Missed connection

[scoot]

@Steve O 113507 wrote:

Have you tried Military to the Donaldson Run trail?

I’ll have to check this trail out sometime. Is it paved all the way?

[Steve O]

@scoot 113513 wrote:

I’ll have to check this trail out sometime. Is it paved all the way?

No, the lower 1/2 from Military to Vermont is hard packed dirt; the top 1/2 from Vermont to 26th (at Marymount) is paved (map).
Ignore rcannon: there will be some walkers and dog walkers, but, with one notable exception, they are not morons.

The lowest part, from Military to the river is a hiking-only trail and is also very nice, particularly in that you feel far removed from the city even though you are still right in Arlington County.

[rcannon100]

These three wait in the park for Steve O to go by.

[dasgeh]

@Steve O 113518 wrote:

No, the lower 1/2 from Military to Vermont is hard packed dirt; the top 1/2 from Vermont to 26th (at Marymount) is paved (map).
Ignore rcannon: there will be some walkers and dog walkers, but, with one notable exception, they are not morons.

We often take the hard-packed part to get to/from Potomac Overlook, and it’s AWESOME. Maybe not on the skinniest slicks, but you don’t need a lot of width/tread to be fine on the surface. Even that part feels out of the city and there are fun random things to see, like a fire hydrant on the side of the trail…

[rcannon100]

The “trail” was originally Yorktown Blvd. Somehow the neighborhood managed to persuade the county that Yorktown could end where it did.

At the top of the trail, near Marymount, you will find an old abandoned stone wall – and a switch back which is lots of fun. The Marymount kids like to come here to smoke since they are no longer allowed to smoke on campus. They are not allowed to smoke here either but that doesnt stop them. The quality of the pavement here leaves something to be desired. If you are not paying attention, you will be airborn. It goes by Missionhurst, which is a good neighbor and regularly lets pee wee soccer teams practice on their fields.

In the next section, you will find the hard pack trail. There are a couple of very quaint bridges over the stream. This is called Zack Taylor park. Taylor school is on the east side of this park. In the middle are some benches dedicated for someone for some reason, that replaced some other benches that had just been installed. The some other benches are just south of that point. In the lower half of this section you will notice that the stream has these curious man-made flow control thingies. The county decided that erosion had gotten out of control, and spent $$$$$ to regroom the stream and put in these flow control thingies – only literally to have the entire thing destroyed in about two weeks by a major storm. This is the second version.

Down stream is the hiking trail portion of Donaldson Run. At the top a copperhead took offense to my dog once; good thing dingos can jump. The trail cuts back and forth across the stream multiple times. The picture above is of the old Donaldson dam. They built it as a swimming hole. Further down you will find remnants of what I am told is a civil war dam. The Donaldsons, who had a farm, apparently brought their produce down this way, to the river, to take it down to market in Georgetown. The trail down to the river is steep – it intersects with the Potomac Heritage trail. Here the hiking is very billy-goat like. Or, above the dams you can turn south and go up into Potomac Overlook Park – which is very wonderful.

[consularrider]

@scoot 113492 wrote:

Might that stretch of Glebe be a good candidate for a road diet? According to VDOT, AADT in 2013 was 14k between Chain Bridge and Old Dominion. I seem to recall that 20k is the critical point.

There are alternative routes between Chain Bridge and Marymount, like Military Road to 31st/26th, which are either awesome (hills!) or awful (hills!), depending on your POV. But Glebe is certainly the quickest ride and gentlest slope, so it would be very helpful to improve it so that people can feel comfortable riding there.

I think the climb up 41st Street to Randolph from Chain Bridge is a fine candidate for the bike escalator (except of course for the hard core climbers). If you watch the video you’ll note that the user has to insert a card and push a start button. I wonder if the card is so the rider can be charged for the trip up the hill?

[wheelswings]

@consularrider 113527 wrote:

I think the climb up 41st Street to Randolph from Chain Bridge is a fine candidate for the bike escalator (except of course for the hard core climbers). If you watch the video you’ll note that the user has to insert a card and push a start button. I wonder if the card is so the rider can be charged for the trip up the hill?

