Sharing Dad’s love of Superior Hiking Trail on one last trek

It hit me after I reached a big rock called Ely’s Peak, the turnaround point of a 6-mile hike along part of the Superior Hiking Trail in Minnesota. 

Dad. Where is he? Did he make it back to the car yet?

Dad’s decision

At 84, my father yearned to continue hiking the Superior Trail. For decades, hiking, biking, and fishing had been his conduits to both leisure and tranquility, but nothing beat the North Shore for solitude. 

Now the hiking treks were getting out of reach as his energy levels dropped slowly, steadily, like a hot air balloon landing.

That’s why 20 minutes after embarking on our hike to Ely’s Peak, Dad had insisted that my husband, Jon, and I continue without him, waving his favorite walking stick for emphasis. He assured us he’d get back to the car and await our return.

I wasn’t worried. He knew this area well.

But now it had been more than an hour since we parted, and I was a long way from the trailhead. The sun had reappeared after a rainstorm, the forest air thick with humidity and mosquitoes.

Was Dad OK?   

What-ifs clouded my mind, and I picked up my pace. Soon I was almost running – not a good idea on a rocky trail when you have Parkinson’s disease. But I had to get back.

A hike proposal

Earlier that week on our summer visit, Jon and I asked Dad if we could accompany him on a Superior Trail hike. It was really the other way around: He’d be going with us, since he really didn’t go to northern Minnesota anymore. The 3-hour drive was too much for him, and my mom was no longer comfortable with him hiking alone.

Dad liked our idea, so we grabbed our boots and daypack and headed north on I-35.

The trailhead parking lot was empty at noon when we arrived, likely because of the earlier thunderstorms. 

We chose to take the route less traveled to Ely’s Peak. The more popular hike is a 1.8-mile loop, short and steep. It starts on the opposite side of the peak from us, off Beck Road just southwest of Duluth.

Parkinson’s hiking tip

Though the loop hike is much shorter, some hikers with Parkinson’s may not go for its boulder scrambles, rock-laden trails, and steepness. If you can handle the longer length, the trail we took might be a better route. Do the research for any hike, and know what works for you.

---

The trail to the peak was like a roller coaster, going up and down, both out and back, for a total elevation gain of about 900 feet. 

The scenery was lovely. A mix of mature trees and some new growth made up the thick forest. Birches, a mainstay of northern Minnesota’s landscape, were plentiful. 

Frequent blue blazes – which mark all 310 miles of the SHT – let us know we were on track.

Wildflowers were all around us, even at the road crossing on the trail.

The trail surface turned to solid rock as we neared the peak. Hikers on the loop trail passed by us.

Within moments we were at the top, and the views opened up.

Shades of green went for miles in every direction and surrounded the St. Louis River estuary. It was midsummer, but I imagine the colors would really pop in the fall. Lake Superior was in the far distance.

We stayed for a few minutes, until the inner nagging started.

Get back to Dad.

In a hurry

I couldn’t enjoy the forest sights on my hike back to the car. I was too busy watching my feet nearly fly over roots and rocks to get there.

Huffing for breath, I was set to ascend the final incline up to the parking lot. 

That’s when I looked up and saw him, right where the trail ends, standing straight like a guard, walking stick in hand, floppy hat covering his thinning hair, and that slightly crooked grin on his face. Relieved, I almost cried at the majesty of the moment.

“What took ya so long?” Dad asked, with more than a hint of wryness.

Dad is pretty resilient, and he’s learned a few things over the years. After we had split up on our hike, he knew what he was capable of doing. Recognizing his limits, he was humble enough to turn around after a half hour of going uphill wore him out.

Not that something couldn’t have happened to him – I preach not to hike alone – but my worry had been for naught.  

A few regrets

Now 85, Dad still loves to hear about Jon’s and my adventures in the mountains. “Gosh, I wish I had started that kind of hiking when I was a younger,” he often laments after seeing our photos.

But his Superior Hiking Trail record is impressive in its own right. On a basement wall he has tracked his dozens of hikes on a 7-foot-long trail map – some with family, some with youth groups, others alone. But those days are over. “I just don’t have the energy,” he says.

Living with Parkinson’s, I can relate. This thief of a disease already is beginning to take away the stamina I possessed even just a couple of years ago.

For many years, my father modeled for me the awe and respect that the Creator’s handiwork deserves. I was glad to be with Dad one more time on his beloved Superior Hiking Trail.

I now had a cherished memory that would energize me on future hikes.

---

Hike info

PD difficulty level (see chart): Difficult
Distance: 6.5 miles total out and back
Elevation gain: 890 feet
Trailhead location: Coming from I-35 take Exit 249 to go east on W. Skyline Pkwy. to the Snively Ski Trail Parking Area.
Cell phone service: Not good
Bathrooms: Portable bathrooms are at the trailhead in the summer
Emergency medical support: Community Memorial Hospital in Cloquet is 25 minutes away
Costs: None
Road access to trailhead: Park next to trailhead