About 2 years ago was when I completed a diagnostic on the Buckeye Trail concerning it supporting continuous hikes at generally 10 miles per day. It's an initiative of the Buckeye Trail Association. When I did the diagnostic last, I found that the longest "streak" that the trail's logistics could support was 32 days at this rate. But, with a couple of new campsites, and some "hacks" that I recently discovered, this increased by 10 days.
In the future, what I have to do is what I call a "mock hiker." It's a written simulation of the trail. Once I do that, I'll need to use Google Earth to make what is written into a graphic displaying color coded tracks (like the line that you follow in your GPS). They'd be coded green for routes of 10.0 miles or less, yellow for 10.0 to 12.5 miles and red for anything that exceeds 12.5. With the 42 day streak that I just mentioned, that's from the West Union Section, Point 21 (02/2010 map & guide) to the Pemberville Section, Point 02 (03/2018). I don't know how many miles that is, but it's roughly 7-1/2 of the Buckeye Trail's 26 sections, or about 29% of it's circuit. And the vast majority of that is North Country Trail concurrent.
My mechanic came by to check the motorhome's idle. It was surging by 200RPM's when parked. He took off the "dog house." On the older Ford Econoline vans, you can reach the front of the engine through the hood. But if you needed to work deeper inside, there's a cover that comes off in the cab which exposes the back of the engine called the "dog house." And he was back there spraying carburetor cleaner trying to get a leak to suck it in and gunk up the engine which would cause it to hesitate. Apparently it will do that because carburetor cleaner isn't combustible. But if the engine did hesitate, he'd know what vacuum hose did it? He didn't find any leaks.
We drove it for about 13 miles and when we got it back, he took some wire and tripped the diagnostic port so that it would start flashing the check engine light and blink a code. The vehicle runs the first generation of the On-Board Diagnostics (OBD I) and it displayed Code 22, which is a malfunction of the throttle body sensor. I purchased the replacement and it will be going in tomorrow.
I've never been good at blink codes. And the new Bluetooth devices that you plug in to your car is for OBD II. I have one in my Chevy HHR. But they don't make this for OBD I. But I just bought a converter cable and it should arrive here in four days. The next step is to purchase another Bluetooth diagnostic module. I'll just zip tie it to the side of the engine compartment and keep it there full time.
Showing posts with label 10 Mile Continuous Hikes. Show all posts
Showing posts with label 10 Mile Continuous Hikes. Show all posts
2015/12/19
Log 2016121901
I just wrote on the Buckeye Trail's Facebook group that I finished the 10 Mile Continuous Hikes 2016 w/o Transit document and the result exceeded my expectations. Over 137 hiking days, the mock hiker reveled that out of the circuit's unofficial total length of 1,441 miles, 1,079.89 (74.94%) of those are capable of continuous hikes in the ballpark of 10 miles per day or less during the spring, summer and fall.
My methods are probably very conservative than ones that would probably be used by others. The mock routing had to satisfy the following:
1) The mock hiker can travel 10.0mi per day + a 2.5mi reserve.
2) If the reserve is evoked, then an automatic zero immediately must follow on the next day.
Since zero days cost money and take valuable time, this is not desirable and must be avoided whenever possible.
3) I use camping and lodging amenities. They must be within 2.5 miles of the trail.
One of the things that I wanted to ascertain was the "streak." In this case, I was looking for the longest hiking trip one could possibly have on roughly 10 mile days or less. Today, I just used a calculator and added 17 printed pages of daily trail mileages to get the grand total. But I don't have it for each streak.
When I did a similar 10 mile assessment for the using the Ohio Transit Hiker's Resource (OTHR) year ago, I only found the BT to be 37% hikeable. But when you take into account that the Road Fork Section complies without transit beginning at it's Point 05 (07/2011 map & guide), but it's impossible to get there by way of transit because Noble County doesn't have a transit agency. And transit amenities on Whipple are out of range for these 10 milers, OTHR has to eliminate most of The Wilderness Loop. But it makes up for it, on most of the Norwalk Section as transit is the only means of reaching a camping/ lodging amenity at this rate.
