My first (semi) lightweight trip!

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Posted by dm1333 on June 7, 2008 at 8:34:04 am EDT

I just finished a 24 mile section of the Lakeshore Trail in Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore. What a difference from last year! Last year I hiked 32 miles out and back in October and even though I was training for a half marathon I was tired and sore at the end of the trip.

I couldn't tell you what my pack weight is yet because that would require using the scale at work but there was no grunting while shouldering my pack this year and everything fit easily into my Kelty Redwing. The pack was bought in 1994 and has been used only for day hiking till now. With a Henry Shires Contrail, a Montbell U.L. SS bag and Versalight jacket and pants all of my gear fit easily into the bag and there was enough left over space for close to a weeks worth of food.

The two downsides to the trip? I got blisters on my right foot because you spend so much time walking in sand that you can't help but get some into your boots. Overall my Merrell boots were very comfortable. The bugs were also out in FULL FORCE! I don't understand how anybody survived here before the advent of DEET. Eating meals was a pain because it meant constantly raising and lowering my head net to gulp a quick mouthful. At several points I stopped on the trail and watched as hundreds of mosquitos formed a cloud around me. Luckily I brought the head net and two different types of bug repellant. I'm also going to experiment with these little wrist band thingies that I bought after the trip to see if they work, and try to find a small sonic repellant. My one regret is not bringing mosquito coils for use in camp.

If you haven't hiked along Lake Superior be prepared for a different kind of hiking than you may be used to. The trail is very flat but sandy sections do give you an extra bit of a work out. The scenery is also different from the rocks and ice of a lot of our National Parks. One of the most beautiful sections of the trail was through a mile or two long stretch of birch trees. I have never seen anything as vividly green as that part of the trail, especially when contrasted against the blue sky. On the last day the fog had rolled in and you could not tell where the lake ended and the sky began. The fog was also in amongst the tree tops, mostly cedar, pine and white birch. After 8 years in La Push, WA and Fort Bragg, CA I never thought I would consider a foggy day "pretty".

Several of the things I am going to try in my war against mosquitos!

http://www.repelmosquitos.com/

http://www.repelmosquitos.com/

Well, it looks like the same link for two different products. One was for the little wristband sonic repeller and the other for the wrist band that uses some chemical besides DEET.

I would love input from any of you on these products especially if you live in Canada, Maine, Michigan, Wisconsin or Minnesota.

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