March 2015 Trail Condition Reports

[Powerful Pete]

As I mentioned on the evening commute thread, the downhill on the Custis heading West immediately after the bridge to nowhere, along with the overpass on Spout Run were completely glazed with ice and very treacherous this evening at around 18:30. I walked most of it (someone with infinitely more skilled rode by me) and I watched a guy maybe fifty meters behind me eat asphalt.

Be very careful out there tomorrow (no matter how much warmer they say it will be) and keep the exciting spots in mind for Thursday post-snowmageddon commute.

[Steve O]

@Rod Smith 110045 wrote:

Anyone scope out TR bridge sidewalk? I miss using that bridge.

I took the TR bridge on a CaBi about 3pm this afternoon. It was totally clear. Except for the piles of salt along the section in front of the Kennedy Center

[consularrider]

Took an early morning ride to Falls Church. The only issue on the W&OD from West St to the Custis junction was the snow/ice field at the bench shelter between the 6 mile marker and Little Falls. There is still a small ice run under Sycamore St and then just take it easy at the EFC basketball court and the 90° turn leading to Bandymore Castle. Also a little slush approaching the Patrick Henry underpass.

[ramblingrider]

@bikenurse 110049 wrote:

Even the roads in n prince georges county were icy slicks at 8pm Temp fell from 34 to 31 in just an hour or two after sunset, and all the water just semi froze and stayed on the roads. Very hard to tell what was slush enough to grip in and what wasn’t.

Yikes. I’ll try to be careful this morning.

[sam_aye_am]

Rode from into DC via Great Falls St, WO&D, Custis, MVT, and 14th St Bridge. I didn’t bike yesterday, so reference is Monday’s conditions while on studs. Less ice overall, but remaining ice was less navigable (or so it naturally seems when riding slicks today vs Monday’s studs).

As noted from consularrider, there is an ice field on the WO&D just west of little falls street. about 10-20 yards in length. Not much avoiding it, but I rode through it on 32C slicks.

Custis was beautiful except for usual trouble spot near the bridge to no where. Still rode this portion.

MVT between IOD and 14th street bridge was navigable for the most part. I did have a slow motion fall on an ice field and then decided to walk 2 more ice fields east. The significant ice was all east/south of the turnoff to cross GW pkwy and take memorial bridge.

Overall, less than a tenth of a percent was tricky and I’m glad I was on slicks. So much nicer to roll vice lumbering around on studs.

[dasgeh]

Custis -> MVT Connector -> TR Bridge this morning were completely ice free and wonderful EXCEPT where NPS plows had plowed snow from the TR parking lot onto the trail, just south of the parking-lot-crossing curb cut. Seriously, NPS.

[Phatboing]

The WOD between Gallows and Cedar is still interesting – the ice field’s smaller, but the wet ice makes studded tires feel almost meaningless. Ditto between Cedar and Adahi.

[DCAKen]

@Mikey 109990 wrote:

Be careful a 2 mi CaBi ride on Thursday will probably run you up close to the 30 minute limit.

That’s the nice thing about CaBi…just find a station to reset the timer.

[Dickie]

@Phatboing 110089 wrote:

The WOD between Gallows and Cedar is still interesting – the ice field’s smaller, but the wet ice makes studded tires feel almost meaningless. Ditto between Cedar and Adahi.

Yeah, that’s exactly how the MVT was this morning as well … BTW, good to see you before you headed into the abyss.

[vern]

@consularrider 110067 wrote:

Took an early morning ride to Falls Church. The only issue on the W&OD from West St to the Custis junction was the snow/ice field at the bench shelter between the 6 mile marker and Little Falls. There is still a small ice run under Sycamore St and then just take it easy at the EFC basketball court and the 90° turn leading to Bandymore Castle. Also a little slush approaching the Patrick Henry underpass.

I just got in after a late commute. All the ice you refer to above has melted but for the ice field, but that is clearly smaller than it was yesterday. The ice field at the tennis courts after Shreve has shrunk dramatically since last night, as if someone came and cleared most, but not all of it.

[Crickey7]

Snow forecasts are starting to solidify in the 5-7 inch range. That means SUVs will voluntarily limit themselves to 60 mph.

[PotomacCyclist]

@Crickey7 110135 wrote:

Snow forecasts are starting to solidify in the 5-7 inch range. That means SUVs will voluntarily limit themselves to 60 mph.

They will even limit themselves to just 50 mph at sharp turns.

[vern]

@PotomacCyclist 110140 wrote:

They will even limit themselves to just 50 mph at sharp turns.

Not in Maryland or if it has a Maryland tag.

[dbb]

@PotomacCyclist 110140 wrote:

They will even limit themselves to just 50 mph at sharp turns.

I think that physics will be doing the limiting in that case.

[wheelswings]

@Dickie 110108 wrote:

Yeah, that’s exactly how the MVT was this morning as well …

I’m hoping to ride home tonight via the MVT (from Key to 4MR trail) and the WOD (toward EFC), as I’ve got some errands in those parts. Do you think they’ll still be icy, given that it’s 47 degrees out there? I’ve stuck to alternate routes in recent weeks, so I’ve lost track of the trail conditions. I’m not in the mood for too much excitement tonight.

Thanks!!

[Author]

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