wonderful trip across America

Began 10 AM hike from Big Bend. Busy day on the trail; did some brush cutting and small tree removal. A total of 17 hikers and three trail runners throughout the day! All users remarked how good the trail was. Weather 44° and sunny. Trail exceptionally dry for this time of year; all streams passable and no trail obstructions. Hiked to New Hamburg and back; 8 miles.

I have done this trail more than 100 times and it’s my go-to trail for a 75 minute workout. There’s a lot of wildlife - deer and geese - that keep the ride interesting. Lowellville provides a neat stopping point if one is so inclined and there’s a little store and available rest room at city hall. There are plenty of ways to create little alternate rides involving parallel roads that can give you a bit more of a climbing challenge than the single

Still a good bit of snow and ice on the trail. Even after the melt there are a lot of icy sections. One icy section is a whole mile long which is near Mercer Pike. At the Beans trailhead on Route 322 the first few miles there are clear. Mainly because it's the most used.

After 2 days of rain plus the recent snow melt of a foot of snow, the trail was super muddy! Major mud pit just North of New Hamburg approx mile 4.4 of the trail. One stream was too deep and fast, unable to cross. Still nice to get out and hike it though

So much snow! Parked at the Kidds Mill Trailhead, at mile marker 8.75 and went to mile 7 and back. Well maintained trail with great markings and bridges in good condition. There was a lot of snow on the ground but trail easy to hike on due to trail traffic. Nice trail.!

Began hike at the pipeline access point from River Road; hiked 2.1 miles south crossing the beaver dam to mile marker 5. Weather clear and sunny, around 37°. Some snow remaining in shaded areas. Little evidence of recent fellow hikers. Geese present at beaver dam and recently gnawed beaver trees can be seen throughout the area.

Parked in the lot at the intersection on Valley and North Bend Roads which is mile 0 of the trai. We headed North for a few miles and turned around. A few inches of snow on the trail was easy to hike on. Very well maintained trail. Trail follows the Shenango River, recently named Pennsylvania's River of the Year.

A lot of snow this Winter but fortunately this trail happened to be plowed this time. On occasion it is plowed, most times it's not.