Before I talk about the hike to Oregonia, let’s revisit last night. I set up my wet tent in Spring Valley’s Walton Park pavilion. It was warm and windy, so it dried out in maybe five minutes. It was quite impressive.
There were a lot of people out and about in this tiny town, likely due to the weather. One annoyance was some guy who drove a really loud dirt bike around the park for a long time. But then again, if it’s legal to do that, it’s his park, too.
The forecast called for storms for much of today, starting around 5 a.m. I awoke at 6 a.m., but it hadn’t rained yet. But by the time I was breaking camp, drops were falling. Still, I avoided anything major.
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I drove to the Oregonia trailhead to meet my new shuttler, Dennis. He was at a different spot, though, so it took a while to connect. But it was no big deal, as today is now a short day, thanks to learning the NCT doesn’t go through Caesar Creek.
Heading Back to Oregonia
Dennis dropped me off back at Spring Valley, where it was now raining steadily. My rain jacket, hiking umbrella and rain pants kept me reasonably dry. But my shoes and socks got soaked.
I’ve been having trouble yesterday and today with my right calf, where I tore a muscle in January. It hurts on and off, but I keep massaging it, which helps.
While today’s hike was mainly a dreary trudge in the rain, I did meet another hiker – the first on the NCT in Ohio! – named Skittles. It was funny, because we both had the same hiking umbrella.
I was supposed to be camping tonight back in Spring Valley’s Constitution Park. But the forecast is for storms on and off all day and night. I tried contacting Morgan’s, where I have a campsite reservation for tomorrow, to see if I could change that to two nights in one of their cabins, but no one responded to numerous phone calls and emails. So I ended up in a Tru hotel in Mason. You always have to be prepared to pivot when hiking!
Snowshoe
NCT Miles Today: 13.3 (21.4 km)
Ohio NCT miles to date: 247.6 (398.5 km)
Total NCT miles to date: 2,186.4 (3,518.7 km)
Total NCT miles to go: 2,413.6 (3,488.3 km)
Today’s most valuable gear: My hiking umbrella and rain pants.
Book a stay at the Hilton Tru hotel in Mason here!
