Linking the Richland B&O and OTET - Is it possible?

 

I want to go from the Richland B&O Trail to the Ohio to Erie Trail.  There is about a 30-mile gap between them, which would entail riding on a road.  It's a hilly area.  I let google navigate for me, from Butler to Mount Vernon. It presented me with three options - the flattest of which was to ride down State Route 95 to Ankeytown, from Ankneytown to Fredericktown, and from there down State Route 13. 

I got to Butler, and was dismayed to see that vandals have been busy.  I just saw a Facebook post about another Mansfield City park being vandalized, Liberty Park in the Madison school area.  Very sad to see.  I was glad, however, that the ladies' room was still open.  

It was nice weather for a ride.  Not too cool, not too hot.  I made my way onto State Route 95 and headed south.  I stopped to take a photo of this creek, because it was so pretty with the sky reflecting in the s-shaped creek.  Unfortunately the photo doesn't give the full effect. 

 Traffic was light on SR 95 and that was good, because there were no shoulders marked.  A couple of semi-trucks came the other way, but they slowed, and there was no issue.  I got to Fredericktown without incident, where the google navigation was a little confusing.  Luckily I spotted a bike/hike trail on the other side of the road and guessed I was supposed to take it.  It was very pleasant.  A section was cut out of rocks, which had eroded away over the years.  

When the short trail ended, I was on a wide, empty road.  Empty except for the heavy trucks that occasionally came my way.  That street ended on State Route 13, just at the end of the divided highway section.  I had to cross over the divided highway to turn left.  At least there was a narrow shoulder, but there was also a rumble strip cut into the edge markings.   I had to concentrate not to wander into the rumble strips.  Traffic was fairly light, being the middle of the day. 

When I got to Mt. Vernon, there were a lot of road closing signs.  But they said "Local Traffic only - No Trucks", so I assumed a bike would be able to get through.  When I got to the construction area, though, car traffic was coming through the one lane in only one direction. I moved over onto the sidewalk and rode through the parking lots of several businesses.  This was pretty easy because the road was downhill.  I got to the square in Mt. Vernon and decided it would be good to stop for lunch.  I picked this place, thinking it would have healthy food. 

 

The lunch menu was limited, they had a "happy hippie" wrap with kale and other vegetables and either scrambled tofu, sesame seed, or both.  I chose just the scrambled tofu.  It was sooooo gooooood!!!

I may come back when not on the bike, just for another one of those wraps.  There is also a maker space next door that I'd like to check out.  

I rode on to the old restored train station that serves as the Chamber of Commerce visitor center along the rail-trail.  This is the meeting of two of the trails that make up the Ohio to Erie Trail.  I rode past Ariel Foundation park, which is the site of a former PPG glass factory, and continued down another 8 or 9 miles to Mt. Liberty.  I was starting to worry about getting home in time for "date night" with my husband, so I turned around and headed back.  The trail is every so slightly downhill going north.  I made better time going back.   

When I got downown in Mt. Vernon, I wanted to avoid the road construction, so I went up Gay Street.  This proved to be problematic.  First, it was uphill.  There was no bike lane, and cars were parked on the right with little room for the traffic, and no room for me.  I ended up walking up part of the street onthe sidewalk. 

Gay Street ended at the cemetary.  I turned left and road to Mansfield Avenue and headed out of town.  Mansfield Avenue became Old Mansfield Road at some point.  I rode for several miles.  It was a roller coaster of uphill and down.  Several times my heart was in my throat as a car or truck roared past me as it crested the blind hill.  It was getting towards "rush hour" if you can call it that, and traffic was pretty heavy. Seemingly everyone was in a hurry.  I called Ed to come and get me.  It was getting late and I was getting nervous.  

I do not recommend this route.  So I am still searching for a way from Butler to OTET!  

2020 Bike Trip -GCC - OTET - Day 5

 Travel log- Day 5

Lori took me to breakfast this morning.  Because it is Labor Day weekend, the restaurant she wanted to share with me, a fifties style diner, was closed.  But we went to a nice coffee shop, she said she often gets her coffee there.  Then we went back to her house, I packed up my panniers, and we said goodbye. 

 I headed off down the trail and since it was such a lovely day, I decided to ride around Ariel Foundation Park.  This lovely park was built on the site of a former Pittsburg Plate Glass company manufacturing plant.  Lori's grandfather ( my ex's father) worked there before he retired. My father also worked for that company, although at another location.  The "River of Glass" at the park reminds me of the little cubes of tempered glass that used to fall out of the cuffs of his jeans when we did laundry.  I pretended they were diamonds.

