Hiking Club trail #2, done!

The Slade boys family challenge continues, this time joined by the extended family. Hans, Noah and I conquered the Tettegouche State Park Hiking Club Trail, the very fine outing to Shovel Point. We invited my brother George and his extended family along, including cousins Juliet and Laura and partner Stephanie and her two boys Milan and Amory. The picture here is of the whole clan at the cool platform at the end of the trail, at the exposed and weathered tip of Shovel Point itself.

Hiking with a full crew like this is completely different from one of my solo sprints out from the Gunflint Trail. I'd forgotten how much work and how much fun a three-year-old can be. Good thing I brought a first aid kit and water for the little one. He tried running down the trail, but ended up with a good bloody knee bash.

The Hiking Club booklet says the hike is 2.0 miles long. My GPS said otherwise, around 1.3 miles total, or about 0.65 to the tip of Shovel Point.

But at 1.3 miles...is it a hike? Well, for a three-year old it was a challenge, but for me the challenge was mostly crowd management. We started with the rambunctious poodle on a leash, but that was just too much, so she and I sprinted back to the parking lot and she stayed in the car.

The Shovel Point trail has terrific views up and down the shore, including a number of very pleasant viewing platforms. A lot of the trail is boardwalk or wooden steps, to prevent damage to the fragile vegetation. Maybe not a hike, but still a fun outing. Just bring enough Band-Aids.