Leader: Steve Palincsar
Members: Linda Bankerd, Sonja Newman, Chantal Briere and Bob Thompson
Guests: none
Route: https://ridewithgps.com/routes/51927886 33 mi, 1190' elevation gain
Weather: Sunny, hot and humid (it's still July); 80 at the start rising to 90 by noon. 6 mph breeze, humidity between 60-50%.
AMS: 13.7
Mechanicals/Mishaps: none
Report: As stated in the description, this route was an old route to La Plata with some major new twists: the IHRT to Bumpy Oak, left on Hawthorne (I haven't been that way in quite some time, and after remarking to Bob and Chantal about the shoulder restriction with the safety barrels and the Jersey barrier that had been there for a quarter century I was almost shocked to discover that while I wasn't looking, they've restored the shoulder, no more restriction and no more Jersey barriers! ) and down Valley to Rt 6.
We'd had plenty of shade on the IHRT, Bumpy Oak and Valley, but I was expecting 6 to be wide open to the sun and a hot climb towards La Plata. It was definitely a hot and sweaty climb, but surprisingly there were welcome shade patches that made it tolerable. Once we turned onto Quailwood it became shady again, both there and on the new neighborhood jaunt Walt showed us a couple of weeks ago.
We crossed 301 on Hawthorne then turned on Washington and then on Kent Ave and left on Charles St (where a motorist stopped traffic to let us turn!) past the bakery and the ice cream store (I put it out there, but no one was interested) to the Dash-in.
After a break we took Oak to Glen Albin to Springhill-Newtown, past what once was Johnny Boy's BBQ and across 301 and screamed down Locust Grove to Chapel Point. So far, steady shade since we left La Plata, but once we turned onto 6 things changed. Out in the sun, which by now had become quite intense, we climbed up past Shirley Blvd and stopped at the Charles County Government building, where we enjoyed the air-conditioned break, the rest rooms (push hard on those doors!) and the ice cold water.
We were back in the shade once we turned on Burch and remained in the shade on Poorhouse and Ripley. Even Hawthorne had large patches of deep shade, especially on the descent of Mighty Mount Pisgah: cool, dark, exciting, and when I came at 28 mph to discover the large branch down across the shoulder as the large truck passed on my with only inches to spare, just a little bit too exciting. Moments later we were through the Chicamuxen intersection, turning on the IHRT and back to the parking lot.
