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The ice patches are back on the MVT north and south of the Memorial Bridge. Perhaps even larger than before, although not as thick and solid. Yet. Likely to melt during the day and be back tomorrow. The troublesome ones are south of the bridge when you are heading south since at some point you need to pedal while on them – the very right side does have leaves and twigs stuck in the ice and provide some traction.

There are ice bits here and there elsewhere on Custis and MVT, but mostly avoidable and more likely to disappear as the sun warms and dries them.

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@semperiden 186397 wrote:

It has been like that since like July last year. There are a couple of drains just above on the GWP. They might be malfunctioning or just overflowing.

I was thinking something was leaking, but had not investigated to look for drains. This makes something worth telling NPS about (perhaps once they are open?).

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@KWL 186367 wrote:

This was the big ice patch on the Mt Vernon Trail today

For obvious reasons, this was gone today. Puddles abound everywhere and I am hoping the wind this afternoon will dry things out, otherwise it will be an icy mess tomorrow with frozen puddles and newly frozen seepage.

(and what is up with those sections of ground along the MVT north and south of the bridge. They seep water long, long after a rain, as if there are underground springs there ).

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@dasgeh 186042 wrote:

Rolls off the tongue…

WBTE and WBTW better? Or are you thinking something like Washington-Towers and Washington-Parkway or wholly new names like George and Martha?

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Warning, the snow stuck in some places, like where it didn’t fully melt or last to melt. In the former case, it was such a nice blanketing that one does not notice just how rutted the hardpack is underneath (crap, turn left, right, better over there, stay upriiiiight, made it past).

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I tried a different route home (well gym). Joyce to Columbia Pike to Washington Blvd Trail East (the one along the Pentagon) to 110 trail through the park with Iwo Jima to Lynn to Custis to Quincy.

(I should probably mention that I am on 38s that are not as nubby as they once were)

Sidewalk on Joyce has some slush/icy bits, but all is well, beautify, actually, from there until the park just after the cemetery.
Do not let the clear patch at the N Marshall Dr/Access Rd fool you. Shortly after that the trail going uphill is a hardpack/slushy/icy mess. Uphill required walking. Once at the Carillon, it cleared up some and the trails were rideable. The sidewalk on N Meade quickly became completely covered and I got on the road.
The bike lanes on Lynn are not completely clear (nor of cars at that time of evening either. Sigh), but made it to Custis despite the construction and snow.
Custis going up Lee was pretty clear, but ice melt may mean some slick bits in the morning. The bridge over spout run is a lot of hardpack/slush/ice. And for a long way. I got through it. There is a similar mess on the bridge over I-66 (but not as bad) and the bridge over Lee Highway (worse than the I66 bridge, but better than Spout Run). I exited at Quincy, and aside from the snow boulder at the turn, that exit was great.
The bike lanes on Quincy between 15th and Fairfax were anywhere from 5% to 95% clear – whatever the plow got. Cars weren’t too annoyed at me. The protected lanes between 9th and Wilson were clear.

Fairfax drive bike lanes were clear.
Ballston connector was passable – worst over I-66.
Custis clear from there to St Ann’s.
I still think W&OD and 4MRT is a better bet. Especially after CBGanimal has done so much there.

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@dasgeh 185953 wrote:

Now there are 2 trails next to 27/Washington Blvd and both start near Columbia Pike (the old one, connecting to Memorial Bridge, and the new one, Towers Park to Courthouse Road). It would be great to have clear names for them…

Washington Blvd Trail East (the old one) and Washington Blvd Trail West (the new one)?

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Mild change on trip home. Army-Navy drive to 28th to Meade to 4MRT to W&OD to Custis.
The bike lane on Army-Navy drive was partially clear – the buffer allowed on to feel like it was a regular bike lane (the other direction, which has parking between the bike and car lanes, did not look so clear, but the sidewalk over there looked great. My side was all snow). I jumped over to the sidewalk where the bike lane disappeared since (1) I wasn’t sure if there would be icy bits and I didn’t want to fall in front of a car that wanted to go 50mph and (2) there was less lane anyway due to pushing the snow over. The sidewalk varied from fantastic to passable.
The 4MRT sidewalk was still a mess along Glebe from Meade to after the bridge where the trail turns towards 4MR. There was some sidewalk visible, but near the road it was quite narrow and the idea of potentially falling into oncoming cars had me half-flintstoning. 4MRT trail after that wasn’t horrible (thank you CBGAnimal for the removal of some of that snow next to the generator). I am still curious as to what is in that puddle that is just so not frozen under Glebe.
W&OD was much more clear than this morning, but patches were solid pack or rutted. Still quite passable.
Custis was pretty good. The eastbound lane coming up under I-66 wasn’t great, but the westbound lane was clear and no one was coming. Access points to the trail still bad.
This might be the route in tomorrow morning unless someone comments that the Custis is great on the Rosslyn hill and the 110 and Washington blvd trails to Pentagon are clear.

