Leader: Joan Oppel
Members: Chantal Briere, Lou Dall'Orso, Don Gardner, Sue Gunter, Cindy Nuzzi, Patricia Sanders, Tom Short, Bob Thompson, Pat Walthers
Route: https://ridewithgps.com/routes/46884508 Today we took a departure from North Keys one of the "old" ways - right on North Keys to Brandywine Rd and a quick right on Indian Head, over to Cherry Tree. We wound our way to the shoulder of 301 - to the other Indian Head and then Van Brady, Molly Berry and Candy Hill to Nottingham and Merkle. Then back to Nottingham/Tanyard, Baden Naylor (the hard way) - Nelson Perrie to a left on Bald Eagle School. On Croom there was an option to go up/down Whites Landing, then on Croom to Magruders. Return on Baden Westwood and then 2 1/2 not so pleasant miles on Brandywine to Gibbons Church.
Weather: Perfect -low 60's to start rising into the 70's
Mechanicals: Tom Short had a flat tire on the short stretch of Brandywine Road.
Report: The group split pretty quickly. Most of the riders off the front and a smaller group a few minutes behind. Indian Head/Cherry Tree outbound was a nice change. A couple of rangers were at Merkle and let us use the visitor center bathroom and enjoy some time with Benjy the terrapin - who swims in an aquarium sitting on top of a solid wood chest built by one of the staff - with funding help from Oxon Hill Rural Legacy donations.
Regrouping at Merkle and Magruders gave us an opportunity to socialize.
We don't often ride the short steep hills on Croom in the direction from White's Landing to Magruders so that was fun. Magruders is always a pleasant interlude. Brandywine/381 has just become very busy with the dump trucks heading back and forth between the various - I think - power plants. We only used 2 1/2 miles today but used to ride miles on it.
Back at the parking lot, Don Gardner told us Tom Short was still on Brandywine Road with a flat tire that he couldn't fix. We all probably passed him but no one saw him until Don Gardner happened to notice him off the road in shadows. Don reported to us at the parking lot, so we called Tom a few times, finally reached him and Bob Thompson took his own bike out of his car and went back to get Tom. Several us hung out and waited for the rescuer and rescuee.
All in all a very nice ride.
