January ’16 – Trail Condition: That time they predicted mind-boggling amounts of snow

[PotomacCyclist]

But some cherry blossoms tried to make an early arrival last month.

No snow in the forecast for the next 10 days either.

EDIT (1/11/2016) – What about following a format on the monthly Road and Trail Conditions thread to make these easier to read? These threads sometimes contain off-topic or marginally-related messages. What about if hazard warning posts always start off with the name of the location in bold type and all caps? Then a more detailed description of the problem could follow. For example, something like this:

MVT/GRAVELLY POINT – 1/23/2018, 8 am

Downed tree, 100 ft. north of the airplane viewing area. Blocking the entire trail. NPS has been notified.

This would make the thread easier to read for people who want to see hazard/obstacle warnings quickly before they head off to work/school/other. There wouldn’t have to be a precise format, as long as people use similar formats that highlight the location of the problem and make the notice easy to spot by those scanning through the thread quickly.

Just a suggestion. Obviously no one has to follow this suggested format. I just thought that it would make these threads easier to use by those who are in a rush in the mornings, evenings or any other time of the day.

EDIT (1/20-1/21/2016) – Now there’s snow. And plenty more on the way tomorrow.

Topic

[bobco85]

I forgot to mention this, but the Holmes Run Trail was plowed between Ripley St (just south of Van Dorn St overpass) and at least as far south as Duke St. Some of the access points have snow bumps that are melting away.

[alexisglenn]

Crucial access crosswalks and paths over the Beltway at Route 1 to Washington and at Telegraph Road to Eisenhower, between Fairfax part of Alexandria and Old Town Alexandria still mostly or entirely covered in snow. These are not just access points for bikes, but walkers and those requiring ADA accessibility.
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[Mario20136]

Hello –

Thank you for sharing your photos. Can someone post recent pixs between Dunn Loring and Rout 7 W&OD trail?

Thanks again.

-Mario

[CaseyKane50]

@bobco85 133756 wrote:

I forgot to mention this, but the Holmes Run Trail was plowed between Ripley St (just south of Van Dorn St overpass) and at least as far south as Duke St. Some of the access points have snow bumps that are melting away.

There is one small stretch between Ripley and Pelham that wasn’t plowed. The trail is clear to the Eisenhower underpass.

This picture was taken yesterday, there was some melting today.
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[rcannon100]

WOD bluemont to 50 : hard pack terrible
WOD 50 to Superman hill : occassional land mind of hard pack and ice
WOD Soperman Hill to crysral city : Clear
Potomac yard Trail : clear

[CaseyKane50]

The Eisenhower Avenue Trail has been plowed from at least the Holmes underpass to Telegraph Road. Unfortunately, there is a stretch across from the waterpark, where the plow went off track and didn’t plow the trail.

This photo was taken yesterday.
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Today, it is a muddy mess.

[DrP]

Custis-Roosevelt lot-Key bridge-Hains Point-14th st bridge-MVT-CCC-4MR-W&OD-LittleFallsSt- surfacetohome

Trail Report, on a hybrid with knobby 38s that came with the bike.

Started at ~10am (note also walked Custis – W&OD to Columbia Pike and back starting at 7am, so bits of Custis not biked were walked)
Any trail plowed or otherwise to pavement had sections with a bit of snow and melting. I will not comment on these, except to say all trails will have icy bits should it freeze.

Custis was good. Only questionable part was Spout Run bridge which was puddly and slushy at ~10:15am. The divot folks have mentioned at Quin seems to have been filled.

Took trail from IOD to Roosevelt lot to see what MVT was like. The lot was unplowed, which surprised me (since it is for cars). I decided to turn around.

Key bridge was fine. Took sidewalk and first road (cobbled) down to cross canal. Hill down was too slick at that time and walked. The stairs down to the roadway were clear. Both trail and road towards merge with Rock Creek Park Trail was clear.

Rock Creek Park Trail along river, past Kennedy Center was mostly packed snow turning to slush, but there were bits of pavement, especially right along the fence at the River. Went past the volleyball courts. Slushy, but doable.

Passing under the two roads/bridges and in between them around Lincoln Memorial (river level) were chunky and little pavement – I walked/Flintstoned much of it to avoid potentially falling into the road or down the steps.

Took Ohio where most cars turned to Independence since sidewalk not very passable – I did notice that after the Statue the sidewalk was clear. Ohio to Hains Point was clear and great – many cyclists were doing loops like me.

14th street bridge was fine. Slushy bits and a bit of pavement heading to MVT. Someone was going at the ice on the MVT just south of the intersection – I thanked her. The area with the bridges was alternating between pavement, slushy and icy/too much snow to pedal. Walked or Flintstoned a couple of times. Once passed the trees, much of trail was pavement until on the west side of the parking lot at Gravelly Point. Then there was more snow than not to CCC. Some riding, some walking. Bailed at CCC. First bit down was good, but approach to tunnel was mixed slush/solid snow. Tunnel clear. After tunnel all snow – walked to tunnel. Tunnel and up to Crystal Drive clear.

Took service road behind buildings to 26th street – all clear. Then sidewalk on Crystal Drive to Potamac. Potamac to switchback to 4MR. All clear.

4MR to Walter Reed was clear. Then transferred to W&OD.

