Zaleski State Park, Ohio - Trip Report / Review (pics)

[KevinAce]

Just got back from hiking Zaleski in Ohio (April 5th & 6th, 2008). I figured I'd post a review / trip report for those of you interested in checking out the trail.

Link: Zaleski State Forest Website (http://www.dnr.state.oh.us/forests/zaleski/tabid/5171/Default.aspx)
Link: Zaleski Backpacking Map (http://www.dnr.state.oh.us/Portals/18/forests/pdf/ZaleskiBackpackBrochure_7.pdf)


http://www.kevinwimer.com/pics/hiking/zaleski/group-shot1-thumb.jpg (http://www.kevinwimer.com/pics/hiking/zaleski/group-shot1.jpg)


I had planned for 12.5 miles the first day and 11 the second for the full 23.5 mile loop. My two buddies (barn owl on this forum, likely to post a review here as well) went the distance. I cut my trip short due to some foot/knee pains, and overall exhaustion.

The first day we did A to H (12.5 miles). We started at about 11 AM and stopped for lunch around E (went a bit beyond D because it was crowded with about a dozen boy scouts).

We had the bright idea of eating on the side of a hill overlooking a ravine / creek. I let my compression sack with all my clothes get away from me. It rolled down the damn hill, over the edge, and into the creek about 30 ft down (pic below). Thankfully, the dry sack actually worked and kept everything dry (despite sitting in the water for 10 minutes while a friend made the decent to get it). My buddy laughed it up, only to have his entire pack go over the edge about 10 minutes later (oh sweet sweet karma, pic also below).


http://www.kevinwimer.com/pics/hiking/zaleski/sack-thumb.jpg (http://www.kevinwimer.com/pics/hiking/zaleski/sack.jpg)http://www.kevinwimer.com/pics/hiking/zaleski/packover-thumb.jpg (http://www.kevinwimer.com/pics/hiking/zaleski/packover.jpg)


My two friends made it to "H" at about 6:00 and me at about 7:30. Some boy scouts were kind enough to dish off some leftover beef stroganov for us - no complaints there. We had a nice camp fire and dried out some clothes (the area had a few inches of rain the previous few days so it was a mud pit).

This is where I learned another lesson: don't put clothes too close to the fire. I wasn't planning on staying up long (was tired as hell) so I wanted to dry my clothes fast. What better way to dry them faster than to put them closer? Wrong. My $20 pair of SmartWool socks all but caught fire. The side closest to the fire was completely singed / ruined - oops.

The next day, I decided to cut my trip a bit shorter than the others. Instead of doing the northeast loop, (H, J, K, L) I went west past the M/N marker and ran into 278. You're supposed to walk it a few hundred feet south and then continue on to the trail off to the northwest. I was tired as hell and wasn't in the mood to go the opposite direction of our car so I decided to just take 278 back to the parking lot.

I was in pretty rough shape - about as bad as I was in the Mount Rogers area in VA on the AT. Fortunately this time, I was on a road with traffic paralleling a stream. Despite being in agony (sore feet, hurt knee, and just physically exhausted in general), I pushed on through the seemingly endless 4 miles and made it back to the car.

If I set aside my pain and discomfort and give the trail itself a review: I would rate it a B. In Ohio, we don't have much in the way for packpacking. Having a nice loop with campsites within 2 hours is always nice. The blazes were fantastically marked (about 2-3x as often as the AT in VA near Mt. Rogers, my only reference at this point). The trail was pretty well kept as well. During my 18 miles, I had to step over maybe 6 big trees, two dozen smaller trees, and fight through maybe 5 spots where some thorns had grown in.

My buddies (review to be posted soon by one) did the NE loop which was rumored to be overgrown and poorly marked. They said it was the exact opposite. The trail was in pristine condition and frequently blazed.

Zaleski offered a little bit of everything: mud, grass, narrow trails, wide trails, tons of different types of trees, wild turkeys, trees taken down by beavers, pine forests, great camping (with water, latrine), uphills, downhills, flat areas and accessible roads in case of emergencies.

My big complaint is the 19 "scenic" points marked on the map. We were looking forward to seeing a lot of these things, and only ended up noticing about 5 out of the 19. There was no Indian burial ground to be seen, no cellars/abandoned farms, and quite a few other things. We saw each marker when we came to it, but never saw what was supposed to be there. I'm not sure if we were blind, dumb, not looking well enough or they just weren't there. Other than that, the trail lived up to my expectations.

