Trail Conditions -February 2014

[myoglobinologist]

Madison Manor near EFC – roads are mostly clear except for huge icy patches. I walked to metro instead of biking in today. Saw 2 bikes fall on W&OD.

It ought to be ok by this afternoon, right?

[slowtriguy]

Well that was fun.

I rode from Spring St in Falls Church City to Ballston via W&OD, Washington St./Lee Highway, Westmoreland, Van Buren, W&OD, Custis, Vermont, 15th, and Stafford. It was dicey — took 45 minutes, including two slow-speed crashes (I’m fine) and having to straighten out the handlebars before continuing on. Strava says 41 min in-motion time. I started at about 0730.

The roads I took are largely fine.

The W&OD between Great Falls and just past the bridge at Little Falls is very slick glaze ice – I crashed once midway, but slipped multiple times. The W&OD between Van Buren and the Roosevelt/Sycamore underpass is crunchy ice. Brandymore Castle hill is icy bottom-to-top on both east and west sides – I walked up and down. W&OD is largely fine otherwise until the Custis, but if you’re going to ride it, I’d stay toward the edges — it seemed to have better traction there.

The Custis has icy patches from the I-66 underpass at least to Vermont, in various spots that include the hill just past the I-66 underpass, the Harrison Street underpass, just past the Catholic school between Harrison and George Mason, just past the path toward Fairfax (I fell the second time here), and all the way from the tree roots at 11th St past the Glebe underpass. Interestingly, I didn’t see any ice on the overpass that crosses the Glebe exit from I-66 Westbound. I turned off the Custis at Vermont, not wanting to risk the Two Sisters.

I’m riding on 26″ Specialized Nimbus Armadillos (semi-slicks).

Again, it seemed less icy toward the edges of the trail, but that is really a relative thing.

[TwoWheelsDC]

Washington Blvd was basically clear west of Westover. Westmoreland was fine as well. It started raining pretty decently by the time I crossed the northern border into Fairfax at 730, which wiped out any trace of ice on the main roads, but the side roads looked like skating rinks. I did not envy trail users this morning!

[cyclingfool]

Not necessarily an early ride report now that it’s 9 AM but…

All the roads and trails on my Alexandria to DC commute this AM were completely ice-free: Monroe Ave –> Potomac Ave –> Crystal City –> CC Connector –> MVT –> 14th St Bridge –> Tidal Basin, 15th St, Mall

With an afternoon high expected in the mid-to-upper 40s and rain tapering off by lunchtime, I think it will all stay ice-free. [STRIKE], or become ice-free in places that got a little ice overnight.[/STRIKE] <--- Edit: W&OD and Custis sound pretty nasty in spots based on others' reports. I retract this part of my statement.

[Mikey]

The only trouble I had from the Pentagon to Buzzard Point was the bridge over boundary channel to LBJ grove. Everything else was just wet.

[Greenbelt]

Wood bridge over Indian Creek on the NE branch trail was so slippery had to pull/slide the bike across holding the side rails. Other than that, the asphalt surfaces should be totally OK by now.

Construction zone under the rail bridge between Decatur and Alt Route 1 requires a dismount if using narrow tires. They’re building a new rail bridge, so I expect this construction spot will be there for a long time. The foreman said they don’t have any plans to close the trail though.

[dasgeh]

Custis from the Italian Store to TR Parking lot; troll bridge to TR Bridge; TR Bridge and streets in DC were fine on 32s. There was some slush on the Custis after the Spout Run overpass, but nothing that tires couldn’t slice through. A guy passed me with semi slicks and seemed fine.

That said, for the second time in a row, 20th St East of Monroe was a skating rink. I don’t understand. Every other street was ice free, and the trail was fine even when slushy. Since this is at the beginning of my commute, and I’ve gone down there before, I was going VERY slowly. I could see that there was something on the road, starting right where the big downhill starts (that basically ends on the Custis). I slowed way down, proceeded onto the ice, and discovered that it was just a sheet of ice. I had a comical moment where I put my foot down, but my bike kept sliding. So I basically laid the bike down as both the bike, now horizontal, and I slowly slid down the hill. We only went about 5 feet, but it was… odd. I didn’t fall and everything on my bike was fine.

Anywho, does anyone know why this one hill is prone to glaze ice when everything else is fine?

[Steve O]

There are two separate threads for Feb 2014 trail conditions. Should consolidate.

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