The Trees Are Wearing Blue This Fall

All along the Buckeye Trail, that is.

If you're not familiar with sections of the Buckeye Trail near you, tsk, tsk, tsk. More than 1300 miles of beautiful trails stretch around the perimeter of the state and loop into its middle. The trail is marked by distinct blue 2x6" rectangles, or blazes, painted on tree trunks along the way. The trails are lovingly created and maintained by a dedicated group of volunteers, known collectively as the Buckeye Trail Association. Myriad private land owners in Ohio have opened their land, and their hearts, to hikers along these trails.

The "BT," as it's known to most who travel it, rambles rather than races through the state. As such, it's probably the best way to really SEE the state. The BT bumps through Old Man's Cave. It runs every-which-way through the Cuyahoga Valley. It runs along roads, here and there, and through the woods, under the shade of every native Ohio tree. You can follow the BT along Ohio's rivers, and let it lead you to lakeside campgrounds.

Maps for Dummies
Excellent, detailed maps are available for every section, and they are updated every few years. The maps, by the way, are as close to perfect as maps can be. They are dear to seasoned through-hikers, as they are light, tough, and easily read in almost any light. They are equally appreciated by novices (and the spacially challenged, I dare add) as they are so easy to read, so easy to follow, one simply CANNOT get lost. A few short trails are mapped online. Visit these at http://www.buckeyetrail.org/shorthikes.h...

Much More Than A Trail
The BTA is a volunteer organization you should know. Less political than the Sierra Club, but savvy in its own gentle way. Each year, for example, the BTA contributes to the symbolic "check" presented from Ohio Trails Partnership (OTP) to the Ohio Department of Natural Resources. The check amount represents the dollars and hours contributed to trails projects, trail-a-thons, and volunteer hours. Besides the BTA, OTP consists of the International Mountain Bicycling Association and Ohio Horseman's Council. The check presented to ODNR this past May totaled more than $200,000--representing more than 21,000 volunteer hours on the trail, plus cash donations.

Are you listening, Ohio politicians? If these Ohio constituants are willing to donate more than 21,000 HOURS to trail-making, rest assured, they walk to the polls. And they vote with their feet, their bicycle tires, their lungs--lungs that like to breath clean air--and their eyes--which prefer trees and wildflowers to strip malls and parking lots.

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