2014 February Trail Conditions

Our Community › Forums › Road and Trail Conditions › 2014 February Trail Conditions

Viewing 15 posts - 151 through 165 (of 369 total)
1 2 3 … 10 11 12 … 23 24 25
  • Author
    Posts
  • February 18, 2014 at 10:43 pm #994006
    rpiretti
    Participant

    I’ve been in touch with the WOD today and last week too so yeah the did snow blowers today and suppose to be blowing tomorrow into falls church. They promised this ahead of the storm and they followed thru so that’s good. I asked some other questions too that might benefit this conversation a bit. I can post that later once I can copy and paste.

    Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

    February 18, 2014 at 11:30 pm #994010
    consularrider
    Participant

    Well Dirt, other than today’s light snow being gone, I found the Custis only slightly improved from yesterday. There are still ice patches on the Rosslyn hill behind the barrier (true, it was easier to ride today), the Scott intersection is still blocked by a small berm on the west side, the mogul hill starting at the Veitch St access trail up past the bridge to nowhere and down to close to the Sprout Run overpass is either ice covered or patches of ice. The stretch along the W-L parking deck before the two sisters has several stretches of ice and the western sister still has ice on the top third of the climb (there is way through if you are careful). Also the westside of underpasses have at some ice as does the descent under I-66 to mile post 0. I want to take my unstudded hybrid out tomorrow and will stay on the road.

    February 18, 2014 at 11:54 pm #994011
    DismalScientist
    Participant

    I took the MVT from the 14th St. bridge to 4MRT to WOD. This would be doable on slicks if you can see where you are going. There are only three patches of slush without a single track trench. There are many puddles that could be problematic if it freezes tonight.

    No studs for me tomorrow.:o

    February 19, 2014 at 12:17 am #994014
    rpiretti
    Participant

    RE: my above response…an email from the Smith’s Switch Rd W&OD office:

    As I noted before the trail is a multi-use trail available to all; while the majority of users are cyclists there are a number of people who enjoy walking in the snow or skiing / snow shoeing. I have received several emails from people thanking me for not plowing the trail. Though they may not be as numerous as cyclists in terms of users they have as much right to use the W&OD as any other user group. I can only speak to the standards that we maintain along the W&OD; but I will say that the W&OD has the well-earned reputation of being one of the area (if not the nation) best maintained trail around. Our agency (the Northern Virginia Regional Park Authority or NVRPA) budgets around $500,000 per year to maintain this standard.

    As for areas of the W&OD that have been plowed there have been in the past some confusion on the part of local jurisdictions plowing their own trail systems and plowing ours (I will have to look into this matter since some jurisdictions hire outside contractors). In terms of not believing any treatments affecting the asphalt please consult this link below from a county engineer in Ohio; any number of websites concur in the formation of potholes as a result from salt treatment.

    http://www.summitengineer.net/resources/learning/52-potholes

    Additionally, the markings that we use are thermoplastic striping and not merely paint. These “thermo” markings are about three times as expensive as painted striping, but lasts about 3 times as long plus are reflective in nature which is of benefit to those trail users on the W&OD after sunset. We did purchase a snow blower that is in use today for the first time since we purchased it in 2010. The maintenance staff started here in Ashburn and has worked their way east into Reston where they will stop. Tomorrow they will resume in Reston and continue eastward toward Vienna/Falls Church. That along with the warm weather should help to melt away most of the remaining snow. As I believe I noted in my previous email we do put down sand in areas that receive minimal sun to help in traction; once the ice has melted we sweep away the snow.

    I additionally asked if it would help to put some formal petition together and they welcomed that but told me that it was entirely reasonable for folks to resort to Metro and other means while they work on clearing the trail. But, there have been plenty of other chances for them to use the snow blower this winter. Like I mentioned above, they promised to pull the snow blower out for this big snow event and followed through so I’m glad about that. I thought this email served to answer some questions we all have. Apologies if these have been posted before.

    Make no mistake I don’t like the idea of not plowing/treating the trail but given the answers above I don’t foresee their policies changing. I could talk to them further about a petition process if needed though. I’m not at all sure what others are doing for helping this situation as far as being in direct contact with them but this is pretty important to me so I sought out some answers I, myself had and maybe some other Vienna/Reston folks had..

    Happy riding. I’m having the urge to go to Best Bunz tomorrow morning. What?!

    February 19, 2014 at 12:36 am #994017
    dasgeh
    Participant

    @Rando Guy 77677 wrote:

    As I noted before the trail is a multi-use trail available to all; while the majority of users are cyclists there are a number of people who enjoy walking in the snow or skiing / snow shoeing. I have received several emails from people thanking me for not plowing the trail. Though they may not be as numerous as cyclists in terms of users they have as much right to use the W&OD as any other user group. I can only speak to the standards that we maintain along the W&OD; but I will say that the W&OD has the well-earned reputation of being one of the area (if not the nation) best maintained trail around. Our agency (the Northern Virginia Regional Park Authority or NVRPA) budgets around $500,000 per year to maintain this standard.

