March 2017 Road & Trail Conditions

[dyavrom]

Just rode Mt Vernon Trail from DC to Crystal City.

DC side was great. Once you cross 14th st bridge, it gets a little precarious. Probably 1/3 of it I had to walking due to ice on the roads. Some parts were patchy, other parts were worse and all icy. Proceed with caution, but safest bet would be just not to ride.

[LhasaCM]

In case anyone is interested in the Metropolitan Branch Trail: it is pretty good between Franklin and M Street as of 8:15 this morning. A few notes:
1. There are a few really sketchy parts, notably the crossings with the construction/maintenance yard entrances at R and T.
2. Between R and M, there are a few decent flat/clear icy patches. No real rutting of which to speak, so I was fine rolling over it with 700×40 tires, but a few folks with skinnier tires chose to Flintstone it. (Not sure if it was out of an abundance of caution or necessity.)
3. The ramp down to M Street, especially in the 180 turn, is dicey.
4. As always, it’s clearer on the southbound side (the northbound side is where drainage fails, so there’s a lot more icy build-up).

The M/1st Street cycletrack portion is in good shape; there are a few spots where plowed snow from the road (or sidewalk) intrude on the trail, and a few flat/clear icy patches that I had no issues with rolling over. Just be extra careful for inattentive pedestrians as stopping is harder than normal, especially at the crosswalk between K and H where there’s a fair amount of ice surrounding it.

[Tania]

I’m fairly sure I already know the answer (“awful”) to my “How’s the WOD west of EFC (except the parts that Birru shoveled)?” question BUT…anyone know?

Now to decide if I want to walk from Gallows to Virginia Lane (and take roads from there) or head up to Idylwood…

[ian74]

@LeprosyStudyGroup 157062 wrote:

Our path over the LBJ Grove bridge is a lil bit dicey but I didn’t need to dismount, with just one 50 foot span of icy stuff to walk over in the grove trail left. A very rideable route considering yesterday night. I’d still avoid MVT north of Memorial and southeast of 14th. Everything else is clear sailing as long as you stay in the streets.

I’m so thankful for you, bobco, and komorebi’s great work yesterday. I wouldn’t have been able to make it across the channel without you guys shoveling the paths. Seriously, thank you guys so much for clearing a usable path.

[KWL]

@dbb 156997 wrote:

Did anybody ride the MVT south from Roosevelt Island? Where did the snow clearing start?

The snow clearing started at the GW Parkway crossing. And the Trollheim was just terrible this morning. Difficult and unpleasant on a fat bike, a walk-a-bike for all others.

[bentbike33]

@Tania 157067 wrote:

I’m fairly sure I already know the answer (“awful”) to my “How’s the WOD west of EFC (except the parts that Birru shoveled)?” question BUT…anyone know?

Now to decide if I want to walk from Gallows to Virginia Lane (and take roads from there) or head up to Idylwood…

Head up to Idylwood. It was slushy but rideable yesterday from Virginia Lane to Citizens’ Bridge, but today it is probably frozen solid lumpy. There was a guy using an ancient lawn tractor to plow the trail in Falls Church City, but he was leaving about an inch of slush which is also probably very exciting today. Suggest Park to Little Falls to Columbia to Van Buren. The part of the W&OD that ArlCo claims as the Custis through Banneker Park was clear.

[Sunyata]

W&OD from Shirlington to George Mason was passable this morning with some icy patches. It looks like someone plowed it at some point yesterday evening. It was not passable yesterday afternoon when I attempted to ride to Falls Church.

I am not sure from how things are looking west of George Mason, though since my commute goes up George Mason.

395 Pedestrian Bridge in Shirlington was an icy rutted mess. I bypassed that.

[semperiden]

Rode from Glebe Road & South Meade St to Georgetown this morning. From Glebe Rd to MVT it was very good. Alexandria did an excellent job on the 4MR detour. Once you hit MVT though, is where the trouble starts. There are several patches where there is ice as hard as rock, so you better walk those if you plan to head that way. From Gravelly Point to the 14th St Bridge is very much rideable. From then on, to Georgetown, you are better off walking most of the way. Trollheim is a mess, I don’t think even a fat bike can pass through there. The whole way is doable, just take your time on ice patches (you better walk those, that ice is very tricky).

[Birru]

@bentbike33 157072 wrote:

Head up to Idylwood. It was slushy but rideable yesterday from Virginia Lane to Citizens’ Bridge, but today it is probably frozen solid lumpy. There was a guy using an ancient lawn tractor to plow the trail in Falls Church City, but he was leaving about an inch of slush which is also probably very exciting today. Suggest Park to Little Falls to Columbia to Van Buren. The part of the W&OD that ArlCo claims as the Custis through Banneker Park was clear.

Lincoln and Little Falls looked great. Westmoreland from 29 to Sycamore was also in good shape.

[dasgeh]

Custis from Lyon Village to Scott was fine – some strips of ice where snow had melted and the water ran over the path, but nothing big. Even the Spout Run rink was fine. Getting on at Lyon Village was not fine – the parking lot curb cut was plowed in.

Took Arlington streets – which were all great – to the 110 Trail, which was also great. Stayed on the upstream side of the Memorial Bridge, and the entire ride to the Lincoln was good-great. Even the curb cuts were mostly cleared.

[Harry Meatmotor]

The common MVT bypass (LBJ Memorial Park to Boundary Channel to Long Bridge) is completely ridable without any flaccid/flabby/sparkly/spikey snow tires.

The Rte 1 bridge over 4MR has been plowed but is still a little icy.

@DBB, NPS was out breaking up ice and spreading icemelt this morning around 9am throughout LBJ Memorial and had just begun braking up the ice covering the ped bridge.

A tear streamed down my face while crossing the (entirely clear!!!) 14th St. bridge into the city. But that could have been due to the (estimated) 48mph wind gusts out of the NW.

Now, if only they (NPS, DDOT) could realize that starting these minor snow clearing endeavors earlier rather than later will likely mean less overall man-hours invested…

[dasgeh]

@Harry Meatmotor 157084 wrote:

The common MVT bypass (LBJ Memorial Park to Boundary Channel to Long Bridge) is completely ridable without any flaccid/flabby/sparkly/spikey snow tires.

Maybe Steve O’s secret is his flaccidity

[Steve O]

@KWL 157069 wrote:

The snow clearing started at the GW Parkway crossing.

Do you mean by the Memorial Bridge?
I ask because I want to go from Rosslyn to Wed. night spins tonight. I plan to take the 110 trail to ANC, avoiding the Trollheim section. Then I can either take the MVT to LBJ Grove to Boundary Channel (last section shoveled by the Trio of Incredibleness) or schlep the Wash Blvd. trail to Boundary Channel.
Suggestions, anyone?

[jrenaut]

Here’s a shock – DPW did NOTHING for any bike lanes in DC. DDOT cleared some cycletracks, but if you can’t use cycletracks to get where you’re going (because they refuse to build one on 6th NW), you’re SOL.

[dasgeh]

@semperiden 157076 wrote:

Rode from Glebe Road & South Meade St to Georgetown this morning. From Glebe Rd to MVT it was very good. Alexandria did an excellent job on the 4MR detour. Once you hit MVT though, is where the trouble starts. There are several patches where there is ice as hard as rock, so you better walk those if you plan to head that way. From Gravelly Point to the 14th St Bridge is very much rideable. From then on, to Georgetown, you are better off walking most of the way. Trollheim is a mess, I don’t think even a fat bike can pass through there. The whole way is doable, just take your time on ice patches (you better walk those, that ice is very tricky).

Why not go the other way around? Like this.

[Author]

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