Log 2014010601

I received a letter in the snail mail today from my cellular provider.  And in it, they stated that they performed an account review and had noticed that I was exceeding my data roaming limit.  Considering that I've been at home port in Painesville of Lake County for the last 67 days with regular voice service and 4G data and in that time, I only put about 1,000 miles on my 2008 Chevy HHR, I would have to conclude that they were in reference to my extended time while on hiking/ maintenance for the Buckeye Trail.  And I could only imagine that this excessive data roaming was accrued while using Google Maps and my turn-by-turn navigation moving from one place to another and finding amenities.  I tried to get in contact with their Roaming Compliance Department in their last operating hour today, but there was no response. 

On my smartphone, there's five bars that indicate regular voice service.  When the unit goes in to voice roaming, there's a little icon and the bars start over for that.  As for 4G, I only get that signal in major markets, like the Cleveland area.  The rest is 3G service.  But when the unit goes into data roaming, there isn't an icon.  You would have to roughly assume that the data roaming service area is similar to the voice roaming area.  But I know for a fact that they are not exact.  Sprint has online maps that detail these areas, but I would have to download an offline copy for what I do, but I don't believe that is available.  If I had an offline copy, I could upload it to Google Earth on the laptop that I carry on these trips to reference and know when I need to get paper directions.

So, I'm starting to formulate alternatives.  One is getting paper directions like I mentioned.

- Purchase a automotive GPS, which would work with satellites instead of cell phone towers and be more reliable in more places.

- Purchase and install a smaller a CDMA repeater in the car so my smartphone can get regular data services in more places.


- Change my cellphone carrier to Verizon if their services suit my needs in regards to data roaming.

But what I'm really hoping for is a special package that I can add on.  What does a cross country trucker do?

So far today, the air temperature was -13°F at home port.  At -7°F, my 2008 Chevy HHR had a difficult time starting.  It rained yesterday and froze on what was already hard packed snow... So, the Chevy did not move at all today.  And the already weak tailgate release would not power up when actuated.

This morning was the first in last 64 days that I didn't notice my back ache.  And considering that I tried pushing the HHR into a place where it might get some traction today, I still don't notice it.  Depending on how I sit, I can still feel, but barely.

My personal task list is dwindling down as I've completed a bunch of items.  The biggest hurdle now is I need to get about 45 days worth of pressure canning done before I can sit down and work on the 2014 Edition of the Ohio Transit Hiker's Resource.  That's January's main task.  In February, I need to start getting The Cramper's materials ready for when the weather breaks in Southern Ohio.

The next recreational series will tentatively start in the City of Parkersburg, West Virginia.  The plan is to bicycle to the Village of Chesterhill in Morgan County on the American Discovery Trail (ADT) in Southeast Ohio.  It's about a 31 mile ride.  At Chesterhill, the ADT will run concurrent with the Buckeye/ North Country Trail across the south.  I have the BT/ NCT/ ADT already completed from the Village of Mount Orab in Brown County to Eden Park in the City of Cincinnati. 

After the ride from Parkersburg to Chesterhill, I'll need to drive across the state to Cincinnati.  The 6,800 mile ADT is kind of peculiar in that it's mostly a straight line... until it reaches Greater Cincinnati.  That's when the trail splits into a loop.  The south side goes to Saint Louis, Missouri and the north goes to Chicago, Ill.  They rejoin near Denver, Colorado. 

I'll have to find a parking spot for the car and use public transit.  Before hand, I'll have to get a bike box from Amtrak (because there's are better) and use it to board the Greyhound to Richmond, Indiana.  Richmond is on the Indiana/ Ohio State Line and I'd cycle south on ADT's north side, while managing to divert and pick up about 2.5 miles of the south side.  And then, I'll turn around and clip through Northern Kentucky before reentering Ohio in Downtown Cincinnati, end at Eden Park and then pick up my car.  That ride is about 45 miles long. 

Within Ohio, cleaning up the ADT independant of the Buckeye Trail, I'll line myself up to hike about 350 miles from Chesterhill of Morgan County to Mount Orab of Brown County.  When I finish at Mount Orab (which this location is tentative), I will have completed the Buckeye Trail and be eligible for the Circuit Hike Patch.  Also, I'll be eligible for the North Country Trail's "Ohio" state patch.  The ADT doesn't have a state patch, all I really want to say that I've completed every major trail in Ohio.  And should I wish to hike, or bike across it, I'll be well on my way with having Ohio completed.

In other words, cleaning up a few minor ends will allow me to clean up and finish everything on one course while the three trails are running concurrent with each other on the same route.  That's my "plan of attack."