Chagrin Quarry

This was just a quick hike I came across in the Chagrin area. It used to be a quarry which they harvested stone from to build a lot of the houses and buildings in the area with. I can't wait to paddle down this river.

 

 

Cuyahoga Falls

These pics are from a hike I took in late winter before the leaves came in on the trees. It isn't a new event but I wanted to add a couple of posts to get these on the blog as well.

The green of the moss on the rocks was amazing.

 

The way the rocks just break away from the top creates this super fun maze like passage to walk through.

 

The rock staircase was unique.

 

I believe that they are planning to take this dam out in the not too distant future. All of the WW kayakers are looking forward to that.

 

When full the spillover creates a lot of power.

It was a very nice hike and now that its summer time I would like to get out there again soon.

Leesville Lake

I woke up early today and spent a few hours trying to decide where to pack up and venture off to. After looking at half a dozen good lakes I picked this one because it is south east and gets into the hilly area of NE Ohio towards West Virginia.

State's Website Link

It only takes 1+45 to get there from My place. Although the skies were a bit gloomy the sun managed to appear now and again, enough to remind me I need sunblock! This is by far the nicest lake I've been to here in Ohio yet.

The water was nice and green and relatively clear with about 5-7 feet of visibility in most places. The old hard wood trees that line the sides of the lake made me feel like I was in the north western part of the country instead of the east. They are tall tall trees with a lot of song birds living in them.

Great blue heron standing on a tree limb. I have seen more of these birds here in Ohio than anywhere I've been.

A fun swimming area at one of the camps on the lake. There's also a zip line that drops you into the water.

After a number of small bluegills and sunfish I was surprised to see this baby largemouth bass on the end of the line. Hopefully these will be getting bigger on the end of my line.

I hope to make it back to this one some day but with so many to explore I can't say how soon that will be.

Early Morning Skies

Here are just a few shots I snapped yesterday morning on our way back from yet another trip to Charleston. If I hadn't been on the controls I could have captured some amazing pics of the fog banks we skirted along as we dropped into the valley to the helipad. You'll just have to use your imagination.

Flight to West Virginia

I am blessed to have adventure built in to my profession. Some trips are more exciting than others but every time I spin up the blades and take to the skies I am sure to see something I've never seen exactly before. Whether its the unique weather I encounter, the beautiful terrain I fly over, or the people and places our services are being rendered to, it is always an adventure.

Last week I got to take a trip down to Charleston West Virginia for a patient transfer and it was quite impressive. Of course these are only hills compared to the mountains I'm used to back home, but the locals are sure proud of em. They are quite impressive nonetheless.

Summer Kayaking in Ohio

I finally got the kayak out on the water the other day. After hauling it on top of my little car all the way from Utah and lugging it all over from one living place to another, it all finally paid off. It's a 12' Old Town Loon made in 2006. I got it a pawn shop in Alabama two years ago and it came with the two piece paddle and a nicely upgraded foam seat with adjustable back rest. I can't wait to get it out on Lake Erie and some of the many rivers in the area.

Here are a couple shots of it on the road trip from Utah to Ohio. Coming across Wyoming the winds were literally 50 mph plus and it I thought it was going to blow the thing right off the car.

Here we are on Lake Medina, just a mile from where I work and live. It was the first place I put in here in Ohio. Went out at about 7:00 am after my night shift and it was very peaceful and quiet. A little mist was rising off the water in the back coves which was neat.

The following 4 pictures are from my second outing. The next day I went to Portage Lakes south of Akron and had a nice long paddle. There are a lot of houses built along the sides with boats at the docks. Not exactly the serene natural setting I prefer but it was nice anyway. A lot of fishermen in boats, as expected on a Sunday morning.

I look forward to getting out with it more this summer. More pictures to follow.

A couple of quick pics of my trip to Mogadore Reservoir. There I encountered the largest carp I have ever seen. It nearly swamped me as it was startled and tried to swim away. It must have been at least 3.5 feet long. Nasty.