They're governed by two different set of rules in the way that OTHR's data has to originate and end with access to regional transit. When the access to that last amenity occurs, there could still be a streak that goes on, but won't reach another regional point.
The plan now is to update my Google Earth GPS records on Wednesday and starting with the urban and suburban local transit agencies, making sure that all of the bus and light rail routes that pertain to the trails and get the hiker from the regional and international transit areas are correct. Once they are, I can begin to write those 10 Miler and Thru Hike assessments. Because of developments on the West Union Section, I think that the Buckeye Trail is camping/ lodging deficiency free as per the OTHR. But to be honest... I'll believe it when I see it. To do that, I'll have to route the thru mock transit hiker to be sure. I've been chasing this goal for the last five years, so I'm skeptical, but optimistic. It's what OTHR was originally designed to do.
My methods are probably very conservative than ones that would probably be used by others. The mock routing had to satisfy the following:
1) The mock hiker can travel 10.0mi per day + a 2.5mi reserve.
2) If the reserve is evoked, then an automatic zero immediately must follow on the next day.
Since zero days cost money and take valuable time, this is not desirable and must be avoided whenever possible.
3) I use camping and lodging amenities. They must be within 2.5 miles of the trail.
One of the things that I wanted to ascertain was the "streak." In this case, I was looking for the longest hiking trip one could possibly have on roughly 10 mile days or less. Today, I just used a calculator and added 17 printed pages of daily trail mileages to get the grand total. But I don't have it for each streak.
When I did a similar 10 mile assessment for the using the Ohio Transit Hiker's Resource (OTHR) year ago, I only found the BT to be 37% hikeable. But when you take into account that the Road Fork Section complies without transit beginning at it's Point 05 (07/2011 map & guide), but it's impossible to get there by way of transit because Noble County doesn't have a transit agency. And transit amenities on Whipple are out of range for these 10 milers, OTHR has to eliminate most of The Wilderness Loop. But it makes up for it, on most of the Norwalk Section as transit is the only means of reaching a camping/ lodging amenity at this rate.
They're governed by two different set of rules in the way that OTHR's data has to originate and end with access to regional transit. When the access to that last amenity occurs, there could still be a streak that goes on, but won't reach another regional point.
The plan now is to update my Google Earth GPS records on Wednesday and starting with the urban and suburban local transit agencies, making sure that all of the bus and light rail routes that pertain to the trails and get the hiker from the regional and international transit areas are correct. Once they are, I can begin to write those 10 Miler and Thru Hike assessments. Because of developments on the West Union Section, I think that the Buckeye Trail is camping/ lodging deficiency free as per the OTHR. But to be honest... I'll believe it when I see it. To do that, I'll have to route the thru mock transit hiker to be sure. I've been chasing this goal for the last five years, so I'm skeptical, but optimistic. It's what OTHR was originally designed to do.
2015/12/14
Log 2015121301
I started routing the mock hiker for the 10 Mile Continuous Days w/o Transit document on the Caesar Creek Section - Buckeye Trail. It's been pretty difficult trying not to use the North Country Trail's Southwest Bypass (it's better suited for this :-(. What I'm having an issue with are the nature of "group camps" in Caesar Creek State Park. Buckeye passes by the group camp in the Salt Fork State Park on the Belle Valley Section and our guide states that if we don't have a group of hikers that the camp office there will not permit us to camp.
But in Caesar Creek State Park, Buckeye is on the other side of the lake from the main campground and I know that the Horsemen's Group Camp is typically the one that we use. Does that mean that all of the group camps can be used for individuals or any Buckeye Trail hiker? If so, I can route the 10 Milers throughout the BT in this whole park.
But in Caesar Creek State Park, Buckeye is on the other side of the lake from the main campground and I know that the Horsemen's Group Camp is typically the one that we use. Does that mean that all of the group camps can be used for individuals or any Buckeye Trail hiker? If so, I can route the 10 Milers throughout the BT in this whole park.
2015/12/13
Log 2015121301
Resumed routing for the 10 Mile Continuous Hikes w/o Transit today. I started clockwise with the Medina and Bedford Section, where I met my previous work at the Burton Section. Previously, I had it done through the Bowerston Section, so resumed routing at the Belle Valley Section. Currently, I completed the Loveland Section on the main loop. At present, the longest streak is 18 hiking days long in South Central Ohio.
