Winter 2012 - Cleveland Metro Drive

A Series of Remarkable Experiences and Hiking Life Lessons

(clicking on photos will bring you to a slide show of them)

The maps I ordered had come quickly, but a hiking related injury and weather kept me off the trails for a few weeks.  With much amusement, and a touch of embarrassment, I have to share my initial thoughts about the maps; they were “….not what I expected” “...wordier than an actual map, talking pretty much about distance, section by section, big jogs in the trail, crossing major roads, etc.  The map is not very detailed [on how to get to a trail].”  I laughed when I re-read my journal.  Lesson #17:  Let experience speak for itself.   Give something plenty of tries before giving up on it altogether.  It is obvious to me today that I just was unfamiliar with the maps, but as I got used to them they have been a true blessing over these many hikes.  I still spend a great deal of time figuring out how to get to a new segment, where to park my bike and car and how to get back and forth between them, but once I am there at the trail, there are few secrets about where to go, just plenty of opportunities for adventure. 

Although the sun was out, dark clouds were hovering low in the fall sky, even my son had commented on them as I drove him to school for his birthday, so I dressed warmly adding a hoodie under my “park uniform” to protect myself from the cold and wind.  This hike, segment 4, Bedford section, actually started last hike when I crossed the Towpath in front of the Frazee House on Canal Road. 

Frazee House, Canal Road, Independence, Ohio

Using my Google directions I drove directly to the end of my hike, dropped off my bike and scouted out the route I would later take back. 

Sagamore Creek at Sagamore and Canal Roads, Independence, Ohio

Retracing my steps to where I ran into my good Samaritan on Sagamore Road I bumbled around for a few minutes trying to figure out where the next blaze was hiding, which was just on the other side of the guard rail (as indicated on the BT map), but it was obscured by all the trees so I hesitated until I finally spotted it well up the hill. 

Blue Blaze just over the guard rail....just like it states on the BT maps!

I started immediately up a steep incline through a thick forest, mixed with both fir and deciduous trees.  Here and there through the thicket I would catch a glimpse of moving water, how far down I wasn’t certain. 

Looking down to Sagamore Creek, Walton Hills, Ohio

Big tree with plants

Plants in the big tree

Up close of the bark on the big tree

There were mammoth trees with their thick exposed roots as long as they were tall clinging to the sides of the hill to keep from sliding off into the abyss.

Trees clinging to the sides of the hill

Up close of roots

Once on top the trail ran close to the edge on this woodsy ridge.  When I would pop out into a bare rock clearing I could see where the ground fell away dizzyingly, its sheer drops giving birth to plenty of falls where water was left to helplessly tumble on down into these deep, moss and leaf covered ravines so steep that no matter how I tried my photos could not capture the depth I saw with my eyes nor the awe that I felt standing at the edge. 

This was the scenery that went on forever as I wound my way back and forth through this forest and as I went from one set of mini gorges to another I would cross through their feeder creeks and storm drainage tunnels, neatly stacked with sandstone. 

The many images and colors of this fall day’s palette captured my imagination and my heart as I roamed through envisioning it as an early day pioneer might have experienced it while making their way on foot up into the next county.  I spent a great deal of time taking photos and videos of the most varying scenery which before I would have thought impossible to have in one small area.  There is a lot of real beautiful country up through here and I hope if one thought hiking the entire BT would be too much of a trial that they would at least hit this one segment.  Maybe I was able to notice because I was calmer, with trusty BT map in hand, or perhaps it was just too gorgeous to miss.  Either way this section was the most beautiful of the Buckeye Trail hikes I had taken to date and to this day still remains one of my favorites (and I had only gone half way!)…to be continued  (scroll to Spring 2013 to read the rest).

 by Blue Blaze Bugsie

To read all the adventures in order use the index links at the right side of the page or select this:  First Post, Spring 2011.

Fall 2012 - Frazee House

A Series of Remarkable Experiences and Hiking Life Lessons

Frazee House

You will be so proud of me!  Just before leaving for today’s hike I ordered the Bedford and Akron BT maps! One last blindfolded hike!  Also today is the day I decided I would employ my bike to get back to the car after my walk.  No more backtracking on foot!  Picking up where I left off I went to the CVNR Brecksville Station, locked the bike and drove over to The Frazee House on Canal Road. 

