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.
