28 Miles of New Superior Hiking Trail
The Superior Hiking Trail Association is
unveiling a 22-mile section of trail near
Two Harbors on September 1, 2009.Rudi Hargesheimer writes about this
new trail and an additional six-mile section that will probably not open until 2010.
By Rudi Hargesheimer- Feature Writer
Lucky me! Gayle Coyer, Executive Director of the Superior Hiking Trail Association, offeredt
o provide me with a “sneak peek” shuttle for a 28-mile backpacking trip on the newest sections of the Superior Hiking Trail (SHT) around the backside of Two Harbors.
Ranked as the “Second Best Long Trail in the Nation” by Backpacker Magazine readers, the 205 miles of Superior Hiking Trail from Lake Country Road 301 northeas
t to the Canadian border is spectacular in its beauty with panoramic views from high ridges and cascading waterfalls plunging down deep canyons.
But the area south of Lake Country Road 301 had been an enigma since the SHT was first built. Although at first there was no obvious route to take around Two Harbors, determined SHTA volunteers spent years pouring over maps, speaking with landowners, scouting the woods, and hanging pink ribbons until a path around town began to take shape.