I'm doing this project not only as a comparison for OTHR, but mostly in the spirit of the Buckeye Trail Association's initiative of one day having a campsite every 10 miles. My data could be translated into a Google Earth map (a visual aid) that could show staff and volunteers where new amenities in specific places could bring them closer to the goal. That map would also need to come with 26 polygons that represent 8 mile corridors (4 walking miles on each side of the trail) as to establish a zone, or quick reference.
The days that don't exceed 10.0 miles would be in a green colored track. Days between 10.0 and 12.5 miles will be in yellow. And any areas that are gapped (lack of amenities within 12.5 miles) will be in red. This is a project for the future, maybe even next winter?
I'm doing this project not only as a comparison for OTHR, but mostly in the spirit of the Buckeye Trail Association's initiative of one day having a campsite every 10 miles. My data could be translated into a Google Earth map (a visual aid) that could show staff and volunteers where new amenities in specific places could bring them closer to the goal. That map would also need to come with 26 polygons that represent 8 mile corridors (4 walking miles on each side of the trail) as to establish a zone, or quick reference.
The days that don't exceed 10.0 miles would be in a green colored track. Days between 10.0 and 12.5 miles will be in yellow. And any areas that are gapped (lack of amenities within 12.5 miles) will be in red. This is a project for the future, maybe even next winter?
2015/12/10
Log 2015121001
Errors were discovered in my modified Scioto Trail (North Country & American Discovery Trails concurrent), Caesar Creek (North Country Trail concurrent), and Akron Section - Buckeye Trail tracks. Their solution will simply be a matter of using copies of 3 tracks each, deleting one to a point just before the error and the second one to a point just after. Then using the 3rd as a basis to trace from the first track to the second and merging them together.
I now have mileages for needed points on all tracks that don't conform to the BTA Map Team official section lengths. Most of these are off by about 0.4 miles, so I won't give this data out to somebody to rely upon. But for OTHR's 10 Mile Continuous Hikes and routing 20/ 15 mile per day thru hikers, it should be fine. Other than that, I have 8 remaining sections tracks that do conform and their map & guide points already to go. They're just waiting to be converted into their stated mileages. Once done, I'll plot a few more points for likely intersections, get their mileages and these can be relied on. One section that remains is the West Union Section. But since it's almost entirely on road and I used Google Maps for those portions, I'm sure that it's correct and I intend on making it's digital mile markers based on it.
Unofficially, the Buckeye Trail is 1,440 miles long and is about 50% off-road. I've heard that the North Country Trail's off-road footprint higher. And the American Discovery Trail's is unknown to me at the moment. They all add up to be about 1,732 miles total in Ohio. With the exception of the Wayne National Forest, all other camping and lodging amenities are in fixed locations.
So, the hard part is over and the rest should be a breeze. This is going to make expediting the 10 Mile Continuous Hikes Without Transit document easier now. The difference between the with and without is that with transit, it's easier to use Buckeye's stated mileages on the paper maps in comparison with OTHR's digital data because transit tends to yield more options. Without transit, camping and lodging amenities are much more fixed, so I have to get (or squeeze) every 10th of a mile that I possibly can in some places to route a mock hiker from one amenity to another and help make the consecutive day count longer. When it comes to different audiences, such as easy going, nature lovers, elder, entry level hikers, or people who just like a shorter day, it's these streaks that matter. This document is a question of how well can these distance trail agencies in Ohio do it?
I now have mileages for needed points on all tracks that don't conform to the BTA Map Team official section lengths. Most of these are off by about 0.4 miles, so I won't give this data out to somebody to rely upon. But for OTHR's 10 Mile Continuous Hikes and routing 20/ 15 mile per day thru hikers, it should be fine. Other than that, I have 8 remaining sections tracks that do conform and their map & guide points already to go. They're just waiting to be converted into their stated mileages. Once done, I'll plot a few more points for likely intersections, get their mileages and these can be relied on. One section that remains is the West Union Section. But since it's almost entirely on road and I used Google Maps for those portions, I'm sure that it's correct and I intend on making it's digital mile markers based on it.
