Journal Entries

There were many beautiful spring flowers out on the trail during our hike. My daughter Cary enjoyed taking photos of almost every flower she saw!

It was interesting to see the brick road degrade once we were past the last house on the road. There were portions that were asphalted and portions where nature was beginning to reclaim it.

A part of the Trail leading up to the Pine Lane trail head was a beautiful brick road leading up the hill.

On June 2, 2018 we visited my sister and husband, who's house in Peninsula is literally on the Buckeye Trail! There are blue blazes on the sidewalk in front of their house. We hiked the Pine Lane trail, which is within the Cuyahoga Valley National Park (https://www.nps.gov/cuva/index.htm). The CVNP was established as a National Park in 2000, making it one of the newer national parks in the National Park System. It extends along the Cuyahoga River between Akron and Cleveland. It protects may rural and natural areas, and includes many popular attractions, such as the Ohio and Erie Canal Towpath Trail and Brandywine Falls.

I am really looking forward to exploring the CVNP section of the Buckeye Trail!

Much of the first two miles of the Buckeye Trail that we hiked today follows the course of Cincinnati's Flying Pig Half and Full Marathons. The trail starts at the peak of the most brutal hills on the course - Gilbert and Eden Park Drive hills. The trail follows the course along Victory Parkway, McMillan Street and Woodburn Ave. The trail turns right onto Madison into Obryonville to follow the marathon course (half marathoner's like me turn left).

This picture is of St. Francis de Sales Church (http://www.stfrancisds.com/) in the background, and Woodburn Brewery (http://www.woodburnbrewery.com/) in the foreground. Woodburn Brewery is a place where some of my friends like to "carb load" (or is it "carb re-load"?) during the Flying Pig! Woodburn is a great place to shop, eat and drink!

We continued our hike to Bob Roncker's Running Spot (https://jackrabbit.com/info/locations/store/bob-ronckers-running-spot-obryonville), stopping at two miles before walking the two miles back. Thank you to Roncker's for letting us use their restrooms, giving us water, and letting us check out the shoe museum!

All in all it was a great hike. Because it was almost 90 degrees, there was a lot of complaining from my daughters ("I'm hot!" "When is it two miles!"). However, we all had a lot of fun exploring our city. I hope that they will want to join me on future hikes!

This is a view of the Ohio River and Dayton and Bellevue, Kentucky from the Overlook at Eden Park at the start of the Buckeye Trail. Note the riverboat out for a cruise!

To celebrate Memorial Day, we visited this memorial site, which honors those of the Battery F. 136th Field Artillery A.E.F. and who served overseas in World War I. This memorial is hidden beyond the playground at Twin Lakes overlook and at the backside "approach trail" to the southern terminus sign. At one time there was probably a great view of the river from the memorial but now the view is obstructed by trees.

On Memorial Day 2018, I started to section hike the Buckeye trail with my wife Alice and daughters Cary and Geni. This picture is of Cary, Geni and I at the sign for the southern terminus of the trail. It is at the overlook at Eden Park, right above the playground at Twin Lakes. It is hidden in the trees and is difficult to spot if you are not looking for it. Let the adventure begin! #buckeyetrail