Travel: A Superior walk
First day on the Superior Hiking Trail, I walked upstream alongside the Temperance River, which takes a precipitous course out of the Sawtooth Mountains.
It was late September, and the plant world was preparing for the cold months ahead. Green, in all its varied hues, was on the run. In its place, the flames of fall burned: Maples redder than a flamenco dancer's dress. Birch leaves shining brighter than a kid's crayon sun. Oranges so vivid they'd make a traffic cone blanch.

Even at autumn's low ebb, the Temperance River sang loudly as it followed gravity's imperative toward union with the big lake. A cool breeze shook leaves from the branches, making a dry clatter that could be heard over the river's song.

All in all, I was pretty happy. I had five days of walking this trail in front of me. The Superior is 244 miles of footpath, with wooden bridges over rushing rivers, log stairs up to towering outlooks and well-trod alleys through columns of cedar and white pine. Most of it built with volunteer labor.

Minneapolis Star Tribune (subscription)