Final Thoughts

The Ohio To Erie Trail is an outstanding trail. I had a wonderful backpacking experience on it. I highly recommend it to others. I estimate that I hiked 323.4 miles. I completed the trail in 20 days. Two of these days were rest days (non-hiking days). I averaged 18 miles per day. I started in Cincinnati on the Ohio River at the Great American Ballpark on April 4, 2013. I ended in Cleveland on Lake Erie at the pier at East 9th Street on April 23.


The Ohio To Erie Trail is not really a single trail. It is more of a route than a trail. The Ohio To Erie Trail is composed of many other trails each with their own name. They are the Little Miami Scenic Trail, Prairie Grass Trail, Roberts-Pass Trail, Camp Chase Trail, Scioto/Olentangy Trail, Westerville Trail, Genoa Township Trail, Heart Of Ohio Trail, Kokosing Gap Trail, Mohican Valley Trail, Holmes County Trail, Sippo Valley Trail and the Ohio-Erie Canal Towpath. From Cincinnati to Columbus I saw many signs saying I was on Ohio Bike Route 1 - Ohio To Erie Trail. After Columbus I did not see these signs. All of these trails are all purpose trails (bike paths) where motorized traffic prohibited. The users of these trails are bicyclists, walkers, runners, horseback riders, Amish buggies and hikers.

The Ohio To Erie Trail  is on roads where there is no bike path to follow.  I hiked on roads, without sidewalks, for about 40 miles and on roads with sidewalks for roughly 25 miles. The trail is about 80% complete. The road walking, with and without sidewalks, was enjoyable to me. I got to see some areas of Cincinnati, Columbus and Cleveland that I had never been to. The highlight of the road walking was hiking through Amish Country. This was quite an experience for me.

The trail is constantly changing. New sections are being added. Many other sections are in the planning phase. I saw several sections of trail under construction. Look for more paved, non-motorized trail in the future.


The biggest disadvantage of backpacking the Ohio To Erie Trail is the hiking on hard surfaces. All but about 70 miles of the trail is on asphalt, concrete or other hard surface. This was very hard on my feet. My feet hurt every day. You can reduce the number of miles on hard surfaces by walking in the grassy area next to the paved path. This proved to be very helpful to me. My advice is to hike on the grass before your feet start to hurt. Don't wait until your feet hurt before hiking in the grass. Not all of the trail has a grassy area next to it. Sometimes the trail is just too narrow to allow for off-the-side walking. Sometimes the off-to-the-side area is composed of large pieces of gravel which is difficult to walk on. Also the off-to-the-side area is where people allow their dogs to poop. Expect to see lots of dog poop here. The longest section of unpaved trail is roughly 55 miles on the Ohio-Erie Canal towpath. This section is mostly packed, crushed gravel. Packed, crush gravel was easier on my feet to hike on than pavement. But it still caused my feet hurt.

Lodging was not an issue. I was gone for 19 nights. The spent 8 nights in my tent, 8 nights in someone's house, one night in a hostel, one night in a primitive cabin and one night in a concrete building. I paid for lodging one night. That was at the hostel at Alexandra's B&B in London. The cost was $25. Three times I pitched my tent under a picnic shelter. One of those nights I had permission from the local mayor. I stealth camped 5 nights. In hindsight I am convinced I could of camped out every night. There are numerous stealth camping opportunities on the Ohio To Erie Trail even in the big cities. There are many hotels and motels along the route.

Resupply was easy. I went through at least one town every day. There are plenty of grocery stores and convenience stores on the trail.  I did not carry much food. I did not do any mail drops. I recommend the resupply as you go method over mail drops for the Ohio To Erie Trail. There are plenty of restaurants, cafes and ice cream shops along the way. Too many!

I got almost all of my water from faucets. Only once did I get water from a swamp in Cuyahoga Valley National Park for coffee. Obtaining drinking water was easy. There are faucets and fountains. I also filled my water bottles at restaurants and convenience stores. When I stealth camped I studied the map and loaded up on water before I left town so I would have enough water for the night. As long as you don’t mind knocking on a stranger's door and asking for water there is plenty of water.

At the time of my hike there was no map or guidebook of the Ohio To Erie Trail. A map and a guidebook are in the works and should be available soon. For maps I visited the web site of each individual park district and printed the map of their section. I had over 30 maps. Each one was slightly different. I am glad that I had them as they were useful mostly for the mileage info. Some were easier to read than others. For the road walking maps I printed maps from Google Maps with the Bicycle Route Layer enabled. Before leaving home I studied each road walking section map in detail to get familiar with it. Sometimes I deviated from my planned route on the roads if traffic was too heavy. When I did walk on the roads I almost never took the direct route as this route was the busiest and most dangerous road.

Navigation on the Ohio To Erie Trail was easy. I did not get lost even once. It is very hard to get lost on a bike path. When two paths intersected there was always a sign indicating which direction to go. On the areas where I walked on roads or sidewalks there street signs which helped to navigate. I frequently used Google Maps and the GPS on my smartphone for a navigation aid. Navigation-wise the Ohio To Erie Trail is the easiest long distance trail I have ever hiked.

I hiked most of the journey solo. For two days I hiked with Mike "Scallion" Fanelli along the Ohio-Erie Canal Towpath. Bruce "Poppie" Purdy hiked six miles with me one day. Maria "Tiger Grrrl" Dimengo hiked the final five miles in Cleveland with me. I do most of my long distance hiking solo. The Ohio To Erie Trail is easy to hike solo.

In general I had excellent weather. The day I started, the day I ended and the day I hiked through Columbus I had warm and sunny weather. Because of the nice weather I enjoyed hiking in these large cities. The coldest temperature was my first night out. The low was in the upper 20 degrees. There was a hard frost on the ground in the morning. The warmest temperature was around 84 degrees. This was too hot, too quick for me. There was no shade from the trees as the leaves had not sprouted.  I carried fleece clothes, a goose down jacket, hat and gloves for the cold weather and shorts, t-shirts, sunglasses and sunscreen for the hot weather. My biggest weather delight is that I did not have to hike in the rain once. It rained plenty of times in those twenty days but not when I was hiking. It rained on both of my zero days. It rained at night. It rained when I was inside buildings. But I did not have to hike in the rain whatsoever. Thank you Mother Nature!


The people I met along the way were very nice and helpful. I got a few looks or non-looks from people who thought I might be a homeless or transient person. By far though the people of Ohio were kind and friendly to me. I had no encounters with law enforcement even while stealth camping. Most of the police officers I passed while hiking waived to me. In general the people in rural areas and smaller towns were much nicer and more likely to chat with me than the people in the big cities. This should not be a big surprise. The Amish people almost always waived to me. Only once did an Amish person speak to me that was just one sentence. The people most likely to stare at me were Amish children.

I packed too much clothes. It snowed a few days before I left on this hike and this spooked me into bringing more clothes than I needed. Three times I mailed packages home (actually to Cleveland). I started mailing stuff home on the second day of my hike.

Has anyone hiked this trail before? Many people have bicycled it but has anyone hiked it? I don't know. My guess is that the first person to hike from Cincinnati to Cleveland was a Native American who did it soon after the glaciers left Ohio. Since then many, many people have hiked from Cincinnati to Cleveland. I heard that Steve "The World Walker" Newman hiked the proposed route of the Ohio To Erie Trail when it was just a concept and had not been built yet. I hope others follow in my footsteps and thru hike the Ohio To Erie Trail.

Would I do this hike again? Definitely, yes! I will hike this trail again. It is not a matter of "if" but "when". What would I do differently? Not much. I would go in May when the weather is warmer and there is more shade. I would carry less gear. I would camp more even in the urban areas.

Here are some of the my most liked and least like places on the Ohio To Erie Trail:

Friendliest Trail Town: Centerburg. Hands down. There were lots of nice and helpful people in Centerburg. The owner of the Centerburg Wash & Tan invited me to his business for a free hot drink. Jody Hoch of Stonehaven Farm invited me to spend the night in a primitive cabin on her farm and made a wonderful steak dinner and breakfast for me. I got helpful, timely advice from the HOOT Facebook group on local trail conditions. Runner Up: Killbuck.

