Solo Winter Backpacking on the Superior Hiking Trail
I was itching to escape. I wanted to head north to camp in the snow. I wanted to do a loop (so I didn’t have to back track or shuttle) that wasn’t too remote (for safety reasons). I wanted to be near moving water that would hopefully be able to provide drinking water. I opted to drive 4 hours to the Cascade River, which is located about 15 miles south of Grand Marais, MN. The loop is about 8 miles with roads on the north and south ends.
Being the early part of December, the days are short (7:30 am to 4:30 pm). The area was having an unseasonable warm year. Things were pretty frozen and there was a few inches of snow, but water wasn’t super frozen yet and there wasn’t feet of snow yet.
I started from the Cascade River State Park on the south end late in the afternoon. I walked a short distance up to the Trout Creek Campsite and set up camp prior to dark. On day 2, I hiked the majority of the trail. I hiked up to County Road 45, crossed the bridge and headed back south on the west side of the river. The partially frozen river and water falls provided some scenic views. I saw some ice climbers scaling a frozen water fall. I passed the Log Cut campsite and settled in a the Big White Pine site for the night. Away from the river, it was REALLY quiet. No people. No wind. No leaves. No animals. I built a nice campfire and enjoyed a good meal before retiring. On day 3, I slept in and made my way the rest of the way around the loop. Seeing the cascades from the other side of the river was awesome.
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Gear I frequently Use:
Backpack – Zpacks Arc Haul-
Hammock – Warbonnet Ridgerunner –
Rain Fly – Custom 13′ Warbonnet Mountain Fly –
Top Quilt – Hammock Gear 0 Degree Economy Burrow –
Under Quilt- Loco Libre -20 Degree Ridge Reaper with 900 – fill power goose down –
Steegar Mukluks –
Garmin In-Reach Mini Communicator
Anker Power Bank –
Nitecore NU25 Headlamp –
Z Packs Food Bag –
REI Magma 850 Hooded Down Jacket (seasonal) –
Custom Printed Dual Pocket Gadget Bag from Hilltop Packs-
Justin’s Shoulder Strap Water Bottle Carrier-
Justin’s UL Original Cell Phone Shoulder Strap Accessory Pocket –
Sea to Summit Compression Dry Sack
Cascade Mountain Hiking Poles-
Toaks 550ML Cook Pot-
Fancy Feast Stove-
Toaks Long Handle Spork
ULA Rain Kilt –
Outdoor Research Helium II Rain Jacket –
CNOC 2 Liter Water Bag –
Sawyer Squeeze Water Filter –
Sit Pad –
Camera- Cannon G7X Mark ii Discontinued –
Ultrapod Lightweight Camera Tripod-
New Gear in this Video:
Zpacks Duplex Tent-
#Winterbackpacking #superiorhikingtrail #midwestbackpacker
MSR Groundhog Tent Stake –
Nemo Tensor Insulated Sleeping Pad –
I love that trail! It is one of my favorite places to hike along the north shore. It is great to see it in winter glory!
Dam, that looked cold!
Iโm looking to try to do some winter hiking and maybe backpacking! I love the boots. Look lightweight.! What kind are they?
Jeremy what kind of boots are you wearing dude? I like them
I like the way you called out gear by name in this one.
Great video man! Someday I'll explore the SHT.
Awesome video! Looks like a really nice hike
Awesome video dude! I love that loop hike…never hiked it in winter…I love it when the Cascade River freezes up itโs the prettiest time to visit…I need a pair of Arctic Mukluks!!! Love the time lapse and watching the smoke…pretty awesome!!
Thanks for the info on the quilts. I love to hammock camp when I can, but haven't attempted winter camping in a hammock because I'm not quite equipped for that yet. I sleep cold too – so you gave me a clue about the temp I should consider for my underquilt.
Well done! Impressed with how you stuffed those big fluffy quilts back in the bag!
Love your videos, but, did you really need to piss on camera right next to your hammock? I know, itโs the 90 year old prostate, right?
I appreciate the fact that you always show the map. I guess I am a map guy…lol
Awesome video
Another great video. I'm a big fan of winter backpacking. I was thinking if you tied some cord to your water bottle it might be easier to retrieve.
(Molly here with Bohemian) You ended up buying the arctic Mukluks! I am thinking about buying them myself. What are your genuine opinions on them after an adventure in them? I have a set of Northern Lites Elite snowshoes that I think these boots would be a perfect fit for!
looks so nice and calm there
Loved the relaxation of this video! That loop trail looks a lot different now than it did in the fall when I went! Question though…was there a latrine at your second campsite? I stopped at that campsite when I was out there needing the latrine and I couldnโt find one ๐คท๐ผโโ๏ธ lol
Great video. Its great to embrace the quiet while your out solo. I notice we have VERY similar setups. I run the banyon, with the exact same quilts as you, but overstuffed them. My last video I posted, it didn't get down cold enough to warrant bringing those winter quilts, so I stuck with my 20 degree setup. Now I just need to get some nice mukluks for the real winter trips.
Thanks for sharing your trip. The water bottle truck is a new one on me, awesome!
Beautiful area. Really enjoy the editing everything flows perfectly!
This looks like my kind of trip! I hope to get out on the Superior Hiking Trail someday.
You do a great job with the intro's and overlays it really makes a big difference. Gets a lot of info across without interfering. Smart move on the water in the water; never thought of that. Thanks for the great vids and insight. Music was perfect. ps. some short bears you got there and nice to see the RR back in action.
Love those boots!! I also love the idea of the water bottle in the river although losing it would have stunk. Lol. Your videos are LEGIT my friend.
Great video & trip! Thanks for sharing! ๐๐
Great video. I think this ranks in your top 2 ๐
Love the frozen Ice in the gorge. How did the new foot wear work out?
The nights are long when it gets dark at 4:15. Great trip Jeremy.
That's my kind of trip.
Cool solo trip Jeremy. Really beautiful out there. The Waterfall was awesome. Seemed very peaceful.
Nice solo trip man.
Very nice outing. Excellent video. Beautiful area.
Wow! A great trip! Could you lower the volume on the music? Very distracting. And please do more talking. I learn a lot from you. Thank you!
Jealous of the snow! That looked like a wonderful trip and those new mukluks ๐
Loved the crunching of the snow, how lovely to get away from it all and enjoy the wonderful winter wonderland with frozen waterfalls amazing! the flames of the fire so inviting.It certainly was a superior hiking trail.
Oh those waterfalls.. amazing views
Nice hike!๐๐ป๐บ๐ธ