Road/Trail Conditions – 7 March 2013 (early)

This topic has 41 replies, 22 voices, and was last updated 12 years, 1 month ago by cephas.

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March 7, 2013 at 12:06 pm #963983

dbb
Participant

MVT from Four Mile Run to Mason Bridge was open and unaffected. Easy ride in

March 7, 2013 at 12:08 pm #963984

eminva
Participant

Still a skating rink on my driveway out here in ‘burbia . . . I’m splitting the difference and riding the MTB with regular MTB tires, not studded. I trust you all that it will be smooth sailing if I can just get through the first six miles.

Liz

March 7, 2013 at 12:25 pm #963985

mstone
Participant

Went to put a netflix in the mailbox this morning in western Fairfax and literally slid down the driveway past the kid’s snowman. (My bicycle-tuned balancing skills let me remain upright!) In Ballston there are no signs that it snowed yesterday. So just keep in mind that a couple of miles can make a huge difference in this particular snow event.

March 7, 2013 at 12:48 pm #963986

eminva
Participant

UPDATE:

The W&OD west of Dunn Loring (at least) to Vienna (at least) is impassable, IMO, without studded tires. There are two tracks worn in the snow/ice, one for each direction, but they are covered in black ice. I got off and walked the bike to Cedar and came home on surface streets. During my walk of shame, I had my first ever fall while I was not even on the bike.

I ran into another Freezing Saddles participant coming the other way and she said it was bad all the way from Falls Church.

Okay, now off to assess whether I need medical attention, and face up to my fears about this valuable company asset that was in my pannier on the side of the bike that went down . . .

Liz

March 7, 2013 at 12:58 pm #963987

GuyContinental
Participant

@eminva 45462 wrote:

UPDATE:

I ran into another Freezing Saddles participant coming the other way and she said it was bad all the way from Falls Church.

Liz

Lena! Go Ochos!

March 7, 2013 at 1:24 pm #963988

dbb
Participant

Clearly evidence that Arlington has taken the Bike Friendly Community to the next level. Tim keeps it from snowing on Arlington trails and roads. Way to go Tim!

March 7, 2013 at 1:38 pm #963980

ShawnoftheDread
Participant

Some ice in Banneker Park, and Brandymore Castle hill was covered in ice. Thanks to the woman on the mountain bike coming the other way who gave me a warning. After that it was clear to the Custis, and all of the Custis was clear too.

March 7, 2013 at 2:02 pm #963977

rolo
Participant

Finally made it into work. Was really slow going – took the W&OD (mostly) from Falls Church to Reston. Trail was a mess. What should have been a 45 minute commute was 2 hours. Thankfully I had two awesome people show me some alternate routes via road to bypass some of the trail. Hoping it clears up at least a little for the ride home.

March 7, 2013 at 2:03 pm #963978

hozn
Participant

@GuyContinental 45463 wrote:

Lena! Go Ochos!

Yeah, I rode/walked part of the way with Lena this AM. It was pretty awful riding conditions. We took a detour to skip the hill after 66, which was of course, solid ice, but then getting on around Gallows was still horrid. I ended up riding on ahead between Gallows and Vienna; I think I fell twice and caught myself a few other times; the “double track” through the snow there looked very rideable, but it was mostly riding on ice. Thought things might just “be fine” west of Vienna, but no so much. Took me twice as long as normal to get into work; I am glad I left early!

I do even have studded tires. I don’t know why I didn’t mount them; I looked at my phone weather & it said 33F, so I figured it hadn’t gotten below freezing and the trail would just be slushy. I was obviosly wrong

Beautiful morning, though. Hard to complain too much when this is really all by choice.

March 7, 2013 at 2:07 pm #963973

Steve
Participant

Hope you’re feeling better with no real injuries, Liz.

March 7, 2013 at 2:11 pm #963974

Drewdane
Participant

@eminva 45462 wrote:

UPDATE:

The W&OD west of Dunn Loring (at least) to Vienna (at least) is impassable, IMO, without studded tires. There are two tracks worn in the snow/ice, one for each direction, but they are covered in black ice. I got off and walked the bike to Cedar and came home on surface streets. During my walk of shame, I had my first ever fall while I was not even on the bike.

I ran into another Freezing Saddles participant coming the other way and she said it was bad all the way from Falls Church.

Okay, now off to assess whether I need medical attention, and face up to my fears about this valuable company asset that was in my pannier on the side of the bike that went down . . .

Liz

The WOD from my house just west of the Rte 7 Overpass in Falls Church to the I66 underpass/WOD/MCT junction was littered with the occasional Ice Turd field, but was passable except for the wooden bridges, which required dismounting. MCT from the WOD to TR Bridge and into DC was fine.

March 7, 2013 at 2:11 pm #964013

slowtriguy
Participant

I rode from Great Falls in Falls Church City to Quincy via W&OD and Custis around 0740-0810, and it was fine with a few exceptions:

– There are chunks of ice all over the trail — frozen footprints mostly — between Great Falls and Little Falls, so I bounced left and right until I finally gave up and rode along the gravel along the side of the trail.

– The bridge just west of Little Falls was nasty, but brief, and someone’s tracks through the snow made it easier going.

– The trail is very slick going through the curve by the new bridge (just east of Sycamore) and the basketball courts — I nearly went down there

– Brandymore Castle hill still has some ice on its west side, especially near the top.

Otherwise, things were mostly fine in that stretch.

March 7, 2013 at 2:45 pm #964015

dcv
Participant

@eminva 45462 wrote:

UPDATE:

The W&OD west of Dunn Loring (at least) to Vienna (at least) is impassable, IMO, without studded tires. There are two tracks worn in the snow/ice, one for each direction, but they are covered in black ice. I got off and walked the bike to Cedar and came home on surface streets. During my walk of shame, I had my first ever fall while I was not even on the bike.

I ran into another Freezing Saddles participant coming the other way and she said it was bad all the way from Falls Church.

Okay, now off to assess whether I need medical attention, and face up to my fears about this valuable company asset that was in my pannier on the side of the bike that went down . . .

Liz

sorry liz, i hope you and your gear are OK

March 7, 2013 at 2:49 pm #964018

dcv
Participant

@hozn 45471 wrote:

Yeah, I rode/walked part of the way with Lena this AM. It was pretty awful riding conditions. We took a detour to skip the hill after 66, which was of course, solid ice, but then getting on around Gallows was still horrid. I ended up riding on ahead between Gallows and Vienna; I think I fell twice and caught myself a few other times; the “double track” through the snow there looked very rideable, but it was mostly riding on ice. Thought things might just “be fine” west of Vienna, but no so much. Took me twice as long as normal to get into work; I am glad I left early!

I do even have studded tires. I don’t know why I didn’t mount them; I looked at my phone weather & it said 33F, so I figured it hadn’t gotten below freezing and the trail would just be slushy. I was obviosly wrong

Beautiful morning, though. Hard to complain too much when this is really all by choice.

Did I pass you this morning? Not many cyclist on the trails – I was riding east on the WOD from Vienna on a black & blue Felt CX. I think I just figured out who Lena is – on a MTB, think i saw her riding west on shreve road to avoid the icy WOD this morning?

March 7, 2013 at 2:53 pm #964019

dcv
Participant

Like eminva & others have posted, the WOD west of Falls Church is definietly NOT clear. icy ruts of death as far as the eye can see. I’m thinking about finding an alternate route on city streets for the ride home, or at least try to get out of work before it re-freezes tonight.
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