Following Redbeard • Superior Hiking Trail - Part 2

[@SethJayson]

Love seeing this bit of my old home turf. Thanks. You talk about getting miles in early by getting out early. Good lesson. Side benefit of the light philosophy I learned by following your vids and going lighter and simpler, you not only save weight, you save hassle and time. When you can pack your entire kit in 15-20 minutes because you've only got 15-20 items, it makes much more time for enjoying the trip. That's the real luxury.

[@Stewbphoto]

You are crazy for not carrying a water filter. I can tell you "It only takes once"! Love your videos man keep it up!!!

[@elfdoctors]

Besides the recent rain, the brown color of the water is due to the amount of iron in it. Iron mining is an important part of the economy of northern Minnesota. Also, tannin from oak leaves contributes additional brown tints to the color.

[@RedBeard0924]

Sweet thanks for the info!

[@bilahn1198]

There is very little mining in the headquarters of these rivers. I have never heard that reason. I have read that is tannin from vegetation. Anyway it's brown but clear.

[@MatanuskaHIGH]

the new Zpacks trucker hats look pretty dope!

[@RedBeard0924]

I love them. All will be available within 60 days or so on our website.

[@1st508thAirborne]

I live in Minnesota and grew up hiking various areas around the state. It's a beautiful state full of lots of great wilderness areas. Despite conventional wisdom, it now seems as though those clear, blue waters we've come to cherish for so long may not be so pristine after all. A new study published in the journal Nature has indicated that rivers and lakes that are turning brown may actually be returning to a more natural state. Lakes and streams in the United States and north and central Europe have been growing steadily browner since 1990 as a result of ever-increasing amounts of dissolved organic carbon in the water. It has mostly affected lakes and streams in remote parts of the UK, southern Scandinavia and eastern North America. According to Don Monteith, co-author and professor at University College London, the staining is a result of more dissolved organic carbon entering their waters and not, as has often been suggested of late, an effect of global warming or increased land-use. Monteith attributes this to a reduction in the acidity of soils, a consequence of a large-scale decline in acid rains. Acid rain occurs when the burning of fossil fuels causes emissions of sulfur and nitrogen to react with water in the atmosphere. "The solubility of organic carbon is pH-dependent, so the more acidic a soil gets, the less soluble a number of these organic compounds are," said Monteith. Because this phenomenon has decreased in recent decades, a result of more stringent regulation, rivers and lakes have been able to return to a more pre-industrialized state, characterized by less acidic soils and, therefore, more carbon run-off. Monteith says "The problem is that people have been living with the impact of acid rain for so long that no-one alive today really has an idea of what the waters were like before acid rain took hold." www.telegraph.co.uk/news/science/science-news/3315369/Rivers-turning-brown-back-to-natural-state.html news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/7104114.stm www.treehugger.com/clean-technology/brown-rivers-actually-a-good-thing.html

[@dantheman1624]

A favorite hiking trail of mine…I didn’t realize for some reason that you were south bound until you said grand marais…

[@dantheman1624]

Ps thanks for sharing…

[@alidamau5925]

You guys should check out the Kekekabic trail.

[@johnmay7929]

Great video as usual. The trail looks amazing also. All those stairs though got me winded just watching you guys! 👍

[@virginiabaxter7878]

Great video! Thanks for introducing a trail I didn't know about. You can't beat the birch forests and the views of Lake Superior!

[@uptrail7169]

Very Good part 2 of the SHT.

[@Collinfan94]

Beautiful trail, Will. I always look forward to your hikes. Hoping to hike the AT when I retire!

[@sinfonianbarelytone9191]

Beautiful views. Personally I think you're crazy not to filter but hike your own hike. And after being introduced to hammocks, that tent makes my back hurt just looking at it. Cool gear for sure. Slowly but surely.

[@RedBeard0924]

People always think we are crazy for not filtering. However you would be shocked by how many ultralight guys and gals go filterless. Joe has over 10K miles of thru hiking experienced and never filters, however he did get sick 1 or 2 times. I have about 5K backpacking experience the last 2 years alone, never sick. I do filter from time to time in the worst of situations. I have tried hammocks but always sleep poorly. To each their own. Happy Hiking!

[@fishingwithphil2582]

Really cool! Thanks for doing such a great job bringing the outdoors to my recliner!! Love your videos!

[@KevinOutdoors]

Nice, I'll have to do that section next year! Thanks for sharing.

[@joshwood3]

May I ask why you don't carry a water filter? A sawyer squeeze doesn't way too much, and it would prevent you from getting sick out there - which would really suck.

[@coloradolions3399]

This is one of your better new videos, man...reminds me of your AT TH.

[@RedBeard0924]

+Colorado Lions thanks!

[@carsonsmith8362]

I've skied in at that resort in lutsen where you ate.

[@UpNorthAdventures]

You could've taken that gondola to another restaurant thats on top of the mountain and then taken the alpine slide back down. Great video!

[@RedBeard0924]

I thought about it a few times, ha!

[@Bradyvilleboy]

I enjoyed the taste of that water. I wish I could have it more often. I filter it, but it remains stained even through the filter.

