Hudson, OH: The Neutral Zone of Cuyahoga

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Flag of United States Cuyahoga Valley National Park, Ohio
Thursday, September 22, 2011

There are several American national parks that had been created from nature’s violent forces resulting in the formation of dramatic landscapes that could silent a magpie as he stares in awe at the beauty and the magnificence of these places: Yellowstone (WY), Crater Lake (OR), and Volcanoes National Park (HI). The Cuyahoga Valley National Park in Ohio is not one of them. Pronounced “Ka-ih-ogh-ha”, meaning “crooked” in Native American lingo, the river valley has been sculpted by water and glacier.

A collection of compressed sediments that covered the valley over 320-million years in the making has been gently washed away by the persistent forces of weather to expose ancient stream beds like the cold “icebox” cave and the Ritchie Ledges, a primeval plateau that comprises of dark and dense layered rocks called the “Sharon Conglomerate”

Brandywine Falls Trail

. Located between Cleveland and Akron, Ohio, the Cuyahoga had been an important transportation route for the tribes of the American Indians who declared it a “neutral zone” so all could travel in safety from the cold Great Lakes waters to the Tuscarawas River that drained into the Ohio River.

Today, the Valley is a place to refresh body and spirit away from a busy city life. After an exhaustive, travel-filled work week, I needed to be in the silent woods. It felt eerie to be surrounded by so many trees under their green canopy. On that Thursday afternoon, I saw 7 people on the trail at different junctions. I managed to cover � of the ancient plateau; it was a refreshing hike! The park is free and hosts over 2,000 miles of hiking and 20+ miles of biking trails. It looks a lot like an oversized Wissahickon Park in Philadelphia, PA. When I texted my friends that I was here, some went online to research for information on the Cuyahoga Valley and then responded that “it’s not much to look at” and “it’s too ordinary”. I guess they prefer visiting only those parks with dramatic landscapes that are normally associated with America’s national park system. I was not disappointed by the Brandywine Falls due to the recent rain.

Brandywine Falls

I’ve clocked a lot of work-related mileage this September. For instance, during the week of Saturday, September 17th, I went to a town hall meeting in Arlington, VA. After returning to Philadelphia that night, I left for the Pittsburgh area in Indiana, PA to conduct a training at Indiana University of Pennsylvania. From there, I went to Rittman, Ohio to implement a program. Now that I’m about to head back home, I look forward to just stay put!

Knight,
On a bench at the Brandywine Falls, Cuyahoga Valley National Park, September, 2011

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