Day 1
October 4, 2021:
Today was a good day. I was up bright and early, having slept well, but perhaps not quite enough. After brushing my teeth and getting dressed, Mama served jaegerschnitzel for breakfast – my favorite! I packed the last few items into my bike, just barely fitting my wallet, phone, and external hard drive.
After hugging Mama goodbye, I set off through Fort Thomas for Dada’s house. I got there before he started teaching his morning class, so I got a proper send-off from him as well. I turned north, cycling past the carefully trimmed lawns of our well-to-do neighbors. The hill down from Fort Thomas to Bellevue and Newport got me quickly on my way. I followed Sixth street to the Aquarium and crossed Central Bridge to Cincinnati.
There were still signs up from the Ride Cincinnati event, so I was able to follow them out of the city towards Lunken airport. I thought about the progress I have made towards my pilot’s license, and quietly vowed to myself that I WILL finish my license, even if I have to start all over, from scratch. Learning to fly is a worthy adventure all of its own, and I owe it to myself to see it through. After standing to admire the gleaming jets, I continued past the golf course.
My map erroneously led me into the golf course, but I couldn’t find a way out to the trail. Instead, I doubled back and followed Wooster Pike most of the way to Avoca Park, past the Kroger that often supplied the many picnics Mama and I had there over the last month. I stopped at Avoca for a breather, and checked my messages. I saw Mama had considered surprising me there, but had decided against it, thinking it would make her even more sad that I was leaving. In some sense I’m glad she held off, because I’m typically one for short goodbyes. But on the other, I kind of wish she had, since I felt a pang in my heart that I missed her already.
I continued north on the bike path. The paved surface made the miles fly by. Soon, I passed through Milford, then Loveland. Dada suggested I get a steak to celebrate the trip. I considered stopping at an upscale bar beside the trail to get one for lunch, but I wasn’t hungry after the big breakfast I had had. Realizing I hadn’t forwarded my blog to ALL of my friends, I stopped to do so. As Mama always reminds me, while it’s great to make new friends, it’s important to keep the old. Keeping people updated about how and where I am will help with that.
From Loveland, I continued on, stopping at some picnic tables at Foster Rd for some lunch. I broke out my supremely spicy hummus, and dug in with carrot, bread, and cucumber. Two cyclists there commented on my heavy pack and asked where I was going. I told them all about my plans, and they laughed, saying I was crazy. But after taking stock of my preparations, they were very impressed. Their names were Rich and Roger. Apparently Roger worked at GE Aviation for over 40 years, and is retired now. I have such respect for that.
After repacking my food, I whizzed northward, only stopping at the Fort Ancient trailhead and Morrow for a portapotty at the park there. Fort Ancient sits on a plateau of sorts high above the river. It’s made up of a ring of earthwork mounds that the Indians who once resided here used as burial grounds and for predicting the solstices. It was worth going there the other day with Mama, even if I did have to haul both of our bikes up that hill.
At 3:30 pm, I considered stopping for the day at Morgan’s Riverside campground, located right beside the trail and the Little Miami River. The prices might have been reasonable for a family camping by the river, with amenities like clean bathrooms, fire pits, and riverfront access. But for a long-hauler like me, $30 for the evening was just too much. Plus, there wasn’t anyone there, and I would have had to make a call to place the reservation.
Instead, I carried on, reaching Caesar Creek just after 4:00 pm. I left the trail, cycling along Middletown Rd. to reach the lake itself. I found a serene beach, and was at once at peace with the still, quiet water. I pulled my bike to the side, finding a secluded spot to make camp. After tossing my sleeping bag inside, I returned to the beach, put on my swimsuit, and swam. The water was cold, but refreshing. There weren’t many speedboats. I didn’t bring a towel, so upon getting out, I stood around while my skin dried off.
Caesar Creek Lake
After getting redressed, I got my computer out and checked the gopro files. Looking good. The handlebar mount works a lot better than the mount below my bicycle seat that I tested last week. Only thing is I didn’t get the alignment quite right, so all the videos are at a little bit of an angle. I’ll try to fix that tomorrow.
