North Shore MN Part 2

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With just one full day left in Silver Bay, we decide to get in another hike. We had looked at lots of options that sounded good but most of them were a bit of a drive and having driven close to 200 miles yesterday, we opt for a popular hike that is less than a 5 mile drive from camp. A section of the Superior Hiking Trail called the Bean and Bear Lake Loop. Since we haven’t been doing a ton of hiking this year, a 7 mile hike with a bit over 1000 feet of elevation should be a good workout for us. From everything we’ve heard about the hike, it sounds like the views will be worth the effort.

On our way to the trailhead, we stop at Silver Bay Marina again. Our Great Lakes shipping app showed that there should be a ship docked at the nearby Northshore Mining facility and we were curious what activity was visible when one was being loaded. It turns out that there isn’t a whole lot to see from our vantage point but there were some sounds like some work was being done. It probably would be more interesting to see the ship depart and head out but trying to time our visit for that seemed unlikely.

Northshore Mining

Freighter at Dock

The parking lot at the trailhead is very large and from the looks of things, there are also some ATV trails coming out of this location. There is decent signage to keep us on the correct path although we do take a small detour to look for a couple of geocaches early in the hike.

Start of Bean and Bear Lakes Trail

Up We Go

It was definitely a pretty day and just enough trees were beginning to change colors to make it even nicer. The trail is never too steep and some sections have nice stone steps placed to prevent washouts during rain storms.

Lake Superior in Background

Colorful Bushes Along the Trail

At the 2 mile mark, we hit the beginning of the loop portion of the hike. Looking at the elevation profile in advance, we didn’t see a big reason to go one way versus the other. We head left and go around the loop in a clockwise direction.

Early Fall Colors

It takes another three quarters of a mile of uphill before we get our first glimpse of one of the lakes. Heading the direction we went, Bean Lake is seen first. The trail then parallels the lake although we are about 170 feet above the surface of the lake so you get a much more commanding view of the lake and surrounding forest.

Bean Lake

We continue along the path that at times is right along the edge of the drop off. About a half mile later, we spotted the second one - Bear Lake. It’s a little smaller but still pretty. There are similar rock ledges along the trail offering great views.

Approaching Bear Lake

Bear Lake

Around 3.5 miles in, we come across a spur trail that heads to a primitive campsite. Since it was about lunchtime, we decide to check it out as a lunch stop. The only problem is the campsite is close to lake level so we have to climb down a rather steep and challenging trail losing 80 feet of elevation which we will just need to climb back up 20 minutes later. Nobody was using the campsite so we had the place to ourselves and it was very pretty.

Bear Lake at Water Level

The trail eventually works its way back up to a little over 200 feet above Bear Lake, and lines up with Bean Lake. We found a couple of good viewpoints before spotting a large rock outcropping that has a great spot for a selfie. We take a few minutes to soak in the beauty.

Bear and Bean Lakes Lined Up

Selfie Time

Chris Admires Fall Colors

When returning to the main trail from the overlook, there is an intersecting trail so be careful to select the proper one which heads generally south. The trail back down on this section of the loop was nice as well. We had only come upon a few other hikers all day. Although being a Wednesday may have been the biggest reason for the minimal traffic.

Boardwalk Along Trail

With our detours, we came in at just under 7.5 miles and 1464 feet of elevation by the time we got back to the car and took us a little more than 4 hours including all of our stops. Definitely a very nice hike and we appreciated we didn’t have to drive far from camp to get to it.

Chipmunk

Since we were back home by 2 PM, Chris decided to to take advantage of having full hookups and get some laundry done since our next few stops will not have sewer hookup at our site. It was still nice out and fairly early, so I decide to head out to attempt another geocache. This one was an old one from 2001. It is actually along a different section of the Superior Hiking Trail down in the direction of Split Rock State Park. It looked like I could park along Route 61 and have less than a half mile walk to the cache site. Of course when I arrived at the place I intend to park and hike from, I noticed the no parking signs. About 1/3 mile further down the road is an official trailhead parking lot. It would add a bit to my hike but my legs had a little more energy left. It was an uphill climb to an old shelter that looked to be ready to fall over. On the walk back, I took a bike path along the lake and stopped at the small beach area near the parking lot. This added almost 2 more miles to the hiking tally today.

