[KWL]

I’ve been impressed how accommodating the demo managers have been keeping the trail open as long has they have. In the bad old days it would have been closed months ago.

[KWL]

@baiskeli 77835 wrote:

Not sure where you get that. I skied last Friday and conditions were pretty good. Better than the day before, in fact, when it was wet and rainy. Conditions for skiing vary by temperature, but a single freeze and thaw don’t necessarily make them bad. They were better Friday morning than all day Thursday, that’s for sure. That was just one cycle, but I’ve certainly skied after two or three cycles in good conditions.

I do get what you say – not everyone is looking for groomed ski trails or pristine snow. My take on this is formed by my observing ski tracks off to the side of the MVT but rarely on the crusty iced trail surface.

[KWL]

@cyclingfool 77600 wrote:

AFAIK, this is their “real” reason:

[ATTACH=CONFIG]4804[/ATTACH]

‘Tis true. Many years ago I got an official reply from the GW Parkway folks stating a multi-use trail is for all users (including skiers) and expressing the concern of runoff into sensitive areas the MVT goes through. It’s just laziness. As I’ve written before, no one wants to ski the MVT after a single thaw and freeze cycle. Plowing doesn’t mean they need to use chemicals. And doesn’t the plowed & chemically treated GW Parkway go through the same “sensitive areas”?

It is nice to see Alexandria plowing trails within the city.

[KWL]

@rcannon100 69118 wrote:

Of course there is the WABA Cider Ride Dec. 7

and there is

Thanks for the information. We dropped off two bikes yesterday.

[KWL]

@PeteD 68465 wrote:

I’ve been Eyeing one of the Austin Mini’s they’ve had over at London Auto. Whenever I ride over to Merrifield I see the red one with the white roof…Rule #25 and all.

–Pete

So is this how you would carry your bikes? (taken at Mt Snow in 1996)

[KWL]

@ColumbiaHeights 68437 wrote:

32 stairs

If’n I had that many to negotiate, I’d start commuting on a carbon fiber fixed gear brakeless bike. With tires inflated with helium.

[KWL]

@jabberwocky 68029 wrote:

I’ve always seen the “cross country ski” thing as a barely concealed excuse to avoid the cost of plowing. I rode the W&OD all winter long for several years and never saw someone on skis, even when there was lots of snow on the ground. I did see lots of people walking/running/cycling on it though, even when it was a snowy, icy, rutted, dangerous mess.

They really need to just treat it like the transportation corridor that it plainly is.

Yes. A number of years ago I got a response from the GW Parkway folks that the MVT should not be cleared because it is a multi-modal trail that skiers should be allowed to use. The thing is, within 24 hours the footprints and bicycle tire tracks freeze and no skier in their right mind would be caught dead using the trail. Ski tracks I’ve seen during the winter have always been off the trail.

[KWL]

@PotomacCyclist 67277 wrote:

… the Harris Teeter grocery is reopening today. …Anyway, it might be of value for cyclists, especially for stocking up on water and food before a long ride onto the MVT or FMR Trail/W&OD. I don’t know if there is much bike parking. There are a couple circular parking loops on the sidewalk but they might be too close to the wall to be of any use. There’s also the CaBi station at Glebe and Potomac Ave.

Thanks for the information. We’ve been regular customers at that Harris Teeter, more than a few times loading up our two bikes with the week’s groceries. There was a decent bike parking area with inverted U racks right outside the store’s doors on the left. Now that I have my BOB trailer, the ride home will be a little less unstable.

[KWL]

And it is nice to see with all this rain we’ve been having, the OP subject is no longer a problem. No debris washing down onto the trail.

[KWL]

@Rootchopper 66246 wrote:

The NPS is great but their unwillingness to make basic safety improvements and changes to the GWMP and MVT is foolish and contrary to the public interest.

What about the two above grade crossings at National Airport that were formerly at grade? What about the more recent improvements at the Humpback Bridge? You cannot say the NPS shows an “unwillingness to make basic safety Improvements.”

