Geese at the Merkle Wildlife Sanctuary
Leader: Steve Palincsar
Members: Patricia Sanders, Denny Miller, Anonymous User
Guests: none
Route: https://ridewithgps.com/routes/45162320 or rather, that's what we planned. But when we got to Brooks Church and took a short but much needed break, Denny said he was cutting the ride short. Patricia went back with him, staying on Baden Naylor to Croom, then Candy Hill to Molly Berry and North Keys back to the Park, while Anon. and I took Tanyard and Nottaingham to Fenno and a rest stop at Merkle. We'd discussed a shortcut earlier, backtracking on Fenno to Nottingham then continuing on Candy Hill, and after the break that idea seemed very tempting and we went that way for a total of 30.5 mi.
Weather: Overcast, pallid sky, temperature 44-47 degrees, 12 mph wind. There was no warmth in the sunlight, and the wind stole away what warmth there was in the air, leaving a dim and chilly day.
AMS: 11.5
Mechanicals/Mishaps: none
Report: I think this was Denny's second road ride (he'd been riding the IHRT on Fridays) and it was a tough one. My Garmin recorded 1,937' of elevation gain as our route crossed over Nelson Perrie twice, once coming and once going; went down to the Patuxent at Magruders Landing and climbed back; then rode the rollers north on Croom between Magruders and Bald Eagle School; finally crossing Rock Creek on Baden Naylor. It was a route perhaps better suited to a mild June day than a wan and chilly late December one. Even so, it still was fun riding, and our abbreviated route was fully satisfying.
I was pleased to note the road work appears complete on Nelson Perrie. The chewed-up pavement on the climbs has been replaced by smooth new pavement and the shoulders in the work zone have been widened. Our revised route didn't get close to the work zone on Molly Berry, but we did see detour signs on Candy Hill at Molly Berry, so it's likely the bridge work has started on time. Here's hoping it's completed on time, too.
