The Border Route Trail

[Aaron Zagrodnick]

It’s exactly as Ed described in his email: small clearing, serviceable fire ring, minor outcropping of bedrock that doubles as a kitchen…and then I see it. It. The sign. The entrance. A three-foot green-painted post marking the way to one of the country’s more formidable hikes—The Border Route Trail (BRT). It’s why I’m up here. It’s why Solstad and the rest of the team will be here, too.

Justin Pelegano heads to Minnesota’s Border Route Trail, read the full article below in Issue 12:

The Entirely Real Legend of the Border Route Trail

Issue 12 Page 1

[Dogwood]

Decided to add the BRT onto the front end of a Superior Hiking Trail SOBO thru-hike. Just finished the BRT last wk where I took my time(7 days) hiking the 65 miles and stopping to fish many times along the way. Caught Brookies, walleye, and Smallmouth. Glorious.

Though the BRT is sometimes hemmed in by brush and high grass, which can soak you when it's wet, it was not the hardest to follow even with some very intermittent signage and blue flagging. The tread and forest cuts were obvious to me although I would not want to be trying to find my way without good navigational skills, preferably with a GPS, in 3"+ of snow. Over the 65 miles their are abundant views, many across into Canada lot of water, including plenty of lakes and ponds, nice established campsites, many on bodies of fishable water, and abundant, sometimes slippery, rocks and roots. After recent rains expect some mud and wet feet. It's not really a flat trail either plenty of 200-300 ft ups and downs.

I easily hitched from Grand Marais up the Gunflint Trail 50 miles to the Magnetic Rock TH(western most BWCA BRT entrance pt) to start my eastbound BRT hike.