More Stairs to Climb

Old Shelter on Trail

Beach on Lake Superior

I thought I was done, but while driving home, I saw a sign for the marina, and I remembered there is a geocache hidden out on an island that I had considered going for a couple days ago but Chris had talked me out of doing it. Below is an aerial view of the marina, Pellet Island and a red X at the location of the cache. The cyan line is drawn along the length of a quarter mile long break wall out to the island. It sounds simple enough, walk along the break wall out to the island, find the geocache, sign in and walk back - how tough could it be?

Marina (L), Pellet Island (R)

Well the break wall is constructed of huge boulders that are now covered in algae of some sort. Most of the rocks probably weigh at least a ton so they don’t tend to move much when you step on them but they didn’t fill in the gaps between the boulders with smaller rocks, so there are spaces big enough for a leg or whole body if you happen to slip when jumping from one to the next. The picture below doesn’t do a good job of showing the wall but this one was not designed to be walked on.

Looking Out at Pellet Island

I had about 2 hours before sunset which I hoped would be enough time for the round trip. It was slow going since I needed to constantly evaluate what the best path would be. Occasionally I would hit a spot that forced me to backtrack a bit and pick a different route. The good news was the algae wasn’t slippery although if they were wet I’m guessing they would be very dangerous. There were many time when I was using all four limbs to get down one boulder and up the next. It didn’t help that you could frequently see the water sloshing between the rocks.

Getting Closer

About halfway to the island, my phone rings. Chris wants to know when I’ll be home for dinner. I truthfully tell her I got sidetracked but don’t give her the full details! About 2/3 of the way out, I noticed there seems to be a bit of a gap in the break wall. It’s not clear if it was intentional or damaged by a storm, but it did make getting past there even more challenging. But I had spent too long already to give up so I proceeded on. The last couple hundred feet was fairly easy, the gaps in the boulders were filled in and some vegetation was even growing. But when I get to the island, I need to climb up the rock face on the edge of the island about 10 feet. Someone was nice enough to build a ladder of sorts although at first glance it looked to be of questionable stability.

Ladder Up to Island from Break Wall

I carefully evaluated how sturdy the ladder was and found that all but one of the 12 rungs were very secure and the whole thing seemed to be anchored to the wall firmly. So up I go. The cache was still 300 feet away and I initially took a poor approach and needed to retreat for a safer route but I made the find. It was a quarter to six, so I called Chris to fess up and tell her I needed another half hour just to get back to the car. I checked out some indeterminate piece of equipment - maybe an old fog horn? The ship was still at the dock being loaded with iron ore pellets. Standing at the edge of the island and needing to come down the ladder was a little unnerving but I safely made it.

Old Fog Horn?

Northshore Mining Viewed from Island

Ready to Descend Ladder

As is slowly may my way across the break wall, the shadows were getting longer as the sun started to set. But after 25 minutes I was back to the safety of pavement and made my way home. What an adventure!

Made it Back Before Dark

Our 4 nights in Silver Bay flew by but we have reservations at Spirit Mountain Campground in Duluth just 65 miles away for another 4 nights so we should be able to see some of the sights on the western end of Lake Superior. Sitting about 800 feet above Duluth, Spirit Mountain Recreation Area has a 73 site campground and we found it wasn’t all that busy while we were here. They offer all sorts of activities including an alpine coaster, zip line, mountain biking trails and a scenic chairlift. In the winter months, the activities switch over to skiing and snowboarding. After getting setup in our site, we headed to the chairlift area to take in the views of the city.

