Buckeye Trail- Little Loop Review
“It never ends like you think it will,” as my friend MtnGoat always reminds me. And she’s right. What I had envisioned as the final day of my hike did not include an Uber, a car rental, and a motel, but it’s all good. I did think that the day after the final day, would include lunch with my friend and professional genealogist, Shelley, and that worked out well. And now I’m back in Eugene and settling back into my normal routine. So, what did you think of the trail, Mark?
Well, first a bit about my gear for the Buckeye Trail and what worked and what didn’t. Most of my kit was similar to what I usually carry and did carry on the Ozark Highlands Trail 8 weeks ago. I did switch to a lighter sleeping bag due to the warmer temps in Ohio in May. Also, I almost didn’t bring a puffy jacket for the same reason, but threw a lighter weight one in at the last minute, and I’m glad I did. There were some crisp mornings in Ohio early on.
The biggest change was bringing a tent and sleeping pad instead of a hammock and under quilt. If you’ve read my blog before you know I’m a big fan of hammocks and my last experience with a tent on the Continental Divide Trail was a disaster. But I got a new tent and sleeping pad last year and they worked out pretty well on this trip.
One additional thing I brought along was a three ounce Jerry chair. Essentially it is a chair back without the chair that allows me to lean back and have my back supported while sitting in my tent. It is far more comfortable than sitting hunched over cross legged or lying down up on one elbow.
I did bring too many lunches. Since I was able to stop at eateries more often along the way, I ended up not needing all the snack/lunch stuff I brought. I did carry all my water and refilled only from taps along the way. This no doubt kept me from getting sick or poisoned as natural water quality was sketchy at best. Given all the farm runoff, rural septic tank issues, and industrial effluent that potentially worked its way into creeks and streams, avoiding surface water was essential.
So what about the trail? The Little Loop of the Buckeye Trail is a 250 mile route in northeastern Ohio. It traverses both rural and urban spaces and travels 60 miles of the Ohio & Erie Canal towpath. Although much of the non-towpath route is along road shoulders, wherever possible they take you along a bike path or on an adjacent park trail. Due to an unusually wet spring, many of the park trails were quite muddy and boggy. I learned that, for the most part, sticking to the road was the best route for me. It was usually quicker and avoided the mud and healthy crop of poison ivy all the rain had created.
I knew that the Little Loop was chiefly a road walk going into this trek, so I was prepared. I added high visibility reflective tape to my back pack and used a bike flashing light to warn drivers I was there. Only one driver seemed to target me by veering onto the shoulder then veering off. Or he may have just been texting. Hard to say. Fortunately, he was far enough away that I was able to jump off the shoulder without any problem.
Since I knew the “trail” itself was not that interesting, I focused on the history, the architecture, the houses and communities I passed through, and the folks I met along the way. As a result, I had a great hike. I especially liked the towpath. Both for the quality of the trail and all the history it encompassed, not to mention all the canal locks and other artifacts of a time long past. On stretches between roads you could easily imagine the horses and mules pulling the canal boats along. The sounds of hooves clopping along, the calls of the driver, and conversations along the lazy waterway.
I had to deal with a bit of weather, but avoided the massive storms like those I dealt with in Arkansas two months ago. Two days of steady rain was the price I paid on the Buckeye Trail. And I was prepared for that.
So, the Little Loop was a bit of a mixed bag, but I enjoyed it. I found interesting history at almost every turn and with a little research I was enriched by it. And although I haven’t written about it, I met a number of great folks along the trail. Greg, Angie, Kent, Chris, Carol, Gary, Walter, Shelley, and a half dozen others whose names I didn’t get or unfortunately don’t remember. It was great to meet you all and thanks to everyone for your kind wishes and encouragement.
These adventures are not the effort of one old guy with a penchant for walking, namely me. No, they are a group effort. From the trail maintenance folks, to the administrators, to the people that provided me transportation, to the ones that created the trail, and many others, and to my blog followers and readers. In one way or another you all help me accomplish these journeys.
So thanks for coming along with me on the Buckeye Trail. It’s been a different, but fun adventure and I’m glad we got to do it together.
Happy Trails!
I will be doing some shorter trips this summer and blogging about them. One in the later half of June, one the first part of August, and one the first half of September. I will send out an email a week or two before each one. If interested sign up for email notifications in the box on this page. I don’t use the email addresses for anything but notifications. I don’t sell them or use them for any other purpose, honest. Take care. -Mark (aka SlowBro)
Mark, yours is always a fascinating read. The nitty gritty of hiking and the logistics intrigues me even if I will never do such hiking in this lifetime. I look forward to reading of your future adventures and maybe just maybe we’ll see you in the Santa Barbara area for a winter hike (we will again be there from January to March in 2025) some time in the 2020s! Peace and love. Dan
Thanks Dan, appreciate your comments and occasional writing prompts. Once a teacher, always teacher, I guess :^) I will try to get down to SB when you folks are there next year. Would love to talk with you two and maybe go for a hike.
Glad you enjoyed Ohio. I too love the history and the canals. Glad to hear you are safely back in the city we met in.
Thanks Sue. It was an excellent journey!