Traveling northeast on Interstate 71, from Cincinnati toward Cleveland, we began to climb through low hills as we neared the Bellville and Mansfield exits. These uplands, heavily dissected by a dendritic pattern of streams, represent the western edge of the Appalachian Plateau in Northeast Ohio.
Unlike the Appalachian Front, farther south, which rises abruptly from the Central Lowlands of North America, this edge is indistinct, blending gradually with the lower terrain. The reason is that this northern portion of the Appalachian Plateau, from the Catskills of New York to northeastern Ohio was eroded by glaciers during the Pleistocene Epoch, which ended 10,000 years ago.
Leaving Interstate 71 near Lodi, Ohio, we continued eastward across the Plateau, undulating through a landscape of Carboniferous ridges and stream valleys; after passing through Akron and Kent, we arrived at Sandy Lake, a kettle lake in Portage County, which will be our base of activity for the next few days.
Unlike the Appalachian Front, farther south, which rises abruptly from the Central Lowlands of North America, this edge is indistinct, blending gradually with the lower terrain. The reason is that this northern portion of the Appalachian Plateau, from the Catskills of New York to northeastern Ohio was eroded by glaciers during the Pleistocene Epoch, which ended 10,000 years ago.
Leaving Interstate 71 near Lodi, Ohio, we continued eastward across the Plateau, undulating through a landscape of Carboniferous ridges and stream valleys; after passing through Akron and Kent, we arrived at Sandy Lake, a kettle lake in Portage County, which will be our base of activity for the next few days.
