February 2015 Trail Conditions

[dbb]

@Mikey 108930 wrote:

14th street south west and 14th street bridge may not be the same thing? no?

In the concall that occurred between 311 and DDOT this morning, it became obvious that using a pull down menu for things without an address is a bit problematic. It took several minutes to reach agreement on where the snow and ice was. There is a great deal not to like about the 311 website, bless its heart.

[dbb]

@mstone 108905 wrote:

To be fair, NPS may also have a valid concern that plowing would rip chunks out of the trail where it’s lumpy.

That would, however, make it easier to identify the portions of the trail that were lumpy and need repair.

[PotomacCyclist]

The map and address feature on DC 311 isn’t always accurate. Sometimes it takes a couple attempts to get everything sorted out, until they find the exact location of the reported issue.

[Mikey]

No change from this morning on the 14 st bridge. More drifting snow on MVT.[ATTACH=CONFIG]7881[/ATTACH]

[Mikey]

@dbb 108934 wrote:

That would, however, make it easier to identify the portions of the trail that were lumpy and need repair.

But knowing where the repair is needed and fixing it are not just two different things, they are probably 2 different people with 2 different budgets at NPS.

[NickBull]

@dbb 108910 wrote:

Just got feedback from DC 311 that it has been cleared.
…

Well, the approach heading west toward the bridge has been cleared 4′ wide right up to the start of the bridge. The rest of it is just like mikey’s photo. Easy going except for a vicious crosswind. Once across, I couldn’t force my way through the drift before the humpback bridge, but after walking it to the bridge it was nicely hardpacked (for studded MTB tires). Going up the river was very, very hard going. I rode down to the edge of the river where I could see grass and at least I could make progress. When I got to Memorial Bridge I decided not to try to continue on the river but instead crossed toward the Cemetery and then rode toward Iwo Jima on cleared trail and then surface streets, through Rosslyn and back to the Custis where everything is clear (though there are patches of ice across the trail–not bothersome on studded tires but something to watch out for, otherwise). I saw three other intrepid cyclists in Rosslyn.

This morning’s route was much easier: across Key Bridge, circling down and across the C&O and making my way to the Rock Creek Trail (nice, hard-packed snow) down the river to Ohio Drive, by the Jefferson and fish market and then on neighborhood roads. I saw two other cyclists in Georgetown in the morning but they stayed on surface streets.

Nick

[Alcova cyclist]

Reflecting pool / Washington Monument paths worse than this morning.

Reflecting pool especially seems to have suffered blowing snow that melted in the afternoon sun and then refroze. On the way home tonight it was pretty icy. I was able to make ok progress on thicker slicks, but had the headwind I rode into been a crosswind instead it would have been a different story.

[Mikey]

does anyone else think they’re getting better at riding on hard packed footprint paths? Or are they just freezing solid. Perhaps with all of the drift snow the craptastic footpaths are better by comparison.

[Harry Meatmotor]

@Mikey 108949 wrote:

does anyone else think they’re getting better at riding on hard packed footprint paths? Or are they just freezing solid. Perhaps with all of the drift snow the craptastic footpaths are better by comparison.

I think it’s a problem of “the worse it gets, the better it seems it used to be.”

Or, I should start racing CX because my bike handling skills are turning into awesome!

[ShawnoftheDread]

The TR Bridge is still completely unridable. Trollheim is covered in rutted snow and is rideable by the brave and bold. I didn’t qualify. But the TR parking lot is completely clear and dry, so there’s that. The National Parking Service does a bang up job.

[Boomer Cycles]

@ShawnoftheDread 108954 wrote:

The TR Bridge is still completely unridable. Trollheim is covered in rutted snow and is rideable by the brave and bold. I didn’t qualify. But the TR parking lot is completely clear and dry, so there’s that. The National Parking Service does a bang up job.

I failed to navigate TR bridge tonight, too, heading eastbound out of the Kennedy Center parking lot. I doubled back to the Key Bridge down M Street. The Key Bridge has a 3 foot wide clear path on the upstream side, from M Street to the Key Marriott.

[dbb]

@Mikey 108939 wrote:

No change from this morning on the 14 st bridge. More drifting snow on MVT.

Once more into the breach. Just logged another service ticket with 311. The race begins to see if spring will arrive before the snow is removed.

[Boomer Cycles]

I rode today across town this afternoon on M Street from 14th to 21st, and the bike Lane was cluttered with snow pack and ice chunks, so I found it safer to just take the car lanes.

[cvcalhoun]

As usual, the Georgetown Branch Trail takes the prize for worst in the area. As of this morning, it is solid (and often rutted) ice.

[PotomacCyclist]

Some of the sections of the Eads St. bike path are still covered in small piles of snow. It’s not a long section, just a couple feet, but it does force riders in the bike path to detour a couple feet to the side. There’s also a new section, where the taxis line up in front of the Marriott Crystal Gateway (north of the intersection with 18th St.), that is covered in slush and snow. It doesn’t look really bad but it is messier than the other sections, which are largely clear.

[Author]

Posts