Oxon Hill Bicycle and Trail Club Ride Reports

Shady Nanjemoy CC/C ~31 miles

Ron Altemus — Sat, 08 Aug 2026 13:15:00 GMT

Leader: Ron Altemus

Members: Sara Rhoades, Robin Garnett, Gene Villiva, Cecil Slaughter, Amy Jackson

Route: Outbound via Ironsides, Baptist Church, Bowie, Gilroy, Chicamuxen, and Riverside to Liverpool Point and a rest stop at the Nanjemoy store. Return back to Riverside, Smith Point, Maryland Point, and MD-6 to a second rest stop at King James church. Looking for some extra miles instead of the advertised 26, we continued on MD-6 to Poseytown, then Bowie, Baptist Church, and Ironsides back to Friendship Landing Park. 30.7 miles, 1,137 elevation change

Weather: Mostly sunny, temp range 79-89, some air out of the western quadrant; sweaty - hot in the sun but much cooler on the shaded sections of our route

AMS: ~13 mps

Mechanicals/Mishaps: none

Report: a most pleasant ride for our group which acted as an introduction to half of them regarding the joys of bicycling in the Greater Nanjemoy Metropolitan Statistical Area. Most of the route was shady with long sections having us bicycle through a green canopied tunnel. Some of the final leg on MD-6 was in the direct sun, fortunately at that point, the prevailing westerlies provided a cooling effect.

The King James Church rest stop, supported by Steve Palincsar, allowed an opportunity to cool down, refresh with ice cold water, and enjoy snacks, most notably "original" Rice Krispies treats. As noted above, there was a bit of discussion about trying to get 30 miles so we eliminated the direct route on Ironsides, opting for Poseytown, et al, to get the extra mileage.

Shady Nanjemoy - B/CC, 44 miles

David Van Ameyden — Sat, 08 Aug 2026 13:00:00 GMT

Leader: Dave VanAmeyden

Members: Chantal Briere, Caresse Bullock, Candice Carlisle, Jim Cavanaugh, Susan Golonka, Liam Healy, Ellen Goodwin, Tom Short, Jordan Taylor, Bob Thompson

Route: Out of Friendship park to Baptist Church Rd, over to Poseytown, short stint on Old Tobacco, down Jacksontown, a long leg on Riverside, up Holy Springs Rd, rest stop at King James Church, Hancock Run to Adams Willette, Liverpool, back on Riverside, Chicamuxan, Smallwood Church, and Mason Springs/Ironsides back to the park.

Weather: Started in the high 70s, ended in high 80s.

AMS: 12 mph. This was a fairly fast route.

Mechanicals/Mishaps: None reported.

Report: We got spread out after the 3-4 turns, but otherwise enjoyed the rolling hills of Riverside Drive and the shade of the trees along the route, with very little vehicle traffic. Some roads seemed to be more "gravelly" than the same ride from two weeks ago, maybe from the recent rainstorms.

At the rest stop at King James Church, Steve Palincsar greeted us with ice water, chips, and snacks. We got a special treat when the kids from the Church came out and sang us a couple of hymnals.

Most of us stopped at the Nanjemoy Store just a few miles after the rest stop, and everyone returned back to the parking lot.

Shady Ride in Nanjemoy/CC-36mi

Connie Quickstad — Sat, 08 Aug 2026 13:00:00 GMT

Leader: Connie Quickstad

Members: Peggy Alfonso, Jennifer Buckner, CeeCee Bullock, Babs Butcher, Ellen Goodwin, Lori Michaelson, Catherine O’Riordan, Mary Ann Owsley, Kelly Rapkins, Janell Saunders, Robin West

Guests: None

Route: https://bit.ly/Shady36

Weather: Mid 80’s-90’s/high humidity

AMS: Ride leader swept in the 13’s

Mechanicals/Mishaps: None

Report: Lovely ladies ride for the 36-mile group. We left on time, however, one of the riders was a little late so she wasn’t in our group but was able to join the 26 mile group. Caught up with her afterwards and she enjoyed the ride. Our group had a natural split, the faster group was led by Lori and I swept with a smaller group. Shady Nanjemoy is the perfect name for this ride, and there was plenty of it, although, when not in the shade, it was hot! One of my favorite sections of the ride is Riverside Rd with 8 miles of rollers. We stopped at King James Church for our rest stop and it was great to see Steve Palinscar there with refreshments! It was nice to catch up with him and hope to see him back in the saddle soon. Also, while at King James Church, there was a service going on and it ended before we were leaving. The children sang a song for us and the Pastor gave all the riders a blessing for a safe ride. Beautiful way to head back out on the road. The second half of the ride was just as enjoyable and overall traffic wasn’t bad. There was another club of cyclists on the road this morning, popular area to ride in on a Saturday morning. See you next time!

Friday IHRT ~20 miles

Ron Altemus — Fri, 07 Aug 2026 13:00:00 GMT

Leader: Ron Altemus

Members: Connie Quickstad, Esther Steward, Mark Garrison, Carl Hattery, Gene Villiva

Route: Indian Head Rail Trail, heading east from Livingston Rd parking lot to rest stop at White Plains trailhead, and then returning westward to ride start.

Weather: blue skies/sunshine with high thin clouds; temp range mid 70s to upper 80s; 8-10 mph air out of the east; humidity/dew point in the sweaty range

AMS: varied, probably mid 11s to mid 12s

Mechanicals/Mishaps: none

Report: a number of regulars out of town or otherwise engaged so a smaller group today. Seemed like more cyclists than walkers/joggers but not big numbers of either type of other users. We also saw other OHBTC members using the trail - Bob Moye, and Oswald and Phillip Martin. Very little in the way of wildlife: immature eagle on the nest near the Livingston Road parking lot; numerous turtles in some of the ponds. One unseen but clearly heard loud bird close to the Pomfret Road crossing.

Our cards advertising the club were added to the bulletin board attached to the White Plains restroom building. Maybe they will entice some cyclists to joining the club.

Interesting picture of the day: fisherman with a good size snakehead. Your friendly local ride leader (aka your faithful correspondent) remarked that in some cultures, the snakeheads were considered mighty fine eating. The fisherman responded that they were more than mighty fine!

Tour de Accokeek

Janell Saunders — Wed, 05 Aug 2026 21:30:00 GMT

Leader: Janell Saunders

Members: Connie Quickstad

This was a late posting since the weather was iffy, But by 1pm I took a chance to put it up. Connie joined me and the evening was only a little muggy and a nice breeze helped. We did the extended version, through the old and new neighborhoods and after climbing Barrys Hill, went left to go through the Moyaone. At the end of the road, the farm had many cattle out including a couple frisky calves, goats, chickens. There were also sheep in a smaller farm on the way, but the pigs were not to be seen. We also saw many small herds of deer and I was treated with more deer on my way home.

Around Pisgah from Accokeek

Joan Oppel — Tue, 04 Aug 2026 13:00:00 GMT

Leaders: Joan Oppel and Pat Walthers

Members: Chantal Briere, Patricia Sanders, Bob Thompson

Weather: 75 at the start and about 84 at the end. Partly cloudy, enjoyable breeze at times.

Report: My phone buzzed about 5 pm on Monday - "Do you want to ride tomorrow?" A quick look at the weather for the next two days caused an enthusiastic Yes! and a plan quickly came together. This route - https://ridewithgps.com/routes/46262241 - felt a little like old times when we rode on Livingston and Bumpy Oak all the time. WE took a slight detour to check on the Wood Sprite's House on Stuckey (occupied). Plus - one of my favorites on a hot day: Chapman's Landing, where it's about 5 degrees cooler for those 2 miles than on Rt 210. Break for three of us was at the Dash Inn (nice bathroom) at Lower Wharf & 210, while two others went to the Pisgah Store (no bathroom) where there are spicy sausages to eat. Something for every rider's priorities.

Utica Park & 3 Covered Bridges: Mondays with Jessica

Jessica Hirschhorn — Mon, 03 Aug 2026 14:00:00 GMT

What a combination of not-too-hot, a brilliant blue sky with gorgeous clouds, and Frederick farmland mid summer. The corn was high, the soybeans were thriving, and we saw cattle, horses, and adorbs goats!

We had 13 riders today: Suzanne Allan, Andrea Clayville, Susan Fullenbaum, Susan Golonka, Barbara Heffernan, Jessica Hirschhorn, Nancy Kay, John Lynn, Renee McCullough, Joan Oppel, Allan Rogers, Peggie Tyree, and Ron Weber .

Today's ride was the UP/ 3 CB/ SCENIC ride created by Joan.

We had nice breaks at the first two historic covered bridges, and otherwise a great ride on a beautiful day. We were all happy that there was very little traffic.

ROUTE: https://ridewithgps.com/routes/52944780

35.6 miles 1550'

Average speed 12.1 mph. Results may vary.

Eagle Harbor Day Celebration

Joan Oppel — Sat, 01 Aug 2026 15:21:01 GMT

Leader: Joan Oppel

Members: Peggy Alfonso, Ron Altemus, Lisa Austin, Chantal Briere, CeeCee Bullock, Babs Butcher, GloJean Gladden, Vicki Hutter, Lori Michaelson, Mary Ann Owsley, Connie Quickstad, Kelly Rapkins, Patricia Sanders, Jackie Schoch, Tom Short, Bob Thompson, Dave Van Ameyden, Pat Walthers. Diane Harris also lead a ride with 8 members - so great representation for our club.

Weather: Nice summer day, temperature ranging from 80-90, humid.

Route: 38 miles from North Keys, re-routed to avoid the bridge out on Covington Rd between Horsehead/Malcolm Rds and Brandywine Rd - https://ridewithgps.com/routes/56358469

Report: A great turnout for our Eagle Harbor Day visit, the yearly celebration the town puts on. And a great day for riding - the purpose of our trip to Eagle Harbor was to deliver the Oxon Hill Club's donation check to the town officials. Eagle Harbor graciously lets the club use its community center as a rest stop for the Rural Legacy. In return, we use proceeds from the ride for a donation.

Mayor Jones with Ron, Diane & JoanCheck presentation (from right) Ron, Mayor Waters, Joan, Sam, Diane, Theresa, Jackie (Tom Short in the back)

North Keys to Eagle Harbor Town Day

Diane Harris — Sat, 01 Aug 2026 13:00:00 GMT

Leader: Diane Harris

Members: Sam P, Cindy M, Pete M, Theresa R, Eric N, Sue E

Guests: Ronnette E

Route: From North Keys Community Park, we traveled along mostly backroads to the town of Eagle Harbor on the Patuxent River

Weather: Cloudy, 71° at the start, humid

AMS: Ride leader finished with an ams of 13.9

Mechanicals/Mishaps: None

Report: A ride to the town of Eagle Harbor can take place any time of the year, not just for the club's annual Patuxent River Rural Legacy Ride that occurs annually in June. It's a good ride no matter the time of year. The route takes us along mostly backroads from the park to the first rest stop at Moreland's Store, ~13.5 miles into the ride and after climbing Martin, Westwood, and Molly Berry Roads. Not too bad. From there, to Eagle Harbor by way of the climbs of Dr. Bowen Rd. Good for the legs. We arrived at Eagle Harbor before the festivities started, in time to eat snacks and before the "real food" (hot dogs, burgers, chicken, and ribs) was ready. We stayed long enough for the introduction of the town's administrators and mayor, a short speech acknowledging significant town members, our presentation of the club's donation to the town in appreciation for use of the Community Center during the Rural Legacy ride, a parade of a local school's marching band, and a drive-by of classic cars. We resumed the ride (leaving Cindy and Pete to enjoy their real food) which was mostly a reversal of the route to get to Eagle Harbor, with climbs of Dr. Bowen, Baden Naylor, Molly Berry, and North Keys. Thanks to everyone who came out for this ride.

Perfect summer day!

Joan Oppel — Thu, 30 Jul 2026 13:00:00 GMT

Leader: Joan Oppel

Members: Connie Quickstad, Patricia Sanders, Pat Walthers

Route: https://ridewithgps.com/routes/42130944 From Waysons Corner to Chesapeake Market via Brooks Woods, Old Soloman's Island Rd, Leitch, Fairhaven. Return was via North Beach, 5th St, Friendship and return via Jewell, McKendree, and retrace on Wrighton and Plummer, instead of taking Southern Maryland Blvd - more scenic and shady.

Weather: Beautiful day - average temperature about 80, northwest wind 13-14 mph, sunny and mixed clouds.

Report: A lovely day and different than more usual routes for the four of us and the consensus is that it is a great route. A few busy roads to cross but easily navigated today (possibly because traffic is lighter in August?) We enjoyed the ride and the rest stop: the Chesapeake Market has revamped its patio with new tables and chairs and sunshades. Nice.

Herrignton Harbor

Tour de Accokeek

Janell Saunders — Wed, 29 Jul 2026 21:30:00 GMT

Members: Connnie Quickstad, Sonya Neuman, Christopher Lawrence, Sue Estes

Leader: Janell Saunders

We had a nice turnout and the weather was great, another beachy feel to the evening. The group followed the usual route until we got to Marshall Hall Rd where Christopher and Sonya headed down to the pier and the rest of us went through the neighborhood across the street. While going through my neighborhood, I told Sue about the mushroom finds on the back street so we made a stop to check out the "chicken of the woods." I'm told its very good, and looks, feels and smells as a mushroom should. Heading back from the pier, we saw turkeys crossing the road, another chicken of the woods on Accokeek Rd W which Sue harvested after the ride. Also a herd of deer spotted on the farm across the road from the mushroom find. Another pleasant ride, hope to do more.

Hains Point to Lake Artemesia: Mondays with Jessica

Jessica Hirschhorn — Mon, 27 Jul 2026 14:00:00 GMT

Todays riders: Peggy Alfonso, Jim Cavanaugh, Andrea Clayville (rode from Bethesda and back) Jessica Hirschhorn (also rode from home and back), Cindy Malvicini, Joseph McKenzie, Nancy Paul, Allan Rogers, Lynn Schoenfelder, Kurt VanGelder

Today's ride was a bit of "hither, thither, and yon" on a warmer and more humid day than we expected.

The Anacostia River Trail, Kenilworth Aquatic Gardens, Lake Artemesia, The Douglass Bridge, and Bladensburg Water Park are local gems that should not be missed!

We started at the Golf Course, winding around in front of the Wharf, past the Titanic Memorial , Audi Soccer stadium, then over the stunning Douglass Bridge. The Anacostia River Trail was a treat for newbies as well as Veterans. At Kenilworth Gardens, most of us rode the 1/4 mile dirt trail for a brief look at the water lilies and lotuses , still in full bloom. Lynn S, Kurt VanG and Alan Rogers decided to skedaddle ahead to Lake Artemesia.

We all met up for iced coffee and treats at Vigilante Coffee in Hyattsville.

Then Lynn, Kurt, Alan, and Jim headed back while Cindy, Andrea, Peggy, Nancy and I went ahead to Lake Artemesia.

We hit Heritage/Kingman Island, the Soccer Plex, and The Navy Yard ("watch the cracks!"), passing Nats Stadium and the Wharf again before heading back to the golf course.

ROUTE: https://ridewithgps.com/routes/34370131

Andrea and I headed back up the CCT. I finished up with 60 miles for the day.

It was a great adventure enjoyed by all.

Thanks to Joe McK for the lotus photo.

Mason Neck Meander

Joan Oppel — Sun, 26 Jul 2026 12:00:00 GMT

Leader: Joan Oppel

Member: Ron Altemus

Weather: Another lovely day in July, temperatures hovering in the high 70s

Route: https://ridewithgps.com/routes/40798783

Report: Two others had signed up to join in this ride but were not able to attend. So Ron and I had a leisurely tour of Belmont Boulevard, the trail, the park entrance road and the Visitor Center and beyond. Belmont Bay (which is the body of water we view from the back of the Visitor Center) looked like glass today, it was so still and calm.

As we were leaving the Visitor Center, a rider came in -- Barb Haney! (riding from home) and she continued on with us through Hallowing Point, chatting and catching up. A real treat.

Historic Bridges of Frederick County CC

Deborah Bowman — Sat, 25 Jul 2026 14:00:00 GMT

Leader: Debby Bowman

Girl power: Carol Linden, Barbara Butcher, Joan Oppel, Patricia Sanders, Marg Draper-Harris, Peggy Alfonso, Caresse Bullock, Deb Reynolds, Pat Walthers, Mary Ann Owsley

Route: 41 miles, 1500 ft elevation gain, https://ridewithgps.com/routes/50833754. North from Utica Park, past Loys Station, as far east as Sixes Bridge and Sixes Rds en route to a stop at the Mount St Mary's athletic center. Then down to Thurmont and a return to the park.

Weather: A July unicorn. Temperatures topped out in the mid-80s with low humidity, no wind, no risk of rain, no worries!

Mishaps: forgot to take some group photos.

AMS: 12ish mph

Many thanks to Steve Palincsar for creating this scenic tour of historic bridges. We crossed numerous covered and metal truss bridges while enjoining views of rolling farmland, creeks and rivers, and the Catoctin Mountains. Animal sightings included donkeys, ostriches, emus, horses, goats, sheep, chickens, cows and... a heron.

Thanks to everyone for joining me for a great ride on a great day!

WC51 Deale-North Beach-Chesapeake RR Trail

Diane Harris — Sat, 25 Jul 2026 13:00:00 GMT

Leader/Co-leader: Diane Harris, Sherwood Byers

Members: Theresa R, Sherwood B, Sue Gunter, Randez H, Karl M, Morris H, John S, Linda B, Larry M, Eric N, Jerry R, Liam H

Guests: Kevin A, Derrick B, Raymond J, Michael L, Melvin S, Mark T, Claudette W, Paul D

Route: Deale-North Beach-Chesapeake Beach RR Trail. This ride covers roads in 2 Southern Maryland Counties, Anne Arundel and Calvert.

Weather: A cool morning with temperature in the high 60s, increasing to the low 80s, overcast at the start that turned into sunshine before the first rest stop. The reported humidity at ride start was 92% according to Strava but it felt much more comfortable that that.

AMS: Ride leader Diane, 13.9. The faster group led by Sherwood averaged approximately 16.7

Mechanicals/mishaps: One rider had issues with his chain (repeatedly dropping) but was able to complete the ride. The group split at Chesapeake Beach, with one sticking to the route, and the other taking another way to get to the Chesapeake Beach Railroad Trail. Both groups would eventually reconnect in the parking lot at the end of the ride.

Report: An unexpectedly large group resulted in me asking Sherwood (another experienced ride leader) if he would be willing to lead the A riders while I led the B group. He graciously accepted the task and both groups rode mostly together for the first 3 miles, after which the faster group increased the speed to what was comfortable for them. This part of Anne Arundel county has backroads bordering farmland, horse pastures, lots with large houses (The Inn at Tacaro Estate), houses that have seen better days, and undeveloped land. It's very pretty. Most of the roads with more and faster traffic had nice wide shoulders which offered a degree of safety. Two rest stops, the South County Cafe and the Chesapeake Market and Deli offered places for us to replenish food and fluids, use the restrooms, and areas for us to sit, relax, and refuel for the rest of the ride. Points of interest on this ride included the pier at Chesapeake Beach, travel on the Chesapeake Beach Railroad Trail, and an elevated wooden boardwalk over a tidal marsh which included a short section of gravel ending at the paved road of a neighborhood. All in all, this was a perfect weather day to spend on the bike visiting Anne Arundel and Calvert Counties. Thanks go out to Sherwood for making this a successful and enjoyable ride for everyone who came out and to those who decided to join us.

Friday IHRT ~20 miles

Ron Altemus — Fri, 24 Jul 2026 13:00:00 GMT

Leader: Ron Altemus

Members: Gene V, Yacoub E, Jackie S, Oswald M, Peter S, Maureen F, Paul A, Mark G, Bob R, Connie Q, Carl H. Not pictured: Denny M (who rode from home)

Route:  Indian Head Rail Trail, heading east from Livingston Rd parking lot to rest stop at White Plains trailhead, and then returning westward to ride start.

Weather: early September weather in the later part of July. What's not to like? Mostly sunny skies; temps starting in the low 70s rising to the low 80s; dew point a pleasant mid 50s; 5-7 mph air supposedly out of the east but seemed like it was out of the west

AMS: 12ish for most riders

Mechanicals/Mishaps: none

Report:  nice weather = nice turnout. Yacoub joined us for the first time in awhile with a new bike. Nice to have him out riding again.

