Leader: Steve Palincsar
Members: Chantal Briere, Deb Bowman, Joan Oppel, Justin Oliver, Sonja Newman, Patricia Sanders, Linda Bankerd, Dave VanAmayden, Catherine Ade and Walt Roscello
Guests: none
Route: There were two routes, a 47 mile route that started at Mechanicsville Elementary School at 9:30 and a 36 mile route that started from Baggett Park at 10:00. The routes came together at the intersection of Laurel Grove & Kavanaugh Roads, staying together on the way to Leonardtown and back, only separating at Laurel Grove and the Three Notch Trail at the end, the 36 mile route going right to the park and the 46 mi route left on the Trail to Mechicsville ES.
Weather: Sunny, hot and very, very humid. 83 at the start rising to 88 by the end of the ride, but humidity ranging from 82% to 70% made it feel like 92 to 99 degrees. Gentle 2-6 mph breezes didn't do much to help but the shade did, at least where there was shade.
AMS: 13.6
Mechanicals/Mishaps: None (quite the change from the last time we did a variation of this route in 2023) but at least one rider was really feeling the heat by the time we came to the rest stop at the Sandgates Inn. Pitchers of ice water did wonders for us all.
Report: This was my birthday ride, and for once, it was on my actual birthday. I'd led a birthday ride here in 2023, just over 54 miles (trying to hit my age in kilometers, but running a little over) and we'd really enjoyed the stop at Social on Fenwick.
2024 was a disaster for me, and instead of a ride I had a birthday party at a Mexican restaurant in Del Ray in Alexandria, but this year I was back riding and eager to lead another birthday ride. We're having a notably hot and humid summer, and I modified the route to make it a bit shorter, and also provided a 36 mi route that started in Baggett Park.
We had a little trouble managing the rendezvous with the 36 mile group due to a misunderstanding of the rendezvous location -- as they say, Murphy's Law is always in operation and governs the universe -- but a quick phone call resolved the problem and things went well from that point on. We rode through the Loveville Mennonite area on the "back way to Leonardtown" on Friendship School, Jones and Macintosh. When we got to Hollywood Rd, Walt and Catherine explored an alternate way into Leonardtown on Cedar Lane, one I've been eyeing for years, but haven't been able to figure out the last mile across Rt 5.
As we arrived in Leonardtown, we discovered that our destination, Social on Fenwick, had moved its location -- fortunately, one immediately visible once you lined up for the turn from Washington St onto Fenwick. Of course, those not going that way, or those who knew where it had been in 2023 went to the old location, but before long we all arrived at the right place. Happily, outdoor seating was all in the shade and quite comfortable, and we had a nice lunch; also happily for me, no Wearing of the Sombrero and no singing Happy Birthday.
Leaving Leonardtown on Fenwick it's a long downhill followed by a long uphill, and after merging onto Rt 5 a long downhill to the intersection with Rt 4 and another long climb up to the turn onto Fairgrounds Rd. We'd gotten very strung out getting to Fairgrounds, but regrouped at the only scrap of shade on St Andrews Church before the turn onto Brown Rd.
Most of us stopped at the rest stop at Bradford Market (some continuing on without stopping) before heading back to Macintosh, up to Clover Hill, across Three Notch Highway onto Sandgates. It's a nice downhill run on Sandgates down to the Patuxent, some out in the sun and some patches of shade, but we were all feeling the heat by the time we got to the rest stop at Sandgates Inn. Again, some continued on up the hill and onto Three Notch Highway without stopping, but most of us stopped for a while and enjoyed the pitchers of ice water they gave us.
Refreshed by our break, we continued on up North Sandgates to Three Notch Highway, onto Loveville and up Kavanaugh and Laurel Grove Rd to the Three Notch Trail, where we bid farewell to the riders who'd started at Baggett Park. The rest of us continued on in deep shade on the Three Notch Trail back to Mechanicsville Elementary.
