Better weather is coming, but today still looks iffy. This morning appears fine though, so we get an early start again. We’re surprised at how soon after we leave our motel we’re in agricultural country. For about a mile we quickly transition from suburban neighborhoods to small hobby farms to broad acreage planted in corn, wheat, beans, and cabbage.
And it’s flat. Neither of us has ever been in northern Ohio and didn’t come with preconceptions, but we didn’t expect quite this. We won’t experience any climb of note all day, and by the end will log only 300 feet of elevation gain - less than ten feet per mile for the entire day.
Later, we’ll learn that we’ve been crossing what was once The Great Black Swamp, a vast wetland formed by the receding Lake Erie. Before the early 1850’s it was a huge forested swamp, largely unsettled and impassable. The wetlands were eliminated with the draining of the swamp, the forests cleared and the lumber shipped out - much of it down the Erie Canal and overseas to England for use in shipbuilding. Now it’s largely agricultural, and pesticides and fertilizer draining from its fields are a significant pollution issue in Lake Erie.
This is really flat country, in an area known as the Great Black Swamp until it was drained in the 1850’s. This could be a rice field, but I think these are beans.
Downtown Genoa, a place I’d incorrectly assumed was founded by Italian immigrants. The town was originally named Stony Ridge, but was renamed a couple of years later to avoid confusion with a second Stony Ridge, only seven miles away.
Tiger lilies and cornflowers. The mound behind is the berm surrounding a limestone quarry. Genoa (originally Stony Ridge, you’ll recall) was a limestone source for construction in the region.
Seventeen miles into the ride we come to the North Coast Inland Trail. The ride up until now has been fine, but the rest of the day’s ride is really outstanding as we follow this rails-to-trails conversion all the way to Clyde, admiring roadside wildflowers and watching bunnies and chipmunks scramble off the trail as we approach.
The North Coast Inland Trail follows the course of the former Toledo, Norwalk and Cleveland railroad. This stretch is a delightful ride - flat, smooth, and surprisingly scenic.
I’ve been nudged to include more bents in the blog, so take note. Also if I’d been quicker about it we could be seeing shots of the many bunnies, chipmunks, marmots and squirrels we’ll pass in the next fifteen miles.
The old Elmore train depot. Elmore, like Genoa and other towns along this line, all sprang into existence in the 1850’s with the draining of the swamp and the coming of the rail line.
We arrive at our motel at 12:30, over two hours before normal check-in. The receptionist says they can have a room ready in about an hour, so we leave the bikes and cross the highway to the wine bar that we’re told has food available. And they do, but not just now. Like so many places, they’re short staffed - there’s never been a time that I’ve seen so many help wanted signs posted everywhere you look. They serve food, but not until 4. They do serve drinks though, so I order a beer and settle in to catch up on the blog while Rachael returns to the motel to snack on what she picked up at the grocery store earlier.
Back at the room, we mark time for the few hours until dinner. We could just walk across the street to Hall’s again, but their menu is pretty limited so we decide to trek a half mile down the highway to a bar and grill that looks like it has more choice. Just as we’re about to leave though, Rachael suggests checking the weather. And it’s a good thing we did, because heavy rain is due to arrive RIGHT NOW! Forget the bar and grill - we dash across the road back to Hall’s, arriving just as the rain breaks out. Over the next hour, listening to the thunder rumble outside, we decide their sandwiches are just fine.
Scott AndersonTo Rachel and Patrick Hugens300’ of climbing in 45 miles might sound quite nice by the time you get here. Reply to this comment 2 years ago
