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.
