Little Miami Scenic Trail -- Day 2

Sunday morning brought a fog that settled on the campground and coated everything with dew.  The air was chilly and damp as I readied my coffee and as it got lighter the bluish cast gave way to golden hues as the sun rose in the east.  One of the things I like about tent camping and spending lots of time outside is experiencing the subtle changes of the sky as day turns to night and the way the light of dawn washes over the landscape chasing away the shadows.  There is some primal connection with nature that mankind lost long ago when we started building shelters and spending more and more time shut away from the natural world around us.  Getting outside for a few days and nights really seems to reconnect that bond.

I took my time with breakfast letting the sun burn off some of the fog.  A cold front was moving into the area and a steady breeze picked up from the north east just as it had Saturday.  I was happy to find I felt fairly well after just riding a good distance the day before.  One of my goals for the weekend was to do two long rides back to back to get a feel of what touring style riding would feel like.  I've done a couple centuries and a few 50 milers but never one after another.  I had the mental benefit knowing for my second day out the first half of my ride would be uphill slightly and into the wind.  I'd be able to run much easier on the return trip.

I got started again from my staging area in Corwin and headed north east.  Right away I noticed that the valley widened out and the trail followed much straighter lines.  The false flat effect is really accentuated on these old rail beds.  Just standing there and looking back and forth up and down the trail it seems impossible to perceive the grade but once rolling and moving under pedal power it is obvious.

After about five miles the stiffness worked out of my legs and I felt strong.  This encouraged me greatly because I really did want to put in another day on the bike and make my weekend tour a success.  Sure I wasn't setting any speed records and I wanted to make sure I had enough gas to hit my goal of 25 miles before turning around so I tried to moderate my effort and just enjoy the ride and new scenery.  The temperature was at that point where it was almost too chilly with a short sleeve jersey but when I put my windbreaker on I started to heat up a little too much.  Eventually it warmed up enough that I could put the jacket away.  

Traffic on the trail was pretty light perhaps due to the fog, clouds and chilly breeze.  Often I would travel quite a while by myself without even seeing another trail user.  I loved the solitude.  It seems the older I get the more I enjoy being alone.  A five man group of roadies or a "Fred Squad" as I like to call them caught up to me somewhere south of Xenia. They were friendly and wished me a good morning as they got on up the road.

While it did seem flatter as I rode north there was no shortage of interesting natural features along the trail.

After about an hour I rolled into the county seat of Greene County; Xenia, Ohio.  The name itself is a Greek word which means "hospitality".  If you're visiting Xenia by bike then the name does indeed fit. Five different bike trails radiate out from the town making up the combined 330 mile Miami Valley bike trail network.  I'd say that's bike hospitable.
      

Xenia Station is a unique two story brick building that really stands out from the other depots along the line.  

The B & O was one of the six different rail ways that entered into Xenia during the towns early history.

Continuing northward from Xenia Station there is a short couple blocks through the center of town where cyclists have to travel through the downtown area on the street or sidewalks.  It's not a problem in a small town like this and on Sunday when I passed through there was hardly any car traffic anyway.

As I passed by the county courthouse I noticed this big monster positioned out in the green space and of course I had to stop and check it out.

This is a US Civil War artillery piece known as a 6.4" Parrot Rifle  or a 100 pounder as that was the weight of the shell this brute would fire at an effective range of 3,500 yards propelled by a 10 pound charge. Named after its inventor Captain Robert Parker Parrot, a West Point graduate, This piece is one of just over 80 guns still in existence today.  Clearly stamped nomenclature around the muzzle allowed me to learn a bit about where this imposing looking front stuffer came from.  

  

W.P.F. Stands for West Point Foundry.  All the Parrott guns were made at that facility.

1862.  Date of manufacture

No 77.  Registry number.  I tried digging around a little to see if I could use this number to see if the gun saw any combat but have not had any luck so far.

9789.  The weight of the gun in pounds

A.M.   I'm not sure but I think this stands for Army.  Parrot rifles were put into use by both the Army and the Navy.
*Edit:  In a reply email Craig Swain, whose blog I referenced above informed me that the A.M. inscription stands for General Alfred Mordecai, Jr who was the inspector at the time.  Thanks Craig for setting me straight here.

6.4.  designates the bore diameter in inches.  6.4"

As I've mentioned before on this blog I get such a kick out of discovering things while out on my bicycle which give me a chance later to get online and easily research whatever caught my attention.  As I get out explore more places around my home state I'm finding no shortage of interesting stuff to learn about.

Pressing on up the trail after another hour I crossed the only other big iron bridge I encountered on the LMST and arrived in the town of Yellow Springs.   

