October 30 - Boston Twp. and Peninsula

Starting Weather: Mostly Cloudy 55°
Ending Weather: Mostly Cloudy 53°
Distance Covered:  .35 miles
Time: 3:52 PM - 6:06 PM

Today we got  late start even though it was Saturday.  We were home finishing up our entires for the Cuyahoga Valley Photographic Society Photo Contest.  The deadline is tomorrow, so we wanted to get them in by today, just in case there was a problem.  We took them to the Boston Store and entered them.  What a relief to get that task done!   We then spent some time on the trail.  The color is still there in some spots, but is fading overall.  We saw lots of birds congregating today, mostly blackbirds such as starlings.

October 27 - Canal Fulton

Starting Weather: Sunny 66°
Ending Weather: Clear 63°
Distance Covered:  1.51 miles
Time: 4:46 PM - 5:49 PM

House Sparrow

Canal reflects fall color

Today my work day ended in Massillon, so I decided to stop off on the trail.  Kay met me in Canal Fulton.  There was lots of color here.  I walked to Lock 4 park, which is about a mile and a half walk.  The trees lining the canal were still very colorful.  There are plenty of trees whose leaves are gone, including the beautiful buckeye tree next to the lock.  The weather was very pleasant today, making for a nice little hike.

October 24 - Cuyahoga Heights

Starting Weather: Mostly Sunny 75°
Ending Weather: Mostly Sunny 76°
Distance Covered:  2.89 miles
Time: 2:06 PM - 4:22 PM

Today our quest for fall color took us north, in fact to the official northern terminus of the towpath on Harvard Avenue in Cleveland.  We then went to the Krieger Visitor Center and Bacci Park in Cuyahoga Heights.  We like this area and have enjoyed several hikes here.   It was a beautiful, warm sunny day.  We were able to capture some color and did a little hiking while we were at it.

October 23 - Massillon & Canal Fulton

Starting Weather:  Cloudy 62°
Ending Weather: Cloudy 62°
Distance Covered:  .35 miles
Time: 3:56 PM - 5:45 PM
Today was one of our tours of Massillon and Canal Fulton.  Mostly we did quick stops to look for color, and didn't really log much mileage.  We started at Lock 4 in Canal Fulton, then Butterbridge Road, Crystal Springs, Forty Corners, Bridgeport Quarry and, finally, Towpath Avenue.  Our focus was checking the landscape for fall foliage, so we didn't spend much time at any one site.

October 22 - Brecksville

Starting Weather: Mostly Sunny 53°

Ending Weather: Sunny 54°

Distance Covered:  1.72 miles

Time: 2:42 PM - 5:35 PM

Today I decided to leave at noon and take a half vacation day.  Kay had planned to go to Bedford Reservation today to get some photos for the Cuyahoga Valley photo contest.  Although the towpath does not run through that area, we decided to stray a bit in order to get some potential entries for the contest.  We went up there and walked around, and although it was very pretty, we really didn't get any prize-winning type photos.  We decided to stop at Brecksville Reservation on the way home.  It was very pretty and we took lots of photos of the Route 82 bridge, which looks over the trail.  On a very still day, the bridge reflects perfectly onto the Cuyahoga River,  Today was such a day, so we took lots of photos.  The colors were very vivid today, an that added to the beauty of the scene.

October 17 - Summit Lake and Akron

Starting Weather: Mostly Sunny 64°
Ending Weather: Sunny 64°
Distance Covered:  2.43 miles
Time: 1:51PM - 4:23 PM

View of Towpath from Kenmore Blvd.

Canal Square YMCA

North to Akron today.  We first stopped to take pictures from the Kenmore Blvd. bridge.  The bridge affords a great view of Summit Lake and the floating boardwalk section of the towpath here.  We then spent about an hour at Summit Lake.  We took lots of photos of the cormorants who are usually here, and we also some some coots, which we hadn't seen since January.  Afterwards, we drove north to Spaghetti Warehouse, parked in their parking lot, and walked north towards the Canal Square Y.  It was pretty today, and many of the leaves had already fallen.  We kind of like this, because it allows for greater visibility of both scenery and wildlife.  We have spanned all four seasons now, and will have another bit of winter before we are done!  (Oh, by the way, we dined at Spaghetti Warehouse after our trek!)