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I took Custis to W&OD to 4MRT to Eads to 18th this morning. All were passable, although some areas were just passable or not depending on the bike. Lots of areas will likely be slush and re-freeze again tonight, unless they get more sun. W&OD from Columbia Pike to the start was almost completely clear with only a few re-frozen snow melt areas.
Lots of areas of re-frozen melted snow elsewhere (although the usual spots). Several not well plowed areas, especially on 4MRT where the sewer construction folks are (and that puddle under Glebe shown by Emm was still liquid this morning! I fear what other than water is in that puddle given that it is by the construction folks). The overpass/bridge on Glebe near Meade and where the trail turns to go behind what was apartments is horrible. Lots of Flintstoning there.
The Eades protected lane heading inbound (i.e., from 4MRT towards Pentagon) was okay, although the other direction looked blocked in many places. Also from Eades and 18th I now see a major drawback to these PBLs – since they are on the edge of the road, they are sloped towards the curb and all the snow in the unplowed buffer melts across the lane and re-freezes. Not a fast ride this morning, but not too much slower than usual given that this is much longer than my other routes.

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I am looking at my options for my morning commute (usually at about 7am).
From what I can tell of the messages here, this is what I think might be the status. Anyone know different?

Custis is clear of snow. Frozen slush and re-frozen melted bits likely common (I am fearing the Rosslyn hill since that is so shady it is unlikely to have dried).

MVT is not clear except between the Johnson Grove and 14th Street bridge.

4MRT is clear from Meade/Glebe to MVT. Sounds like it is not clear from Meade/Glebe to just before Glebe/Glebe underpass. Clear from there to Shirlington?

W&OD is clear from Shirlington to Purceville.

110 Trail is likely clear from Iwo Jima to the Cemetery since the County does that. (Anyone know for sure?)

Anyone know if the Washington Blvd trail from about the Cemetery to Pentagon was cleared? Some years the county does it and some they do not.

I am guessing that the new Washington Blvd trail from near Columbia Pike to Rt 50 was not done. Nor the trail from there to Lyon Park.

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Status of Custis and some access points.
At about 6:30 this evening I walked the Custis between the Ballston connector and the 11th Street Park (i.e., where it goes under I-66). Here is a bit of a report:

Snow clearance and quality:
Custis is clear of snow, but many icy patches, especially along the St Ann parking lot and underpasses (where water drains to). Mostly passable, but be careful of the ice (on foot it was easy to slip in many places, especially on the hills).
Ballston connector is essentially clear of snow, but patches of compressed snow and ice. Likely passable.
Neither George Mason Blvd. access points were cleared.
Frederick Street access point is nearly clear of snow. Some compressed snow, no big snow boulders and a short entrance anyway.
Neither Harrison Street access point is cleared.
Jefferson Street access point is clear, but there is a large smooth ice block forming where the access point meets the street. That will be nasty in the morning.
Kensington Street access point is not cleared.
11th Street park access point looks like something drove over it as well as lots of foot and bike traffic. Bit of a mess, really.

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@TwoWheelsDC 185389 wrote:

Are we talking about the same spot? Also, the times I know where cars have gone off the road here have all been during morning rush hour in essentially normal weather conditions. ::shrug::

I was first commenting on that whole stretch, but most seem to end up where you reference. They may start having issues where Brendan references and I am certain over the years I have seen some there. I think that is about where I saw a dead deer once too. Perhaps that is a cause? Although I have rarely seen deer on this stretch while the same state of twilight I have seen deer on the W&OD and Custis.

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I have been trying out this trail for my commute home since last week (I got a chance to ride it in daylight over the holiday break). The new trail is great. (I am surprised that there does not seem to be any counter to show how many are using it). Only problem is the northern end has a curb cut indicating the shorter distance to continue the trail, which is good and bad – cars do not expect you there, especially since the crosswalks are elsewhere.

Getting to the trail from Pentagon City is poorly signed and wow, Columbia Pike, even on sidewalks, is bad. The entrance ramp for northbound Washington Blvd (or is that west?) has no walk signal, but the exit ramp does and you need to cross the entrance ramp to get to the button. And other buttons are in bad places.

This has made my trip from office to the gym be half the distance! But about 2/3 the time due to all the crossings (and one must push the button for Pershing at Jackson – bikes do not trigger the light). Going all the way home it is a little shorter in both time and distance. So I have a option if I am tired or want a longer ride (I had been doing Army-Navy Dr to 4MRT to W&OD to Custis (for home) or Bluemont (for gym)).

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The clouds this morning made for a gorgeous sunrise on the ride in today. All sorts of colors. Just lovely.

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Just so there is no mistaking that at least some e-bike riders think they are riding motorcycles, I was passed by someone on an e-bike today with a jacket that clearly read “DUCATI” on the back.

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