Today was another outstanding weather day here in NE Ohio. Pure sun, mid 70s and a light breeze. After getting home from work I decided I wanted a longer ride then my nightly laps through the neighborhood.

I was set-to head to my regular local destination on the Towpath Trail. I had read that Portage County has been working on extending their rail trail and that a relatively new extension opened it up to over 7 miles. I set out for the Crain Avenue Bridge just north of downtown Kent and the trailhead closest to me.

The first mile of this trail is kind of boring. You are along the river but can’t see it because of foliage. It then opens up to a more rural setting as it passes Beckwith’s Orchard where the surface changes from paved asphalt to a fine gravel. The trail is more scenic as it heads through Towner’s Woods Park.

I rode a little over 5 miles to the edge of Ravenna and turned around. I had never ridden the trail and wasn’t sure how soon darkness would come and how challenging the return trip would be. It was pretty fast being downhill into Kent most of the way. I did 10 miles in a little under 1 hour. I plan on returning next week and cycling to the trail’s end in Ravenna. I just need to get a little earlier start.

The surface of this trail is pretty smooth,. It has some grass and debris on it. I suspect this is from a small amount of traffic. I only saw one jogger on the segment closest to Ravenna. It’s a good trail if you want quiet and solitude.