Yellow Springs Station is a replica of the original station.  Still very cool even though not the original building.

Antioch Hall

Yellow Springs is the home of Antioch College.  Higher education really doesn't interest me but the link does provide some curious facts about this coeducational liberal arts college founded in 1850.  Curiously the 1950's TV series "The Twilight Zone" was created by Antioch alumnus Rod Serling.

About a half mile north of Yellow Springs my computer registered 25 miles and I was happy to make a U-turn.  I took a break to eat a snack and then began the trip back to Morrow.  The downhill grade and a little extra push from the tail wind felt awesome and I cruised comfortably at speeds up to 16 or 17 mph for the return trip.  

I had broke camp earlier in the morning and had all the gear stowed so once I arrived back at the staging area all I had to do was secure the recumbent on the rack, change my clothes and make the drive home.  While I was stopped in various places I met quite a few nice people striking up conversations with riders and non riders alike.  I found folks down in south west Ohio to be very friendly and I can't wait to get back down to explore some more of this amazing trail network.  

With the completion of my weekend tour I logged 105 miles in two days impressing myself for sure.  Up until this weekend the most I had ridden this year in a single go was about 40 miles.  I took Monday off from work just to allow a little time for recuperation but honestly I felt like I could have kept on riding another day.  Although my trip got off to a rocky start once the bike riding got underway things shook out for the better as I figured they would.

Day 1
Total Distance:  55.47 miles
Ride Time:  4:02:37
Average Speed:  13.7 mph

Day 2
Total Distance:  50.03 miles
Ride Time:  3:41:53
Average Speed:  13.5 mph

Little Miami Scenic Trail -- Day 1

One day last week I was reading a post by Larry Varney, Co-Editor of the excellent recumbent website "Bentrider Online".  In the post A Week On The Katy Trail Larry talks about long rides on bike paths.  While his post concentrated on the Katy Trail in Missouri Larry also mentioned the Little Miami Scenic Trail that is here in Ohio.  The LMST is a path I've wanted to check out for a couple years.  

Larry's post spurred me into motion and everything seemed to be lining up perfect to make a weekend of it.  I checked the availability of campsites at Caesar Creek State Park located at about the half way point of the 75 mile paved bike path that runs between Springfield and Cincinnati, Ohio.  There was a few tent site still open so I used satellite maps to reconnoiter the campground and made reservations for Friday and Saturday nights.  I spent the rest of the week preparing my gear and worrying about this and that.  I hate making plans and commitments but exploring a new place on my bike is just too big a draw for me and I will accept a little trouble.  

     

I had everything ready to roll except my cooler which I quickly filled when I got home from work.  I loaded the recumbent on the rack and hit the road.  If I'm leaving on a Friday afternoon I like to arrive with at least an hour of daylight left to set up camp and maybe cook a late dinner.  What should have been an easy two hour drive stretched to three when I spent an agonizing whole hour just getting through the Columbus, Ohio area.  A combination of rush hour and construction bottle necks had the flow stop and go for miles.  Instances like these remind me why I really don't care for big cities.

Eventually I did make it to the park as night was falling and my heightened state of irritability was ratcheted up a yet few more notches when I pulled up to my reserved campsite and found a couple already set up enjoying the evening by the campfire.  I couldn't believe it!  I parked my car and double checked that I was indeed looking at the correct site.  Putting on my happy mask I approached the couple and showed them my reservation and informed them that they were set up on my site.  I dislike confrontation and I always try to go out of my way to be a gentleman in cases like these.  They were apologetic and made an offer to quickly move but I asked them to sit tight and I would go back to the front gate and see if there was any other sites open.  An excuse was made that the little post at the front of the campsite had no "Reserved" note clipped to it.  If that was the case then the park operation screwed things up.  Explaining the situation at the check in desk the clerks apologized for the mix up and said they would have them removed from my site right away.  I told them that if they had another site still open I'd be happy to take a substitute.  I just needed a place to put down my tent. 

Lucky for everybody there was an open spot around the corner and finally I could set up my camp.  At least I had a partial moon shining down to make it a little better than operating in pitch blackness.  If I'm travelling solo I have a small dome tent that I've owned for twenty years.  I've set it up and taken it down so many times over the years that I can practically do it in the dark.  

By this time I was tired; my nerves frazzled by the long drive and I considered waiting until the next morning to cover the picnic table and unload my stove and cooking gear.  After a second thought I decided to get out my stove and warm a little water for some tea.  Evidently fate wasn't done with me yet and when I went to pump the piston to generate pressure in the Coleman stove's fuel take I found the plunger had no resistance and would build no pressure.  At this point my despair sunk to new lows.  The thought of getting back in the car now was out of the question.  I would have to go out in the morning and find a solution to my problem.  The one draw back with this scenario is that I don't like to do any problem solving until I've had my coffee and now I had no way to even heat some water.  Dejected and beat I went to bed.  Adversity builds character I kept telling myself.

