2014 March Trail Conditions

Le sigh. This time I am definitely *not* remounting my studded tires. I finally got my wire-bead cx tires to seat and I won’t undo that. So I am likely not commuting to Reston until Weds (afternoon).

@hozn 79800 wrote:

Le sigh. This time I am definitely *not* remounting my studded tires. I finally got my wire-bead cx tires to seat and I won’t undo that. So I am likely not commuting to Reston until Weds (afternoon).

I had the nerve to put my Moose Mitts away, and swap out my front studded tire wheel for a 26″ skinny slick. (Fortunately for me those are 5 min procedures to undo.)

After spending the morning shoveling, I took my winter bike (Bar Mitts and Schwable Marathon Winter studded 26X1.75 tires) out to check the trails. I first headed west from the Ohio St access on the W&OD, there were a pair of truck tire tracks providing single track (I saw a bobcat heading west when I got on the trail). The 4MRT from Madison Manor to the W&OD and then over to the EFC access trail were plowed. From Benjamin Banneker I took streets into Falls Church, up Grove to Haycock and then back Williamsburg and Fairfax to Lee Highway. I could see that the W&OD from Lee to Falls Church had not been cleared and may have had a stomped line, but I didn’t try it. Heading east on the W&OD from Ohio St to the Custis intersection the trail again had double single track from a truck having driven on it. The Custis had been plowed from that intersection to the Abingdon access right after the Washington Blvd underpass. From there up and over the I-66 exit road to Glebe was snow covered. Then the Custis was plowed up until the S curve of death (the top 20 yards was plowed). The trail was plowed again starting at Lyon Village (of course when they plowed the parking lot, they dumped two piles on the trail and again blocked the curb cut behind the CVS by the dumpsters) all the way down to the top of the GW Parkway overpass (be careful at the flexible bollard just before Scott St). Many places that had been plowed on the Custis still had a little slush and that is likely to freeze tonight.

From the TR Island parking lot I took the MVT down to the 4MRT. The Trollheim wooden walkway had about eight inches of snow with a trodden pathway. However, that pack was not stable and my tires kept spinning out and I decided it was easier to walk it. There were tire tracks from three other bikes on that section. Once back on solid pavement, the conditions varied from clear but wet, to 8 – 12 inch drifts, to ice. In many places there was a good track through. From the GW crosswalk to the 14th St Bridge access, I saw only one bike track. South from the bridge there were three or four. The Humpback Bridge had lots of ice, but the airport overpasses were in decent shape. The section of the trail along the north end of the airport closest to the road was messed up with plow debris as was the area just south of milepost 13 at the south end.

Heading west on the 4MRT under the bridges, there had been no plow, but the trail was open at 4 pm. Then the trail had been plowed between Eads and the Mt Vernon Ave access trail. From there to Shirlington there was tromped single track. I detoured into Shirlington thinking about a cold St Patricks Day beverage at Cap City or Samuel Becketts, but both looked crowded so I cycled on. The 4MRT from Shirlington Rd to Walter Reed had been plowed. At Walter Reed I rode over to the W&OD which still hadn’t been plowed. From Columbia Pike there again was double truck single track (be careful, the right wheel track of the truck left the pavement several times). Just after the Rte 50 underpass I got back on the 4MRT which had been plowed and rode that through Bluemont Park. Then I rode back and took the Bluemont Trail from the Baiskeli toll house to the end – it was plowed its entire length. I got back on the Custis Trail at George Mason, there had been more melting so some of the slush was gone. The wooden bridges in Glencarlyn and Bluemont had hard packed double track snow – much better than the Trollheim pack.

Rt. 110 trail was plowed. A few small icy patches, but all in all it was in great shape. I was shocked and very pleased.

South Cap St. Bridge was unpassible IMO. High snow that was heavy and wet mixed with powder. I had to walk it.

I like the idea of saying on what…..so, I was on 26×1.9″ studded tires, fairly low PSI (below 40 I think), mounted to the Disc Trucker.

What little I saw of the W&OD from Falls Church to Gallows was still slushy and/or icy (surface streets, though, have been remarkably well-cleared).

The Gallows road bike lane has some dodgy spots that push you to the left, but is otherwise not too bad.

Lovely plowing – a nice 7-ft wide virtually clear path from the WOD to Washington Blvd.
One spot – beware a patch at the bottom of the hill by the Underpass of Eternal Darkness (I-66)

Then, suddenly, the plow turned off at Abingdon, and the trail became a rutted, icy, terrible mess. Slowed to 4 mph and occasional Flintstoning. I was going to bail once I crossed the Glebe overpass… but
THE PLOW CAME BACK!

Evidently the driver decided he couldn’t clear the Glebe underpass, so that section is really bad. You can skip by taking Abingdon to 14th and crossing Glebe at grade (or reverse if going outbound).

From there it’s all plowed, with a few spots to be cautious of:
– Switchback requires slow speeds and much caution
– Mounds of snow from Lyon V. shopping center blocking 1/2 of trail, but plow cleared rideable line.
– Spout Run bridge has the most lovely, completely smooth, thin layer of beautiful ice. Bring your skates. I held a line, slowly coasting, but you may want to walk this section, because the slightest false move is doom.
– Some crunchy ice patches by the moguls, but rideable
– Extreme caution just before Scott St at end of sound wall
– Ramps are mostly blocked with snow
– Second soundwall section is nice and clear

Have fun.

Oh, and a lesson. Careful of your shoelaces, especially when riding a bike with a coaster brake. Because when it gets wound around your pedal, you cannot go backwards to unwind it.

DC has done a really nice job this time with the bike lanes. I’m sincerely impressed. The zebras on PA Ave are destroyed, however. Not sure if that’s plows, u-turns, or some of both.