I'm obsessed with the Superior Hiking Trail. Christa and I have made it our goal this summer to hike the entirety of its Duluth branch, segment by segment. The whole thing is about 39 miles long, but we've been doing it in 3- to 7-mile chunks, and so far we're about halfway through.

We tackled the first seven-miler in the drizzling rain, slogging muddily from Martin Road to pretty much my front doorstep. This, so far, was the most boring stretch. The second stretch was fun, although for the most part it couldn't really be considered "hiking" since two-thirds of it was in town, on the Lakewalk, and through Canal Park. The third stretch, though -- from Twin Ponds to Skyline at Highland, was freaking unbelievable fun.

First off, consider "Forgotten Park." It's so cool when things like this happen. Somehow there is a basketball court and a baseball field in the middle of the woods. Nature is slowly taking it back, with five-foot-tall grass covering the former diamond and with mature trees growing up through the blacktop on the hoops court.

Then the trail winds through the West End and above West Duluth going places I never knew existed. I love the sensation of trudging through the shadowy woods, having no idea where I am, and then suddenly emerging to realize that I've been right in the middle of town the whole time. Weird houses on strange residential streets, a covered reservoir that I'd never even heard about, and an old, unused bridge full of twisted graffiti were just some of the highlights.

I'll be posting photos from the walk throughout the week on Flickr, if you want to see them.