Icy Trail!

Well, we had our first real snowstorm, and true to form, we got freezing rain on top of it. This makes for an exciting mix of ice and slush and chunky snow. The trail is a mess, as you might have guessed. I rode the mile or so from my house to the shop today, grateful for my studded tires. I'm really not sure I would have been able to navigate this without them. I sure wouldn't have felt as at ease trying. They really do keep you stuck to the path!










The picture above was taken just on the western limits of town, heading in to downtown Vienna. It think it shows pretty clearly what the overall conditions were at about 10 am on Thursday the 29th. To the right is a closeup of the surface. As you can see, there's a lot of broken up chunks of ice and a very bumpy surface from footprints. All in all, a real challenge to ride on. I was fortunate in that a maintenance truck was working its way down the trail ahead of me, so when I could stay in the ruts from their tires, it was smoother sailing. The challenge of course is staying in those ruts!



Be careful out there. I'd suggest walking for now, unless you have studs. But if you have studs, it's actually kinda fun out there... just allow more time, as it's slower going.

What's up? Tiger Lilies!

Apologies to Woody Allen fans for that groaner of a title.

But it is that time of year, when the tiger lilies are in bloom and looking spectacular along the trail.

The best I've seen are on the stretch of the trail that parallels Shreve Road. Regulars on that stretch will know where I mean... behind the house that has the lovely flowers all the time.

The saddest looking ones were the couple of plucky individuals that are lingering at the edge of the huge housing construction site near Cedar Avenue. One or two single flowers perched right on the edge of a landscape stripped bare. Progress? Growth? Sigh.

Graffiti on the Trail

I'm guessing most folks who ride through the Vienna area have already seen it, but someone spray painted that white concrete thing that has the date 1860 (I think) on it, near the town line on the east side, near mile 10.5. Until now I've really never seen any graffiti or vandalism along the trail (aside from the destruction of vending machines at Smith's Switch a few years back), so this was kinda shocking to see.


On a happier note, I got some nice pictures of the dogwoods on my way in today.

Wet! But beautiful...

Well, as you probably could have guessed, yesterday was a wet day along the W&OD. I rode to work about 9:30 or so, and it was raining pretty hard the whole way. With the added excitement of thunder and lightning... just close enough to make me glad I wasn't out there too long. There are lots of puddles on the trail, and a LOT of standing water in the low spots alongside the trail. And the various drainage ditches and small creek beds which are usually dry or nearly so are running high and wild.

On the other hand, the dogwoods are blooming and look absolutely lovely! And the peepers are loving the wet, as was the frog I saw hopping across the path last night on my way home. All in all, a fun day out there, once I got used to the idea that it was going to be wet. I was grateful for my fenders and Burley rain jacket.

W&OD Trail Patrol Seeks New Members

The W&OD Trail runs through the communities of Arlington, Falls Church, Vienna, Reston, Herndon, Sterling, Ashburn, Leesburg, Hamilton, and Purcellville. The Trail Patrol is seeking new members to be on-scene ambassadors of safety, courtesy, information, and goodwill. All adult trail users--cyclists, walker, runners, skaters, carriage pushers, dog walkers, horse riders, or wheel chair users--are eligible to apply.



Four orientation sessions are already scheduled for 2008: The first will be held on Thursday, April 17 in Alexandria from 7 to 9 pm, the second will be held on Saturday, April 26 in the Ashburn Library from 2 to 4 pm. The third will be at the Raflo Park in Leesburg on Saturday, May 3 from 2 to 4 pm and the forth will be Saturday, May 17 at the Vienna Community Center from 10 am to noon.



For further information and signup please contact John Boone at 703-726-6993 or jmboone1@verizon.net.

Beautiful Day to Ride!

It's getting near that time of the year when riding on the W&OD is very enjoyable, as you can see from the photo of the grazing deer just off the trail near Hunter Mill Road. Between Vienna and Leesburg there were quite a few people out delighting in the sunshine and 40 degree weather. Okay, so you needed gloves.

