January 2015 Trail Conditions

[consularrider]

I did the Arlington Loop clockwise starting around 3:00 and finishing around 5:00 with a stop at the Central Library. The Custis Trail was clear (I encountered the snow removal demon at the I-66 Glebe Rd offramp overpass), but was wet and on my return there were already spots of black ice. The Custis/MVT connector was clear from the Intersection of Doom to the bottom of the GW Parkway flyover, then the MVT was a combination of snow and ice with a few clear patches in the really sunny spots. The Roosevelt Island Trollheim wooden walkway was very treacherous. I crossed over the George Mason (14th St) Bridge to do a loop around East Potomac Park. The sidepath on the bridge was not cleared and where there had been significant traffic it was starting to ice up. The trail down from the bridge to the CaBi station was very icy, so stay to the sides of the trail. The NPS had cleared all the sidewalks around the Jefferson Memorial and over to the three parking lots along Ohio Dr. The gates at East Potomac Park (Hains Point) were both closed. I was the only cyclist to have ridden there. There were two sets of motor vehicle tracks around the park that drove around the gates. The FMR Trail from the MVT to George Mason was clear, but the sidewalk over 4MR on George Mason was packed snow and ice and the 4MR Trail from there to Glencarlyn Park had not been cleared. The W&OD Trail east of the Custis intersection has not been cleared, but does have motor vehicle double tracks that range from clear pavement to packed snow to ice. The Bluemont Trail is clear and the W&OD from the Custis on past Ohio St is clear.

I would expect significant ice issues tomorrow morning, even on trails that were clear this afternoon.

[KayakCyndi]

@consularrider 103999 wrote:

I did the Arlington Loop clockwise starting around 3:00 and finishing around 5:00 with a stop at the Central Library. The Custis Trail was clear (I encountered the snow removal demon at the I-66 Glebe Rd offramp overpass), but was wet and on my return there were already spots of black ice. The Custis/MVT connector was clear from the Intersection of Doom to the bottom of the GW Parkway flyover, then the MVT was a combination of snow and ice with a few clear patches in the really sunny spots. The Roosevelt Island Trollheim wooden walkway was very treacherous. I crossed over the George Mason (14th St) Bridge to do a loop around East Potomac Park. The sidepath on the bridge was not cleared and where there had been significant traffic it was starting to ice up. The trail down from the bridge to the CaBi station was very icy, so stay to the sides of the trail. The NPS had cleared all the sidewalks around the Jefferson Memorial and over to the three parking lots along Ohio Dr. The gates at East Potomac Park (Hains Point) were both closed. I was the only cyclist to have ridden there. There were two sets of motor vehicle tracks around the park that drove around the gates. The FMR Trail from the MVT to George Mason was clear, but the sidewalk over 4MR on George Mason was packed snow and ice and the 4MR Trail from there to Glencarlyn Park had not been cleared. The W&OD Trail east of the Custis intersection has not been cleared, but does have motor vehicle double tracks that range from clear pavement to packed snow to ice. The Bluemont Trail is clear and the W&OD from the Custis on past Ohio St is clear.

I would expect significant ice issues tomorrow morning, even on trails that were clear this afternoon.

Ok, so here is my question. I’m still at work. Have ogre with fat knobbies but not studs. Do I 1) ride the trail home, 2) ride the street home 3) ride the (gasp) metro home? All knowing forum I seek your guidance.

Home being EFC metro area in case you didn’t know that already.

[Steve O]

@KayakCyndi 104000 wrote:

Ok, so here is my question. I’m still at work. Have ogre with fat knobbies but not studs. Do I 1) ride the trail home, 2) ride the street home 3) ride the (gasp) metro home? All knowing forum I seek your guidance.

Home being EFC metro area in case you didn’t know that already.

Rule 5

Actually, I’m planning to take Wilson from Rosslyn, because I need to stop and get groceries. It looked clear this afternoon–at least what I could see in Rosslyn area. Then I’ll go out Fairfax and onto the trail at Ballston and see what happens. I’m on my touring bike (yikes!). Good luck.

[sleeplatekate]

AM report. All sweetness and light! Beautiful dusting of snow! A cruise past parking lots formerly known as New Hampshire Ave, University Ave, and Colesville Rd.!

PM report. Depressing icy preview of the next three months. We can see that Montgomery County doesn’t give a crap about anyone but car drivers in its promised “White Oak development” in Silver Spring near the new FDA complex. Here’s the sidewalk on the northbound side of Colesville Rd/Route 29, which is the only bridge path for peds/bikes over the Anacostia North Branch that does not involve three lanes of traffic. In addition to being ignored and covered in plow snow by the MoCo park people, this path also got no love all day from the Trader Joes or the BP gas station and there’s an icy waterfall coming down the Burnt Mills Auto Body driveway that’s already barely navigable on foot. So two photos of the sidewalk:
[ATTACH=CONFIG]7360[/ATTACH][ATTACH=CONFIG]7361[/ATTACH]

And one sideways photo of the forlorn bus stop also on that sidewalk bridge over Route 29.
[ATTACH=CONFIG]7363[/ATTACH]

And one photo of Sligo Creek Trail, which has not been taken care of and is already icy (Silver Spring, outside the Beltway, just north of Dennis Ave.):
[ATTACH=CONFIG]7362[/ATTACH]

Hugs,
K.

[ian74]

@sethpo 103998 wrote:

According to reports via folks on Twitter, the CCT (Cap Crescent Trail) is unplowed on the DC side and plowed on the MoCo side.

This, of course, is a reversal of last year when the NPS was good about doing their part and MoCo didn’t do anything. Btw, this is our first example of the new MoCo CCT plow policy we fought for last spring. So yippie!

