Thus far, our quest for demanding Midwestern summits, however, has gone largely unfulfilled. The climbs in the center of the country have presented us with some beautiful scenery – and opportunities to promote easy “highpointing” for the uninitiated – but the summits in this region have not presented much vertical gain.
But most recently, we set out to climb our most difficult Midwest peak thus far. It tested us in a manner we had not anticipated.
Eagle Mountain is located in the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness (BWCAW) in northeastern Minnesota. To get there and back we hiked six miles and gained 650 feet in elevation. At 2,301 feet above sea level, Eagle Mountain ranks a modest 37th by height compared to other states’ highpoints. It is not exactly a mountain climb, but it is also not a “drive-up” like the ones in Ohio and Indiana. The average round-trip hiking time for Eagle Mountain is three to four hours.
North Shore drive
In advance we reserved a campsite at Temperance River State Park on the northern shore of Lake Superior to allow ourselves time to make the eight-hour drive from our home in Duluth. The trip along the north shore of Lake Superior was one of the most beautiful we have ever seen. The beach homes hinted at a lifestyle very different from our frenetic day-to-day existence and made it clear that quality leisure time is the focus here. Accommodations for visitors to the area are plentiful, from bed-and-breakfasts to beachfront motels to campgrounds and RV parks. That being said, there was still plenty of green space and lakeshore to be seen between and among the many man-made structures.
We were not disappointed when we arrived at the campground. Our site was spacious and easily accessible, and offered a lovely view of Lake Superior. After dinner that evening, we took the dogs for a delightful walk along the rocky shore.
The next morning, we rose early to begin our hike. One of the drawbacks of traveling with our 17-year-old son, Ryan, is the pressure to return him quickly to civilization so that he may resume his social schedule. Although an avid highpointer, Ryan was eager to get back home to see his girlfriend and attend a graduation party that evening.
After a 45-minute drive from the campground, we arrived at the trailhead at 7:15 a.m. It was a brisk 38 degrees but sunny as we headed out. Of the opinion that mom and dad only slow him down, our son took one of the three dogs with him down the trail. My only request was that he wait for us at the summit to take a picture.
Separate paths
The hike was fairly flat for much of the way but extremely rocky. After hiking approximately one mile, we entered the BWCAW, which was as beautiful and wild as I anticipated. A number of wooden walkways have been placed over the swampy areas for easier going. About two miles in, we passed Whale Lake, a lovely unspoiled wilderness lake. The trail briefly follows the lakeshore before splitting into the Brule Lake Trail, which continues for six miles straight ahead, and the Eagle Mountain Trail, which turns rather sharply to the left and heads upward for about 600 feet. While steep in parts, the latter climb is quite manageable.
Hikers will want to watch for the trail split, however, as it is quite deceptive. I headed down what I thought was the Eagle Mountain Trail until my more observant husband located the actual trail hidden behind some brush. It’s good to hike with a companion.
As we followed the trail toward the summit, we came to an overlook about five minutes from the top – a panoramic view of the Minnesota wilderness. The actual summit was less spectacular, as thick forest obscured the view.
We reached the summit an hour and 20 minutes after we began hiking. Our son was nowhere to be found, however. We agreed he must have taken the wrong turn at the aforementioned fork in the trail. The question now was whether Ryan had realized his mistake and headed back or whether he was still wandering around in the wilderness by himself.
Reaching the split, I headed back toward the parking lot. My husband, Terry, followed the Brule Lake Trail in the opposite direction. At this point, we had not seen another human being the entire hike. We called his name and sent text messages to his cell phone but got no response.
Back to the top
A half-hour later, I received a text message from Ryan saying he was with his dad and heading back. Minutes later, another text indicated that they were instead heading up the mountain. A die-hard, Ryan was not about to get this close without reaching the highpoint. I could appreciate this. Terry, however, and the dog with him, had the pleasure of climbing Eagle Mountain twice in the same day.
Relieved that he had been found, I accomplished my goal as well: completing the hike in less than three hours. Reaching the parking lot, my dog and I settled in to drink some water and eat a bit of trail mix in the sun. It was only then that the mosquitoes attacked.
An hour later, the men returned victorious. We headed back to our camper to get cleaned up and have a bite of lunch before heading out.
An old hiking lesson from my days as a Girl Scout came back to me as we completed this highpoint: Whenever possible hike with a partner, stay within sight of each other or keep in contact in some other way.
This summer, it’s on to Oklahoma, Colorado and North Dakota, where rattlesnakes are more of an issue. All the more reason to keep in touch out there.
Diane Berry lives in Manitowoc, Wisconsin, with her husband, their two youngest children and three English cocker spaniels. Berry is a clinical social worker and director of a small mental health clinic. Running, snowshoeing, cross-country skiing, highpointing and writing are her therapy. She wrote about her family’s travels to highpoints in the upper Midwest in the January 2009 issue.
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8/17/09 - 4:12PM