Snowshoeing, skiing, and hiking!

Today was just one of those great late winter days where you have to get out and enjoy the warm sun and melting snow. I decided to make the most of the day by participating in three of my favorite activities. I started the day off by driving to Two Harbors for a a snowshoe of one of the newest sections of the Superior Hiking Trail that was guided by a member of the Superior Hiking Trail Association. It was fun to get out, even if it was not the most spectacular part of the trail. The highlight of the snowshoe hike was seeing the remains of a wolf killed deer.

From the snowshoe hike I headed into town to get lunch and then headed further north to Tettegouche State Park. I headed for the western section of the park I had not been to before to hit a ski trail that leads to Tettegouche Camp. The ski features a long ascent of a ridge, and then a long descent down to Mic Mac Lake and the camp itself. It was pretty interesting to see the camp in winter. The skiing however, was a bit more difficult than I had anticipated. Difficult, not because of the ascent and descent but because of the warm temperatures. In the sunny sections of trail the snow got wet and sticky and made for some slow gliding. However, any time I hit a shady patch the snow was icier and considerably faster. The is made the going, especially downhill, a bit tricky.


After my fun ski i headed to the Tettegouche visitor center area for a short hike to Shovel Point. The two mile trail to Shovel Point is extremely scenic. It is one of those relaxing hikes that I could walk again and again and not get tired of. I saw some climbers out scaling the cliffs and Lake Superior was quite active, showing her fury in the form of large waves. Some of the boulders that lay at the water level were covered with a thick layer of ice which added to the ambiance. It's starting to feel a bit like spring here in Minnesota!