Frazee House on Canal road near the canal

Par for the course, I still managed to go the wrong way following the blue blazes south down Canal Road, which had more to do with this picture in my head of where the trail would be in reference to the river, but thank heavens I ran into someone right away hiking down Alexander Road toward me.  She had some old hand drawn BT maps with her that she had from a hiking club years ago when she first walked the BT.  She pointed out where we were and where my bike was parked.  Launching off in her same direction I told her I was in a hurry and had to go, but I knew I’d see her again when I biked back to my car.  As an afterthought I turned and took a photo of her. 

Good Samaritan's aplenty on the BT!
Diane

Realizing, soon enough, that there would be enough lonely days on this adventure, I was sorry I didn’t just walk with her to begin with as she was right behind me most of the way and would have been a great hiking companion.  Lesson #16:  Walk awhile with someone regardless of their pace.  Sometime’s sharing your journey with someone not only makes it more of an adventure for you both, it makes it less lonely.  Back on the correct side of the canal I stopped and took some photos of Stephen Frazee’s house.

Perusing the sign I note that the backdrop of it was a copy of a 1930’s painting done by local Cleveland artist, Frank Wilcox, whose family was close to and spoken highly of by the family of my great aunt! 

Painting by Cleveland artist Frank Wilcox

I got caught up in taking photos of everything around me, the fall flowers, heron’s, spider webs wet from the light rain that was falling and humming insects collecting. 

Spider web

Rain spotted spider and web

Looked like a fancy gold fish to me!

Bumble bee doing his thing

Heron

Every time I stopped I’d turn to see my Samaritan slowly fading into the distance until I finally lost sight of her altogether.  In keeping with last week’s observation there were no blazes to be found on this section of the towpath, but the low engraved posts steadily pointed the way toward Brecksville Station.

Towpath trail, now used for recreation (canal to the left)

The canal

Additionally there were interpretive signs calling attention to features of the canal I would not have noticed as some of those elements lay on the other side of the canal embedded into the side of the bank like the mud catcher, “the small dam where the stream enters the canal - which holds back silt and debris” keeping the canal from clogging or “the Pinery feeder channel” which to this day continues to feed the existing canal from the Cuyahoga River – it never dawned on me that it was being KEPT filled! 

I’d been on the Tow Path just a few times, but hadn’t taken the time to stop and read about the historic importance of the canal.  Learning about the early history of this area I felt pride for the tremendously hard work these people did using their bare hands and sheer determination as tools to achieve their goals, the remains of which are still here today for us to bear witness to.

Historic wrought iron Station Road Bridge at Brecksville

Through the trees I catch sight of the Station Road Bridge slung low over the river, 

Route 82 bridge, Brecksville.

 but knew I was close to finishing my walk as I passed under the gigantic Rt. 82 Bridge. 

Finally getting to actually cross the white historic wrought iron bridge for the first time I complete this hike. 

Brecksville CVRR station

Rt. 82 bridge in the background...getting ready to pedal

Having prepared my bike and self for my ride back, I roll forward to the tracks, looking up one side then the other to cross and see my Samaritan!  I stop to talk and after introductions it is then I learn that Diane grew up in and around Brecksville and was re-exploring the area, in particular the BT, on which she’s heading toward Peninsula.  She liked my bike idea for getting around post hike, but at the moment is calling on her brother for rides at the end of her hikes (which I find an exciting thought: one way altogether?  I like the sound of that!).

Riding across Station Road Bridge I stop and set my camera to capture me biking across and after a few tries get a good shot then peddle on my way toward the car.  After stowing everything away I took a quick drive up Alexander and Dunham Roads to scout out my next hike and the excitement of the BT maps coming in the mail made me giddy with delight. 

Crossing the Historic wrought iron Station Road Bridge

 

 by Blue Blaze Bugsie

Summer 2012 - Deer Lick

A Series of Remarkable Experiences and Hiking Life Lessons

During my hunt for the trail on my first hike I read about a Buckeye Trail kiosk at Deer Lick Cave. I must have missed the kiosk, but there was a sign explaining the BT and that at that point marks the convergence of three sections: Akron, Bedford and Medina. 

