Hikes occur on the second Thursday of each month. Water and sturdy shoes are recommended. In the case of wet or muddy trail conditions a change of socks and shoes is sometimes helpful. We usually walk 4-5 miles or about 2 hours. Lunch at a nearby restaurant will follow. We will meet at the hike site, andno carpool will be offered for these hikes. Contact Janie Reeves (436-7811) for more information. Heavy rain or severe weather (i.e. snow storm or dangerous wind chill) will likely cancel the hike. If you are uncertain of the hike status, call Janie by 8:30 am on hike day. If time allows, changes may be posted on the website.

 

FEBRUARY 11 - BLENDON WOODS METRO PARK - 10 AM  
Directions: From I-270 take SR 161 East (exit 30) toward New Albany (E. Dublin Granville Road). Go 1.6 miles; then take the Little Turtle Way exit,  turn right, and right again onto Old State Route 161. The entrance road is 1/2 mile on left. Follow this road as it curves left all the way back to where it ends at theNature Center. The restroom is open even though the nature center does not open until noon. Hike: The trails are natural and well maintained. The trail has some hills and stairs. We will walk 4-5 miles, depending on the weather.Lunch:  Casa Fiesta (possibly renamed Los Jalapenos) 1356 N. Hamilton Rd. on the east side of Hamilton behind Bob Evans and south of Morse Rd. Phone # 614-472-0115. Leaders: Penny Bullard and Martha Peck

 

MARCH 11 - SCIOTO AUDUBON METRO PARK  - 10:30 AM*

Directions: From downtown Columbus  take I-71 south to the Greenlawn Avenue exit and go east 1/3 mile. Turn left on S. Front St. Go 1/4 mile and turn left on W. Whittier St. Continue to the entrance on the right for the Grange Insurance Audubon Center  http://www.grangeinsuranceauduboncenter.org/ 505 West Whittier St., 43215. Parking and admission are free. The building has restroom accessibility from the outside and inside. *Since the center opens at 10 am Tuesday thru Friday in the winter we will begin the hike at 10:30. This will provide an opportunity to briefly explore the new facilitybefore the hike. Hike: It will be about 5 miles (2 hours) on paved surfaces mostly along the Scioto River (both sides). We will also walk on sidewalk on Whittier St. and Front St. to cross the Greenlawn Avenue bridge. There will be a couple hills on the hike. Lunch location will be announced at the hike. Leaders: Elaine Buhrlage and Janie Reeves

 

A new hike coordinator, or perhaps two coordinators, is/are needed to assume the role as of April 1, 2010. The new hike coordinator(s) would lead or find leaders for future hikes, gather the necessary info for each hike, and compose and send new schedules to the CEA-R webmaster. The new coordinator can choose to continue to send info by email (such as schedules, carpooling instructions, and hike reminders) or begin posting info on the CEA-R website only, or do a combination as has been the current practice. If hike info by email is eliminated a contact phone number should be posted on the website in case someone has a question or concern.

 

The new leadership might prefer to continue conducting the hikes at metro parks only, perhaps on a rotational schedule. The Sierra Club does something similar on Friday nights during the spring and summer. This makes carpooling and hike reminders unnecessary. Restaurant directions could be given verbally on hike day. Directions to the metro parks can be easily found in the metro parks quarterly magazine "Parkscope". Very little driving would be required in most cases to reach metro parks.