October 16 - Beaver Marsh and Brecksville

Starting Weather: Clear 39°
Ending Weather: Mostly Sunny 60°
Distance Covered:  5.03 miles
Time: 7:26 AM - 4:02 PM

Cabbage White Butterfly

Pie-billed Grebe

Today was a long, but enjoyable day.  We drove to the Beaver Marsh to be there when the sun came up.  That's easier to do now that the days are getting shorter.  We saw an interesting-looking duck that we hadn't seen before.  My first thought was that it was a grebe, and that turned out to be correct.  I walked from the Beaver marsh to Hunt Farm, where Kay met me.  We then drove to Deep Lock Quarry, where Kay left me, and we met in Peninsula.  The day started off with cool temperatures, but it got nicer as the day wore on.  We walked around Peninsula for awhile, and I decided i would walk to the next trailhead, which was Boston.  I love walking under the I-80 and I-271 bridges, and they look so different now than they looked all summer.  Kay met me in Boston.  I went to Trail Mix, a small store run by the Park Association, and purchased a 2011 Cuyahoga Valley calendar.  We plan to enter some photos for next year's calendar.  After wandering around near Boston Store for awhile, we decided to drive to Brecksville.   We started off by going up Route 82 in order to look out over the bridge, down to the towpath below.  The view was pretty, and we got to see the Cuyahoga Valley Scenic Railroad stop and load up the passengers' bikes.  We then went down to the towpath for awhile and took pictures.  We went back up to the bridge to wait for a later train, but it did not come.  We had a great time on this beautiful fall day.

October 15 - Botzum

Starting Weather: Mostly Cloudy 54°

Ending Weather: Cloudy 54°
Distance Covered:  .35 miles
Time: 3:05 PM - 3:17 PM

Cuyahoga Valley Scenic Railroad

Autumn Maple leaves

Today was a sort of mad dash to capture fall color at as many places as possible.  After spending time in Tuscarawas County and southern Stark County, we headed to Summit County to see what colors we could see there.  Stops included the Beaver Marsh, Botzum, the Big Bend area in Sand Run Park, the trailhead on Memorial Parkway, and the Mustill Store.  We weren't disappointed, as we saw plenty of color.  It was a sort of sweep - get out , look around, take some photos, then on to the next stop.  We have such a short time before the leaves have lost all color and fallen off, and we want to hit as many spots as possible.

October 15 - Bolivar

Starting Weather: Partly Cloudy 54°
Ending Weather: Partly Cloudy 57°
Distance Covered:  .72 miles
Time: 11:13 AM - 11:40 AM

Towpath Bridge over I-77

Shelter at Fort Laurens

Today we went south to catch the fall color in Tuscarawas County.  It was very pretty, but again, kind of random.  We started off in Zoarville, where the pretty red bridge stands.  From there we went to Zoarlands Park, the place we went to on January 1.  We went to Bolivar to Fort Laurens and walked across the bridge over I-77.  We saw some pretty dramatic skies, which seems to happen a lot when we visit Bolivar.  Next stop was Craig Pittman Park in Navarre, then Wooster Street, and finally Warmington, where the sculpture of John Glenn sits.  We covered a lot of territory today by making lots of short stops and moving on.

October 14 - The Hunt for Red (and Yellow and Orange) October

Starting Weather: Partly Cloudy 51°

Ending Weather:  Partly Cloudy 51°
Distance Covered: 4 miles
Time: 9:45 AM - 3:00 PM
Today it was just me, taking one of my vacation days to search out fall color.  I went to Clinton first, headed north to Center Road and Vanderhoof, then went south to Massillon.  There is a lot of color now, but it is hit and miss.  The trees in the parks grow randomly, so the color isn't what you might find in someone's yard, or even in a golf course or cemetery, where the trees have been planted for a certain look.  It's exciting though, to see the color coming.  It will be an exciting few weeks ahead! 

