MLK Day of Service – Friends of Mount Vernon Trail Cleanup

[Judd]

The Friends of the Mount Vernon Trail (a group founded by some of your favorite forum members) will be holding a trail cleanup from Belle Haven Park north towards Alexandria as part of the MLK Day of Service. We need your help! The multiple floods this year mean that a large amount of garbage has washed up next to the trail, marring our beautiful view of the Potomac. We’ll provide trash grabbers, trash bags and gloves. If you’re biking there make sure you have shoes that are comfortable to walk in and an extra layer to keep warm. Also, note that if the government is still shutdown, the bathroom at Belle Haven Park and Jones Point will be closed. I’ll likely hit up District Taco afterwards for lunch and everyone is invited.

Full event details and registration are at the link below.

When: Monday, January 21st from 10-noon
Where: Belle Haven Park (meet near the bathroom)
Why: Because you love the Mount Vernon Trail or at least want to curry favor with Judd

Please RSVP at the following link so that we know that you’re coming and also so we can notify you if the event plan changes for any reason.
https://www.eventbrite.com/e/mlk-day-of-service-mount-vernon-trail-cleanup-at-belle-haven-park-registration-53846408056

You can learn more about the Friends of the Mount Vernon Trail at:
MountVernonTrail.org
twitter.com/mtvernonfriends
facebook.com/MountVernonTrailFriends
instagram.com/mountvernontrail

Topic

[Steve O]

@Judd 185143 wrote:

Full event details and registration are at the link below.

When: Monday, January 21st from 10-noon
Where: Belle Haven Park (meet near the bathroom)
Why: Because you love the Mount Vernon Trail or at least want to curry favor with Judd

Please RSVP at the following link so that we know that you’re coming and also so we can notify you if the event plan changes for any reason.
https://www.eventbrite.com/e/mlk-day-of-service-mount-vernon-trail-cleanup-at-belle-haven-park-registration-53846408056

This has been added to the calendar.

[Judd]

Bumpity bump bump. There’s about 22 folks signed up currently and including several members of the forum. Thank you to everyone who has signed up. The shoreline is pretty trash filled and we could use lots more volunteers to help get our trail looking pretty again.

Please sign up here: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/mlk-day-of-service-mount-vernon-trail-cleanup-at-belle-haven-park-registration-53846408056

[KWL]

@Judd 185940 wrote:

Bumpity bump bump. There’s about 22 folks signed up currently and including several members of the forum. Thank you to everyone who has signed up. The shoreline is pretty trash filled and we could use lots more volunteers to help get our trail looking pretty again.

Please sign up here: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/mlk-day-of-service-mount-vernon-trail-cleanup-at-belle-haven-park-registration-53846408056

It’s going to be really cold. Do we need to bring boots or can we just walk on the ice? Seriously, are we going to be wading in to get to the trash?

[Judd]

@KWL 186002 wrote:

It’s going to be really cold. Do we need to bring boots or can we just walk on the ice? Seriously, are we going to be wading in to get to the trash?

There shouldn’t be any wading. Event will be near low tide and most of the trash is in solid ground. Hiking type boots are recommended since we will be in dormant vegetation and lots of washed up wood bits that are like a bed of mulch. With the recent snow, it’s possible that it might be damp. I’ll do a check on Saturday to see what conditions are like and plan to send an e-mail through eventbrite with reminders and any updates. Weather forecast is cold so wear layers.

I’ll have trash grabbers for use, trash bags and work gloves, although with the weather I suspect most people will be wearing winter gloves. I’m gonna try to get a few boxes of hand and foot warmers to make sure no one loses any digits.

[KWL]

What is the condition of the MVT heading south from the Porto Vecchio condos? Is it reasonable for me to expect clear riding to Belle Haven Park?

[Judd]

@KWL 186117 wrote:

What is the condition of the MVT heading south from the Porto Vecchio condos? Is it reasonable for me to expect clear riding to Belle Haven Park?

I’m giving it a check tomorrow to see what the trail and shoreline are looking like. Will have an update tomorrow afternoon.

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[ChristoB50]

Hi Judd;
Using Google Maps satellite view — Looks like you pull into the “Driveway” (that leads to the marina boat docks) — then turn left onto the little roadway that connects to the parks’s 3 parking lots… are the restrooms/meet point visible from those lots? (I’ve not stopped at this particular park before, so I’m not familiar with the layout, and don’t want to wander around (in the teen-degree weather) hunting for the group any more than necessary

[Emm]

@Christob50 186129 wrote:

Hi Judd;
Using Google Maps satellite view — Looks like you pull into the “Driveway” (that leads to the marina boat docks) — then turn left onto the little roadway that connects to the parks’s 3 parking lots… are the restrooms/meet point visible from those lots? (I’ve not stopped at this particular park before, so I’m not familiar with the layout, and don’t want to wander around (in the teen-degree weather) hunting for the group any more than necessary

The parking lot is very visible and well marked. The bathrooms are adjacent to it. Pull in off the gw parkway, then go left like you say be above. You’ll see the bathrooms really quick. It’s a big parking lot.

