The big October winds have been howling through the night dispersing more leaves on the ground with each gust. It is a beautiful time of year to get up the Gunflint and explore the numerous hiking trails while the remaining fall colors are still holding on to their branches.
It has been a little too cold and windy for our young family to go boating this week so we focused our attention on hiking the woods where it is less windy and slightly warmer.
Hiking has never been a priority on my list of activities, that is unless it is rifle season, but it is something our entire family can do and it rivals sitting in front of the television worrying about E-bola.
Bo, our youngest child, refuses to hike alongside the family so we end up carrying him most of the way. I find it odd that he can run around the house like a wild animal all night long yet somehow he never has the energy to walk up a hill or along a path in the woods.
Carrying Bo is not all bad since the extra 30 pounds of child against my chest should be good training for the annual “pack test” required by the Gunflint Trail Volunteer Fire Department that I barely pass each year. The harness of weights that are used for the pack test are more evenly distributed than Bo—and it doesn’t shift around like a restless little boy, so I should do well on my test this year
Sophia, who will be 4 years old in December, is much better at hiking and I think she truly enjoys the time spent outside with her family. Pink rubber boots that light up with every step are Sophia’s favorite hikers and she actively seeks every mud puddle along the way. If you are going to hike into the woods, you are going to get a little dirty, in fact I encourage it. The best way to connect with nature is to simply hike through it and pay attention to what you see.
While hiking the Gunflint high cliffs from the Loon Lake boat landing we saw a ruffed grouse in the parking lot that gave us a show before flushing to the other side of the road. There was wolf scat on the trail and plenty of those late blooming purple wild flowers and leaves to see along the incline to the overlook. I like destination hikes because they seem more rewarding when you arrive to see the main attraction, and what a majestic sight this destination is. The overlook sits high above Gunflint Lodge and is such a breathtaking birds-eye view of the lake and woods that surround it. This hidden treasure is just one of many that are well worth the effort, so get out there and take a hike.
Cory Christianson has worked as a fishing guide on the Gunflint Trail since 2000. If you have any fishing or wildlife reports or stories to share, send an email to: christiansoncory@hotmail.com or call 218- 388-0315. You can also visit Cory’s website at Gunflintfishingguide.com.
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