Pine Lane to Brecksville

This morning my brother and I met at Pine Lane at 9 o’clock for a long snowy run on the Buckeye Trail. Our original plan was to go to Brecksville and back for a 50K but a couple variables changed this.

The first issue arose when we reached the first stream crossing after Pine Lane. This crossing is always pretty tough when any water is flowing but today it seemed almost impossible to get across without getting wet. We looked up and down stream for an easier way to cross, but had no such luck. So, we decided to just run across where the trail normally goes.

As Jeff was preparing to cross I was still looking for the most shallow area… when all of a sudden I heard… whoosh! I looked back and Jeff was almost up to his waist in water! I couldn’t believe it and started laughing. When he finally got across to the other side though he was limping a bit and was obviously in some pain. Not only did he get soaked, but he sprained his ankle a bit as he was racing to get to the other side. We waited about 10-15 minutes for him to walk it off and then continued on. He was still able to run/walk pretty good and it didn’t seem to be real serious, but it was enough to limit his distance today. Here’s a picture of what his ankle looked like this evening…

Here’s a video Jeff took of me crossing the same stream just to the right of where he went….

After this last storm we got on Thurs/Friday the snow on the trail was up to our shins the entire way, with snow drifts up to our knees in spots and even up to my thighs on sections past Snowville Rd. Once we reached the Boston Store Jeff said he was going to turn around and head back to his car, so I continued heading north towards Brecksville by myself. At first I was a little disappointed I wouldn’t have anyone to chat with, but eventually I began to really enjoy being out on the trail alone and enjoyed trudging through the snow and taking in the scenery and solitude around me.

The closer I got to Brecksville the more I could tell that the snow was beginning to wear on me. Not in a bad way. I was enjoying every minute of this run and the effort needed to keep pushing forward. But, my legs were gradually getting more tired from having to lift them up so high with each step. Plus, I was coming to the realization that I was running out of time in the day to complete the entire 50K. So, I decided to call it a day and have lunch with my brother who was planning on meeting me at Heinen’s in Brecksville. I ended up with a total of 16 miles and 6 hours of time on my feet. Very happy with my effort today.

Click Here to view all my photos from the day

Here’s a couple other videos I took along the way…..

Blue Hen Falls

Pine section before Snowville Rd.

Big ledge jump to avoid water