It is October 8th, temp in Ohio has been in the 80s. Tonight I am just short of Wheeling, WVA, at 9:13 PM it is 74 degrees. Today I rode Mohican, back at the van the temp was 84 degrees.

Sat I drove back highways thru NW corner of Ohio: flat and almost all the land had man crops on it. Area was once under Lake Erie which accumulated all this wonderful stuff to grow plants. Man felled the trees, drove the indigenous people away, and planted crops for only 1 species: man. Rain off and on again, mostly off the further south I got. Flat straight roads. Stopped at former family’s aluminum foundry. A fire in the old part of the building drove the final nail into the demise of a local manufacturing employer. As I neared Mansfield, driving my former commute, the land started to become rolly causing the roads to become curvy. Past Mansfield to Lucas, where I grew up,

the roads  became a challenge for my van. I used to have a VW Scirocco back when I worked at the foundry, them were fun times. Today it was hang on and square the corners.

From Lucas to Loudinville the roads just got turnier. Drove to Mohican SP to camp, paid, almost to capacity XG. People burning wood and sitting around watching the flames. Scored a campsite just short of the Clear Fork River. I walked a bit of the start of the trail to learn of rain damage. Trail was dry. Lots of crunch from the acorns. Tomorrow will be a ride day.

Back in shorts and short sleeve shirt. It is not right to be this hot at this time of year.

Got after it early today as I had a full day planned. French Toast cooked on griddle. Cup of cold brewed coffee and a shit and I was off to the races. I drove over to the bike trail parking lot. I made the one rig in the lot.Shorts and thin jersey and an almost full hydration bladder. Foggy which made the air heavier. Ride starts out with a climb. Rooty, more than Cable. Leaves had a dose of cold to turn some trees, most were still green. Too early for colors.

A  marker with accumulated mileage on it keeps the mind active doing the subtraction to learn how many more miles to go, last one reported 23 miles although my Garmin short changed me. Above is what riding in these forests is like: no viewsheds. Tree kind changes.

Trail crosses the Clear Fork river on a restored covered bridge.

The trail had the most roots before mile 8. Just rooty.

I have ridden this trail maybe 10 times on my odyssey. At Thanksgiving the first year I rode over snow, first tracks. Today I elevated my heart rate past the red zone with no feedback. Prolly because of long lay off. Still the Edge recorded 21.5 miles climbing 2556 pedaling 3 hrs 17 mins mostly non stop. First big elevation gain since South Dakota. encountered 2 bow hunters and that was it. Big hump, I am beaten.

I rinsed my body then put on street clothes which immediately sweated out.

Walgreens locations need to be planned out to obtain my medicine. Found one in Coshoton on the way to Muskingum University, my Alma mater. The state highway upped its game for twisty and punchy ups and downs. Hang on. Quite hilly. Some land had been strip mined and reclaimed. I parked on the city street, old US 40, since bypassed by I 70 south of town. I walked up the main drive on to campus. Strange: no students. Made a walking loop remembering my time here 47 years ago. I walked a sidewalk across the street from where I lived in a second floor 1 bedroom apartment with 2 other guys. Building appears maintained and occupied.

I continued east on I 70 to Barkcamp state camp ground. Camped here, fewer people.

Tomorrow is on into PA to Laurel Highlands ride.

Too early for fall colors. Temps are forecasted lower as the week ages. 42 degrees on Friday, but I will be further south.

Sat night at Harrison State Campground just across the Michigan / Ohio state line. Heading south still in the wet and the temp is back to shorts and short sleeve shirts. Sitting in XG w/ door open and no sweater.

So as remembrances arise this is my story and I am sticking to it.

On Wed I dropped Lynn off at the Marquette airport. Shitty weather, no way interested in riding. Lynn likes my blue oatmeal for van breakfast. This day picked South Mtn trailhead at Marquette. raining. Lynn told me at the airport to leave her to the airlines and homeland security. Weather caused her plane  to land somewhere else. Long day for her to get back home in Ohio.

Me, rain and wind and chilly, long underwear chill. Paul and I made a ride date at 4:30 in Ishpeming before the group ride at 6:30 same area. I canceled. Rain. I did drive to the meeting place for 6:30 meet, Cognition Brewery. rain fell, gulley washer. Nobody rode. Drank beer. Tornado warning. I slept in a parking lot shared by an over the road semi. Rain and wind. Roof leaked still. Thursday I did my wash and dried my comforter at the laundromat in the same mega parking lot. On Wed I bought a roll of 6′ of the something like Eternal Bond tape. After wash I drove into Marquette to Quick Stop bike shop to use their step ladder again to apply the next fix, the tape. Sunshine and windy dried the roof off. The 6′ covered just the left side suspected leaking body joins. I checked out the right side to see broken paint which was prolly the source of the rear leak as the water traveled the paneling until low spot over my bed. I laid a good bead of sealant, tape application at another time. Several good rains since failed to find its way inside.Not cocky, just dry.