Unofficially, the Buckeye Trail is 1,440 miles long and is about 50% off-road. I've heard that the North Country Trail's off-road footprint higher. And the American Discovery Trail's is unknown to me at the moment. They all add up to be about 1,732 miles total in Ohio. With the exception of the Wayne National Forest, all other camping and lodging amenities are in fixed locations.
So, the hard part is over and the rest should be a breeze. This is going to make expediting the 10 Mile Continuous Hikes Without Transit document easier now. The difference between the with and without is that with transit, it's easier to use Buckeye's stated mileages on the paper maps in comparison with OTHR's digital data because transit tends to yield more options. Without transit, camping and lodging amenities are much more fixed, so I have to get (or squeeze) every 10th of a mile that I possibly can in some places to route a mock hiker from one amenity to another and help make the consecutive day count longer. When it comes to different audiences, such as easy going, nature lovers, elder, entry level hikers, or people who just like a shorter day, it's these streaks that matter. This document is a question of how well can these distance trail agencies in Ohio do it?
2015/12/09
Log 2015120901
- The 10 Mile Continious Hikes Without Transit Document was routed from through the Bowerston Section - Buckeye/ North Country Trail today.
- A Windows Update just crashed The Robot.
- A Windows Update just crashed The Robot.
2015/12/03
Log 2015120302
Correction... I have 11 of 26 working BT section tracks who's measurements agree with the BTA Map Team's total mileages. This is good for the 10 Mile Continuous Hikes Without Transit document because it's going to speed up the creation of the digital mile markers that I need to use for it.
2015/11/29
Log 2015112901
As I mentioned before, I plan to submit my 10 Mile Continuous Hikes Without Transit data to the Buckeye Trail Association (BTA). While I was routing through the Mogadore Section - Buckeye Trail (BT), I discovered I came along a camping/ lodging amenity gap in the Mantua of Portage County area. The problem was that I had never done a mock hiking route on this scale and without transit before, so taking into account where the last campsite/ lodging amenity was, how do I restart??? There's no rule for this and I have to be contentious of my criticism as this document may be scrutinized someday.
The other 10 mile document uses transit, so it's parameters are a little different. With the non-transit data, I'm going to re-start routing at the nearest public parking area prior to the first campsite if the mock hiker travels in the clockwise (CW) direction. The problem is that my parking area data still doesn't account for any road right-of-way widths yet. More precise parking areas could make a difference in determining the amenity gap's exact parameters.
These areas drive me crazy.
The other 10 mile document uses transit, so it's parameters are a little different. With the non-transit data, I'm going to re-start routing at the nearest public parking area prior to the first campsite if the mock hiker travels in the clockwise (CW) direction. The problem is that my parking area data still doesn't account for any road right-of-way widths yet. More precise parking areas could make a difference in determining the amenity gap's exact parameters.
These areas drive me crazy.
2015/11/02
Continuous Short Hikes 2016 Document
I just started working on the Continuous Short Hikes 2016 document. And for the second time in two years or so, I am unable to route the unassisted 10 mile per day hikers around the Northern Terminus in Lake County. According to my methodology, the 10 milers have a 2.5 mile additional reserve. And the spurs to and from transit count towards that. The distance on the Buckeye Trail (some portions on-road) between Bedford Section, Transit Point 28 - N (based on it's 02/2012 map & guide) and the Burton Section, Point 03 (based on it's 11/2011 map & guide) is 12.9 miles, thus exceeding the 10 milers abilities by 0.4 miles with no way to alleviate that on the map.
With that being said, there are some places where it could be beneficial to have a new camping [including private camp hosts (residential)]/ lodging amenity in Lake County and they are:
City of Mentor-on-the-Lake
Mentor Headlands
Village of Grand River
This page is a log entry and is not maintained. But this situation has remained so for more than the 5 years that I've been monitoring the Buckeye Trail.
With that being said, there are some places where it could be beneficial to have a new camping [including private camp hosts (residential)]/ lodging amenity in Lake County and they are:
City of Mentor-on-the-Lake
Mentor Headlands
Village of Grand River
This page is a log entry and is not maintained. But this situation has remained so for more than the 5 years that I've been monitoring the Buckeye Trail.
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