This is the thirty-eighth edition of The Duluth Runner Interview Series, where I get in touch with (mainly) local runners and athletes to share a bit of their story while inspiring others to pursue an active lifestyle.
Intro
Today’s guest is one cool human being. And he’s always doing cool things! I am certainly guilty of vicariously living my best adventure life through him sometimes 🙂
He accomplished an amazing journey this year (well, two really, back-to-back) and I’m excited he agreed to share his experience! He also gets to travel around the world under non-pandemic circumstances working for Duluth Coffee Company…today’s guest is Sam Levar!
Interview
What inspired you to do a Superior Hiking Trail (SHT) thru-hike? Were you into hiking prior to attempting your hike?
I attempted an SHT thru hike about six years ago. I had no idea what I was getting myself into. Most of my outdoor experience up until that point was in canoe country.
I had paddled the Border Route (Voyageur’s Highway) when I was 15, and figured I could handle 300 miles on my feet. I was wrong. Really wrong! It was a leveling experience. I only had 11 days to hike it, so I pushed myself through five days of rain before calling quits. I over-packed, over-worked my body, and was definitely humbled by the trail.
I wouldn’t have been able to finish it this year without that first attempt under my belt. I went into it this time with no expectations. No time frame; just a lot of food and wild spirit. I had ten days of food packed and no plan of finishing. I didn’t even have any resupplies scheduled. That said, I have a lot of family and friends in the area that I could call on if need be. I did end up resupplying in near Tettegouche, and pushed on to finish the trail.
You chose to go North-to-South, who dropped you off near the Canadian border? What was going through your head as you took your first steps on the trail?
I chose to go North-to-South as it was my way of “walking home.” The two weeks leading up to the hike, I was paddling the Voyageur’s Highway (for the second time). 250 miles of paddling and portaging through the Boundary Waters. The iconic paddle finishes with the Grand Portage, and 8 mile portage from Pigeon River to Lake Superior. It’s a grueling portage, carrying canoes and burly packs.
I was accompanied by my two brothers and good friend on the trek across the Boundary Waters. We had arranged pickup in Grand Portage, where I had my dad bring my hiking pack for me to swap gear. He dropped me off at the trailhead where I quickly scrambled through my gear, trying to repack for the next foreseeable future on my feet.
That was a drastic change; from sitting, paddling for 10 hrs a day to being on my feet nonstop. I started my first day on the SHT with a 8 mile portage. I was exhausted, but those first few steps felt glorious (thanks to a comfortable pack and trekking poles).
Did you ever consider calling it quits at any point?
YUP. The first full day, ha! I woke up my first morning, absolutely beat from the portage the day before. I tweaked my ankle, and it was giving me a lot of pain. That was disheartening. I started doubting myself, thinking only a crazy person would try a thru hike after a two week paddle. But I couldn’t quit just yet.. at least not until I got service to call for a ride.
So I started walking. And kept walking. My first three days were the shortest, doing about 15 miles a day. In hindsight, those two weeks leading up to the hike were just what I needed. It got me into the mindset. Typically it takes me about three days to free myself from societal anxiety, but I was already deep into trail life.
How was your experience meeting people along the trail?
Amazing! Honestly I did not anticipate camping and traveling with others, but it was a pleasant surprise. I’ve section hiked a lot of the trail and up until this thru hike, I’ve never shared a campsite with other crews. My first two nights I was alone, but ended up pacing with a crew and hiking together the rest of the trail.
I was surprised at the traffic on the trail. Campsites were overwhelmed, and the trail was looking pretty beat up. I talked with a few people that were on the SHT because many of the other big hikes were closed throughout the country (due to covid).
There were people from all over the States on the trail. I was happy to share some of Minnesota’s back yard with them. I hope we’ll be able to find creative ways to manage access and conditions as the popularity of the trail grows.
Any cool wildlife sightings?
You’d think with 30 days in Northern Minnesota you would see some sort of large wildlife.. nope! I saw a lot of deer, grouse and the common chipmunk, but no moose, bear or wolves. I consider those the cool animals, ha!