Here are a few other pictures from the trip you guys might enjoy:


http://www.kevinwimer.com/pics/hiking/zaleski/flood1-thumb.jpg (http://www.kevinwimer.com/pics/hiking/zaleski/flood1.jpg) http://www.kevinwimer.com/pics/hiking/zaleski/beaver-tree-thumb.jpg (http://www.kevinwimer.com/pics/hiking/zaleski/beaver-tree.jpg) http://www.kevinwimer.com/pics/hiking/zaleski/kevin1-thumb.jpg (http://www.kevinwimer.com/pics/hiking/zaleski/kevin1.jpg) http://www.kevinwimer.com/pics/hiking/zaleski/chris3-thumb.jpg (http://www.kevinwimer.com/pics/hiking/zaleski/chris3.jpg) http://www.kevinwimer.com/pics/hiking/zaleski/hope-furnace-thumb.jpg (http://www.kevinwimer.com/pics/hiking/zaleski/hope-furnace.jpg) http://www.kevinwimer.com/pics/hiking/zaleski/steve-chris1-thumb.jpg (http://www.kevinwimer.com/pics/hiking/zaleski/chris-steve1.jpg)


Looking back, it was an enjoyable experience. During it, all I thought about was "why am I doing this?" and "what did I get myself into....again?". Unfortunately, I was pretty miserable during much of the trip. Is this typical or am I just doing too many miles (I'm 6'2, 330 and not in the greatest shape)? I'm struggling to come up with reasons to plan another trip. I've now done two major hikes (this and 20 miles (planned 42) in VA on the AT) and hated a good portion of both.

I think it comes down to one basic thing: I'm attempting too many miles. Had I done half the mileage on both trips, I would imagine I would have enjoyed them a ton. Instead, I was in pain and hated both. My friends are in great shape and can take the high mileage, I cannot. They're the only guys I know that'll go hiking, so what do I do?

I think for my next trip, I'm going to try to find a place where I can hike a lot less and allow them to go further, but still meet up to camp together. Any suggestions?

[Lyle]

KevinAce,

Kudos for getting out there.

Group hiking is definitely much more difficult than solo. Trying to hike someone else's pace is tough, whether you are trying to speed up or slow down. When you are constantly worried about slowing your buddies down, that will take a lot of the joy out of it.

Your idea about trying to find an area that allows varied mileage routes to common camping areas may be your best option if you wish to continue your adventures with these guys and enjoy it. I could tell you of a couple places in Michigan that would allow that (Hoist Lakes Foot Travel Area for one), but I am not all that familiar with hiking in Ohio.

Also, you will eventually get into better shape if you get out often enough. Big folks can hike high mileage days too, just have to get used to it and do it at your own pace.

[Lyle]

Also, could find areas that would offer your buddies some base camp opportunities once they arrived at the camp site, they could head out, do some peak bagging or whatever, then arrive back at camp about the time you get there to share dinner and the evening.

Depending on how close of friends you are, and their willingness, could give them some extra weight, like most of the food, shelter, water pump, etc. If you split up you would want enough food and some type of shelter with you just in case, but you could go a lot lighter. Whether this would be an option or not is up to your group. Just a thought.

[geckobunny]

Try Old Man's Cave and the Hocking Hills area near Logan, Ohio. There are a number of trails at each location where you can hike longer or shorter, but not necessarily be in the middle of nowhere with many miles before you get back to your car. There is also camping in the area...look up Hocking Hills.

The metro parks in Columbus are nice too...for shorter hikes (or longer ones too). It gives me variety...different scenery and difficulty.

Wild Cat Hollow near Burr Oak park is a nice place for short/long hike with camping. Burr Oak has a number of trails too.

Check out the book Hiking Ohio by Mary Reed. It will give a lot of ideas about places to hike, distance, difficulty, etc. It's a really good resource. It's not exhaustive, but it gives a LOT of great information.

[tlbj6142]

It has been ~3 years since I was last there, but...

Unless someone move the marker, the Indian mound is very easy to see. It right along the trail. Though it is much smaller than what you might expect. It is a small donut shaped mound that is maybe 1-2" high and maybe 6-8' in dia. The hole in the middle is maybe 2-3' wide. You might just think it is some weird mound of dirt.

I never could find the cellars, though I see a tiny bit of a foundation, so I suspect I was nearby.

[tlbj6142]

I'd also like to mention that Tar Hollow is a nice (70 min drive from Columbus) place for an over-night trip. You can only camp in 1-3 places and most of the time the area is dry, but the trails are nice and well marked (counter clockwise only). I often do the North Loop (~12mi) or the south Loop (~8mi) as a quick Saturday morning dayhike (leave home at 6am, back a little after lunch). Sometimes I take my dog. The south loop currently has a 1-1.5 mile detour due to local logging, but it is well marked and easy to follow.

