Brecksville Reservation (10/2/2016)

Saturday, October 1, 2016
Hiked through one of the jewels of the Emerald Necklace of Cleveland Metroparks, North Chagrin Reservation. We have been to this reservation/park several times, but this time took the White Pine Trail.

Boardwalk to protect the ground
from becoming compacted to protect
the rare grove of virgin white pine trees

Sunday, October 2, 2016
Today we hiked through another jewel of the Emerald Necklace of Cleveland Metroparks, Brecksville Reservation.

The Deer Lick Cave Loop Trail
climbs uphill, with roots to trip you

Solidago caesia/Blue-stemmed Goldenrod
(Remember there are 22 types pf Goldenrod in Ohio!)

A moss-covered rock

Trail markers, and there's
that Buckeye Trail again!

Mitchella repens/Partridgeberry

Stream undercutting sandstone

Deer Lick Cave where water seeping through the sandstone brings out the salts

Salts or lichen?

Another place where the tributary stream has eroded through the rock

Tributary stream with stepping stone falls

The fallen branch doesn't do much for these falls

A man-made stone wall of the Deer Lick Cave Overlook

View from the Overlook

Laetiporus sulphureus/Sulfur Shelf

We also followed the Salamander Trail to My Mountain Scenic Overlook:

View from My Mountain Scenic Overlook;
I guess there is a better view in the winter!

Harriet Keeler Memorial with the original 1925 dedication stone

Harriet Keeler (1846-1921), a graduate of Oberlin College, was an educator and nature writer, at a time when Cleveland was developing its park system. In 1923 a section of Brecksville Reservation was designated in her honor as the Harriet L Keeler Memorial Woods.

Replacement dedication stone of 1936

I thought this was the Harriet Keeler Shelterhouse (1928),
but it's just another picnic shelter on the Hemlock Loop Trail

Brecksville Reservation has many dedication benches,
many found randomly along the trails

The view from the Chippewa Creek Gorge Overlook