RIDERS:   Chantal B, Mary Beth C, Jessica H, Lisa O, David VanA

ROUTE:  CCW Mason Neck 28 (30 with the Golf Course) 

GLITCHES:  Leader Brain hiccough:  As of the night before we had 3 riders.  We all arrived early but I was plagued with zero online connection.  We took off early, not realizing that Chantal and Lisa had signed up the morning of, and arrived at 9:45 to CARS but no BICYCLES or RIDERS.  They caught up with us on Belmont, to my chagrin.  LESSON LEARNED:  if no registration list available, wait until wheels out time to leave.   They joined us for the remainder of a great ride on a simply lovely day.  It was cooler and mostly cloudy but little wind and sun came out the last hour. 

We toodled through the state park, with a stop at the Visitors center, saw some eagles, headed on the usual route with stop at Gunston Hall, before tooling through the campground @ Pohick and heading down to the water.   Final sprint through the golf course with all in good spirits and a job well done. 

Average speed 11.0 

30.25 miles, 1086' 

Leader: Joan Oppel

Members and Guest: Alex Batkhan, Linda Blackman, Kim Etter, Jessica Hirschhorn, Nancy Kay, John Lynn, Duane Petrow, Pat Walthers and Guest: Pat Payne 

Route: Note - we did not follow this route after mile 27  

UP 41 - 3 Covered Bridges & 6 Truss Bridges    https://ridewithgps.com/routes/50833754

Report:  At the start, a local advised that Thurmont was holding its fall festival in town today, so expect a lot more traffic than usual. We would be heading north away from Thurmont after the first few miles but did expericence a lot of traffic until turning off Old Frederick Rd. After that it was the usual mostly low traffic experience in Frederick County.

Our group quickly split up into faster and moderate pace riders. The three off the front met us at the midpoint rest stop but then took off earlier. Our group had the fun experience of encountering the emus (who live at a farm at the corner of Mumma Ford and Field & Stream) right at the fence line and we spent some time with them.

We had a nice rest stop at the Mt St Mary's Athletic Center - nice bathrooms, water fountains with bottle fill. No food, but we all brought our own.

After Roddy Bridge at mile 27, the original route goes straight through Thurmont. So to avoid the festival, I took everyone on a much more scenic and very low traffic route east of town and we had a nice return. We also explored the new paved (flat) path  that leads directly to Utica Park from Utica Road (about half a mile before the bridge) and eliminates the climb on Old Frederick from Utica Road to the park - which always involves issues of traffic passing slow climbing cyclists. Downside: you do not ride through the Utica Bridge.

The path isn't quite open (some landscaping still needed) but surfacing is done. Turn right at end of path on park road and one mile later is the parking lot. 

Members: Janell Saunders, Patricia Sanders, Lisa Oken, Mary Scala

Route:  28.3 miles https://ridewithgps.com/routes/43258921

Weather: Cloudy, little wind, mid- to high-60s

AMS: 11.6

Mechanicals/Mishaps: None

Report: Great company and witty conversation. Group displayed excellent squirrel-dodging skills (it's that time of year)! Leaves are beginning to turn.

Relaxing in front of the Mason Neck visitor center

Ride leader: Janell Saunders

Members: Connie Quickstad

Just myself and Connie on this ride during a very pleasant fall like evening. I started the ride at 5pm to make up for the shorter daylight, but may need to start it earlier even prior to the DST change.

No issues experienced except a nice ride. Only a couple deer seen on the ride back to the fire house.  A short stop at the Marshall Hall boat ramp to view the river and enjoy the sun rays. 

Picture courtesy of Connie Quickstad

Members; Joan Oppel and Connie Quickstad

Weather: Outstanding - about 51 at the start, 60 by the time we got to Goose Bay around mile 17. Stunning deep blue sky.

Route: 36 miles - https://ridewithgps.com/routes/44564234

Report: A lovely ride, low traffic, with short (ish) hills for interest along with a long return from Goose Bay (Route 6 with an extra loop/roundabout to Mason Springs/Smallwood Church , Chicamuxen with another extra loop/roundabout) that kept one's attention.

Eagles were  soaring and diving into Goose Creek behind us.

 Red spider lily

Woodsprite House (no one in residence today except the bird guarding it on the right) (Stuckey Lane)

Well, after two full weekends of RAIN, WIND, and LOTs and LOTS of mud , we were delighted to ride in today's spectacular weather.  The sky was brilliant blue and the puffy white clouds were beautiful. 

RIDERS: Ron Altemus (sweep, and rode from home!) , Linda Blackman, Mary Beth Collins (OH guest ride), Jessica Hirschhorn, Patricia Sanders (also rode from home).  Leslie Tierstein was a flash initial visit, on her way to a medical appointment. 

We rode the usual route, which included The Wharf, Titanic Memorial, Audi Stadium, Douglass Bridge, Anacostia River Trail, Bladensburg Water Park, coffee and a treat at Vigilante in Hyattsville, then on to Lake Artemesia.  On the way back we crossed the Anacostia River to stop by Kingman and Heritage Islands, Navy Yard , and retracing back to the E Potomac Golf Club. 

We had one minor London Bridge, one rider fell on the Navy Yard cracks, but rider/bicycle were no worse for wear. 