The train station at the trailhead is part of the Ariel park.  As I left I noticed two Amish girls riding eBikes, presumably going to the farmers market Lori and I had passed on the way to breakfast. I noticed the market basket in one of their panniers. 

There are two trails across the street from the train station.  One   heads for downtown Mt. Vernon, across a railroad trestle, and the other one runs behind a storage locker business to become the Kokosing Gap trail.  There are many beautiful bridges across the Kokosing River and its tributaries on this trail.  I couldn't stop to get a photo of them all!

In Gambier, there is a small park alongside the trail with a train engine and caboose.  A runner, also using the trail,  stopped me, asked about my trip, and gave me a $20 bill for the cause.  

I took some photos of the roadside flowers and submitted to the Plant identification (People helping People) Facebook page. 

I stopped in Howard to admire the stonework in the highway bridge that arches over the trail.  A woman walking her dog said that she was there to see if because it was designed and built by her husband's grandfather.  The historical plaque  said that it was built by Robert and William Mckay.  I said that I knew some McKays in Mansfield.  When she said they were from Mansfield, I asked if her husband was the Bill McKay who worked with me at GM, and she said he was.  Small world.  Her name is Charlene.   It occurred to me again that I wanted to look online to see if I can find a listing of the text of all these historical markers in Ohio.

I stopped in Danville to get something to eat, but the pizza place looked like it was closed.  I think the tavern was open, but it was named Bender's, and I opted instead for the gas station where I got some Gatorade and some peanuts. Several Amish buggies passed by.  I got a photo of this one, parked across the street.

 The Kokosing Gap Trail ended and the Mohican Valley trail began behind the hardware store. It was a short uphill and then a long descent. I enjoy riding down hills.

This trail is used by Amish buggies.   I saw a lot of evidence they had passed by in the road, but I didn't meet any buggies, only a group of young Amish kids riding eBikes. 

I came to the Bridge of Dreams.  This is a must-do, obligatory photo stop.  It is the third-longest covered bridge in the US.  The supports are historical, but the bridge is a replica.

After the trail passes under route 62, it becomes the Holmes County trail. It runs uphill over the course of several miles.  No wonder those Amish kids were using eBikes, the trail goes up and up.  Every time you go around the bend and think there might be a downhill, there is another uphill!  I found a picnic table about halfway up, and updated my notes while my heart rate returned to normal.

I finally got to the top.  The hill changed from a gradual slope to a severe one, and as I was trying to change down in to a lower gear and hearing the chain slip, a big bug flew in between my glasses and my eye.  This was too much to handle all at once, so I dismounted, got rid of the bug, and leaned over the handlebars, breathing heavily.  As my breathing returned to normal, I became aware of heavy breaching and a crunching noise to my left.  I looked over and I saw a giant black beast at eye level.  There was no fence between him and me except way down in the ditch, so I decided to move on.  

 I crossed a road and the steep hill continued up for another 100 feet.  When I reached the top, I got on my. bike and was met by another couple walking their bike up from the other side. I encouraged them "you're almost there!" And then realized the chain had come off my bike sprocket.  I got off and shifted to a higher gear, then turned the pedals manually, as that usually will push the chain back on the sprocket.  Well, with the heavy panniers it was a little difficult to lift the back wheel up to spin the pedals.  Eventually I prevailed.  I sailed down the miles-long hill at about 16 mph on average, and rolled into the village of Glenmont. I was hungry.  It was about 2:00 and I had not had lunch yet. I put my mask on and went in to the Glenmont Tavern.  I sat at the bar, instead of the booth where the loudspeaker was blaring country-western music immediately overhead.  I was about six miles from my final destination, so I tried calling my husband.  Alas, no cell phone coverage at all.  Luckily the bar offered Wi-Fi for their patrons and I was able to Skype Ed.  He said he was already on the way, having been tracking my location through Google maps. I finished my Reuben sandwich and deep-fried mushrooms (this restaurant did not offer WW-friendly options), paid, and got back on the bike. 

The same cat that had befriended me on my previous trip was still there.

 The next section of Bicycle Route 1 was routed over the road, State Route 520. Google showed it as mostly downhill, but I would describe it as gently rolling.  I was less than two miles from Killbuck, my destination, pushing my bike up yet another hill, when I saw a familiar GMC Acadia coming down the road.  I was so happy to see my husband!  I'm sleeping at home tonight and tomorrow because it's less than an hour from our house to the start and end points.  Tomorrow I think I am taking the lighter bike, because no panniers needed for a day trip!  That should make the hills easier.

To donate, Click here

2020 Bike Trip - GCC- OTET - Day 4

 Travel log 2020- day 4 Columbus to Mt. Vernon on OTET

I forgot to mention that I saw six goldfinches yesterday.   Today I didn't see any until almost evening. 

