Saturday, October 9, 2010

Bear and Bean Lakes


Another beautiful autumn day had Noelle and I ready to get out and do some more hiking. We decided to hike to what I believe is one of the most beautiful spots in Minnesota: Bear and Bean Lakes which lie in a remote part of Tettegouche State Park near Silver Bay.

Our drive to Silver Bay was uneventful and by the time we got to the trail-head at the visitor center in town we were pretty hungry. We decided to head over to the nearby grocery store Zup's, to get some sandwiches and snacks. We then returned to the trail-head and started our hike. The beginning was not so interesting, weaving through town on some ATV trails. When we got out of town and off the ATV trails the hike took us through a section of clear-cut forest before we climbed and headed into some more pristine territory.

When we got to the loop section of the trail we decided to hike it counter-clockwise. Soon we got our first view of the very pretty Bear Lake.

The trail then followed a ridge to the best overlook in Minnesota, the overlook of both Bear and Bean Lakes.

We spent some time lounging in the sun and relaxing there before we continued on our way.

The trail then dropped into a ravine before returning to a rocky, open ridge above the lakes. Here we obtained numerous spectacular views of both Bear and Bean lakes.

Eventually, the trail veered away from the lakes and we headed into the forest. The hiking was still pleasant and we were soon treated to another overlook, this time looking out over Silver Bay and Lake Superior on Elam's Knob.

From the knob we descended in earnest and arrived back at the car.

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