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FHTA Group Rides

 

Comments on the FHTA ride of the Simon Kenton Trail 8-27-06:

While the forecast of rain surely dampened attendance (we actually got sprinkled upon for about five minutes on the trail and missed the heavy rain eating lunch in Springfield), those of us who attended had a wonderful experience. This was thanks to the incredible hospitality of the Simon Kenton Pathfinders.

They are in the process of opening up a former train station and while it is a work in process it is really beautiful. When we got there President Nancy Baldwin and several organization volunteers were cleaning and stocking the nearly completed restrooms for us. Among the volunteers was Urbana Mayor Ruth Zerkle. Talk about local support!

The station may soon be a future trail hub like the one in Xenia.

We were escorted on the ride by Nancy’s husband Frank and Pathfinders member Lou, who is 82 years young. They rode really nice recumbents and I had a hard time keeping up with them. All I could think was “I’ve got to get me one of these…” We had great conversations along the way and learned a great deal about the history of the trail and the areas we rode through.

Thank you, Thank you, Thank you!

 

 

 

 

 

 

Six of us rode the Tri-County Triangle Trail in Ross County on July 23, 2006. Here's their Web site: http://tricotrail.tripod.com/index.html

We got lucky with the weather as the ride was between hot spells. We stopped in Frankfort and had lunch at the Frankfort Dairy Cone. They were very nice to us, and even refilled our water bottles. We really enjoyed the stop. This was the place to be and people were eating lunch in their Sunday best after church. We rode for around 34 miles (it was a little longer for some of us who stopped at the BP station for a nature break before starting). This trail showed us how one can be creative with using local roads where trails are unavailable or unobtainable. I also loved the signage that honored land donors. Pictured before leaving in Chillicothe are Ride Leader Rick Holt with Peggy and Ralph Portier, Jim Barrett and Kathy and Ira Weiss. The entrance sign was beautifully landscaped with proper funding credits.

 

 

 

Ira's comments on Fairfield Heritage Trail Association’s Westerville Ride June 25, 2006 

  1. The ride was advertised at 10 - 12 miles. We actually rode about 24, including a few miles on very bike-friendly Hempstead Road from Inniswood Gardens Metropark back to the trail.
  2. We nearly ran into a doe and her fawn on the Chipmunk Chatter Trail into Inniswood Gardens. Remember, this is on a bike not in a car.
  3. I was most impressed with how Westerville has accommodated bicycle facilities along their major roads including Polaris Parkway, Cleveland Avenue, County Line Road, Sunbury Road, and Cleveland Avenue have separate paths, Schrock Road has a bike lane and they are applying for funds for Dempsey Road.
  1. They also have separate bike paths utilizing utility corridors as well as the original Westerville Trail which uses a rail corridor. While I am too afraid of having my brains fried to live in a house adjacent to a corridor with high tension power lines, I found using it for a bikeway to be entirely appropriate and inspiring.
  1. Their signage to warn approaching motorists of cyclists and pedestrians is excellent, as are the signs warning bicyclists to stop and to obey their rules.
  1. The only signage issue I had was that there needs to be more maps showing the system and where you are on the trail. I’m glad I had the map Michael Hooper had given us at the Tour de Westerville a few weeks before but even then I got us lost (once). Signage should also lead you to places of interest.
  1. The system ambitiously connects schools, parks, subdivisions (with none of the “no trespassing” signage I saw along the Blacklick Creek Trail, although there are Neighborhood Watch signs leading from the sidepaths into the subdivisions), shopping, businesses, the reservoir, etc. This is exemplary.
  1. The courtesy of Westerville drivers, who stopped to allow us to cross major streets like County Line Road.
  1. All in all, the trip was an eye-opener to me and hats off to Michael Hooper and all the people in Westerville who have made and are making this system happen.

 

Eight of us rode through Three Creeks Metro Park (and on Bixby Road to avoid passing though a carp intersection) on June 3rd, 2006. The ride followed an incredible day of rain (that also dampened the Rails-to-Trails Conservancy board visit the day before). We rode for about 20 miles and got covered with water in mud as we found every available puddle.

 

 

 

Seventeen bicyclists rode the Hockhocking Adena Trail on April 30, 2006. This was the best attendance ever for an FHTA group ride. The weather was perfect and we had a wonderful snack at Brenens Coffee Cafe in Athens. Pictured after returning to Hocking College are Ride Leader Rick Holt with Peggy and Ralph Portier, Liz and Jeff Vandervoort and Kathy and Ira Weiss.

 

 

 

 

Jim Barrett took these photographs on September 4, 2005 of several of our members riding the Hockhocking Adena Trail. What was interesting was when the trail was extended east connections were made to the various businesses like Kroger, Wal-Mart and Lowes.

 

That was a great idea and one which we will use in our trails.