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Thanks, rcannon100 and other posters, for the heads up. I don’t believe that I have met him myself though, like dbehrend, he looks familiar. I hope that we help ease his final days.

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Furlough = lots of room for bikes during evening “rush”

https://www.strava.com/activities/2063176206

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@ursus 180478 wrote:

To items to report. I could have missed it if they have already been posted.

1. The short detour on the CCT a bit west of Georgetown which involved riding over an old bridge just south of the trail is no more. I actually started to enjoy that detour.

There is also a growing problem at that spot, which is where the Foundry Branch Trail connects with the CCT. The construction crew prettied things up by adding some skip laurel shrubs as landscaping, which looks very nice right now. Unfortunately, those shrubs will grow pretty fast by next spring and will block CCT riders’ vision of anyone attempting to enter the trail at that intersection. Any ideas on what organization should be contacted to address this future vision obstruction? Spacing the bushes further apart might help…

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Lots of mud and debris this morning in the dark underpasses on the W&OD and Four Mile Run Trails (under I-395 and Glebe are quite muddy, some mud and debris on W&OD at Bluemont/Wilson Blvd and much debris at Carlin Springs). These could be very hazardous on Friday’s Bike to Work Day with the high volume of bikers, many of whom are not experienced.

I sent an email to NOVA Parks and a message to Arlington County through its contact page asking them to try to clean these up, or at least post warning signs about these hazards. But if anyone has any better ways to get attention to these problems, perhaps a crisis or two could be averted.

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@Mtansill 175583 wrote:

Beware, the defensive fort parks around DC are generally owned by NPS.

– Says the geocacher who tried to hide a cache in one and got rejected.

Thanks, but this park is county-owned – land was formerly Alexandria County but not any longer.

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Fireball + Cuervoball

Green Mountain Boys leader
Earthen fort was given his name
Cannon aims wide of dog park

Fireball back in play
Crossed a border on a breezy day
Once a capital defense
No battles whence
In a cannon not long to stay

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Danced and sang, and got funny looks from the nearby picnickers. Polished off a chocolate bunny on site, and now enhanced by Jose Cuervo to ward off those chilly winds!

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@hozn 173974 wrote:

Yeah, great hill. I’ve ridden up Glebe numerous times, but 41st is far, far more pleasant. The switchbacks are demanding when it’s wet / leafy / mossy. I’ve had rear wheels slip there, though so far haven’t had to dismount (knocking on wood). What huskerdont said about keep the weight back. — if you have gearing that lets you stay seated, that’s great, though I have to stand — I just keep the weight back when I do.

It’s a fun hill to punctuate a ride back into Arlington from DC/MD, but doing laps on 41st doesn’t sound fun at all!

I agree with hozn, up to a point. I ride this hill in both directions several times each week. 41st is unquestionably more pleasant than Glebe, which I would not ride up or down ever, but I am not ready to call the uphill ride on 41st “pleasant” in and of itself. But maybe I just need to get more zen about it, or get a better granny gear. Having experienced too much craziness from drivers on the nearby streets of North Arlington and McLean, I just would not take the risk on the Glebe hill. YMMV.

In all the years of riding this, there have been a handful of times that I have dismounted to walk down the switchback, including a time or two with ice when I have gripped the railings for dear life. I have also lost traction a few times on the uphill on wet leaves. I definitely have to stand to make it up the initial section underneath the parkway bridge and on the switchback, except on my mountain bike.

Also, if you ride down, be very careful at the Glebe/Chain Bridge intersection. Cars will notoriously take a right on red coming down Chain Bridge Road to head up Glebe without paying attention to bikers in the crosswalk. And others often shoot the left turn from Glebe to Chain Bridge without regard to the red arrow or those in the crosswalk. Try to make eye contact if you can – but a defensive approach is best.

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Nivlac Ball (Llabnivlac?) magically appeared outside of my door. Said door happeneth to be within a supposedly secure Federal building, demonstrating that the powers of Tim the Enchanter knoweth few bounds.

Senate floor insult,
Duel held near this marker,
Pistol shots go wide.

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Cross the Potowmack atop a span of chain,
Oh no, the monster incline on 41st again,
Pause to suck air,
Historical marker there,
15 paces east from the mark at copse edge its been lain.

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Picture of pupper with Nivlac ball, and gratuitous pupper shot. (No puppy was harmed nor consumeth any chocolate in the production of this post.)

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Part of swag consumed on location; additional swag added.

Nivlac ball has crossed state lines.

Proposed ordinance: If you post a picture of an exceptionally clean puppy, Tim may award a bonus of your pupper-related points (or your total points if so moved Tim shalt be) by cubing (x3) same.

Shot of extra-clean doggo.

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Sorry I can’t join you all today but have a conflict this AM. BTW, I am Bill and a fairly regular commuter from McLean into DC (Southwest near Tidal Basin and Wharf). This is my first time doing Freezing Saddles and has incentivized me to ride on days when I would not have in the past. New fenders and fatter tires helps too! Look forward to meeting you all down the trail.

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Some lanky dude photobombed my pic of the morning fog on the river.

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WaPo printed this after Carlin’s death in 2008:

George Carlin passed away last year
A true and noted wit
He laughed at our obscenities
Can you believe that ____?
He made a lot of people mad
For being rather blunt
With words like ____ and ____ and _____
And the ever-famous ____.
The guys in suits all treated him
Like a nasty old ___-______,
But we all best remember him
As a funny ______-______.
(Alan Hochbaum, Atlanta)

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What that Tim isn’t – he’s not about ‘restoring Internet freedom.’ Uh oh, now that I’ve uttered the terrible words the other Tim is likely to zero out my hard-earned points!

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Riding in this morning, I saw one of the dockless bikes that had been left on the side of the towpath a day or so earlier had been parked out in the middle of the C&O on the ice. Just north of the Arizona Ave trestle.

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Found fast, but I posted much slower. Calvinball has been removed from the lair of the 14th Street Bridge trolls!

Calvinball is now at the highest spot in Arlington County. Major Hill, it is not. If you ascend the Williamsburg Soulsucker segment, you will be very close. Or you may approach from the top of the popular bike road named for Virginia’s indigenous people.

And while the Union troops enjoyed a wonderful vantage over much of the Commonwealth from this spot, this site’s intrinsic aesthetic beauty leaves something to be desired. Your goal lies at the foot of a “No Trespassing” sign, near the chain link fence. Careful of the cat vine!

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@josh 170437 wrote:

I swung by to check on it this evening, pretty sure it was still there, I caught a glimpse of Reji’s tupperware container from the trail. Also, unless Google maps is lying to me about the name, it’s not McArthur Park.

Check stump-type things carefully.

Apparently, Strava’s map was lying to me! I now see from Google Maps that the park is the ‘real deal’ indeed!

But apparently I cannot see Tupperware in the cold. Maybe I need glasses? Or to play this game in a more forgiving clime!

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