I expect that’s exactly right … the card is to pay the fee. Nothing in Norway comes free…. but the scenery is exquisite.

I was in the Nordic countries in 2001 for some international treaty meetings. I was ~6 months pregnant, and one thing that really stood out in Norway was that ladies had to pay nearly a US dollar to use the public restrooms — while men had free use of the urinals and only had to pay for the private booths… surprisingly backward policy for such a progressive country.

In any case, I’m sure the bike escalator costs money, as well.

[mstone]

@wheels&wings 113531 wrote:

I was in the Nordic countries in 2001 for some international treaty meetings. I was ~6 months pregnant, and one thing that really stood out in Norway was that ladies had to pay nearly a US dollar to use the public restrooms — while men had free use of the urinals and only had to pay for the private booths… surprisingly backward policy for such a progressive country.

If it keeps them from peeing on the walls it’s a net positive. (See: France)

[PotomacCyclist]

Why do some people continue to think they have the right of way on a trail when they cross the yellow line to pass someone? They are riding in the wrong direction, on the left side of the yellow line. Most people understand that the person passing has to yield to oncoming traffic (bike or pedestrian). But at least a few people think they have absolute right of way on the wrong side of the line.

A group of cyclists crossed over the yellow line to pass a small group of pedestrians (two or three). The first three cyclists or so had passed as I approached from the other direction. But as I neared, another guy continued to ride in the wrong direction. Apparently he felt that because he was following the rest of the group, he had the right to force me to stop suddenly, instead of him waiting until traffic had passed. I think he swore at me as he passed by, although I couldn’t hear him too well. This was on the 14th St. Bridge.

I expect I’ll run into a few more people like him, now that the weather is warmer and a lot more people are riding, walking and running along the MVT.

****
On a different note, as I rode back in the other direction later, to Arlington, I turned down the path from the bridge to the MVT and headed to the south. It was shortly after sunset. There was still light, but not too bright. Up ahead, I saw two women who were dressed unusually. One had a pale blue dress. The other a pink or lavender dress. They looked like Disney Princess-type dresses. It looked strangely familiar. As I passed by, I realized that they were dressed as Elsa and Anna from the Disney mega-hit “Frozen”. (I have some young relatives of “Frozen” fanhood age, so I know about these things.)

I don’t think there were any Disney or cosplay conventions going on this weekend, not during the Cherry Blossom Festival. Even if there were, why would two cosplayers walk all that way in their Frozen costumes, from the Tidal Basin to Arlington?

Very surreal.

[ATTACH=CONFIG]8335[/ATTACH]

[peterw_diy]

FYI we saw those cosplay sisters walking north on MVT just above Gravelly Point, probably 630-645p. Darn, I wish I’d recognized which princesses they were. Will have to ask tomorrow if my kids recognized who they were.

[Starduster]

@peterw_diy 113561 wrote:

FYI we saw those cosplay sisters walking north on MVT just above Gravelly Point, probably 630-645p. Darn, I wish I’d recognized which princesses they were. Will have to ask tomorrow if my kids recognized who they were.

They perhaps attended Sakura Matsuri, the street festival that is part of the Cherry Blossom Festival, though *Frozen* is outside the usual (for Sakura Matsuri) Anime and ninja cosplay… oh, but that was Saturday, lol.

[dkel]

@PotomacCyclist 113556 wrote:

I don’t think there were any Disney or cosplay conventions going on this weekend, not during the Cherry Blossom Festival. Even if there were, why would two cosplayers walk all that way in their Frozen costumes, from the Tidal Basin to Arlington?

Very surreal.

Let it go.

[Starduster]

@dkel 113568 wrote:

Let it go.

Better yet, embrace the surreal.

[Tim Kelley]

@PotomacCyclist 113556 wrote:

(I have some young relatives of “Frozen” fanhood age, so I know about these things.)]

No need to explain yourself, we’re an accepting bunch here!

[ShawnoftheDread]

@dkel 113568 wrote:

Let it go.

I hate you.

[Author]

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