Clear with some icy patches

Well, much of the trail is clear, or has a clear path through the icy bits. A few places, particularly between Gallows and Cedar, are icy from edge to edge, but they are short enough that you can either carefully navigate it or walk it.

One thing to be wary of is that it's frozen enough that the footprints and tire tracks are solid bumps and grooves, and they will jar you and cause your wheels to go in surprising directions if you're not careful.

There is a chance of more snow this evening (Thursday), but not a great chance, so it might get trickier.

Also today I spotted a small flock of juncos and a young fox ducking into the brush. A good ride in.

The first photo is taken near mile 10, between Gallows and Cedar, showing both clear and covered trail. The second is a closeup of the nature of the surface in such stretches.

Snow again

Well, as you might guess, the trail is a mess after Thursday's snow. I rode to and from work on Friday, and most of the trail from Falls Church to Vienna is still covered. Friday morning was particularly messy when I rode in at around 9:30... a thick, semi-frozen-yet-slushy mix that made riding, even with studs, a challenge. I found that I was either getting bogged down by slush where other people had NOT passed, or had my wheels knocked around by bumps and tires tracks where they HAD. Ugh. The best thing I can say is that I certainly got my exercise yesterday morning! It actually took me about twice as long as usual.

The ride home was considerably better. Things had been packed down a bit more, and it was cold enough to freeze, so getting stuck in slush or snow was less of a problem by far. I still wouldn't describe it as smooth, but it's much better, and there are now some open patches of pavement. It's tricky sometimes at night, as you can't see what's coming quite as well, but I think that might actually have some benefit, in that you sail on, blissfully unaware of a hazard, and thus don't tense up, which is half the challenge to riding on snow or ice.

We're supposed to get a little snow today, and it's supposed to stay cold, so I doubt it's going to change a lot out there today. Be careful, but have fun.

Bare Trees and a Fox

Not a lot of folks on the trail these days... mostly walkers and a few runners, at least by the time I'm on the trail in the morning (9am) or evening (7 or 8pm). And as y0u can tell, the leaves are basically all gone.

This morning I saw a pretty big, healthy-looking fox crossing the trail near where the den was last spring. He scrambled up the embankment and looked down at me... until I stopped to try to get a picture, when he vanished. I wonder if this is one of last spring's kits or their mom or dad. Pretty big, and I don't know how quickly they reach adult size.

Update on power line along W&OD Trail

According to the Wash Cycle and this article in Leesburg Today, the State Corporation Commission examiner has recommended that the proposed new power line between Leesburg and Purcellville be placed parallel to the Trail, on what is known as the Modified D route.

The Modified D route was created by Anderson after conducting a site visit last year. In this week's recommendation of the Modified D route, Anderson said, with overhead construction would "reasonably" minimize the adverse impacts to the scenic assets, historic districts and environment of the area concerned.

That is not likely to allay the concerns of those using or living along the trail, who note that widespread clearing will have to be undertaken whether the route is on the trail or paralleling it.

All clear!

Well, that didn't take long. Friday morning the trail was just about completely snow-covered, Friday night it was slushy all over, and Saturday evening it was clear of snow entirely, even on the bridges.

So, when's the next storm?

Studded tires are back!

Yep, it's that time of year again! Thursday I drove to work, because my winter commuter was a the shop, halfway through mounting the studded tires and internal hub gear. I finished both of those up and rode in today. The trail between I-66 and downtown Vienna was mostly covered with packed snow, with only a few short clear stretches. The photo here is from just west of Gallows Road, looking west.

It looks like several other riders have been there since the snow fell, which is fun to see. I was really glad to have my studded tires (Nokian Hakkapelittas) today, as it was pretty slippery and bumpy on the trail. I'm sure with skill and patience and a serene mind, one can navigate this with regular tires, but I find the serenity of mind is much easier to come by when I know I've got a hundred-odd metal spikes per tire keeping me stuck to the trail!



Either way, be careful out there. Pick your path based on the smoothest, best packed areas, trying to avoid any serious ruts from other tire tracks. Also, it's best not to stay too close to the edges, just so you have room to manuver. And you generally have more control when pedaling, rather than coasting.

