Freeze column: Biking by Erie Canal

The Ohio Erie Towpath, on right, follows the Erie Canal to its northern terminus near Cleveland.

A restored canal boat sits on blocks near Canal Fulton, Ohio.

By David Freeze

For the Salisbury Post

One of my favorite things to do is to bike long trails. This past week, I was in Ohio and took the opportunity to ride the Ohio Erie Towpath.

Made famous in song by Tennessee Ernie Ford, the Erie Canal was the lifeblood of the upper Ohio for approximately 80 years. The first canal boat was pulled from Cleveland in 1827, and the canal was finished by 1832.

Canal boats, looking like miniature Noah’s Arks, were pulled by mules, horses, or oxen from Cleveland to New Philadelphia and back again. The length of the towpath is approximately 100 miles, with about 80 of that restored as a nice biking, running, walking, and horseback trail. But the draw for me is the history of the area. Unlike many of the long bicycle rides I have taken, this one has so much history that I stopped every few miles to take pictures of something special.

Many portions of the canal still hold water. In some sections the bank is kept clean and it is easy to imagine that there will be another boat coming by soon. Other sections have standing water or are dry, and the canal is obscured by trees and brush.

The trail itself is easy to ride with few major hills, and most of it is made of crushed gravel. Small portions are paved, with the longest asphalt section being inside the Metro Parks of Cleveland. Restroom facilities are great, and little parks and picnic areas offer plenty of chances to stop and rest.

The southern portions of the trail are maintained by the Ohio State Parks system and follow the Tuscarawas River. Much of the northern portion is in the Cuyahoga National Park and follows the Cuyahoga River.

There are numerous side routes available to ride into the hillside, or to visit the small historic towns along the way. The Cuyahoga Valley Train offers a unique service to cyclists. If you are at the one of the trailheads where the train stops, you can get on with your bike and ride to another point.

Wildlife is abundant. I saw ducks, geese, cranes, squirrels, rabbits, chipmunks and my first weasel.

Often the towpath has the river on one side and the canal on the other. Sometimes the water in the canal is only a foot or so below the bike trail.

Two notable features of the canal are worth mentioning. There is a series of more than 40 locks, which served to raise or lower the boats depending on their direction of travel. Northbound boats were lowered and southbound boats were raised to match the terrain. At these locks, boats had to wait their turn as only one could go through at a time. At the height of the canal boat era, backups could be as much as a mile long. Though common courtesy called for the boats to go in order of arrival, often the crews of the boats jousted with long poles to get their boat ahead of the others.

One of my favorite spots was Canal Fulton. It is a small town that is proud of its heritage. Shops, restaurants and a boardwalk border the trail. I noticed many cyclists stopping here for a bite to eat or cold drink. An actual canal boat was being restored and I found it quite amazing. Long and narrow, yet having a draft of only 4 feet when loaded, they carried agricultural products and other supplies.

Massillon, Ohio, offers a trailhead that features the nicest bicycle shop I have seen, with an attached restaurant and running store. Ernie’s is a good place to rent bikes if you don’t have your own. Navarre has the trail going by a very large Nickle’s Bakery which reminded me of running past the old Flower’s Bakery in Salisbury. I loved the smell of bread baking then and I still do.

There are several spots where the towpath ends and cyclists have to follow the paved road and the blue and white Ohio Canal Way signs to the next connecting point. Sometimes I found this easy, but at least once there was no information as to where to go next. I bought a nice book with each 2 [0xbd]-mile section explained in detail at Ernie’s Bicycle Shop in Massillon. In total, about 20 miles of the towpath trail are not completed yet. Most disappointing to me was that nearly all of the last 5 northernmost miles of the canal had been filled in by the city of Cleveland just after the turn of the century.

Riding on this trail is best done with a mountain bike. The terrain is generally good, but the large gravel used in wet areas could be tough on road bike tires. There are only two bike shops along the length of the towpath, so I took my more dependable mountain bike.

Residents in the little towns along the way are very nice and embrace their historical heritage. I rode during the week for four days and the trail was very busy. Some were peddling hard, racing the trail. I noticed many regular senior riders with topflight equipment who appeared to be riding in groups. Others of all ages were walking, biking, or running. Parking areas at the trailheads were very busy. Trail width varied from about 6 feet to as much as 10 feet.

Throughout my ride, I wondered if the Salisbury Greenway will ever be finished. I met lots of nice people, many riding just a few miles, and one who was riding the complete length of the trail (100 miles) in one day. The Ohio Erie Towpath is a perfect mix of history, exercise, and nature. Expected completion for the rest of the trail is 2016, though work is ahead of schedule. I hope to go back and ride the whole trail in one long day. I made all my pictures this time.

The trailheads are easily reached by country or small town roads, and many are part of America’s Scenic Byway. More information on the Ohio Erie Towpath can be found at www.ohioanderiecanalway.com