[@emmytolkein3320]

What a beautiful trail! Did you find many ticks out there? We have them bad in PA and that's all I could think of as you led us along.

[@RedBeard0924]

Susan Jordan I didn't see a single tick when I was there in September. I'm sure they are there though.

[@vagabond-yj8pn]

Very cool!

[@screamin6951]

Did you use a bear can or hang your food or anything? Didn't hear you mention bears. We had wolves plenty in that area though we were there in January.

[@josephscherer4581]

Great video. I was not sure with how it ended whether there will be a part 3?

[@RedBeard0924]

+Joseph Scherer part 3 is up now.

[@larrybowman9664]

Awesome video of an Awesome Adventure! What brand/type/kind of knee braces is Matt (I believe) sporting? I have knee issues when I get into my hikes and they seem to be serving him will as ya'll pump out those miles. Thanks and Happy Trails!!

[@RedBeard0924]

larry bowman he absolutely loved the knee braces he used on this hike. They are called Protec Gel Force Knee Sleeve.

[@larrybowman9664]

Will Wood Awesome. Thanks for the quick reply. I'll give a try. Happy Trails!!

[@geraldhenrickson7472]

Thanks SO much for the latest videos on the SHT. Its SO refreshing to see someone who doesn't normally filter their water as their is no direct evidence it is actually needed...nor is there any evidence the filter specs we base our purchases upon...are actually true. I have not gotten sick in 50 years of backpacking all over the U.SA., using all manner of filters and chemicals and I now wonder what, if any, horrible maladies I have avoided. I still shudder at the years I used iodine. I do carry some expensive military tabs, the ones that supposedly even kill viruses, yet even they are more for piece of mind than anything. Thank goodness they weigh next to nothing! Anyways...this video was so much fun that I am thinking I need some Cuben from Z-packs for my christmahanakwanza list!

[@bilahn1198]

Better watch for ghiardia parasites that's why!

[@fbmbikerider16]

i'm sure you answered this question before but that camera do you use because you always have good video and sound with not much wind noise

[@RedBeard0924]

Phillip Navarre this video series I was using my new Sony HDR-CX440 camera in the past videos I used a Sony HDR-AS100V.

[@fbmbikerider16]

thanks for you quick response i'm just finishing up your next video i love your hiking videos

[@EricHeber]

Diggin the shades! I've been looking to replace my Costas that are scratched to hell. What kind are those?

[@RedBeard0924]

+Eric Heber Native Linville

[@EricHeber]

Thanks! Really enjoy your videos.

[@BackpackingStealth]

yoooo red beardddddddd, recently got a kick ass deal on an arc blast. Are they 2000plus mile backpack or do you think they could be good for two long through hikes? in the 5000 mile range....?

[@claire_A-T]

The brown water is do from the iron ore in the ground. Its rust!

[@bilahn1198]

No, it's tannin from vegetation.

[@pbskater3]

Out of curiosity, why do you go filterless?

[@RedBeard0924]

Laziness and i believe filters to be way overhyped. Heck my water that comes out of my faucet at home has more crap in it then a spring on top of a mountain. I always giggle when I see people filtering water thats coming out of the ground on top of a mountain. Happy Hiking!

[@pbskater3]

Will Wood yeah that's a good point, I guess if you analyze the place and can see where the water is coming from them the risk is way lower. I got giardia once but it was because the trail I was on had cattle upstream and I had no idea. That's not a big problem in protected land in the US like in other countries.

[@winkhvac62]

Cool

[@danstompinado3881]

Wil, do you fly out with your backpack fully loaded??

[@RedBeard0924]

Yes. I did have to pick up fuel in Duluth but luckily they had a Gander Mountain Sports there. I even travel with my trekking poles without being forced to check my pack. However leaving Duluths tiny airport the TSA would not let me take my trekking poles and forced me to check my pack. That was the first time i have ever been forced to check my pack.

[@jumpyX2]

How much food do you carry? And what kind?

[@RedBeard0924]

It depends on the length of the hike. I started with about 10 days worth of food on this hike and it consisted of lots of tuna, crackers, summer sausage, block of cheese, string cheese, granola bars, ramen noodles, mashed potatoes, rice crispy treats, family size bag of potato chips.

[@jumpyX2]

and what stove

[@RedBeard0924]

+jumpleadsx2 Soto OD1R stove. They have a new version now not sure what it is called.

[@gmgori0205]

You got to filter in my opinion, again your more of an expert on this than me so I'm sure you know what your doing. Nice content as usual. Waiting on next videos

[@MatanuskaHIGH]

Giuseppe Gori yes the SHT is full of ghiardia... I would filter all water...moose and beaver make for ghiardia.

[@RedBeard0924]

+Giuseppe Gori (gmgori86) I had no issues.

[@madlybackwards5611]

That water is NOT trustworthy...i know folks who have filtered and still got VERY sick on trail needing evac....my 10 year old and i are working thru the SHT. We filter with a Sawyer and have had 💩probs too so gonna try adding iodine to filtered water....thanks for showing so much of the trail nice work🍺🍩😉

[@MatanuskaHIGH]

I been drunk in papa Charlie's when I was 18..lol

[@RedBeard0924]

Pretty cool place for sure!