February 2021 Road and Trail Conditions

[Fairlington124]

When I first saw your post, for some reason I couldn’t shake the thought of a haiku:

Starting this month’s thread
Slick glare ice is everywhere
Use extreme caution

[Henry]

@Fairlington124 206826 wrote:

When I first saw your post, for some reason I couldn’t shake the thought of a haiku:

Starting this month’s thread
Slick glare ice is everywhere
Use extreme caution

Thank you for the edits. Will try to make my future posts into poems (though more likely to be Limericks).

[Boomer Cycles]

W&OD between miles 7.0 (West Falls Church Park) to 8.0 (Virginia Lane) in West Falls Church are single-track at best, but I cleared the intersections at Shreve Road & Virginia Lane so that they won’t freeze up and you should be able to stop.

Virginia Lane & WOD (before)
Virginia Lane & WOD (after)

Shreve Road (before)

Shreve Road (after)

Sent from Boomer_Cycles via my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Serdar]

I rode yesterday on parts of Holmes Run, Mount Vernon, and in the streets of Alexandria. The most surface was clean of snow and pretty ridable with an exception of bridges where I walked my bike.
https://www.strava.com/activities/4724572074

[slmcdanold]

Anyone able to report on the conditions of 4 Mile Run trail, the MVT (especially around National airport), or the 14th Street Bridge?? I’m especially concerned about the overpasses/bridge areas being icy.

I know parts of the trails were prepped with anti-ice solution, but that only works if you also clear the snow/ice.

[Henry]

@slmcdanold 206940 wrote:

Anyone able to report on the conditions of 4 Mile Run trail, the MVT (especially around National airport), or the 14th Street Bridge?? I’m especially concerned about the overpasses/bridge areas being icy.

I know parts of the trails were prepped with anti-ice solution, but that only works if you also clear the snow/ice.

W&OD and FMR trails in Shirlington/Barcroft area were 95% clear. Just occasional patches of ice at 7am Wednesday. I did not go past Shirlington Road.

Henry

[DrP]

Since it looks like the snow may be finished for the time being, what are the trails like? (I see other asking similar questions)
Is MVT passable between Roosevelt Island and 4MRT?
Did they re-clear parts of the W&OD between Columbia Pike and Custis?
If MVT is a mess, any idea about the trail along the cemetery and washington blvd (actually, both trails)?
I probably cannot get a real loop in, but maybe a modified one?

I can answer that the Custis is pretty clear, although there are small ice slicks where melt run-off has re-frozen and access trails are not clear (Ballston Connector is a “foot-rutty” mess and slick in many spots, others I passed were similar)

[mikoglaces]

How is the TR bridge? I rode in on Key Bridge – sidewalk is clear – but would like to take TR home.

[Steve O]

The MVT from the airport to 4MR and the trail towards Shirlington are completely rideable and almost entirely clear pavement. I suspect most of the trail network is the same.

Except for bridges. Bridges may require walking, depending on your level of comfort.

[Steve O]

This is a terrific video about cycling in the winter.

[CaseyKane50]

@Steve O 206971 wrote:

This is a terrific video about cycling in the winter.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Uhx-26GfCBU

Worth watching. I enjoyed seeing the ice crushing machine.

[Judd]

@Steve O 206956 wrote:

The MVT from the airport to 4MR and the trail towards Shirlington are completely rideable and almost entirely clear pavement. I suspect most of the trail network is the same.

Except for bridges. Bridges may require walking, depending on your level of comfort.

MVT from 4MR to Old Town is mostly clear except for the bridges which are iced. Not too slippery to walk on but I wouldn’t personally ride it without my fat mountain bike tires.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[DrP]

Did an Arlington loop this morning starting pre-dawn, so still below freezing, with 4MRT instead of W&OD for most of the way where they “parallel” each other. As the temperatures increase today, many areas will be wet rather than icy. Larger rutty areas will likely become slushy, but still an issue.

Custis: Clear except for melt-refreezing in a few spots. Spout run had a bit of refreeze, but oddly the yellow line was mostly clear. Longer access trails typically not in good shape.

MVT From Roosevelt Island to 4MRT: Mostly extremely clear other than refreezes (standard ice sheets present). Trollheim is well, as expected. Clear in the patched under I-66, but otherwise snowy-icy-crunchy, but passable (I was on 38s). Bridge just south of that passable, with care. Bridges at airport have a “lane” (~1ft wide) in each direction that are clear, except for refreezes, but passable with care.