Total 36 miles

Leader:  Ron Altemus

Members:  Peter S, Gene V, Maureen F, Don G, Connie Q, Paul A, Jackie S, Bob R, Esther S, Oswald M, Mark G, Carl H



Route: Indian Head Rail Trail east from Livingston Rd parking lot to White Plains trailhead.  After a brief rest stop, retrace back to the start.

Weather:  Sunny with thin high clouds, temp rang mid 70s to mid 80s, 5 mph air out of the SW, enough humidity to produce some sweat

AMS:  low 11s to much faster

Mechanicals/Mishaps:  none

Report:  Nice turnout.  Maureen and Peter were back for the Friday ride after an exciting trip to Montreal for the UCI Road World Championships (watching, not participating).    

Wildlife sightings included the ever present turtles, a great blue heron, the usual bald eagle on the next near Livingston Rd, and Peter spotting a black rat snake and a tiny green snake, about as big around as a pencil.  Human sightings comprised walkers, joggers, other cyclists, and a couple roller blading.    

Leader:  Ron Altemus

Members:  Patricia Sanders, Don Gardner, Joan Oppel, Linda Bankerd, Connie Quickstad, Sue Gunther



Route:   Ironsides/MD-6 to an out and back on Tayloes Neck.   Retracing to a bio stop at King James Church, then Hancock Run/Adams Willet to a rest stop at Nanjemoy Store.  Jacksontown, Poseytown, Bowie, and Baptist Church returned us to Ironsides and back to Friendship Farm.  https://ridewithgps.com/routes/41956882 35.8 mi, 1,215' elevation gain.

Weather:   cloudy with some interesting formations, temps starting in the upper 60s only climbing to the mid 70s, 4 mph air out of the northern quadrant, just a hint of humidity so no sweating

AMS:   swept in the low 11s.  Fast group was faster.

Mechanicals/Mishaps:  none

Report:  surprisingly, ended up  with a nice turnout since 24 hours before the ride start, there were only two of us signed up.  We quickly broke up into smaller groups with Linda and Sue off the front, Connie kind of in between, and the remaining four enjoying ourselves with another leisurely ride.

It was a leisurely, quiet ride as vehicular traffic was sparse, some roads we had all to ourselves.  However, Adams Willet, which normally falls into the car-less category, was quite busy as we had both a car passing us with a car approaching, with two more following.  Eerily like the beltway at rush hour.

Tayloes Neck is sparsely populated but there are some big homes along the shores of Nanjemoy Creek as it flows towards the Potomac, as pictured below.  We rode down to Moore's Point which is maybe a 1/2 mile from our starting point but the creek doesn't have a bridge there. 

We did a full rest stop at the Nanjemoy store, taking the group photo displayed below, and presenting store owner Debbie Ruiz with a donation to cover expenses as she allows club members to use the indoor facilities.  Photo credit to Patricia.

We all peered at the sky and consulted our multiple weather APPS (all dueling, of course) before finally deciding to DO THIS RIDE.  And we were all rewarded by cloudy skies but NO rain. 

RIDERS:  Ron Alteumus (sweep, thank you), Jim Cavanaugh, Jessica Hirschhorn, Nancy Kay, Marcy Kelley, Randi Korn, Emily Labrada (guest)  Michael Miller (guest), Catherine ORiordan, Doug VanZoeren, and Jennifer Weiss. 

We started at Hains Point under cloudy skies (but, wait, is that BLUE over there?), headed up the 15th St CycleTrack, and up Independence to avoid any possible detours/construction on the National Mall.   We had a special stop at Lincoln park, where we noted and talked about the ORIGINAL Lincoln Memorial, the statue of Lincoln and a freed slave, with the Emancipation Proclamation.   A passing dog walker told us that the slave was the Great Great Great Grandfather of Mohammed Ali! 

Our route weaved around some really lovely DC neighborhoods, with plenty of stop signs and stop lights, up W Va CycleTrack and to the National Arboretum, a true DC gem. 

After a short bio break, we headed up and around the stunning Arboretum, especially my favorite section, The Conifers, and ended up at the Columns as the sun came out. 

Given the future forecast of rain, we decided to forego the Bonsai Exhibit and head back. 

We all stayed together as a group (despite an obvious wide range of cycling strength) and everyone enjoyed the day. 

ONE mechanical:  A rider's chain fell and got LOCKED in about a mile from the end.  She called UberHusband for a pick up. 

No one lost. 

19 miles (40 for me riding to and from the start), several other riders also rode from home. 

Thanks to Barb Haney (a former Oxon Hill member and A ride leader) for an important URBAN safety lesson:  If you are riding with a group and come up to a stop light, if there are MORE than 12 seconds remaining, GO AHEAD.  If there are FEWER than 12, STOP so that the safe passing of all riders can ensue. 

Leader:  Ron Altemus

Members:  Susan Altemus, Joan Oppel, Jessica Hirshhorn, Connie Quickstad, Janell Saunders



Route:  Casual tour of Mason Neck,  visiting Mason Neck Park, Hallowing Point, Gunston Manor, Gunston Hall, and Pohick Bay Parks. 

Weather:  cloudy, temps 75-82, humid enough to make one sweat, 7-10 mph breezes out of the southrn quadrant

AMS:  swept 11ish

Mechanicals/Mishaps:  one taillight going airborne after riding over a tree root on the trail just before High Point Rd.

Report:  pleasant mid-September ride with a congenial group.  Some rode off the front, some rode in the middle, some rode at the rear with regroupings at the major intersections/decision points.  Vehicular traffic was much lower than the last time we were down that way.