Ride leader: Steve Palincsar
Members: Ray Luckenbach, Dave Van Amayden, Walt Roscello, Connie Quickstad, Ron Altemus
Route: https://ridewithgps.com/routes/53640509 30.1 mi, 1050' elevation gain
Weather: Partly cloudy, around 50 at the start rising to a sunny 65, albeit with winds of at least 12 mph and gusts up to 20 mph
AMS: 11.5
Mishaps & mechanicals: none
"Do I even remember how to ride this thing? It's been a month since I've been on a bike" pretty much summed up how I was feeling at the start, and I wouldn't be surprised if I wasn't the only one. Punxatawney Phil is my spirit animal this winter, it seems: if it isn't warm and I don't see the sun, I turn around and go back in my burrow and wait for better times.
And since better times clearly arrived today, six of us were out and about on a route that visited former haunts and oft-ridden roads. We (slowly) took the IHRT heading towards Indian Head, actually noticing the scenic water views along Mattawoman Creek, unsuccessfully attempted a tour of the new developments adjacent to the Village Green (the road just don't match the map at all, what's up with that?) and then took Strauss to Chapmans Landing and had a rest stop at the McDonalds in Bryans Rd. We've stopped there hundreds of times in the past, but this was the first that I can recall in at least three years.
Leaving Bryans Rd we took Marshall Hall to Fenwick, stopping for a photo op at McRea, then continued on to Barrys Hill (noting once again the fine new pavement that extends right up to the County Line but no further, leaving a blasted moonscape once we enter Prince Georges county), returning to Bryans Rd for a second rest stop, this time at the Burger King.
The stretch on Livingston from the Burger King to Bumpy Oak confirmed the wisdom of our having relocated the Tuesday Southern Exposure rides to the Livingston Rd IHRT Parking lot, but once we turned onto Bumpy Oak it was all smiles down to the Indian Head Rail Trail, and a pleasant scenic couple of miles back.
Carpe diem, days like this are rare in January but very welcome.
