I got back on the NCT today, hiking toward Eagle’s Nest in Minnesota. This is a small township west of Ely that also contains a trailhead for the Mesabi Trail. The NCT piggybacks on the paved Mesabi Trail for well over 100 miles (161 km) to showcase the Mesabi Range, a historic iron ore range.
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I drove up last night, staying at the Adventure Inn in Ely. It’s a great spot! Also had a great breve today at Log Cabin Coffee. But I digress.
Heading for Eagle’s Nest
I contacted Kurt Erickson, a trail angel who shuttled me 18 months ago on the nearby Kekekabic Trail. He agreed to help again. We met at Eagle’s Nest, where I dropped my car, then was shuttled back to Ely and the Kawishiwi Ranger District, where I’d last ended in Minnesota. I couldn’t have asked for better summer weather. The highs were expected to top out at a pleasant 72 F to (22.2 C), with partly cloudy skies.
As soon as I headed out, I spotted a deer. It wasn’t afraid at all, merely contemplating my presence before eating some 
tender leaves. I saw another one shortly after. But that was about it for wildlife.
It was easy to make quick progress on the trail, as I was hiking on blacktop. And while it undulated regularly, there were no severe hills. It was just a very pleasant, often scenic, trek. Also, almost no bugs, thanks to the drought. (Although I really am not happy about all of these dire global warming issues.)
A small, but steady, stream of cyclists passed me all day. Most seemed to be retirees. It’s good to see people using the trail. Interestingly, there were no North Country Trail markers, although that might be a jurisdiction issue, as the NCT is piggybacking on the Mesabi Trail. While the trail was easy to follow, it helped to have the Avenza and FarOut apps.
A Short Day
Even though I started hiking at 9 a.m., I finished by 3 p.m., which seemed so early. I’m camping tonight at the Lake Vermillion-Soudan Underground Mine State Park (what a mouthful!). Surprisingly, there are few campers here. I have a 
sweet site near a brand-new bathroom and shower house – score!
I didn’t have any shuttlers scheduled for the next three days, which is unusual and concerning. But I met a cyclist in the campground who is a part-time police officer in Soudan. He offered to shuttle me tomorrow, after his shift, which will be around 6:30 or 7 p.m. That’s kind of late, but I’m so thankful for his help.
Snowshoe
MN NCT miles today: 16.5 (26.6 km)
MN NCT miles to date: 464.1 (746.9 km)
Total NCT miles to date: 2,482.6 (3,995.4 km)
Total NCT miles to go: 2,117.4 (3,407.6 km)
This is the Sea-to-Summit sleeping bag liner I love. It’s great for either warm nights when your quilt/bag is too warm, or cold nights when you need some extra warmth.
