by Erick Wikum

When I get ready in the morning, I value a close shave.  When using the Little Miami Scenic Trail, though, a close shave is one of the last things I want to experience.

I recently rode my bike through South Lebanon and east through Morrow.  In Morrow, I decided to take the road rather than the trail.  I stopped at a stop sign before rejoining the trail at the bridge.  A sixth sense told me to check very carefully before proceeding, and it is a good thing I did.  A bicyclist emerged from the bridge at a very high rate of speed and blew through the stop sign.  I hate to even think about the collision that would have resulted had I continued without pausing.

Shortly thereafter, I went for a hike on the trail.  As I approached two walkers going in the opposite direction, first one and then two bicyclists queued up behind the pair of walkers, waiting for me to clear before passing.  In the meanwhile, a third bicyclist approached, passed the first two bicyclists and squeezed through the narrow gap between the walkers and me at full speed.  The two bicyclists who had slowed had a few choice words for the other cyclist, and with good reason.

What’s the lesson here?  Close calls can happen to anyone at any time, so when using the trail, be alert and expect the unexpected.  Slow down when approaching others and wait to pass until it is safe to do so.  Adjust your speed to avoid passing more than one other party at a time.

I feel fortunate that these two close shaves were just that, close shaves, and not accidents.  Stay safe on the trail and save close shaves and other such activities for your morning routine.

by Rick Forrester

Chain sawing is critical to maintaining the trail to remove downed trees blocking the trail or cutting overhanging branches presenting a safety hazard to bicyclist, or access hazard (we try to maintain 12 feet over the trail for emergency vehicle access).  As we have several models (mostly Stihl) stored in the various tool caches, I thought it might be good to explain a little of the coding for the Stihl chainsaws.

All Stihl chainsaws start with the letters “MS” which comes from the German word “Motorsäge” that means “chainsaw”.  Some models are MSA or MSE.  MSA means it is a battery powered saw and MSE means it is an electric saw.  MS by itself means it is a gas powered saw.

Next comes a three number code.  Prior to year 2000, chainsaws usually began with a zero like the MS 025.  After year 2000, the number was moved to the end of the three number code.  For example, the MS 025 became the MS 250.

The “new” first number (post-yr 2000) generally represents the engine displacement, and models range from 100 series (eg. MS 170) that have 23.6-31.9 cc engines all the way to 800 series that have 121 cc engines.

The second number is coupled with the first number to give the general model design features.

Information for this article was excerpted from an article published by Hutson Equipment and written by Austin Gordon.

by Erick Wikum

Hot temps and high humidity can give rise to serious and even life-threatening heat-related illnesses.  You can prevent these illnesses by following a few simple measures.  Avoid exercising during the heat of the day.  When you do exercise, limit duration, hydrate with water or sports drink and wear light-weight, light-colored clothing.  For your own safety and for the safety of fellow trail users who might need your help, know what to look for to diagnose heat cramps, heat exhaustion and heat stroke, and what to do for each one by carefully reviewing the graphic.  Err on the side of caution; offering too much care is better than offering too little.  Carry a fully-charged cell phone, so that you can summon assistance for yourself or others.  During these dog days of summer, enjoy the trail, but be smart and be safe.

Source: https://www.cdc.gov/disasters/extremeheat/warning.html

July 2021