Leader: Steve Palincsar
Members: Anonymous User, Janet Shipko, Tom Short, Joan Oppel, Lou Dall'Orso, Donaro Gardner
Route: https://ridewithgps.com/routes/39997093 34 miles, 1234' elevation gain as planned on a route that went up Bumpy Oak and down Rose Hill, then took Chapel Point to a brief stop at Port Tobacco River Park, then up Locust Grove, across 301 onto Springhill Newtown, left on Glen Albin to Oak and a rest stop at the Dash In in La Plata. After shortening the ride to beat the inbound rain, 28 miles and 1023' elevation gain.
Weather: Sunny and windy at the start, making a 59 degree temperature feel quite a bit chillier than that. As we made our way to La Plata, just as predicted, it clouded over and the wind grew in force. The rain coming in from the west, predicted to arrive between 1:30 - 2:00 pm actually started at 1:15, the first drops falling as we went through the traffic light at Chicamuxen Rd. By the time Joan and Janet, who had taken a slightly longer route back that went to Pisgah and then down Mason Springs arrived at 1:30, just as the occasional drops turned into steady light rain.
AMS: 12.8
Mechanicals/Mishaps: none
Report: The plan was to take 6, go up Valley, left on Hawthorne to Ripley, then wend our way to Pisgah, Pisghah Marbury and Chicamuxen back. Incipient rain forced a change: most of the group skipped the turn on Ripley and took Hawthorne straight back, while Joan and Janet did their own abbreviated version that went to Pisgah and came straight back on Mason Springs. We arrived just as the rain began, Joan and Janet arriving 15 minutes later. It was good to get out and ride, and as always a pleasant route even in its abbreviated form. Thanks to all who braved an uncertain forecast.
I arrived early, having taken the thru bridge and missing the traffic jam caused by the car on fire in the local lanes, giving me the time to ride up and down the IHRT and photograph this pond while I waited. It was a busy day for emergency services in La Plata, too: we saw several fire engines, a couple of ambulances and a police car heading south on MD-6 while we were at the Dash-In. Joan said the same thing happened the last time we had a ride stop there a couple of weeks ago.