     

I slept very good my first night which is a rarity waking first light in a much better mood.  Without too much trouble I found a Walmart and got a new piston for the stove for $10.  Now I really can't complain about my stove.  It has served me faithfully for twenty years without a single problem.  And good on Coleman for supporting a great design that's been around for a couple generations. My parents used Coleman stoves as did my grandparents who were campers way back in the day.  I love the fact that I could pick up a part in a local Walmart swap out the worn one and be cooking in just half a minute.  Once I compared the old and new pistons side by side I could see that the little dish shaped rubber gasket on the original stem had simple lost its ability to expand and create seal inside the cylinder.  

After coffee and a big bowl of oatmeal I was feeling ready for some adventure and the stove episode had only cost about an extra hour of the day.  

I like reading accounts of bicycle touring.  It's always been something I've thought seems interesting but I'm just not crazy about about loading down my bike with racks or towing a trailer.  I like the comfort that comes along with car camping so I don't mind integrating the two by setting up near a trail or riding area then biking out a different direction each day of my mini-tour.  For that reason I chose Caesar Creek which is near the small village of Corwin which would be my staging area. 

  

Little Miami River south of Corwin, Ohio

I rolled out a little later than I had planned but still had plenty of time to cover as much of the southern end of the trail as possible.  The weather was picture perfect early fall; warm and sunny with a light breeze coming from the north east.

The LMST follows the grade of the Little Miami Railroad which was constructed during the years of 1837 to 1845.  The railway linked up the cities of Cincinnati, Xenia and Springfield to the north.  This railroad was one of the most successful and profitable in the U.S. carrying both passengers and freight. The line changed hands several times over the years and passenger service declined in the mid 1900's while freight service carried on until the line's abandonment in 1976.  A hundred and forty years the LMRR operated.  I think it is very cool that these old right of ways are preserved today as recreational paths.  I find it so interesting to cruise along the path and think of all the history and what it must have been like to travel by rail as a passenger or perhaps make a living working on the line.  If it wasn't for bike trails this early American infrastructure would slowly be reclaimed by nature and fade from memory leaving nothing but some old pictures and a few entries in the history books.

The southern leg of the trail hugs closer to the river because the valley is narrower.  The area is remote with lots of trees along both sides of the trail and the river peeking out once in a while along the route.  Below I took this picture of a horse ranch which was one of the few places where the tree cover gave way.  

Road crossings were also much farther apart than the trails I'm used to up in north central Ohio.  It seemed like four or five miles passed by between crossings at some points along the way. 

It's always a little awe inspiring to come across big bridges after traveling through wild areas and seeing nothing but woods and sky for a time.  This steel bridge carries Interstate 71 over the Little Miami Valley.  The steel construction is old and soon to be decommissioned.  The concrete center section is the new part and I'm assuming a second one will be constructed to handle the lanes traveling in the other direction.

Speaking of bridges I expected to see more old railroad iron but I only found two all weekend.  The first I crossed coming into the town of Morrow. 

Morrow is one of those quaint old towns whose main thoroughfare was the railroad.  The buildings are arranged in a crescent shape matching the curve of the railroad.  Now the town's center is a bike trail.  How cool is that?

As I rounded the bend and passed into town I came to Morrow Station.  Of course laid back on my recumbent I noticed a telegraph pole standing proudly beside the station.

Vintage Hemingrays Awesome!

I like the design of this station with its big overhang all around.  Even on a windy and rainy day a dry spot could be found while waiting for the train.

I took a short break here and checked out this old Pennsylvania Rail Road Caboose that was built in 1905.

As I continued south getting closer to Cincinnati I came into more populated areas but in the sheltered and wooded valley next to the river I couldn't tell.  Suddenly the trees gave way to this old industrial complex known as the Peters Cartridge Company.  I took a couple more photos of this unique looking place so I'll revisit in another post.  

Once past the factory it was back into the woods.  The dappled sunlight through the trees was delightful.  I actually got a suntan in October spending the day on the bike.  I love when I'm out on my bike away from the cars on a day like this everything is right with the world.

Here is a smaller yet picturesque arch bridge I thought I wouldn't be able to get a clear shot of through the woods.  Downstream a bit I did find a spot where I could get down to the water's edge for a better vantage point.