Herons where the major wildlife sightings of the day. Great Blue, white, and green were all observed. Also seen was an eagle on the nest near the parking lot, turtles basking on logs in the various ponds, a beaver (see below), and a woodchuck (or groundhog, depending on your cultural/regional preference).

Pictured below in the small pond just west of the parking lot is a Great Blue ready to strike should prey venture by. It was intent on capturing something and didn't seem to notice a few of us riding along the trail prior to the actual ride. Your faithful correspondent actually turned around hoping to get a picture. Almost immediately after taking this one, the heron did successfully strike and came up swallowing something down its gullet.

After venturing a hundred yards or so down the trail to return with Carl, we saw the heron in the same place, though not the same pose, and a beaver swimming l-r in the small channel behind it.

On the "items of note" front: the water fountain at White Plains hasn't worked for a couple of years. The club had offered to help with repairs but Charles County maintenance staff spent some time working on it and then determined that the water line from the restrooms building had a leak under umpteen feet of concrete. so they decided to put in a water bottle refill station on the building. Today it was in place and operational (not there Saturday past when we started from White Plains).

History Tour of Prince George's and a beaver sighting

Joan Oppel — Thu, 23 Jul 2026 13:30:00 GMT

Leader: Joan Oppel

Members: Ron Altemus, Denny Miller, Connie Quickstad, Patricia Sanders, Jackie Schoch, Pat Walthers

Jug Bay

Route:

A 37 miles fun exploration of parts of the Maryland state designated rural legacy area where historic properties, farms and wetlands are being preserved and where the history of Prince George's County surrounds a rider all the time.

https://ridewithgps.com/routes/56271666

Weather: Stunning! Mid 70's to start, 80 or so at the end, bright sun, cool breeze, low humidity (compared to earlier in the week) Perfecr biking day!

Wildlife sighting: Beaver (see below!) and large flock of purple martins

Report: Oxon Hill bike club was contacted by the Anacostia Trails Heritage Area nonprofit last year, asking for help to create a route for a bike ride as part of the Prince Beorge's County celebration of the 250th anniversary of the U.S. Last week we provided them with a route for their bike event on October 3, using their specified sites for stops to highlight historical places or happenings. Today we tested that route but from North Keys park (their ride will start at the Patuxent Park Pavilion).

We visited: Nottingham, Merkle, Jug Bay (Rural Life Museum & Observation Tower), Selby's Landing, Critical Area Driving Tour to Mattaponi Creek (paved section) and passed St Thomas Church.

Critical Area Driving Tour crosses Mattaponi Creek. While we stood on the bridge a beaver swam over, began to eat the spadderdock stalks, and kept eating and chewing for the entire time we hung out there.

Beaver and spadderdock - Mattaponi Creek

Kent Island: Mondays with Jessica

Jessica Hirschhorn — Mon, 20 Jul 2026 14:00:00 GMT

We were so happy that the temp dropped and the air quality cleared, for another great Monday ride, "The Octopus Ride" on Kent Island.

I changed the route a bit, and after the first two out 'n backs, we headed NORTH to go to the very beautiful and empty Matapeake pier. After the pier we headed SOUTH to complete the ride. Everyone stayed together and we enjoyed the cloudy day and beautiful water views.

RIDERS: Eugene Grumby, Barbara Heffernan (riding her snazzy new E Gravel bike, Specialized Creo), Jessica Hirschhorn, Renee McCullough, Joseph McKenzie, Allan Rogers, and Anne Wittenberg.

We enjoyed the usual Silver Swan beach, the fishing pier, the golf course, and the lighthouse/ crabbing marina.

We found a dropped iPhone on the road, and were able to see only the persons name, but that did not help us much. On the way home I dropped the phone at the Prince Anne's Sheriff's office.

No one lost, no missed turns, no mechanicals. A great group!

36.72 miles

192' climbing

Average Speed 11.7

More Nanjemoy

Joan Oppel — Sun, 19 Jul 2026 13:30:00 GMT

Leader: Joan Oppel - Substituting for Ron Altemus

Members: Patricia Sanders, Janell Saunders, Jackie Schoch, Tom Short, Bernard Stewart, Dave Van Ameyden, Pat Walthers

Route: https://ridewithgps.com/routes/54133983 Today's route provided a fair amount of shade and the discovery of occasional new pavement on Adams Willett and Hancock Run - which raised the question: why don't the road crews pave both lanes when the old surface next to the new appears and feels just as worn out? Parts of Route 6 have nice new pavement, extending across the shoulder - nice.

Weather: About 80 to start, 90 at the end. A nice breeze.

Report: Ron was not feeling well and asked me to subsitute - we missed him! The weather was noticeably niceer than the past few days - almost cool comparatively. Riders spread out quite a bit on the road, but we did meet up at the Nanjemoy Store and enjoyed the shade of the picnic tables. The store owner was running the store this morning and I took the opportunity to again thank her for her hospitality to allow cyclists to use the bathroom.

We spread out again on the return but those of us at the back were happy Ron listed this route and enjoyed the ride.

Saturday IHRT ~26 miles

Ron Altemus — Sat, 18 Jul 2026 13:00:00 GMT

Leader: Ron Altemus

Members: Bob Rourke, Gene Villiva, Joan Oppel, Paul Adams

Route: west from White Plains trailhead to Mattingly Rd trailhead and return. A couple of us added mileage by visiting the boat launch at the end of Mattingly.

Weather: Gray shrouded smoke filled skies w/Code Orange air quality; temp range 80-90; humidity/dew point in the unpleasant range; 7-9 mph winds supposedly out of the SW but the flags at White Plains indicated NE

AMS: mid 11s

Mechanicals/Mishaps: nothing worth mentioning

Report: in place of Friday's cancelled ride due to Code Purple air quality, your friendly neighborhood ride leader posted a Saturday ride starting at White Plains to ride the entire trail. As noted above, the air quality still wasn't optimal, but with masks for some of us and the basically flat terrain, it wasn't bad at all.

Both ends of the trail had lots of walkers but few, if any joggers. Numerous other cyclists, including a pass by from club member Bob Moye. The section between Blair and Woodland has a number of red Crepe Myrtle trees, The one pictured below was very intense in its coloring.

Even on a Saturday, there are wildlife sightings, particularly near the Livingston Rd parking lot. A Great Blue Heron and a Green Heron were observed in different ponds along with numerous turtles. There was an eagle on the nest just east of the parking lot. A cyclist passing in the opposite direction alerted us to a snake on the trail but we never saw it, probably due to the disparity in speeds between the announcer and us.

Enjoy Nanjemoy

Joan Oppel — Tue, 14 Jul 2026 13:30:00 GMT

Leader: Joan Oppel

Members: Chantal Briere, Connie Quickstad, Pat Walthers

Route: https://ridewithgps.com/routes/56115420

Weather: About 80 to start, 90 at the end. Some mild breeze to help while riding.

Report: Everyone said they enjoyed the route and the ride! A quick route put together to get to Nanjemoy from Livingston Road parking lot. We took Chicamuxen and Pisgah Marbury to Mason Springs, which becomes Ironsides. Then a right on Baptist Church - the longhorn cattle were out, including (look carefully at least one very young calf).

Baptist Church becomes Liverpool Point directly to the Nanjemoy Store. It was very pleasant in the shade at the picnic tables.

Return was Gilroy/Bowie and then on Smallwood Church to Chicamuxen, including Marbury Run.

Wildlife (not) sighting: We almost got fooled but even a quick passing look revealed the truth: colors all wrong, not moving feet. Definitely a wooden non mallard.

Photo credits to Connie.

Hains Point to The Arboretum: Mondays with Jessica

Jessica Hirschhorn — Mon, 13 Jul 2026 14:00:00 GMT

Today was a terrific urban adventure for the Monday Club!

RIDERS: Frieda Achtentuch, Peggy Alfonso, Suzanne Allan, Robin Butler-LeFrancois, Andrea Clayville, Jessica Hirschhorn, Barbara McCann, and Marie Morris (guest registration)

The Gaggle of Gals met at Hains Point on what looks to be the last decent day for the week, as Mother Nature will be increasing the thermostat tomorrow.

Weather clear 71 feels like 76, Humidity 83% Wind 3.6 from ENE

Average speed 11.0 mph

Rumor had it that the shenanigans on the National Mall were not fully cleaned up, leaving considerable detritus and detours, so we took Independence Avenue instead.

City riding certainly involves lots of red lights, and we made sure to account for everyone and stay together on our route.

We skedaddled through the city, seeing some great neighborhoods, stopping at Lincoln Park to see the two historic outdoor sculptures: Emancipation and Mary McCord Bethune. Then we continued toward The Arboretum for a short break before looping around, up and down the Gem of Botany that sits right in Washington DC. We looped around the Conifer section which is my favorite, then all met at the columns.

The Arboretum was nearly empty today, which enhanced the treat for all of us.

At the Bonsai Exhibit we split into 3 groups: 1. Seeing the exhibit 2. Waiting outside in the shade or 3. Heading back.

We zoomed down 11th Street and across the Navy Yard ("watch the cracks!" ) and Yards Park before arriving back at the Pro shop for a final sit down and iced cold diet cokes.

This is a really fun, different ride that I am looking forward to repeating as part of the Mondays with Jessica series.

Mason Neck ~30 miles

Ron Altemus — Sun, 12 Jul 2026 13:30:00 GMT

Leader: Ron Altemus

Members: Pat Walthers, Randy Sims, Janell Saunders, Joan Oppel, Dave Van Ameyden, Patricia Sanders

Route: Casual tour of Mason Neck, visiting Mason Neck Park, Hallowing Point, Gunston Estates, Gunston Hall, and Pohick Bay Parks. Approx. 30 miles, 954' elevation change

Weather: Mostly cloudy though sometimes thinning enough that sunlight filtered through; temps mid 70s to low 80s; 8+ mph air out of the eastern quadrant; unpleasant humidity at start lowering to moist as the day progressed.

AMS: swept in the mid 11s. Others could have been faster

Mechanicals/Mishaps: dropped chain quickly remedied

Report: Other than a little slow in getting everyone started, a pleasant ride with moderate temperatures and decreasing humidity. Randy's first time riding on Mason Neck; the rest of us have done it before but keep coming back because it is a nice ride with some scenic views, a bit of history, and the possibility for some hill work for those desiring same.

Traffic was normal for a Sunday morning/mid-day, which is to say not very much. We didn't see many other riders for whatever reason though the mountain bike parking lot had users for those trails.

The out and back on Belmont Blvd provided an opportunity to see firsthand what is this year's summer attire for the well-dressed garden scarecrow. Janell took "her" picture per the accompany photo :

The trail descent down to High Point Road has gotten a bit more treacherous very close to its end. A couple of tree roots have gotten some size and traveling over them provides enough of a jolt to shake loose any fillings one might still have left in their mouth. The RL will alert the Mt Vernon supervisor, requesting some remedial action.

Merkle & the Pavilion

Joan Oppel — Sat, 11 Jul 2026 13:00:00 GMT

Leader: Joan Oppel

Members: Peggy Alfonso, Debbie Bowman, Chantal Briere, Suzanne Brown, CeeCee Bullock, Mary Ann Owsley, Deb Reynolds, Patricia Sanders, Bob Thompson, Dave Van Ameyden

Route: https://ridewithgps.com/routes/49813739

Weather: Mid 70s to a high of 90 - very humid

Report: A lovely hilly ride, a quick visit to Merkle and then to the Patuxent River Park Pavilion. We used the bathroom and replenished water - but a family reuion was setting up with a noisy catering truck so we moved to the Croom Airport historic display to eat snacks - unfortunately the benches were in the sun so we just stood around under the trees.

Thanks to a good group who regrouped several times for slower riders.

Friday IHRT ~20 miles

Ron Altemus — Fri, 10 Jul 2026 13:00:00 GMT

Leader: Ron Altemus

Members: Gene Villiva, Peter Stelman, Jackie Schoch, Maureen Flynn, Bob Rourke, Paul Adams, Mark Garrrison, Oswald Martin, Astrid Caldas, Carl Hattery

Route: Indian Head Rail Trail, heading east from Livingston Rd parking lot to rest stop at White Plains trailhead, and then returning westward to ride start.

Weather: mostly gray overcast w/occasional sun; temp range mid 70s to lower 80s; some breeze out of the western quadrant; per the humidity scale, moist but not sticky

AMS: upper 11s for RL, others faster

Mechanicals/Mishaps: none

Report: nice turnout missing some Friday regulars who are traveling, recuperating, or visiting family. Very uneventful, good number of other trail users who where either cyclists or walkers. Of interest - one mom riding with her daughter and son, probably 7-9 yrs old age range. As Jackie passed on her trike, the daughter yelled out "I love your bike!"

Minimal wildlife sightings included a couple of dead frogs on the trail (which is unusual at this time of year. Normally we see them in the spring during the mating season. Not that they don't mate year-round, though). Eagle on the nest near the parking lot. Those of us bringing up the rear on the return saw a beaver swimming near its lodge in the Bumpy Oak pond. He/she was really motoring, creating a wake as they went about busy beaver business. Another example of being in the right place at the right time to see wildlife in action.

Tour de Accokeek

Janell Saunders — Wed, 08 Jul 2026 21:30:00 GMT

Members: Connnie Quickstad

Leader: Janell Saunders

It was just Connie and I today and the evening was quite pleasant. Low 80s and a beachy feel to the air. We took the standard tour and added the new neighborhood before heading down to the river for a quick break. The usual "tokers" were there as well, but we still enjoyed the view of the water before a couple of skidoo riders showed up to use the boat ramp. We headed back up Barrys Hill. I so wish PG county would repave their half of that road! As it was, there was some black top patching which was still loose and spitting up when ridden over. We skipped the out and back to Mayoane, saw a small herd of deer on Accokeek rod and ended the ride with no issues.

Ag Reserve, Montgomery County: Mondays with Jessica

Jessica Hirschhorn — Mon, 06 Jul 2026 14:00:00 GMT

We had a great group and a great ride today. One registrant was not an OH member. Two riders had never ridden in the Ag Reserve, and it was great to introduce them to this local gem.

RIDERS: Peggy Alfonso, Yolanda Carlton, Mark Garrison, Jessica Hirschhorn, Joan Oppel, Catherine ORiordan, Carol Torgan, Anne Wittenberg

29 miles, 1664'

The temp was a bit lower (80's) but the high humidity kept it clammy. a little drizzle appeared as we were driving to the start, but stopped by the time we saddled up.

We all stayed together and enjoyed the corn (way higher than knee-high), soy, peach and apple orchards, and cattle. Very low traffic today!

We took a rest stop at the Foxhound Retirement farm on Old Bucklodge (see photos) and stopped to talk about , sneak in to visit, and read the new plaque on Jerusalem about the Rosenwald School.

Watermelon Ride -- 40 miles

Ellen Goodwin — Mon, 06 Jul 2026 13:00:00 GMT

Members: Bernard Steward, Mark Garrison

Leader: Ellen Goodwin

Report: Our silent partner on this ride was the HEAT. It was a hot one. But that did not deter our small but enthusiastic group of 3 as we set out to ride 40 miles for the promise of cold watermelon. The three of us stayed together for the most part in the initial half. In the second half one rider went ahead and finished sooner than the others. We were thrilled to have snacks and watermelon at the end of the ride!

Mishaps: None

AMS: about 12 in the back

Watermelon Ride - 49 miles

Joan Oppel — Sun, 05 Jul 2026 13:00:00 GMT

Leader: Diane Harris

Members: Jenn, Patty, Randi, Eric, Lou, Josh, and Mario

Route: 2026 Annual Watermelon Ride. The route took us from the Indian Head Village Green to Goose Bay by way of the Indian Head Rail Trail and mostly back roads of Charles County.

Weather: Starting temperature was 77° rising into the 80s and humid. There was occasional breeze.

AMS: Ride leader 12.9, others 15+

Mechanicals/ Mishaps: None. There was an incident involving a wild turkey that ran in front of one of the riders on a descent. Fortunately, there wasn't a crash but feathers were seen flying.

Report: The 49 mile group was composed of several class riders so the plan was to separate into 2 groups, those who rode at a faster pace and those who rode at a more leisurely pace. I would ride with the latter group. Separation came on Bumpy Oak Rd where the road was closed due to a tree that had fallen due to recent storms and wind. We were able to walk our bikes around the workers clearing the tree and debris. At the Goose Bay Marina and Campground we rested, ate snacks, replenished fluids, before resuming the ride. The second half of the ride surprised us with another road closure due to a downed tree and wires. Once again we were able to get around the tree, carefully avoiding the poison ivy that was in our path.

The rest of the ride was uneventful. With ~8 miles to the finish, we stopped once more at the Pisgah Store to get fluids to last us for the remainder of the ride.

Thanks and much appreciation go out to Jackie for the watermelon, and Steve, Ron, and Lou for waiting for our return.

Watermelon Ride 35

Jessica Hirschhorn — Sun, 05 Jul 2026 13:00:00 GMT

The HEAT, while a tad better than over the weekend, likely kept the number of riders down, and we certainly could not blame them. However, the temp and breeze really helped, and the big heat did not come until the end of the ride.

RIDERS: Jessica Hirschhorn, Joan Oppel, Linda Blackman, Chantal Briere (who had a flat at the end, and a kind driver with a pickup truck got her back to Indian Head Village Park) , Barbara Butcher, Donaro Gardner, Chris Moriarity, Patricia Sanders, and Connie Quickstad.

We got word from Jackie that Bumpy Oaks was closed to cars due to a tree down, but a detour would have added a fair number of miles on a hot day, so we decided to chance it. Our guess held, as cars were not permitted but bikes could safely squeeze by.

We had the usual nice rest stop at Goose Bay, all sitting on the shady porch, where our wonderful SAG (Steve P) joined us.

We arrived back to be greeted by Jackie and cold drinks, ice cold watermelon, and snacks.

A good time was had by all!

Watermelon Ride Photos

Stephen Palincsar — Sun, 05 Jul 2026 13:00:00 GMT

Original Version, Oxon Hill Club Jersey

Watermelon Ride - IHRT ~27 mi

Ron Altemus — Sun, 05 Jul 2026 13:00:00 GMT

Leader: Ron Altemus

Members: Karen Barnett-McCain, Astrid Caldas, Janell Saunders, Gene Villiva (sorry, no picture)

Route: from the Indian Head Village Green, over to the Indian Head Rail Trail via Mattingly and then east to the White Plains Trail Head. After a short rest stop, return westward ho! back to watermelon at the Village Green.

Weather: High thin overcast so no blue skies but plenty of hot sunshine; temps starting in the low 80s, rising to the upper 80s by rides end; definitely humid but not oppressive; 3-6 mph air movement out of the SW

AMS: ride leader swept in the low 12s; a couple of riders where faster

Mechanicals/Mishaps: none

Report: the IHRT is always a nice ride and today was no exception. Long stretches of shade prior to the noon sun reaching its zenith overhead and on the return, the headwind breeze was kind of refreshing.

Plenty of other cyclists and a good number of walkers, mostly between Middletown and White Plains. Jackie didn't ride with the group but did want to get some miles in prior to tending to the watermelon. She encountered a tree down just past Randy's bench near Mile Marker 6 which she could not get past with her trike so returned from there. By the time our contingent arrived, others cyclists (I assume) had managed to clear most of it from the trail, as shown below. We didn't have to traipse through poison ivy as some of the on-road rides had to at various points.

Not too many wildlife sightings: a fox, turtles, and a couple of deer. The lack of rain is starting to dry up some of the marshy areas along side the trail. The beaver pond just east of the Livingston Road parking lot is very low. Unfortunately, its low level, coupled with the high temperatures of the past several days has resulted in the water becoming too hot for aquatic life, resulting in fish perishing.

We met up with the 26-mile riders just west of Livingston and rode with them for a bit, arriving back at the Village Green for the ice cold watermelon Jackie had awaiting. A great way to end a Watermelon Ride - thank you, Jackie!

Friday IHRT Ride

Jackie Schoch — Fri, 03 Jul 2026 12:30:00 GMT

Riders: Ron Altemus, Mark Garrison, Carl Hattery, Joan Oppel, Gene Villiva, Jackie Schoch and late riders were Connie Quickstad, and Donaro Gardner.