I needed to move on. I never rode Marquette or visited with Paul.

Red color of the turned leaves to me really sets off the deciduous forests.

Reader Dan recommended Hanson Hills under the bridge as the trails are sandy. The ride was in my destination. I drove east on back roads avoiding controlled access roads. I chose a dirt road off the south bound highway, actually a snowmobile trail just off the road. I crossed the Mackinac Bridge to become one who lives under(south) of the bridge, hence a troll.

Rolled into Grayling stopping at a heart propelled store to ask about damage to trails my wheels would have. Bullet proof. Guy was stocking XC skis: what changes since I last held a touring ski. Didn’t get into the boots. Completed drive to TH.

As stated: the trails were drained as the tread was just that: sand. 3 guys ahead of me riding fat bikes loosened the sand. I experienced several pieces of wobbles as each wheel tried its own way over the sand.

I did get to ride after lay off.

Weather forecast keeps calling for more rain all the way south. I am unable to drive out of the wet. I stopped at Cadillac to ride the Big M hoping that the trails were fit for bike tires. I drove out to a FS XG several miles off the main road following the brown signs. After Labor Day which is when many FS XGs close for season. No closed info on web site. Turned into entrance to a locked gate. Season closed. I checked out google maps and trailforks for public land and a camp spot. I found a FS TH for atvs. Gravel spot. Forecast for more rain with a window  early AM. rain fell just before sunup and went from showers to rain and repeated. No riding. I noticed many knocked down trees and cleaned up ones in peoples’ yards. nasty wind event maybe 2 days prior. Rebecca sent me a web address of a weather report from Marquette area showing snow on the ground. I made it out just ahead.

So, 1 ride in Michigan. Now in Ohio and forecast calls for rain. Standing water during today’s drive. Mohican is my next ride down near where I grew up. may the trails be dry.

recall from cable. Mick was tight with Steve Tilford, a former pro mtn bike racer who was hit and killed by a runaway semi last year. Mick started a pie business right next to Rives eatery, named Tilly’s pies in honor of Steve. Steve’s widow makes the pies in a pie bar. I resisted the pie shake.

This is the machine used to haul logs out

Going to bed. No heat needed tonight. No mosquitoes. Colors are not as far along as up north. Just wet.

Today I dropped my sister off at the Marquette, MI airport at the end of our enjoyable 4 day visit. I did the driving and she did the picking of the places to go see and navigate to said places.  There were periods of short lived sunshine and longer periods of rain.

Went looking at waterfalls. Sat drove way up north of town to Yellow Dog falls. Water picks up tannins to discolor the water.

Tried to drink beer at Black Rock brew pub but a packed house for some kind of beer fest turned us away. Visited Ore Dock brew pub. I slept in my van parked at her motel.

Sunday the forecast called for less chance of rain for our 2 day visit to Munising and Pictured Rocks National Seashore. She treated me to the short cruise for close up water side views of the rocks. First time being on a boat since ferry rides to the WA San Juans years ago, Started feeling queezy. Chilly ride.

Spent 2 nights here. Left on Tuesday back to Marquette.

Stopped for a tour of Lakenland sculptures.

Rain is still finding its way into the interior. I pulled out stuff from the front of the upper storage shelf to discover wet stuff. Seems the leaks are coming from the body join seams. I returned to Quick Stop bike shop to use a ladder to get up high to lay on more sealant to the joints front and back. Told of eternal bond tape to put over the joints. Shop loaned me their ladder. Frank came with the ladder and regaled us with some of his tales from living on the road for 2 years in  the same Sprinter model as mine. The shop has a similar model with 400,000 miles on same drive train. Mine is only 226,000 miles.

Beers at Black Rock, sleep at a different motel parking lot. At each of the motels there was no questions about me sleeping in their parking lot.

Forecast is for rain many days into the future. Tomorrow is a brief sunny day. Dunno if the trails will be dry enough to ride here before I split heading down south.

I have a hematologist appointment in Asheville, NC on the 19th that I will be allocating my time for driving riding sleeping. Going to cross the Mackinac bridge tomorrow to join the Troll ranks, loosing my Yopper status. Rain will determine if I ride or just drive thru.

Fall colors are coming on nicely. It’s the reds that set aside these trees: red maples. The rain and high winds will shorten the leaves attachment to their trees.