[DrP]

@Judd 211429 wrote:

DDOT project page has some info along with a detour map. https://rock-creek-trail-dcgis.hub.arcgis.com/pages/project-resources#maps-data

Thank you!
Interesting that ddot has the info but not the park. That detour doesn’t look like fun for 7 months. They would be much better off closing a lane of the parkway for bikes & ped, but I know that is unlikely.

[DrP]

Unexpected Rock Creek Park trail closure:
So, first a warning for those who do not travel the trail frequently and second, I am looking forward to having these areas improved.
Yesterday I was biking through Rock Creek Park and hit a trail closure that wasn’t there a few weeks ago and I had not heard about before. I cannot locate it on the Rock Creek Park web page either. I was heading south through the park.
Trail is blocked starting at Shoreham Drive at the north end of the exercise trail and the “end construction” sign and full access to the trail is at the P Street entrance. There was one sign pointing up Shoreham about a detour and no other information. Being curious and trying to understand how much was an issue, I went down Shoreham to the parkway. The trail was then “open” and closed and mostly passible, at least while they were not working (it was Sunday) – lots of machines on the trail. I could not tell what was going on close to Shoreham, but the rest appeared to be work on both the trail and the creek – some areas that they have worked on many times over the past decade or so (like between cemetery and Q st) – but definitely areas that have been flooding more and more frequently.

Anyone know the plans for this – what is happening and when it will be done? Anyone travel the detour and what is it like?

[DrP]

@Judd 211294 wrote:

The root heave at the intersection of the Mount Vernon Trail and Four Mile Run Trail was cut out and patched this morning. The patch is currently coned off to allow it to cure. I’m anticipating being able to pull the cones off tomorrow morning.

A few pictures of the work being performed is on the FoMVT Twitters: https://twitter.com/MtVernonFriends/status/1433856897124380674?s=20

I noticed this Sunday. So nice! Thank you for letting us know.

[DrP]

Two of the fords on 4MRT have water flowing over them and have since at least last Thursday. The one under Columbia Pike and the one two upstream from there (not the one that usually floods in high water – that one is dry). Since the stream is low, this must be due to blockages at each. The upstream one has stones placed along one edge that walkers are using.

[DrP]

After the heavy rain last night, there were some minor effects on the trails.
I did an Arlington Loop before 8am, sticking to 4MRT between Shirlington and Glen Carlyn park. Mostly tree litter, a few puddles, mud on the underpasses for West Glebe and Wilson, and flooding on the two usual fords (Carlin Springs and by the Arlington Mill Community Center. There is a tree down on Custis east of the I-66 underpass (just east of the entrance from the pedestrian bridge accessing the trail on the other side of I-66 (this was part of the detour last year). Easy to get over and I am sure that there is someone who could jump it.

[DrP]

@dbb 210849 wrote:

Looks like I went through at 0830.

Hmmm, so I think someone, or a strong gust, toppled them this morning. I think I would have noticed them before I even got at the right angle to see the truck (I was heading south). Or I am becoming really unobservant and forgetful.

[DrP]

@dbb 210846 wrote:

Last night’s thunderstorm created a shitty situation at Gravelly Point. Trail is unaffected.

[ATTACH=CONFIG]25330[/ATTACH]

What time was that? I went through at about 6:40am and did not see them all fallen over, but I was likely more concerned with not running into the NPS garbage truck parked next to all and on the trail with the door open. Maybe the crew had just righted them?

[DrP]

@Steve O 210843 wrote:

On the other side of the coin, I have recently observed two runners who took due care prior to their “Safety” Ivan. One, in fact jogged off the right side of the trail, stopped and surveyed the trail in both directions (allowing me to pass) prior to resuming her run in the opposite direction.

Thank you for bringing this up – we so often only remember the bad ones.
I do hope that there are many more who do this. There is one jogger that I would see on the MVT in the mornings who, as in your example, would jog off the side, look around and then get on the trail in the other direction. I thanked her one of the mornings. And there have been several joggers who look back before passing someone, often slowing down waiting for cyclists to pass first.

[DrP]

@Sunyata 210826 wrote:

I disagree. The main issue is people that are lost in their own little world where only they exist, therefore they make unpredictable moves without looking to see if their actions will affect anyone around them.

I have seen so many people in the past few months do this who are not even wearing earbuds/headphones. No amount of ringing bells or screaming “onyerleft” will knock them back into the real world.

That is a better way to put what I meant. My point had been they were not paying attention and just did what they wanted, despite my warnings. Headphones/earbuds are one way people are not paying attention (and a big clue to me), but conversations with their buddy is another or just daydreaming. I do wonder sometimes if people do not realize that they are not playing a video game of the wolrd or some such thing. I also see so many people just doing what they want (e.g., walking 3-4 across a whole trail) without any apparent consideration of others. Sigh.

[DrP]

@ImaCynic 210810 wrote:

Glad to know that all parties seemed okay. I also suspect that a simple bell would have prevented this. Why isn’t it required on all bikes using the trails? Good to see that you choose to refer this incident as a “crash” rather than an “accident”.

Well, from experience, even using a bell this does not work if the jogger is not paying attention. A few years ago I used my bell before pulling out to pass a jogger in Rock Creek Park near the zoo (near the parking lot entrance). The jogger (and is earbuds) then turned left across the trail without looking an I just missed hitting him. A few years after that on 4MRT, I rang my bell several times, pulled out to pass and a jogger decide this was a great time to do a U-turn without looking or hearing. I grabbed my breaks, but there was a crash. Headphones/earbuds are the main issue with this.

[DrP]

@Zack 210527 wrote:

NPS does not allow dockless e-bike and e-scootershare parking on their property but I will check to see why these bikes fell through the cracks.

Really? Given the numbers of dockless bikes and scooters scattered all around (and often on) the MVT and East and West Potomac Parks (and elsewhere on NPS land), I wonder what they do to stop it.

[DrP]

@Henry 210408 wrote:

Here’s one set by the entrance:
[ATTACH=CONFIG]25294[/ATTACH]

Perfect! Thank you very much!

[DrP]

Lubber Run Coomunity Center is likely where I will get a COVID shot. RackSpotter shows racks there, but that is dated well before they completely reconstructed the community center. Anyone know if they still have racks and where?
Thank you!

[DrP]

The Rosslyn Monolith appears to be off. I knw it was working on Sunday, but today was my first chance by there since then and it was all dark.

[DrP]

@obscurerichard 210278 wrote:

I’m tickled! After I got in the groove of things I started riding 3.14 (π) miles every time I could.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

So, you are hoping your prize is a pie?

[Author]

Posts