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- Aug 21, 2018
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Mrs. TractorDoc celebrates a birthday around mid-October, and her plans to mark the occasion took us North of the homestead this weekend. She wanted to get a walk/hike in somewhere, so I suggested we give East Harbor State Park a try. I know she likes beaches, and the pictures on the internet definitely had a beach in them. The park is located in Northwestern Ohio, right on Lake Erie -- not far from Cedar Point Amusement Park if you've ever heard of that/been there.
I was not sure what to expect as neither of us had been there before. It was late in the season but it was a beautiful Saturday with temperatures nearing 80 degrees. Would there be mobs of people? Are there trails to hike or do you just sit on the beach? There was only one way to find out.
As it turned out there were trails to walk on. This sign was just a sample of some of what was available -- not an extensive trail system, but trails nonetheless.
We started out on the Water's Edge/Lakeview Trail. . . which early on walks on sandy paths with no water view.
Mid-October can be a prime time for leaf color where I live. Tree foliage has been less vibrant this year due to a dry spell, but the poison ivy vines were showing off in a near neon red.
It did not take long to get a view of Lake Erie. Beyond the ducks is Kelly's Island; you can drive a boat or take a ferry to get over there.
There are many places where you can drop off the official trail and create your own trail on the beach. The sand was inviting, so down towards the water we went.
When the conditions are right the boots come off. I call this shot "Scarpas in the Sand."
Probably my favorite image of the day. The cell phone fell out of my pocket when I stopped to take my boots off. I did not realize it until I was aways down the beach. I walked back to get it and caught this shot of Mrs. TractorDoc as I walked down the beach the second time.
View from the far end of the park/beach.
We decided to take the Wetland Trail to get back to the trailhead. The trail cut thru a stand of invasive phragmite grass for a good quarter of a mile. The grass had to be pushed out of the way and was quite scratchy on the skin. Mrs. TractorDoc was not happy about this part of the hike. It felt like we were in a corn maze.
The grass eventually gave way to a woodsy area.
A picturesque portion of the trail was lined by horsetails, tall trees, and more vibrant poison ivy vine.
I think we may have walked a total of four miles, perhaps more if one counts the meandering on the sandy beach. In closing I'll throw in a picture of me in the lake. A nice way to spend the day considering it was October and in past years we'd been wearing jackets/warm hats by now.
East Harbor State Park may not be the place to go if one wants to get lost and find solitude, but it was a welcome change of pace from our usual hikes thru the forest/to waterfalls/etc. It might be worth a trip back to see what other areas of the park have to offer and see what things are like at different times of the year. When the lake freezes big chunks of ice tend to pile up along the shore. I'll probably keep the boots on when it comes time to check that out.
I was not sure what to expect as neither of us had been there before. It was late in the season but it was a beautiful Saturday with temperatures nearing 80 degrees. Would there be mobs of people? Are there trails to hike or do you just sit on the beach? There was only one way to find out.
As it turned out there were trails to walk on. This sign was just a sample of some of what was available -- not an extensive trail system, but trails nonetheless.
A lot of interesting things to see at the water's edge.
Probably my favorite image of the day. The cell phone fell out of my pocket when I stopped to take my boots off. I did not realize it until I was aways down the beach. I walked back to get it and caught this shot of Mrs. TractorDoc as I walked down the beach the second time.
We decided to take the Wetland Trail to get back to the trailhead. The trail cut thru a stand of invasive phragmite grass for a good quarter of a mile. The grass had to be pushed out of the way and was quite scratchy on the skin. Mrs. TractorDoc was not happy about this part of the hike. It felt like we were in a corn maze.
East Harbor State Park may not be the place to go if one wants to get lost and find solitude, but it was a welcome change of pace from our usual hikes thru the forest/to waterfalls/etc. It might be worth a trip back to see what other areas of the park have to offer and see what things are like at different times of the year. When the lake freezes big chunks of ice tend to pile up along the shore. I'll probably keep the boots on when it comes time to check that out.