Route: Indian Head Rail Trail, heading east from Livingston Rd parking lot to rest stop at White Plains trailhead, and then returning westward to ride start.

Weather: It was very hot. We started early at 8:30 and it was 85 but felt like 92.

AMS: mid 12.4 mi/hr

Mechanicals/Mishaps: None

Report: It was a very hot day for a ride. Even starting at 8:30 AM it was already 85 degrees and felt like 92 degrees. There were a lot of bike riders on the Trail that started before we did to bet the heat.

Not many animals out today saw some turtles, MD Rat Snake in the shade on the trail and a small lizard.

Sorry Connie and Donaro I couldn't add the picture you send me.

Chicamuxen Bike Lane - ?

Joan Oppel — Tue, 30 Jun 2026 13:30:00 GMT

Leader: Joan Oppel

Members: Donaro Gardner, Patricia Sanders, Pat Walthers

Route: https://ridewithgps.com/routes/55891516

Weather: Around 77 to start, ending 89 - lovely breeze, enough shade to help with the heat.

Chicamuxen now has large bike signs on the shoulders. We saw 4 between Marbury Run and Hawthorne. Workmen were laying others on the other shoulder (heading toward Smallwood park) as we passed. The signs seem fine where there is the wide shoulder but that shoulder narrows a lot past Smallwood State Park as it gets closer to Riverside.

Report: A lovely ride, good company, oustanding rest stop in Smallwood State Park under the tree canopy with a breeze.

Clockwise Nanjemoy Loop (B 46)

Tue, 30 Jun 2026 13:00:00 GMT

Leader: Lou Dall'Orso

Members: Denny M, Connie Q,

Guests: none

Route: ridewithgps.com/routes/51730263

Weather: Not too bad at the start, getting progressively warmer and more humid towards the end of the ride. rising to the high 80s or so.

AMS: Around 14 mph

Mechanicals/Mishaps: None

Report: Fun ride with Denny and Connie, kept everyone within sight most of the ride and ended together. Shade is good.

Mason Neck: Mondays with Jessica

Jessica Hirschhorn — Mon, 29 Jun 2026 14:00:00 GMT

Well we just squeezed in the LAST decent day before a week of HOTNESS arrives.

We had a simply wonderful ride on Mason Neck, riding the Mason Neck 28 Counter clockwise route. Everyone stayed together and we enjoyed the shade of the State Park out 'n back as well as the water views and remarkable lack of traffic.

RIDERS: Peggy Alfonso, Suzanne Allan, Ron Altemus, Jim Cavanaugh, Erin Counts, Jessica Hirschhorn, Lynda Honberg, Ron Honberg, Annette Koklauner, Joseph McKenzie, Lisa Oken, Allan Rogers, and David Van Ameyden.

No injuries, no mechanicals.

It was a GREAT DAY to be riding our bikes.

Average speed 11.7

Friday IHRT ~20 miles

Ron Altemus — Fri, 26 Jun 2026 13:00:00 GMT

Leader: Ron Altemus

Members: Maureen Flynn, Gene Villiva, Jackie Schoch, Peter Stelman, Oswald Martin, Mark Garrison, Conne Quickstad, Don Gardner (Not pictured: Paul Adams, Bob Rourke)

Route: Indian Head Rail Trail, heading east from Livingston Rd parking lot to rest stop at White Plains trailhead, and then returning westward to ride start.

Weather: High overcast so filtered sunshine; temp range mid 70s to low 80s; humidity increasing but not too bad; 5-7 westerly air

AMS: mid 11s for RL - faster riders were faster

Mechanicals/Mishaps: rider stung by bee (or other flying insect)

Report: 9 a.m. starts pay offer as the temps climb and the humidity rises. Seems like there weren't that many other trail users but maybe just caught up in the moment of riding and didn't notice them.

Plenty of wildlife today: turtles in the various ponds and at least one box turtle alongside the trail; eagle on the next near the ride start while great blue and white herons seen in the ponds; deer, kamikaze squirrels, chipmunk, and wild turkey also present. Last but not least, especially given its length, is this healthy Eastern Rat snake more commonly referred to as a black snake, photographed by Gene.

Chapel Point, Glen Albin (CC33)

Connie Quickstad — Thu, 25 Jun 2026 13:30:00 GMT

Leader: Connie Quickstad

Members: Chantal Briere, Bob Thompson

Guests: None

Route: https://ridewithgps.com/routes/40595109

Weather: Mid 70’s – 80’s

AMS: Average was 13.3

Mechanicals/Mishaps: None

Report: Had a nice ride with Chantal and Bob this morning. Traffic was light, temps not bad. We enjoyed the first half of the ride better because it was more scenic. We skipped the rest stop at Port Tobacco River Park, wasn’t much there and made our way up to St Ignatius Church, where there were spectacular views. Had a look around the cemetery and pondered Dr Mudd’s history. Gift shop was closed and they have portable restrooms, seemed to be doing some renovation in the area. Made our way to La Plata and enjoyed the rollers on Fairground Rd. Last rest stop was at the Dash In, and for the record, Bob did not have a hot dog! Once we made it to MD 6 for the return trip the last 8 miles were not scenic, there was a fair amount of traffic so thankful for the wide shoulders. Overall, it was great to get a ride this week with some fellow members. See you next time!

Utica Park & 3 Covered Bridges: Mondays with Jessica

Jessica Hirschhorn — Mon, 22 Jun 2026 19:55:51 GMT

The rumor of rain was just that! We hemmed and hawed and mulled and worried over the dueling APPS, some that showed rain rain rain some that did not. My pathological optimism won the day, and we were a GO. And.... NOT A DROP OF RAIN! We had a simply terrific ride on a beautiful day in Frederick, MD.

RIDERS: Suzanne Allan, Brad Boekerloo, Jim Cavanaugh, Stanley Drake, Jessica Hirschhorn, Renee McCullough, Allan Rogers, Doug Van Zoeren, and Anne Wittenberg. Stanley, Allen and Doug were my former Kaiser colleagues, so we were covered with orthopedics, gastroenterology, and public health!

Our 35 mile plan turned to 40 miles when we encountered an unexpected closure of Glade due to emergency tree work. But the detour was unexpectedly stunning, with farmland, silos, barns, growing corn, amber wheat, and soybeans thriving. Almost no traffic.

We stopped at Loys Station Covered bridge, with a longer stop at Roddy Road Covered Bridge, and decided to fly through Utica Bridge as it was so close to home.

We all stayed together and had a simply wonderful day. Two of our group felt that the ride was a bit much, and turned back after 12 miles. They texted me when they arrived safely back at Utica Park.

Tour de Accokeek & Bryans Road ~30 miles

Ron Altemus — Sun, 21 Jun 2026 13:00:00 GMT

Leader: Ron Altemus

Members: Mark Garrison, Sue Estes, Debby Bowman, Chantal Briere, Bob Thompson, Cindy Halliday, Joan Oppel

Route: https://ridewithgps.com/routes/49615056 30.4 miles 735' elevation change. Regular Tour de Accokeek routing to Bryan's Road and then exploration of the Timber Ridge subdivisions working our way back to Marshall Hall Road. Following a thrilling descent of Marshall Hall Road, an out and back on Fenwick prior to a rest stop at Marshall Hall Landing. Return featurd an exploration of River Rd before resuming the standard TdeA with the ascent of Barry Hill Road. After cresting, a short excursion left on Old Marshall Hall Road before retracing and returning to the start.

Weather: partly to mostly sunny with temps starting in the mid 70s, climbing to the mid 80s sans humidity. 7-8 mph breezes out of the west.

AMS: swept in the low 11s; faster group was faster

Mechanicals/Mishaps: none

Report: Summer solstice feeling fine making for an enjoyable, relatively flat ride. First time for several members visiting the subdivisions in the Bryans Road area plus the out and backs on Fenwick and River. Vehicular traffic was light - for some of us, no cars either way on Livingston outbound nor climbing Barry's Hill.

A bit of confusion re start time caused us to split into two groups. The faster cyclists (Bob, Chantal, Cindy, Sue) left at the appointed time while the others waited for our errant friend. We met on Fenwick at a small farmer's market, riding together down to Marshall Hall landing and onto River. The final push up Barry's Hill resulted in regroupings into fast and slow. A good ride for all.

Allen Pond To Deale, 9:30, A/B, 54 miles

Diane Harris — Sat, 20 Jun 2026 13:30:00 GMT

Leader: Diane Harris

Members: Liam Healy

Route: Allen Pond To Deale, A/B, 54 miles

Weather: Beautiful, sunny, clear, breezy at times, temperatures from low 70s to mid 80s

AMS: 13.2

Mechanicals/Mishaps: None

Report: Starting at Allen Pond in Bowie, we traveled the backroads of 3 counties (Prince George's, Anne Arundel, and Calvert) to get to one of my favorite rest stops, The South County Cafe in Deale, before returning to Prince George’s County. Along the way, we stopped at a farm for treats (an expensive granola bar!), rode along a fairly busy road with a very nice lane-width shoulder, past fields of corn, on one of my favorite roads (Leitch to Franklin Gibson), and enjoyed an iced coffee drink at the café. A perfect way to spend my Saturday!

Fire Tower & Mill Swamp

Joan Oppel — Sat, 20 Jun 2026 13:30:00 GMT

Leaders: Joan Oppel and Pat Walthers

Members: Ron Altemus, Debbie Bowman, Chantal Briere, Lou Dall'Orso, Karen McMillan, Denny Miller, Dave Van Ameyden, Pat Walthers

Route: https://ridewithgps.com/routes/41603248

Weather: Nice day, beautiful clouds/sky, sunny, surprising wind on the return. Temperature in the 80s with moderate humidity

Mechanicals/Mishaps: none

Report: There was a slight mix up about the start time, so, by agreement, most of the group took off with the leader bringing up the rear and two riders joined up at the first rest stop at Scotts Store.

It was a lovely day for a bike ride and we all enjoyed the low traffic roads and relatively pleasant temperatures and humidilty.

Friday IHRT ~20 miles

Ron Altemus — Fri, 19 Jun 2026 13:00:00 GMT

Leader: Ron Altemus

Members: Peter S, Maureen F, Connie Q, Esther S, Mark G, Oswald M, Phillip M (guest), Robin G, Carl H, Gene V, Don G

Route: Indian Head Rail Trail, heading east from Livingston Rd parking lot to rest stop at White Plains trailhead, and then returning westward to ride start.

Weather: cloudy giving way to partly sunny, temps starting in the mid 70s rising to just about 80, air movement out of the SW

AMS: swept in the low 12s so figure others were faster

Mechanicals/Mishaps: none

Report: couple of non-regulars joined us today: Joan returning to cycling after having a procedure or two and Oswald's son Philip with us during a visit with the 'rents.

Good number of other trail users varying from cyclists to couples walking to some baby strollers and one female bladester moving swiftly behind a bicyclist (thanks to a convenient handhold).

Wildlife sightings included deer, many types of turtles, eagle(s) on the nest near the ride start, numerous other birds, and a ~14" green snake.

Clockwise Nanjemoy Loop (A/B 46)

Tue, 16 Jun 2026 13:30:00 GMT

Leader: Lou Dall'Orso

Members: Chantal B, Joshua G, Connie Q, Jackie S, Bob T.

Guests: none

Route: ridewithgps.com/routes/51730263

Weather: A nearly perfect weather day for a ride. Mostly sunny with a few white puffy clouds and light winds. almost 70 degrees at the start climbing to a comfortable near 80 towards the end.

AMS: 14 to 15mph, maybe?....

Mechanicals/Mishaps: None, (other than my attempt at a group selfie at the Nanjemoy store).

Report: I was happy to see a good group of club members show up for the ride representing several classes. I think everyone enjoyed the ride, and the group was never more than a few minutes apart, often within sight, regrouping at intersections and the rest stops. The route is essentially a big loop around Nanjemoy, and is well suited for mid summer rides as many of the roads are canopied and close to the water which help with the heat. I will be posting this (or a similar) ride weekly in the coming weeks. I encourage anyone interested to come on out, the pace will be tailored to the group that shows.

Goose Bay and Nanjemoy

Ellen Goodwin — Sun, 14 Jun 2026 13:00:00 GMT

Leader: Ellen Goodwin

Members: Chantal Briere, Bob Thompson, Dave Van Ameyden, Josh Garrison, Ron Altemus

Report: I really wanted to ride after volunteering at the Rural Legacy yesterday. Wow it was a hot one. This was a 41 mile route starting from Pisgah Park, stopping at Goose Bay Marina, then the Nanjemoy Store. Back to Pisgah Park via Mason Springs. The group stayed together for the most part which was nice. By the time we left the Nanjemoy Store everyone was hoping that the ride would end quickly as the temps rose to 95 degrees. This is a pretty good route for a hot day as most of the ride is in the shade. The rollers at the end on Mason Springs back to the park were fun and offered some welcome breezes! Thanks to everyone who came out to ride today!

Mishaps: None

Rural Legacy PICNIC

Jessica Hirschhorn — Sat, 13 Jun 2026 15:00:00 GMT

What a GREAT PICNIC we had today! 361 Registered, 285 checked in + 45 volunteers, all thirsty and hungry. That's a total of 330 folks who were hydrated and well fed.

CO Chairs = Jessica Hirschhorn and Kathy King

VOLUNTEERS (with whom this would NOT happen - thank you! )

Bruce Black, Gail Black , George Martin, Diane Harris, Lois Lightfoot, Sonja Newman, Linda Bankhart, Sara Clement, Walter Roscello, and Dennis Miller

We split into 3 shifts starting at 9:30 and ending at 2:30, but a lot of these amazing volunteers stayed for the whole time.

Basing our logistics on previous picnics and extensive instructions, we set up tables, drinks, and hot coffee , and covered the tables with light blue gingham tablecloths.

We served pickles/pickle juice, 5 kinds of sandwiches from NY Deli, chips, cookies from Costco, and juicy sweet watermelon.

Drinks were water, gatorade, iced tea, lemonade, and hot coffee.

And the riders kept coming. And coming. And eating. And drinking. Pretty soon we ran out of 3 kinds of sandwiches, leaving too many vegetarian and Italian combos. We even ran out of PLATES, serving folks on paper towels. They did not seem to mind, and stayed with their friends for a long time at the tables, in the shade, with a mild wind blowing.

The afternoon shift were CRACK efficient, emptying garbage bags, clearing tables, collecting left over unopened food and produce for the local Food Bank as well as the local volunteer Fire Fighters, and packing everything up in Dennis Miller's pickup truck, to be taken back to the storage facility. We were hoping that the gigantic pile of stuff did not fly off on the way.

All in all, a very successful and well received picnic.

Next year? Order more GOTTI sandwiches and fewer NY Yankees. And bring more plates.

Friday IHRT ~20 miles

Ron Altemus — Fri, 12 Jun 2026 13:00:00 GMT

Leader: Ron Altemus

Members: Jackie Schoch, Maureen Flynn, Peter Stelman, Debby Bowman, Connie Quickstad, Mark Garrison, Don Gardner, Gene Villiva, Carl Hattery

Route: Indian Head Rail Trail, heading east from Livingston Rd parking lot to rest stop at White Plains trailhead, and then returning westward to ride start.

Weather: Acceptable, thanks to the 9 am ride start. Temps in the low 80s rising to the upper 80s under blue skies and warm to hot sunshine; 6-8 mph winds out of the west, and noticeable humidity but not sweat city.

AMS: ride leader swept about 12ish. Others were faster

Mechanicals/Mishaps: none

Report: Trail was underused today, possibly because of the forecast high temperatures or just maybe because we started an hour early. Non-regular Friday rider Debby joined us and fell right into the conversational/social atmosphere of these rides.

Wildlife was in abundance slightly before ride start with the beaver pond just to the west of the parking lot entertaining seven (7) white herons/common egrets, three (3) great blue herons, and numerous turtles. A few pedal strokes farther west, a large snapping turtle lurked by the trail along with several small painted turtles. Other birds included an immature eagle visible on the nest just past Livingston Road, and a Canadian Goose adult pair with eight (8) goslings, rapidly growing and now almost as big as their parents. Connie's picture of same follows:

Kent Island: The Octopus Ride/ Mondays with Jessica

Jessica Hirschhorn — Mon, 08 Jun 2026 14:00:00 GMT

A simply glorious day on Kent Island.

RIDERS: Jessica Hirschhorn, Karen Dickey (she lives on Kent Island and is an Ironman Triathlete! What a great addition to our club), Lynda Honberg, Ron Honberg, Renee McCullough.

We did the usual 8 out 'n backs Octopus ride, plus an additional few miles to Metapeake Pier, a really beautiful landmark.

Our small group stayed together, and enjoyed the water views, view of the Bay Bridge, Fishing Pier, Wedding Venue, and Crabber marina ("Bloody Point") with lighthouse.

Total 40 miles.

Weather was perfect and the sky was spectacular.

Mason Neck ~30 miles

Ron Altemus — Sun, 07 Jun 2026 14:00:00 GMT

Leader: Ron Altemus

Members: Bob Thompson, Chantal Briere, Ray Luckenbach, Gene Villiva, Lisa Oken, Patricia Sanders (enjoying the rocking chairs and view from the state park visitor center.)

Route: casual tour of Mason Neck, starting with an out and back on Belmont Blvd with some of the group venturing down to the gate at the George Mason University Carter Center before retracing on Belmont Blvd. Gunston Rd took us to the Mason Neck trail followed by a short spur on Springfield before rejoining the trail. We left the trail at High Point Rd to head down to the Mason Neck State Park Visitor Center. Retracing on High Point, we used Gunston Rd to tour the Hallowing Point and Gunston Manor neighborhoods and then back to the trail. Gunston Hall and Pohick Bay Park were visited including a spin through the latter's campground. Three hardy (masochistic?) souls rode down to the water and back up the hill. We returned to the trail and then another out and back into the golf course before the final short stretch on Gunston Rd to the ride start.

Weather: mostly sunny with occasional patches of white puffy clouds. tems starting in the mid 80s but only rising to the upper 80s, 7-9 mph air movement out of the NW, and, unfortunately an increase in humidity such that sweating occurred.

AMS: 12s

Mechanicals/Mishaps: none

Report: typical pleasant ride on Mason Neck with stretches of car free cycling along with short periods of more vehicles on the road. This was Bob's first time riding this route so it was nice being able to introduce him to this part of Fairfax County.

My Big Fat Greek Ride - CC/40

David Van Ameyden — Sat, 06 Jun 2026 13:00:00 GMT

Leader: Dave VanAmeyden

Members: Bob Thompson and Chantal Briere

Guests: Ginny and Reed Hoofnagle. One other from Potomac Pedalers.

Route: A rare "inside the beltway" ride that eschews the quiet and scenic Maryland rural routes for the excitement and bustle of the city and suburbs of Virginia. We started in Arlington, riding up to Rosslyn and to McLean, down through Falls Church and into Springfield, then went around Lake Barcroft, and back up into Arlington to the St Katherine's Greek Orthodox Church, who were holding their annual Spring Greek Festival. RWGPS tallied 1,868' of climbs.

Weather: Hot! Started in the mid 70s and got up to 90 at the end. Next spring we may want to start the ride earlier if the weather forecast has this kind of heat.

AMS: 12mph, due to hills and many, many stops.

Mechanicals/Mishaps: One of our guests had trouble with their rear derailer limit stops. About half-way through the ride, one the bolts from a cleat fell off. Luckily, the route was about 1/3 of a mile from their house, and they broke off.

Report: Started off well, making it through the hills of Arlington and McLean. The heat and sun started to impact us when we made our way through Falls Church. Traffic was not light but manageable. We stopped at a Giant grocery store instead of a gas station. (Photo by Karl Moritz)

We finally got to St. Katherine's by 1PM, but by that time we were hot and the lines for the food were long. The remaining riders had biked to the start and lived only a couple of miles away, so they went straight home from the church. The ride leader made his way back to the start, went home, and took a long nap.

Friday IHRT ~20 miles

Ron Altemus — Fri, 05 Jun 2026 14:00:00 GMT

Leader: Ron Altemus

Members: Maureen Flynn, Peter Stelman, Leesha Saunders, Oswald Martin, Mark Garrison, Don Gardner, Esther Steward, Connie Quickstad, Denny Miller, Carl Hattery. Not pictured: Dan Donahue who met us enroute after starting at White Plains

Route: Indian Head Rail Trail, heading east from Livingston Rd parking lot to rest stop at White Plains trailhead, and then returning westward to ride start.

