Over the previous weekend, I joined a family backpacking trip to the SHT, planned from Judge Magney State Park to a trailhead where the trail goes on to Pincushion Mountain, all above Grand Marais. Autosuggest wanted "backpacking" to be "hellish," but it was mostly quite fun, if arduous.
We had three dogs, which meant a forced fast pace, some wrangling, a little grumpy growling at naptime, and lots of thrills and chills at cliffside. Everyone survived. A sprained ankle required half our party to be helped out and taken home early, but not due to dog antics.
My dog, a Husky Border Collie mix, pulls like sled pulling alternating with checking back in and herding. So she pulls when going downhill on rocky sliding trails, but slacks as we go up hills, busy looking back to urge me on. I did not get the dog assist the other hikers did from goal-oriented, non-herdy breeds...
The campgrounds were full, and our reserved site even had some freeloading Freegans in it when we arrived at 10:30 pm... But the backpacking sites and trails were only sparsely populated, and we camped alone in a nice beach cove and then up in a large group site on a forested ridge. No nightly critter visitors, except some small scurryings and bugs. Good food and dog behavior in the tent.
Customer service at the Tettegouche State Park visitor center was disinterested at best, but the Java Moose and Pie Cafe in Grand Marais were awesome. Food tastes good after camping,tho our cooks did well in the dried foods department. We had more trouble hanging bear bags with all white birches...
Anyway. Pictures tell more.
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