Wild thing, I think I love you

But I want to know with certainty.

There is a bit of double meaning here.

The path.

I love trails. There is something cathartic to follow a path. I love how wild the forest, animals and the general atmosphere that is not my house is.

The wild child I am.

I love the self that I am when I am out of my comfort zone. That dirty, sweaty girl without care without care in the world other than my next source of water, or my next camp.

I have really come to love the person I have become since I fired my first long path, the John Muir Trail. It sounds cliché to say aloud that the path has changed me, but I have seen a notable difference in my behavior since that path ended in 2016. Perhaps it is a natural growth that comes from aging, but I really believe that overcoming the challenges that come from immersing themselves in that lifestyle makes you different when you leave on the other hand. The great challenges in daily life now seem small and manageable. I have learned not to sweat small things.

When I’m not on his way, I’m always thinking about it. I feel that I always have this distant look on my face, which is I long to be «outside.» When I finish a long path, I usually feel a little beaten and ready for a break. But, it is better that he believes that he will not spend much before he longed for a return of the wild. So, just to make sure that I still love her, I will go out again, this time on the Higher Hiking Route in a few days.

Some notes before binding my path runners:

Address of the path

The upper sendent of hiking runs to about 310 miles from the border of Wisconsin to just Canada, running along the ridge lines next to the upper lake in Minnesota. I will make the «total» sht (the 310 mile version) instead of the «traditional» walk, which cuts the last 45 miles more or less jumping the sections through the city of Duluth.

I’m starting the SHT on the Hartley Nature Center path in northern Duluth. Essentially, I am first doing the last part of the path. Two my friends that I met at Tahoe Rim Trail last year are flying from Washington to walk with me. We will take three days to cover the 45 miles and stay in a VRBO in the city. I especially hope this, since I have the opportunity to walk again with my friends and get all the comforts of the city, that is, showers, beds, food and libations. Post of Caminata sweets!

Once «end» on the border of Wisconsin and at the southern end, I will turn to the northern terminal and continue Sobo (south). My friends will take me there, and I will leave three refueling along the way, saving in the frank to send them by mail. Thank you very much to this great help!

Trail maps

There is no Farout map of the upper hiking route. On the one hand, I am a little discouraged by this. I have used Farout, previously Guthook, for all my long previous trails. I have become accustomed to its characteristics and I love getting beta in real time from other trail users. On the other hand, I think it can be incredibly gratifying to discover the path without, as his fellow blogger of Trek Good Zen expressed: «suck the maternal tetin of Farout.» Do I really need to know the elevation profile of today’s section? Why not simply find out as I go? I really want to allow the path to really surprise me, instead of examining in advance what to expect. Farout is wonderful to explore the next water sources and the closure of trails, but for once I will be able to trust my instincts and experience to handle what the path throws me.

However, it would be imprudent to reach any trace without some kind of navigation. The SHT has maps in Avenza to download, so I bought them. Of course, I also have the Sht Databook downloaded to my phone for mileage and camp reference.

Reporting

As mentioned earlier, I am leaving three reliefs on the road trip to the north end. My current plan is also spending the night in each of these cities, with a zero day planned in one of them. I leave the refueling boxes in my planned accommodations, and I called in advance to make sure they can sustain them.

Blogging

I am very excited to blog about this trail. I do not hope to have a fan base. Yes, the five minutes of fame that I always knew, haha. I imagine that I always daily about my day to day in my store at night, so why not let my family and friends, or any curious reader know what it is like for me? My mo for the blog will be to give my raw experience about life along the way, and also give useful information about the SHT in general. When I am investigating a path, I love finding blogs that provide details about logistics, weather, path conditions and replenishment. Most people in my life are generally confused/concerned about this hobby I have, so I would like to show you what the path of the path is and why I am obsessed with that.

Equipment

I’m not going to immerse myself in the minutiae of each piece of equipment I am taking. I will make the upper part of the big things:

• Backpack: ZPacks Arc Haul Zip

• Sleep configuration: Duplex zpacks tent, 10 degrees 10 degrees, 7R inflatable pad, gossamer gear ¼ inch of foam

• Food settings: Toaks 700 ml of titanium pot, MSR Pocketrocket stove, my Bearvault 450 trust.

In an effort to save some pounds (the BV450 weighs 33 oz), I seriously pledged my food on this trip. I saw YouTube tutorials, I bought some Paracord and learned some knots. I went out to my patio to practice, and after just a few attempts, I knew that this method was not for me. There are too many variables. When I get to the tired and tired camp, find the right tree and make an appropriate bear would simply lead to frustration, or worse, the loss of my food.

With a can there are no variables. Simply do it on the ground. The convenience of the bear can worth it for me. Space and weight are the only two cons on the list. I realize that these two elements are probably not negotiable for ultraligators, but I am not ultralight. I would definitely consider me in the light backpack category.

I am happy to have gained a new essential backproof ability. It is simply one that I will use on this trip.

I have been devouring hungry the publications of other bloggers, waiting for my time and waiting patiently to begin my own adventure. It will not be long before I return to the path to feed my wild side. I hope you follow!

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