Weather: Getting warmer but humidity remains low. High overcast but still plenty of sunshine; temp range mid 70s to upper 80s; marginal air out of the SW

AMS: varied by rider (RL swept in the low 12s)

Mechanicals/Mishaps: none

Report: A preview of summer riding temperature-wise though thankfully without the humidity. Another nice turnout of club members while the trail didn't seem to have a lot of other users, especially between ride start and Bensville. Club member Bob Moye passed us traveling in both directions, looking good.

Plenty of wildlife. Peter airlifted a box turtle to safety and later saw a female snapper laying eggs. Fortunately, he made no effort to assist with the delivery. Bird sightings included a juvenile bald eagle on the nest just east of ride start; white herons/common egrets in the beaver pond just west of the ride start; great blue heron; and, numerous brown somethings flitting along the trail.

Connie photographed this deer taking a drink in Pages Swamp near the east end of the trail. The deer then resumed eating the leafy foliage along the banks of the swamp.

Some plants have started flowering and butterflies were in abundance partaking of the tasty nectar while also pollinating the plants. Yellow and zebra swallowtails were observed, along with many brown/orange Pearl Crescent butterflies as pictured below. Your faithful correspondent does not remember them in such profusion in years past. Usually, it seems to be the swallowtails that we see the most.

It's always nice to see a black snake on the trail. This one was a good 4 feet plus.

Bob Moye related that saw a racoon, rarely seen on the trail, plus a mink at the bridge over Mattawoman Creek. One of the joys of riding the IHRT is the varied wildlife - you just need to be in the right place at the right time to observe some interesting stuff!

Goose Bay w/Roundabout Return – (CC/36)

Connie Quickstad — Thu, 04 Jun 2026 14:00:00 GMT

Leader: Connie Quickstad/Pat Walthers

Members: Mary Scala and Patricia Sanders

Guests: None

Route: Started ride at IHRT Livingston Rd parking lot; rest stop at Goose Bay Marina and return. https://ridewithgps.com/routes/44564234

Weather: Temp was 76 degrees on departure and high-80’s on return; definitely warmer today but humidity was still fairly low.

AMS: 12-15 (average of 12.4)

Mechanicals/Mishaps: None

Report: Lovely lady’s ride! We had a great pacer (thank you Patricia) and the ride was quite enjoyable. Minimum traffic. Temps started rising but thanks to some shady roads it wasn’t too bad. Definitely felt the heat at the end of the ride. Rest stop at Goose Bay was a very welcome break. Chatted with a couple of folks on the deck, one gentleman who wanted to join the club a few years back but was deterred. We told him it’s not too late if he changes his mind!! Came across a deer crossing the road (Blossom Pt) so we slowed down in case there were others (there weren’t). Overall, a beautiful ride, hoping for others to join us next time. Have a great rest of your week!

Tour De Accokeek

Janell Saunders — Wed, 03 Jun 2026 21:30:00 GMT

Leader: Janell Saunders

Members: Connie Quikstad

Route: All class Tour de Accokeek

Weather: warm, pleasant

Just us two for the ride this evening. Low 80s and calm weather. We had shady roads to help with the warmer than expected temps. Going through the Accokeek neighborhoods, came to the house with the blue fountain flowing an a lovely garden. Added a couple miles by going through the newer neighborhoods before heading down to the Marshall road boat ramp for a short rest stop. After climbing Barrys Hill, we turned left to do the road to the Chapin Farm, passing the smaller farm on the way. We saw a small deer herd at the small farm as well as the big "hawgs" napping among the trees. The Chapin farm had the cow herd grazing with a few very cute calfs as well. At the farm, we heard what I believe was a peacock call behind the house.

Having trouble posting pics, will try later.

Ag Reserve: Mondays with Jessica

Jessica Hirschhorn — Mon, 01 Jun 2026 14:00:00 GMT

The simply magnificent weather continued, and we had a perfect day riding in the MoCo Ag Reserve. The sky was brilliant blue and speckled with stunning cloud formations. There was little humidity and little wind.

RIDERS: Chantal Briere, Barbara Butcher, Ed Comer, Cindy Halliday, Jessica Hirschhorn, Julia Madaras, Joseph McKenzie, Lori Michaelson, "Sue" Murray, Joan Oppel, and Lisa Oken (who rode from Riley's Lock).

The route took us down White's Ferry, across Edwards Ferry, down Mt Nebo to River, and around, Sugarland, and included a requisite stop at the Foxhound retirement farm on Old Bucklodge.

We stopped at the new historical maker at the site of the Jerusalem School, one of three remaining Rosenwald Schools in Montgomery County. See photo.

There was one mechanical, a flat, expertly addressed by Joan O, the QUEEN of FLAT REPAIR.

Unfortunately some riders chose to ride at a faster pace than the ride was posted, and, after the first mile or so, were never seen again. Not even at the designated stops or the parking lot. On one hand, everyone deserves to ride their own ride. On the other hand, if a ride is posted at a certain class/speed it is the leader's concept to maintain the speed and the group cohesion as well as social connection. (Stepping down from soapbox...).

York Tour 2026

Sherwood — Sat, 30 May 2026 14:00:00 GMT

May to the Bay – 30 mi/CC

Connie Quickstad — Sat, 30 May 2026 13:00:00 GMT

Leader: Connie Quickstad

Members: Janell Saunders, Mary Ann Owsley, Cindy Halliday, Jim Cavanaugh, Robin West & Pat Walthers

Guests: None

Route: Starting location was Waysons Corner Park & Ride; MD Rt 4 to Plummer Lane, Greenock, Brooks Woods Rd, short rest stop at the Farm Store; continued to West Bay Front Rd, Solomons Island Rd, Nutwell, Sudley, Deale Churchton Rd with a rest stop at South County Café. Tooled about waterfront neighborhood around Masons Beach Rd & Ave (think a couple of the road names have changed) then made our way back to Deale Rd, MD-258W, Southern Blvd and back to the start.

Weather: Gorgeous with blue skies!! Temps ranged from 65-68 for the duration of the ride. Some headwinds in the open field areas but not too bad on the climbs.

AMS: 11-14

Mechanicals/Mishaps: None

Report: Great Saturday to ride…no matter where you were riding but glad to have the opportunity to share the 30 mi CC with a nice group of seven. Tons of riders in the parking lot with the various groups, we got started a few minutes after 0900. Lots of turns starting out but then settled into a nice rhythm. Beautiful scenery, not too much socializing on the ride due to narrow roads and moderate traffic in places. We did have a driver behind us on Brooks Woods Rd following behind us and then also stopped at the Farm Store, she wasn’t happy that we were riding and she couldn't pass, thought it was dangerous for drivers and riders. It was unfortunate but does happen. Nevertheless, we continued; at the County Store Café, the group split, not ready for lunch! They made their way back to the finish and Janell, Pat and I came in about 30 mins later. The rolling hills on the way back were just enough to make it worth the cookies we ate but not bad enough to admit defeat! Lovely way to start the weekend. Stay safe.

May to the Bay (with a week delay) 50 A

Pete Czapiewski — Sat, 30 May 2026 13:00:00 GMT

Leader: Pete Czapiewski

Members: Steve Wartik, James Davenport

Guests: Michele Tuttle (from Rita's group)

Route: WC52 Deale-North Beach-Chesapeake Beach RR Trail-McKendree https://ridewithgps.com/routes/54999242

Weather: Sunny, windy 14+mph, high 60s to mid 70s.

AMS: 15.3 mph

Mechanicals/Mishaps: Heavy traffic on the main roads. Close call with a truck on Friendship Road, but no one went down.

Report: Beautiful sunny day for a ride, although the headwinds were challenging. I was substitute ride leader for Diane Harris, who couldn't make the rescheduled ride date. With our small turnout for the 52 mile A/B group, we started with the 43 milers and mixed with Rita's 52 mile group at times. James finished with the 43 mile group, and Michele finished with Steve and myself. We skipped the dead end portion of the over-water trail in Chesapeake Beach, bringing our distance down to 50 miles.

May to Bay - 43- B/CC

David Van Ameyden — Sat, 30 May 2026 13:00:00 GMT

Leader: Dave VanAmeyden

Members: Peggy Alfonso, Caresse Bullock, Barbara Butcher, John Clocker, Lou Dall'Orso, Brian Dixon, Evelyn Egizi, Ellen Goodwin, Lois Lightfoot, Ray Luckenbach, Lori Michaelson, Sue Murray, Cynthia Nuzzi, Deb Reynolds, Pat Sanders, Jordan Taylor

Guests: Dennis Thalacker

Route: Started at Wayson Corner Park & Ride and went to North Beach. https://ridewithgps.com/routes/54487578

Weather: Beautiful! Sunny, in the mid 60s at the start and low 70s at the end. Winds 13mph.

AMS: 12-14 mph

Mechanicals/Mishaps: One rider went down a mile after the rest stop. She was unharmed, but the same could not be said for her rear derailer. Some of her friends did the 30mile ride and had just got back to the start and were able to pick her up.

Some riders opted to stop at the Bakist in North Beach. Their Garmins gave them fits, but the riders were able to get back on the route.

Report: After weeks of cold and rain, we had an absolutely beautiful day for riding! We gathered at the Farm Store on Brooks Woods Rd, but they were not going to open for another half an hour. Next time we should call the owner (who is a bike riding fan) and ask her if she can open early for us.

We the had a great leg over to South County Cafe in Deale, where we met up with a couple dozen rider from the Annapolis club. Traffic for the most part was light, except for Swamp Circle Road. Had an excellent lunch at the the Chesapeake Market with brand-new tables and chairs. A quick stop at the pier at North Beach, and continued on.

The rest of the ride got a bit hilly but we made it to the end to conclude a most excellent day to ride a bike!

Quick stop at the Farm Store, but it wasn't open yet.

Stop at Deale.

Rest stop at Rose Haven, north of North Beach.

Friday IHRT ~20 miles

Ron Altemus — Fri, 29 May 2026 14:00:00 GMT

Leader: Ron Altemus

Members: Connie Q, Jackie S., Don G, Mark G, Leesha S, Peter S, Esther S, Astrid C, Dave V, Maureen F, Carl H

Route: where else does one ride on a Friday morning but the Indian Head Rail Trail! Heading east from Livingston Rd parking lot to rest stop at White Plains trailhead, and then returning westward to ride start.

Weather: Exceptional. Plenty of sunshine and brilliant blue skies; temp range of 70-75; 9-10 mph air out of the western quadrant

AMS: varied by rider. RL swept in the mid 11s

Mechanicals/Mishaps: none

Report: really nice day to ride, especially after so much rain during the preceding days. A couple of non-regulars joined us: one has recently retired and hopes to do some more club riding while the other decided riding would be more fun than cutting the grass! (A task your friendly neighborhood ride leader left until the afternoon...)

Trail wasn't crowded as we encountered the usual assortment of walkers, joggers, families, and other cyclists. Only a few wildlife sightings including Common Egret/White Heron and Great Blue Heron, and plenty of turtles in the various water bodies. There were some tame deer, two individual occasions, just off the trail. A young buck and probably a young doe. In both cases, they were grazing/feeding and simply raised their heads as we rode past. Guess satisfying their hunger was more important than giving in to the flight reflex.

Hains Point to Lake Artemesia

Jessica Hirschhorn — Mon, 18 May 2026 14:00:00 GMT

Ride Leader: Jessica Hirschhorn

Riders: Suzanne Allen (guest), Ron Altemus, Chantal Briere, Ed Comer (guest) , Joni Forman, Carl Hattery, Jessica Hirschhorn, Cathy Miller , Lisa Oken, Connie Quickstad, Madeline Roese

35 miles

The HEAT was a challenge for all of us, especially the last 10 miles when the temp rose to 96 with little wind. My Garmin sent me a discouraging message after the ride: "You are 1% adapted to the heat".

Everyone enjoyed the new route, the Anacostia River Trail, Vigilante Coffee in Hyattsville, The Titanic Memorial, and riding over the simply beautiful Douglass Bridge. We had wonderful views of the Anacostia and Potomac River, as well as some shaded, woodsy trails. The ART was very quiet today. We all stayed together at a social pace of about 11.0 mph average.

We coped by drinking at every stop, wetting our sleeves, and using salt tabs if needed. Despite this, the leader suffered some mild heat illness, but revived with time and car A/C.

I brought washcloths soaked in ice water for post ride, which were enjoyed by all. Especially the leader who used 3 before daring to ride home.

Strawberry Festival CC ride

Dan Donahue — Sun, 17 May 2026 14:00:00 GMT

Ride Leader: Dan Donahue

Club Members; 17 participants, including Ron Altimus, Anna Banyai, Chantal Briere, Barbara Butcher, Joshua Garrison, Tom Gestner, Diane Harris, Lori Michaelson, Joan Oppel Connie Quickstaad, Deborah Reynolds, Theresa Rowell, Patricia Sanders, Janell Saunders, Tom Short, David Van Ameyden, and Patricia Walthers.

Guest: Jae Patrick Robinson,

Weather: sunny with little to mild wind, temperature range from 76 to 88 degrees

AMS: 12.5 mph, leading from the rear

Mechanicals: No mechanicals or flats

The Strawberry Festival ride was from the Northern Senior Center in Charlotte Hall to Christ Church Chaptico’s parish hall. It included riding on the majority of the Three Notch Trail, and the remainder was on mostly quiet, low traffic volume roads. The Strawberry Festival ride included the expected strawberry-related goodies:

Additionally, there was a Blessing of the Bikes and a visit to historic Christ Church Chaptico. During the War of 1812, British troops stabled their horses in the church and desecrated gravesites in the cemetery.

Unanticipated excitement on the ride included a fully engulfed house fire.

Luckily, this was a volunteer fire department controlled burn, used for training purposes. Plus, the trailing riders of the group were able to ride among dozens of Amish buggies that had just left the parking barn from a church service.

LaPlata Loop Modified

Sherwood — Sat, 16 May 2026 14:00:00 GMT

On this sunny Saturday morning, Chantel Briere, Lou Dall'Orso, Sue Gunter, Sam Perry, Bob Thomson, and Leon Wells joined me Sherwood Byers for a ride From Manokeek to LaPlata Maryland for a 40 mile loop. The weather was fantastic and the casual pace was a mostly "CC" while there was a couple who were a bit faster. There were many places to stop for a restroom break if needed. The group chose the planned stops at McDonald's the Indian Head Rail Trail Head for their reprieve. There were mechanical or other issues reported to me on this ride.

Thank you to all the members who joined me and making this a nice and pleasant ride.

Friday IHRT ~20 miles

Ron Altemus — Fri, 15 May 2026 14:00:00 GMT

Leader: Ron Altemus

Members: Mark Garrison, Jackie Schoch, Oswald Martin, Leesha Saunders, Esther Steward, Carl Hattery

Route: Indian Head Rail Trail heading east from Livingston Rd parking lot to rest stop at White Plains trailhead. Return westward to ride start.

Weather: Sunshine gradually increasing with temps rising from the low 60s to almost 70 by ride's end. Noticeable breezes out of the SW.

AMS: varied by individual rider but probably most in the upper 11s/low 12s

Mechanicals/Mishaps: none

Report: a smaller contingent than previous weeks as many regulars were elsewhere engaged. Same seemed to be true of other trail users as it wasn't very crowded except for the senior center group mentioned in the previous report.

What was present in large numbers were turtles basking on logs in all of the ponds along the trail. The beaver pond immediately west of the parking lot has seen its population explode this year including some big uns. Jackie did a turtle rescue on the trail, deer bounded across at one point, and Carl successfully fended off a kamikaze squirrel, missing same and staying upright. It's always fun on the iHRT.

Bike to Work day - Indian Head pit stop ~7 miles

Ron Altemus — Fri, 15 May 2026 12:45:00 GMT

Leader: Ron Altemus

Members: Jackie Schoch, Mark Garrison, Carl Hattery (pictured with Senior Center staffer modeling the 2026 BTW tee shirt). Not pictured: Esther Steward

Route: Livingston Road IHRT parking lot to Indian Head Village Green r/t

Weather: more clouds than sun; temp range mid 50s to low 60s

AMS: varied by rider

Mechanicals/Mishaps: none

Report: Several club members visited the IH pit stop - those that registered online got a free BTW tee shirt. AARP, Charles County Parks, Tri-County Commission, and the IN Senior center had tables with freebies including IHRT stickers, flashlights, handlebar bells, etc. We saw Don Gardner at the pit stop. He had an engagement later in the morning so rode early to the Village Green and was heading home.

We probably arrived after the commuter crush but there were a good number or Senior Center users present with their bicycles. After stretching to warm up, they were going to do a ride on the IHRT of 25 minutes outbound, 25 minutes back and then conclude the day with some warm down yoga. We later passed them at MM 4 where they were turning around to head back.

Smallwood Church>Hancock Run ~35 miles

Ron Altemus — Tue, 12 May 2026 14:00:00 GMT

Leader: Ron Altemus

Members: Bob Thompson, Joan Oppel, Steve Palincsar, Connie Quickstad, Pat Walters, Lou Dall'Orso, Cindy Malvicini, Chantal Briere, Janell Saunders, Tom Short

Route: From Pisgah Park, south on Mason Springs to Smallwood Church, Chicamuxen, Riverside, Sandy Point, Jacksontown, and Liverpool Point to a rest stop at Nanjemoy Store. Continue on Liverpool Point, Adams Willett/Hancock Run, MD-6, Poseytown/Bowie to MD-6, Mason Springs back to the start. https://ridewithgps.com/routes/54133983 34.5 mi, 1390' elevation change.

Weather: another fantastic May day - sunshine, brilliant blue skies with some high wisps of clouds by ride's end, temp range upper 50s to low 70s, 5 mph breeze out of the SW w/a few gusts approaching 10 mph

AMS: RL swept in the upper 11s. Faster riders were faster

Mechanicals/Mishaps: one rider was "brushed" by a semi hauling an oversized load (highway asphalt trencher) returning on Mason Springs, resulting in a bruise to the left hand. Extremely fortunate that was all that transpired.

Report: Green, green, green - what a green day! Coupled with the brilliant blue skies, it was a photographer's delight, as per this view on Smallwood Church:

A number of faster class riders joined us today, so we immediately split into at least two groups with the plan to reassemble at the Nanjemoy store. When the sweepers got to the store, the faster riders, having waited a while, were ready to depart. They took off in two groupings and hopefully had a great ride. The rest of us continued our leisurely ride through the Greater Nanjemoy Statistical Area, many of the roads vehicle free.

With the trees fully leafed out, we were constantly riding in green tunnels, as Joan and Pat attest in this photo. (Sorry Janell, you were riding too fast when you went by me for my camera to capture!)

At some point on Poseytown, we made a short stop so that Janell could tighten her cleats. Moseying around resulted in noticing a couple of interesting 'shrooms:

It is always fun to ride in Nanjemoy, We'll do it again soon with some different routing, Stay tuned...

Tour de Accokke/Bryans Road ~30 miles

Ron Altemus — Sat, 09 May 2026 14:00:00 GMT

Leader: Ron Altemus

Members: Oswald Martin, Connie Quickstad, Michael "Sue" Murray. Dave van Ameyden, Tom Short, Steve Palincsar. Not Pictured: Chantal Briere, Bob Thompson

Route: Regular routing to Bryan's Road and then exploration of the Timber Ridge subdivisions back to Marshall Hall Road. Following a thrilling descent of Marshall Hall Road, out and back on Fenwick Rd prior to a rest stop at Marshall Hall Landing. Return featured another out and back on River Rd before resuming the standard TdeA with the ascent of Barry Hill Road. A short excursion left on Old Marshall Hall Road, then retracing and returning to the start. https://ridewithgps.com/routes/49615056 30.4 miles 735' elevation change.

Weather: Mainly partly sunny but periods of mostly cloudy; temp range mid 60s to low 70s; 10-12 mph winds out of the SW w/gusts close to 20.

AMS: low to mid 12s depending on rider though Chantal and Bob had to have been much faster since they caught up with us at Marshall Hall landing.

