Today’s hike was from Hudson Road to Alvordton, Ohio. Ohio! Needless to say, I was stoked to finish my second NCT state (Wisconsin was the first).
Rain was predicted until about noon, so Trail Angels Chris and Jason met me at 9:30 for a later-than-normal shuttle. Why hike in the rain if you don’t have to?!
These two were amazing. First, they brought me a caramel latte. Yum! Then, they hiked nearly 5 miles (8 km) with me. It was great to have some company. Even better, there were two water crossings where you had to inch your way along a log. I hate those. At the first one, Jason skipped across. Chris took her time, but was confidant and did it. I tried a few times, then decided it was too unnerving for me. So I just waded across. The water was almost knee-deep. Not the greatest way to start a long hike, but sometimes that’s what the trail hands you.
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Making My Way To Alvordton
After those two turned around to go back to their car, I carried on. The entire morning, we were largely hiking in lovely forested sections. Even with the rain, it was quite pretty. There were some steeper hills, but nothing too terrible. Shortly before popping out on the roads, there was a pretty muddy section that made for slow going. I slipped and slid, and my pace slowed dramatically, but it wasn’t too long of a stretch.
The rest of the day was a road walk to Alvordton. It wasn’t my favorite because the route largely heads south, and the wind was out of the south-southwest. Still, I’m not complaining!
At one point I was joined by a huge, friendly dog (maybe 150 pounds); Nikki or one of my previous Trail Angels mentioned this dog, Buddy. He was nice company.
One of the highlights today was leaving Michigan and heading into Ohio. There’s a great sign for the westbound hikers entering Michigan. Until tomorrow!
Snowshoe
NCT Miles Today: 20.8 (33.5 km)
MI NCT miles to date: 1,136.1 (1,828.4 km)
Total NCT miles to date: 1,942.5 (3,126.2 km)
Total NCT miles to go: 2,657.5 (4,276.8 km)
I have Raynaud’s Syndrome, a circulatory disorder that makes your fingers and toes extremely susceptible to cool and cold temperatures. Your digits become white, frozen and numb. So I always have hand warmers with me. There are many brands out there, and I’ve tried them all. But the best, hands down, (no pun intended) are HotHands.
Tonight I’m staying at the Holiday Inn Express in Holiday City, Ohio. It’s clean, reasonably priced and well-located to the trail. Book your stay here!