4MRT: Clear until just south of Glen Carlyn Park – where the access from S. Arlington Mill Rd enters above the ford. At that point it is a icy, rutty mess. Recommend walking (tried otherwise and failed). Had to walk until it flattened out again on the other side of the ford – then escaped up to W&OD. Did go back to 4MRT just before Carlin Springs Rd (trail just north of Rt 50 and up hill was not cleared) and past the frisbee golf – that area was fine.

W&OD: small regions I was on it were just fine, including bridges.

[Alcova cyclist]

@DrP 207023 wrote:

Did an Arlington loop this morning starting pre-dawn, so still below freezing, with 4MRT instead of W&OD for most of the way where they “parallel” each other. As the temperatures increase today, many areas will be wet rather than icy. Larger rutty areas will likely become slushy, but still an issue.

Custis: Clear except for melt-refreezing in a few spots. Spout run had a bit of refreeze, but oddly the yellow line was mostly clear. Longer access trails typically not in good shape.

MVT From Roosevelt Island to 4MRT: Mostly extremely clear other than refreezes (standard ice sheets present). Trollheim is well, as expected. Clear in the patched under I-66, but otherwise snowy-icy-crunchy, but passable (I was on 38s). Bridge just south of that passable, with care. Bridges at airport have a “lane” (~1ft wide) in each direction that are clear, except for refreezes, but passable with care.

4MRT: Clear until just south of Glen Carlyn Park – where the access from S. Arlington Mill Rd enters above the ford. At that point it is a icy, rutty mess. Recommend walking (tried otherwise and failed). Had to walk until it flattened out again on the other side of the ford – then escaped up to W&OD. Did go back to 4MRT just before Carlin Springs Rd (trail just north of Rt 50 and up hill was not cleared) and past the frisbee golf – that area was fine.

W&OD: small regions I was on it were just fine, including bridges.

Surprisingly not much different after a sunny day touching 50 degrees. Trollheim was maybe a little better, with a foot-wide single track in each direction clear except for a few 10-20′ stretches of slush + packed ice. Made it through on 40c road tires without feeling too squirrely. The airport bridges are starting to melt off, but still single-track for long stretches. Everywhere else is pretty much clear edge-to-edge. Melt still flowing over the trails all over, so beware morning ice (though it’s supposed to stay above freezing Thursday night).

[DrP]

@Alcova cyclist 207058 wrote:

Surprisingly not much different after a sunny day touching 50 degrees. Trollheim was maybe a little better, with a foot-wide single track in each direction clear except for a few 10-20′ stretches of slush + packed ice. Made it through on 40c road tires without feeling too squirrely. The airport bridges are starting to melt off, but still single-track for long stretches. Everywhere else is pretty much clear edge-to-edge. Melt still flowing over the trails all over, so beware morning ice (though it’s supposed to stay above freezing Thursday night).

Another 12 hours of above freezing may have helped since your ride.

Less snow and ice than yesterday, but not all gone.
Different route today: Custis – MVT – LBJ Grove – around S side of Pentagon – Columbia Pike – Washington Blvd Trail – trails through Lyon Park – Ballston – Ballston Connector

Differences from yesterday (or new):
Custis: Bridge over spout run wet with melt, but essentially clear. Rest of trail clear, including many access trails
MVT: Trollheim is MUCH better, but not clear. Areas about 1ft wide in each direction clear to wood in most places, but some slush and some hard icy bits still present. Bridge after that (over boundary channel) completely clear. A tiny bit of the ice sheets left, but mostly melt.
LBJ Grove area: bridge clear on side not in shadow from the railing – that side patchy snow/ice/slush. The landing on the Pentagon side is only clear where cyclists would go from the bridge to the ramp.
Wash Blvd Trail: clear except wooden bridge, which is patchy icy-slushy, and half the trail north of the 2nd st overpass (in the shadow).
trails through Lyon Park: mostly clear, a few small patches that are icy-slushy and two very large areas that are bumpy-icy and walking recommended/only option (rear tire slipped several times as I tried to pedal and chose to walk before I fell).
Ballston connecter: Mostly clear, a few areas in shade were bad, but only on half the trail, so can easily avoid.

[Author]

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