February 2016 Road and Trail Conditions – Is there still snow/ice out there?

[DismalScientist]

WOD was clear and dry Shirlington toCustis and probably beyond East Falls Church. MVT was clear and dry around 14th St Bridge.

[AFHokie]

I expected wrong, MVT was clear

[KWL]

@DismalScientist 135103 wrote:

WOD was clear and dry Shirlington toCustis and probably beyond East Falls Church. …

Excellent. I need to loop around that way tomorrow after work.

[DrP]

@Raymo853 135047 wrote:

Arlington was very good at clearing it yesterday.

Actually, I was referring to the glacier in the parking lot in Bluemont park – across the bridge and south a tad from the trail heading to Ballston. This is where the county piled a LOT of snow (and do for all big storms). 4MRT runs through it.

However, I am glad to see that the Bluemont Trail is clear for when I am back in town later this week.

[sjclaeys]

Just rode on the W&OD near the Custis intersection. It is getting a little sparkly and slick in places. Studs not needed in my option but some care and attention would be prudent.

[vern]

WOD is almost completely clear east of Gallows but for a wee bit of slush at Dickie’s Gulch. A bit more slush west of Gallows in the usual places on into Reston. I’m riding slicks from Reston tomorrow if that helps, but I’ll probably have to portage a few times around ice or re-froze slush. After it warms up a bit that shouldn’t be an issue for you, Jon.

[bobco85]

Arlington – Fairfax Drive heading eastbound – the right turn lane approaching the Fairfax/Glebe intersection has a few pot holes. Drivers are veering into the bike lane to avoid these pot holes, so if you are heading eastbound in the bike lane there, be very careful. I submitted service request #1409484 to report this on the ArlingtonVA request site.

W&OD in Arlington and Holmes Run Trail in Alexandria – saw some of the asphalt starting to get sparkly (echoing sjclaeys’ comment), so it’s likely there will be some frozen patches in the morning.

[Greenbelt]

Trails in Prince George’s were washed totally clear of snow today. And bonus the streets were washed totally clear of salt!

[TwoWheelsDC]

@Greenbelt 135115 wrote:

Trails in Prince George’s were washed totally clear of snow today. And bonus the streets were washed totally clear of salt!

That’s nice. Fairfax apparently decided to salt again last night after the streets had dried. Had a minor panic crossing the border from Arlington to Fairfax when the streets went from clear to crystally-white, and I thought I was hitting some thick frost or something. Nope, just a thick coat of fresh salt on dry pavement….

[Vicegrip]

@vern 135113 wrote:

WOD is almost completely clear east of Gallows but for a wee bit of slush at Dickie’s Gulch. A bit more slush west of Gallows in the usual places on into Reston. I’m riding slicks from Reston tomorrow if that helps, but I’ll probably have to portage a few times around ice or re-froze slush. After it warms up a bit that shouldn’t be an issue for you, Jon.

It it too soon to update the commuter dictionary?

[Tania]

At around 6am, the WOD from Gallows to Custis was 60% suspect sparkly stuff, 20% actual ice and 20% dry. All along Shreve was pretty bad, esp Dickie’s Gulch. (Doesn’t Dickie’s Ditch have a better ring to it?)

Custis was maybe 45-50% suspect sparkly stuff with only a handful of actual patches of ice.

Was wishing for studs.

[vern]

More ice than I anticipated caused me to bail to the Metro, where I got off at EFC and rode the rest of the way to Crystal City. Sun and 45 degrees today should take care of the residual ice and dry things up.

[huskerdont]

Custis wasn’t bad 6:30-ish, with just some patches of ice here and there that were easy enough to miss or ride over. Approaching Rosslyn it was just water, not ice. Should be good to go until the next possible storm next week.

[hozn]

@vern 135122 wrote:

More ice than I anticipated caused me to bail to the Metro, where I got off at EFC and rode the rest of the way to Crystal City. Sun and 45 degrees today should take care of the residual ice and dry things up.

This was wise. I had studded tires, but still wiped out on one of the sheets of ice near American Dream Way in Reston. Going relatively slow, so not a big deal (maybe a little bruised; most importantly, the macbook is fine). The only times I’ve fallen in the winter have been on studded tires; I guess this is like saying that most shark attacks happen in shallow water. Anyway, hopefully I got that stat out of the way for this winter.

[kcb203]

W&OD from Falls Church to Reston: Some frozen slush and black ice in the usual spots near Shreve and between Gallows and Vienna. I was on my cross bike and rode on the frozen slush/gravel next to the trail, which worked well. More of the same for a stretch just west of Vienna. West of Hunter Mill it looked pretty bad, so I took Hunter Station and Glade the rest of the way to work. A guy in front of me on slicks managed the Gallows to Vienna section, but decided to turn around west of Vienna.

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