Ride leader: Steve Palincsar
Members: Ron Altemus, Lisa Oken, Connie Quickstad
Route: https://ridewithgps.com/routes/49615056
Weather: High 30s to low 40s. Hazy/foggy all morning and into the early afternoon, finally clearing around 1 pm. The 9 mph wind canceled out what warming effect there was from the sun. It was a pleasant, comfortable day if you were dressed for it, and a thoroughly chilly one if you weren't. Ron, Lisa and Connie were; I wasn't.
Mishaps and mechanicals: none
AMS: 11.6
Ride report: This was the 30 mile Tour de Accokeek Extended, expanded with the inclusion of a tour of the new neighborhoods being built between Mathews Rd and Marshall Hall Rd. It's been a few months since I was on this route, and it seemed to me there was a new townhouse community that had sprung up on Mathews just since I was here last.
Barrys Hill has been repaved, with fresh new pavement, so new they hadn't put down the lane markings yet. Lovely smooth pavement, right up to the Charles/PG County line; smooth on the Charles County side, untouched by even more eroded, cracked and potholed than the last time I'd climbed it.
I know what you're thinking: couldn't have gotten any worse than you remember. You might very well think so, but you would be wrong; never underestimate the power of entropy.
This is a nice route. Fenwick, River and Old Marshall Hall are very worthy additions to the classic mid-week route. We had a very nice ride today. Weather permitting, this route will be offered on a more-or-less regular basis throughout the winter.
