November 2016 Road and Trail Conditions

[bentbike33]

@DrP 149071 wrote:

On four mile run just south of Columbia Pike, by the apartments before the tennis courts, I had to swerve around a coconut. A whole one, complete with husk. Like it had fallen out of a tree. I have been on that bit of trail for many years and have not noticed a palm tree. Glad I wasn’t there when it fell out of whatever tree it had been in. Watch out for odd things falling from trees.

No tree. Obviously, it was dropped by an African Swallow. Still, something else of which to be wary.

[lordofthemark]

@bentbike33 149069 wrote:

Hope you’re OK LOTM. Steel plates are awful, especially when unexpectedly damp.

Only minor scratches to my legs, fabric on my pants damaged but not a hole all the way through. Brand new gloves no longer look new. Bike appears fine.

[huskerdont]

@bentbike33 149073 wrote:

No tree. Obviously, it was dropped by an African Swallow. Still, something else of which to be wary.

You forget that African swallows are not migratory.

[bobco85]

@bentbike33 149069 wrote:

Hope you’re OK LOTM. Steel plates are awful, especially when unexpectedly damp.

Agreed (both on lordofthemark’s well-being and on steel plates). I treat steel plates, metal grating, manhole covers, and other metallic objects as if they are covered in ice* if I think there is any hint of precipitation on them.

* Riding on ice, I choose a straight line to follow, stay completely upright, and do not pedal/brake/steer until after my rear wheel clears the obstacle.

[huskerdont]

@bobco85 149084 wrote:

* Riding on ice, I … stay completely upright….

I see this is where I have been doing it wrong.

[lordofthemark]

Actually I am still feeling some slight soreness just below (on the bottom of) my right knee, especially when I stretch my leg. I will see how I feel this evening.

[bentbike33]

https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/morning-mix/wp/2016/11/22/suicide-bomber-squirrel-hospitalizes-chicago-politician-who-spoke-out-against-squirrels/?hpid=hp_rhp-morning-mix_mm-squirrel%3Ahomepage%2Fstory

Makes you think that perhaps the added expense of bladed spokes on the front wheel is not so frivolous after all.

[DCAKen]

There’s another new detour in place on the Rock Creek Park trail. The trail is now closed between the tunnel and the zoo entrance onto Beach Drive. The trail is diverted onto the roadway for this short distance. Fortunately, it’s much wider than the detour south of Peirce Mill.

[ursus]

I guess that this qualifies as Trail Conditions https://twitter.com/WODTrail/status/801102752776589312.

Water fountains winterized, but the ones at MM0, Lee Hwy, Cedar Lane, Sunset Hills Rd and Smiths Switch rest stop are still up-and-running

Two questions.
Is there a water fountain at Cedar Lane?
I thought that the new fountain at the Custis Trail connection (mile 4) could work all year. Is that correct?

[bentbike33]

@ursus 149282 wrote:

I guess that this qualifies as Trail Conditions https://twitter.com/WODTrail/status/801102752776589312.

Two questions.
Is there a water fountain at Cedar Lane?
I thought that the new fountain at the Custis Trail connection (mile 4) could work all year. Is that correct?

I don’t remember one at Cedar Lane last time I went through. I thought they just finished installing one at Buckthorn Lane.

[Rockford10]

@bentbike33 149283 wrote:

I don’t remember one at Cedar Lane last time I went through. I thought they just finished installing one at Buckthorn Lane.

There is one a few yards West of Cedar Lane. I think it’s pretty new.

[W Odie]

@Rockford10 149285 wrote:

There is one a few yards West of Cedar Lane. I think it’s pretty new.

It’s 300 yards west of Cedar Lane at the spur that leads into the new Wedderburn development.

[DCAKen]

@DCAKen 148769 wrote:

As could the Rock Creek trail

[ATTACH=CONFIG]12721[/ATTACH]

Yesterday I saw a tractor blowing leaves from Ross Drive in the park. This morning, I saw a tractor blowing leaves off the meadow at the intersection of Ross Drive and Glover Road. And yet the trail is still choked with leaves in places. I sent the superintendent a scathing email asking just where are their priorities…but that probably won’t make any difference.

[DCAKen]

@DCAKen 149365 wrote:

Yesterday I saw a tractor blowing leaves from Ross Drive in the park. This morning, I saw a tractor blowing leaves off the meadow at the intersection of Ross Drive and Glover Road. And yet the trail is still choked with leaves in places. I sent the superintendent a scathing email asking just where are their priorities…but that probably won’t make any difference.

I’m happy to say that I was wrong. I received this email on Friday and on the ride home that evening, I enjoyed swept trails in Rock Creek Park.

Thank you for your emails pertaining to the leaf and debris along locations of the multi-use trail. We understand your frustration and are working diligently to address and correct each issue as soon as possible. The locations you are referring to in your previous email have been cleared and will continue to be monitored and cleared weekly. Our trails staff currently clears sections of the multi-use trail and other established trails weekly. Our crew normally operates from north to south along the multi-use trail and does so two to three times per week. While recent staffing issues and the Beach Drive closure has slowed down progress, I assure you that the park is doing its best to keep up with multi-use trail maintenance along Beach Drive and the Rock Creek and Potomac Parkway and will continue until all hazards are abated.

Hopefully they will clean the trails on a weekly basis. I certainly haven’t see any evidence that the crews are on the trails three days a week, even before the Beach Drive rehabilitation project started.

[bentbike33]

I picked up a carpet tack in my front tire on the Humpback Bridge this evening. Thought I pulled it out before it nicked the tube but no dice. Changed the tube by the light of the GWMP traffic jam.

Be careful.

[Author]

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