[CaseyKane50]

I have an older Yakima roof rack system (SST Tower) that I used on a Honda Accord. You can have it, if it fits on your car.

Just learned from the Yakima web site that the SST Tower will only fit fit on pre-1997 cars. However, the rails and bike trays are still usable with the the new Q towers.

[CaseyKane50]

There are two bad sections of the Mount Vernon Trail within Alexandria. The section just north of Old Town by the former coal plant has multiple sections of ice and slush. And then south of Old Town, Jones Point Park has a very treacherous stretch of hard ice.

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[CaseyKane50]

Saw boat docks being pushed up the Potomac this morning and then by the Washington Sailing Marina there was a fleet of sail boats.

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[CaseyKane50]

Lots of melting along the Holmes Run Trail, but there are stretches of ice and slush, especially at the underpasses at Duke Street and leading up to Eisenhower Avenue.

[CaseyKane50]

Lots if melting along the unplowed section. Most cyclists seem to be using the road and skipping the trail along this section.

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[CaseyKane50]

The sewer was repaired, but the last time I rode that way, the trail had not been repaired.

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[CaseyKane50]

A portion of the Eisenhower Trail from west of the Holmes Run Trail to just past the Cameron Run Regional Park has been plowed.

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[CaseyKane50]

The Holmes Run trail is mostly ice with a few patches of bare pavement that will likely be black ice in the morning. The exception is the connector to the the Eisenhower Avenue trail, it had been plowed!

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Holmes Run Trail by the Beatley Bridge

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[CaseyKane50]

Despite the thawing and rain, on the MVT in Jones Point Park there is a stretch of ice running for over 100 feet from the north edge of the Wilson Bridge towards Old Town. Best to skip this section and take Royal.

Unfortunately, this stretch is too rough for ice skating, but the National Park Service might be able to borrow one of the Capital’s zambonis to smooth out the ice and let skaters use this section.

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[CaseyKane50]

The Holmes Run trail is covered with snow and ice. Somebody managed to drive on it, but sadly they didn’t have a snowplow blade attached to the front of their vehicle.

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[CaseyKane50]

@culimerc 76890 wrote:

I’m trying to keep it down to a 5 day tour rather than a six day.

If you can, I would recommend taking more than 5 days. There is a lot of nature to see along the way. In retrospect, I wish I had taken more than six days.

[CaseyKane50]

I did a six-day credit card ride in October 2009 from Washington to Pittsburgh. I stayed in the following places:

Harper’s Ferry – Comfort Inn (it was a haul up High Street to get to the hotel. They had a hose out front to wash my bike and I could take my bike to the room.)

Hancock – 1828 Trail Inn (The inn is right off the trail. They had a storage shed to store my bike, a hose to clean it and a washer and dryer to clean my clothes.)

Cumberland – The Inn at Walnut Bottom (The inn is about a 1/2 mile from the trail. They had a shed to store my bike.)

Harnedsville – Hanna House Bread and Breakfast (The B&B is about a 1/4 mile from the trail. They had a hose to clean my bike and a shed to store it.)

West Newton – Bright Morning Bed and Breakfast (The B&B is right on the trail. Bike storage was in the basement.)

Pittsburgh – Courtyard by Marriott in Homestead. (The hotel is right on the trail. I was able to take my bike into my room.)

I rode 77 miles the first and then averaged around 60 miles each day, except the last day when I rode 43 days. I was beat when I got to the the hotel in Harper’s Ferry, especially with the last climb to the hotel. As others have suggested, going a shorter distance on the first day would be the best plan.

[CaseyKane50]

Along the MVT at the Crystal City Connector

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[CaseyKane50]

Yes, this should be on his radar screen. 😎

[CaseyKane50]

Repairs to the sewer line have been completed, but the trail is still not rideable.

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Stream crossing west bound

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