Best Coffee Shop: The Killbuck Coffeehouse and Cafe. I had the place to myself the morning I was there. Good service, low prices and great conversation. I wish I could have spent more time in Killbuck. The people there are very friendly.

Best Stealth Campsite: Along the Little Miami River just south of Lebanon. Big woods right near the trail and a great overlook at a bend in the river.

Best Outfitter: Roads Rivers and Trails in Milford. The owners are very helpful and friendly. Stop by when you are in town.

Best Trail Town: London. London and Madison County get my highest rating for any trail town in Ohio. It has all of the services a hiker needs including many food and lodging options including a low priced hostel. London has everything you need to resupply. They have an outstanding depot along the trail complete with a lighted picnic pavilion and heated restrooms. The Friends of Madison County Parks and Trails is top notch. You know when you enter Madison County and leave it. Everything is well maintained. There are plans to allow camping in a local park soon. Runner Up: Milford.

Note: I have backpacked almost 2,000 miles in Ohio and visited many, many towns. I feel qualified to say that London and Madison County are, by far, the best trail town & county in Ohio. You won't find any other area which can match what London and Madison County has to offer in terms of hiker services, hospitality, trail maintenance and commitment to the trail. They are the de facto role model for any town wishing to be a trail town.

Most Remote Stretch of Trail: The Holmes County Trail from Bridge Of Dreams to Glenmont. This unpaved section of trail has the most remote feeling on the entire Ohio To Erie Trail. It also has the longest stretch without a road crossing. There is only one road crossing in eight miles. This part of Ohio is very hilly but the trail is gently graded. This section was my favorite.

Nicest Small Town Park: South Charleston. The park in South Charleston has a mix of old and new. The park has a pioneer-era log cabin, a restored train depot and two cabooses. They also have a modern and clean bathroom facility with a porch The porch area has electric outlets to charge your phone. There is even an active railroad line in the park so you can watch trains go by. The only turn off was the "No Trespassing Signs - Violators Arrested" signs at the cabooses. It sure would have been neat to go inside one. Runner Up: Xenia Station.

Most Vibrant Small Town: Loveland. I don't know what it is about Loveland but they have a very vibrant business district right along the trail. There are lots of restaurants, cafes and taverns on the trail and people frequent them. The city  has a festival atmosphere.

Best Value Meal: The Sister’s Century House in Canal Fulton. Where else can you get a six ounce sirloin steak, vegetable, salad, bread and a scoop of ice cream for $6.99? The food was excellent too!

Best Tavern: Riffel's Tavern. This small tavern along the Ohio-Erie Canal has great food and drink at the reasonable prices. The staff and patrons are very friendly. You can't miss this place as it is right on the trail.

Cheapest Hamburger: Glenmont Tavern. A hamburger is only $2.75. But get your burger to go since the tavern still allows cigarette smoking inside.

Biggest Small Town: Mount Vernon. This is a nice town but too spread out for a hiker. It was a long, two mile, walk from the end of the Heart Of Ohio Trail to the start of the Kokosing Gap Trail. There is not much in the way of services along this route. Most the restaurants and services are on a strip outside of town. Too far to reach on foot.

Biggest Let Down Town: Gambier. I heard from many people how nice Gambier is. But you don't see it from the trail. All you see is a nice park with a steam locomotive and caboose. From the trail there are no views of the town or Kenyon College. It was my fault for not taking the time to hike into town. On the plus side, unlike South Charleston, Gambier lets you climb on the steam engine and caboose.

Funkiest Town: Howard. You don't hike through Howard on the trail. You hike under Howard on the trail. It is a small town with surprisingly, several restaurants and services right near the trail.  But you can't see any of it from the trail. You have to walk up several flights of stairs or an access road to visit it. The people of Howard are very friendly. There is a lot packed into a small area.

The "Toto, I have a feeling we're not in Kansas anymore" Section: Holmes County and Millersburg. Between the unpaved, remote Holmes County Trail, the paved, double wide trail (one lane for Amish buggies and one lane for everyone else) and all the Amish people I felt like I was far from home. If you are in the area check out the Millersburg Depot. It is really nice.

Worst Coffee Shop: Main Cup Coffee Shop in Milford. Poor service, poor attitude and a cluttered shop with not many places to sit. When I asked the owner what the daily brew was he just pointed to the sign and said read it yourself. I got a real funny look when I asked if there was an electrical outlet where I could charge my phone. The answer was no and he made me feel dumb for asking.

Worst Place For Breakfast: The Harvest Market in Apple Creek. The breakfast sandwich was a day old and was horrible. But it was the only place in town that serves food in the morning.

Most Unpleasant Stretch of Trail: I am going to get some flack for this one – Cleveland, specifically the last few miles of the Ohio-Erie Canal Towpath. It was a scenic section for an urban area but seeing signs that says raw human sewage is discharged into the Cuyahoga River was a turn off. There is also a landfill right on the river and industrial waste is discharged in the river. All of this is just a few miles from Lake Erie.

Overall Best Big City: Which city did I like best between Cincinnati, Columbus and Cleveland? Cleveland. All three are great cities but Cleveland made the best impression on me. Clean, modern and alive. I could say this about all three cities but there is a certain ethnicity and charm to Cleveland that the other cities don't have.

Bottom Line: If you have the time, energy and desire to hike the Ohio To Erie Trail then do it! Ohio is full of scenic beauty. You don’t need to travel to other states for a long distance backpacking adventure. You can do it right here in Ohio. The people of Ohio are very nice and friendly. Hospitality is not a southern term. Northern hospitality is alive and well in Ohio. You will not be disappointed!

Captain Blue's Prediction: When the Ohio To Erie Trail is complete, or nearly complete, it will make an excellent, endurance run for long distance runners. I envision an annual, 325 mile, running race from Cincinnati to Cleveland on the Ohio To Erie Trail. It will attract runners from all around the world. Maybe somebody will do it in less than 60 hours?

Photos Uploaded

I uploaded the photos from the second half of my hike. Here is the link:

https://picasaweb.google.com/112321742285191695057/OhioToErieTrailHike

I am sure glad I finished my hike on Tuesday. The weather on Wednesday was crappy - rain, cold and wind. I did not have to hike in the rain on this journey!

Day 20 - Lake Erie - The Finish

Today is the last day of my hike. I only have nine miles remaining to reach Lake Erie and the end of the Ohio To Erie Trail. Finishing long hikes is a bittersweet occasion for me. On one hand I am happy to reach my destination and accomplish my goal. On the other hand I am sad that my journey has ended. My happy go lucky, carefree lifestyle is over for now.

I was dropped off at Bacci Park around 1015am. The journey today was an urban journey. I had already hiked through Cincinnati and Columbus. Now it was time for Cleveland. The trail continued along the Cuyahoga River and the Ohio Erie Canal. It was a beautiful day. The sun was shining and temperature was in the upper 60s.

It was a nice path. But with every step I saw things I didn't like. I didn't know what to expect but I didn't expect to see signs that said untreated human sewage dumps into the Cuyahoga River. I didn't expect to see a garbage landfill right on the river either. I didn't expect to see oil storage tanks so close to the river or all of the industrial discharge pipes into the river. And I did not expect to see the dead Blue Heron on the trail.

I have hiked thousands of miles in my lifetime. I have backpacked over 12,000 miles. I have just as many day-hike miles or more. And I have never, ever seen a dead Blue Heron. And here I was staring at one. Blue Herons eat fish from the river. I don't know how this guy died but I could easily guess.

How could this be? Yesterday in the national park the Cuyahoga River was an incredible scenic resource. Today the river was a industrial resource. Yesterday, the Blue Herons fed and nested on the river. Today they were dying on it.

At this moment something changed in me. I was ashamed to be a consumer. I made a vow to lead a greener and cleaner life. Every time I flush a toilet or throw something in a garbage can I need to realize it does not disappear. It goes somewhere else. I might not like where it goes. I plucked a feather from the carcass of the Blue Heron and stuck it on my pack. I wanted a reminder of this moment.

