New Link from W&OD to 4 Mile Run

The twin underpasses that allow a transition from the W&OD Trail to Four Mile Run are open. These photos show travel from the end of the W&OD at South Shirlington Road, under I-395, and then under West Glebe Road.

Oh, what a difference this link makes. The pathway before this link caused the trail user to go to Shirlington, cross the bridge behind the WETA Building, travel city streets, and eventually connect with the Four Mile Run Trail at the corner of West Glebe and South Glebe. The reduction in time and the reduction to exposure to pretty heavy traffic make this link a delight.

Cameras at Maple Ave.

Hey gang!

If you haven't noticed, there are now "red light cameras" on top of the crossing signal poles on the trail at the Maple Ave. crossing in Vienna! The cameras are aimed right at the crosswalk, but I'm not sure if the idea is to catch motorists or cyclists. I've seen enough of both misbehave at this busy intersection, so perhaps it's an attempt to monitor both. So next time you're there, smile! You're on Candid Camera!

Valet Parking for ViVa! Vienna! on Sunday and Monday

Memorial Day is here early this year. ViVa! Vienna! starts Saturday, May 23rd and on Sunday, May 24th and Monday, May 25th bikes@vienna will be providing Valet Cycle Parking so you can ride your bike or trike to the festival and leave it with bikes@vienna for safekeeping. The service will be available from 10 AM to 6 PM on both Sunday and Monday.

This may be the best ViVa! ever if the weather cooperates. The Rotary Club of Vienna will host twenty-three amusement rides, more than a dozen food vendors, hours of entertainment, and fill over 300 vendor slots on Church, Dominion, and Mill Streets. You can examine the details at http://www.vivaviennava.org

Perfect enjoyment on the Memorial Day weekend could be a bike ride to Vienna to explore the joys of ViVa! Vienna!

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.

Orientation sessions are planned for this spring and summer. For further information and signup please go to http://www.wodfriends.org/ or call the trail office at 703-729-0596.

Progress on the W&OD/Four Mile Link

The I-395 Underpass which will allow traffic to move from the W&OD Trail to Four Mile Run is near completion. I do not recommend trying to use the underpass because there is still work being done, but as you can read below in a message received from a bikes@vienna customer, the time is almost here for that long awaited improvement to be used.

# IS395 Underpass - On Friday, I rode from my house to the Potomac and back on the 4 Mile Run bike path. I found that the new bike path extension under IS395 is essentially finished, so I used it. Several other cyclists and walkers were doing the same. This allows cyclists to do the Arlington loop without the long detour at Shirlington circle. There were signs at both ends saying that the new bike path was still a construction zone. Moreover, by just looking at the state of work, I could see that they still have some final installation and clean-up to do on railings. However, the remaining work is not safety related and is mostly right of way protection as opposed to user protection (i.e., stay on the pavement). Finally, at the Shirlington end, they are doing some road work that makes it inconvenient to get to the new bike path segment, but it is doable if you are careful.

Snow on the trail

The snow on the Trail is now packed and icy and will take several days to melt. The plowed spot in the photo is from a Reston Association plow; they end their plowing at the trail edge. Somehow the Reston Association has figured out a way to keep their trails clear all winter. They purchased a used trail snow plow and use it when there is an accumulation of snow on their 55 miles of trails (more than the total length of the W&OD Trail). According to the trail manager, there is no noticeable damage to the trails and no additional maintenance is needed because of the plowing.

One reason NVRPA says that the Trail is not plowed is to allow cross country skiers to use the trail when it snows. You can't see it from the photo, but there were ski tracks on the trail; the unpaved gravel trail to the right. Do cross country skiers really need two trails? There was no evidence of skiing on the main trail and it wouldn't be feasible because of all the foot tracks (and a couple of mountain bike tracks).

There are other issues involved in the decision to plow the Trail, but I seems like they can be overcome. Anyone willing to write a Transportation Enhancement grant application for funds to plow the trail?

Still icy at Hunter Mill Road

There is still a stretch of about 100 meters of ice over the trail just west of Hunter Mill Road. It's bad enough that I had to walk the bike. There are a few other small patches of ice under the Dulles Toll Road and near the Sallie Mae bridge in Reston. This photo was taken looking east toward Hunter Mill Road. Sure would be nice if these shady areas could be plowed before the snow turns to ice and then takes many days to melt.

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.