Mechanicals/Mishaps: no mechanicals; RL was on auto pilot and led the group out/back on Chester, adding additional mileage

Report:

A pleasant ride is the best description. An introduction to the delights of the greater Accokeek/Bryans Road Metropolitian Statistical Area for some members while providing the opportunity to observe the changing of seasons along this route for those that ride it a bit more frequently.

Traffic was light for the majority of the ride though a new "Farm Market" had it's grand opening this weekend resulting in more cars than usual on Fenwick. Barry's Hill was thankfully quiet. The Charles County portion has recently been repaved as it lacks any road markings. Unfortunately, the Prince Georges section, which is the climb, continues to deteriorate. Any club members living in PG should petition their elected officials for road improvements on that part of Marshall Hall Road.

Chantal and Bob were delayed getting to the ride start. alerted us that they would be late, and thought they might catch up with the group. They meet us at Marshall Hall landing, probably setting any number of PRs to arrive there so quickly.

Mason Neck ~30 miles

Ron Altemus — Sun, 03 May 2026 14:00:00 GMT

Leader: Ron Altemus

Members: Patricia S, Cindy H, Ellen G, Joan O, Mary S, Lisa O, Janell S, Steve P with Belmont Bay as a background

Route: casual tour of Mason Neck, starting with an out and back on Belmont Blvd with some of the group venturing down to the gate at the George Mason University Carter Center before retracing on Belmont Blvd. Gunston Rd took us to the Mason Neck trail followed by a short spur on Springfield before rejoining the trail. We left the trail at High Point Rd to head down to the Mason Neck State Park Visitor Center. Retracing on High Point, we used Gunston Rd to tour the Hallowing Point and Gunston Manor neighborhoods and then back to the trail. Gunston Hall and Pohick Bay Park were visited including a spin through the latter's campground. Three hardy (masochistic?) souls rode down to the water and back up the hill. We returned to the trail and then another out and back into the golf course before the final short stretch on Gunston Rd to the ride start.

Weather: Great for the 3rd day of March; a bit cooler for the 3rd of May. Temps starting in the mid 50s, climbing to the low 60s. Brilliant sunshine, incredibly deep blue skies dotted with occasional puffs of white clouds. Continuous 11-13 mph air of the NW, gusting to the low 20s at times. No humidity.

AMS: low 11s or slightly faster depending on rider/routing

Mechanicals/Mishaps: one rider lodged a good size boulder in their cleat at Mason Neck Visitor Center and thus, couldn't clip-in. Major ditch digging/extraction equipment was needed to remove it, but once that was accomplished, it was like it never happened.

Report: a most excellent day bicycling even if the temperature was 12 degrees below the daily average. It was nice having Janell and Joan back riding and both of them are doing fine.

The breeze seemed to keep the pollen at bay (or blowing past us so fast it wasn't a concern) and the sky was crystal clear blue. Much of the route has extensive tree canopy on both sides of the road and the contrast of blue sky and numerous shadings of green was most delightful.

A very congenial group staying together for the entirety of the ride; traffic was fairly light and non-existent in the Hallowing Point and Gunston Manor neighborhoods. We only saw a few other riders - maybe the hammerheads rode earlier in the day.

Wildlife included osprey on next at the Visitor's Center, vultures and eagles soaring aloft, plenty of small brown somethings flitting about, and bird calls heard and identified but never seen.

47 Davidsonville to Deale ( no McKendree), A/B, 47 miles

Diane Harris — Sun, 03 May 2026 13:30:00 GMT

Leader: Diane Harris

Members: Theresa R, Pete C, Liam H, Larry M, Lou D

Guests: None

Route: Beautiful route from Davidsonville to the South County Cafe in Deale along quiet rural roads of Anne Arundel County.

Weather: Mid 40s at the start, warmed up to the low 60s, sunny, breezy (no, not breezy, WINDY!!)

AMS: Ride leader with 14.4, some riders finished with 16+

Mechanicals/Mishaps: None

Report: A cold start with the temperature in the mid 40s, eventually getting into the low 60s. It was cold! And windy!! This route took us along rural backroads of Anne Arundel County to Deale, providing a good mix of flat roads and climbing. We stopped at the South County Cafe to enjoy well deserved snacks and (for me) a hot drink. For one rider, the pace of the group was such that he encouraged us not to wait for him, as he would meet us at the rest stop. The group separated at the rest stop with 2 riders continuing on while the rest of us waited. The remainder of the ride was as nice as the first 30 miles with long stretches on quiet backroads with less climbing. All in all, in spite of the wind, a really nice ride.

Friday Indian Head Rail Trail 20 mi

Jackie Schoch — Fri, 01 May 2026 14:00:00 GMT

Leader: Jackie Schoch

Members: Ron Altemus, Paul Adams, Maureen Flynn, Donaro Gardner, Vicki Garlock, Carl Hattery, Oswald Martin, Denny Miller, Connie Quickstad, Bob Rourke, Leesha Saunders, Peter Stelman, Esther Steward, Gene Villiva,

Guest: None

Route: Indian Head Rail Trail heading east from Livingston Rd parking lot to rest stop at White Plains trailhead. Return westward to ride start.

Weather: cloudy, 56 degrees at ride start but sun breaking through it felt like 61.

AMS: varied by rider

Mechanicals/Mishaps: None

Report: It was a perfect day for a ride and everyone enjoyed themselves. Ron saw a water snake on the trail. A group of us saw 4 geese on top of the beaver dam. After the ride some of us went to Lunch Box for lunch.

South County & McKendree(CC, 32) Steve Palincsar

Stephen Palincsar — Thu, 30 Apr 2026 14:00:00 GMT

Lunch at South County Cafe

Ride leader: Steve Palincsar
Members: Joni Forman, Lois Lightfoot, Karen Morgan, Lisa Petersen, Patricia Sanders, Mary Scala
Route: https://ridewithgps.com/routes/54852607 a 32 mi visit to Deale for brunch at the South County Cafe, followed by a trip south on Rt 2 to Fairhaven to ride the newly-reopened McKendree Road.
Weather: Sunny with a light layer of clouds, around 60 at the start rising to an unanticipated 70 degrees by early afternoon, and far windier than expected: a 5 on the Beaufort scale ("fresh breeze," enough to have blown at least one empty trash wheelie bin and one plastic garbage can lid into the road).
Mishaps and mechanicals: none
AMS: 12.5

A beautiful sunny, breezy day and a very pleasant ride. We never need an excuse to visit South County Cafe, and the route there on Greenock, Brooks Woods, Nutwell, Franklin Gibson and Deale Rd never fails to entertain and thrill -- especially today, with cross winds over 20 mph on the descent into Deale. This was our first visit to McKendree since it was closed last fall for the replacement of a culvert. As far as I could tell as I was flying by (McKendree is a twisty roller coaster at the point where you pass the culvert) they did a lovely job, too. I wasn't entirely pleased with the route, though: I was sure there was a traffic light at Fairhaven and MD-2 but no, just a stop sign; we should have stayed on Rt 2 rather than turning off onto Old Solomons Island Rd, avoiding the crossing. I'll modify the route to make that change.

St Ignatius, Fairgrounds & Hawthorne - (33 mi, 10:00) Steve Palincsar

Stephen Palincsar — Tue, 28 Apr 2026 14:00:00 GMT

Ride leader: Steve Palincsar
Members: Ron Altemus
Weather: 52 and raining at the start. The rain stopped at 10:30 leaving us with a breezy, very damp and chilly-feeling 52 degrees and overcast skies that only cleared reaching 60 a couple of hours later, as we were finishing the ride.
Route: we abandoned the planned route and rode the IHRT from end to end instead.
Mishaps & mechanicals: none

Ride Report: Although there was no rain in the forecast when I left home, the sprinkles began as I passed Old Fort Rd. By the time I reached Bryans Road, it became light rain. The forecast now said "rain ending at 10:30," and Ron and I decided to wait for the rain to stop.

Blanket, a Gnome white-noise relaxation program I've been experimenting with includes "rain" as one of its settings. It's similar to sitting in a car hearing the rain tapping on the roof and the windshield, and the real thing quickly had the same soporific effect as the imitation.

It was a shock leaving a warm, snug car to ride, and I never warmed up. It was quite pretty on the IHRT, everything looking plump, green and freshly watered. Birds and rodents were out in force, but we saw only one cyclist, a very determined young woman head down out on a training ride.

I think Ron and I both enjoyed the ride and I'm not sorry I didn't cancel. I think switching routes was a good idea, too. We'll ride to St Ignatius and La Plata another time.

Friday Indian Head Rail Trail ~20 mi

Connie Quickstad — Fri, 24 Apr 2026 14:00:00 GMT

Leader: Connie Quickstad

Members: Peter Stelman; Oswald Martin; Donero Gardner; Ron Altemus; Maureen Flynn and Carl Hattery

Guests: Suzanne Allan

Route: Indian Head Rail Trail heading east from Livingston Rd parking lot to rest stop at White Plains trailhead. Return westward to ride start.

Weather: another beautiful day, everything was green including lots of pollen flying around; 76 degrees at the start of the ride and 82 degrees at the finish; a little on the humid side.

AMS: 11-13 depending on the conversations!

Mechanicals/Mishaps: None

Report: a smaller group today compared to the recent Friday rides but always enjoyable and the perfect ride for catching up with everyone and a chance to chat with our guest Suzanne and share information about the Club. The trail was quite busy with other cyclists, joggers/walkers, skaters and one lucky dog getting a ride with his human in a very nice bike trailer!

Lots of flora and fauna: wild turkey, deer, water snake, turtle, eagles, butterflies and a Great Blue Heron…makes this trail one of the best to ride in southern Maryland.

A great way to end the week and get ready for the weekend. See you next time!

Van Brady to Patuxent River Park (CC, 32) Steve Palincsar

Stephen Palincsar — Thu, 23 Apr 2026 14:00:00 GMT

Ride leader: Steve Palincsar
Members: Patricia Sanders, Connie Quickstad
Route: https://ridewithgps.com/routes/54729183 32 miles, 1570' elevation gain
Weather: Sunny,around 70 at the start rising to around 80 by early afternoon
AMS: 12.3
Mishaps & mechanicals: none

An early preview of Rural Legacy roads, designed for scenery and easy (relative to the area, of course) terrain. We went down North Keys, took Molly Berry to Van Brady, then up Van Brady to Duley Station and down Croom Airport to the Patuxent River Park Pavilion for a rest stop. After the break we backtracked to Duvall, took it to Mt Calvert, then Croom to St Thomas Church, Mattaponi back to Croom to Nottingham, then around the bend to Tanyard, across Croom to Brooks Church, then Croom back to Candy Hill, and Molly Berry and North Keys back to the park.

A very pleasant route, and a treat to see the area again after what seems like many months. The only issue noted was remembering the large groups we used to have riding from North Keys Park on Thursdays and seeing how few we can muster now.

Hains Point to The Arboretum

Jessica Hirschhorn — Mon, 20 Apr 2026 20:08:09 GMT

It was a day for new friends, a great urban ride, stunning Azaleas, and adventure!

RIDERS: Jessica Hirschhorn (leader) Ron Altemus (sweep)William Fuchs (friend of Anne W), Anne Wittenberg, Claudia Kidder (a DC Brompton rider, non member), Lori Michaelson, Sara Rhoades, Tony Rickert, Lynn Schoenfelder, and Leslie Tierstein (who rode with us to the Arboretum then peeled off)

19 miles

Average speed 9.0 (LOTS of stop lights!)

899' , most in the Arboretum.

ROUTE: Hains Point, down the National Mall, through the neighborhoods of Capital Hill and others, to the Arboretum for some challenging hills and simply beautiful land/plantings.

We had a mid ride stop in Lincoln Park, to see the Emancipation Sculpture and the Mary McCloud Bethune sculpture.

The azaleas were a tad past peak but still exploding with color. We rode through the conifer section which remains my perennial favorite. We had a great stop at the Capitol columns (of course) .

A cold, cloudy, windy RAIN greeted us as we arrived at the Arboretum, but we took protection under the office /bathroom entrance, and, on cue with our multiple apps, stopped after 30 minutes. The sun came out and the clouds were gorgeous.

We rode home via 11th Street and Navy Yard, and stopped at Potbelly's in Yards Park for lunch, snack and bathroom. It was a cool and windy afternoon and some of us elected hot soup to warm our cores.

Our final stop before the Wharf and home was the Titanic Memorial.

Lynn, Ron, and I did a final "victory lap" around HP after we ended.

Woodburn Hill & Old Sycamore(CC 34) Steve Palincsar

Stephen Palincsar — Sat, 18 Apr 2026 14:00:00 GMT

Ride leader: Steve Palincsar
Members: Jackie Schoch, Deb Bowman, Anonymous User, Deb Reynolds, Dave VanAmayden, Mary Scala, Patricia Walthers, Ron Altemus, Patricia Sanders, Joshua Garrison
Route: https://ridewithgps.com/routes/44893538
Weather: Sunny, around 72 at the start rising to 82 and partly cloudy by early afternoon
Mishaps & Mechanicals: none
AMS: 13.0

It was a beautiful day for our first ride of the season in the St Marys/Charles County "Hidden Amish" area, and everyone seemed to enjoy themselves. Several, like me, are just getting their season started and it's great to do a ride early on that's not too difficult but is brimming with beautiful scenery to light up long-dormant memories and revive the enjoyment that's almost been forgotten over the winter, and this route fit the bill perfectly, a veritable Hall of Fame collection of scenic rural riding. The rest stops at Clover Hill Dairy and Gilbert Run Park helped maintain the party atmosphere. TL;DR: a fabulous ride.

Friday IHRT ~20 miles

Ron Altemus — Fri, 17 Apr 2026 14:00:00 GMT

Leader: Ron Altemus

Members: Sherwood B, Maureen F, Cecil S, Sarah R, Susan A, Peter S, Fran J, Connie Q, Bob R, Robin G, Mark G, Paul A, Linda B, Donaro G, Leesha S, Jackie S, Esther S

Route: Indian Head Rail Trail heading east from Livingston Rd parking lot to rest stop at White Plains trailhead. Return westward to ride start.

Weather: exceptionally nice day - blue skies w/plenty of sunshine, temp range mid 70s to low 80s, 10-12 mph air out of the NW, low humidity

AMS: swept in the mid 11s

Mechanicals/Mishaps: none

Report: another great turnout with a couple of newer members, a long time regular finally having a free Friday, a couple of others needing some leisurely miles, along with most of the usual suspects. Assortment of other trail users including walkers, joggers, mothers w/strollers, and bicyclists.

Wildlife consisted of squirrels, fox, turkey, numerous unidentified birds, and turtles, either basking on logs in the various ponds or marshes, with a couple needing rescue crossing the trail. Fran transported a small (3-4" long) snapping turtle down to the creek's edge, being careful to pick it up well behind its midsection, though the neck didn't come out to try and devour her. Sorry, no picture, which is a shame as I don't recall anyone every moving a snapper. Painted or slider, yes. But snapper, NO! It helped that it was a youngen.) And Peter helped a box turtle make it to the other side (turtle picture below taken by Peter).

Kent Island: The Octopus Ride/ Mondays with Jessica

Jessica Hirschhorn — Mon, 13 Apr 2026 21:12:01 GMT

Kent Island welcomed us, with sun, some pretty good wind, and a short sprinkling.

RIDERS were: Pam Alexander, Ron Altemus, Susan Altemus, Karen Dickey (A Kent Islander!) Jessica Hirschhorn, MaryClare Muzyka, Phong Nguyen, Barbara Raimondo, Sara Rhoades, Brenda Ruby, Anthony Schreiber (training for Ragbrai), Tracy Threefoot, Doug van Zoeren, and Cecil Rhoades.

We had a great mix today, including 6 non members (4 from the Kaiser Retired Physicians group) who loved the ride and planned to become members.

We did the usual Octopus Ride (8 out 'n backs) with great views of the Bridge, Chesapeake, Osprey nest, golf course, crabbing marina and lighthouse, fishing pier, and Silver Swan wedding venue beach.

The WIND got us on the way south to the lighthouse, but PUSHED us back up afterwards.

No mechanicals, no one lost, no one hurt. A GOOD DAY enjoyed by all.

35 miles of flatness (but wind gave us "Dutch Hills")

Rebels and Redcoats ride, 2d edition

Dan Donahue — Sun, 12 Apr 2026 13:30:00 GMT

Ride Leader: Dan Donahue

Members: no other

This was a joint ride with the Solomons Island Cycling Club

Guest/member of Solomons Island Cycling: Jay Snider

CC 28 mi.

AMS: 8.2 for the ride leader; 13.3 for Jay

Weather: mid-70s, sunny and very windy

Mechanicals: None but thee was a medical situation

Report: This was a recreation of Saturday’s ride to the Rebels and Redcoats event, but it focused on the St. George Island activities. Displays included blacksmithing, and musket sniper demonstrations, but a planned cannon firing from a British “warship” was cancelled due to high wind and wave conditions. St. George Island was the only Revolutionary war battle fought in MD. The British admiral landed troops on the island to establish a food and water logistics site. St. Mary’s Co. militia began sniper operations against the British immediately. Eventually, neighboring militias expanded the opposition force. Redcoats were taking increasingly high casualties and withdrew from the island.

The ride down to the island averaged 17.9 mph with a terrific tailwind. Our hoped-for wind shift didn’t occur, so the return to the start included very strong headwinds. The ride leader had forgotten his battery for his e-assist. Without e0assist the ride leader’s heart rate began exceeding medically imposed limits and blood sugar level numbers dropped precipitously. This may be the first club ride where the ride leader needed to be rescued by a ride participant. Once Jay rescued me with my truck, I was able to get home for rest and recovery without a trip to the ER.

Start the Season - IHRT ~27 miles

Ron Altemus — Sat, 11 Apr 2026 13:45:00 GMT

Leader: Ron Altemus

Members/Guests: Susan Altemus, Ann Kellogg (g), Diane Donahue, Ken Baron (g), Gene Villiva, Mike Diggs (g), Leesha Saunders, Kelly Diggs (g), Paul Adams, Bob Rourke

Route: the Indian Head Rail Trail in its entirety - Village Green eastward to White Plains trailhead. After a rest stop that varied in length, return back to the ride start. Approx. 27 miles r/t

Weather: most spectacular - temps starting in the mid 60s rising to low 70s under sunshine filled blue skies with a bit of obnoxious 12+ air out of the Sw, noticed only on a few stretches during the return.

AMS: varied by individual. RL swept in the mid 11s.

Mechanicals/Mishaps: after the ride, heard that one rider had a tumble or two due to the uneven nature of trail to surrounding grass on the return. Said rider was evidently okay as they came back to the Village Green riding their bicycle.

Report: a bit faster than our typical Friday IHRT rides, probably due to the guests that joined us. The trail itself was very busy with plenty of other riders interspersed with walkers, joggers, and runners. Given the large human presence, wildlife sightings were reduced along the trail, though turtles were observed in some of the ponds (plus turtle rescue) and birds heard but mostly unseen. No large mammals but kamikaze squirrels were present.

A nice way to start the 2026 cycling season. Hope to see many of you on upcoming club rides.

Start the Season All-Class: 35 C/CC

Jessica Hirschhorn — Sat, 11 Apr 2026 13:30:00 GMT

A glorious, sunny and warm day for a ride. The early wheat is brilliant green and we all enjoyed riding our bikes in the beautiful rural countryside. A terrific way to start the season.

RIDERS: Peggy Alfonso, Caresse Bullock, Donaro Gardner, Joshua Garrison, Deb Reynolds, Jessica Hirschhorn (Lead/Sweep), Lois Lightfoot, Susan Luckenbach, Larry Malone, Karen McMillan, Steven Palincsar, Connie Quickstad, Darryl Watson

We started with 5.5 miles of smooth, quick downhill on the IHRT, then traveled a big loop to include Bumpy Oak, Marshall Corner, Ripley, Poorhouse. We stopped for bathroom and rest at Scott's Store, then home via Fire Tower Road, Annapolis Woods, Poorhouse and back on the IHRT.

Total 35.1 miles. 1039'

Average speed 11.8 for the sweep. Other results may vary.

Start the Season All-Class 27/C

Karen Morgan — Sat, 11 Apr 2026 13:30:00 GMT

Leader: Karen Morgan

Members: Carl Hattery, Jan Johnson, Sue Murray, Mary Ann Owsley, Tom Short, Jill Thompson, Patricia Walthers and Jim Cavanaugh.