I’m bailing and taking my bike home on metro. A frozen rutted half section of CCT along with about 10 miles of county road shoulders in the dark is just too much for me to risk (and take after this morning’s 3-hr adventure).

Caution over valour.

Who can I follow on Twitter to find out the conditions on the CCT? It would be a big help, that’s my main commuting route! Thanks sethpo? Actually what other bike feeds would be worth following on Twitter for that matter? Anyone?

[ramblingrider]

@ian74 104006 wrote:

Who can I follow on Twitter to find out the conditions on the CCT? It would be a big help, that’s my main commuting route! Thanks sethpo? Actually what other bike feeds would be worth following on Twitter for that matter? Anyone?

I’d recommend @bikeveryday, as that’s his commute too. He’s a good guy, and lives up to his name.

[consularrider]

@KayakCyndi 104000 wrote:

Ok, so here is my question. I’m still at work. Have ogre with fat knobbies but not studs. Do I 1) ride the trail home, 2) ride the street home 3) ride the (gasp) metro home? All knowing forum I seek your guidance.

Home being EFC metro area in case you didn’t know that already.

You’ll have no issues on the Custis all the way to van Buren St.

[Greenbelt]

@sleeplatekate 104005 wrote:

AM report. All sweetness and light! Beautiful dusting of snow! A cruise past parking lots formerly known as New Hampshire Ave, University Ave, and Colesville Rd.!

PM report. Depressing icy preview of the next three months. We can see that Montgomery County doesn’t give a crap about anyone but car drivers in its promised “White Oak development” in Silver Spring near the new FDA complex. Here’s the sidewalk on the northbound side of Colesville Rd/Route 29, which is the only bridge path for peds/bikes over the Anacostia North Branch that does not involve three lanes of traffic. In addition to being ignored and covered in plow snow by the MoCo park people, this path also got no love all day from the Trader Joes or the BP gas station and there’s an icy waterfall coming down the Burnt Mills Auto Body driveway that’s already barely navigable on foot. So two photos of the sidewalk:
[ATTACH=CONFIG]7360[/ATTACH][ATTACH=CONFIG]7361[/ATTACH]

And one sideways photo of the forlorn bus stop also on that sidewalk bridge over Route 29.
[ATTACH=CONFIG]7363[/ATTACH]

And one photo of Sligo Creek Trail, which has not been taken care of and is already icy (Silver Spring, outside the Beltway, just north of Dennis Ave.):
[ATTACH=CONFIG]7362[/ATTACH]

Hugs,
K.

Thanks for the report — I think I’ll take Metro home!

[ebubar]

@sleeplatekate 104005 wrote:

AM report. All sweetness and light! Beautiful dusting of snow! A cruise past parking lots formerly known as New Hampshire Ave, University Ave, and Colesville Rd.!

PM report. Depressing icy preview of the next three months. We can see that Montgomery County doesn’t give a crap about anyone but car drivers in its promised “White Oak development” in Silver Spring near the new FDA complex. Here’s the sidewalk on the northbound side of Colesville Rd/Route 29, which is the only bridge path for peds/bikes over the Anacostia North Branch that does not involve three lanes of traffic. In addition to being ignored and covered in plow snow by the MoCo park people, this path also got no love all day from the Trader Joes or the BP gas station and there’s an icy waterfall coming down the Burnt Mills Auto Body driveway that’s already barely navigable on foot. So two photos of the sidewalk:
[ATTACH=CONFIG]7360[/ATTACH][ATTACH=CONFIG]7361[/ATTACH]

And one sideways photo of the forlorn bus stop also on that sidewalk bridge over Route 29.
[ATTACH=CONFIG]7363[/ATTACH]

And one photo of Sligo Creek Trail, which has not been taken care of and is already icy (Silver Spring, outside the Beltway, just north of Dennis Ave.):
[ATTACH=CONFIG]7362[/ATTACH]

Hugs,
K.

Super useful report! Thanks for more info for us Marylanders!

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[DismalScientist]

I came home via the 14th St. Bridge, MVT, Eads,4MRT, and WOD. Things are already getting crunchy. Agree with CR’s assessment. Eads is a worthwhile bypass to the MVT in the relevant area. Someone dropped a one lane plow on the WOD from Walter Reed to Columbia Pike, but west to the Custis will suck until solar plowing occurs. Same for the MVT.

[Arlingtonrider]

I’m teleworking tomorrow, but w/r/t using Eads, would you then cut over on 18th to get back to the MVT? I wonder about conditions on the little hill/underpasses on the Crystal City connector.

[DismalScientist]

The connector is clear on the bricks between the railroad bridge and the water park. East of that, it’s like the MVT: sucky.

[ShawnoftheDread]

You’ll be happy to know that at 5:30 this evening there were four NPS plows driving around the marina parking lot across from the Humpback Bridge and it was completely clear.

The trail leading to it, not so much. The wooden bridge over to Boundary Channel was half cleared all the way across though.

[KayakCyndi]

@consularrider 104012 wrote:

You’ll have no issues on the Custis all the way to van Buren St.

I LOVE ArlCo parks and rec! Custis was beautifully clear from Rosslyn all the way to EFC. Not only clear but almost totally dry too. A few very minor icey spots but nothing too scary. Such a treat!

[americancyclo]

@dasgeh 103991 wrote:

Do you mean the TR Bridge (I-66; Kennedy Center to TR Island) or the Key Bridge (becomes Fort Myer Drive; Georgetown to Rosslyn)?

I meant the TR. it’s been so long since I’ve used that bridge I had forgotten the name.

[Author]

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