February 2015 Trail Conditions

[jrenaut]

@dasgeh 108768 wrote:

If by “answer” you mean this one from @ddotdc:

It is true I was using a very loose definition of “answer”. You got better “answers” than they gave me on the various completely untouched DC bike lanes I use to get my kids to school.

[brownnugen]

I tried to ride the MVT from Old Town to DC. I was on Washington Street until I have to ride on the MVT. It was totally unrideable on my 32’s with studs. Lots of evidence of foot traffic and saw that some bikes just rode on the grass (off the path). I gave it my best try but ended up turning around at that marina (I don’t know its name) and went home. As much as I hate driving, I had to do it this morning. I don’t think it will get any better with more snow coming and below freezing temperatures.

I was fine with the temps, the MVT was just horrible.

[wheelswings]

Erg. Thank you. This is all very helpful. Has anyone tried riding south from Memorial Bridge on Boundary Channel Drive and Long Bridge Drive… are they plowed? I’m looking for a good way to get down to Eads and onto S 4MR trail…. slicks only.
I’m also curious about taking Wakefield St northward from the WOD to Henderston Rd to Quincy St. to get back up to Custis later tonight. Is that the best alternative to the WOD? I dislike riding on George Mason Drive…. in prior years I used to do it pulling the kids in the trailer, and it was a bit unnerving…
Thx much!

[Steve O]

@consularrider 108737 wrote:

… took a roundabout route that added an extra mile and a half each way.

Quit that! Okay, I’m calling NVRPA and tell them to stop playing FS favorites.

[Vicegrip]

The W&OD between Falls church and Hunter mill has had a snowblower pass. (Perhaps more that was the section I rode today) Some long runs of of bare pavement ranging from 3 feet wide to 4 inches wide. The bridge over rt7 is slippery. Had to walk the bridge.

[consularrider]

I’m pretty sure that’s the way dbb went this morning. I would expect Boundary Channel and Long Bridge to be cleared since they are prime Pentagon access roads.

[jopamora]

@wheels&wings 108779 wrote:

Erg. Thank you. This is all very helpful. Has anyone tried riding south from Memorial Bridge on Boundary Channel Drive and Long Bridge Drive… are they plowed? I’m looking for a good way to get down to Eads and onto S 4MR trail…. slicks only.
I’m also curious about taking Wakefield St northward from the WOD to Henderston Rd to Quincy St. to get back up to Custis later tonight. Is that the best alternative to the WOD? I dislike riding on George Mason Drive…. in prior years I used to do it pulling the kids in the trailer, and it was a bit unnerving…
Thx much!

The circled part of the path is unplowed, but walkable. The rest is pretty clear.

[ATTACH=CONFIG]7871[/ATTACH]

[dbb]

@wheels&wings 108779 wrote:

Erg. Thank you. This is all very helpful. Has anyone tried riding south from Memorial Bridge on Boundary Channel Drive and Long Bridge Drive… are they plowed? I’m looking for a good way to get down to Eads and onto S 4MR trail…. slicks only.

Once you get to the Pentagon side of the wooden bridge from the LBJ Grove/Monument on Columbia Island, the road was just wet this morning (Boundary Channel to Long Bridge to Crystal Drive to Eads). It sucked on the other side of the bridge.

[dasgeh]

@wheels&wings 108779 wrote:

Erg. Thank you. This is all very helpful. Has anyone tried riding south from Memorial Bridge on Boundary Channel Drive and Long Bridge Drive… are they plowed? I’m looking for a good way to get down to Eads and onto S 4MR trail…. slicks only.
I’m also curious about taking Wakefield St northward from the WOD to Henderston Rd to Quincy St. to get back up to Custis later tonight. Is that the best alternative to the WOD? I dislike riding on George Mason Drive…. in prior years I used to do it pulling the kids in the trailer, and it was a bit unnerving…
Thx much!

It sounds like you’re trying to get from the DC side of the Memorial Bridge to the western end of the Custis. If so, your best bet is to take the Memorial Bridge to 110 Trail, to Marshall Dr and Meade St around the Iwo Jima. From there, you can cut a little distance by staying on streets into Clarendon, then Fairfax Drive to the Connector to the Custis. Or you can just stay on Meade, which becomes Lynn, and turn left on the Custis.

[CaseyKane50]

MVT at Jones Point Park

[ATTACH=CONFIG]7872[/ATTACH]

I was able to get close to the trail by using the nicely plowed parking lot.

[Mikey]

There is a foot-wide melt path along the 14th street bridge except for the last 100 feet on the VA side, probably due to the salt laden plow wash that hit the main span of the bridge path. The last 100 feet and the MVT, suck, the humpback is only walkable at this point. The case bridge was plowed, as was the Washington channel waterfront near the titanic memorial. sidewalks around thsouthern end of lenfant plaza were not.

[wheelswings]

@dasgeh 108803 wrote:

It sounds like you’re trying to get from the DC side of the Memorial Bridge to the western end of the Custis. If so, your best bet is to take the Memorial Bridge to 110 Trail, to Marshall Dr and Meade St around the Iwo Jima. From there, you can cut a little distance by staying on streets into Clarendon, then Fairfax Drive to the Connector to the Custis. Or you can just stay on Meade, which becomes Lynn, and turn left on the Custis.

Thanks, dasgeh! Actually I’m going from NW DC (north of Dupont) to Barcroft Sports/ Phoenix Bikes and then up to East Falls Church…. thus (unfortunately) into NPS and NVRPA territory….

[dasgeh]

@wheels&wings 108810 wrote:

Thanks, dasgeh! Actually I’m going from NW DC (north of Dupont) to Barcroft Sports/ Phoenix Bikes and then up to East Falls Church…. thus (unfortunately) into NPS and NVRPA territory….

Ah. In that case, I’d take fmr drive to the Pike to Buchanan, wind over to Henderson and take that to quincy to Fairfax Dr then to the Custis connector. I haven’t ridden those stretches today, but based on my experience on the Custis and neighborhood streets n and w of that this afternoon, you’ll be fine. Oh and if you are worried about black ice on the Custis ( i would be if it’s later/colder), stay on quincy to 15th, the dogleg to 16th at Glebe and that will take you to Westover. I hear efc is near there.

[dasgeh]

More generally, I went out on the Custis for a bit then to clarendon and used neighborhood streets and arterials back. The Custis was down to pavement but melting had left water on parts of the trail, sometimes all the way across the trail. I worry about freezing.

Neighborhood streets are fine. They have similar water issues but cars melt water so the steadily traveled roads should be fine. I also saw a salt truck going over streets in lyon village.

Arterials are fine, as you’d expect. Bike lanes are generally either snowy or being used as parking spaces. But drivers seemed to be leaving room. Maybe it’s my streamers.

Unless I hear reports that the Custis has been de-iced, my morning plan is streets to iwo jima.

[colleen]

Does anyone have a report on the WOD between Shirlington and Columbia Pike this afternoon?

[Author]

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