Trail Mail
     Friends of the Little Miami State Park 
     
In This Issue
Adapting a Gift from the Past


Last winter, Friends volunteers doing some routine culvert-cleaning on the trail discovered a hidden gem near South Lebanon: a sturdy drainage culvert built in our trail's railroad past. This gift was "unwrapped" by digging out the buried downhill end. Now it could do its job of transporting water away from the trail surface.
 
But the gift required some adaptation for modern trail users, as the top of the concrete culvert is 5 feet below the trail surface and only a foot or two away from where we cycle, walk, and run. Below the concrete is a 40-inch steel pipe. The Ohio Dept. of Natural Resources warned trail users of the drop-off with traffic cones and yellow tape, but a safer, more permanent solution was needed.
 
Enter the FLMSP Fence Crew. Rich Easterly and Ray Jacobson carefully studied the safety problem. And now, "We are proceeding ever so slowly with our solution," says Rich.
 
The pace of the solution is not for lack of effort. Here's what the volunteers are doing . . .More story and photos


Little Miami Newtown Trail Is OPEN!
Jack Sutton of Great Parks, Don Mills and Tom Moffitt of Ohio to Erie Trail Fund, Frank Henson of Queen City Bike.


On Saturday May 21st in Newtown, Great Parks of Hamilton County celebrated the opening of the 3.3 mile extension of the Little Miami Scenic Bike Trail that in the near future will be part of the Ohio to Erie Trail (OTET) route. A future bridge across the Little Miami River will then take the OTET to Lunken Airport Trail and replace 6 miles of current street route. 


Yes, that's "our" Don Mills second from left, OTET Fund board member and recently of the FLMSP Board. He took part in the ribbon-cutting ceremony led by Jack Sutton, Executive Director of Greater Parks of Hamilton County.


Get a set of Ohio to Erie Trail maps at ohiotoerietrail.org
 
The Power of ONE


With 50 miles of trail used almost a million times last year, what can one person do to make a difference?
 


Becky Longardner answered our request in the May TrailMail for a volunteer to distribute our FLMSP milkweed seed packets. She made this creative display and put it up at her Wild About Birds store in Milford. She also delivered seeds to other local businesses to distribute.




Will Mitchell used his woodworking skills to make new signs for the creeks that flow under our trail bridges.






 

Linda Combs walks different sections of our trail picking up trash, armed with a plastic bag and the trash picker her granddaughter gave her for Christmas.




What can ONE person do?


A heck of a LOT. 


More ideas here.


Tammy's Challenge


Recently we received this wonderful note from Tammy Alverson:
 
"At the end of 2014, I decided it would be a good idea to donate to the Friends of the
Little Miami State Park one dollar for every mile I walked or ran on the bike trail in 2015. I use the trail a lot, so in 2015, I began keeping track of miles I logged on any part of the trail. . .
"So please find enclosed a check for 176.1 miles I logged on the Little Miami Trail in 2015 and I am keeping track of miles for 2016. I hope to be able to continue this annually."
 
Tammy and FLMSP want you to join in the Buck-a-Mile Challenge! Keep track of the miles you put in on the trail this year or this month, and give back to the trail you enjoy.
 
Tammy's note closed with this: "My heartfelt thanks to all the volunteers who do so much to keep the trail in great condition! I see you out there often and again, thank you!"


The Pewter Herr Peloton Visits


Appearing for the first time on the Little Miami Scenic Trail: the Pewter Herr Peloton! Don Hahn met this group of 5 guys from a Chicago suburb on June 7. Their name, which means Grey-Haired Guys Who Ride Together, is on the front of the shirts designed by one of the wives.
 
The guys, who all attend the First Methodist Church in Lombard, Illinois, choose a new trail to visit in the Midwest each summer. The back of their shirts records their trail travels beginning in 2008.


The Pewter Herr Peloton rides only on dedicated bike trails, as they are safer and have places to stop and relax, which is what they were doing in the beautiful weather at Fosters where Don snapped these photos on Tuesday. They will be riding 2 1/2 days on our trail, and said they were enjoying their visit. They signed up for TrailMail, too. Visit us again, guys!




Friends of the Little Miami State Park is a nonprofit organization devoted to the preservation and enhancement of the Little Miami State Park. We assist the Ohio Department of Natural Resources with development planning, capital improvements, and safety concerns, as well as providing most of the maintenance of the park. 
 
Trail Hotline
513-212-6958


Call or text to report trees or large limbs down on the trail, or other non-emergency safety issues. A photo with location is most helpful.




Did You Forget?
Your small membership fee ($20 individual, $35 family) goes a long way toward making our trail a fun and healthy destination for us all. Every dollar goes into the trail, and is stretched by Friends volunteers who take pride and pleasure in maintaining and improving this remarkable trail corridor park. If you haven't already, please join or renew today. 


donation button



Quick Links




Trail Closings & Alerts


Peters Cartridge Factory

Currently open at mile marker 35-35.5, but intermittent short-term closures may be necessary through June. Check the FLMSP website or call for updates:

513-552-7030

 


Fort Ancient
Repair of stream bank erosion near SR 350 begins Sept. 12. The contractor may begin preparations September 6-9, at which time the trail may be closed, but the trail will be open for the Sept. 10-11 weekend. The construction is expected to continue through Nov. 23, and during this period trail closures may be necessary from SR 350 to Strout Rd. 


I-71 Bridge 
no closures planned until fall 




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Events
 
4
th of July Celebration and Fundraiser


Rogers Park, South Lebanon (adjacent to the trail)
4 - 10 p.m. ending with Rozzi fireworks


The South Lebanon Historical Society will be raising funds for two Ohio Historical Markers; one will be next to the trail




What's This?
Paul Morgan says he and other Fosters-area volunteers find these "J-hook" artifacts near the trail but don't know what they were used for. Can you help identify this relic? Respond to [email protected]









The Friends want to make our informational kiosks more helpful to trail users! Many of you have suggested including information on local eateries, bike shops, and other amenities near the trail that cyclists and hikers might like to visit.
 
Can you help us provide this information in our new Loveland or Milford kiosks? We'd like one or more volunteers in each location to:
  • Gather basic information for places to include in the area
  • Post the information in the kiosk display case and change it when necessary
To volunteer or learn more, please contact us at [email protected]










FLMSP T-Shirts Available
Volunteers: Bruce Cortright has a new supply of FLMSP T-shirts. Get yours by emailing Bruce:  [email protected]












Friends of the Little Miami State Park | 9378 Mason Montgomery Rd. | Suite 395 | Mason | OH | 45040-8827