I've also included a picture of the front end of my Miyata 210 commuter, showing the studded tire, front rack and basket, and Lumotec generator-powered headlight. Now that I've switched it over to an 8 speed Shimano internal hub, it's pretty much an ideal commuter.

It's that time of year...

... when, in addition to the change in color, you have to watch for wet leaves on the trail. Remember, they can be very slippery and cause you to lose traction before you realize it.

But they sure are pretty, huh?

This was taken near mile 9.5, between Gallows and Cedar, but I'm sure these conditions exist in many locations.

It's dark out there

It's that time of year when more people are on the trail before or after dark. On my evening commute I see many people in dark clothes without anything reflective material. Approaching cyclists have very little warning in these situations. Many cyclists are also riding without lights. I've heard of one serious accident so far this year; two cyclists without lights who collided head-on. Luckily the injuries were not major.

Lights don't cost much and even the smallest ones at least let others know you are out there.

Critter report!

Well, on my ride in to work this morning, I saw this fella avidly staring into the brush... no doubt waiting for some small creature to make a fatal mistake! He didn't even notice I passed a few feet away from him.

This evening on the ride home, after dark, I was rolling along between Cedar and Gallows when a movement just out of my headlight beam caught my eye. I couldn't see what it was at first, but quickly realized it was a fox, a few feet away and scampering off the trail ahead of me. I wonder if it was one of the group of kits from last spring.

Piney Branch bridge now open

On my commute home today I was surprised to see the detour gates had come down at the entrance to the Piney Branch bridge. There was some fresh asphalt leading up to the bridge as I headed west. There is still a large gap in the asphalt but it was a treat not to have to ride the gravel detour. My body was expecting the bumps at that point in my ride, having ridden the detour almost daily for over a year, and it was a somehow odd sensation to ride smoothly over the bridge. I hope it's permanent.

Piney Branch bridge repairs near completion

It appears that the Piney Branch bridge repair work is nearly completed. The stonework on the bridge abutments is repaired and today there was work being done on the bridge deck. It looks like the work should be completed in the next week or so.

Grape Kool-aid

It is not a hallucination: the trail smells like grape kool-aid. You have not been transported back to 2nd grade or off to Jonestown. The kudzu is in bloom (left photo near mile 10). This Japanese plant was introduced across the southern U.S. in the 1930s and 40s as a forage crop, and to reduce soil erosion. Now it is considered an invasive weed.

More purple: The poke berries are getting ripe. The berries are not edible to people, although birds and wildlife can use them. This is certainly a handsome plant! The photo below was taken directly across the trail from the Kudzu.

Caution: Tree Trimming

The crews are trimming trees along the W&OD these days. Be especially careful when passing the trucks and chain saw crews. They have been considerate in my experience, but it is still a dangerous operation. This morning I snapped a photo of two men high in the trees south of the trail near Vienna (left). One of the men is cutting the top of the tree he is in. The photo on the right is an image taken moments after the top fell. The crew was in Falls Church yesterday.

Monster plants and little friends

We have entered that part of the year where the monster plants dominate the trail. I'm talking about the ragweed. The GIANT ragweed that is 12 or more feet tall looming over us with its spikey florets (right photo near mile 10). This is a shrubby, messy looking plant, but more to the point: It is responsible for untold misery in hay-fever sufferers. It is a wind-pollinated plant, and when you are 12 feet tall, you catch every breeze, if you catch my drift.

Fortunately for those of us with limited allergic reactions, there are other, nicer, features of the mid-september W&OD. One of my favorites is Gaura. The blossoms are only open early in the morning...they are wispy and butterfly-like. The plants are also big, but not as tall as the giant ragweed. Maybe 4-5 feet tall and covered with white-pink blossoms (left photo just east of Cedar Lane).

Most exciting for this time of year are our little friends, the Monarch butterflies. The females laid their eggs on our milkweed plants in mid August and now we need to try to NOT MOW THE MILKWEED before the little ones get through this critical life phase. The Monarchs have human friends as evidenced by the signs and flagging at several points along the trail (below, near mile 11).