Route: Indian Head Rail Trail to Bumpy Oak for a big loop to include Ollies Bar/Grill and Pisgah Store. We traveled down to General Smallwood State Park then returned on Chicamuxen to Hawthorn then the IHRT back to Village Green.

Weather: Beautiful blue skies with light winds, high 60's to low 70's.

AMS: Rider leader clocked an average of 10mph. Most of the riders had a higher AMS.

Mechanicals/Mishaps: None

Report: Delightful spin thru rural Maryland. We rode at a leisurely pace and the riders regrouped regularly so we all stayed close together. There were a few more cars than expected, but they were all respectful. A breeze picked up at Smallwood State Park, we all concluded that it provided a nice little tailwind for the ride home.

Start the Season Right, All Class Ride, B/CC

Diane Harris — Sat, 11 Apr 2026 13:30:00 GMT

Ride Leader: Diane Harris

Members: Soup C,Laura C, John C,Pete C, Lou D, Liam H, Larry M, Cindy M, Pete M, Taylor M, Theresa R, Patricia S, John S, Jordan T, and Leon W

Guests: None

Route: IH 41 Goose Bay and Pisgah

Weather: Perfect! Cool at the start but warmed up nicely, sunny clear skies, breezy at times

AMS: Ride leader 13.1, the faster group ~16

Mechanicals/Mishaps: nothing major, a dropped chain

Report: 17 riders made up the B/CC group with the expectation the group would split up between the faster riders and those with a more relaxed pace. That's what happened and as ride leader, knowing the front group would manage themselves, I kept pace with the second group. There was a regrouping at the rest stop at Goose Bay where riders relaxed, ate snacks, and used the restrooms before starting the second half of the ride. Goose Bay is a marina and campground and we got the opportunity to see the machinery which placed large boats stored on land back in the water. This turned out to be a beautiful day for a ride on the lightly traveled backroads of Southern Maryland. Thanks to all who came out for this ride.

Rebels and Redcoats ride

Dan Donahue — Sat, 11 Apr 2026 13:00:00 GMT

Ride Leader: Dan Donahue

Members: None

CC 26 mi.

AMS: 13.7

Weather: mid-70s & sunny

Mechanicals: None

Report: This was a ride from Callawy MD down to the annual Rebels and Redcoats event put on by the county Department of Recreation and Parks. Activities were located at the Piney Poing Lighthouse museum and on St. George Island. The museum area included musket and cannon fire demonstrations from the beach. In addition, there were reenactors dressed in 1770s-era clothing and uniforms, with many more redcoats and British Navy bluecoats present than in prior years of the event. There was also a rebel campsite with tents, bedding, cooking utinsils, and games. Rebel forces also engaged in formation assembly and marching. The ride basically served as a scouting mission to the event. It motivated me to lead a Sunday ride for the second day of the celebration.

Friday Indian Head Rail Trail 20 mi

Jackie Schoch — Fri, 10 Apr 2026 14:00:00 GMT

Leader: Jackie Schoch

Members: Ron Altemus, Susan Altemus, Paul Adams, Maureen Flynn, Donaro Gardner, Robin Garnett, Carl Hattery, Fran Jezisek, Oswald Martin, Denny Miller, Connie Quickstad, Bob Rourke, Leesha Saunders, Peter Stelman, Esther Steward, Gene Villiva, Yacoub Elayyad

Guest: None

Route: Indian Head Rail Trail heading east from Livingston Rd parking lot to rest stop at White Plains trailhead. Return westward to ride start.

Weather: cloudy, 53 degrees at ride start but sun breaking through at White Plains with temps quickly climbing to the low 80s. 7-10 mph air out of the southern quadrant

AMS: varied by rider

Mechanicals/Mishaps: None

Report: This was one of the biggest Friday ride with a total of 18 counting the leader. It was a perfect day for a ride and everyone enjoyed themselves.

Someone saw a fox and I saw a deer with its baby. The mother just looked at me probably thinking that is a strange bike rider. With me riding my Trike it probably thought I was strange.

Ag Reserve Mondays with Jessica

Jessica Hirschhorn — Mon, 06 Apr 2026 19:33:50 GMT

Riders: Jessica Hirschhorn, Lynda Honberg, Kathy King, Alan Huguley, Lisa Oken

We had a delicious, delightful and damned near perfect ride today in the Montgomery County Ag Reserve.

We started at Dillingham Park, and rode a 30 mile route that included Sugarland, The foxhound retirement farm, and the new plaque to honor the Jerusalem School, a Rosenwald school. We met Lisa, who chose to start at Riley's Lock, on Sugarland by the polka-dotted pigs and adorbs goats and alpaca.

We were all a bit cool to start, but warmed up quickly with sun, rising temps, and decent climbs.

29.37 miles

1821'

Average speed 10.8

NK Celestial No Gallant Green 33 miles

Diane Harris — Sat, 04 Apr 2026 13:30:00 GMT

Date: April 4th, 9:30

Route: North Keys Celestial, No Gallant Green, A/B, 32 miles

RideLeader: Diane Harris

Members: Liam H, William C, Lou D, Theresa R

Guests: None

Weather: Clear, sunny, cool at the start but warmed to mid to high 70s

Mechanicals/Mishaps: None except a water bottle left behind at the rest stop

AMS: Ride leader, 14.4 ams

Report: It was a beautiful day for a ride along lightly traveled backroads of Southern Maryland. The five of us worked together to maintain the posted pace, easing up and regrouping following hills on the route. We stopped at Moreland's store for our break and were joined by the CC group. Following the break, we continued back to the start location. The only incident was me leaving my water bottle (a Christmas gift from my son) at the rest stop. I returned by car after the ride and was happy to find it still at the rest stop.

Friday IHRT ~20 miles

Ron Altemus — Fri, 03 Apr 2026 14:00:00 GMT

Leader: Ron Altemus

Members: Susan Altemus, Maureen Flynn, Donaro Gardner, Oswald Martin, Denny Miller, Connie Quickstad, Bob Rourke, Tom Short, Peter Stelman, Esther Steward, Pat Walthers, Gene Villiva

Guest: Yacoub Elayyad

Route: Indian Head Rail Trail heading east from Livingston Rd parking lot to rest stop at White Plains trailhead. Return westward ho the wagons to ride start.

Weather: cloudy, 53 degrees at ride start but sun breaking through at White Plains with temps quickly climbing to the low 70s. 7-10 mph air out of the southern quadrant

AMS: varied by rider

Mechanicals/Mishaps: ride leader had a bad day using electrons. The group photo wasn't the best and then because I forgot to stop my Garmin until heading east on Hawthorne, that added 3+ miles and dramatically increased the AMS so Strava didn't like my submission, which is where I normally store pix. Used Garmin Connect as an alternative, but the picture disappeared the next day. So sorry - no picture of happy club members.

Report: great turnout for a day that started out weather-wise well short of mid-week predictions. A couple of non-regular Friday ride club members plus a guest, all looking to get some miles in after being off their bikes for the winter. Lots of conversation in both directions, with numerous comments on Strava about "catching up" with one another.

A few wildlife sights including deer crossing the trail, both outbound and on the return; plenty of birds calling out though only a few brown somethings seen. Of particular interest - the Port Tobacco creek pond at White Plains was devoid of wildlife when passed heading east. With the sun breaking through during our rest stop, when we rode past the pond heading back, turtles had quickly appeared and begun sunning themselves on logs.

ART with a Party of TWO!

Jessica Hirschhorn — Mon, 23 Mar 2026 19:54:04 GMT

The registrants were dropping like flies, with only a sole rider left to accompany me on this delightful ride: Thank you Carl Hattery for your company, great conversation, and a terrific attitude!

After figuring out parking (apparently it is paid parking up to the golf course and free beyond it) we met at the pro shop.

The route took us past the stunning near peak cherry blossoms of Hains Point (see photo), The Wharf, Audi Stadium, and over the beautiful Douglass Bridge.

We headed up the nearly empty Anacostia River Trail at a relaxed "party" pace, stopping for a short sit at Bladensburg Water Park, then on to Vigilante Coffee, where Carl re-fueled with a chocolate croissant and a banana.

The skies were suddenly looking ominous (but never delivered any rain) so we decided to head back home, crossing the Anacostia and stopping at the bridge over King/Heritage Islands to be amazed at the ABSENCE of RFK Stadium .

FlyBy Diane Harris and Theresa with their gang.

28 miles

Pretty good wind!

Allen Pond To Harwood, A/B, 28 miles

Diane Harris — Sun, 22 Mar 2026 14:00:00 GMT

Leader: Diane Harris

Members: Theresa R, Soup C, Randy S, Lou D

Guests: None

Route: Allen Pond To Harwood

Weather: Perfect! A cool 56° at ride start that had me wearing arm warmers and a vest, increasing to ~70, sunny, a little breezy at times.

AMS: 15.3

Mechanicals/Mishaps: None

Report: A perfect day for a bike ride! This route started at Allen Pond and traveled along backroads of Eastern Prince George's County into Anne Arundel County. Although some of the roads tend to be busy during the week there's usually light traffic on Sundays. That was the case today. The group worked together to keep at the advertised A/B pace (~14-16ams) being mindful of when we needed to adjust for climbs and descents. The rest stop was at the 11 mile mark (7-Eleven) we stopped for snacks and a restroom break. There were 17 miles left, composed of rollers, climbs that got your attention, flats where we could push the pace, and the rough bumpy speckled shade of Queen Anne Bridge Rd. We finished within the advertised pace! This was a very nice Sunday morning ride with a good group of riders. Thanks to all who joined me.

Durham Church, Fire Tower and Goose Bay (CC 31)

Stephen Palincsar — Sat, 21 Mar 2026 15:00:00 GMT

Ride leader: Steve Palincsar
Members: Walt Roscello, Bob Thompson, Chantale Brier, Ray Luckenbach
Route: https://ridewithgps.com/routes/40019673
Weather: Sunny, high 50s at the start, predicted to rise to the low to mid 60s, but instead it got up to the low 70s. A gentle breeze at the start turned into moderate winds as we got close to the Potomac.
Mishaps & mechanicals: none
AMS: 12.7

A pleasant, very scenic ride that took the easy way to Goose Bay. As planned we arrived back at Pisgah Park in plenty of time to change, visit T&J's BBQ to buy ribs for the potluck, and proceed to Grace Lutheran for the annual meeting.

Ag Reserve

Jessica Hirschhorn — Fri, 20 Mar 2026 18:46:48 GMT

What a simply glorious day to ride in the Ag Reserve! We were a party of two, Nancy Kay and myself.

The temp started out a little cool but we unzipped and delaminated quickly to find the final temp 71 and sunny! I think I have retired my balaclava for the season.

29.35 miles Average speed 10.7

We stopped for a snack and bio break at the foxhound farm, then paid a special visit to the Rosenwald School on Jerusalem . We were so happy to see a beautiful new plaque about the school placed in 2025. See photo.

All and all a day to feel lucky to be alive right now!

Mason Neck 30 miles

Ron Altemus — Sun, 15 Mar 2026 14:00:00 GMT

Leader: Ron Altemus

Members: Chantal Briere, Lisa Oken, Gene Villiva, Connie Quickstad

Route: https://ridewithgps.com/routes/40798783 30 miles, 954' elevation change Casual tour of Mason Neck, visiting Mason Neck Park, Hallowing Point, Gunston Manor, Gunston Hall, and Pohick Bay Parks.

Weather: temp range of 51-57; cloudy with one brief sun appearance; intermittent 10-12 air out of the SW (some stretches noticeable, others seemed calm regardless of directionality). Another one of those days were it seemed colder than the registered temperatures!

AMS: low 11s for ride leader's combination of being in front or sweeping

Mechanicals/Mishaps: none

Report: "Better than staying at home" was one rider's comment regarding the weather. Nice congenial group, staying together almost the entire ride. Chantal's first ride of 2026 though she rode like had been out on the bike everyday. Also her first time on Mason Neck.

Wildlife sightings featured Bald Eagles - one soaring above Belmont Bay at the Mason Neck State Park visitor's center, several spotted over Pohick Bay as we toured Gunston Manor. Additionally, a great blue heron was observed wading along the shoreline just below the visitor's center

Friday IHRT ~20 miles

Ron Altemus — Fri, 13 Mar 2026 14:00:00 GMT

Leader: Ron Altemus

Members: Connie Quickstad, Esther Steward. Oswald Martin, Carl Hattery

Route: Indian Head Rail Trail heading east from Livingston Rd parking lot to rest stop at White Plains trailhead. Return westward ho the wagons to ride start.

Weather: started off sunny with temps in the mid 40s, ended up cloudy with temps in the low 50s; winds out of the south increased from 8 - 16 mph but only really noticed on stretch alongside Bumpy Oak Pond

AMS: swept in low 10s

Mechanicals/Mishaps: none

Report: pleasant day to ride, not as warm/hot as the middle of the week but no rain snow as happened on Thursday. A couple of riders welcomed back to the Friday ride. No other cyclists encountered on the trail; a few walkers and/or joggers seen at various points.

Wildlife included eagle above the next near Livingston Rd; lots of brown something birds in the woods at Bumpy Oak Pond; cacophonous frogs at the intersection of the IHRT and Pomfret.

Signs of spring were the large number of red buds encountered on the trail, most notably east of Pomfret, as pictured below. Oncoming from a distance, it looked as if there was a red carpet on the trail surface.

Special note: - the indoor facilities at White Plains will be open starting tomorrow, Saturday, March 14.

WB&A Trail CC 25

Rick Hagen — Tue, 10 Mar 2026 14:30:00 GMT

Leaders: Lisa Petersen and Rick Hagen

Members: Ron Altemus, Patricia Sanders

Guests: none

Route: https://ridewithgps.com/routes/50948813

Weather: Sunny, 64 to 82 degrees, 5 mph winds from the south. Very nice day and so enjoyed after a long winter.

AMS: 10.8 mph

Mechanicals/Mishaps: none

Report: We started at the Glenn Dale Community Center in Glenn Dale Md. where there is plenty of parking, bathrooms, water and vending machines (unlike the official trail parking lots). We rode southwest from there on the Washington Baltimore & Annapolis trail to a pond near the southwest start of the trail, then took a half a mile detour on Glenn Dale Rd. to see the ruins of the old Glenn Dale Hospital, formerly a tuberculosis sanatorium closed in 1981 due to asbestos. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Glenn_Dale_Hospital From there we took the WB&A trail northeast toward the other end of the trail in Odenton.

The full length of the trail is 13 miles thanks to a new bridge over the Patuxent River connecting two existing shorter segments into one. This was once a railway line, nice and straight, except now there’s a dogleg near the middle to go over the new bridge. The trail is all nicely paved, about 10 feet wide, and passes through forest, along marshes and power lines, runs past peoples’ backyards, goes over rivers and mostly over and under roads (short tunnels). Elevation gains are gentle except for the hill north of the new bridge that switchbacks up a half a mile at an average 3.5% grade.

We stopped at Rieve’s Deli in Odenton for some food and conversation at an outdoor table.

We explored two spur trails near the new bridge: one was to the Patuxent River where the original rail line went over a now-missing bridge, and the other spur took us to the power lines west of the new bridge and abruptly stopped. There we found a rider with a flat tire and loaned her a pump so she could limp back to her car with her slow leak. There are at least 3 self-serve bike repair stations with pumps along the trail, but none where she was.

Wildlife: turtles on logs in the marshes, geese, squirrels.

Manokeek Village Center to Mount Carmel, A/B, 34 miles

Diane Harris — Sun, 08 Mar 2026 14:00:00 GMT

Leader: Diane Harris

Members: Theresa R, Liam H

Guests: None

Route: Manokeek Village Center to Mount Carmel

Weather: Initially cloudy followed by the sun coming out, temperature a comfortable 64°

AMS: 13.8mph

Mechanicals/Mishaps: None

Report: The 3 of us took advantage of good weather and dry roads to ride to the Mount Carmel Monastery in Port Tobacco, founded in 1790 by four Carmelite Nuns. The route started in Accokeek and along the way took us to Bryan's Road, a portion of the Indian Head Rail Trail, past the beaver lodge near the trail access at Bumpy Oak Road, and the club's trailside bench in memory of our past president Randy Schoch. We exited the trail onto Middletown Road where the vehicle traffic was heavier than expected and were met by one of the 3 climbs of this route. Mitchell Road takes us past the College of Southern Maryland campus to Mount Carmel Road and the Monastery. We enjoyed the quiet of the grounds as we rested, talked, and ate our snacks. Then, the return to Manokeek Village Center by way Hawthorne and Bumpy Oak Roads, the remaining significant climbs of the route. A great way to spend a mild late winter day.

LaPlata Loop

Sherwood — Sat, 07 Mar 2026 15:00:00 GMT

Sam Perry and Sue Gunter joined me today. The LaPlata loop has some beneficial challenges designed to maintain a riders ability to train for variable elevation changes without fatiguing. The route allows one to do intervals and sprints letting you to find a "Happy Spot" too. The pace was a bit more than casual allowing anyone who can ride at a "CC" pace or better to join and participate in this ride. There are many places to stop for R & R (Wawa, McDonald's, Laural Springs Park, IHRT, Etc.) if needed.

No mechanical issues or mishaps were reported to me.

Smallwood Church>Hancock Run 35 mi

Ron Altemus — Sat, 07 Mar 2026 15:00:00 GMT

Leader: Ron Altemus

Members: Steve Palincsar, Dave Van Ameyden

Route: From Pisgah Park, Mason Springs/Smallwood Church to Chicamuxen, then Riverside, Sandy Point and Jacksontown to rest stop at Nanjemoy Store. Adams Willett/Hancock Run to MD-6, Poseytown/Bowie to MD-6 then Mason Springs back to the start. https://ridewithgps.com/routes/54133983 34.5 mi, 1390' elevation change.

Weather: overcast start as fog slowly lifted; brisk upper 40s slowly warming to mid 50s upon our return and then the sun came out so mid 60s by the time returned home; 5-7 air out of the south.

AMS: swept in the low 12s

Mechanicals/Mishaps: none

Report: when this ride was posted, weather forecast called for low 60s at ride start warming to low 70s - thought this might be the first day to ride in shorts. NOT. It was chilly at ride start and didn't seem to warm up.

As always, riding in the Nanjemoy area is a real joy. Little to no vehicular traffic and plenty of woods to look at on this route. Signs of spring: frogs vocalizing on Hancock Run as the day warmed; crocus blooming, also on Hancock Run and at King James Baptist Church, as pictured below:

Friday Indian Head Rail Trail ~20 miles

Ron Altemus — Fri, 06 Mar 2026 15:00:00 GMT

Leader: Ron Altemus

Members: Maureen Flynn, Gene Villiva, Peter Stelman, Esther Steward, Carl Hattery

Route: Indian Head Rail Trail, east from Livingston Rd parking lot to White Plains trailhead. After a brief rest stop, return westward to ride start

Weather: Continued cloudy/overcast with moist air; temps 50-55; 6-7 mph breezes from the NE

AMS: swept in the mid 10s

Mechanicals/Mishaps: none

Report: dreary, dreary, dreary with coolish temps, all of which probably accounted for only 1/2 dozen of us riding today. For a couple of riders, their first ride of the year and they kept their exertions to about 15 miles.

Just a few other trail users - random cyclists, some walkers, a runner or two, plus one family with daughter on her new bike complete with training wheels. Future club member!

Wildlife sighting consisted of a pair of bald eagles in a tree at the east end of Bumpy Oak pond. Wildlife heard were spring frogs, lots of them, from Pomfret to Bumpy Oak on our return.

Goose Bay Excursion (CC, 34)

Stephen Palincsar — Thu, 05 Mar 2026 15:30:00 GMT

Ride leader: Steve Palincsar
Members: Patricia Sanders, Donaro Gardner
Route: https://ridewithgps.com/routes/40426586
Weather: A foggy, damp, overcast morning, in the high 40s/low 50s when we started. It staying overcast and chilly for the rest of the morning and past noon. At almost exactly 2 pm, as we were turning onto Bumpy Oak about 5 miles from the end, the sky cleared and the sun came out, causing temperatures to leap up by around 10 degrees.
Mishaps & mechanicals: none
AMS: 11.7

A wintry-feeling morning, with a damp that seeped right through your clothes, and winter landscapes everywhere you looked. I noticed in my yard that bulbs are starting to push green shoots up through the ground, but none of that was apparent on our route to Goose Bay.

