Full Day of Hiking

We were not up very early, but got a great start on the day’s hiking. After filling up on breakfast, we prepared for the entire day out on trails. That means Kenobi was carrying a full back pack (Ruffwear Approach Full-Day Hiking Pack for Dogs, Orange Poppy (2017), Medium) with his water, treats, baggies, and his drinking bowl. During the day, we received several comments and praise for his pack and the fact he was carrying his own water. It’s only fair. I carry my own water in my pack (CamelBak L.U.X.E. Crux Reservoir Hydration Pack, Carve Blue/Fiery Coral, 3 L/100 oz). The bladder holds 3L of water and is the perfect size for a day hike with lots of easy to access pockets for things like bug spray, tissues, or anything else you want at the ready. If you haven’t used a pack with a hydration system, do it. It makes keeping hydrated so easy. I will never go back to carrying a water bottle while hiking.

First, we made a stop at the end of the Municipal Campground where there are some picnic sites and stairs out to the rocks along Lake Superior. Turns out that the animal shelter is right next to stairs and harbor access.

I was hoping to walk out toward the lighthouse from this side because I saw someone sitting out next to the green and white marker the night before, but my companion doesn’t have the required dexterity to handle climbing on the rocks. So, this is as close as we got:

We did manage to wander around on the rocks and capture a few good pics. The entire day I used the 70-300 mm lens (Nikon D3400 DSLR Camera with AF-P DX NIKKOR 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6G VR and AF-P DX NIKKOR 70-300mm f/4.5-6.3G ED) The hands-free leash that makes it possible for Kenobi to sniff and explore while I use both hands to capture photographs is Ruffwear Roamer Extending Dog Leash, Obsidian Black (2018), 5.5-7 ft.

From the harbor, we drove out to Trails End and worked our way back to hike at each of the hikes along the Gunflint Trail. Dogs are allowed on all of the trails on leash, and, as always, be sure to clean up after your dog and keep them on the trail. Here are some views and the Magnetic Rock:

We didn’t happen to see any moose, deer, bear or wolves, but we did capture these little creatures:

I wasn’t so lucky with the birds this time around, either, but here is one:

We got back to town around 4:30, stopped at Sven and Ole’s for a pizza, picked up a couple post cards at Lake Superior Trading Post, and bought a six-pack at the Municipal Liquor Store before heading back to our hotel room and crashing. Perfect end to a perfect day of hiking–over eight hours!

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