March 2015 Trail Condition Reports

[KWL]

@dasgeh 110395 wrote:

I keep hearing that the issue for NPS is funding, not desire to clear trails. If Arlington came up with the money, or just said they’d do it, it seems like NPS would say go ahead.

I think funding is an excuse not a reason. You are much more involved and closer to the discussion than I am, but my impression from a few interactions with the GW Parkway management is that they are just not interested in clearing the MVT. They look forward to the 85% of the year when snow is not a problem and we just shut up about it already.

[dasgeh]

@KWL 110427 wrote:

I think funding is an excuse not a reason. You are much more involved and closer to the discussion than I am, but my impression from a few interactions with the GW Parkway management is that they are just not interested in clearing the MVT. They look forward to the 85% of the year when snow is not a problem and we just shut up about it already.

Excuse or reason doesn’t matter. The question is: if arlington county stepped up and said they would clear the trail, would nps say “no, this is our land”? The impression I get from them is no, if someone else did it and paid for it, nps would let them do it. It’s a different issue with the w&od. That’s what I was trying to say.

[fredmeews]

@Justin Antos 110411 wrote:

What’s the best way to THANK Arlington County for doing such a good job plowing the trails? This is great and we should make our support known. It helps provide cover for continuing funding this in the future, and it increases pressure on those who don’t plow commuter trails. Where should I direct my praise?

Amen.

[Steve O]

@wheels&wings 110417 wrote:

I will be starting north-west of Westover (out toward EFC) and heading to Wakefield High School (down near Rt. 7 and S. George Mason). As always, I am riding on slicks. I plan to leave home at about 6:45 a.m.
I’m thinking my options are:
1.Try the WOD… hard to imagine… ?

I think you should try the W&OD on the return. It will have warmed up and the sun will have come up, so even though there will still be snow on the trail, it will have softened and you can ride through. Good luck!

[consularrider]

Rode the Custis this morning down to the Monolith. A few icy spots, and then the Sprout Run overpass was 75% slick ice covered. The W&OD from the Bluemont to the Custis was packed snow over ice. Easy enough to ride with my studded tires and probably with knobbies.

[Starduster]

This may explain the state of road (and trail) conditions yesterday: http://wtop.com/arlington/2015/03/arlington-county-runs-out-of-salt-roads-treacherous/

[dasgeh]

I can’t even. Snow in the forecast… on a day with a high of 73?!?!?

[Boomer Cycles]

I rode the WOD this morning at 9:30am on my hybrid with 26 x 1.5 treaded tires (but no knobbies), westerward, from Little Falls Street to Virginia Lane. Mostly hardpack snow, ice sheets, and intermittent asphalt (west of Shreve Road), suitable for confident riders with fat or studded tires who are willing to stay at slower speeds.

WOD at Little Falls Street, mile 6:

Citizen bridge over Leesburg Pike, Falls Church VA

Poplar Heights tennis courts :

WOD at Virginia Lane, mile 8:

[PotomacCyclist]

@dasgeh 110446 wrote:

I can’t even. Snow in the forecast… on a day with a high of 73?!?!?

I think they got lazy and just added “snow” in the forecast permanently, then forgot to turn it off in time.

[TwoWheelsDC]

Beyond 5 days the weather forecast is about as reliable as just guessing based on previous averages for a given day. And FWIW, Weather Underground predicts a high of 47 for the 16th.

[consularrider]

Besides, tha leaves off Friday’s ice pellets for Coffee Club.

[wheelswings]

I just want to say thank you for all the hand-holding following my triple-tumble ride to work yesterday…. the moral support, the help with my routes, the technical advice, and the amazingly kind offer to swap my slicks with someone’s studs.

I’m writing yesterday off as a comedy of errors. The roads were indeed icy (and as Starduster’s article notes, Arlington was running out of salt), but also I was using my kid’s bike, thinking her slicks would be more stable on the ice than my own – an incorrect assumption. Also her brakes work frighteningly well (unlike mine) but I can barely reach the right brake lever when I’m wearing my multiple hand-mitts, so I was relying almost completely on front-braking. Then last night I saw SteveO’s primer on ice-riding technique…”I think the #1 tip is to avoid using your front brake.” UGH.

In any case, today’s early-morning commute was great, even on the icy sections. Good thing none of you passed me riding down Henderson, or you would have heard me belting out “Here Comes the Sun!”, grinning ear-to-ear.

Thanks everyone.

[rcannon100]

Bike parking in front of Java Shack: still a few clumps of snow but essentially useable.

[ATTACH=CONFIG]8050[/ATTACH]

[Starduster]

@dasgeh 110446 wrote:

I can’t even. Snow in the forecast… on a day with a high of 73?!?!?

Snow and 73 degrees? Best of both worlds!

[dcv]

@rcannon100 110460 wrote:

Bike parking in front of Java Shack: still a few clumps of snow but essentially useable.

yep

[Author]

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