If I do an overnight, I park at the fire tower (where the backpacking campsite is located), leave the next day's water in my car (could leave my gear in it as well, but that's cheating:D), hike a loop. Camp. Hike the other loop, go home.

For a short "hike with the (little) kids", park at the dam, hike the 1.5 miles to the fire tower (and backpacking campsite), camp, hike back the next day. Sometimes we drop off water and firewood at the tower before we drive down to the dam and park.

Note there is quite a bit of hunting down there during Deer Gun season (folks can reserve/rent the roadside shelters which become huge hunting camps). I'd avoid it for those several days.

[Barn Owl]

This past weekend, April 5 and 6, me and two friends, KevinAce and the guy known as Matterhorn, took on the 24 mile loop at Zaleski State Park, Ohio. This thread begins with pictures and the story from KevinAce, so I will concentrate on the trail description in this particular post.

Markings – A+++++ Easy as can be to follow. Maybe a scant more difficult during full foliage growth, but even then it should still be cake. (Only complaint was that there were no markings in the last .3 miles near the parking lot. This could potentially cause a problem if you did not have a map or did not know the area.)

Water Availability - A+ It was hard to go far without crossing a creek, pond or small woodland lake. Plenty of water for even the hottest hike. There were also three campsites along the way with fresh water from a pump.

Scenery – A (by Ohio’s standards) Some nice overlooks, long stretches of pine forests (back NE loop) – several emerald woodland lakes and ponds, very little contact with civilization with an exception of a few road crossings, nice rocky outcrops.

Difficulty (scale of 1-10) I’d probably rate this around a 5. Of course the only thing I have to go on was the Grayson Highlands, Mt. Rogers portion of the AT, at which I would rate a 9 (10 being the hardest). This trail would be great, in my opinion, for hikers of all abilities due to it’s clean trails and shortcut options.

Trial condition – A+ (in early April) – Sure there were a few fallen trees to step over and a little overgrowth here and there, but for me, it wasn’t enough to bat an eye. The whole trail was well kept and as previously stated, well marked with orange blazes.


Overall it was a sweet trip. Great weather, great camping, friendly boy scouts with food to give, not at all crowded, plenty of water, pretty good scenery and good distance for a weekend trip. I would recommend this trail to anyone.

[tlbj6142]

Markings – A+++++ Easy as can be to follow. Maybe a scant more difficult during full foliage growth, but even then it should still be cake.
So the NE loop was marked well? Last I hiked it (2004) the marks were very, very faded and with so many trails criss-crossing the main trail (sometimes overgrown), it was easy to get lost (primarily between K heading back to H to complete the loop). Was the redneck camp grounds still setup along the power-lines near "14"? I know we stopped there for a break. Sort of odd seeing lawn chairs in the backcountry.

The trail from P back to the parking lot could be better marked. If anything, they should put up a sign that reads "take the road back to your car", when you leave the woods. That would solve 90% of the problems. I kept looking for a trail that would take me back into the woods. I had it in my mind that I would come out of the woods somewhere near/behind the furnace, not walk along the road.

[tlbj6142]

Difficulty (scale of 1-10) I’d probably rate this around a 5. Of course the only thing I have to go on was the Grayson Highlands, Mt. Rogers portion of the AT, at which I would rate a 9 (10 being the hardest). This trail would be great, in my opinion, for hikers of all abilities due to it’s clean trails and shortcut options.If you thought Mt. Rogers was a 9, the AT trails in NE would be a 20 on your scale. On my Fox Creek --> Damascus trip, I don't recall anything particularly hard about the trails (and I was woefully out of shape and carrying too much). Maybe a few steep sections, but the whole frickin' AT is too steep.

[KevinAce]

If you thought Mt. Rogers was a 9, the AT trails in NE would be a 20 on your scale. On my Fox Creek --> Damascus trip, I don't recall anything particularly hard about the trails (and I was woefully out of shape and carrying too much). Maybe a few steep sections, but the whole frickin' AT is too steep.Haha I rate it a 9 as well. It kicked the hell out of me. I'm from Ohio and just do 5-6 mile day hikes. Being at 5000-6000 ft and going up / down thousands of feet (instead of 50-200) is a massive difference. The terrain wasn't all too horrible...but the altitude + big climbs (compared to what I am used to) owned me.

*Makes personal note: Do not even attempt NE AT*

[tlbj6142]

*Makes personal note: Do not even attempt NE AT*I, too, am from Ohio. You don't want to avoid the AT in NE. Most of the "best parts of the AT" are up there. Just work on getting into better shape, cut back on pack weight and be prepared to go slower. I was able to do the first two, but it took me a day or so before I stopped fighting with the third (go slower). Once I did that, my NE section hike (http://www.whiteblaze.net/forum/showthread.php?t=5754) would be ranked as one of my best hikes.

