“I felt my father walk with me as I completed each hike, remembering the joy and the love for which I longed, for so long.”
Margaret, a former Summit County resident, now lives in New Zealand with her husband on a 10-acre olive grove. Here, she shares memories of how the Fall Hiking Spree strengthened her ties to her parents — and why she returned this year to complete the spree again.
Since graduating from high school, I have always lived far from home. In my 40s (it’s never too late for a new chapter in your life) I started working in the yachting industry, traveling the seas and seeing various countries in the process. Occasionally, my job would bring me back home to the states. I would always try to get back to Ohio in September for my mom’s birthday and a family visit. It was on one of these visits that my dad proudly told me about the Fall Hiking Spree and how he enjoyed hiking together with my auntie.
Being the youngest of five children, I never really had a great bonding experience with my father. And the Fall Hiking Spree seemed like the perfect opportunity to change that! I asked if I could join him on the 2001 spree. By the small upturn in his faint smile, I could tell he was pleased that I was interested in spending the time with him. I was chuffed (a New Zealand term meaning VERY pleased)! I even talked my mom into joining us on the hikes, and the three of us had many laughs together along the way.
From then on, with every opportunity I had to come home to the states, I would arrange it to coincide with the Fall Hiking Spree. Even after my dad’s health started to fail, I did the hikes in his honor, with my mom in tow. The memory of walking with my dad and listening to his stories as he shared with me what he learned on each hike — the history of the Towpath Trail, the different birds and animal life on various other trails — always accompanied me.
Of course, our favorite and final hike was always at F.A. Seiberling Nature Realm. The name of the park speaks for itself! So much about nature is documented throughout the walk. I love the gardens — herbs, flowers, bees, butterflies, and just remembering how dad rambled on. The bonus of the final hike was always getting a new shield for our hiking staffs.
I didn’t get to do as many hikes as I would have liked with my father. But I believe that they were responsible for bringing us as close as we’ve ever been. Even as an adult “child,” I encourage people to take the time to do these hikes with family and friends. An hour out of so many that are wasted in front of our electronic gadgets can be so rewarding and unforgettable.
Sadly, my father passed on six years ago and, until this year, I hadn’t visited from New Zealand. Now that my mother is also aging, it was time for me to, once again, return home for a visit.
One of my priorities on my six-day visit to Ohio was to do the Fall Hiking Spree in remembrance of the love I shared with my folks. I managed to get in all eight hikes, and it was healing to my soul. I felt my father walk with me as I completed each hike, remembering the joy and the love for which I longed, for so long. I remembered (and giggled at) my mom complaining that my dad walked too slowly for her liking, but that I walked too fast! To think that such memories were made possible by such a simple thing, the Fall Hiking Spree, and taking time to share.
The hikes I chose this year were dictated by time and distance from where I was staying. I remember each of the hikes fondly; each had something special to offer. Some were done in solitude, others with a friend or family member. One walk was done with my beautiful niece, another with a favorite cousin, and yet another with someone I hadn’t seen since high school.
I have so much to share about all that I saw: woodpeckers, cardinals, chipmunks, snakes (yikes!), baby deer, the fauna, the geometry, the rocks — everything was so awesome. But the most special thing to see was the people, including families, friends, old and young, taking time to enjoy what Summit Metro Parks has given us. For that, let me say thank you. This was the best year ever for enjoying the Fall Hiking Spree!