February 2015 Trail Conditions

[rcannon100]

@hozn 109218 wrote:

Yeah, I am glad they are looking out for us. That reminds me that I need to start skating during lunch here in the town center.

What, we are starting a BAFS2015 hockey team? The Kid can be the goalie!

[consularrider]

What, is he going to UMass or Minnesota?

[rcannon100]

@consularrider 109227 wrote:

What, is he going to UMass or Minnesota?

I’d be happy if he goes anywhere. No, that jersey is from the Montgomery Youth Hockey Association. Even though Arlington has an excellent rink, it lacks a youth hockey club. Travel hockey…….. yummmmmm……. I think it must be a lot like travel gymnastics.

[Terpfan]

Any MVT reports? I can’t ride in today per needing to leave whenever furnace fixing repair man calls me, but I want to ride in tomorrow. Debating road or hybrid depending on trail conditions. My ride takes me from Belle View area of MVT all the way up to Key Bridge. But I can divert at other bridges and cross if it makes more sense. When I drove by yesterday morning en route to a brunch, it didn’t look too great, but I couldn’t tell in the afternoon.

Otherwise, I have to figure out a comparable road approach (best i’ve figured is Telegraph over to Eisenhower to Commonwealth then cut down to Potomac Ave and take Crystal City bike lanes to Long Bridge to Lady Byrd park to 14th St bridge. Not sure if it will work, but figure it’s worth a shot if not. Tired of not getting to ride anything more than neighborhood loops.

[dbb]

MVT sucks. Look at my post from 0830 today in this thread for 14th Street Bridge.

[dasgeh]

@rcannon100 109185 wrote:

No cross country skiers observed anywhere

Funny story: we saw 3 sets of Xcountry skiiers on the road in front of our house on Saturday.

[dasgeh]

@paulg 109196 wrote:

I stopped to take these shots that highlight the Park Service’s Priorities. Cars get a nice safe run on the George Washington parkway which the Multi use trail adjacent is mostly unused.

Those are great shots. I hope you’ll use them to alert powers-that-be to the problem. Congressman Don Beyer and Senators Kaine and Warner might be good places to start.

[Arlingtonrider]

The Eads St. bike lanes north of 23rd Street were a slushy mess yesterday and may be unrideable today. Not sure about the other Crystal City bike lanes. FMR was great yesterday but with lots of wet areas that have probably refrozen. Arghhh.

[Terpfan]

@dbb 109230 wrote:

MVT sucks. Look at my post from 0830 today in this thread for 14th Street Bridge.

Ah, I didn’t go back to that page, but after reviewing it, I’m stuck with, argh. Looks like crap still even between Lady Byrd and bridge. Guess it’s on-road or nothing. I’m going to try driving half the on-road route portion later to see the freeze on it and make sure I’m not going to slip out right underneath a car. Telegraph is not the most forgiving of roads locally and particularly by the merger to the beltway. At this point, I feel like we’re due for a few 60 degree days to right the world again.

[mstone]

@Terpfan 109234 wrote:

Ah, I didn’t go back to that page, but after reviewing it, I’m stuck with, argh. Looks like crap still even between Lady Byrd and bridge. Guess it’s on-road or nothing. I’m going to try driving half the on-road route portion later to see the freeze on it and make sure I’m not going to slip out right underneath a car. Telegraph is not the most forgiving of roads locally and particularly by the merger to the beltway. At this point, I feel like we’re due for a few 60 degree days to right the world again.

How ’bout an 8 degree hard freeze instead?

[baiskeli]

@rcannon100 109185 wrote:

No cross country skiers observed anywhere

I know for certain there was at least one skier out near the Bluemont yesterday.

[dbb]

@Terpfan 109234 wrote:

Looks like crap still even between Lady Byrd and 14th St bridge.

While tonight’s cold will make the slush lumps into ice lumps, a little sun will help melt the packed trail fairly quickly. I’d expect there will be a clear (but narrow) stretch from the Humpback to the 14th Street in the next 48 hours. The LBJ Grove will take a bit longer.

[DismalScientist]

@Terpfan 109229 wrote:

Otherwise, I have to figure out a comparable road approach (best i’ve figured is Telegraph over to Eisenhower to Commonwealth then cut down to Potomac Ave and take Crystal City bike lanes to Long Bridge to Lady Byrd park to 14th St bridge.

You might find that you have less to walk if you do Crystal City to Long Bridge to Boundary Channel to Washington Blvd bike path to Memorial Bridge (south side). The only problematic area is the Washington Blvd glorified sidewalk from Boundary Channel to wherever the NPS stops clearing the south sidewalk of Memorial Bridge.

[hozn]

I’m hoping that the freeze today / tonight is good enough to make it possible to ride on top of the snow (with 2.3″ tires) tomorrow AM. I’m going mountain biking. Those are rare conditions and when it works out it is an absolute top-speed blast. If the snow surface isn’t hard enough then it’ll be just another slow ride through the woods. But it’s gonna beat the pants off the W&OD either way

[Phatboing]

@hozn 109239 wrote:

I’m hoping that the freeze today / tonight is good enough to make it possible to ride on top of the snow (with 2.3″ tires) tomorrow AM. I’m going mountain biking. Those are rare conditions and when it works out it is an absolute top-speed blast. If the snow surface isn’t hard enough then it’ll be just another slow ride through the woods. But it’s gonna beat the pants off the W&OD either way

Part of me wants to be able to wake early enough to do this. The other part likes the warm blanky.

[Author]

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