Soon I was greeted my Guy Cocchiarale and Carolyn Lewis Cocchiarale who were on bicycles. Guy and Carol live in Cleveland and write a  bicycling blog at www.igotabike.com. They have ridden the Ohio To Erie Trail several times and were very helpful to me before my hike. They are working on a guidebook and map of the trail. Look for it soon. They walked their bikes and chatted with me as I hiked. It was nice to meet them and share the enthusiasm of the trail.

Carol and Guy departed when the bike path ended. The rest of the journey was on busy roads. I passed by Steelyard Commons where a steel mill is. Part of the area has been turned into a shopping center. There were lots of exhibits about the hey day of steel making in Cleveland.

From there I walked by the Christmas Story house. The Christmas Story is a movie that debuted in 1983 and was about a family who lived in the late 1930s. The movie was filmed in the Tremont neighborhood of Cleveland. This is the famous movie where Ralphie gets a Red Ryder BB gun and almost shoots his eye out. You can tour the house and visit the museum.

In Lincoln Park in Tremont I saw a young gal trying to set up a tent. From a distance I could see she was having trouble. She was reading the directions. I went over and helped her. I have set up quite a few tents and it went up fairly easy. She was getting ready for an upcoming trip and needed to know how to set up her tent. She was very appreciative.

At the coffee shop in Tremont I met Maria and Darlene. Maria would hike the final few miles with me and Darlene would pick us up. The journey from here was all urban. Soon we were crossing the Hope Bridge into downtown Cleveland.

Cleveland is a clean, modern city and it was bustling on this warm day. We passed by Progressive Field where the Cleveland Indians play baseball, the Sherwin-Williams city skyline mural which replaced the LeBron James mural, Public Square where we saw two mounted police and the Soldier's & Sailor's Monument. From there we hiked down East 9th Street and passed St. John's Cathedral, The Free Stamp and the Rock and Roll Hall Of Fame.

From there it was just a short 100 yard walk to the end of the pier and Lake Erie. I barely remember taking those steps. Before I knew it I was at Lake Erie and the end of my hike. Darlene and Maria took lots of photos of me at the finish. My status was now "Off Trail". I could not have picked a nicer day to finish my hike. It was time to celebrate and we did that indeed.

I would like to end this entry with my favorite quote. It goes ... Does the person make the journey? Or does the journey make the person?

I am a firm believer that the journey makes the person. Check back for my final thoughts of this hike.

Day 19 - Cleveland

My trek today should be called the bird watching trek. I was able toobserve lots of birds. Before hitting the trail Maria and I visited the Blue Heron nesting site in Cuyahoga National Park on Bath Road. There are 200 Blue Heron nests in just a few trees. Blue Herons breed and nest in colonies called a herony. We watched Blue Herons gather sticks and take them to their nests. Their nests look like a big pileof sticks stuck in a tree.

It was an easy walk into the small town of Peninsula. In Peninsula I took a break for lunch at Fishers. There are two places to eat in town. The other place is called the Winking Lizard. A winking lizard did not sound appetizing so I chose Fishers.

I watched some Turkey Vultures ascend into the skies by riding the thermal air masses. When the sun warms the ground in the morning it creates upward air movement. The Turkey Vultures climb into the sky in a corkscrew fashion pushed by the air currents. They make it look so easy. They barely flap their wings.

After lunch I hiked another chunk of miles and decided it was time for my second lunch. I found a nice spot off the trail and ate a Jimmy John's sub that I had purchased in the morning. It was my first sub from Jimmy Johns. After lunch I took a short nap and then had my afternoon coffee break. I was low on water for coffee so I got some from a swamp. It was remarkably clear. I did not want to get water from the Cuyahoga River. I brought the swamp water to a rolling boil to kill off any nasties. This is the first time on this hike that I got water like this. All other water was from a faucet.

Just before Brecksville Station I encountered a fellow on the trail with a spotting scope and attached camera. He was watching a mother owl and her babies in a hollow tree across the river. You could not see them with the naked eye. They were very easy to see with the scope. He let me peek through and see them. The babies were so fluffy and cute.

Just after Brecksville Station is where a pair of Bald Eagles have been nesting for the past seven years. Two national park volunteers were on the trail with a spotting scope and were letting people take a look at the nest through it. You could see the heads of a couple of eaglets bobbing. The mother Bald Eagle was on another tree watching the nest.

I feel like I have been hiking ahead of spring on this journey. I was hoping to watch springtime blossom on this hike but it hasn't happened. I am moving northward faster than spring is. Everywhere I go the daffodils are still in bloom and the maple trees are shedding their red bud thingies. I am certain that trees and plants are leafing out just behind me.

On the plus side I have not hiked in the rain on this journey. Not once. It has rained plenty of times in the last twenty days but not while I was hiking. I was inside my tent or a building when the rain came. I picked my zero days wisely.. It rained on both of my zeros.

I have noticed a change in people's reactions when I tell them about my hike. I called this the Diminishing Journey Enthusiasm phenomena. In general people are more impressed with the miles you say you are going to hike than the miles you have actually hiked. When I hiked 25miles and told people I had 300 miles to go they got really excited and interested in my journey. They asked a lot of questions, were amazed and were enthusiastic. Now that I have hiked 300 miles and only have 25 miles left people are not so  enthusiastic. They say things like "you are almost there" or "you don't have far to go". It is just not a big deal if you only have 25 miles to go. I noticed this on the Buckeye Trail too.

I hiked 18 miles today. I have 9 miles left on this 325 mile journey. The plan is to return to Bacci Park tomorrow morning. This is where I left off today. I will hike on the Ohio Erie Canal tow path until it ends at Steelyard Commons. From there I will hike on Cleveland city streets downtown to Lake Erie. I will finish at the end of East 9th Street at the shore of Lake Erie.

If you put your ear towards Lake Erie tomorrow afternoon and hear a WOOT WOOT that will be me yelling in celebration!

Captain Blue on the move.

Day 18 - Cuyahoga Valley National Park

We woke up to a chilly morning with a hard frost on the ground. Luckily we were inside the PPG skeet field building and had a wood burning stove to stay warm.

The day was sunny but the morning was cool. A wind from the north greeted us. This meant we were hiking into the wind and it felt cold. The first section of trail was very scenic with a hill, woods and an elevated wooden deck trail. It followed along PPG property. This is a new section of trail. When I hiked the Buckeye Trail through here in 2011 it did not exist. I had to walk on roads instead.

You don't see much of Barberton from the trail. You skirt the town when following the canal towpath. Barberton was the home to the Diamond Match Company which made the Ohio Blue Tip Matches. I remember playing with these matches as a kid.

Just before Akron we arrived at the canal summit and the Northern Continental Divide. One one side of the divide the water flows south and the other side the water flows north. The water flowing south eventually reaches the Tuscarawas River, the Ohio River and the Gulf of Mexico. The water flowing north of the divide reaches the Cuyahoga River, Lake Erie and then out the Saint Lawrence Sea Way to the North Atlantic Ocean. Just a few inches can make a big difference where a rain drop ends up when it falls here.

The canal locks are numbered in their relation to the summit. So Lock 1 South is the first lock south of the summit. Going forward from here the first lock is Lock 1 North in Akron.

In Akron Scallion and I ate lunch at the Spaghetti Warehouse. It was right along the trail. When I walked in I told the hostess that we were hikers not homeless people. She just chuckled. The food was good.

The trail goes right through downtown Akron. Akron did a good job of keeping the path continuous and building bridges and elevated ramps to keep the trail user moving along with no steps.

Scallion and I departed ways a few miles north of Akron. He is following the Buckeye Trail. The BT leaves the Ohio Erie Canal Towpath Trail for a short jaunt into Sand Run MetroPark and then returns to it. Since I am following the Ohio To Erie Trail I stay on the tow path.

A few miles before Hunt Farm in Cuyahoga Valley National Park my friend Maria met me on the trail. We walked together back to her car at Hunt Farm. I planned to camp out tonight but she persuaded me to stay at her place. She will drive me back to the trail in the morning.

