Commentary: Hockhocking-Adena Trail On Saturday March 28th, on one of probably only 2 decent riding days in March, I had the opportunity to put 25 miles in on this beautiful trail. I rode the full length of this trail twice lat year during summer, so this was the first time I rode it in the ‘winter phase’, meaning, before all the deciduous trees & shrubs have leaved. This time of year reveals more of what is around and behind all those beautiful trees. The temperature was in the high forties, but we had a good 10-15 mph wind all day, so the wind chill dropped the temperature a bit. However, dressed accordingly, my wife and I had a good ride. It started out sunny, which is always appreciated in Ohio at this time of year. I was surprised by the number of people on the trail. I figured a few die-hard cyclists would be out but we saw at least two dozen people of all ages, including walkers, as well as cyclists. There were of course the hard-core roadies, the triathletes with their aero bars, the cruisers, and a few families on a bicycle outing. Overall, it was a pleasant day. The condition of the asphalt is in very good shape, there were a few ‘potholes’ which were marked in orange paint, a good safety decision. In addition to these holes being marked for safety reasons, I will also assume this means the holes will be fixed soon. However, there were only a few of these spots, and as I have said, the trail was in very good shape overall. There was minimal debris litter from the trees and shrubs. This is one of my favorite trails in Ohio. It is relatively long at 18 miles, so an out and back will net you 36 miles, a decent day’s ride. This trail is diverse enough to keep it interesting, with a good portion of the trail running through the woods, ravines, and near the river. The trail’s mileage starts from Athens, Home of Ohio University, and the trail ends at Hocking College in Nelsonville.There are five easy access points with parking listed on this trails website. There is good access to restroom facilities, which is lacking on some trails. The Hockhocking Adena Bikeway Advisory Committee is doing a very nice job of maintaining the trail. It truly is one of the better trails in the Ohio Rail Trails network. Well worth the travel from anywhere in the state or from nearby Kentucky. There is easy access to food and fuel in both Nelsonville and Athens. For more details, follow this link:  http://www.seorf.ohiou.edu/~xx088/ Check out ‘About the Trail’ for information about sites along the trail and historic information. The only map available on the official website was last update in 2005. The ‘Proposed Bikeway Extension’ is now open. The total length encompasses about 19 miles. It passes behind a shopping center, which isn’t the best site to see, but nonetheless, the trail is a pleasure to ride. |