W&OD basically clear to about the pond (watch crossing at George Mason on the west side – very narrow area to get on/off trail). From there until Carlin Springs, sections were icy/slushy messes (yet ridable for me), some were not ridable, and others were pavement (and all better than at ~8am (at this point ~1pm)). From Carlin Springs to Custis occasional patches of narrow passable areas or packed snow and mostly pavement.

Took W&OD/4MR to Van Buren then the roads back to W&OD. Note that the little spur back to the trail is not clear, but the shoveled sidewalk in front of the houses on the right connect to the cleared sidewalk for the apartments allowing one to ride to trail connecting at the covered bike parking. Crossing at Lee Highway is “fun” on the west side. They plowed snow over the curb-cut and cleared the grass (now MUD). Mostly pavement, but some slushy patches to Little Falls St.

Took Little Falls St to Westmoreland and other roads home. All were clear, but that salt does get to you. Kind of like being at the ocean, but lacking the moisture of the sea air.

[vern]

WOD east of Wiehle to Sunrise is clear but for a couple very short slushy patches. Just south of Sunrise there is a stretch of a few hundred years that is very slushy, and then it clears to Buckthorn, where there is a couple short but deep slushy patches going up and then the same going down, and then clear to the Curve That Never Sees The Sun, just west of Hunter Mill. That curve is surprisingly good, and will probably be decent tomorrow. WOD east of Hunter Mill is clear until Clark’s Crossing, where the trail becomes a solid sheet of deep slush, I’m guessing all the way to Vienna, based on other reports. As it stands now, I’d detour here up to Beulah and then into Vienna.

[dbb]

@Terpfan 133744 wrote:

Thanks, I will just huff it over the Longbridge route tomorrow I suppose. Tricky part will be remembering how to connect to mvt from there rather than Memorial as it lools like 14th was done. Anyone been by the marina? I recall reading it was a mess. Hence wondering if the footpath around lake may be just as easy as marina.

Long Bridge Route – Take Eads north to 18th, right on 18th under Route 1, left on Crystal Drive until it gets almost to Route 1, right on Long Bridge Drive, left on Boundary Channel, under the interstate and then the first parking on the right past the Pentagon. Cross the wooden bridge and follow the trail to the right.

Pretty good line on the wooden bridge over Boundary Channel, some walking in the LBJ grove, marina parking lot clear with some walking till you are south of the Humpback. Rode it this afternoon

[KWL]

I saw evidence of bobco85’s MVT clearing at the CC connector to the northernmost National Airport bridge. I attempted to clear a few problem areas and was assisted by dbb at a wall of ice & snow near the Airport Access Road overpass. The MVT is OK for fat bikes, studded tires or much Flintstoning. There are clear sections followed by packed, rutted melting ice. I won’t bother showing the clear sections, but there are lots of them.

L to R: The wall of ice & snow removed; The southernmost National Airport bridge. Ugh; The construction area under the Metrorail overpass. Also not good.

Tomorrow’s commute on the MVT will be possible, but quite a workout.

[Terpfan]

@dbb 133771 wrote:

Long Bridge Route – Take Eads north to 18th, right on 18th under Route 1, left on Crystal Drive until it gets almost to Route 1, right on Long Bridge Drive, left on Boundary Channel, under the interstate and then the first parking on the right past the Pentagon. Cross the wooden bridge and follow the trail to the right.

Pretty good line on the wooden bridge over Boundary Channel, some walking in the LBJ grove, marina parking lot clear with some walking till you are south of the Humpback. Rode it this afternoon

Here’s to hoping tomorrow afternoon’s rain does a number on it all.

I suspect my biggest issue will be the beginning of my ride now. Huge snow piles where I normally switch to sidewalk at South Kings/Telegraph. Or I can do Rt 1 and then hope the bridge from Rt 1 to Washington St is clear. Gametime decision tomorrow.

[KLizotte]

Thanks KWL for the report. I was seriously considering bike commuting to work tomorrow cause I thought today’s nice weather would have melted all of the white stuff but will make do at the gym.

[Anonymous]

@Terpfan 133780 wrote:

Here’s to hoping tomorrow afternoon’s rain does a number on it all.

I suspect my biggest issue will be the beginning of my ride now. Huge snow piles where I normally switch to sidewalk at South Kings/Telegraph. Or I can do Rt 1 and then hope the bridge from Rt 1 to Washington St is clear. Gametime decision tomorrow.

The bridge is pretty clear but there (as of 6pm today) are still huge piles of snow blocking the curb cuts to get to it, so it may not be an improvement over huge piles of snow at Telegraph sidewalk.

[PotomacCyclist]

Maybe pouring some hot water on iced-over sections could help. The difficulty is in transporting enough hot water to a trail to make a difference.

I’m inclined to wait and see how much snow melts during Monday’s rain. Tue. may not be quite as warm as predicted before, but it will still be in the upper 40s. There will be a lot more rain on Wed. and temperatures in the low 60s. I’m hoping that will be the knockout blow that takes care of all the remaining snow except for the man-made snowbanks.

I reported the Eads Street snowbanks on the Arlington snow conditions web form, but the snowbanks are still there. They are too big to melt in 55-60F temperatures. The rest of the bike lanes are starting to clear up. A few patches look rideable until you hit the snowbanks. By Tue. or Wed., I think everything except for the snowbanks should be rideable.

[Steve O]

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[Author]

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