Spring 2014

Spring 2014 Edition: A Series of Remarkable Experiences and Hiking Life Lessons by Blue Blaze Bugsie

Use http://blueblazebugsie.blogspot.com/2011/08/blue-blaze-bugsie.html to jump all the way to "the beginning" to read the journal entry's in order, then select "newer post" at the bottom of each journal entry to continue reading forward.

(Clicking directly on the photos will take you to an enlarged film strip to see more details)

A tree near Old South Church on SR306 in Kirtland provided a lock up zone for the bike and then off I went to Gates Mills Horticultural Center eight miles out on County Line road.   

 

Old South Church

 

 

 

 

 

 

Although the BT hits local parks or state forest systems along the route, I remember, whilst hiking along at a snail’s pace down side streets and winding country roads next to traffic traveling at all speeds, that the point of the BT is piecing together historic trails. No matter what the terrain, I find something to enjoy on each excursion however it is presented to me.  Today’s hike found me roadside more often than not as I walked sections 21 to 24 through Chesterland and Kirtland. 

 

 

The long stretches of country roads have homes and farms up and down them with deep, wide lots and most of them have animals ranging from the four legged to feather covered: Horses, bulls, cows, turkeys, chickens, peacocks, cats, oh and lots of dogs. Some are big, lumbering and happy-go-lucky, some are medium sized, loud and fast and others are small and yippy.  Some are secured, some bolt at me and then stop short at their invisible fence line and others just run at me full tilt, the last two are one and the same because they get the same rise out of me, but hands down it’s the quiet ones of any size that manage to get right up to me without a sound that get the loudest shriek out of me.  Usually I can squawk out a forceful “No!” or even “Sit!” works, but luckily for me with only an exception or two, an owner has been close enough to hear me yell out and then called the dog back.  Lesson Number 22:  Have a better defense than “No!” or “Sit!” for unexpected approaches of any type.  There are a lot of really neat things to observe, but you need to protect yourself. 

 

 

 

Dogs and their invisible fence

A conundrum:  sometimes the signs are very confusing.  Confusion is often caused when old signs are not completely removed or if there are changes to the trails and you have an old map, which is the case for me this time.  I ended up doing an entire farmland block at Hillendale Road.

Dead tree makes a beautiful contrast to fall foliage and leftover summer greenery

Patterson Tree Farm
Only been here one other time, it's on the other side of the moon
to a west sider.

http://www.pattersonfarm.com/

My fav fall pals, the woolybear

 

After I entered Lake Metroparks State Forest, Chapin Forest, I wound my way over multiple trails which eventually led to an overlook. 

 

 

Not a typical BT sign

Moss covered boulders on Lucky Stone Loop

I took a few photos of a gorgeous view of the wetlands below me, framed out by the treed trail and I edged along until I hit a clearing where I could look out toward the horizon. 

Wetland created from mining pure grade silicon dioxide.

Looking out onto the horizon
smoke stacks
Is that Lake Erie?

 

 

In the far distance I saw smoke stacks, but I did not comprehend all that I was seeing, and then it hit me: That was Lake Erie!  I don’t know why it surprised me as much as it did.  To date I didn’t know how many miles I’d walked, but after starting out in Brecksville, it just blew me away that I was actually seeing the lake.  I proudly took some photos before I continued on to nonsense strains of “I’m walking to the lake!” sing-songing in my head.

Just before leaving LMSF I walked through the remnants of a sandstone quarry where Mormon founder Joseph Smith cut stone in the 1830’s for the Kirtland Temple, the Ohio home of the Church of Latter Day Saints.  Excited I walked the wooden platform out over the middle of the ravine and studied the scars of the deep grooves pounded one blow at a time into the sandstone as each massive block was felled from its eons old home.  Water from nowhere gently slipped over the stepped creek bed lulling me back in time and even in this now tranquil park-like setting I couldn’t help but imagine the hustle and bustle of the church members hard at work harvesting and gathering the sandstone one block at a time and the tremendous effort of trudging them on a rugged road the two miles to the Temple location.  This site held a lot of meaning to me because the Boy Scout Troop that I was with the moment the BT found its way back into my life was an LDS Troop and of course I placed a call to the Scoutmaster to share with him where I was.

 

I never realized when I started the BT in honor of my father that I would have all these little adventures; that I would find so much to reminisce about so far from my neighborhood; that I would be taking a walk to Lake Erie!  Today the journey became more than an honor I started for my father, it’s become about what I would one day accomplish and all that I would take away from the experience.

 

The End

Blue Blaze Bugsie

Use the links at the right side to follow my journey backwards or use http://blueblazebugsie.blogspot.com/2011/08/blue-blaze-bugsie.html to jump all the way to the beginning to read it in order.  Select "newer post" at the bottom of each journal entry to continue reading forward.