Before this trip, I walked (no pack) for an hour each morning before work, and would slowly climb 40-80 stories of real stairs (up and down) 2-3 days a week. So, my legs were more than ready. Just took my mind an extra day to catch up.

[bigb]

KevinAce, I did the Zaleski trip over our spring break the week before you. I'm in about the same boat as you - 5'10", 280 lbs. and a bad knee. I live about 25 miles north of you. Anyways, last June I was 345 pounds and could barely walk. I decided to lose weight by doing the South Beach thing.

I lost 70 pounds by the time school started back up in August. As the weather cooled, my weight loss stalled so I bought a cheap treadmill and was able to maintain the weight loss through the winter (didn't lose any more - just didn't gain any back).

I had a goal of backpacking Zaleski during spring break so I started to wear my old pack on the treadmill. To break the routine, I started to do the longest trails (orange) in the local Metroparks (Germantown, Twin Creek).

Now, about the Zaleski trip. We arrived at Zaleski on a Sunday at 3:00 and hiked from the trailhead to "D" (Appx. 6 miles). Next morning, "D" to "H", including the NE loop (appx. 12 miles). The next morning, "H" back to the trailhead (appx. 6 miles). In the car and heading home by noon.

This worked out real well for me - no significant problems. The timing/pacing was great. We didn't break any land speed records, but we kept moving. I did eat a couple Aleves every 6 hours to prevent any joint swelling.

I thought the trails were extremely well maintained and very well blazed. Of course, this was very early spring and there wasn't much plant growth. As you mentioned, several fallen trees to contend with, much not much hassle. There were a couple spots on the less travelled NE loop that we backtracked maybe 50 yards. Basically, if you don't see any blazes, turn around.

That trip gave me the confidence to do the North loop at Shawnee the first week in June. If that goes well, on to the Grayson Highlands this summer.

In short, I agree with tlbj6142, just get into "trail shape" and you should be fine.

Good luck

[bigb]

Was the redneck camp grounds still setup along the power-lines near "14"? I know we stopped there for a break. Sort of odd seeing lawn chairs in the backcountry.

I noticed that as well. I think there was also a gas grill added to the mix. I much more enjoyed the benches and monument in the pine forest not too far from there.

I also agree that the last quarter mile or so will leave you scratching your head. But that's the kind of stuff that makes hiking fun.

[Captain]

During it, all I thought about was "why am I doing this?" and "what did I get myself into....again?". Unfortunately, I was pretty miserable during much of the trip......








i bet i have you beat kevin , when i was 13 in the scouts i was nto sure how tall but far shorter ( im only 5 7/ 5 8 now) i wieghed 180 and we went on this loop in the dead of winter ( i remember there was snow ,a decent amount of it) and i forgot my sleeping bag and when we got home the scoutmaster wieghed my pack , 90 pounds a full one half my wieght at 13 years old in extremly poor shape after 3 hours of lectures ( mostly due to a camp chair and a full sized cd player/radio/cassette player) i learned a few things myself...including a scoutmaster can and does indeed cuss if the situation deems it necessary :-P:sun:-?:o:(:eek::rolleyes::cool:

[tlbj6142]

I noticed that as well. I think there was also a gas grill added to the mix. I much more enjoyed the benches and monument in the pine forest not too far from there.Unfortunately, we didn't see the monument and benches until after we rested at the other spot. IIRC, the grill was there when we visited as well.

[tlbj6142]

That trip gave me the confidence to do the North loop at Shawnee the first week in June. If that goes well, on to the Grayson Highlands this summer.

In short, I agree with tlbj6142, just get into "trail shape" and you should be fine.Sounds like a great plan. Let us know how the Shawnee trip goes. For whatever reason I've never made the trip down there. Almost did back in '04? '05? But there was an ice storm in Feb that year that closed the trails for the rest of the calendar year.

I did day hike the 17-18 mile loop around Lake Vesuvius (http://www.fs.fed.us/r9/wayne/trails.html). It was nice. Not too tough. The terrain is easier than Zaleski.

[bigb]

I did day hike the 17-18 mile loop around Lake Vesuvius (http://www.fs.fed.us/r9/wayne/trails.html). It was nice. Not too tough. The terrain is easier than Zaleski.

I've considered that hike. Is it multi-use or strictly hiking?

[tlbj6142]

I've considered that hike. Is it multi-use or strictly hiking?Horses might be allowed on part of it as there are several horse trails in the area, but that's it (no ATV or bikes).