The Gunflint Trail in Autumn, a Mini-Tri Delight

While peddling Loon Lake, you feel completely comfortable gazing at the shoreline, eyes darting from rock cliffs to game trails, and then noticing natural structures through crystal-clear waters below you. The best part is when the loons dive all around, curious as to who you are and why you are in their territory. The calls of the loons will stay close to your heart forever!

Fresh air tingles your face and your adrenaline gets pumping with each pedal as you near the next lake. On the backside of Loon Lake, you’ll notice evidence of the 1999 blowdown where 100-mph derecho winds uprooted and toppled 500,000 acres of trees in the Boundary Waters. As you near the portage, you may run into a beaver hard at work or see fish making their way into Crab Lake. Once you tie up your hydro-bike on the shoreline next to the portage, all you need to bring is your life jackets and paddles, and walk the short 40-rod portage along the babbling creek. Depending on what time you left, I find this to be a great place to grab a snack, drink, or even lunch beneath the old growth cedar trees, listening to the sounds of flowing water and songbirds hidden in the underbrush.

Stage Two

Once at Crab Lake, you’ll find a canoe waiting for you. This is where you paddle a one-mile stretch to the hiking trail. If you are lucky, you’ll paddle by a moose minding its own business eating the roots of the lily pads, or along the shoreline scouring willows and alders, looking to get its fill of 40 to 60 pounds of food each day. Crab Lake is in the Boundary Waters where motors are not allowed. It’s the perfect environment for wildlife with plenty of resources as Crab Lake continues the flow of water to create Bridal Veil Falls. It’s the most magical way to witness a moose at eye level, or even looking up at them from the water (always keeping a respectful distance).

You can watch these gentle giants for a time if you give them the space, fascinated as they lap up water and chomp through lily pads. Fall is also the rutting season for moose, so you may encounter multiple bulls looking for their cow, making the most unforgettable grunting sound. I find it thrilling just to sit in the middle of the lake in my canoe, listening for twigs breaking, footsteps, and branches moving, yet never seeing the moose. It’s crazy how these massive, dark animals can disappear so quickly among the green brush. I often wonder whether the moose is watching me or if I’m watching them.

Even if I don’t have any luck with moose viewing, I’m still in awe of how silent it is in the middle of nowhere. Toward the end of Crab Lake, there’s a nice grassy pull-off where you can park your canoe and get ready for the last and most challenging portion of your Mini-Triathlon.  

Hiking Awaits

The hike to Bridal Veil Falls climbs 600 feet over the first mile and has plenty to see along the way, including berries and mushrooms for the foragers and even a small creek to rock-hop across. The trail winds through the remains of once-towering pines destroyed by the Hamm Lake fire in 2007, as evidenced by blackened tree trunks. However, the fire also helped spread beautiful purple fireweed flowers that have taken over the landscape in many charred areas.

It’s crazy to think about this trail after the 2007 fire when you were walking among blackened ash and could see for miles through the sparse trees, only to realize how much new growth has come up during the last sixteen years.

The Crab Lake Spur Trail meets up with the Border Route Trail, a 65-mile hiking trail that follows the international border between Minnesota and Canada, and has incredible bird’s-eye views of Gunflint Lake. You’ll follow the rocky ridgeline with plenty of spots to build a rock cairn, or sit on the large flat rocks and peer into Canada, just on the north side of Gunflint Lake. It puts things into perspective of how small we humans are among the vast, dramatic landscapes.

Another reason why I love this trail is because it’s highly unlikely you’ll run into other hikers. There’s plenty of time to self-reflect and take it all in, relying on your instincts, and map, to get you to the waterfall and back.

After hiking the second mile on the ridgeline, you’ll come to a man-made bridge above the falls. Keep walking about seventy steps past the bridge and there’s a steep switchback path that leads down the cliff to the base of the falls. This is what all that hard work was for! You’ll quickly notice how Bridal Veil Falls got its name as there are multiple shoots off the main waterfall that spread wide, making it truly look like a white bridal veil. You can hang out underneath the falls to cool off and easily find a spot to sit and listen to the fall’s pitter-patter in every direction. Depending on rain/water levels, the waterfall may vary. Have lunch and stay as long as you like to admire this hidden gem, but know that the trek back awaits you.

Après Mini-Tri

After each adventure, I ponder whether I better enjoyed the path there or the path back. The anticipation and unknowns of getting to your designated spot thrill me, but my journey back leaves me feeling satisfied and noticing small things that I overlooked on the way out because I was so focused on the end goal. Either way, I sense the pride, mentally and physically, of completing my Mini-Triathlon and feel like it was the perfect re-set I needed to deepen my appreciation and respect for the outdoors.

     My return to Loon Lake Lodge is usually celebrated by enjoying a homemade ice cream sandwich while sitting on the Adirondack chairs next to the shoreline with a big grin on my face. If you are staying at the lodge, an even better ending is having a shower, cozying up around the woodstove/fireplace in the cabins with a good book to read, or a friendly game of cribbage.

     Once darkness settles in, be sure to step out onto your deck or dock to experience one of the designated Top Ten International Dark Skies, as awarded by the International Dark Skyin 2020. On a clear night, you can see the Milky Way, all kinds of constellations, shooting stars, and even the Aurora Borealis if you time it right. October and March during the new moon phase usually provide the best odds of catching the spectacular lights dancing across the dark skies.

     For you, as it is for me, enjoying the nighttime sky’s artistry is the best way to end an adventure-filled day on the Gunflint Trail.

This story first appeared in the September print edition of Silent Sports Magazine. Get great stories you just cannot find online delivered to your door each month. Got to:

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