By Shauna Scott Rhone
The Cincinnati Enquirer

Brent and Amy Anslinger are two people living their dream, a step at a time.

Last Tuesday , the Anslingers walked out of Eden Park for a 10-week journey on the Buckeye Trail, a 1,280-mile circuit through cities, parks and farms. The Miamisburg couple, both 27, are trekking not for a charity, not for a record, but because of a deep appreciation of hiking and of their home state.

Plus, they'll make history as the first Ohioans to complete the circuit in one continuous trip.

Modern-day explorers

"It's a great chance to explore my state," says Brent. "A lot of people don't take the opportunity to discover Ohio besides driving point-to-point by car. The Buckeye Trail is already worked out on a map, so it's easy to do. You might even find out while you're walking it that part of the route is right in your own back yard."

The Anslingers are no road rookies. They spent their honeymoon two years ago walking the Pacific Crest Trail. That five-month path took them through California, Oregon and Washington, a 2,650-mile trip by foot, more than double the Buckeye Trail's length.

Brent admits he was the first to be bitten by the outdoors bug. He says he was enraptured by stories told by his fifth-grade teacher about the 2,160-mile Appalachian Trail.

"She said when she and her husband retired, they were gonna walk it," he says.

"I ate up everything about it," he says about the Appalachian Trail. Eventually, he took a break from his studies at Otterbein Collegein Westerville, Ohio, to walk it.

After returning from his dream "walk," from Katahdin, Maine to Springer Mountain, Ga., Brent was hooked on hiking.

His experiences and passion for the outdoors took him to a teaching position at High Trails Outdoor Science School in Southern California, where he met his future wife, Amy.

"We were both in California, teaching environmental education," says Amy, who says Brent's interest in the outdoors was rivaled only by hers. Soon they were inseparable.

Since their marriage, they've crisscrossed the country, walking paths and writing articles for Backpacker magazine. But all roads end in Miamisburg, where the couple bought a house close to where Brent grew up.

The chance to make this historic hike a shared experience is what persuaded the Anslingers to accept the Buckeye Trail Association's offer to celebrate the bicentennial by getting out their hiking boots.

"It's our chance to do another hike together," Brent says. "There's a different kind of cultural and national experience on the Buckeye Trail. You get connected with a group of people traveling together on the same path. You may see them once and they're ahead of you or behind you and, days later, you see them again.

"And the people are in it together. Whether they're a doctor or a college kid, they're all hiking together. It's all about following your dreams."

After throwing out the first pitch at the Reds' game on Sept. 8, the Anslingers took a hike to Eden Park, where they started the next day from the official Buckeye Trail's marker in the northeastern section not far from Krohn Conservatory. They are scheduled to complete their walking tour of Ohio on Nov. 16. They hope to receive official permission soon to end the historic walk at Paul Brown Stadium, where the Bengals will host the Kansas City Chiefs.

The Anslingers will also go back on the road when they return, but by car this time, to tour make Buckeye Trail multimedia presentations to elementary schools and community centers across Ohio.

"We want people to get out and enjoy backpacking," says Brent. "You can do snippets of the trail, do a little of it at a time, like weekends.

"It's a great way to celebrate living in Ohio and honoring the bicentennial."

Be prepared

Brent and Amy Anslinger are two people living their dream, a step at a time. (Gary Landers photo) | ZOOM |

Think you have what it takes to be a hiker? Bernie Steinkamp of Nature Outfitters in Milford suggests packing common sense first.

"Start out slow," says Steinkamp, the store's co-owner, "and don't overdo it. Sometimes you find yourself using muscles you haven't used in a long time."

Also, don't leave home without water, a compass, map, first aid kit, bug spray and trekking poles, which are good for people with bad knees, Steinkamp says.

Also on his list are good hiking boots (the ones made with GoreTex keep feet dry) and socks (carry an extra pair if you have room). A hat and clothing made of synthetic materials will keep you cool in warmer weather.

Food is a necessity, and a few of the wide range of energy bars are good to carry, as well as apples, nuts, granola or trail mix. And take a trash bag to keep litter to a minimum. "Take out what you take in," Steinkamp says.

The American Hiking Society (www.americanhiking.org) recommends wearing clothing that blends in with the surroundings if you don't want to disturb the wildlife.

www.Cincyoutdoors.com offers these tips on hiking essentials:

• Multi-purpose tool. These enable you to have access to a variety of different tools without sacrificing needed space in your backpack.

• Flashlight. If you're in the middle of the wilderness under a thick canopy of trees, the moonlight will have a tough time shining through even on the clearest night.

• Sunscreen and sunglasses. Two things you may not think of immediately, but are very helpful.

• Sunglasses help prevent snowblindness and sunscreen will help prevent sunburn and skin damage.

• Matches. Don't get stuck trying to make a fire by rubbing two sticks together. Be sure to keep the matches in a waterproof container. If possible, bring a fire starter.

• Rain gear and extra clothing. Always have rain gear and extra clothes despite what the forecast says.

Books on the Buckeye Trail

Books on the Buckeye Trail (all available on www.amazon.com and www.barnesandnoble.com)

• Follow the Blue Blazes: A Guide to Hiking Ohio's Buckeye Trail by Robert J. Pond (Ohio University Press; $19.95)

• Fifty Hikes in Ohio: Walks, Hikes and Backpacking Trips Throughout the Buckeye State by Ralph Ramey (Countryman Press; $5.95)

• Hiking Ohio: Scenic Trails of the Buckeye State by Robert Folzenlogen (Willow Press; $12.95)

• Hiking Ohio: A Guide to Ohio's Greatest Hiking Adventures by Mary Reed (Falcon Guides; $16.95)

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E-mail srhone@enquirer.com