The dust storm bore down like something out of the Sahara. Before being swallowed up, I turned my head toward the clear skies in which logging truck was headed at breakneck speed along gravel road, and had the brilliant idea of following. Serendipity’s nudge shortened my bike ride from 13 miles to 7.5. I’d no … More After laboring these 18 years it’s time for a walk
I swerved into the parking area at Gooseberry State Park as if the apocalypse had been set into motion. With bike dangling from the back of the car like some strange appendage, I raced into the visitor center like the fate of the world depended on it. In a way, it did. Following some moments … More Under the Dome. Encountering Stephen King outside Castle Danger on the Superior Hiking Trail.
That dart into Kwik Trip for the final indoor pee of the day sparked a sense of optimism. I dropped off a medium-sized load of microgreens at McQuade’s Pub and Grill next door, and was stoked to head up into the highlands to complete that last stretch of trail between Duluth and Two Harbors. If, … More How I turned a 10-mile stroll into a 24-mile odyssey through grit and jackassery.
He reached out to me when the snow piled waist-deep, but I continued to resist long after the thaw. The pursuit endured for months, as with a pack of hounds. Finally, I relented. Unlike the fox exhausted to the point of death, my change of heart came when I caught the scent of a potential … More Joining the Symphony of Life through Partnerships.
When you’re body is fixin’ to be laid up a while, it’s crucial to work out some of that sphizerinctum in advance. Whenever possible, it’s even more effective to intertwine that need for raw body movement with exploration by simultaneously taking a dip into that refreshing well of adventure. This reminds of a recent argument … More Pre-surgery sashay along the SHT
In those final fleeting moments before the snow begins to fly, I get twitchy. Must cram in as many fall experiences as possible! Yesterday’s hankering to knock out the next stretch of the trail, before it’d be blanketed under several inches of snow, was overwhelming. Though I only had a handful of four-mile runs under … More Party on the Superior Hiking Trail like it’s 1999. Fox Farm to Rossini.
“I’m walking that trail up to Canada with or without you, boy.” The weather report showed that Friday was going to be a stellar day, so I sprung the idea on my boy the night before while he was hunched over his phone, tired and unmotivated. Bad timing. Thankfully, it all worked out. I knew … More Back on the SHT bandwagon: Normanna Road to Fox Farm Road
We’ve been trucking along pretty well over here at Team Gilmore for about two months now, but a spiritual heaviness oppresses the land as our great cities burn. We are not immune. Violence has even cropped up in Duluth, and this sent me down the rabbit hole of Facebook and various news feeds for much … More Mental health excursion on the SHT: Spirit Mountain to the zoo.
Yesterdays ramble up the Superior Hiking Trail was entirely within Duluth’s city limits, and yet, it felt remote. All four of us were involved in pulling this one off. Being a Sunday morning, we brought the church service along in the car for the drive out and back. It can be hard for kids to … More Enchanted atop the city: SHT from Becks Rd to Magney Snively
After parking at the trailhead, we made it about 200 yards of walking on a marsh-like snowmobile trail, which the SHT borrows for the next three miles, before Josiah asked, “Can we skip this section?” Having observed that the trail’s acronym could perhaps buy a vowel to describe this segment, I readily agreed. We drove … More Superior Hiking Trail: Martin Rd to Lismore Rd. Escape from the hell hound and marshy mess.
Ed's Big Adventure 