5/31/2025 Norwalk pt9 to Wakeman Elevator

5/31/2025 Norwalk pt9 to Wakeman Elevator

What originally was me and Krista became a shared event with many - Polly, Erin, Katie joined as well, Kim joined for lunch and dinner. Wakeman Elevator was very welcoming to hikers and we spoke with the owner a bit, she showed us her back area for camping and very excited to have us there.

8.11mi + 6.72mi

Total 14.83mi

Bt sections complete 14

Loveland, Ceasar Creek, Troy, Williamsburg, St. Marys, Delphos, West Union, Sinking Spring, Shawnee, Scioto Trail, Old Man's Cave, New Straitsville, Defiance, Pemberville 

Bt miles 1 way based on complete sections

45.9mi + 55.1mi + 51.9mi + 51.7mi + 45.5mi + 46.5mi + 58.5mi + 53.9mi + 55.7mi + 61.2mi + 52.5mi +60.6mi + 59.9mi + 56.09= 754.99mi

Bt total this year 64.64mi + 14.83mi = 79.47mi

NCT non concurrent this year 0mi

NCT total this year 20.86mi + 9.96mi = 30.82mi

APT this year 21.82mi + 14.83mi = 36.66mi

Adding APT since sorta exploring this a bit now still not gonna say it's a real trail.

ADT non concurrent this year 64.54mi + 10.02mi = 74.56mi

ADT total this year 82.19mi + 10.02mi = 92.21mi

Florida Trail Total this year = 0mi

Total for year 138.35mi + 14.83mi= 153.18mi

Today is day 151 of year,  on track for 365

First Hike before lunch

Hike 2 after lunch

Where I parked for the first hike

I love these trailheads along the trail for parking.  Its great to see local sponsors.

View of the trail we will come back this way on our second hike.

This will be the end of the first hike.

All these grain Elevators getting a second life

Pt9 our start point for first hike

I think this is a railroad marker

Nice little local info along the trail

Great decoration.  Why have a boring fence or wall when it can look like this

Coming into town

I was really surprised how the bike path continues on roads here.  I was expecting just rail trail.

Back side of the coffee house

Nice iron marked from Toledo, from a time when craftsmanship mattered

Love these little town visits.  Front of coffee shop.

The other way there is a library and a few other shops.

This blue really caught my eye.

Headed down infront of the church 

Local tattoo shop

Welcome to Norwalk

Nice pizza shop

Church/Chapel in the back here.

Gravel bike track

It was such a beautiful day

Here we go.  Firelands association sign they support this piece

Nice blue blaze and canopy here.  Good shade most of today.

A sign for bikeway 30 along the NCIT

How awesome is that?  

Just great shade and trail.

A few benches make the day a little easier.

I'm not gonna try and track these but it's nice to have local trail mile markers.  We see this on the BT on a few places - LMSP, GMRRT for example

Well marked road crossing

It was about here we knew we were close

I'm not sure if that is the Elevator to the left here

A Mill Stone i think

This place is awesome inside and out.

Wakeman Elevator.

Trying to capture more of the craziness on this fence/false wall.

Great sign out front and looks like it's 2 companies.

Such love of the trail here. 

That is the trail town sign.

This is the actual entrance

See the BT sticker here on the door

All over the bathrooms the signage is just wow 

So much

Wow more

Had a berry beer.

I could not capture it all.

Food we all agreed was great

Food truck out back

Another sign in bathroom

They allow camping in the back area

Really nice back here behind the storage

Old trucks just hanging out here

Old truck and railroad sign

A blue tractor there too.

Another railroad sign

The old tractor now part of the garden

Sign for NCIT on the road here

Country roads

Totally by itself a 4x4 with a blue blaze

Flowers seen on trail

Old farms

Cows

More farms 

A wishing well

An old equipment dealer

Walking the road no traffic

Horses

Back to gravel

Nice to have a bit of shade

At least they recognize the trail here.

A mileage marker

After the hikes, we were invited to Kim's.

I took the scenic route through Norwalk.

Found a cool statue for Paul Brown.

He was born here.

Historical marker for Paul Brown.

Nice mural in the Park in Norwalk

Even the trash can was decorated

View at Kim's 

Dinner we went to the steakhouse on Lake Erie

The bread with cherry butter

My dinner was the perch sandwich