The weather was again perfect today for another hike (ninth of ten) in the Cuyahoga Challenge.
This hike was on the Langes Trail (pdf) in the southern part of the Cuyahoga Valley (pdf), about 2 miles south of Peninsula.
The trail is a bridle and hiking trail although we also saw joggers and dog-walkers.
I'm becoming increasingly convinced (on a personal level) that well-used bridle trails make for less-fun hiking experiences. The horses that shared this trail before us were messy both in what they left behind and how their hooves tore into the trail and created these mudpits periodically.
There was also a high amount of trail-braiding (not following the path, but weaving in and around multiple trees on the trail) which encourages trail followers (of all kinds) to wander and choose the path that is "right" for them. It turns things into a Leave No Trace nightmare.
Once again, there was plenty to see. My littlest quickly found a number of tiny orange fungi, shaped in contact-lens forms.
She also found a black fuzzy caterpillar. (Some day she'll stop saying "callipidder" and it will be a very sad day.)
We saw our first coyote (although not the wild kind) and there were numerous breaks to observe the trees, the plants, rock formations and listen to the birds.
I may never complain about Cleveland weather again. It was cool, but not cold; bright, but not hot; breezy but not tempestuous. In short, it was a perfect day for a hike, with feelings of fall right around the corner.
The trail makes a loop and connects with he Wetmore Trail a hike we'd completed earlier. That didn't stop our enjoyment, however.
Someday I'd like to come back and hike the Dickerson Run Trail and Tabletop Trail. Perhaps when I don't have little ones and we'll bring our bushwhacking leggings. We saw entrances for both trails but it appears that since the horses are forbidden to enter, the humans don't either and it's quite grown over.
Overall, it's a great trail and yet another one in the Cuyahoga Challenge that we enjoyed.
The Langes Run Trail (approximately 4.5 miles) (pdf) starts at the Wetmore Trailhead parking lot which is located on Wetmore Road, east of Akron/Peninsula Road Road (pdf) in the Cuyahoga Valley National Park. It is considered a moderate to difficult trail.
Please note that the map's mileage number may be incorrect (too short).
