept us entertained with anecdotes about their experiences. When I went to the latrine area, I could hear my daughter hooting with laughter at their stories.

All the camp sites had primitive latrine areas at a distance from the site.



That night I slept like a baby.
There was some gentle rain in the early morning hours but by the time we got up, it had dried out and we were looking at another beautiful day.


..... more to come

[brihacharan]

Hi xl_target,
> Nice narrative & pictures - brings a feeling of freshness
> Waiting for more!
Briha

[ckkalyan]

Nice treat xl_target – thanks for sharing! Almost within touching distance of Canada - huh?

18" Trails - now, I can visualize the narrow Indian trails, that Louis L’amour speaks of in his novels!

For your next ‘warm’ hike I have quite a few absorbent headbands in stock which I am happy to share with you. Remember, with the sparse vegetation on my head and the extremely hot climate in the Middle East – I had to carry one everywhere to keep the sweat out of my eyes in the spirit of 'Just Doing It'!



I would have probably jumped impulsively into the Split Rock River – looks deliciously cool and of course tranquil! Amazing scenes, great photos of nature, exciting write-up!

Latrine? And here I was thinking that the term was obsolete - I guess not?!

[brihacharan]

Nice treat xl_target – thanks for sharing!
Latrine? And here I was thinking that the term was obsolete - I guess not?!

Hi Kalyan,
'Etymology' is a very interesting subject - the more you delve into it - the more enlightened you get!


From the above one can perhaps surmise that the French word 'toile' (cloth) could've made its way into English as 'towel'
Briha

[xl_target]

Latrine? And here I was thinking that the term was obsolete - I guess not?!

The word Latrine still seems to be commonly used in the US Army.
It is referenced quite often in recent US military literature.

When looking at all the trees in the area, one has to realize that this is all new growth.
The area was extensively logged in the 19th century.
That is why you don't see any really big trees.

Day 2

We had some rain the in the early hours of Saturday morning but we were snug and dry in our tent.
By the time we woke up, everything was drying. We had breakfast, packed everything up and hit the trail.
It was a little cooler now as it was overcast so we didn't sweat as much. The hike was quite enjoyable.

The trail was easy to follow. This is a trail that is very well marked. There are signs on the trees and blue "blazes" ( blue paint on trees) at regular intervals.


SHT Trail markers


We left the camp and a short way away we had to cross the Split Rock River on a rickety bridge.
I don't think the bridge was designed to be so poorly built but thats what happens when you have a tree-hugger build a bridge instead of an engineer.
Even leaning against the side railings caused the whole structure to sway to one side.


The "swaying" bridge.


Warning sign on the bridge.


Here you can see the ropes extending to the middle of a spindly tree in a vain attempt to give the bridge some stability.


Now we headed back down the other side of the Split Rock River, where we are still treated to some great views.


Occasionally she has to wait for me.
She forgets that a fifty two year old, at times, might have a tough time keeping up with a twenty five year old.


We crest another ridge and something familiar about the view catches my eye.
Tomorrow, we will have to backtrack close to this spot and then walk all the way there to be picked up.


On zooming the camera all the way in, we see it is our old friend; The Split Rock Lighthouse.



Then we come into our second campsite and set up our trusty tent again.

Here the water is iffy with just a small puddle to filter out of. Our filter is plugging up and it is slow going but thankfully JJ generously lets us use his setup.
In about three minutes, we have our five liters and head back to the camp.
Now that we have enough water, I'm looking forward to a cup of the Columbian coffee that I have brought along.


more......

[xl_target]

Superior Hiking Trail
Day3

The last day dawned cold and misty. There was a heavy overcast and a cooler wind was blowing off the lake.
I debated putting on a fleece jacket but decided not to. Even though it was cool when we stopped, the exertion of the hike kept us warm.
We broke camp and headed out quite early.
We backtracked and hiked back to the junction of the trail to the Split Rock Lighthouse.


We are a lot closer to the lake now and we shucked our packs and took in the scenery for a few minutes on this ridge.
(Click on the photo for a larger image)

Cooking on the Trail


Hash browns potatoes with sausage crumbled in. My daughter brought all the food (which I had to carry ).
We ate well enough that we were never hungry. We had the aforementioned Hash Browns and sausage. We also had spiced rice and beans.
We had Pizza Pies; pizza sauce, pepperoni, cheese, onions, green peppers.... all cooked between two slices of bread in a portable Pie Maker that we take on a lot of our trips (even though it is a pain to pack). We even had dessert with Nutella cooked between bread in the Pie Maker. JJ and BG made a lot of fun of our Pie Maker but we ate very well.


A watched pot never boils.