After a couple hours I pulled into the town of Loveland.  Here I found trendy shops and eateries along the trail. 

There was some festival going on called "Tastes of Loveland" or some such but I had already picked a spot I wanted to check out when I was researching the route on the computer.

One of the trail websites I was looking on had an advertisement for Paxton's Grill. I figured with this place selling itself right next to the bike trail I wouldn't be out of place walking in with my stretchy bike suit on.  

The place was packed but I scored an empty table by the window and enjoyed a couple brown ales from the tap while I waited on a cheeseburger.  

Yes there was a patty between that bun it was just hidden under that fresh green lettuce.

After a couple beers and the delicious burger and fries I wandered around the town for a while to let the food settle.  I visited the local bike shop where I purchased a new brass bell for my bike.  I also found the Loveland Station which now houses a runners equipment shop.  I stocked up on Cliff Bars and gel packs there.

I originally planned to ride south for around 36 miles to the town of Millford but the day was getting on and after loitering around in Loveland I decided to head back up the trail.  I wanted to have a little daylight left when I got back to camp and turning around in Loveland I'd still end up with a respectable 55.4 miles for the day.

Here's a couple great shots I got on the way back as the shadows were going long. 

The southbound run was a gradual downhill with a slight tailwind so I had to force myself to take it easy.  Riding back up the trail the uphill grade was more pronounced and my average speed dropped off a couple or three mph.

Once back to camp I got a hot shower and lounged around my campsite while I heated some spicy chili on the stove.  After my meal and dusk turned slowly to night I enjoyed a cup of strong Irish tea and listened to my portable short wave radio.  Not long after the content feeling of a full belly and satisfaction that comes only from a day on the bike I could feel the tired coming on.  I turned in for some well earned rest waking only late in the night to sounds of hoot owls and a pack of coyotes passing not too far off.

  

Insulator Post -- Vintage Hemingray Recovered

One day last month I was riding along my local rail trail from the north end to the south end as is usually my practice. When on the return leg I noticed one of two old telegraph poles I pass along the way was not sticking up vertical anymore but laying in broken pieces on the ground.  The poles are noteworthy to me because they make up the last few that are still standing along the old B & O spur route that once connected Mansfield and Butler Ohio.

A few years ago I happened to be looking up (Something I'm often doing while reclined comfortably on my recumbent bike) and noticed that the two weathered poles still had some old aqua colored glass insulators on the cross arms.  I even took a picture of this particular pole with its cross arms tilting haphazardly.  The ever present tug of gravity and crumbling decay of the wood eventually brought the pole down and this is how I found it.  I noticed right away as I pulled off the trail and looked down at the broken pieces that there was not a single insulator in sight.

Oh well I thought the pieces were already picked and I just wasn't in the right place at the right time.  I was about to head on my way but I decided to get off my bike and take a closer look anyway.  In the grass half hidden under the pole a small patch of blue caught my eye.  I kicked away the debris and found an insulator still screwed onto a rusty pin.  In my excitement I scanned around the surrounding area and found the second one a few feet away just barely visible in the scrub.  At some point after the pole was already on the ground someone had cut down the taller brush in this little section between the road and the bike trail and I think that provided some of the cover for these two insulators to remain hidden until I came along.    

As an antique insulator collector this was a monumental piece of luck for me.  All of the insulators in my collection I have purchased from other collectors, found at garage sales and at insulator shows.  I have spotted many old insulators still stuck on poles some even with telegraph wire but this is the first time in my four or five years as a collector actually picking some pieces from a pole.

Long ago the copper wires these insulators supported carried land line Morse code telegraphy probably B & O railroad business, news and personal messages of citizens living in the area.  These two Hemingray - 42s were probably made in the 1920's or 30's.  They are not worth much maybe a quarter dollar a piece or fifty cents but knowing exactly where they came from and being able to document their provenance here for the future is something valuable to me.

  

Sunlite Handlebar Basket

For years I've used a backpack to carry my stuff while commuting by bicycle.  A backpack does work well but it has many disadvantages. Wearing a bag on my back in warm weather quickly overheats my back and in the winter time it can be more than a minor irritation getting the straps comfortable over a thicker jacket.

For quite a long while I have been searching for an alternative way to portage my lunchbox and other personal items on the bike.  Recently I found this Sunlite Lift-off Handlebar Basket and for $20 I decided to take a chance.  

$20 really? I am a natural skeptic but judging by the 240 reviews on Amazon; most of them very favorable, I ordered the basket.  In the meantime I continued with the backpacking thing and did a little research on the Sunlite Company which seems to have a large selection of what appears to be quality bike stuff. 

