Winter SHT Backpacking Weekend from the Onion River Campsite

Why Attend?

Would you like another opportunity to hike through the natural beauty of the north shore and Superior Hiking Trail? The weather is still perfect for backpacking if you are suitably prepared. There are no insects or bears, finding an unoccupied campsite is easy, and firearms deer hunting is over. This is a chance to do some camping and hiking not too far from a trailhead and to learn winter backpacking skills from fellow backpackers.

The Hike:

We will basecamp at the Onion River Campsite and do day hikes to Oberg mountain and to Leveaux mountain

• Attendance must be capped due to limited space on the remote campsites
• Please do not RSVP for this trip if you may cancel due to a weather forecast. Canceling shortly before the trip does allow time for wait-listers to rearrange their schedules.
• When you RSVP let us know if you will be hammock camping for which there is more room

Highlights:

• Dramatic views of Lake Superior from Oberg Mountain and from Leveaux Mountain
• Practice and develop winter camping skills
• Experience the beauty of the superior hiking trail from a perspective completely different than that in the summer months

Hike difficulty:

This will be an intermediate level winter hike. You might need either crampons or snowshoes depending on the trail conditions. You should have a good level of fitness to make this trip and be able to keep up with the group.

• We will cancel if the weather prevents safe driving to the north shore or if there is a possibility of rain.
• Each day hike will return to the basecamp afterwards so that only the gear needed for comfort and safety has to be carried.

Schedule:

Friday afternoon, Feb 27:

• Meet at approximately 2 pm at the Sugarbush Onion River trailhead just off Onion River Rd near Tofte, MN. We will pull our sleds/pulks in about 0.5 mi over a relatively flat trail to the Onion River campsite and set up.

Saturday, Feb 28:

• Break camp at about 10 am. Then hike to Leveaux Mountain which is about a 2 mi round trip and an elevation gain of about 370 ft. We should have time to hike to the East Leveaux Pond Campsite and then return to Onion River.

Sunday, Mar 1:

• Break camp at about 10 am after packing our sleds to start hiking up to Oberg Mountain. Including the loop at the peak the round trip hike is about 3.5 mi with an ascent of about 300 ft. We will then return to the Twin Cities.

CARPOOLING:
If you want to carpool up from the Twin Cities or are willing to drive your vehicle as a carpool, indicate in your reply to the meetup event.

WHAT IF YOU HAVE ISSUES ON THE TRAIL?
The leaders and your fellow hikers are a helpful, friendly bunch. Should you have issues we will try to help as much as possible. Winter camping can be dangerous and we have tried to design this trip on the SHT with this in mind. We are at most a few miles from our cars if there is difficulty.
Cell phone coverage is spotty on the SHT, so do not rely on being able to use your cell phone.

WHAT YOU WILL NEED:
Cold weather camping experience – this trip is close to a trailhead and so is relatively safe but still you need to test your gear before hand, not relying on a vendor’s optimistic specifications.
Temperatures could be well below zero. It might snow. Ideally your shelter should be one that can be ventilated to prevent condensation (without being too drafty) and is able to handle snow loading. You will need several sleeping pads (at least one foam), and one or more sleeping bags/quilts. You could look at https://support.enlightenedequipment.com/hc/en-us/articles/115002770588-How-to-layer-quilts-for-sub-zero-camping to get an idea of temperature ratings when combining several bags/quilts, but do not trust it without testing.
In addition to your own meals and snacks, bring plenty of fuel since we need to melt snow or boil water from open streams. Hollow fiber water filters (such as Sawyer) are too prone to freezing to be used. Liquid fueled stoves will work at colder temperatures but canister stoves need some modifications in their use.
This gear in addition to extra warm clothing means that you cannot likely carry everything without a sled (pulled with a rope) or pulk (sled with a harness and poles).

IMPORTANT:
When you sign up please give me a sense of your winter camping experience. Also please list your cell number to make it easier to communicate with you. After the initial sign up, all communications will be by text.

COST:
Your share of gas for carpooling.

ATTENDEE RULES:
No +1’s, no pets, no minors, and no illegal substances
All attendees must register with this backpack meetup group and have a recognizable picture.
We hike at minimum in pairs with a designated sweeper so as not to lose anyone.
If I cannot get a response from anyone after repeated inquiries to your meetup account, I will cancel your RSVP.