March 2015 Trail Condition Reports

[Phatboing]

@Harry Meatmotor 110324 wrote:

NB – 42mm Conti Top Contact Winter II’s @ ~30psi.

How are these on the ice? I’ve been intrigued by these things.

[Harry Meatmotor]

@Phatboing 110333 wrote:

How are these on the ice? I’ve been intrigued by these things.

not too bad. better than regular tires, but certainly not as good as studs. but i’m getting pretty good at staying upright on my squirly slip-n-slidy machine.

[Boomer Cycles]

Shots from my morning commute from Falls Church (taking it to the Streets) to DC via Key Bridge (https://www.strava.com/activities/263764104).
Lots of white and black ice, turning to slush where the sun shines, so I went slow, only about half my normal average speed. Very Slippery. But rideable on my hybrid with 26 x 1.5 treaded tires (no knobbies or studs)

Timber Lane, looking Westbound:

Entrance to Custis Trail on Van Buren Street @ Benneker Park:

Junction of WOD & Custis trails:

Key Bridge, inbound to DC:

[Steve O]

At about 10 this morning it appeared that the NVRPA snowblowery/tractory thingy had been through. There was a layer of packed powder, but not 6 inches of snow as would be expected based on recent experience.

I only rode the 100 yards from the Custis/WOD intersection to the exit onto Arlington Mill, but it seems it would be rideable with whatever bike you use to ride on packed powder. If they went all the way to Columbia Pike, then that will help immensely with reducing the deepness of ruts and would make this section passable by many winter riders who were unable in past weeks.

[Steve O]

@bobco85 110328 wrote:

Good news for the weather: it’s supposed to be in the 40’s this weekend, and next week it will be in the 50’s. Should help with melting some of that ice.

Perspective on this winter: Considered exceptional good news that maybe by next week temperatures might, in fact, reach average.

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[TH=”class: col-labels section-label, bgcolor: transparent”]Mar 6[/TH]
[TH=”class: col-high ng-binding, bgcolor: transparent”]HIGH[/TH]
[TH=”class: col-low ng-binding, bgcolor: transparent”]LOW[/TH]
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[TR=”bgcolor: #F3F3F3″]
[TH=”class: col-labels ng-binding, bgcolor: transparent”]Average[/TH]
[TD=”class: col-high”]52° F[/TD]
[TD=”class: col-low”]32°[/TD]
[TD=”class: col-precip”][/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TH=”class: col-labels ng-binding, bgcolor: transparent”]Record[/TH]
[TD=”class: col-high”]80°[/TD]
[TD=”class: col-low”]13°[/TD]
[TD=”class: col-precip”][/TD]
[/TR]
[TR=”class: high-low-years”]
[TH=”class: col-labels, bgcolor: transparent”][/TH]
[TD=”class: col-high high-year”](1961)[/TD]
[TD=”class: col-low low-year”](2007)[/TD]
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[Yggdrasil]

Some scenes from Custis between 10-11:30 today. Arlington gets a gold star for taking care of Custis, wish they’d hit the W&OD too though. Packed snow and clear patches where the sun is shining. I wouldn’t try it on a road bike with slicks, but a hybrid and up can handle it. Key bridge was a mess though; trampled snow getting pockmarked by foot traffic made it a little difficult.

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[dkel]

Just went for a reconnaissance ride in Falls Church. The W&OD has been plowed (or snow-blown, or whatever it is they do). Here’s the Shreve Rd crossing looking east:

[ATTACH=CONFIG]8030[/ATTACH]

and west:

[ATTACH=CONFIG]8031[/ATTACH]

and in an area where they steered off the trail:

[ATTACH=CONFIG]8032[/ATTACH]

It was all passable, but at times the packed snow was slushy enough to let my front wheel through, and then it became difficult to keep the steering in check. Still, it was doable. I was riding 40mm studs, but that was probably not necessary, as it was all snow and slush, as far as I could tell. I rode up Virginia Ln, and it seems the trail was addressed all the way up the hill and down towards the park, but at that point I decided to check the street route through Idylwood and Oak instead of sticking with the trail. The roads were wet but clear save a few slushy bits here and there. I didn’t go across 495 on the Oak St bridge, but turned around and came home. So, @Phatboing, you’ll likely be fine getting home either on the streets or the trail (just keep your wits about you if you take the trail).

[Phatboing]

@dkel 110365 wrote:

seems the trail was addressed all the way up the hill and down towards the park
…

@Phatboing, you’ll likely be fine getting home either on the streets or the trail (just keep your wits about you if you take the trail).

Sweet! If the plow went all the way to Vienna (which I’m hoping it did), commuty extendies may occur too!

(Though my legs have been screaming bloody murder from dragging the SS MTB through snow both yesterday and today.)

[Crickey7]

I may cry

[Yggdrasil]

@Crickey7 110369 wrote:

I may cry

I am so looking forward to some sunshine and shorts weather. However, I wake up every winter morning dreading the cold, ready for spring; but by the time I reach the office after plowing through snow piles and shaking off icicles in my beard, I, without fail, find myself wishing that winter would never end.

[PotomacCyclist]

@Crickey7 110369 wrote:

I may cry

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=76RrdwElnTU

[dbb]

Did a quick ride to check the Four Mile Run Trail at about 1500

Arlington County did a superb job on the FMR Trail – This is just east of Eads at the substation

This is where the Four Mile Run trail ends at the Mount Vernon Trail

It is kind of like going to the eye doctor – is it better this way? Or this way?

[Yggdrasil]

This is ridiculous. Arlington has been crushing when it comes to path clearing, but the state of these trails past Reagan is abysmal. What do they expect to get out of trail clearing if the main bridge that the South Arlington and Alexandria cyclists use is inaccessible? I understand Arlington’s trail clearing is a relatively new priority, but MVT to 14th St Bridge is vital for the trail system to really be functional in that part of town.

[PotomacCyclist]

@Yggdrasil 110385 wrote:

This is ridiculous. Arlington has been crushing when it comes to path clearing, but the state of these trails past Reagan is abysmal. What do they expect to get out of trail clearing if the main bridge that the South Arlington and Alexandria cyclists use is inaccessible? I understand Arlington’s trail clearing is a relatively new priority, but MVT to 14th St Bridge is vital for the trail system to really be functional in that part of town.

The problem is that the National Park Service controls the Mt. Vernon Trail. Arlington can’t plow the MVT unless they somehow reach an agreement with the NPS. As far as I’ve heard, that’s not likely. (But one can still hope.) Maybe someone can figure out a solution before next winter. (With the milder temperatures this weekend and continuing into next week, snow on the MVT may not be an issue for much longer this season.)

[Arlingtonrider]

DBB, thanks for the great post and photos!

How were the I-395 and Mt. Vernon Ave underpasses? Or did you just ride the part after Eads?

[Author]

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