The route was meant to be a surprise -- this is only the 3rd time we've ever gone to Fort Washington on a Tuesday ride -- but the real surprise today was the weather. The forecast was for a high in the low 50s and a strong wind, but as I was going out the door to load the car I noticed the thermometer on my front porch (probably the warmest place in the entire Metro DC SMSA) read 70 degrees, and the clothes that should have been comfortable at 54 degrees felt awfully warm. Time for a quick trip back into the house for some lighter clothes!
And time for a quick change in the parking lot at Bryans Road, for although it was a long way from 70 down there, it was clearly a lot warmer than 54. And as we rode, it grew steadily sunnier and warmer still, until it must have reach the 60s.
In the group today were Larry Peed, Richard Harrington (back from 3 weeks in Florida), Randy and Jackie Schoch (who left on their own route), Mike Bivens, Vicki Garlock, Darryl Lowery, Tom Roberson, Sam Perry, Paul and Linda Bankerd, Joan Oppel and leader Steve Palincsar.
The route went up Barry's Hill to Accokeek, then down Farmington, up Livingston to Washington Lane, across 210 on Old Fort and left to Fort Washington. It was absolutely beautiful at the Fort: clear skies without a hint of haze, bright sun, visibility for miles. I hope someone brought a camera and captured the scene.
After the break we went down Ft. Washington Rd., a swooping downhill once you get past the initial rollers and speed humps -- so engaging, in fact, that several riders missed the turn on Asbury through the neighborhoods and just kept on going down hill. They noticed after a while, and took an alternate route to catch up with us at Swan Creek/210/Livingston Rd. We climbed up Livingston, went left on Old Fort and then went down Gallahan (so much better this way than the reverse) to Piscataway. I'd offered an alternative shorter route back taking Livingston to Accokeek Academy, then left on Berry to Accokeek Rd., and Tom and Paul took the alternative route, while the rest of us went up Floral Park to South Springfield.
If it wasn't for Burch Branch, there'd be nothing at all remarkable about South Springfield. You're at 164' elevation when you turn off Floral Park, and you get up to 207' feet -- hardly remarkable for 0.3 mi. Except for Burch Branch. In one tenth of a mile you drop 100' and then immediately climb back up to 207', first at 4-5%, then for almost 13%, for the next two tenths of a mile. As you scream down those 100' you even think for a few seconds you can roll right up the other side, until all at once your momentum is all gone and you realize you're in the wrong wrong wrong gear and if you've really left it too late you may not even be able to make the chain ring shift, and then it hits 13.5%. Just a big erosion ditch, really; but one that leaves a lasting impression.
Once we all made it up South Springfield we turned right on Accokeek Road, right into what had by now become a brisk wind, and where'd those dark clouds come from? We briefly regrouped at the park, then continued on to Accokeek and then the Tour d' Accokeek route back to the shopping center, where we realized we'd lost Larry somewhere along the way. As we called him, the skies darkened further, and we even felt a few wind-borne rain drops. It was 54, as predicted, too.
Final stats: 37 mi, 13.3 AMS (and believe me, nobody was holding back) and 1700' of climbing. What a great day!
