Backpacking Bean Lake With Sara

With Spring tugging on our nature strings, we hit the trail toward Bean & Bear Lake with Sherri, one of Sherri’s and my most memorable sights along the Superior Hiking Trail. Memorial Day weekend weakened our expectations for finding a pristine, secluded backpacking site. However, after scoping out plenty of room at Penn Creek campground, we forged ahead toward the rocky ledge overlooking Bean Lake. Without a soul in sight, we set up our chairs and cooked up some dinner together on our new Bushbuddy stove. Having only known the ease and dependability of gas, I was somewhat skeptical of our new stove, but it performed like a total trooper with only a handful of sticks for fuel. Loons cut the air with echoing calls as sunset approached. Completely satisfied with our nature fix, I set off back down the hill toward Penn Creek to set up camp while the ladies hung out a little longer to catch the sunset. By the time they returned, camp was all set, so we joined our neighbor’s campfire for an evening visit. We learned a new phrase, “trust the trail,” reminding me of a movie quote that my family still jokes about today, “trust the bear.” I’m not a real big believer in fate, more a fan of trusting sound judgement that matures with experience, knowledge, and hopefully a little wisdom tucked in there as well. Of course, I kept that to myself in order to uphold the local custom of being “Minnesota nice” with strangers. On the way back through Duluth the next day, we snatched lunch at a great little restaurant called Burrito Union that we might just have to make a habit of returning to on future trips through the area.