Glorious change of pace today! We rode on the Little Miami Scenic Trail for almost the entire route. The Little Miami Trail runs along what once was the Little Miami Railroad. It is 50 miles long, runs right through some great little towns, connects to other trails, and is almost completely flat!
We woke up to a drenching thunderstorm this morning, which meant we packed up soaking wet tents. We were anticipating riding in more rain, but the day remained dry. The hardest part about the ride was how much wet schmutz came flying off the bike wheels and plastered both me and my bike. I kept having to stop and scrape off the schmutz especially where the front wheel passes through the fork.
Before we started on the trail, we crossed the Little Miami River:
Below was my view most of the day--river on the left; rest benches, picnic table, or river park occasionally on the right; and lots of shade on this humid, high-80s day.
We crossed dozens of tributaries, all of them flooded today due to the rain.
We cycled through cute towns, but most things were closed on Mondays.
A fellow rider took this shot of me riding along:
There were these signs cautioning us about construction overhead. See just how high above the trail?
Toward the end of the ride, there were more pastures...
Some riders rode a side spur (20-mile round trip) to Springboro because that town became one of the most frequented stopovers for freedom seekers. The Quakers who lived in Springboro kept escaped slaves safe, and slaves arrived there following two major escape routes along the Great and Little Miami Rivers. Unfortunately, most everything in the town is closed on Mondays, so our riders were disappointed not to see more.
Tonight we are camping at Frontier Campground in Spring Valley, Ohio. I got here early enough to dry my tent and clean my bike. All is right in my world!
Today's route, part 1:
Part 2:
Part 3:
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