A few days later I returned home to find a big box waiting for me.  Right away when I pulled the powder coated steel basket from the cardboard I was impressed with its sturdy feeling and quality construction.  Obviously this carrier isn't made for hauling 40 pounds of bricks but for my lunchbox, coffee cup and jacket once it warms up the Sunlite works perfect.

This basket is a lift-off system.  Very much like a shopping basket two handles lift up and release the basket from the bracket which attaches to the bike.  One thing I learned from reading the reviews is that a bump in the road can cause the handles to fly up and then the basket can dislodge from the bike.  The upper interface between the basket handles and the bracket has just a small amount of slop allowing the whole thing to shake and vibrate while underway.  I despise any kind of rattle or squeaks on my bike so I fixed all these minor issues by cinching the handles down tight to the bracket with a couple solid cable ties.  I don't plan on taking the basket off so I am happy to leave it in this semi-permanent condition.

The lower part of the bracket attaches with a hook and loop strap which insulates the curved part of steel rod that rests against the bike's head tube.  This set up could present a wear issue to a painted frame but my tubes are bare titanium and I have no head tube badge to interfere with the bracket as it rotates with the handlebars.  

   

Installation could be as quick as five minutes but it took me a little longer.  Things like head tube angle and stem length can have an effect on how the bracket hangs on the bike.  With my first attempt to attach the bracket on my bike I found the top of the basket was nowhere near level and hung down nearly touching the front fender.  Another problem I found was that the lower end of the bracket could not reach the head tube without seriously smashing the brake and shifter cables.

Although I was hoping to just pop the basket on and go I anticipated some minor adjustments might need to be made.  Luckily the bottom end of the bracket is connected with a couple big rivets that with some time on the bench grinder I was able to remove.  I swapped out the rivets with some nylon spacers and stainless steel screws and lock nuts from the local hardware store.  This modification solved both problems by leveling out the basket and positioning the whole assembly forward making room for the control cable routing.

I wanted to use the set up a couple weeks before writing about it to get a good idea of the basket's function.  I do like some of the integrated handle bar baskets that are manufactured as one piece but these are pricey and also would have probably required reworking of the cable and jackets for the brakes and shifter.  So as a simple experiment to see if I would even like a handlebar basket and a modest $20 investment I am a happy commuter.  Riding without the backpack is very liberating.  I am so glad to be leaving that thing at home in the closet.  I like being able to keep an eye on my cargo and  find that with a little weight in the basket the whole thing imparts a bit of damping to the steering.  I actually like the way my bike rides now.  The bike seems to track straighter and less twitchy than without the basket.

Heritage Days Festival at Malabar Farm

 Whoo-Hoo Black Powder!

If I'm not burning some off myself second best is watching others do it!  Today Wyatt and I attended the Ohio Heritage Days Festival held annually at Malabar Farm State Park located in north central Ohio.  Malabar Farm is an interesting place to visit in and of itself being an actual working farm managed by the Ohio State Parks.  Once the home and passion of noted author, conservationist and World War One Veteran Louis Bromfield Malabar Farm comes alive once a year with the sights and sounds of history.

These reenactors are demonstrating colonial era firearms. The long gun would commonly rest on the mantle above the fireplace in a colonist's cabin and be called upon regularly to provide food and in times of war serve equally well.

Heritage Days does not concentrate on any one time period but encompasses all of Ohio's past.  Two civil war artillery units were set up firing off these big bruisers every couple hours through the weekend.  Sorry no pictures of the smoke because I had both my hands busy covering my ears.

 I love old engines of all kinds.  On display was a couple engines from the early 1900's.  I would have loved to take some video of these old machines chugging away but I didn't have a video camera along.  About every 5 seconds the cylinder would fire keeping the flywheel spinning.  The metal hose sticking out and bent around the bottom of the photograph is the exhaust pipe.

This is an amazing engine built in Columbus, Ohio. I enjoy just standing beside these old relics and listening to the mechanical music of early single cylinder internal combustion.

As a tool guy and gadget man I found this display very interesting. What an incredible collection of vintage monkey wrenches dating back to the mid 1800's.

The tools that built a nation.

There was lots of other stuff going on around the farm that I didn't get photographs of.  Plenty of crafts and antiques were up for sale. The big house was open and the main barn was housing a large display of  ancient artifacts found in Ohio -arrowheads, spear points, axes and celts. Thousands of primitive weapons and tools from Ohio's prehistoric past.  Also in attendance was RoadQueen's Horseman's Club operating pony rides for the kids.

Although I've visited the farm on numerous occasions I've never been during the Heritage Days Festival. It was very cool and I look forward to checking it out again next year.