Mark started his two week trek this morning at 5:30AM. Started on the Kek off Snowbank Rd heading East... His plan is to finish the Kek Trail on Gunflint Trail Monday. Then start the Border Route trail Tuesday and we’ll see from there. He’d like to go past the Arrowhead Trail to Otter Lake Rd and then resume on the Superior hiking trail where he left off there (I believe at Grand Maria...). Then finish off his two weeks. He’s moving right along!!!

Forgot his picture...

To follow...

share.garmin. com/33ZRKadventureman999

share.garmin.com/33ZRKadventureman999

Appearantly I can’t get the link deal to function right.

Funny- I tried the link set up deal to no avail also.

Go get'em Housty9!!

link

Jeff, you rock! Thanks!
Mark is on Thomas... it was his goal... he’d like to get to Gabbi tomorrow.

I thought you said he was on trial! I was thinking; not again. :)

pswith5: "I thought you said he was on trial! I was thinking; not again. :)"

I know, right? Haha! Good one Pete!

I hope Mark has a great trip and Ben has a good time resupplying and supporting him.
I’ve been day hiking the SHT the week of May 9th and it’s not muddy like other years. It looks like great weather will continue next week.
Thanks for the link WW. That will be great to follow him!

nctry: "Appearantly I can’t get the link deal to function right."

I've found that to include a link, I have to click the "Add a Link to this message" twice as well as the "Add Link" in the pop up box. Same for adding a photo. Click "Add a photo to this message" twice and the "Add new photo" in the pop up.

You're in the chase car, right Ben? That part sounds like fun :)

HighnDry: "You're in the chase car, right Ben? That part sounds like fun :)"

Ha... just try and keep up with this guy! He was on the move at 5AM

I heard the black flies are out up there, hopefully he can outrun them!

Well, he’s getting past mosquito lake... something tells me this lake wasn’t named for one particular mosquito.
Yesterday his girl friend Lisa was in a car accident that put her car in the junk category. She’s bruised but ok... so that’ll be on his mind...
I believe Mark will easily pass Mueller Falls and get to Gabbi. I hope he stops there...

Are there trail crews that sweep those trails or is Mark carrying a saw? Blowdowns are probably easier to navigate since he isn't carrying a canoe for a hat on this trip!

With links, I have also found that you need to fill out both boxes...the link AND the name for the link.

Thanks for posting this. Good luck and safe travels to him.

I scouted out a dispersed site the day before so Mark would be close by and camped with Mark and Ben the night before he left.
IMHO this is a monumental solo hike for a fellow my age, around 150 miles I believe he said. Mark's pack was 38 pounds when he left, pretty good weight for that length and time of a hike.

Well, I think he stopped at Muller Falls by the portage. Yes Mocha, the black flies are pretty ruthless. (Left Ruth at home) But if you keep moving I think your ok. I gotta mow some grass at our cemetery and get up the trail to meet mark when he comes out tomorrow. I hope he sleeps in... haha!
Lisa is resting after her car accident yesterday... she leaves for Alaska Thursday.

That's a beautiful spot. The campsites are fairly wide-open with the sound of the falls nearby.

Well, he’s done with the Kek... now he starts the border route trail in the morning.

Best of luck to both Housty and Lisa! And, Ben, thanks for being the " trail " guardian angel through all this!

There he goes... this morning at 5:30am

What's that big blocky thing in the background, Ben? ??

That’s the magnetic rock

Mocha: "That’s the magnetic rock"

It is... that tree is in the wrong spot!

nctry: "There he goes... this morning at 5:30am



"

Up with the birds as usual I see.

nctry: "

Mocha: "That’s the magnetic rock"

It is... that tree is in the wrong spot!"

That's what I thought. That rock is so iconic.

The route taken yesterday along South, Rat, and Rose Lakes has to be the most gorgeous (and strenuous) stretch of hiking I've been on up there. Hope he took the time to take a look! :-)
You go, Housty9!

Looks like he's camped on Gegabic this evening. Nice spot!

He’s making great time. Is he trying to break some record? Sure hope he hasn’t has all this rain we’ve had in southern Minnesota. The bugs must be awful.
He looked fresh as a daisy after the kek section!

He’s in his last hour of the BRT... we met the guy/group who is running the trail for save the boundary waters... He’s supposed to run the BRT and Kek by tomorrow evening.
Well I better go meet Mark. Have two bars here on Otter Lake Road.

nctry: "He’s in his last hour of the BRT... we met the guy/group who is running the trail for save the boundary waters... He’s supposed to run the BRT and Kek by tomorrow evening.
Well I better go meet Mark. Have two bars here on Otter Lake Road."

Have a drink at each of them for me, I'm buying. :-)

nctry: "He’s in his last hour of the BRT... we met the guy/group who is running the trail for save the boundary waters... He’s supposed to run the BRT and Kek by tomorrow evening.
Well I better go meet Mark. Have two bars here on Otter Lake Road."

I thought he might.
brt/kek trail runner

Look at him go !

Ben, any more photos or stories from Housty?

Oh, he’s got stories! Haha!
Sorry, I got a shot of him coming out and didn’t get it posted. Forgot to press send. I think it’s downloaded so I’ll find it.

So, he said he’d take five or six days on the Border Route Trail... so I took the opportunity to run a couple boats to Chicago and Detroit. Got to Chicago and something wasn’t feeling so hot. Ended up my transmission had got very hot... I had no idea I’d been losing fluid as there were no signs of leaking or anything. I saw mark was moving along further then first thought, so I had the Detroit guy meet me at my sisters and I turned around and booked it back through Chicago and up all the way to McFarland on the Arrowhead Trail. Got there about a half hour ahead of Mark. Haha!
He was amazing out there despite getting blisters (mainly on toe next to his big toe).
Carl at Rockwoods was very kind also. We stayed at his bunkhouse between trails. (Kek and BRT). I think he was amazed at the views mainly the last stretches. I walked up to the last over look looking over the Pigeon River. Pretty spectacular! He met several younger hikers towards the end. I think the younger guys were pretty impressed Mark was able to do so well at 60 yrs old. I better say that quietly or guys like magicpaddler might say, hold my beer. Haha!
Btw: my tranny is toast. I need to find someone to replace bearings and seal.

He drove up again and doing some of the Superior Hiking Trail. 100 miles wasn’t enough! Haha! He’s continuing on where him and Lisa left off I think by Grand Marias.
I had to get back to work since my backup quit on me. Said my job was to much like work. Haha!
BTW: any good Tranny guys here? Haha