Wausau Pilot & Review
Wausau native and IRONBULL executive director Andrea Larson has completed the entire Superior Hiking Trail, spanning 310 miles in record time.
Larson spent months preparing for the journey including four scouting trips to cover over half the trail.
“I gave myself less than a 50/50 shot to finish,” Larson said. This was Larson’s first thru-hike, and this effort doubled her longest distance on foot. Nonetheless, she was aiming to set a record for the Fastest Known Time (FKT) on the SHT. She smashed the prior record, finishing in 6 days 10 hours.
The foot trail starts south of Duluth at the Wisconsin-Minnesota border and travels north ending at an overlook within eyesight of Canada. The trail is rugged, often making running impossible with rocks and roots, with 41,000 feet of elevation gain and loss over the Sawtooth Mountains.
About 50,000-100,000 people hike the SHT each year, with several hundred thru-hiking the entire trail. Thru-hikers usually take 2-4 weeks to complete the 310 mile trail which traverses eight state parks.
After months of preparation, she decided three days before the attempt to switch from the FKT self-supported to unsupported category. For the self-supported category, one can have aid from any source available to anyone such as restaurants, hotels, other hikers, and even prepacked supply boxes placed along the route.
In the supported category, participants must carry everything they need for the entire duration except for water available at non-commercial sources. That meant Larson had to carry all her clothes, food, sleeping kit, and gear for the entire 310 miles.
Larson was able to secure 33,000 calories of food on her pack after her husband helped her zip tie freeze dried meals to the exterior of the pack to save space. To save weight, Larson chose calorie dense food including a 16 ounce bottle of olive oil.
“I was loaded to the gills to start,” she said. “My pants kept falling down in the early miles since I had crammed my pockets full too.”
Altogether, her pack weighed about 24 pounds at the start, and ended at 8 pounds.
After a ride to the Northern Terminus for the point-to-point hike fell through, Larson reevaluated her plan to start at the Northern Terminus. The main driver to start at the Northern Terminus would be to have ample supplies available in Duluth; however, with the switch to unsupported FKT category she could no longer use any amenities in Duluth. The decision was final after looking at the forecasted temperatures, expected to be 15 degrees cooler in the north at the end of the attempt.
Duluth recorded 97 degrees on Sunday, the hottest day ever recorded in the month of September, and the hottest day Duluth had seen since 2006. The following day tied a record high set in 1897.
Despite somewhat cooler temperatures in the north, Larson still struggled with the heat. Battling sleep deprivation and warmer than forecasted temperatures, Larson took 23 hours to cover the final 37 miles. Within an hour of finishing, heavy thunderstorms plummeted the trail through the night.
“I loved every moment on the trail,” Larson said. “God’s beautiful creation was on full display with the numerous vistas, countless miles of boardwalks, dozens of waterfalls, and thousands of acres of forests brimming with flora and fauna. What an incredible experience.”