Today I hiked 23 miles bringing my total mileage to 296 miles. Only 27.6 miles until Lake Erie. I will finish on Tuesday. Woot! Woot!

Day 17 - Barberton

Back on the trail today. Both Scallion and I needed a zero day and the timing was good. We were so glad we took a day off. It even snowed this morning.

Maria dropped me off in Massillon. I hiked the 3 miles from town to Riffel's Tavern where Scallion was waiting for me. Now we could both hike together. Scallion is following the Buckeye Trail and I am following the Ohio To Erie Trail. Both trails follow the Ohio Erie Canal Towpath Trail here.

The tow path trail was lovely. It is a gravel surface and is narrower than a typical bike path. The trail follows the Tuscarawas River on one side and the canal on the other side through wooded areas. It felt more like hiking since the path was narrower and the trees were closer to you. We saw lots of turtles in the canal and baby snakes on the trail which had been run over by bicycles.

The day started out cold, windy with blowing snow flurries. As the day went on the wind died down and it felt warmer.

We took a lunch break at the Sisters Century House Tavern in Canal Fulton. I got their "Economy Buster" dinner special which was a 7 ounce sirloin steak, green beans, side salad and a scoop of ice cream for $7. It was inexpensive and delicious. I could have eaten two dinners. The waitress was very interested in our hikes. But she was confused between the route of the Ohio Erie Canal and the route of the Ohio To Erie Trail. She wondered why I started in Cincinnati if the canal started in Portsmouth. I guess she won't be the only person confused by this.

The couple next to us at the tavern overheard our story and chatted with us for quite a long time. They are from Canal Fulton and are getting married in July. They invited Scallion and me to their wedding and reception.

The miles went by quicker since I had company. It was nice to have a hiking partner. We explored the canal locks and pointed out great stealth camping sites to each other. With a hiking partner you have someone to chat with and shares the experience with but I noticed I stopped less to investigate things and to take photographs.

Our destination for the night was a boy scout camp building owned by PPG in Barberton. The day before we tried hard to find an indoor place to stay in Barberton since we knew the temperatures would be below freezing. We called flea bag motels and B&Bs close to the trail. Nothing seemed appealing or reasonable. My sister, Cindy Niekamp, works for PPG in Detroit and contacted the PPG Barberton people to see if they had a place for us to stay. They make their skeet field available to the local boy scouts and they said we could stay in the building there. The building is rustic and simple. It is a concrete building with a wood burning stove and electric. Dave Polacek, the scoutmaster of Troop 110, met us at a road crossing and led us to the place. It was exactly what we needed where we needed it.

PPG owns a lot of land in Barberton and has a couple of manufacturing facilities here. They have many lime lakes here. To neutralize the lime lakes they mix treated sewage with residue from their glass making operations from many years ago. Overtime this creates a healthy ecosystem from the formerly sterile landscape.

Mike and I settled in at the skeet field. We built a nice warm fire and ate supper. We will be nice and warm tonight. We hiked 17 miles today.

Day 16 - Zero Day

We woke up at our campsite at Nimisilla Reservoir at Portage Lakes State Park around 730pm to a light rain. I had already decided to take a zero today.  A zero is a day of no hiking. The weather forecast was for rain and plunging temperatures and I had hiked seven days in a row including hiking 46 miles in two days. It was an easy decision for me. Scallion decided to get back on the trail.

In the car on the way back to the trail it started raining harder. We asked Scallion if he would like to zero also. After a little persuasion and a few more rain drops he said yes.

Maria took us back to her house so we could rest, eat and sleep. And that is just what we did.

My plan is to finish the Ohio To Erie Trail on Tuesday.

Lake Erie here I come!

Day 15 - Massillon

There is not much report today. Today's journey was 20 miles from Apple Creek to Massillon. The first ten miles were on roads and the second ten miles were on the Sippo Valley Trail.

I awoke early at my campsite under the picnic shelter in the local park in Apple Creek. I wanted to get up and out of there before sunrise to avoid detection. I walked uptown to find the central business district and a cafe for breakfast. Before I knew it I was heading out of town. I had passed the business district and not known it. There was no cafe. I got a bad tasting breakfast sandwich at the local grocery store.

The temperature warmed up rapidly today. By the time I arrived in Dalton it was 80 degrees, sunny and quite windy. I took a lunch break at the Mint Brook Cafe in Dalton. I learned that the name of the town is pronounced DOW•ton.

The Mint Brook Cafe was very interesting. Everybody working there was Amish or Mennonite and dressed accordingly. The food and coffee was good and everything was reasonably priced. At the cafe they produce granola with locally grown oats. I bought four, one pound, bags of granola, two loaves of homemade bread and two boxes of locally produced spearmint tea. This added five pounds of weight to my pack.

In Dalton I picked up the Sippo Valley Trail. It is a rail to trail path and goes to Massillon and ends. By now I have left the hilly part of Ohio behind so the trail was flat and straight. Most of it was paved but there were a couple miles of gravel trail. I welcomed the gravel path as it was easier on my feet. I was a little disappointed with the Stark County part of the Sippo Valley Trail. Signage wasn't very good and the path seemed a bit weathered. It was a nice path but Stark County is behind their Ohio counterparts in having trail that shows their pride.

The hike to Massillon was hard on me. I needed to pound out the days's 20 miles in nine hours and it was hot, dry and sunny. Plus I picked up an extra five pounds of food weight in Dalton but it felt like a bowling ball.

In Massillon I was met by Maria Dimengo. She picked me up and we went to Riffels Tavern where we met Mike "Scallion" Fanelli. Scallion is hiking 175 miles on the Buckeye Trail from the BTA Barn on Tappan Lake to Kirtland for Buckeye TrailFest. Mike is an avid long distance hiker and a friend of mine from Dayton. Mike hiked with me on the Buckeye Trail for two weeks in 2011 on my BT thru hike. I shared the granola, homemade bread and tea with Scallion and Maria. I wanted to surprise them with goodies from Amish country.

All three of us ate a hearty dinner at Riffels Tavern. The tavern is right on the Buckeye Trail and Ohio Erie Canal Towpath Trail. After dinner we went to the Nimisilla Reservoir Campground at Portage Lakes State Park. Today is free camping day at all Ohio State Parks so we camped for free. Nobody else was in the whole campground. We selected a site that had a huge Indian style teepee erected. Scallion slept in the teepee. Maria and decided to sleep in our tents.

If you see Scallion at Buckeye TrailFest ask him about the body he found on the Buckeye Trail in Massillon.  The guy was alive but injured. Ask him about the 911 call and action that ensued.

I guess I had more to write about than I thought. I feel a zero coming on.

Day 14 - Apple Creek

I got a good night of sleep under the picnic shelter in Killbuck. It rained until 1000pm so I was glad that I was there. There was quite a bit of come and go traffic in the park after dark but nobody bothered me.

My first stop this morning was the Creekside Coffeehouse and Cafe in town. The gal working there was very nice. She made me feel welcome. I drank a bunch of coffee and ate breakfast. I highly recommend this place if you are in Killbuck. I started the official portion of the Holmes County Trail today.

In Millersburg I stopped at the Walmart to resupply. There were lots of Amish people there. Some were driven there in cars and others rode there in buggies. There is a long covered stall in the Walmart parking lot for the Amish to hitch their horses to while they are shopping. Also, in the parking lot there is a water spigot to get water for the horses.

When the first Amish buggy passed me on the trail I waved. I gave my standard wave of flipping up my hiking stick. The motion of my hiking stick spooked the horse. It did an prance and a dance and began running with the buggy in tow. I felt bad for spooking the horse. I should have known better. No more waving my hiking sticks at the horses.

I stopped at the Millersburg Depot and met Jen Halverson. Jen is the director of parks and trails in Holmes County. She told me lots of things about the Holmes County Trail and the plans for some of the sections I just hiked. I told her that she probably has the longest roadless stretch on the whole Ohio To Erie Trail. From US-62 near Brinkhaven to Glenmont there is only one road crossing in eight miles and no roads for a 4-5 mile section. This section is definitely the most remote on the Ohio To Erie Trail. I had a good visit with Jen.