What's a Pie maker, you ask?


A portable camp fire Pie maker. You just load up the ingredients in it and then set it in the campfire for a few minutes.

A long haul finally got us back to the LIghthouse parking lot at around 1:30 in the afternoon.
We finally got a faint cell phone signal on a hill near the parking area and I was able to call my wife to come and pick us up.


Back at the lighthouse. Waiting for our ride back. You can see the pie maker sticking out of my daughter's pack here.


The eye of the Cyclops? This is the French Fresnel lens in the lighthouse.
My wife picked us up and we were back at my in-laws house after about an hour and a half on the road. A short while later it started raining cats and dogs and continued to do so for about four hours. We got out just in the nick of time.


We're a little grungy here from our days on the trail but we both clean up well.
Ladies and Gentlemen; thanks, from both of us, for coming along on our trip

[ckkalyan]

Exhilarating trip and hike xl_target! Amazingly scenic route and nice writeup - Thank You! I love rivers and creeks, quite enjoyed the trip.

[brihacharan]

Hi xl_target,
> Great coverage - trekking, sight seeing, snacking & story telling photographs....
> Thanks for the enchanting trip
Briha

[xl_target]

I'm glad you liked it Brihaji.
I was beginning to think that there weren't any back-country enthusiasts here.

[brihacharan]

I'm glad you liked it Brihaji.
I was beginning to think that there weren't any back-country enthusiasts here.

Hi xl_target,
> Please lay your doubts to rest...
> There are many of us out here who love the pristine environs of the 'back country'
> A weekend out in the wilderness seamlessly melds body, mind & soul to elevate the nascent desire to commune with the creator
> You are lucky (blessed) to enjoy this....
Briha

[xl_target]

> A weekend out in the wilderness seamlessly melds body, mind & soul to elevate the nascent desire to commune with the creator

You definitely got that right, sir.

[Sakobav]

Amazing pictures and narrative Xl , I went to Duluth few times on big lake superior once MN is a beautiful place..

Cheers

[xl_target]

This spring, in May, the old hiking and camping yearning was beginning to get to me again. I just had to go out again so I called my friend Jeff and set up an overnight trip. We decided to go somewhere in the area, relatively close by, so we picked Fort Ridgely State Park again. Fort Ridgely has some nice campsites right on the river.

During the Dakota War of 1862, the Fort road was one of the few major roads in the area.
It is a pleasant drive on this tree lined road as we head to Fort Ridgely.
It sure is nice to see all that green after the grays of winter.


The trees along the Fort road are already greening up in anticipation of the summer.

Spring wildflowers are blooming as the countryside recovers from a long winter.


A brilliant splash of color contrasted with the drabness of winter


The insects have come alive and are busy, with the return of warmer temperatures.

It is turning out to be a beautiful day with blue skies and very few clouds.
The campsites are isolated from one another and you cannot see anyone else when you are in them.


We pull into our pretty little campsite and set up our tent.


Our campsite is right on the banks of the river. A really pleasant spot.


A tranquil and well shaded spot, with Jeff relaxing by the river in his bright yellow hammock

After setting up camp, we hit the trails.


splotches of color litter the sides of the trails


Heading up from the valley to the Fort along the Fort Trail.


In 1862, during the Dakota War, a group of the Sioux Indians used this path to assault the Fort.

Approaching the top of the ridge, we come upon the Fort.


Only the commissary stands now, the rest of the buildings are gone. You can see the monument in the middle of the parade ground.
During the Dakota War, there would have been a flagpole there.


This is the spot where the last assault of the Sioux were stopped. You can see the foundations of the 200 ft. long barracks.


The monument to the dead of the Dakota War


The plaque on the monument commemorating the Dakota War.


After the Fort, we hit another trail


Some of these trails are shared hiking/horseback trails.


We came back to camp, cooked supper and lit the fire.

It was relatively pleasant when we hit the tent. In the morning, however, we woke to a chilly 36 deg. F (2 deg. C).
My sleeping bag was only rated to 45 degrees F, so I woke up cold.
I tumbled out of bed looking for a hot cup of coffee but my stove refused to perform in the cold. Thankfully, Jeff had a Jetboil stove and we had the water boiling in no time. Time to breakdown and get me a Jetboil too.

After breakfast, we packed and headed home, with the camping bug sated for a little while.

[timmy]

XL, Spring is looking very nice up there! That site looks like such a nice place for a hike and history lesson!

Great pics, too -- thanks for sharing.

[ckkalyan]

Nice pictures and write up xl_target. I liked the campsite, by the river very much.

I can only imagine the continuous music of the flowing water tumbling across the rocks and pebbles!