Since I got lost and left the trail yesterday, today I had my sister drop me off at the point where I made the wrong turn yesterday.  I want to do the entire Ohio-to-Erie trail, and I would have missed some of it had I started from her house and took the most direct route to my destination.  This added about 6 or 7 miles to the mileage I planned to do today, but it gave  me a sense of satisfaction.  I was actually not too far off for some of my ride last night, only a city block or two.

And had I not taken the trail from where I left off, I might have missed this family of deer getting cooled off in Alum Creek.  

  The Alum Creek trail is a shady, winding trail that meanders back and forth across Alum creek.  Too many bridges to count.  It heads from downtown through Westerville.  This cool masonry wall was one of the first sights I saw.

I also realized that the reason I did not see signage yesterday for Ohio Bike Route 1, is because I was off the route, after taking the wrong turn.  Today, on the actual route,  I found it to be very well-marked except for a few areas.

One confusing area was where the route crossed St. Clair at 670.   The paper trail map was misleading.  It looked like I was on the wrong side of 670, but Google maps showed me where I was and which way the trail went.  

  The other place was near the intersection of Cooper and Schrock road.  The trail was marked "closed due to high water" with no indication of where an alternate route would be.  I was later told by members of the Ohio to Erie Trail Facebook group that the route indicated by the Google map gives the alternate route.  This leads me to believe that the high water closing must be semi-permanent.  I parked my bike under a tree at a golf course while I looked at the map to figure out where I was. 

I ended up choosing my own route to get back to Ohio Bicycle Route 1.  Looking at the map, I saw a connecting trail to the north on Cooper. When I got there, however, I found that trail closed for construction. 

  I followed another rider farther north along Cooper.  He got pretty far ahead of me, but got me started on another branch of the Alum Creek Trail.  The trail surface was black asphalt as if it had just been poured.  This led to another trail  called Towers Trail on Google maps.  The surface was rough black asphalt, as if it were under construction in some places. I rejoined the OTET route near Polaris Parkway or Maxtown Road. 

 I ate lunch at Panera Bread, because I have a coffee club membership there, and more importantly, I did not have to cross a busy highway to get to it. A server there saw my GCC jersey and asked me what my ride goal was.  I told him 500 and he said his was 200.  I should have told him that size doesn't matter.  He's working and I'm retired, and it's all about raising money for research for the kids.  While I was eating my lunch, a woman patted my bike.  I thought it was a strange gesture.  Then as she walked away she told her friend something about if she didn't get tested she would have to self-quarantine for two weeks and I nearly spit my food out.  Why was she touching my bike!  I reminded myself that we were outside in the sunlight and that my bike would be in the sunlight all afternoon.  But I was angry. 

I rejoined the OTET at the parking lot of United Dairy Farmers.  While I was there, I bought a big jug  of Gatorade in the hopes that the extra potassium would prevent some of the evening cramping issues.  There were a couple of other riders there who saw my bags and asked where I was bound.  I explained that I was coming from Cincinnati and going to Cleveland.  They assured me that the next section of trail through Genoa Township was smooth and flat.  

They were correct.  Again today,  I was worried about making it to my destination before dark.  I had only been averaging about 8.5 mph all day, with a lot of rest stops.  The heels of my hands go numb unless I remember to change positions on the handlebars frequently, so sometimes I stop to shake them out. With the detours, more lost time.  More uphills, and a light crosswind.  And I was tired.  

There were some zigs and zags on country roads when the Genoa trail ended.  Then I arrived in Galena.  I had ridden from Galena to the UDF store previously this summer, so it brought back the memories of that experience.  North of Galena I got on to the Sandel Legacy trail, which ended abruptly in Sunbury.  Then a more than ten-mile long stretch on country roads.  I was glad to get back on the trail south of Centerburg and out of the crosswind.

  I stopped at a station in Centerburg to take a selfie, drink some Gatorade, and used the provided tire pump to put some air in my back tire. 

  Just north of town is a marker that says it is the highest point on this trail.   Funny, seeing that marker gave me confidence to shift to a higher gear, and my speed improved to about 13.5 mph. But it was downhill.

 I cranked out the rest of the miles to Mt. Vernon. I only stopped to take a picture of this doe, who was stamping her foot nervously. 

I did not stop when I saw what appeared to be a very large cat (like bobcat-sized) stalking at the edge of the cornfield that bordered the trail.

  Just outside of town I saw the goldfinches. 

 When I arrived,  my stepdaughter Lori made me feel very welcome.  I showered, had a plate of food, a glass of wine, and chatted with her for a while before retiring to write down my recollections from the day. So far no charley-horses today.

To donate, Click here