The poodle and I went for a lovely and challenging hike this week at Tettegouche State Park, up the North Shore. Somewhere along the 11-mile hike, I stared down a midlife crisis.At the start of the hike, I felt young and fresh. I knew I could either hike on the ski trail or on the Superior Hiking Trail. And I knew the Superior Hiking Trail would be 1) much more difficult and 2) much more scenic. With great challenges come great rewards, right?So instead of hiking on the flat, smooth ski trail, I took it right to the steep and … read more

Oberg Mountain is a great North Shore hike, especially in fall colors. Sure, it's full of people, but the views are so spectacular and so accessible, you just gotta do it. And maybe you should do it two times in a row.The trail starts from the Onion River Road, from the big trailhead parking lot 2.1 miles up from Highway 61. It's well-marked and easy to follow the whole way. The entire hike is about 2 miles long.The heart of the trail is the 1.3 mile loop around the summit of Oberg. There are seven different overlooks, each one quite … read more

I received a great e-mail the other day:"Hello Andrew,"I've been reading your Camping the North Shore book and have a question. On p. 65 (Climb Carlton Peak) you say that Carlton is the state's tallest mountain, at 1,526 feet. How can that be, when Eagle is 2,301 feet? Does it have something to do with where the base is?"Thanks, and thanks for a nice job on the info in the book."To my untrained eye, Carlton Peak sticks out from the surrounding landscape more than any other "mountain" in Minnesota I could think of, at lease when I wrote the camping … read more

My memories of hiking in Europe include gravity-defying gondola rides, permanently gray skies, and picnics in wildflower meadows featuring beef tongue.Who knew I'd find almost all of those things right here on the North Shore?I did the famous "gondola hike" at Lutsen Mountains yesterday. You take the mountain tram from the very Scandinavian village area of Lutsen up to the top of Moose Mountain, then hike on the SHT about four miles back down to your car. Europeans love gondolas, both the airborne mountain kind and the skinny canal boats in Venice.At the top of the gondola ride is a … read more

Thank you, Bryan Hansel, for seizing the day and capturing it on video. This vid show Bryan and a friend descending the Kadunce River up past Grand Marais, with ropes and safety equipment.Kadunce Canyoneering from Bryan Hansel on Vimeo. The streams and canyons of the North Shore are calling out for creative thinking outdoor professionals. If you're looking for a new North Shore adventure experience, get in touch with Bryan through his website. … read more

In my three days of hiking and camping up the North Shore last week, the best hike I took was the Middle Falls Trail at Grand Portage State Park. The hike kept getting better and better, and at one point I heard myself out loud saying, "Wow WOW WOW!"The route starts on the wide, paved half-mile trail to the High Falls. The streams are still running high in the Tip of the Arrowhead, and High Falls was rocking and rolling. This the highest waterfall in Minnesota, and we've been nice enough to share with Ontario, where it is just one … read more

Martin Kubik founder of the Kekekabic Trail Club, hikes the 41 mile wilderness trail in three days.Check it out. He's got great photos and a great story. … read more

A good day in the woods, a great day for the country. My weeks on injured reserve are done, and my apparently mild case of plantar fasciitis has healed. Plus I just couldn't stand to hang out in town all day waiting for election results. So in this very narrow window before deer season and the first snows, I got out on two trails I'd been meaning to hike all fall. Both trails were up the Cramer Road out of Finland. It had been so foggy next to Lake Superior I wanted to get away from the big cold water … read more

We hiked to the top of Mount Josephine today, up at Grand Portage. It's a very steep climb on a poorly maintained trail, so the challenge of getting there almost overwhelmed Sally and me. Ten hours later now and I'm still woozy from the muggy heat. The trail had been recommended in the Falcon Press "Hiking Minnesota" book as well as numerous fliers and the Grand Portage Lodge visitor guide. So I was surprised by how hard it was to find the trailhead. Also, the trail itself really hadn't been maintained this year or, it seems, for years before. Where … read more