Brandywine Creek Gorge in the Cuyahoga Valley National Park - Video Entry

 

Video Compilation from Hiking Brandywine Creek in the Cuyahoga Valley National Park on 12.13.2025

 

First Creek Winter Hike on Paine Creek, Ohio

 

11.11.2025 Hiking through video

 

Fishing the Jawbone river in the CVNP

The days for me fishing with others around are rare unless you’re a friend. Even fishing with friends is close to rare as well. With that said I often fish in waters that have very few catchable numbers of fish on purpose.

On this day I choose to fish the Cuyahoga River. They did stock it with steelhead last year and we will see how the return is in three years. They will be stocking this river yearly with steelhead.

The access is plenty, but she has silt issues and has a lot of sand.  She has plenty of gravel sections and deep holes. In a lot of respects, she reminds me of a smaller Manistee River in Michigan.

I just pray that the areas that I have found over the decades will remain the same, but only time will tell.

So, today I headed out to the river. I found her with good flow and with 30” of solid visibility.

I needed a break from the restoration of my antique drafting table project.

I got to the river in one of my favorite spots. This time I saw boot prints on the trail, and this would be the first time I have seen another person’s footprints.

I would be swinging a sinking leader that would sink at a rate of 1.5”/second.  I used a number 6 streamer tied with a white body with an olive hackle collar.

I used 12-pound tippet and tried to redefine the definition of insanity. I walked about 7 miles between the two stretches of water.

I had a solid grab in a throat where two current seams converged. It was nice out today with the overcast skies and a gentle breeze.  I did a lot of bush-wacking to get into one spot lol I won’t be back there again. The wild razzberry bushes nearly ate me alive! Lol

I hope you enjoy the artwork.

Sonder

Fall Colors in the Brandywine Creek Gorge

 

Creek Hike in New York Pt 2

 

Creek Hike in New York Pt 1

I decided to go to New York today. I had chosen a Lake Erie tributary to hike.  I wanted to hike 8 miles, but mother nature’s wrath or evidence of would not allow it. You will see what I mean by the videos and photos I will post. I ended up only hiking 5.5 miles.

As I hiked into the gorge I could tell this was going to be an interesting day. While hiking to find the old roadbed I saw a mature Redtail Hawk get harassed by some other birds.

When I got to the creek bed I saw a Bald Eagle.  Then I was greeted by the sounds of flowing water. She was in her summer low flow already. I was afraid of the rain we last had that I would not be able to hike her today.

I have fished this creek before but from the downstream section. I never got close to this area before. I am going to call this “The Barrel”. It looks like to me a gun barrel for because it will shoot you out if you fall and you will not be able to get back up from where you fell. I saw that if I slipped into the water there would be zero chance I could get back to where I fell from. As you can see there was zero chance for me to grab onto something to stop my potential fall.

The creeks, many chutes and waterfalls made this hike a reel treat.

I was in the shade most of the day and did not get started until 0900.  I needed the sun high in the sky because I would be down in a gorge.

There was abundant life in the pools and riffels. I saw Red Side Dace and other minnows. I saw plenty of midge activity and saw some black stoneflies also.

Video Collage

 

Hell Hollow Wilderness Area- Lake County Ohio

 

I relearned that just because it’s called Wilderness and it’s not in Montana, Maine, or Michigan it should not be discounted.

I have seen Hell Hollow a few times on an Ohio Map, but again I discounted it.  I never gave it a fair shake.  Information for the park can be found here and here

I strapped on my waders and unlike the last time I was here in February Paine Creek was flowing with no ice jambs.

I arrived and people were at the pavilion having a little family picnic celebrating graduation.

I hiked in my waders and wading boots to the high falls that be found here N41° 40.953' W81° 06.915'. This is a double waterfall. This has two waterfalls that have been created through water erosion done differently.

A lot of the shale was covered in brown algae. This stuff grew where the water was not constantly moving over it.  This stuff was slick so slick I fell once while not really paying attention to where my feet were going.

I walked back 1.2 miles in the creek to the main falls that everyone sees and the bottom of the stairs after you walk through the woods, I am guessing 300 yards.

This creek was primarily a exposed limestone bed and extremely smooth.  It has several smooth potholes in the creek bottom from water erosion.

I remembered seeing other waterfalls downstream from the aerial photos I have seen.  I continued my creek hiking downstream.  I saw two more waterfalls after this one and I could hear another.  This waterfall can be found here N41° 41.880' W81° 07.483'

I looked downstream and the riverbed looked to had dropped 15 feet vertically downstream.  I could also hear another waterfall.  This waterfall was higher than the other one at the north most end of my hike.

This southern waterfall can be found here N41° 41.919' W81° 07.461'

This waterfall, like the more northerly one, has a great swimming hole at the bottom of it.

I climbed out of the creek and jumped onto the trail. The trail was established but it was hard to follow them as you get closer to the bottom of stairs to climb out of the gorge.

I ended my hike after climbing out of the gorge.  Hell Hollow Wilderness is an amazing little gem. This area would be great to watch birds.  The other time of year that would be great would be fall. All the hardwood trees with a mix of hemlock trees would be a great mix of fall colors and greens.

Here is an aerial view of the route.

Here is my mapping program overall hike path.

Nelson-Kennedy Ledges State Park Ohio Part 2

In Ohio you can find gems in plain sight. I have been close to this park in my travels through Ohio. I have never stopped until today.  Herre is the State of Ohio Park link 

With all the rain I knew the waterfalls would be running hard. I had full access to Cascade Falls and they are getting close to wrapping up the construction project on Minnehaha Falls.

This place has a lot of mud after it rains so be very prepared. I wore my waders, and a wading jacket and I was dry as it continued to rain all day.

This place is close to the road, it’s in the country but I am sure as the water is wet it teams with people in the warmer months.

The rock formations are incredible. I want to believe with my limited knowledge of geology and erosion patterns these have eroded by an ancient river.  This is not sitting go no plateau or atop a mountain and constantly being bombarded by winds.  The other point to make the erosion patterns appear to be from the bottom up.  Water still runs at the bases of a lot of these huge pieces or rocks.

Here are some better sources that explain the geology of Nelson – Kennedy Ledges:

Ohio State Link 01

Geology Link 01

Ohio Department of Natural Resources Info

Ohio State Link 02

There are loops you can hike. I only did 1.8 miles but there is more to hike by using other loops.  I hope you enjoy the videos!

Nelson-Kennedy Ledges State Park Ohio Part 1

I have been in near this park several times in my travels. Today the weather was wet and I knew the crowds woud be zero today with all the potential of alot of mud. 

The rains have been relentless around the Great Lakes lately. This is our spring weather and it will help us alot during the summer months. 

I hope you enjoy the artwork.