October 10 - Towpath Marathon

Marathon Security

Starting Weather: Clear 52°
Ending Weather: Mostly Sunny 61°
Distance Covered:  .85 miles
Time: 7:38 AM - 9:46 AM

This morning we got up early so we could photograph the Towpath Marathon.  The weather was being very cooperative, mild and dry.  We drove to Boston and Kay let me out just south of Boston Mills.  I was able to watch the runners coming down the hill from the starting line and followed them south to an area just north of the I-271 Bridge.  Kay stationed herself on the road above the I-80 Bridge to photograph the runners as they passed underneath the bridge.  it was very inspirational to watch all these people who had trained so hard for this event.  I found out that there is an event for walkers, so maybe next year.  We stopped at Hunt Farm, watched them run across the boardwalk at the Beaver Marsh, and watched them cross Ira Road.  Beautiful day, great event!

Marathon Runners

Marathon Runners

October 9 - Canal Fulton

Starting Weather: Sunny 77°
Ending Weather: Mostly Sunny 73°
Distance Covered:  2 miles
Time: 4:35 PM - 5:47 PM

Maple Leaves

Northern Flicker

This was a late afternoon quest for some autumn scenery.  Kay was at church photographing an event.  I decided to go to one of our favorite- and close- spots, Lock 4 park in Canal Fulton.  The first thing I noticed was that the buckeye tree near the Lock was almost totally devoid of leaves!  As I headed north towards St. Helena Park, I did notice lots of color.  In many cases, the colorful trees were in residential lots bordering the canal.  There was a Northern Flicker perched in a leafless tree, and it posed for a few minutes.  Just a hint of how nice it will be for bird-watching, once all the leaves have fallen.  Until then, however, we will be seeking out the most striking fall color we can find on the trail!

October 8 - Brecksville

Starting Weather: Sunny 55°
Ending Weather: Mostly Sunny 59°
Distance Covered:  .68 miles
Time: 10:33 AM - 11:23 AM
Today I had taken the day off, in order to spend some time on the trail during the early stages of color change.  Our first stop was on the side of the road near the Route 82 bridge, so we could take photos from the bridge, looking down onto the towpath.  Not a lot of color yet, but still beautiful.  We then went down to the park to take photos from the towpath.  There was a little color, but not much.  It's so random in the wild.  Our next stop was Rockside Road, where we walked for awhile.   Kay hadn't really spent any time here since last winter.   On the way home we stopped off at the Vanderhoof trailhead, just to see if anything was going on color-wise.

October 3 - Boston Heights

Starting Weather: Cloudy 53°

Early Fall color

White-tailed Deer

Ending Weather: Cloudy 51°
Distance Covered:  1.6 miles
Time:  3:44 PM- 5:27 PM

Great Blue Heron

Flock of Blackbirds

Today was a nice, seasonal, early fall day.  It was cloudy and in the 50's.  We went to the Boston Store and walked south past the bridges that tower over the trail.   There were some maple trees already changing, and we saw some blackbirds flocking, perhaps preparing for their journey southward.   We often see deer in this area, and today was no exception.  We are enjoying the cooler weather now.  It had been so hot so many days over the summer that walking very far was difficult.   Welcome autumn, and don't leave any too soon!

October 2 - Clinton

Starting Weather: Cloudy 44°
Ending Weather: Cloudy 47°
Distance Covered:  1.45 miles
Time: 7:17 AM - 8:18 AM

We had planned to go to Clinton early in the morning for some time now.  We thought maybe today was a good day, since the leaves have started to change.  it was an enjoyable walk, but not a whole lot of color.  Everything is starting to look different though, and we are looking forward to the next few weeks, when the fall color will peak.

October 1 - Clinton

Starting Weather: Mostly Cloudy 61° 

Ending Weather: Cloudy 58°
Distance Covered:  1.56 miles
Time: 5:54 PM - 6:56 PM

Since today is October 1st, we wanted to go out on the trail to start the month!  October is one of the most beautiful months of the year in Ohio.  We did see the beginnings of some fall color.   Most of the wildflowers that were so abundant here very recently have shriveled up and turned brown.  there are still a few butterflies remaining.  We were hoping to see the two fawns that we think live in this park, but they were not out in plain sight tonight.