That all changed at mile 28.3, when the sky suddenly cleared, clouds replaced by a blue sky that caused the temperature to shoot up to the low 60s, and suddenly spring looked ready to take over. It won't be long now.

LaPlata Loop

Sherwood — Sat, 28 Feb 2026 16:00:00 GMT

Today Liam Healy and Robin Garnett joined me for a great ride to LaPlata. This casual paced ride on this wonderful day considering the recent weather we have been experiencing was epic. It was not without a fault. One ride succumbed to a flat tire, not surprised due to the amount of debris. Most of the roads were swept after the ice melting rendering nice riding. Thanks to all who joined me.

Tour de Accokeek/Bryans Road 30 miles

Ron Altemus — Sat, 28 Feb 2026 15:00:00 GMT

Leader: Ron Altemus

Members: Bernard S, Steve P, Dave V, Patricia S, Ellen G, Janell S, Theresa R, Diane H, Don G

Route: https://ridewithgps.com/routes/49615056 30.4 miles 735' elevation change. Regular TdeA routing to Bryan's Road and then explore the Timber Ridge subdivisions working our way back to Marshall Hall Road. Following a thrilling descent of Marshall Hall Road, out and back on Fenwick prior to a rest stop at Marshall Hall Landing. Return featured an exploration of River Rd before resuming the standard TdeA with the ascent of Barry Hill Road, followed by a short excursion left on Old Marshall Hall Road before retracing and returning to the start.

Weather: bright sunshine producing brilliant blue skies; temps starting 50sih climbing to the low 60s; negligible air movement

AMS: swept in the low 11s; everyone else faster

Mechanicals/Mishaps: none

Report: first ride of the year for some and what a great day to be out cycling. Not much in the way of traffic making for long stretches to enjoy conversation and sightseeing. We stayed pretty much together for the entire ride. Only wildlife sighting of note were three wild turkeys in the Fenwich Shores non-subdivision.

Janell captured the group at our rest stop at Marshall Hall landing with Mt Vernon on the Virginia shore directly above Patricia and Diane.

Friday IHRT ~20 miles

Ron Altemus — Fri, 27 Feb 2026 15:00:00 GMT

Leader: Ron Altemus

Members: Gene Villiva, Donaro Gardner, Robin Garnett, Esther Steward, Carl Hattery

Route: Standard Friday fare - Indian Head Rail Trail east from Livingston Rd parking lot to rest stop at White Plains trailhead. Reverse course to a westerly direction back to ride start.

Weather: temp range of mid 40s to mid 50s as increasing sunlight chased the last remnants of fog away whilst warming the day. Inconsequential airs.

AMS: varied by rided

Mechanicals/Mishaps: none

Report: first time in weeks that we've had a good turnout for a Friday ride and the weather didn't disappoint. As per Friday protocols, we broke up into groups of like minded riding styles and pace, reconvening at the rest stop. Fair number of other trails users, the majority of which were walkers.

The wind gusts present earlier in the week brought down a number of pine trees along the trail between Middletown and White Plains. And in places, there were still some small piles of snow from the January snowcrete occurrence, though the trail was completely clear and dry. As always, the Parks staff had made sure the fallen trees did not interfere with cycling, as pictured below:

Carl rides past several fallen pines.

A small pile of snow is visible farther up the trail.

Ag Reserve

Jessica Hirschhorn — Sat, 21 Feb 2026 15:30:00 GMT

Riders: Jessica Hirschhorn, Linda Blackman, Debby Gebhardt, Ellen Goodwin, Doug Kay, Nancy Kay, Marcy Kelley, Lisa Oken

Our Posse of 8 felt lucky and incredibly grateful to ride our bicycles in the Ag Reserve today. The sun was shining, the temps were reasonable, the clouds were spectacular, and the peeking sky was robin's egg blue.

We stopped for rest and green room at our favorite farm (see photos) that is a retirement home for foxhounds. Two horses wearing wool coats were in the field today.

We stayed together for rolling hills (1800', 29.5 miles), enjoying the remaining melting snow, the winter fields, and the glorious views.

We were happy to get out before our next forecast pummeling tomorrow.

Mason Neck 30 mi

Ron Altemus — Sat, 21 Feb 2026 15:30:00 GMT

Leader: Ron Altemus

Route: https://ridewithgps.com/routes/40798783 30 miles, 954' elevation change .

Weather: cloudy until mid afternoon when the sun made a brief appearance; temp range upper 40s/low 50s; 4-7 mph air out of the north

AMS: 12ish

Mechanicals/Mishaps: none

Report: everyone seemed to have an enjoyable ride as there were no complaints. Minimal traffic most of the ride. A few other cyclists riding including a pair on the trail

Friday IHRT - 30 mi

Ron Altemus — Fri, 20 Feb 2026 16:00:00 GMT

Leader: Ron Altemus

Member: Gene Villiva

Route: Indian Head Rail Trail west from Livingston Road parking lot to Mattingly Rd trailhead, retrace east to White Plains trailhead, back west to start.

Weather: rain stopping minutes before ride start so air was moist at 46 degrees and overcast. As the day progressed, the sun broke through so by ride's end, up to mid 50s with blue skies. Breezes out of the SW 5-7 mph.

AMS: low 12s

Mechanicals/Mishaps: none

Report: with the morning rain, a number cancelled leaving Gene and I as the only riders. After about 1 mile, he said he wasn't feeling great so we returned to the parking lot and he went home. Figuring the day was going to get better (and 2026 miles were scarce up to this point), I decided to do the entire trail.

Maybe a dozen or so other users until I got back to the ride start, none of which were cyclists. But while packing up to leave, two separate riders passed by, both headed west towards Indian Head.

Major wildlife sighting - saw the beaver swimming in the flooded marsh just east of the Livingston Rd parking lot! Otherwise, lots of birds either seen or heard.

The weather ended up as forecast making for a nice ride with a hint of spring. We should hope...

Friday IHRT ~20 miles

Ron Altemus — Fri, 23 Jan 2026 15:30:00 GMT

Leader/Member: Ron Altemus, Carl Hattery

Route: Indian Head Rail Trail, riding east from Livingston Rd parking lot to White Plains trailhead for a short rest stop. then retracing west back to the ride start.

Weather: very high overcast allowing for plenty of warming sunshine resulting in a temp range of 40-45 degrees with 3-7 mph NW air

AMS: 10ish

Mechanicals/Mishaps: none

Report: Just the two of us and we saw only three other cyclists and several walkers/joggers, all at the east end of the trail. Given the forecast for the rest of January, today was a most pleasant ride event. When we returned to the Livingston Road parking lot, we met Connie Q. She had an earlier appointment that precluded her doing the regular ride but she was going to enjoy the day and probably her last ride in January.

MV 38 Pisgah (B-38)

Thu, 22 Jan 2026 17:00:00 GMT

Leader: Lou Dall'Orso

Members: none

Guests: none

Route: ridewithgps.com/routes/12378617

Weather: almost 50 and mostly sunny at the start, a bit windy, climbing a couple of degrees with increasing clouds and wind mid ride or so..

AMS: 15 mph

Mechanicals/Mishaps: none

Report: Probably the last rideable day for a while, certainly through the end of the month, so decided to do this ride again today. It started windy, and got windier as the ride progressed. I kept thinking the head and cross wind would at some point have some tail to it, but other than the last segment on Route 210, it never happened. A fun ride nonetheless. I'll take 50 degrees plus this time a year.

Mason Neck ~29 miles

Ron Altemus — Thu, 22 Jan 2026 15:30:00 GMT

Leader: Ron Altemus

Member: Gene Villiva

Route: Leisurely casual tour of Mason Neck, visiting Mason Neck Park, Hallowing Point, Gunston Manor, Gunston Hall, and Pohick Bay Parks.
https://ridewithgps.com/routes/53344341 ~29 miles, 890' elevation change

Weather: Mostly sunny with some clouds building in as the day progressed; temp range of 46-53 degrees, 7-10 mph air out of the western quadrant. Pretty nice for a late January ride, especially given the weekend's forecast of bitter cold and snow accumulation.

AMS: 10ish

Mechanicals/Mishaps: none

Report: Opted to do Mason Neck when no one signed up for a Goose Bay ride. This was Gene's first ride in 2026 so we moseyed along, viewing the winter landscapes. Didn't see any other cyclists nor many people at Mason Neck State Park. Vehicle traffic was for the most part light though we had a couple of instances with numerous cars passing us in both directions.

MV-38 (B-38)

Wed, 14 Jan 2026 17:00:00 GMT

Leader: Lou Dall'Orso

Members: none

Guests: none

Route: ridewithgps.com/routes/12378617

Weather: Mid to High 40s grey overcast, windy.

AMS: 16 mph

Mechanicals/Mishaps: none

Report: The weather forecasters were calling for 50, maybe a bit more, not sure what the actual temperatures were, my phone said between 47 and 49 or so, but it felt colder than that for most of the ride. The forecast called for a looming cold front to come through late in the day, but it appeared to be imminent, and feeling a tad under the weather and having no other riders signed up, I all but made up my mind to cut the route short by making the right onto Hawthorne from Marshall Corner and picking up Livingston from there, and that is what I ended up doing cutting the distance by about 8 miles and completing the route with no rest stops.

Kent Island: Mondays with Jessica

Jessica Hirschhorn — Mon, 12 Jan 2026 22:18:38 GMT

Today was a cool day but eased by brilliant sunshine and little wind.

Riders: Jessica H, Joseph McKenzie, Kathy King, Larry Forgy (first ride as non member) and Andrea Clayville

Another Octopus Ride in the books: (8 out 'n backs)

37 miles, 515'

Unfortunately Andrea's ride was cut short right out of the gate when she noticed a flat. It took her LBS 20 minutes to mount it yesterday, with great difficulty, so she elected to turn around and head home.

The Shetland ponies were out and we fed them apples and carrots. One tried to eat Kathy's glove but she retreated in time. We also took a bit of a detour to ride out to the end of the Matapeake Pier, with a glorious view of the Chesapeake and the bridge. We had stops at Silver Swan beach, and the other community fishing pier, as well as a stop at the crab marina and lighthouse. Joe peeled off a bit early to get home to his family.

Friday IHRT ~20 miles

Ron Altemus — Fri, 09 Jan 2026 15:00:00 GMT

Leader: Ron Altemus

Members: Leesha Saunders, Esther Steward, Connie Quickstad, Susan Altemus, Robin Garnett, Fran Jezisek, Carl Hattery, Donaro Gardner

Route: Indian Head Rail Trail, riding east from Livingston Rd parking lot to White Plains trailhead for a short rest stop. then retracing west back to the ride start.

Weather: a very GRAY day; gray overcast w/water vapor in the air giving everything a gray cast; temp range 46-51 degrees; ~9 mph S winds. All elements combined to make it feel a bit colder than expected.

AMS: RL swept in mid 10s

Mechanicals/Mishaps: none

Report: nice turnout for early January. As is the norm, we broke up into mostly cycling pairs and conversed through the ride. Several riders needing some hill work climbed Bumpy Oak on the outbound leg; another rider, impressed with their cycling prowess, did the trail climb up to Bensville Park (just to see if they could!).

A few more trail users than the previous week (which was much colder) including walks/joggers and other cyclists. Wildlife sightings were mostly birds - great blue heron; swans; smaller birds flittering across the trail.

MV-38 (B-38)

Thu, 08 Jan 2026 17:00:00 GMT

Leader: Lou Dall'Orso

Members: Eric Nielsen

Guests: none

Route: ridewithgps.com/routes/12378617

Weather: Mid 50s at the start, a bit over 60 by the end, some clouds and sun, not much wind to speak of.

AMS: 16 mph

Mechanicals/Mishaps: Yes, see below.

Report: With apologies to Charles Dickens, It was the best of rides, it was the worst of rides. First the best, another unusually nice weather day for January, and this time I was happy to have Eric join me. He was already there when I arrived, and we were ready to roll shortly after. We rolled out of the parking lot and down the Berry Road hill and somehow missed our turn on McDaniels, so just made the right on Middleton which put us right back on course. From there the ride was a fun spin, with no wind to speak of, and only light car traffic along the route. I really like the portion from Hawthorne down to Rose Hill Road, and took the chance to eat and drink, letting Eric take the lead, then pulled to almost the start of the Rose Hill downhill where I followed him down and watched his red Merckx cut the lines at speed and smiled. As we neared the end of the The Route 6 hill, I mentioned to Eric that the pavement on poorhouse is really good now, and asked if he wanted to stop at the Pisgah store, and he replied he was ok with not stopping, so that's what we did, and continued past the intersection on poorhouse and soon we were making our way down Chick, and the couple of rollers there. We made the right on Livingston and decided to skip that stop also. The last hill was a bit of a trudge, but not being steep, not too bad, so we topped that and worked our way past the air field, and then the right on Route 210, made the dog leg to the side road that puts us next to Route 210 on much better pavement that the shoulder, and made the quick left and right to return to the shoulder, and the last little bit of the route. And now for the Worst part, so I'm riding now within sight of the Berry Road Traffic lights, pointing out some of the debris on the road, thinking "fun ride" when an SUV pulls up along side with it's window rolled down, and someone yelling something out the window, at first it didn't register, but on the second or third time, I made out the last thing I wanted to hear, "He crashed!". So I pulled over, and turned around, expecting Eric to be right behind me, and maybe it was something else? But , no. I see him sitting on the shoulder, his bike a few feet from him, I don't know, maybe 50 to 100 feet away? So I rush back to him, and see that he doesn't appear to be seriously injured, but I ask him to take his time getting up, and if anything doesn't feel right, he says he is ok, and good to get going, so I ask him to stay put for a bit while I check his bike,, quick spin of the wheels and cranks, squeeze the brakes, and a bounce, checks out ok, only the right lever looks to have suffered a bit. So after a few more moments, I check again with him, and he is good to go. I threw in a couple of questions to make sure he hadn't hit his head, but it turned out, when we talked later at the cars, there was no evidence of any impact on his helmet at all. So I followed him back to the parking lot where we found some road rash on his shoulder and hip. I felt terrible, and waited to make sure he was ok, and he insisted he was, so we said our goodbyes. When I asked Eric what had happened from his perspective, he mentioned that he lost control after hitting debris, I'm still not sure how exactly, I never saw it, and more surprisingly, I didn't hear it. Oh and I forgot to mention that the lady who flagged me down, came back and checked on us to make sure we were ok before we got going again, so a big thank you to her.

Tayloes Neck to Nanjemoy (CC, 29)

Stephen Palincsar — Thu, 08 Jan 2026 15:30:00 GMT

Leader: Steve Palincsar
Members: Ron Altemus
Guests: none
Route: https://ridewithgps.com/routes/53661078
Weather: Sunny, 40 or 45 (depending on if you were standing in the sun) at the start rising to 54 by early afternoon with single-digit winds
AMS: 12.0
Mechanicals/Mishaps: none
Report: Another fine day to Carpe Diem, albeit 10 degrees colder than yesterday. Trying to keep the distance below 30, today's route was an abbreviated version of Ron's Tayloes Neck exploration, straight to Tayloes Neck on Ironsides and MD-6, down to the end of the peninsula and back with a diversion down Walters Landing for a photo op, then backtrack to King James Church, followed by Hancock Run and Adams Willet to Liverpool Point, back on Baptist Church to Ironsides and Friendship Landing Rd.

Nanjemoy is a quiet, off the beaten path, low-traffic area and Tayloes Neck makes the rest of Nanjemoy look like the Beltway at rush hour. We had a lunch break at King James Church (happily, this time the rest rooms were open) and then followed that up with a stop at the Nanjemoy Store for a snack before returning to Friendship Farm Park.

MV-38 (B-38)

Wed, 07 Jan 2026 16:00:00 GMT

Leader: Lou Dall'Orso

Members: none

Guests: none

Route: ridewithgps.com/routes/12378617

Weather: High 50s at the start, a bit over 60 by the end, some clouds and some wind,, but nothing extreme.

AMS: 16 mph

Mechanicals/Mishaps: none

Report: Thought I'd get some riders with the weather being so warm for January, but not to be. Decided close enough for shorts, so did that and a long sleeve base layer plus short sleeve jersey, and arm warmers to start. Felt a tad under dressed at the start, but soon felt comfortable and by the time I was nearing the Billingsley round about, forgot it was winter. Got into a good rhythm, so decided to skip the stops, and just kept a middle sized gear rolling. Arm warmers came off mid ride, and pulled up the sleeves up to my elbows, and made some forearm vitamin D to go along with the legs. A tad of headwind on the second half, but nothing major.

Indian Head, Bryans Road & Barrys Hill (CC, 31)

Stephen Palincsar — Wed, 07 Jan 2026 15:30:00 GMT

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.

Mason Neck Monday

Jessica Hirschhorn — Mon, 05 Jan 2026 20:17:35 GMT

A cloudy, chilly day with a few cold feet, but our "Gang of Four" had a terrific ride on the Mason Neck Peninsula.

Riders: Jessica H, Ron A, Lisa O, Dave VanA

Team Balaclava, well layered, started at the parking area next to Gunston ES. We rode the OH route, starting with the out-n-back to the water, following the trail, and going to the Virginia Mason Neck park for a quick break.

We headed on the usual route, unencumbered by cars (almost none!) or other cyclists (none!). The sun was not out but the wind was pretty manageable.

Other quick stops for hydration, music arrangement, and glove management.

29 miles

Average speed 11.2

1142' elevation

No mechanicals, no one lost.

Friday IHRT ~20 miles

Ron Altemus — Fri, 02 Jan 2026 15:30:00 GMT

Leader: Ron Altemus

Members: Polar Bears Robin Garnett, Denny Miller, Carl Hattery, Esther Steward

Route: Indian Head Rail Trail, riding east from Livingston Rd parking lot to White Plains trailhead for a short rest stop. then retracing west back to the ride start.

Weather: temp range 34-40 degrees; 3-5 mph WNW air; mostly cloudy with one a few attempts by the sun to break through. Felt colder on the return even though the temperature rose to 40 by ride end.

AMS: swept in the low 10s; others much faster

Mechanicals/Mishaps: none

Report: for most of the ride on the trail, our hardy band of winter cyclists were the only users. Towards White Plains, we saw an occasional walker or jogger, probably less than 10 other users and NO cyclists.

Inbound, an eagle was on the nest near the parking lo and a flock of "blackbirds" was also present. A couple of deer bounding across the trail on the down slope towards Bensville was the only other wildlife sighting.

Ft Hunt Christmas Lights ~12 miles

Ron Altemus — Sat, 27 Dec 2025 22:15:00 GMT

Leader: Ron Altemus

Member: Diane Harris

Route: leisurely tour of Fort Hunt neighborhoods to view holiday decorations. https://ridewithgps.com/routes/53526646 12.2 miles with only 273' of elevation change.

Weather: dark; temps in the low 40s; NE 5-7 mph air movement

AMS: leisurely 10 mph

Mechanicals/Mishaps: none

Report: some very nice decorations, some a bit overboard, all in all, a most enjoyable ride. We both agreed that lights are much better than inflatables.

One house had quite the computerized display including a snowman, to the left in the picture below, that did karaoke to the Christmas carols playing over the sound system.

The house in Waynewood also delighted with it lighted globe high above the street.

Utica Park & 3 Covered Bridges. Mondays with Jessica

Jessica Hirschhorn — Mon, 22 Dec 2025 20:50:12 GMT

Today was a simply perfect day to ride. Pure sun and blue skies all day, with some stunning afternoon clouds. Temp 30s to low 40s with no wind.

Riders: Jessica Hirschhorn and Dennis Miller

Route: 36 miles 1810' climbing

Average speed 11.5

I was happy to introduce Dennis to this really wonderful ride. Today there was almost no traffic (including other cyclists), the winter farmland was impressive as were the iconic farms , silos, and the winter cornfields. The Cacoctin mountain range framed most of our ride.

We visited Loys Station Bridge, Roddy Bridge, and Utica Bridge.

Riding together afforded us a great opportunity to have good conversation.

