We May Have Always Been A Little Unruly, But Now We’re Officially Unruly Women Outdoors
October 22-24, 2021
It was the very first Unruly Women backpacking adventure this past weekend on the Superior Hiking Trail! We hiked, we talked, we carried heavy packs, we laughed, we told stories, and we had a great time! We will most definitely be back next year! Maybe even this winter… Keep reading if you’re here for more than just a few pictures :)
Well, it snowed. How very ‘Minnesota,’ for Minnesota to do such a thing. Totally kidding, I love snow! It’s like nature’s confetti. I don’t know about you, but it doesn’t matter how small the flakes, a feeling of childlike joy bubbles up from the deepest depths of my core when I see those first flakes of the season coming down. I was giddy. It didn’t last too long, but the fact that it snowed felt like Mother Nature giving us a gift to send us on our way…. or I suppose it could have been a warning like “are you sure you’re ready for this?” I think this could definitely be categorized as one of those “glass half full” moments, but I wasn’t worried. I mean, I guess hosting and guiding a retreat at the end of October can be a pretty iffy time of year, gambling with Mother Nature in hopes she’ll be kind to us. Ultimately, it wasn’t incredibly surprising but overall we got pretty lucky! In Minnesota, you just never know what the weather is going to do, especially with the ‘lake effect’ of Lake Superior thrown into the mix. It’s best to be prepared. Do you feel you might get a little cold? Bring that extra layer. Think it might rain? Bring that rain jacket. I think it’s better (and safer) to be a little over prepared than underprepared.
The temperature stayed in the 40 degree (F) range, and dipped just above freezing over night. Each night was crystal clear allowing the stars to shine brightly above us, although only slightly disappointed we weren’t able to see the aurora borealis because of the beautifully red-orange waning full moon. I was thankful my first attendee/friend, Whitney, wasn’t put off by the cold nights, and entrusted me in finding our way over the leaf coated grounds which were effectively burying the trail ahead of us the entire way.
As we hiked along, we would occasionally flush ruffed grouse. The sound of their thundering wings bellowing from our feet against the leaves quite honestly scared the hell out of us for a brief moment, until we would inevitably burst into laughter realizing where the startling sound was coming from. We didn’t come across any bear or moose, but we did take time to watch a beaver take laps swimming.
We built fires each morning and night, enjoyed hot coffee and hot breakfast each morning, hot tea and cider beverages and cooked-dry meals each night, hung bear-bags to keep our food (and the bears) safe, and filtered all of our water from the water sources along the way.
This wasn’t the easiest trek. The whole trip was an out-and-back with over 2,600 feet in elevation gain throughout, starting with 10 miles the first day, 8 miles the 2nd day, and only 2 miles the last day. The trail spans beautiful bogs, various boardwalks including a large pass near a beaver dam, small waterfalls, a bridge crossing the Baptism River, a beautiful lake to camp at the first night and a beautiful bluff overlooking the entire journey the final night allowing ample time for celebration, reflection, and relaxation. (And no, I am not entirely convinced that fairies and trolls don’t exist in these mystical bogs- they are beautiful masterpieces straight out of Scandinavian folklore, with palpable magic in the air). We may have missed peak fall colors, but because of their transparency, the naked trees gave us the best views of lakes and ridge lines normally hidden behind lush foliage.
I am SO happy to say that this was a successful first backpacking adventure for Unruly Women and is just the beginning of many more adventures to join in on in the future! If you’re interested in staying up to date, sign up for the newsletter on the home page.
As always, remember that you are enough, you are more than capable of achieving your dreams, you deserve to take up space in this big beautiful world, and don’t forget to keep it unruly!
Acknowledgements: A special thank you to Deuter, Kula Cloth, and Magic Valley Gear Exchange for making this adventure (and all future adventures) much more comfortable. Deuter has helped supply the backpacks for Unruly Women LLC for attendees to use, they’re adjustable and have numerous advantages over other packs. And if you’re someone who squats to pee, then Kula Cloths are a life changer, especially when backpacking, as a substitute for the “drip dry” or toilet paper which makes peeing outside more comfortable and environmentally friendly (at least 200 feet from water of course) everyone who attends an adventure gets a Kula Cloth. Magic Valley Gear Exchange helped to supply the Sea to Summit compression sacks to use as bear bags, which keeps our food/toiletries safe, us safe, and the bears safe.