[KWL]

@Rod Smith 65852 wrote:

The switchbacks look fun but preventing riders from cutting off the corners may be tough.

I’m thinking within a few days we’ll see a path worn like this….

[KWL]

@rcannon100 65517 wrote:

How do you mean?

An e-mail from the C&O Canal Trust:

As you may be aware, our Federal Government has shut down for an indeterminate amount of time. What you may not have realized, however, is that the closure of the Federal Government means the closure of the C&O Canal National Historical Park and all other National Parks. For the C&O Canal, this means:

THE TOWPATH IS CLOSED

Visitor traffic, whether on foot, bike, or horse, is strictly prohibited.
Bicyclists planning rides from Pittsburgh to DC on the GAP and C&O Canal should plan to turn back at Cumberland.
All Visitors Centers are CLOSED.
Hiker/Bikers and campgrounds are CLOSED.
The Canal Quarters lockhouses are CLOSED.
All restroom facilities, both permanent and portable, are CLOSED.
Handles have been removed from all well pumps.
The only Park staff that will be on duty will be law enforcement rangers.
The portion of the Capital Crescent Trail that runs parallel to the towpath in DC is managed by the C&O Canal NHP and is CLOSED.
All access roads to the Park are CLOSED. This means you will not be able to trailer boats to boat ramps along the towpath.
Interpretive and educational programming in the Park will be temporarily suspended. School field trips to the Park will need to be rescheduled once Park staff has returned.
Volunteer events and events requiring special use permits will not be able to take place.
All volunteers working in an official capacity should cease volunteer activities immediately and not enter the Park’s premises.

After working side-by-side with the wonderful staff of the C&O Canal NHP for many years, it’s heartbreaking for the Trust to see them closing the doors, given no choice but to turn away thousands upon thousands of visitors seeking to recreate and rejuvenate along the canal’s towpath.

While the Park staff has no choice but to stand idly by, we as civilians can take action:
Educate yourself and others on how the shutdown affects National Parks.
Be vocal on social media and use #KeepParksOpen.
Use any means of communication you can – letter, email, phone call, social media, or even a carrier pigeon – to appeal to Congress. Find your US Representatives and Senators on the National Park’s Conservation Association’s Legislative Lookup.
Send notes of encouragement to the Park staff through our Facebook, Twitter, and email. To say this is a rough time for them is an understatement. We’ll forward your notes on and post them on social media, letting our Park Rangers know how much we appreciate them and are anxiously awaiting their return.
Last but certainly not least, respect the closure. While we don’t like it one bit, we have to respect it. Disregarding the closure can create potentially unsafe and hazardous situations, damage Park resources, and create undue work and stress on the few staff left standing.

Thank you,

Mike Nardolilli
President, C&O Canal Trust

C&O Canal Trust
1850 Dual Highway, Suite 100
Hagerstown, MD 21740
301.714.2233
CanalTrust.org

[KWL]

@rcannon100 64892 wrote:

Tweet from NPS

You may have also seen on the boardwalk under the TR Bridge today was some significant board damage, I take it from a fallen tree.

From the tire tracks in the grass headed right to that spot, I say otherwise. Of course they could have been from the truck hauling the tree away.

[KWL]

@dbb 64639 wrote:

So the landings will be shared by ramp and stair users. Hairpin turns and peds. What could possibly go wrong!

I for one, am looking forward to the challenge. Track stands and rear wheel hopping to make the turns, while trying to bluster anyone coming from the opposite direction. What could be more fun?

[KWL]

You: Bike Counter
Me: Just another commuter (a plus one to you)

It was good to see you volunteers out there today. There was someone who looked suspiciously like dbb near the Humpback Bridge this morning, but we old folks with peppery beards all look alike. A shout out to the lady wearing the Bike Arlington jersey at the Key Bridge location. Thanks to everyone. More data make make better cycling.

[Author]

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