Day 2: The heat wave parks itself for the next 10 days over my tour route

June 16, 2024

My wife messages me and informs me the heat wave that started yesterday will continue over OH and PA as I ride through those exact areas. I say, "Surely you can't be serious" and she says, "I am serious, and don't call me Shirley" OK. That conversation didn't actually happen but I'll look for any opportunity to get some Airplane humor into a narrative.

Owing to the conversation about heat that never happened, I knew that getting up and out of the campsite as early as possible would be advantageous to enjoying the day. But since I couldn't do that as early as last week, I chose to pack up 30 minutes before sunrise so I could hit the road right AT sunrise. Plan successful. And the last time you'll see me wearing a fleece jacket in the morning on this tour.

The dark tones and the graininess of the image proves I was up and packing camp away before sunrise. Seriously, this is not AI.

Since I didn't carry a cookset and stove with me on this trip, I needed to find something for breakfast to augment my Clif bar. That augmentation occurred at McDonald's in Xenia OH 8 miles along the trail at 7:15. Sun was still low in the sky this Sunday morning and many people were either sleeping in or enjoying Father's Day as I made my way from breakfast back onto the trail and headed for Cedarville at mile 15.

Nowhere to get breakfast in Spring Valley OH on this Sunday morning. But to be fair, I didn't see if the ammo store was open.

Now when looking for things to see on tour I study maps and websites that provide locations of off-the-beaten-path sights. I found the Cedarville Gorge and decided to make a quick detour to see it. I was not disappointed. My route led me past a gate restricting automotive traffic, then down a hiking path, and onto a gravel path leading to the falls. Once there, I saw I had come in the backside, and then I exited from the front, like normal visitors.

You can see the Cedarville Gorge falls behind me as I ride along the observation path. I don't know if they are called the Niagara Falls of Cedarville nor do I know if anyone went over them in a barrel.

South Charleston is my next stop at mile 29, and I couldn't find any sights of note there. But they did not disappoint and showed up in force with not one, but TWO train cars; and not only cars but CABOOSES! Well done, South Charleston, well done.

I captioned this picture especially so you'd know how much South Charleston appreciates cycle tourists along the OTET. I don't know if North Charleston would do the same primarily because I don't even know if there's a North Charleston.

The OTET route carries riders from South Charleston to London to Columbus OH. Along the way, there are multiple large grain elevators because, well, this is a rail trail and the tracks used to abut the elevators to load and store grain. Most of the facilities still look operational so maybe there are other trunk lines serving the elevators or maybe they are moved mainly by truck nowadays.

Proof that agriculture still exists along the route. Multiple large grain elevator facilities on the trail towards Columbus.

10:00 and I take a Clif Bar break at the only shelter around for miles. It's already approaching 90-degrees at this point in the day and the shelter is a great oasis of shade.

12:45 sees me transiting the outskirts of Columbus. This part winds through suburbs, some well-used and run down industrial areas, and some parks where trails into the woods led to homeless encampments - shopping carts and trash at the entrance gave away their position. Since the OTET is a network of regional trails, the trail in this area is the Camp Chase Trail which connects to the Scioto River Trail once I'm in Columbus proper.

On the outskirts of Columbus, one of the light industrial buildings have decided to mark their exterior with the name of the adjacent trail. Either that, or it's graffiti, albeit very, very good graffiti.

1:20 and I'm 65 miles into the ride and mixing it up with the recreational riders and runners along the Scioto river that runs through the city. The trail goes right along the river, past high-rises, and no problem getting through this metropolis. Could be it was a Sunday and traffic through downtown areas tends to be lower on Sundays. But by noon people are generally up and about so maybe I just debunked my own statement about there being less traffic.

You can't see the smile on my face, but I'm glad 65 miles are done and I only have another 15 to go at this point.

Once past downtown, heading NE and N you hit the Alum Creek trail which hops back and forth over the (what else?) Alum Creek.

Navigating out of the downtown area you'll find yourself on the Alum Creek Trail, and it hops back and forth over the creek multiple times. The trail designers have provided these bridges making those crossings easier because it's awfully difficult to swim those crossings with a loaded touring bike.

All-in-all, made it to the Easton Town Center Residence Inn around 2:45 in the afternoon, cleaned up, and headed to have a late lunch/early dinner with a former work friend and her wife at 3:30. They were happy to see me and I was happy to hear about how things have been at "the office" since my retirement.

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Today's ride: 79 miles (127 km)
Total: 153 miles (246 km)

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Gregory GarceauQuoting "Airplane" is never inappropriate. It has a lot of great one-liners.
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5 months ago

Paul MulveyTo Gregory GarceauYeah. Guess I picked the wrong week to give up cycling touring in the heat and humidity...
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5 months ago