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[CaseyKane50]

@Judd 186119 wrote:

I’m giving it a check tomorrow to see what the trail and shoreline are looking like. Will have an update tomorrow afternoon.

If you are accessing the MVT at Royal Street underneath the Woodrow Wilson Bridge, the trail is clear of any snow to the Belle Haven parking lot. Freezing temperatures on Monday might have an impact, unless the winds tomorrow dry out the pavement.

South of Belle Haven and north through Jones Point Park and north of Old Town is a different story.

South of Belle Haven, the first two bridges are ice covered. Including the long bridge over Dykes Marsh.

[ATTACH=CONFIG]19032[/ATTACH]

In Jones Point Park, just north of the Wilson Bridge is a patch of ice.

[ATTACH=CONFIG]19033[/ATTACH]

North of Old Town, the first three bridges are not suitable for bike riding.
[ATTACH=CONFIG]19034[/ATTACH]
[ATTACH=CONFIG]19035[/ATTACH]
[ATTACH=CONFIG]19036[/ATTACH]

[Judd]

I couldn’t make it over any of the wooden bridges on my mountain bike today without dismounting.

There is currently sporadic snow patches in the area that we are cleaning but there’s plenty of exposed trash to get if the snow is not gone by tomorrow.

For those signed up, several folks told me today that they’ll still come out on Monday despite the forecast. I’m going to send an e-mail out this evening with additional info.

If there’s a need to reschedule I will send an e-mail tomorrow night.

Also in good news: the NPS bathrooms have reopened and also are heated!

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[Judd]

Here’s the latest note to MLK trail cleanup participants:

You may have noticed that the forecast for Monday is calling for weather in the mid-20s and windy, but also sunny. I’m continuing to monitor the forecast, but the event is still on. Should we need to reschedule, I’ll send a notification through e-mail.

A few important items:

1. The plan is still to meet by the bathroom in Belle Haven Park. Look for the purple Friends of the Mount Vernon Trail yard sign. I’ll provide trash grabbers, bags and work gloves (if you can fit them over your winter gloves)

2. Great news: Despite the shutdown the bathroom at Belle Haven Park has been reopened. It’s heated in case you need to warm up.

3. A wonderful volunteer has offered to bring some hot coffee to help keep you warm.

4. The cleanup is land based and mostly in dormant vegetation and wood chips that have washed ashore. Sturdy, water resistant shoes like hiking boots are recommended as the ground may retain some moisture from tomorrow’s rain. A change of socks is advisable in the event your feet get wet.

5. Dress for the cold and wear lots of layers. You can always peel a layer off.

6. Your safety takes priority. If you need to warm up in the bathroom or leave early because of the cold, please do. This is a no frostbite event.

7. If you’re coming by bike, there’s a wheel stand type of rack that has loops to lock to. Remember to bring some dry/extra layers since you’ll be generating less heat during the cleanup.

The forecasted cold weather reminds me of the words of Thomas Paine written at Valley Forge as George Washington wintered the Continental Army. “THESE are the times that try men’s souls. The summer soldier and the sunshine patriot will, in this crisis, shrink from the service of their country; but he that stands by it now, deserves the love and thanks of man and woman.”

I look forward to seeing everyone on Monday and earning the love and thanks of users of the Mount Vernon Trail.

[Emm]

I’ll have my car with me and it has nice heated seats so if anyone thinks they’re about to freeze you’re welcome to hang out in it instead of the bathroom.

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[secstate]

Running a bit late (all morning events today are competing with last night’s eclipse) but am on the way!

[Judd]

Thank you to everyone who came out today. Don’t forget to play in the QOT and KOT thread to claim your points!

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[ChristoB50]

What a great outing today! Properly bundled up, the cold was surprisingly bearable while working, and the clear sunny day was gorgeous!
The worst of it was probably wrestling with the garbage bags — while trying to drop trash items in (with the wind always blowing the bag the wrong way) and then, hauling them back to the parking lot, when it dawns on you, “wow, I really wandered quite a ways away from the start point in just 2 hours!”

Lessons learned:
1. I will be taking my own stainless steel knife/fork/spoon to keep at work Tuesday, and never again use the office’s plasticware… (picked up more than enough plasticware pieces today!)
2. I will studiously avoid using styrofoam products, forever. There is sadly, enough of it all along the shoreline to likely make an impressive little mountain if ever collected completely. A hundred volunteers couldn’t pick it all up in a day, focusing only on the styrofoam, just in the stretch we attempted to tackle today. There were massive blocks of it, down to tiny bits; each ready to crumble into even tinier bits. Most smaller bits were frozen into the soil so you couldn’t even pick them up today (without breaking off a chunk, and thereby releasing even tinier chunks in the process)… 😡
3. Glad anew that I never took up smoking. I stopped counting cigarette butts somewhere around 125.
4. Next time, I’ll see if I can borrow my niece’s red flyer wagon — to help haul full bags back to the collection point! Or, I will walk a mile up trail, then start picking up trash as I slowly make my way back with an increasingly full bag… doh! Rookie mistake!

[Author]

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