View from Atop Spirit Mountain

That first night, the weather changed and it became rainy and foggy. The forecast for our stay wasn’t looking good so we made the best of the situation and head into Duluth to watch a big freighter come under the lift bridge into the very busy port of Duluth. Our app showed the 704 foot long MV H. Lee White coming in around 11:30 AM. We bundled up and put on our seldom used rain gear. We arrive near the lift bridge 45 minutes early so we could explore around while we wait for the ship to arrive.

Lift Bridge in Duluth

Light Station Across Channel

Crossing Lift Bridge

Given the poor weather conditions, there weren’t many people out. We decide to cross over the bridge and wait for the ship to arrive out of the wind by standing next to the building on the southern side of the channel. It was kind of mesmerizing to watch the waves lap along the length of the channel.

Waves Crashing

Nearing Light Station

When we were able to make out the ship through the fog, we got into position to watch it come into port. The lift bridge horn sounds well in advance of the ship being there and it lifts up vertically as opposed to a pivoting bridge. A few minutes later the ship makes its way under the bridge.

Bridge Raised

Freighter Approaches Bridge

By now we were very cold and a little wet. We head back to the car to eat the lunch we had brought and then go to the Lake Superior Maritime Visitors Center which is adjacent to the lift bridge. The old Corps of Engineers building is on one side and the newer museum is next door.

Beautiful Old COE Building

Maritime Visitor Center

There are so many interesting display and artifacts scatter around the museum. We take our time enjoying them if for no other reason than to warm up.

Old Ship Signs

Fresnel Lens

Old Tugboat Steam Engine

There are many models of all sorts of Great Lakes ships from early shipping days to the present. One room is a replica of the pilot house of a typical freighter.

Model Boat

Replica Pilot House

Of course there was a large display about the Edmund Fitzgerald. It left the port here on the afternoon of November 9, 1975. It sank in a severe storm a day later. There are all sorts of memorial ceremonies planned for the upcoming 50th anniversary but unfortunately we aren’t able to stay that late into the season.

Edmund Fitzgerald Display

The weather wasn’t looking to get any better so we just head back to camp. We did discover that the fog was much worse up on the mountain and at times we couldn’t see some of the other rigs or buildings that were near our site. We wake up the next morning to find it just as foggy. We waited until lunch, hoping the fog would lift but it didn’t. We decided to brave the fog and discovered that driving just 5 miles to the south on Interstate 35 got us out of the thick fog. It wasn’t a sunny day to the south but it wasn’t too bad.

We picked a few stops that sounded interesting and would get us to a couple new Minnesota counties to add to our increasing list we have found geocaches in. Our first stop was Moose Lake State Park. The Agate and Geological Interpretive Center is at the entrance to the state park and fun to wander through and see all the examples on display.

Beautiful Sample

Agate and Geological Center

We also headed over to the William Munger State Trail that passes through town. It looked like it might be a nice biking trail but we only walked enough of it to find a cache in this county before continuing south. We drove south another 5 miles or so to get a second Minnesota county. We picked one in the parking lot of a restaurant just off the interstate. This one required us to check out a statue of Bigfoot outside of the pizzeria. We needed to count various items on the statue that required a careful look so it took some time. The place was open but no customers were there yet for lunch so we didn’t feel too conspicuous. However, just as we were calculating where the final cache container was, the waitress walked out to ask us what we were doing. She said that she and the owner have noticed people staring at Bigfoot and then walking to the edge of the woods behind the building but didn’t know why. We explained a bit about geocaching and told her we would come in after finding the final and explain to the owner as well. The final was attached to a telephone pole up beyond reach but a cement block was nearby and provided just enough of a boost for me to reach it. We head in and explain the whole concept of geocaching and this specific cache so they will know what’s going on in the future.