The Holmes County Trail is double wide and has two lanes in many places. One lane is asphalt for bicyclists, runners and walkers. The other lane is chip and seal for buggies and horses. It is basically two parallel lanes of traffic together. You can tell which side is which because the horses' hooves create a groove in their lane.

There is no way a buggy can sneak up on you. You hear it coming a long way off. The clanking of the horse's hooves on the pavement is quite loud. Bicyclists can and do sneak up on you.

Near Fredericksburg the Holmes County Trail ended. It is a 17 mile road walk to Dalton to the Sippo Valley Trail where the next bike path begins. I took a break in the local park and made some coffee. A young local kid named Timothy seemed very interested in me and watched everything I did. I told him about my gear and my hike. A frog hopped across the floor of the picnic shelter while we were talking. Timothy told me that you can hypnotize a frog by rubbing is belly. I will have to try this some day.

I decided to hike from Fredericksburg to Dalton via the village of Apple Creek. It was a good choice. The route took me right through the heart of Amish Country. Many buggies passed by me. I think I saw more Amish buggies on this 7 mile stretch than I had seen in my whole life.

It was fun passing by farms and trying to figure out if they were Amish farms or not. There are some telltale signs. The home on an Amish farm is painted white. There are usually no curtains or white curtains. There is working windmill on the farm and clothes hanging on the line outside to dry. Children are playing in the yard. Of course there are no cars in the driveway or electric lines going to the house.

There must be different types of Amish or other Amish looking religions. I saw some on bicycles. I saw some homes with propane tanks. I saw one Amish looking guy using a gas powered lawn mower. I saw one buggy with electric lights on the front and back.

I got to Apple Creek around 730pm after hiking 23 miles. I headed to the local park and ate a Mountain House freeze dried entree for dinner. When it started getting dark I set up my tent up a picnic shelter. I should be OK to camp here.

Day 13 - Killbuck

I had a wonderful night of sleep under the picnic shelter near the Bridge of Dreams. Nobody bothered me. It did not rain like.

This morning I had a choice of routes as I was at the end of the Mohican Valley Trail. I could walk roads to the village of Killbuck or follow a mostly complete, but unopened portion, of the Holmes County Trail. I chose the Holmes County Trail even though it would add a few extra miles of hiking.

It was a wise choice. The path was dirt, lightly traveled and took me through a beautiful and remote section of Holmes County. It was hard to believe I was in northern Ohio with all of the lovely rolling hills. I did not see a single person on the trail.

When the trail crossed a road there was an Amish school house and the kids were outside playing stickball. The game was halted temporarily so the kids could stare and wave at me. Of course I stared too and waved back. Then the school bell rang and recess was over. The school bell was the old clanger type mounted on the roof. It looked like a scene from 100 years ago.

On this 8 mile section of trail I only crossed one road. I did not have any steep hills to climb either. The trail went from the valley to the ridge top but the grade was so gentle I could barely tell I was going uphill. The trail follows an old railroad so their are no steep climbs.

Around noon the trail led me to a town called Glenmont. I felt like I entered an Appalachian hamlet nestled in the hills. The town was small with one main road, no stop lights and no cell service. A somewhat intoxicated, but very nice, middle age lady standing outside the tavern asked what I was doing. When I told her she gave me a dollar. I tried to refuse it but it was futile. She said it was a long standing tradition to help travelers with food, lodging or money.

I went in the Glenmont Tavern and ordered a hamburger and french fries. The prices were cheaper than Danville. A hamburger was only $2.75. Whenever I hike into a town I use the price of a hamburger to give me an idea of the standard of living there. The cheaper a hamburger is the cheaper it is to live there. In the tavern they don't believe in Ohio's indoor smoking ban. Most everyone was puffing away. After lunch I developed a food coma and got very tired. I hiked over to the local Catholic church and took a nap in the cemetery.

The route from Glenmont to Killbuck was on State Route 520. I followed it for a few miles until I saw where the old railroad track was. I got brave and decided to follow the old track instead of the road. Bad decision. The route was grassy and easy to hike at first. Then it became very over grown with sticker plants. I got stuck many times and bled in several spots. The was an old railroad bridge over a creek. Most the boards on the bridge were rotten or missing. I had to go from steel truss to steel truss to cross the bridge. At least I did not have to worry about a train coming as the tracks were removed long ago. As soon as I could get back on the road I did. I got my first tick of the season.

I arrived in Killbuck around 500pm and went to the local pizza parlor. While I was there it started to rain. I checked the weather map and a storm cell is moving through. I had planned to hike a few miles more today but I think I will call it quits here after 16.5 miles. The folks at the pizza parlor gave me the name and phone number of the mayor. I called him and got permission to camp under a picnic shelter in the local park. I will stay dry and safe here. Thank you Mayor Denny Hahn. I will get a chance to check out the Creekside Coffeehouse in the morning.

Tomorrow I begin the official portion the Holmes County Trail.

Day 12 - Bridge Of Dreams in Brinkhaven

Today was a beautiful spring day. The morning was cool but it warmed up quickly. The sun was shining and there was blue sky with puffy white clouds.

Poppie hiked with me the first few miles to Gambier. He made a point to stop everyone we saw and tell them I was the famous Captain Blue who was hiking from Cincinnati to Cleveland. Some people were impressed and other people looked confused. He was my greatest promoter. I usually replied to everyone that Poppie is out on a day pass from prison. This usually got them to stop asking questions and moving on their way.

In Gambier I said goodbye to Poppie for the last time. We took turns climbing aboard the steam locomotive in the park and posing for photos. Then we went our separate ways. I appreciated all the support Poppie gave me. I hope to return the favor.

Gambier is home to Kenyon College. Kenyon College is the oldest private college in the United States. It was recently named one of the most beautiful colleges in the world. I could only see a little bit of it from the trail. It looked pretty to me.

I continued on the Kokosing Gap Trail. I like it how each area has its own name for the trail. The Kokosing Gap Trail is 14 miles and is the longest paved rail to trail in the United States maintained by volunteers and donations. It is named for the Kokosing River and the gap it creates in a hilly part of land. The river was moving quite fast today.

Another common question people ask me is if I am training for an upcoming hike. Today near the village of Howard a cyclist yelled out to me "what trail are you training for?" I yelled back "I'm not. I am on a hike now." He got a confused look on his face and said "oh." Most people just don't think that carrying a backpack on a bike trail is real hiking. I am not practicing. This is the real deal.

In the small town of Danville I stopped at a tavern called The Hangout for dinner. The logo of the tavern is a hangman's noose. It looked pretty safe so I went in. Their prices are very reasonable. I saw my first Amish people in Danville. I am now in Amish country.

In Danville the Kokosing Gap Trail ended and I picked up the Mohican Valley Trail. The Mohican Valley Trail is 4.5 miles long and not paved. It is a dirt path mainly used by Amish buggies. There are lots of buggy tire tracks in the dirt. I did not see anyone on the trail. So far this section of the trail feels the most remote on the Ohio To Erie Trail. For a long stretch I did not hear any cars or see any buildings. All I saw was a dirt path, the Mohican River and rolling hills.

My destination for the night is the Bridge Of Dreams in Brinkhaven. The Bridge Of Dreams is 370 feet long and spans the Mohican River. It is the second longest covered bridge in Ohio and the third longest in the world. There is no motor traffic allowed on the bridge. Just horses, Amish buggies, bicycles and hikers are allowed. There is a guest register on the bridge which I signed.

Today I covered 18.5 miles. So far on this journey I have hiked 196 miles. I think the total miles on this hike will be around 325 miles.

Rain is coming tonight. So far I have not had to hike in the rain. But this will change soon. I am camped under a picnic shelter tonight. If it rains I will be dry tonight as long as I don't get kicked out of here. Wish me luck.

Day 11 - Mount Vernon

I did not get too far today. I only hiked 10 miles to Mount Vernon.

Jody's housemates, Pete and Judy, made a big breakfast this morning. We all sat down and enjoyed it. It was nice chatting with everyone and it was a great sendoff. Before I left Stonehaven Farm I got a quick tour of their facility and checked out their miniature horses. They were so cute.

