Ride leader: Steve Palincsar
Members: Ron Altemus, Pat Walthers, Rita Z
Guests: none
Weather: summer back again: sunny, humid, breezy, high 70s quickly rising to the mid to high 80s. If we'd had days like this in July and August, people would have been happy. Since it's late October, some thought it stultifyingly hot.
Route: https://ridewithgps.com/routes/17210875 39.6 miles, 1846' of elevation gain Today we explored a bit of Marlton north of Heathermore Blvd on Woodstock and Old Colony circling the Marlton Swim and Recreation Club we've never visited before, in the process discovering yet another previously unknown hill. (Not that that bothered Rita today: with that 40 tooth low gear sprocket, hills just don't rate with her anymore.) After a brief trip through the Alternate Reality Distortion Field down ****** Hill and a rest stop at the Safeway in the South Osborne shopping center, we went clockwise (i.e., backwards) up South Osborne and William Beanes and down Croom Station, up Croom and down Mt Calvert and Croom Airport to a second rest stop at the Pavilion at Patuxent River Park (except for those who misread the cue sheet and went to Jug Bay first and then joined us down at the foot of Croom Airport). The final leg went down St Thomas Church and up Fenno to Nottingham and Candy Hill back to North Keys and the park.
Mishaps and mechanicals: none
AMS: 12.7
What a strange day. The Washington Post featured a story about the complete closure of the Wilson Bridge on the Outer Loop of the Beltway and seven mile backups all the way up to the Mixing Bowl at I95 -- to the point that I sent out an email warning that I might be late -- but when I got to the bridge traffic on the Outer Loop was as light as I've ever seen it on a Thursday morning, and the drive to the park took 15 minutes less than usual.
There was no AB ride until a bunch of AB riders showed up and then there was one complete with a leader. Holly was involved with a work-related phone call and couldn't leave on time, so As,Bs and CC all left together while Barb & Ron waited for Holly. They all caught up as we got onto the 301 shoulder and we stayed together until we entered Marlton. We rejoined at the Safeway until the ABs left several minutes before us, then rejoined again at the Park Pavilion. Leaving the Pavilion, Rita went with the ABs while Sam took her place with the CCs.
