Walking or running is less expensive than golf. All are a great way to maintain proper social distancing, now maybe 10 or 13 feet instead of just six feet. Grand Marias has paths to wonder about and to wander on. Driving along Highway 61, we see many signs pointing us to The Superior Hiking Trail. It parallels the highway, mostly in the Sawtooth Mountains. Runners, joggers, bikers, cross-country skiers, and hikers are found there. Snowmobiles in the winter, I understand. Dog mushers too, I think. Wear bright clothes and a reflector if you are the slow traffic.
You can start in Duluth and walk all the way to the historical Canadian border crossing the site where old 6l ends near the former Ryden store site. Or Vice Versa. Or take trail snippets from time to time. Check out the trail’s website for maps and facts. I did not know the trail dipped down near the shore around Castle Danger. Stop at least once at the headquarters store in Two Harbors to thank them for helping to use and maintain this natural, human-assisted amenity. If you can, volunteer to help maintain the trail from weather, tree fall, occasional trash, deer scat, and overgrowth issues.
There are many fewer signs, but we see portions of the Gitchi Gami State Trail, perhaps without knowing. It is the paved trail that evanescently appears near the lakeside of 61. Here is the DNR description:
“[It]… will be an 86-mile non-motorized, paved trail connecting Two Harbors to Grand Marais along the North Shore of Lake Superior. Much of the trail will be located in abandoned segments or right-of-way on Highway 61, while other segments will allow you to sample a diversity of the North Shore’s varied environments. Several segments of the trail have been completed, totaling over 28 miles. Take a virtual tour of the Trail at Panoramic tour | Snapshot tour. More work is scheduled this summer, virus rules permitting.
There are trails in and near our Grand Marais as well. To my knowledge, they are unnamed. One snowmobile and ATV trail goes somewhere along the north side of the Homestead Coop. It is an extension of West Third Street. Someday I will finish that walk. Here is my favorite city path so far:
Walk along West Second Street to the very west end, well past the new homes on the north side of the street. When you get to the woods, take a 90-degree left turn and walk down the hill and up on a varied track. Only daredevils with 4-wheel drive will motor there now. Foot-plus deep ruts have been left behind by some folks who drove too hard when it was too wet.
The end of the trail takes us to the back door of the Wunderbar. Total distance is about 1.5 miles. An aging athlete takes about 20 minutes from 8th Avenue & 2nd, counting about 2,500 steps. Of course, if you wander off the road or trail to see what may be seen, it can be more. Wander back downhill on 61; continue power walking if you have it in you. That round trip is less than an hour.
In these days of close attention to all things viral, we can get both exercise and food laid out for those who need it on Wunderbar’s deck. We can maintain social distances on the deck with breezes to blow away anything that escapes our masks. If we can afford to eat out at all, there is a donation container to defray expenses and keep Wunderbar afloat in this time of virtual wine tastings.
While wandering that path to food and physique, I reflected on how things have changed between age 18 and 78. At Grinnell College, I’d get up at 7:45 a.m. and be in class two blocks away at 8 a.m. And I never stopped moving. Run to class, do every intermural sport, lose nine pounds during the first day of freshman football, and eat 7,000 calories a day without weight gain.
Now I limit my carbs and still remain overweight. Most sports are played at a level I only remember. I get up about 8 a.m., take vita-supplements, put lotion on dry feet, check the scale, and head for my recliner to read Internet incomings. Now that the Y is closed, I try to do home exercises with occasional success. With all those losses, we hope to have and share wisdom – like these walking tours.
While sheltering-in, we have time on our hands. Try this for boredom relief: suggest ideas for this column. What have you wondered about around here? What have you discovered that may not be in most people’s awareness? What arcane history or beguiling trivia have you discovered in your wandering and wondering? What have people left you wondering? Where does that West 3rd Street trail end or go past?
Email ideas, tidbits, and even proposed guest columns to Stevealdrich41@gmail.com. Suggest a name for your favorite unnamed trail or water feature. If I like it, and editor Brian does as well, you too will become a published author. Public credit may be given unless you wish to avoid government or corporate viewing. In the unlikely event that your submission is rejected, there is always Facebook.
Steve Aldrich is a retired Hennepin County lawyer, mediator, and Judge, serving from 1997-2010. He and Myrna moved here in 2016. He likes to remember that he was a Minnesota Super Lawyer before being elected to the bench. Steve really enjoys doing weddings, the one thing a retired judge can do without appointment by the Chief Justice.
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