February 2015 Trail Conditions

[consularrider]

Lots of love for Arlington and their work on the Custis from Van Buren to the Intersection of Doom. While it had been cleared late yesterday, the overnight ice pellets and rain had left most of the trail ice covered. The concrete overpasses were ice sheets and there were slush lakes at the Scott, Quinn, Oak, and Ft Myer intersections. Late this morning I encountered the Parks Bobcat with a plow blade twice. The first time it was heading west from the Bon Air parking lot. The second time it was heading east coming up the hill from the (formerly) underpass of eternal darkness. In its wake the ice was miraculously gone! This afternoon’s sun is helping too.

[Steve O]

I was the first bicycle to traverse the W&OD east of the Custis at about 1:30pm. I rode from the Bluemont Junction junction to the cutoff at Arlington Mill.

Now’s the time people! If you have a MTB (no studs required) or phat bike, it should be loads of fun. And lots of hard work. I rode on my 3-speed with wide slicks. Since the slush goes all the way to the pavement (not ice underneath), you just slide around a lot–no falling over. That is, until you come to a dead stop, which will happen if you don’t keep workin’ hard. Probably more fun in a group, so get your team and make the 4 mph run from Custis to Columbia Pike while the sun is shining. End with a snowball fight.

There’s about 3-4″ of water under Wilson Blvd, but it is below the downstroke on your pedal, so you can ride through.

[Steve O]

@jrenaut 109159 wrote:

I went to the hardware store (The 3rd one I called) for ice melt.

I never buy the stuff, because after every storm, the trucks leave big piles of it around on the street, almost always within a block of my house. I just take a kitty litter box and a shovel and fill it up. Sometimes a broom helps if it’s spread out a little. Then I have plenty for the whole winter, and usually leftover for next year.

[dbb]

Just got back from a recon of the MVT near Crystal City. My hopes that the rain and sun had improved the trail conditions were largely unsatisfied. While the snow was generally slushy if we get any refreeze it will be pretty bumpy. Tomorrow, remember extra (dry) socks to wear on the ride home – putting a foot down will cause you to take on water.

The Crystal City Connector is slushy

This is looking south on the MVT at the CC Connector

And the wooden bridge over Boundary Channel at the LBJ Memorial and Grove

Upon my return to Crystal City, I noted the protected bike lane in front of the Crystal Towers Apartments at 1600 Eads were blocked by the apartment’s snow removal efforts. Some training remains.

[peterw_diy]

@dbb 109172 wrote:

Upon my return to Crystal City, I noted the protected bike lane in front of the Crystal Towers Apartments at 1600 Eads were blocked by the apartment’s snow removal efforts. Some training remains.

Please report this. I have not read Arlington code, but I expect they’re not allowed to move snow onto public right of way.

[colleen]

4MRT is wet with some scattered slush. There is a lake at the west end of the 395 underpass – ok to ride through for now. MVT from the Crystal City Connector to 4MR is packed slush – an adventure on the right bike, impassible otherwise.

Nice to meet fellow crazy person/freezing saddles competitor Fithsparo, whose idea it was to try the MVT!

[Kolohe]

W&OD on Rt 50 to Columbia Pike is a slushy mess that I walked through to get to a CaBi. The 4 mile run parallel trail didn’t looked treated in that area either and was underwater at the Glencarlyn park parking lot/restroom area as well as under Columbia pike. Took 4 mile run drive (road) from the Arlington Mill Community Center to Walter Reed because the W&OD seemed to be the same slushy mesh. From Walter Reed to Shirlington, there was enough clearing on a single rut for continuous rubber to pavement contact. Shirlington connector to Potomac Yard was free and clear (except for the sidewalks around the car dealerships and the switchback ramp from the Eclipse to the MVT connectors). The trails through Potomac Yard down to and including the Monroe Avenue bridge (or whatever it’s called now) are totally free and clear, except for a few wet spots.

[consularrider]

@consularrider 109044 wrote:

Ok, so are we going to have a Monday Tania Commuter Caravan from Dunn Loring to Metro Center?

No Tania Commuter Caravan tomorrow. Things are just to messy and are likely to be icy. Maybe on March 2nd if next weekend isn’t a total mess.

[Anonymous]

MVT south end is also a mess of slippery slushy footprints that will be completely unrideable rutty ice if it refreezes tonight.

With the odd exception of the short stretch just south of alexandria avenue coming past the rest stop which was completely clear edge to edge and had obviously been shoveled/plowed/cleared in some manner by somebody. :confused:

[vern]

I don’t think there are any beaches left in the world based on the amount of sand on the roads of Reston.

[Tania]

@consularrider 109178 wrote:

No Tania Commuter Caravan tomorrow. Things are just to messy and are likely to be icy. Maybe on March 2nd if next weekend isn’t a total mess.

My $$$ Lakes come Wednesday so I’m predicting warm and sunny.

[rcannon100]

WOD / 4MR at Bluemont. About 2 – 3″ of slush. Should be terrible tomorrow morning.
Bluemont Junction trail clear (lots of people taking advantage of the only clear trail around)
No cross country skiers observed anywhere

[AFHokie]

@Amalitza 109180 wrote:

MVT south end is also a mess of slippery slushy footprints that will be completely unrideable rutty ice if it refreezes tonight.

With the odd exception of the short stretch just south of alexandria avenue coming past the rest stop which was completely clear edge to edge and had obviously been shoveled/plowed/cleared in some manner by somebody. :confused:

I was taking photos along the river this morning; don’t think more than six people passed by me the entire four hours or so I was there. The MVT’s in there somewhere:

[dkel]

I just took my street route back from Vienna to Falls Church, and though it was dark, I could see stretches of clear pavement on the W&OD along Virginia Ln and Shreve Rd. I didn’t ride on the trail, so those may have been isolated spots, but I was still surprised to see pavement at all. There are still significant snow berms at the curb cuts, so it’s obvious a plow didn’t go over the trail, but if I hadn’t seen those piles of snow, I might be left wondering. Seems encouraging.

[KayakCyndi]

I haven’t been on the trails all weekend. How awful will tomorrow be? Are studs called for or just fat gravel tires and caution. Will be on Custis or dc streets (no cycle track) the whole way.

[Author]

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