Kiosk at Deer Lick Cave

Officially I started the Bedford (segment 1) section today, but, alas, I didn’t know it and without an actual BT map I got turned around right off the bat.  With all this wandering around I’ve had plenty of time to come up with “clever” sayings for myself.  Today’s was, “The problem with traveling the road less traveled by is that sometimes you get lost” hubby contested, “You get to know the path less traveled by, because you travel it twice!”  Lesson #12 Listen to good advice the first time you hear it…get the BT maps!

Lots of sandstone structures and overhangs in the Deer Lick Caves area



 

 

Leaving Deer Lick I headed east then north down into a valley and then up out of it toward Riverview Road.  I was able to get all caught up in the early fall scenery taking photos of newly turned leaves that had fallen onto beds of moss, interesting plants with delicate strands poking out from within with little pearl-like flowers strung on them and trees with funny holes bored low on their trunks. 

Moss covered sandstone with leaves

Moss up close

Poison something going into hibernation

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Holes bored by woodpeckers?








 

Getting ready to cross Chippewa Creek Road

At the corner of Chippewa Creek and Riverview Roads wondering the best way back to my car all these kids kept pouring out from a hidden trail.  I approached and asked one of them if he knew where he was, no, he was just following the crowd to a picnic. Walking up the line looking for an adult one of the kids stopped and asked if I knew where their lunch was, laughing I told him no because I didn’t know where I was!  A few more kids came up to me starring intently at the bite valve and tubing from my camel pack and inquired, “Is that one of those water backpacks?”  Since it is tucked into a bigger hiking backpack it must have seemed ridiculously huge to them so I showed them how all of that worked.  Finally an adult ran into me, a one-time BT hiker, who knew exactly where we all were, but couldn’t recall where the BT went from here. 

7th graders pouring out of knowwhere

I ended up walking with him and the last of the 7^th graders to the Plateau Picnic Area, and from there, after saying my goodbyes, I kept heading back toward Deer Lick and my car asking joggers and walkers along the way for directions. 

Laetiporus sulphureus aka Sulphur Shelf

Sulphur Shelf up close

Even closer

Horses crossing Riverview Road back up by Deer Lick

Sign at Deer Lick on Valley Parkway

This was a short, uneventful hike, thank heavens! I was wearing new boots and these long run-arounds over the last week were beginning to take their toll on my feet. Lesson #13: Never wear new shoes on long outings!

Three hours later I got back to the car and decided to check out the next hike’s section. I drove back to and turned up Chippewa Creek Road and there behind this tall line of trees was the Brecksville RR Depot for the Cuyahoga Valley Scenic Railway! Now I know where all those 7^th graders were coming from, they had come by train and were pouring out of the depot. As I parked the car in the station lot, Bill, an elderly gentleman approached me asking if I was a park ranger. Dressed in dark green pants and orange scouting shirt, I thought I kind of looked like a park employee, but laughed that someone else actually thought so, too! He excitedly was telling me that he rode the CVSR and that before today had never been on a train of any type in his life! After we were done chatting it reminded me of my dad’s advice: Lesson #14: If you listen for awhile you’re going to hear an interesting story. 

After looking over the lonely yellow station building I crossed the wrought iron Station Road Bridge to the tow path I’d biked with the Scouts earlier this year. 

Although there were signs indicating the BT, I could find no blazes.  I learned later that not all parks/paths permit blazing, but that usually there will be some sign indicating which way to go.  Lesson #15:  Be flexible.  Be open to things not being the way you expect them.  Curious to know where the next blaze would appear I got back in the car and followed the Scenic Byway Canal Way signs until I was back down alongside the tow path on Canal Road.  I actually knew where I was there and there were blazes aplenty.  Although I still did not have a clue which way was what, I at least knew that my next walk would find me along the canal which

was steeped in local and national

history. 

I was really excited at what I would learn next to pass along to the Scouts.

1,442 miles to go!

by Blue Blaze Bugsie