Though, we did have a wild experience with an owl at one of our camps while canoeing. A little owl took about a dozen “dive bombs” at us as, showing us who’s territory we were in. I’ve spent a lot of time in the North Country and I haven’t ever had an experience like that!
Tell us a bit about your approach, pack/shelter setup, etc.
Pretty straightforward. I used the same gear as I did on my first attempt. I contemplated throwing down some cash on lighter gear, but I didn’t end up spending a dime on this hike (other than food).
My pack is a 4 lb internal framed Osprey pack. I had a lot of gear with me. I never actually weighed my pack, as I had to swap gear from my canoe trip at the trailhead. I started with 10 days of food & fuel, so that alone was about 30 lbs. I ate over 2 lbs of food a day, and still lost about 15 lbs.
I had a 3 lb freestanding tent, sleeping bag, pad, pillow, clothes, and books. I wasn’t packing light. My base-weight had to have been around 25 lbs. I ended up dropping off just about as much weight as I picked up in food at my resupply (all from excess gear).
The funniest part about my initial pack – I counted six lighters when I took the time to organize it a few days in. My friends and I got a good laugh about that. I ended up giving them to other hikers as everyone seemed to run out, so it worked out in the end.
The other notable piece of gear…my UV water purifier (something similar to this). I’ve used it for at least 1,000 gallons in the past 10 years, and it comes with me on every trip. It’s heavy (10 oz), but I have potable water in 60 seconds. I’ll never pump or squeeze water again!
Did you stay on the trail each night or splurge a bit on some luxury arrangements along the way?
I was on trail until Martin Road. I live near Ely’s Peak, so I stayed at home and section hiked through Duluth. I was dropped off at Martin in the morning, and hiked to Ely’s Peak to sleep in my own bed again, and then finished it the next day. So two nights in my bed. And honestly, they were the worst nights, ha! Walking on solid, hard floor is oddly uncomfortable after 4 weeks in the woods.
What are the biggest lessons the SHT taught you?
Slow Down and Keep Going. The body can do amazing things if you let it.
What was your highlight from the trip? Hardest challenge?
It’s hard to pinpoint a specific moment as a highlight. There are many moments that stick out to me, and they typically all revolve around the friends that I met on trail. We had some good laughs, and it’s always more fun sharing a grimace or comparing blisters, rather than enduring it alone. I love the routine and simplicity of life on the trail, so the completion of it was bittersweet. I would have loved to keep hiking.
The hardest part for me was the first 50 miles of the hike. They’re rugged miles with a lot of elevation, but more so it’s a mental game. The first few days there is a lot of inner dialogue, “Can I really do this?” “Is my body going to hold up?”
How many miles per day did you travel?
I averaged a little over 18 miles a day, but that’s because I was doing 20’s and 30’s the last couple of days. I was definitely building endurance with every mile.
Has your life changed since you finished the SHT? If yes, how?
I’ve tried to get back on the trail once a week. The Duluth section is full of hidden gems. My feet and joints are fully recovered after a few weeks, but I definitely get achy if I spend too much time sitting.
Would you do it again?
Absolutely. I’ll do it every year I can.
What advice would you give someone who wants to attempt an SHT thru-hike?
- Use trekking poles.
- Get the data book. The maps are terrible for planning mileage.
- Start slow. Don’t beat yourself up over short days. It only gets easier.
- Give yourself a lot of flexibility. 3 weeks would be enough, in the event of poor weather and 0/off days.
- You can do it with any type of gear. “Test drive” your setup by section hiking.
- Pack a lot of peanut butter.
- Enjoy every step. It’ll be over before you know it, and then you’ll be day dreaming of the simple ways of life on the trail.
Closing
Many thanks to Sam for agreeing to stop by The Duluth Runner and share some of his knowledge/experiences with everyone. I hope you enjoyed this edition of the Interview Series – stick around for more to come!