We really didn’t have any other goal for the day so we simply turn back towards camp. We did make a slight detour on the way back into the town of Cloquet. We are big Frank Lloyd Wright fans. He is a famous architect that designed many unique homes and commercial buildings. We’ve actually visited quite a large number of his homes over the years, but Cloquet has the only gas station he designed.

Frank Lloyd Wright Service Station in Cloquet

Sign at Gas Station

Wright had designed and built a home for an oil executive from Cloquet and was able to convince the man to allow him to design and build a service station. Built in 1958, the place is still open today mostly in its original design and function. We didn’t need fuel but could have filled up if we wanted.

Frank Sells Gas

We head back to camp to discover the area was still covered in a thick fog. We stopped at a local store to pick up something and I asked the cashier about the weather conditions and she explained that this area has a tendency to get heavy fog but it usually is very localized - good to know.

It was foggy again in the morning of our last full day. This weather really has hindered our ability to enjoy Duluth. There are two older geocaches in the Duluth area - both placed in 2001. We hoped if we left the foggy mountain we might find reasonable weather. Our first stop is a fifteen minute drive south of camp. A parking lot and trailhead on Becks Road allows access to the trail we need. It turns out there are quite a few intersecting trails in this area, so it takes a bit of navigating to finally make it onto the DPW rail trail - Duluth, Winnipeg and Pacific railway. It isn’t a long hike to the right trail but it is rather steep and muddy in sections. Our cache is hidden near a several hundred foot long tunnel but on the far side. There are all sorts of anchor points mounted in the rock cliffs just outside each end of the tunnel. It looks like a popular destination for local climbers. We found our goal and headed back to the car to go to our next stop.

Mushrooms on Way to Tunnel

Outside Tunnel

Inside Tunnel

Our second old cache is along the Superior Hiking Trail less than a mile from the zoo. By now the skies are starting to clear up a bit. It was about a half mile walk along the trail mostly following Kingsbury Creek. It was pretty and we found the old cache without a problem. We’re starting to discover that there are numerous hiking and biking trails in the Duluth area. If we had more time and better weather, we could have found a lot of things to do here.

Great Mushroom

Kingsbury Creek

We head back to camp for lunch and discover that even here, the fog has started to burn off. By mid afternoon, we were seeing sunshine! So we head out to explore a bit. Skyline Parkway is a scenic drive that goes right over Spirit Mountain but covers around 25 twisty miles of road with several scenic pullouts along the way. We decide to follow the parkway and stop when the mood hits us.

View at Spirit Mountain

Overlooking Dock on St Louis Bay

Duluth View

We had heard that Enger Park and Tower were a must see in Duluth but we hadn’t made it yet since the reason for going there is to take in the view and with all the fog, that wasn’t going to work. Situated on a hill overlooking the port and city, this park is 600 feet higher than lake. The beautiful stone tower was built in 1939 and stands 80 feet tall.

Enger Tower

I think everyone else in town was here today since it was a Sunday and the days long fog was gone. We climb the 5 stories to check out the views. Since there are windows at each level and the views are decent at any of them, it wasn’t too crowded in the tower. At one point we heard a horn and realized the aerial bridge was being lifted for a tour boat to pass underneath.

View From Tower

Bridge Up for Tour Boat

The park itself has all sorts of paths and gardens and was pleasant to wander through. Of course less than an hour after arriving at Enger Park, we saw the fog bank rolling in from the Wisconsin side. The bridge had been lifted again to let another huge freighter into the port. Our window of nice weather was closing fast.

Japanese Garden Area

Here Comes the Fog Again

I think Duluth got short changed due to the weather. But we need to continue on our way to Florida. Next stop the Apostle Islands in northern Wisconsin and we’re hoping for better weather since it too is on the shores of Lake Superior. We spent a total of 48 nights in Minnesota this year at 9 different campgrounds. We also found 214 geocaches during our travels in this state and picked up 45 new counties. Below if the map showing which counties we have in total.