The weather was better today. It was cold this morning but the sun came out and it warmed up quickly.

I followed the Heart Of Ohio Trail to Mount Vernon. It continued to be a nice trail. A few miles of it are still unpaved. It was nice hiking on the grass. I encountered a fellow who was walking two dogs. He said to me "you better enjoy it." I thought he was referring to the weather so I replied "yes, it is a beautiful day." He said "No, I mean the trail. They are going to pave it soon. Those yuppies like their concrete and asphalt." I nodded my head in agreement as I passed by. I thought he was being snarky but he had a point. Paving a trail might make it easier for some trail users (those who use wheels) but it does make it more difficult for other trail users (those who use legs). It would be nice if the trails could have an unpaved lane too for runners, hikers and horse riders.

I arrived in Mount Vernon about 300pm. Mount Vernon is the biggest town I have hiked through yet except for Cincinnati and Columbus. It was a little too large for a hiker and all of the downtown restaurants were closed on Sunday. It was a two mile trek across town from where the Heart Of Ohio Trail ended and the Kokosing Gap Trail began.

When I got to the Kokosing Gap Trail I developed a case of the lazies. I did not feel like hiking anymore today. I gave Bruce "Poppie" Purdy a call. He was in the area and picked me up. We will spend the night on his grandfather's farm outside of town. The home is a former one room school house. It is very nice and cozy.

Day 10 - Centerburg - Half Way!

Hoot! Hoot! Today I crossed the half way point on this hike! Lake Erie here I come!

Poppie dropped me of in Galena this morning at the spot where I finished yesterday. The bike path ended so the route today was mostly on roads. The walk into Sunbury was pleasant and went by fast.

Twice on the way to Sunbury two young gals in cars stopped and asked me if I knew where Big Walnut High School was. I actually knew where it was and told them they were on the right road and to keep going a few miles. There must have been something going on at the high school this morning for out of town students. The gals must have really been lost to ask for directions from some guy carrying a backpack.

Sunbury is a quaint village. They have a village square with lots of shops around it. It reminded me of the towns in northeast Ohio that were once part of Connecticut and the Western Reserve. I had planned to take a coffee break at the local diner but it was standing room only inside so I moved on.

I had a long road walk to the town of Centerburg. The weather was cloudy, cool and very windy. It was good weather for hiking but not for taking breaks so I pumped out the miles. I took side roads and avoided the busy, but direct, US-36 / SR-3 route.

Near Centerburg the Heart Of Ohio Trail began. The trail is affectionately called the HOOT which is it acronym. The trail is not complete yet but all sections are passable on foot. Where the trail supposedly crossed the road I scrambled up an old railroad embankment expecting to find an overgrown, unmaintained path. Much to my surprise the path was grassy, wide and clear. Hiking on the HOOT was a welcome change from the road walking. It was a delightful hike into town.

Centerburg is named because it is the geographical center of Ohio. The actual center is a few miles out of town but Centerburg gets all the fame.

In town I stopped at the Wash & Tan. This is a combination laundromat and tanning salon. Amber, who works there, said "you must be that guy who is hiking across Ohio". I told her yes and she invited me in for a cup of coffee and to warm up. Dave Grumney, the owner, alerted her that I might be coming. Dave invited me to stop by the Wash & Tan via the HOOT Facebook page which I had made a few posts on. Amber was very nice and helpful and I enjoyed my visit. I wish I could have stayed longer but I had to press on.

My destination for the night was Stonehaven Farm which was a few miles out of town right near the HOOT. Jody Hoch lives on the farm and invited me to spend the night in a primitive cabin they have. I had never met Jody before. She only knew me from this blog. Jody prepared a hearty meal of steak, broccoli, fresh fruit and sourdough bread. It was quite delicious and hit the spot after a long day of hiking. The cabin is nice. No water, electric or heat. It has a bed, a few chairs, oil lamps and is nestled in some pine trees. It is a perfect place for a hiker to spend the night.

The people of Centerburg are very nice. Even before I got here I received some good info about the HOOT from people in the Facebook group including the valuable tip that led me to climb up the railroad embankment. So far Centerburg gets my vote for the friendliest town on the whole Ohio To Erie Trail. I would even rank it as one of the friendliest trail towns in all of Ohio and I have seen many.

Thank you people of Centerburg! Hoot! Hoot!

Day 9 - Galena

The miles and time went by fast today. I hiked 22.3 miles in 9 hours. I had the luxury of slackpacking today which meant I did not carry all of my gear. I carried just what I needed for the day of hiking.

The weather was cloudy, cool, windy and damp. It made for good hiking weather. There were not many temptations to take breaks. I just kept moving and only took one rest break.

The hike north from Ohio State University up the Olentangy River bike pathwas very nice. The river was flowing with brown, muddy water and it was quite high compared to two days ago. Plants were starting to bloom. It was noticeable greener today. Mostly it is the honeysuckle that is blooming quickly.

There was trail magic waiting for me at Antrim Park! Taped to a trail sign was a zip-lock bag with a piece of paper in it. There was a photo of me and a handwritten note that said "Captain Blue - Congrats on making it this far! See you in Kirtland. Sandy B." The bag contained a protein bar and some M&Ms. Both were very tasty. The goodies were from Sandy Barlett from Mentor. How she got them to Columbus I do not know. I will see her in Kirtland at Buckeye TrailFest in two weeks. Thank you Sandy!

When the Olentangy River bike path ended I walked 6.5 miles on roads through Worthington. Mostly I hiked along Shrock Road which was quite busy. It was not really a pleasant walk. I was glad to get it over with. In Westerville I picked up the bike path again and took it north. Westerville is a nice town. They have a nice bike hub in their park.

When the Westerville bike that ended I joined the Genoa bike path. Actaully they refer to it as a Leisure Path. My feet were hurting so it was not quite so leisurely for me.

Around 6:30pm I arrived in Galena. There was a short walk on Old 3 C Road into town. I learned that the Old 3 C Road was a road that went from Cincinnati to Columbus to Cleveland. Hence the name 3 C Road. Bruce "Poppie" Purdy was waiting for me in Galena. I am spending another night at his house.

Day 8 - Zero Day

Today I am taking a zero. This means I am not hiking any miles today. It is time to take a day off from hiking to rest up. To me a zero days is about the four R's.

Rest - Sleep in, relax, nap and do nothing.

Rehydrate - Drink water. I have already consumed four quarts of water.

Refuel - Eat, eat and eat. Time to re-nourish and store up some calories.

Rain - A rainy day is a good day for a zero. Mother Nature granted my wish. It has rained off and on all day here in Columbus.

Zero days always go by too quickly.

Day 7 - Ohio State University

I slept good last night. I woke up ready for a long day of hiking. I had been looking forward to this day. This is the day I hike into Columbus.

The bike path ended so my route was mostly on roads today. I follow Alkire Road until the railroad tracks crossed it. I could see where the new section of bike path was under construction so I left the road and followed the tracks. It was easy walking. The route had not been paved yet and the ground was dry and soft.

In the distance I saw the crew that was working on the bike path. I wasn't sure if I should be there and thought about turning around and following the road. But I pressed on. The worst they could do is chase me off the railroad tracks, right? As I got closer they saw me coming. They must have thought I was some kind of inspector because two of the guys ran to their truck and put on their bright colored, safety vests. I chatted with guys. They were very nice. They let me take their picture. They expect to have this new section of trail completed in June or July.

The new bike path section was short and it soon ended. I had to follow the railroad tracks a short distance including walking on a bridge over a creek. I never did like walking on railroad bridges. In the town of Galloway I turned north and walked along Galloway Road to US-40/Broad Street. I followed US-40/Broad Street east towards Columbus.

I took my first break of the day at Tim Horton's. I had very good timing. Just after I sat down it started to rain. A very short, intense storm passed through. I was glad to be inside. So far I have not hiked in the rain.

I continued the long walk down Broad Street towards Columbus. The route got more urban with every block that I passed. I could see the city skyline in the distance. I passed an area called Hilltop. It looked like it was once a thriving retail and residential area. Today it looked like an old neighborhood past its prime.

