by Manidoo | Last Updated: August 31, 2022This is part of my Highpointers Master Quest. For a complete Highpointers list, check out my Highpoints Page. For other Quests stories, check out my Stats Page.
Highpoint Stats
Difficulty: Intermediate (How’s this difficulty rated?)
State: Minnesota
Length: 7 miles(Loop)
Elevation: 2301 feet (~701 meters)
Start Point: Eagle Mountain Trailhead (More info.)
Trip Details
Highpoint #: 1/50
Gear Brought: Light backpack, small lunch(Sandwich, goldfish, granola bar), water bottle(8 oz)**
Weather: ~80F/~26C, Sunny
Date Summited: August 15th, 2015
**Learned throughout the hike we were under packed… Details in the Mini-Quest Log
Mini-Quest Log: Hiking Eagle Mountain
Originally written: August 2015
Revised: August 2022
Back in June, three of my friends and I made the journey to travel up to Northern Minnesota to visit the Spirit Tree. Unfortunately for us, the Spirit Tree was no longer accessible to the public and we weren’t able to complete our journey. While we still had a fun camping trip, I felt like the trip was no longer a challenge.
After thinking it over I decided to save up some money and make a second trip up north. This time, I was going to test myself physically by climbing up Eagle Mountain, the highest point in Minnesota. This 2,300-foot tall trek would be a 7-hour hike on rough terrain and will be the first to cross off on my list to trek the highest points in each of the fifty states.
My partner and I readied ourselves for the trip. It would be a four-hour ride from home to Two Harbors, where we planned to set up camp, then an additional half-hour car trip to reach the start of the trail. While the trail was 7 miles long the actual summit was a 3.5-mile hike from the closest parking space. We readied our gear, checked for water, then hit up the trail.
The trek to the summit felt like a very easy walk. The silent nature that surrounded us was very captivating. By the time we started to hit the 2nd-mile marker, the weather got increasingly humid. We stopped by a small beach to dampen our faces with the cool water before quickly heading back on the trail.
We arrived at the base and found the trail getting steeper. We hit a nice clearing that we assumed only meant we were at the finish line. We would’ve stopped there too if it wasn’t for a hiking couple who pointed out that the trail goes another mile upward.
We took this time to munch on some food and rehydrate ourselves. We made the foolish mistake of packing salty treats with an inadequate amount of water. We finished out snacking and were down to less than a cup of water apiece. We carried on and soon found ourselves at the top of the mountain. We grabbed some pictures, enjoyed the lovely view then drank the rest of our water. After we rested for a bit we decided to head back down the mountain.
The hike back down felt a lot easier than the hike back up. Eventually, we hit the small beach and cooled our faces in the water. The rest of the trail was going to be very rock and very hilly from then on out. We realized we made the huge mistake of not packing enough water. The weather started to hit its peak temperature during our trek back. We started to become exhausted from the combination of dehydration, heat, and exercise. We finally got back to the car where we drank a bunch of Gatorade as a reward for our climb.
It was definitely a worthwhile experience to take on Eagle Mountain. It also proved to be a valuable learning experience to make sure we pack more water for future hikes. Eagle Mountain, was a very enjoyable trip and is now the first out of fifty I have climbed.
Reward
XP Earned: 10 XP
Loot: Gatorade
