The Grand Portage Trail

A couple of weekends ago, I had the pleasure of going tramping around the woods. I’ve never considered myself much of an outdoorsperson (allergies have often precluded my participation in outdoor frolic), though my regular doses of Claritin along with my recent foray into healthy living has caused me to spend more time Out There.

So, on Sunday I went out to the Grand Portage Trail, which winds its way down through the woods to the St. Louis River and into Jay Cooke State Park. The Grand Portage Trail was used by fur traders hundreds of years ago, so there’s the cool historical aspect of it, but there’s also the sheer beauty of the trail, the woods, and the river itself that makes the trip worthwhile.



The trek we took was four miles long. We winded through the woods and down to a small creek before emerging at a road crossing. Beyond that was the St. Louis River, which spread out before me under the sun, teal and turquoise and green, flashing and flowing over the rocks. On the distant shore, pine trees blanketed the steep hill. Sitting on a flat rock and letting the sounds around me calm my brain, I realized why people need to spend time outside.

The hike back was, admittedly, difficult. All of the winding downhill at the start ended in having to wind uphill, and yes, I was exhausted. My throat burned and my legs ached, but after I got back to the car and I was driving away with the windows down, I knew I’d be back… and it also helped to have a cute guy along for the ride.