    Is there any reason they couldn’t clear half the trail? There are certainly more cyclists than skiiers and snow shoe-ers (?), especially after a day or two. Sounds like an opportunity for WABA

    February 19, 2014 at 12:48 am #994020
    consularrider
    Participant

    One of the problems with the way Arlington plowed the trail was that the plowed dumped on both sides of the trail making it difficult to use either side for skiing in many sections. As to whether or not there are more cyclists than snow lovers, they could say that snow events inconvenience the cyclists only a few weeks a year while there are no local venues for skiers. I don’t know if it would be possible to clear the trail if the snowfall is less than a certain amount (I want at least four inches on the trail before I’ll ski on it). Unfortunately, it is hard to plow ice.

    February 19, 2014 at 12:59 am #994021
    Tom H
    Participant

    Thanks for the Custis report Steve O. And yes, the Lyon V Center plow crew regularly blocks the access ramp from the lot by CVS. Anyhow the trail from there is a soup of bridges and shade, and I’m taking it tomorrow on my old fendered Marin hybrid grit bike, slow and steady…. And maybe at 50 psi.

    Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

    February 19, 2014 at 1:29 am #994022
    mstone
    Participant

    @consularrider 77683 wrote:

    One of the problems with the way Arlington plowed the trail was that the plowed dumped on both sides of the trail making it difficult to use either side for skiing in many sections.[/quote]

    You know what would help with that? A snowblower. :)

    Quote:
    As to whether or not there are more cyclists than snow lovers, they could say that snow events inconvenience the cyclists only a few weeks a year while there are no local venues for skiers. I don’t know if it would be possible to clear the trail if the snowfall is less than a certain amount (I want at least four inches on the trail before I’ll ski on it). Unfortunately, it is hard to plow ice.

    So, serious question if you actually ski on the trail: how the heck do you cross the roads?

    February 19, 2014 at 1:29 am #994023
    jabberwocky
    Participant

    @dasgeh 77680 wrote:

    Is there any reason they couldn’t clear half the trail? There are certainly more cyclists than skiiers and snow shoe-ers (?), especially after a day or two. Sounds like an opportunity for WABA

    I’ve thought the same thing before as well. Clear off one lane; that way there is a safe lane for the 99% of trail users who aren’t on skis, and with the bonus that the lane that does have snow won’t turn into a rutted icy mess as quickly since it won’t have a few hundred people a day stomping down it.

    I’m fine with them not salting it (I understand there are environmental and maintenance concerns with salt). When I commuted on the W&OD I just wanted most of the snow off it. Small amounts of snow melt off quickly, and are easily dealt with using proper tires. In 2010, the trail was impassible for weeks after the major storm; when they eventually plowed, they just ran the plow down the trail with the blade held an inch or so above the pavement, so not even scraping it clean. Within a day or two almost the entire trail was rideable without studs.

    February 19, 2014 at 2:05 am #994025
    jnva
    Participant

    [QUOTE
    So, serious question if you actually ski on the trail: how the heck do you cross the roads?

    It’s really hard. Someone’s going to get hurt!

    http://youtu.be/WwZsgaKVluY

    February 19, 2014 at 2:29 am #994027
    GB
    Participant

    Trail conditions as of 7pm: (road bike with slick tires)

    Bluemont – Very rideable
    WOD – Very Rideable (from bluemont to MVT)
    MVT – rough – there were several patches where there wasn’t a single clear track.

    Put your fenders on – it’s wet out there.

    I was on Custis yesterday and the parts behind the sounds walls were icey, (I walked up the Rosslyn hill).

    February 19, 2014 at 3:35 am #993924
    vilago
    Participant

    thanks everyone for these updates. keep ’em comin!
    I only wish there was some sort of “trail status” page for each trail. not that i don’t like reading you fine peoples’ posts, but it would be nice if there were traffic cameras or something like that during the winter.

    February 19, 2014 at 3:52 am #994029
    dkel
    Participant

    @vilago 77692 wrote:

    thanks everyone for these updates. keep ’em comin!
    I only wish there was some sort of “trail status” page for each trail. not that i don’t like reading you fine peoples’ posts, but it would be nice if there were traffic cameras or something like that during the winter.

    Webcams would be amazing.

    February 19, 2014 at 12:15 pm #994035
    Steve
    Participant

    Some wide streaks of slick ice on the Rt. 110 trail this morning, just after the right hand turn heading up toward the cemetery. I slid out, though luckily into a snow pile that put my bike back upright. Be careful out there.

    February 19, 2014 at 12:52 pm #994036
    KayakCyndi
    Participant

    Shawn’s road route into downtown from Falls Church is downright enjoyable at 7am. All clear except for a few large snow piles in the bike lanes occasionally from where they cleared the roads. Fortunately drivers seem nicer and more willing to make some room for bikes at 7am than they do at 8am!

  • Author
    Posts
Viewing 15 posts - 151 through 165 (of 369 total)
1 2 3 … 10 11 12 … 23 24 25
  • You must be logged in to reply to this topic.