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.