I followed Broad Street right into the center of Columbus. In downtown Columbus a fellow came up to me and said "you must be that guy hiking from Cincinnati to Cleveland!" His was Dave Linnabary from Sunbury. He just read my blog in the morning after finding a link to it on the Ohio To Erie Trail Facebook page. He knew all about my stealth campsite. This encounter shows the power of the internet. One night I am in my tent blogging and the next day a complete stranger recognizes me and knows what I am up to. We chatted a bit and I moved on to the state capitol.

I took a nice long break in front of Ohio's capitol building. It was a beautiful day to be there. It was warm and sunny. The city was alive with the bustle of people. I felt great satisfaction in knowing that I had hiked from Cincinnati Columbus. It was a real accomplishment to me. Ohio is my home state and I was proud to be at the capitol.

I made my way to the Scioto River where a new bike path started. I followed it up river. Downtown Columbus is very beautiful. The trees and flowers were in bloom. At the confluence of the Scioto and Olentangy Rivers I continued on the Olentangy bike path towards Ohio State University.

In a few miles I was met by Bruce "Poppie" Purdy who was coming my way. I met Poppie on the Buckeye Trail two years ago. He was there to pick me up and take me to his home in Grove City for the night. We walked together along the bike path to Ohio Stadium where the Ohio State Buckeyes play football. This is where Poppie parked and a great place to end a day's hike.

I hiked 19 miles today. Tomorrow I am taking a zero. In hiker slang taking a zero means I am hiking zero miles or taking a rest day. I need a day off to rest, rehydrate and eat.

Becoming Captain Blue

At some point in the last few days, and I am not sure where,  I feel like I have transformed from Andy Niekamp, the suburban dweller, to Captain Blue the long distance hiker. It was a welcome transition. I seemed to have left my cares behind at one of those mile markers painted on the path oh so many miles ago. My sole focus now is to hike the Ohio To Erie Trail.

I have lost a few pounds of body weight. My skin is getting tan and my beard is growing. My pack is lighter. I have less food and less clothes. My body is getting used to the daily routine of carrying a backpack many miles on hard surfaces. My feet hurt but not as much. I can stroll up to an unfamiliar woods at sunset, find a place to camp and get a good night of sleep. I can wake up the next day and do it all over again.

My favorite quote is ... "Does the person make the journey? Or does the journey make the person?" I am a firm believer that the journey makes the person.

P.S. If you comes across my pile of "cares" on the bike path please leave them there. I don't want them back.

Day 6 - Battelle Darby Metropark

I slept in today and got a late start since I did not have far to go. I left London around noon after saying goodbye to Ron Brown who runs Alexandra's B&B. I made my way to the Roberts-Pass bike trail and headed east.

After a couple of miles of hiking I met three guys who had driven onto the bike path and were digging up a concrete railroad marker. The marker said "CLE 164" which meant 164 miles to Cleveland. At first I thought they might be vandals but the logo on the vehicle said "Friends Of Madison County Parks and Trails". I struck up a conversation with the guys. They were removing the marker so they could repair it and stabilize the mount so people could not knock it over. The three people were Gene, Craig and Wesley Pass who were father, son and grandson. It turns out this was the famous Gene Pass who this section of trail is co-named for. I am not sure of all of Gene's accomplishments but he was instrumental in getting this section of trail completed. Even at age 79 he rides his bicycle over 8,000 miles a year.

As I hiked I pondered how I could be only 164 miles from Cleveland. There were 230 miles left for me to hike on the Ohio To Erie and I would end in Cleveland. I guess the trail is not a straight line.

The miles came slow to me today. I was tired after doing three consecutive 20 mile days. It was hot and there was little shade. I took a break every chance I could get. I took a nap on a bench which had a awning for shade. The temperature rose to 83 degrees today. Those of you who were indoors today were probably itching to get outside. I was itching to find shade.

At the grain elevator in Lily Chapel I filled up my water bottles. The office was open and the young guy inside was very nice. I took a break in the shadow of the grain elevator towers.

It was once again very windy today. I think it was windier than yesterday. The wind pushed me along again but it came out of the south which was at my side.

It is very dry here. The woods and grass need water. The wind kicked up a lot of dust. I think there are many spring plants who are waiting for the rain so they can bloom and grow.

I got to Georgesville around 630pm. The bike path has ended. The long interrupted bike path section that I began on Thursday in Cincinnati is over. Someday the bike path will be complete to Columbus but not today.

I entered Battelle Darby Metropark to search for a campsite. There were lots of people on the trails. I waited until there was a break in the action and I slipped into the woods and found a campsite on a hill.  Next to me is a cemetery. There should not be much commotion from my neighbors tonight.

I hiked 12.5 miles today. Tomorrow I hike into downtown Columbus on roads.

Day 5- London

I got a late start today but I still managed to hiked 22 miles. I slept in and hung out at Dave & Kay's house until 1100am. Dave prepared a nice breakfast of scrambled eggs made with the chickens he raises. Dave and Kay sent me off with some trail food - an apple,  banana, some cheese, hard boiled eggs and zucchini bread.

I made a quick stop at the post office before getting back on the trail. I bounced a package to Cleveland with an extra shirt, bandana and sweat band. I wanted to lighten my load as much as possible. Today's weight savings is 12 ounces.

I could tell it was no longer the weekend. The trail was barren of trail users. I had the whole trail to myself. I only saw one cyclist and one runner the whole day except for a few walkers near the towns.

Twice I came across garter snakes sunning themselves on the trail. They looked very content so I left them alone. Yesterday I came across a snake on the trail but I shooed him off the path. He was bound to get run over by a cyclist. Today there was little danger of that.

I came across a guy driving an SUV down the bike path. We stopped and chatted a bit. He was with a New York company and was investigating the bike path as a potential route for a fiber optic line. He admired what I was doing. And I admired his job. As I walked along I saw many abandoned telephone poles along the path. They were the old style wooden, t-shaped poles with wooden pegs and glass insulators. I thought how much times have changed with how we communicate. But the old railroad path is still in demand for transmission lines.

Somewhere on the hike today near South Charleston I reached my highest point above sea level at around 1,125 feet. I guess this means it is all down hill to Lake Erie!

I took a nice long break in South Charleston in the local park. There a two cabooses, a log cabin, a restored train depot and a restroom pavilion. It was a great place for a break with clean restrooms, drinking water and an electrical outlet to charge my phone.

The wind was quite brisk today. It was out of the southwest with gusts up to 25 mph. Luckily it was blowing at my back. The gusts were so strong it pushed me along the trail. It felt like Mother Nature was telling me to move along.

I saw a skunk along the trail. He let me get quite close. I was not too scared since he was downwind and I figured he could not spray me against such a stiff wind. I took a few photos of him.  He got a whiff of me and wandered off. I guess he figured I smelled worse than he did.

I hiked into London after dark. I enjoyed watching the bats fly and feed along the bike path. I made my way to Alexandra's B&B which has a youth hostel. I checked in the hostel for the night. Ron, the owner, came out to meet me and upgraded me to a room in the house at no extra charge due a temporary problem he had in the hostel.

It was good to be in London. I have hiked three 20 mile days in a row. It is time to slow down. I feel a zero coming on too.

Tally ho

What It Is Your Cause? Just Cause!

One of the most popular questions I have been asked on this hike is am I hiking for a cause? People want to know if I am hiking to raise money for a charity, in memory of someone or to bring awareness to an issue. They seem disappointed or bewildered when I tell them I have no cause or my cause is "just cause".

They don't seem to understand why someone would want to hike from Cincinnati to Cleveland on bike paths. One guy asked me if I had ever heard of the Appalachian Trail. I politely told him "yes" and then told him I have hiked the whole Appalachian Trail end-to-end three times.

My goal for hiking the Ohio To Erie Trail end-to-end is to show people that the wonderful bike paths we have here in Ohio are backpackable. Yes, you can backpack on a bike path and have a great time. These bike paths are not just for bicycle riders. I get a chuckle from the signs along the trail that say that bicycle riders must yield to all other trail users. To me this means us hikers are special!

So if you learn one thing from reading this blog I hope it is that "yes" you can backpack on bike paths and on the Ohio To Erie Trail.

Day 4 - Cedarville

I hiked another 20 mile day today and made it to Cedarville. My campsite along the bike path was very quiet last night and this morning. I thought I might hear or see an early morning runner, walker or cyclist but I didn't. I was able to get packed up and hiking before anyone came by.

The trail goes by Spring Valley Wildlife Area which has a small lake. The trail came alive with the sounds of the songs and calls of birds. It was neat hearing all the birds chattering at once. Except for the Canada Goose which has a loud and annoying honk.

I took a break in the village of Spring Valley. There is no water fountain in the park. I saw a guy painting a store front building and asked him where I could get some water. He let me inside to fill up my water bottle. I stayed on the front porch and ate lunch. It was quite windy this morning and the porch was situated where it was out of the wind. The guy doing the painting said someone threw a rock through his window. So he replaced the window with a board and painted it. He said so far vandals have broken three of his store windows. Two to go.

On the way to Xenia I heard some yell out "Is that Captain Blue?" It Lucy and Jorge from Centerville who are friends of mine. They were out for a bike ride and came across me. It was good to see them. I was pretty close to home at this point and wondered if I would see some I knew.

I took a long break at Xenia Station where I chatted with several bike riders. Four bike paths come together here. It is a former railroad switching yard. It is here I leave the Little Miami River Trail and head east on the Prairie Grass Trail.

By now it was quite warm and sunny. I had to put on sunblock a second time today. There is just no shade this time of year. Everyone else is soaking up the sun but I am avoiding it if I can.

At 6pm I arrived in Cedarville. Dave McFarlane, who is a former coworker of mine, and his wife Kay and daughter Kelly were waiting for me. They live in Cedarville.  Dave offered to host me for the night. We went back to their house where I took a shower and did laundry. Kay had a wonderful meal prepared with grilled cheese, broccoli, New York minestrone soup, fresh fruit and cheesecake. It was all very delicious. It was nice to chat with Dave and catch up on things. I have known Dave for almost 25 years. We worked on a lot of projects together at HP and EDS.

I was quite tired from dual twenty mile days. I was in bed at 830pm.
  

Xenia Station

I made it to Xenia Station this afternoon. Xenia Station is the largest paved trail hub in Ohio. Five regional trails converge here.

I leave the Little Miami River bike path and join the Prairie Grass bike path. It will be nice to head east a bit.

At this point I have completed 1/5 of my journey. No time to rest too long. I am pressing on to Cedarville today.  

The weather is just gorgeous today. No a drop of rain.

Day 3 - Corwin

I awoke to my beautiful view along the Little Miami River. My first task was to enjoy a cup of coffee along with the fine scenery. So I fired up my alcohol stove, boiled some water and had a cup of Starbucks instant coffee. It was mighty nice.

The morning was rather cool and breezy but it warmed up quickly. The warmer it got the more people I would see. It was a great day to be outside.

I took a long lunch break in Morrow. I sat outside of the old train depot. I found a spot next to an electrical outlet where I charged my phone and camera. I boiled more water and had some Mountain House freeze dried beef teriyaki and rice. It hit the spot. I had a second cup of coffee too.

Yesterday my feet hurt but today they were better. Yesterday the more I hiked the more they hurt. Today it was just the opposite. The more I hiked the less my feet hurt. Don't get me wrong. They are still sore but just a lot less sore. Walking in the grassy area next to the paved path really helps.

I stopped in Oregonia at the Little River Cafe and had supper. The cafe is next to the bike path and a scenic country road. The place was filled with bikers of both types - motorcycle riders and bicycle riders. Both wore black but was easy to tell them apart. One group wore skin tight clothes and the other did not.

My plan was to get to Corwin and find a quiet place to camp in town. This was not to be case. I hiked into Corwin around sunset. The places was hopping. The small town was alive on this warm Saturday night with the sound of cars, loud music and barking dogs. It was not going to be a good place to camp so I filled up my water bottles at the outside faucet of the local church and kept hiking.

It grew dark but following the bike path was quite easy even with no flashlight. My new plan was to hike to the outskirts of town and camp along the trail. But the bike path was right next to a rather busy road. So I pulled out my smart phone and pulled up Google Maps with the bicycle route layer and saw that the road and bike path diverged in a couple of miles. So I hiked on until the road turned off and found a delightful place to camp next to the trail surrounded by farm fields. 

I hiked 22 miles today. Rain is in the forecast for tonight and tomorrow. I better get some sleep. It might be a long day.

Day 2 - Lebanon

Today was my first full day on the trail. I slept in late and rolled out of my sleeping bag and tent around 8am. It was cold last night and there was frost on the ground but I stayed warm and toasty. Terrell Park in Milford is a fine place to camp.

My first order of business was to head into town to Main Street to the local coffee shop for some hot coffee. The place was quaint. The proprietor there must of thought I was a homeless person since I was carrying a backpack. He seemed rather bothered by me ordering coffee and asking what the daily brew was. He must not realize Milford is a trail town.

On my way to Loveland I met a 92 year old fellow named Bob Connelly. He is a World War II veteran and was awarded two Purple Hearts. See my related post about this.

The sun was out and it was a lovely day. It warmed up quickly. I made sure to put on sun block as to not get sunburned. There are no leaves on the trees and absolutely no shade.

The trail was alive with people. Everyone was taking advantage of the nice day to run, walk or bike. A few people saw my custom embroidered hat that has the words "Ohio River To Lake Erie" on it and struck up a conversation with me. It was a delight to chat with people.

I saw several deer, squirrels and rabbits along the trail. Some small yellow flowers bloom profusely in clusters along the trail. It looks just like a post card view. I saw a Northern water snake slither across the trail.

By now my feet were starting to hurt from all the pavement walking. I knew my feet would hurt but not so soon. This will be the biggest issue of my hike.

In Loveland my first stop was the post office. My pack was already too heavy at 28 pounds. So I found 1.25 pounds of items I probably won't need and bounced them to my friend in Cleveland. It was more a psychological maneuver than a real weight reduction.

In Loveland I took a two hour break. I had a sandwich and some ice cream. Loveland is a lovely place and they really embrace the trail.

After leaving town I opted to walk in the grassy area next to the asphalt bike path to give my feet a break from the pounding. This helped a bit. There was a defined path off to the side where other hikers, runners and horseback riders used.

I hiked 16-17 miles today and found a secluded, stealth campsite along an overlook in a turn of the Little Miami River. The site is very beautiful. I can hear the hum of cars on the highway in nearby Lebanon. It is time to give my feet a rest.

92 And Still Walking

This morning I met a nice fellow walking along the Little Miami River bike path. He is 92 years old and walks on the bike path everyday. He tries to do four miles rain or shine. He was a delightful person so I decided to slow down and walk with him a bit. His name is Bob Connelly.

I noticed that Bob was wearing a ball cap that indicated he might be a World War II veteran. I asked him about his hat. He said he is a WWII navy veteran and went on to talk about his experience. He received two Purple Hearts. He said the first one was no big deal.

The second time he was wounded was in January 1945 in the Phillipines. He was on deck on a landing control craft which had just sent some troops ashore. He ship was struck by a Japanese kamikaze plane which hit its target. A piece of shrapnel hit him in the leg which  causes a slight limp in his walk today. The impact of the kamikaze plane created a crater in his ship which he fell into. He said falling into the hole probably save his life. The kamikaze impact created an explosion and fire which ignited the ammunition onboard. He said 50 caliber rounds were exploding all around the ship. He was struck in the head by one. His metal combat helmet took the impact and he was knocked unconscious for three days. Other men were not so lucky. A few were ripped apart from the exploding ammo. In all 35 men died in that kamikaze attack. The injuries he sustained ended his military career.

It was then that realized I was walking with a real military hero and tears came to my eyes. You can hike all the miles you want on the Appalachian Trail but you probably won't encounter any 92 year old WWII vets who have two Purple Hearts.