MV38 Pisgah (B-38)

Sun, 21 Dec 2025 17:00:00 GMT

Leader: Lou Dall'Orso

Members: Liam H.

Guests: none

Route: ridewithgps.com/routes/12378617

Weather: Mid to upper forties and overcast with a steady 15(ish) mile per hour wind to start, sun tried to make an appearance several times, wind increased somewhat and became more gusty as the ride progressed, lost a couple of degrees in the second half of the ride.

AMS: 14.5 mph

Mechanicals/Mishaps: none

Report: Another good weather day too nice to pass up this time of year, particularly with the recent well below average temperatures we've been having. Happy to have Liam join me for this ride. I thought we might get a couple of more riders, but I'm sure a lot of folks are already in Holiday mode. We set out down Route 228 right on time, and had a good tail wind all the way down to McDaniels, which helped in getting warmed up, as it felt cooler than the temperature would indicate. Got into a good rhythm, and soon we were heading down Rose Hill Road, and up the climb to the right on Poorhouse, and then the first rest stop at the Pisgah store, where we made a brief stop, and continued on our way. We made the optional stop at the IHRT parking lot, and then continued on Livingston to the last leg on Route 210 back to the parking lot.

Friday IHRT ~20 miles

Ron Altemus — Fri, 19 Dec 2025 15:30:00 GMT

Leader: Ron Altemus

Members: Susan Altemus, Fran Jezisek, Carl Hattery, Connie Quickstad

Route: Indian Head Rail Trail, riding east from Livingston Rd parking lot to White Plains trailhead for a short rest stop. then retracing west back to the ride start.

Weather: moved the start time to 10:30 as forecasters said rain would have left the area - this time, they were right! Drive down 210 had lots of road spray and plenty of sunshine. The latter was present for the entire ride up to White Plains, then dark clouds moved in (see picture below), only to be gone 10 minutes after we started our return. Temp at ride start was 53, rose to 55 at the mid-point, 54 when we returned to the start. Winds of 12-16 mph out of the SW, not noticed outbound, but definitely felt on the return with gusts up to the high 20s/low 30s. Several points along the trail heading west were quite the slog.

AMS: varied by rider with the RL recording a wind hindered mid 10s.

Mechanicals/Mishaps: none

Report: uncertainty of weather evidently kept numbers down though as noted above, other than the wind gusts, the day was quite nice. Surprisingly, we had the trail almost completely to ourselves - we saw two other cyclists, both near White Plains, and a couple of walkers, one near Middletown, the other closer to Bensville. The western end of the trail was unpopulated.

Connie captured the changing sky and winter colors at Port Tobacco Creek pond. There is a squirrel nest in one of the closer trees; the pond itself had a contingent of Canadian Honkers (geese) and a pair of mallards that were diving down and splashily resurfacing. Looked like they were having fun.

Not much else in terms of wildlife sightings other than a black vulture riding the air currents and a Flicker, both near Bumpy Oak pond.

The barren trees continue to reveal previously hidden abodes of various animals and insects. As pictured above and seen many times elsewhere, squirrel nests are common. Other smaller bird nests can occasionally be glimpsed. Two more Bald Face hornets nests were spotted just west of Bumpy Oak road on the north side of the trail. Previous ride reports detailed one tree with two nests (same side of the trail) and a single, large nest on the opposite side of the trail. All five of these nests are found along approximately 1/10 of a mile of trail.

Single nest out in the open.

A nest a bit back from the trail.

Visually, the forests look mostly gray until one spends a bit more time looking deeper into the woods. Quite apparent today were areas with large Sycamores whose bark has flaked off (as part of the tree's growing process), leaving the upper limbs very white. Today's sun angle, as we approach the winter solstice, made these trees standout amongst the usually grays of the forest. Unfortunately, a camera doesn't take as good a picture of what the eye can easily see...

Chapel Point/St Ignatius>Pomfret 31 miles

Ron Altemus — Thu, 18 Dec 2025 15:00:00 GMT

Leader: Ron Altemus

Members: Robin Garnett, Denny Miller, Connie Quickstad, Patricia Sanders, Esther Steward (forgot to take a group picture - sorry!)

Route: shortish trip to the La Plata Dash-In via IHRT to Bumpy Oak/Rose Hill and Chapel Point Rd to a stop at St Ignatius church. Return utilizing Fairgrounds/St Mary's to a "food" stop at the La Plata Dash-in, then Quailwood, Hawthorne, Marshall Corner, and Pomfret to the IHRT. 31.6 miles 1014' elevation change.

Weather: first ride in December where the temperatures were not below the daily average, actually above. Temp range of low 40s to low 50s, plenty of sunshine, and 3-6 mph air out of the southern quadrant.

AMS: swept in the mid 11s

Mechanicals/Mishaps: none

Report: as noted above in the weather, a great December day for cycling. Plenty of sights to see as the leaves have lost their trees: Pomonkey NRL radio satellite on Bumpy Oak and great views of the Port Tobacco River riding on Chapel Point . The view from St Ignatius, pictured below, is always nice.

Outbound, we quickly split into two groups of three, faster and not so faster riders. Vehicular traffic was light, especially on Rose Hill and Chapel Point. Robin captured a few of us at the La Plata Dash-in (inc. your friendly neighborhood ride leader and faithful correspondent chowing down).

Return was uneventful as traffic continued to be moderate. All the same, the last stretch on the IHRT from Pomfret was appreciated for the peace and quiet of riding sans cars and trucks.

Friday IHRT ~20 miles

Ron Altemus — Fri, 12 Dec 2025 15:00:00 GMT

Leader/Members: RL Ron, Esther S, Connie Q

Route: Indian Head Rail Trail, riding east from Livingston Rd parking lot to White Plains trailhead for a short rest stop. then retracing west back to the ride start.

Weather: better than forecast w/temp range mid 30s to maybe 40; 3-5 mph air out of the SW; sun succeeding in breaking through the clouds on the return

AMS: 12ish

Mechanicals/Mishaps: none

Report: only the hardy today and we basically had the trail to ourselves seeing only two other cyclists heading east as we traveled west and three walkers. A few brown something birds for the wildlife report.

We all added some miles on the return, with Connie and your faithful correspondent doing the entire trail plus a visit to Atlantic Kayak (closed for the season) on Mattingly at Mattawoman creek.

Speaking of closed, the indoor facilities at White Plains are also now closed for the winter months. The portolets remain in place.

Dr Samuel Mudd house & museum tour ~25 miles

Ron Altemus — Thu, 11 Dec 2025 15:00:00 GMT

Leaders: Ron Altemus & Denny Miller

Members: Connie Quickstad, Esther Steward, RL Denny, Jessica Hirschhorn, RL Ron, Robin Garnett in front of the Christmas tree in the parlor. Not pictured: photog Susan Altemus, who drove over for the tour.

Route: From North Keys, south on Brandywine, a spur on Ashbox and Cedarville, rejoining Brandywine then Horsehead to Poplar Hill and Dr Samuel Mudd to the House and Museum. After our tour, we continued to Moreland Market for a rest stop/food stop. Change of the final return using Malcolm/Horsehead to Baden Naylor and then north on Brandywine back to the start. Ended up with ~25 miles, >700' elevation change.

Weather: ended up being a little bit better than forecast! Temps started in the mid 30s and rose to 40 by ride's end as sunshine helped. NW winds of 15-16, gusting to 24 mph, made for a tough slog at times.

AMS: 12ish

Mechanicals/Mishaps: none

Report: thanks to the efforts of Denny Miller, we had the opportunity to visit the Dr. Samuel Mudd house for a guided tour . The house was open the previous weekend decorated for a Victorian Christmas. When Denny inquired about visiting, he as informed that the house/museum would be closed after the weekend. But special arrangements were made to accomodate club members, the decorations were still in place when we visited, and we had a tour of about an hour to learn about Dr. Mudd's role in John Wilkes Booth's escape after the assassination of President Lincoln.

Some of our club routes out of North Keys go past the house on Dr Samuel Mudd Road, but I don't know of ever stopping to visit. The house, pictured below, was built circa 1859.

The house remained in the Mudd family until 1985. The Dr. Samuel A. Mudd Society now owns the house and offers tours. (https://drmudd.org/) Many of the furnishings in the house date back to Dr. Mudd's era. Below is a picture, taken by Robin, of the sofa on which Dr. Mudd first examined Booth.

The Victorian Christmas theme was present in all of the rooms of the house. Denny captured the dining room table set up for the Christmas feast.

The wind and cold (especially the wind) had us reconsider the original routing, which was to include Molly Berry and Martin. We opted to return via Brandywine once we got to Baden School. Vehicular traffic wasn't too bad though more than the last time cycling in that area. All in all, an enjoyable destination ride with plenty of history. Perhaps this ride will be offered again sometime in 2026 with warmer temperatures.

Tour de Accokeek/Bryans Road

Stephen Palincsar — Sun, 07 Dec 2025 17:00:00 GMT

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.

Goose Bay 33 miles

Ron Altemus — Thu, 04 Dec 2025 15:30:00 GMT

Leader: Ron Altemus

Members: Connie Q, Denny M, Esther S

Route: a climb of mighty Mt Pisgah, a descend Rose Hill, and then MD-6 and Blossom Point to a rest stop at the Goose Bay Ship's Store. Return via Welcome, Fire Tower, Annapolis Woods to Poorhouse/Bicknell then Sweetman to Chicamuxen back to the start. https://ridewithgps.com/routes/38820055 33.1 miles, 1,094 elevation change.

Weather: temp range of low 40s to mid 40s with constantly changing skies from overcast to mostly cloudy to sunny to partly sunny with 3 mph NW air increasing to 7-9 mph as the day progressed.

AMS: RL swept in the mid 11s

Mechanicals/Mishaps: none

Report: the lack of wind, coupled with enough sunshine to warm things up, made for a most pleasant early winter ride. We rode in two pairs - one fast and one not so fast, regrouping at Goose Bay and then again at Pisgah Store. Vehicular traffic, even on Hawthorne and MD-6, was fairly light.

With the exception of some oaks and beeches, trees have now lost all of their leaves, allowing one to see deeper into the wooded areas along our route. As a follow-up to Jessica's Monday Mason Neck ride, we were able to see the colonial house "Araby" from Hawthorne. Other sights, usually not seen due to leaves, included the Thomas Stone visitor center from Rose Hill, the house at Rose Hill proper from MD-6, and numerous other houses nestled farther off road.

The Ship's Store rest stop (as pictured above) seemed almost balmy, at least for early December, as the sun was strong and the temperature on the veranda not cold at all.

Mason Neck Monday

Jessica Hirschhorn — Mon, 01 Dec 2025 21:28:31 GMT

We lucked out on a crisp, sunny day on Mason Neck, with little wind and a terrific group!

RIDERS: Ron Altemus, Jessica Hirschhorn, Denny Miller, Vanetta Mingia (new OH member!) Lisa Oken, Connie Quickstep, Patricia Sanders, Peter Stelman, and Dave Van Ameyden.

Shameful steal of ride description from Ron A: casual tour of Mason Neck, starting with an out and back on Belmont Blvd then retracing to Gunston Rd to the Mason Neck trail. We did a short spur on Springfield before rejoining the trail, then onto High Point Rd to head down to the Mason Neck State Park Visitor Center. Retracing on High Point, we used Gunston Rd to tour the Hallowing Point and Gunston Manor neighborhoods and then back to the trail. Gunston Hall and Pohick Bay Park were visited including a spin through the latter's campground. Another out and back into the golf course before the final short stretch on Gunston Rd to the ride start.

30.3 miles, 1100'

The route was opposite for me, and I enjoyed the views from another direction. We all stayed together for a wonderful ride, with water views, very few cars, and one road with new smooth as buddha repaving. Everyone stayed warm, and Vanetta got lessons from a couple of us about using her lower gears to get up the climbs.

No mechanicals, no one lost.

Friday IHRT ~20 miles

Ron Altemus — Fri, 28 Nov 2025 15:00:00 GMT

Leader/Members: RL Ron, Donaro Gardner, Denny Miller

Route: Indian Head Rail Trail r/t - Livingston Rd parking lot/White Plains

Weather: brrr - temp range 36-40, even though plenty of sun, w/12-15 WNW winds gusting to 30 mph. "Feels like" temps were in the 20s

AMS: 13ish

Mechanicals/Mishaps: none

Report: well, the first winter ride of the season and only a few hardy souls participating. Maybe we all have forgotten correct clothing combinations but it was cold. The wind seemed to penetrate through windbreaker or wind resistant jackets and pants.

Just a few other cyclists but a good number of walkers/joggers including several families with little ones on bikes or scooters. Only squirrels observed, no other wildlife to report.

Denny rode from home so he had 40 miles by the time we returned to the start. With 15 miles still to go, all with a headwind, he opted for a ride back home. Since temp at his ride start was below freezing (31 degrees), he had definitely earned his polar bear badge.

Locust Grove, Dash-In & Quailwood (CC, 33)

Stephen Palincsar — Wed, 26 Nov 2025 15:30:00 GMT

Ride leader: Steve Palincsar
Members: Ron Altemus, Sarah Clement
Route: https://ridewithgps.com/routes/49862324
AMS: 11.9
Weather: What a surprise! Gray, overcast, everything damp from the overnight rain on the way down to the ride start, but at around 10:25 the skies cleared, the sun came out and temperatures rose from the low 60s, where they'd been on the drive down, to the high 60s. By 11:30, temps had risen to the low 70s. Gusty winds kept the "felt" temperature a good bit lower than the actual, but in all it was a surprisingly nice day -- and, according to the long range forecast, the last one like it for the next ten days.
Mishaps and mechanicals: Our route took us up Chicamuyxen to Bicknell and Pisgah Marbury to Poorhouse and Ripley. We made the turn onto Hawthorne, and within a half mile I got a flat. Not really all that surprising: if you're going to pick up road debris and get a flat, odds are it's going to be on Chicamuxen or Hawthorne.

What was unexpected was that after removing the punctured tube and replacing it and inflating the tire with my new and so far unused CYCPlus AS2 Pro electric pump (yeah, I keep warning about testing your equipment before you need it so you won't be reading the instructions for the first time by the side of the road, but that's exactly what I did) which went better than I deserved. It turns out, the bag with all the "stuff" -- extension hose, USB cable, washer, needle valve, 'pillar' -- is all unnecessary if you're using the pump with a Presta valve.

Actual use is dead easy: turn the pump on with a long press on the top "button", make sure the pressure is set correctly, adjusting if necessary with the other two + & - "buttons"; push the unit onto the valve and it starts pumping. It stops on its own when the correct pressure is achieved. All you have to do is hold it in place. (I figured most of that out at home, putting the new tire on.)

However, before we were able to get started again my tire went flat once more.

We decided to send Sarah back to the start (straight down Hawthorne) to load her bike in her car and drive mine back to where we were. That left Ron and me by the side of the road waiting, having a nice chat -- it was by now a lovely, nearly perfect day so not really a hardship -- until Sarah arrived. She and I went back to Livingston Rd while Ron continued on his own on an improvised route that would take him to White Plains.

I drove home and changed the tire and tube. I'd no sooner finished than Sarah called from Handy Bikes. After she got home she discovered her back tire was flat, too -- a large twisty wire, probably something she picked up either on Livingston or in the parking lot.

Ride report: I made 11.8 miles. Sarah had around 18. Ron probably was in the 30s.

MV-38 Pisgah (B-38)

Sun, 23 Nov 2025 17:00:00 GMT

Leader: Lou Dall'Orso

Members: Cathy W. and Liam H.

Guests: none

Route: ridewithgps.com/routes/12378617

Weather: Mid to upper 50s with mostly sunny skies, and a tad more wind than predicted.

AMS: 14.5 mph

Mechanicals/Mishaps: none

Report: Another great November weather day too nice to pass up. Happy to have Cathy and Liam joining me for this ride. A steady 15 mph head wind greeted us at the start, and became a cross tail once we made the right onto Poorhouse for the leg to the Pisgah store rest stop, and continued to be a plus for most of the remainder of the ride on Chick, Livingston, and Route 210.

Mason Neck 28 miles CC/C

Ron Altemus — Sun, 23 Nov 2025 16:00:00 GMT

Leader/Members: RL Ron Altemus, Lisa Oken, Steve Palincsar

Route: casual tour of Mason Neck, starting with an out and back on Belmont Blvd then retracing to Gunston Rd to the Mason Neck trail. We did a short spur on Springfield before rejoining the trail, then onto High Point Rd to head down to the Mason Neck State Park Visitor Center. Retracing on High Point, we used Gunston Rd to tour the Hallowing Point and Gunston Manor neighborhoods and then back to the trail. Gunston Hall and Pohick Bay Park were visited including a spin through the latter's campground. Another out and back into the golf course before the final short stretch on Gunston Rd to the ride start.

Weather: first sunny day in a few with temps starting in the mid 50s, rising to the low 60s. SW 7-10 mph air w/some brief stronger gusts.

AMS: mid to upper 11s

Mechanicals/Mishaps: none

Report: a most delightful day of bicycling along familiar roads w/o much vehicular traffic. We enjoyed pairing up in various configurations for conversational cycling (CC).

At the Mason Neck Park visitor's center, we could see a black band in the river (pictured below and over the right shoulder of the RL in the picture above). Even with binoculars, or by zooming in on the picture, the mass was unidentifiable, but from previous times encountering same, assume that it was a huge rafting of ducks. Hundreds, maybe thousands, massing together as the migrate south.

There was an announcement at the visitor's center that the tundra swans were back in the great marsh. We reversed our routing through Hallowing Point, going to the south end of River Road, where we could make out the swans (white dots, really) in the marsh.

This ride was posted on short notice so thanks to Lisa and Steve for joining me today!

Friday IHRT ~20 miles

Ron Altemus — Fri, 21 Nov 2025 15:00:00 GMT

Leaders: Ron & Susan Altemus

Members: Sue Gunter, Sherwood Byers, Sr., RL Susan, Connie Quickstad, Robin Garnett, Linda Bankerd, Fran Jezisek, Carl Hattery, Leesha Saunders, Donaro Gardner, Esther Steward, Paul Adams, Bob Rourke, Carolyn Graves. Not pictured: Pat Colvin

Route: Indian Head Rail Trail, riding east from Livingston Rd parking lot to White Plains trailhead for a rest stop. then retracing west back to the ride start.

Weather: overcast (again!), temps 52-54, very light air out of the west

AMS: varied by rider

Mechanicals/Mishaps: none

Report: Very nice turnout with the weekly regulars supplemented by a few who hadn't ridden most of the week because of the wind plus a returning cyclist. As always, everyone rode at there own pace. Sherwood wanted some hill work, so he said he would be going up Bumpy Oak and back down - several other riders joined him outbound whilst the rest of us flatlanders stuck to the trail. He repeated the up on the return, going all the way to Livingston Rd to commence the down solo.

Very little in the way of wildlife. And we didn't see any wild turkeys as they are all hiding until Thanksgiving passes. Lots of other trail users though, the majority of which were walkers.

After the ride, everyone scattered, some to get ready for departing to Thanksgiving locations with family or friends, others to start preparations of the big meal. A reminder - we will have the regular IHRT ride on the Friday after Thanksgiving - the perfect opportunity to burn off some of the calories consumed the day prior.

W&OD>Bikes@Vienna 39 miles

Ron Altemus — Thu, 20 Nov 2025 15:30:00 GMT

Leader: Ron Altemus

Members: Connie Quickstad, Denny Miller, Sherwood Byers, Sr., Esther Steward, Gene Villiva, Robin Garnett. Not pictured: Leslie Tierstein

Route: Starting at either Belle Haven Park or Jones Point Park (as pictured above) we rode the Mt Vernon Trail north to the Four Mile Run Trail to head west. In Shirlington, we transferred to the W&OD Trail, riding it to Church Street in Vienna. Approximately 2 blocks south on Church took us to an alley where Bikes@Vienna is located. Return was basically a retrace of the outbound route.

Weather: overcast the entire time (aka a hazy shade of winter), temps stayed in a narrow range of 47-49 degrees, negligible air movement out of the NE

AMS: swept in the low 11s; Strava had some riders in the mid 12s

Mechanicals/Mishaps: none

Report: With nothing listed on the ride schedule for a Thursday ride, your favorite neighborhood ride leader (and faithful correspondent) was contacted about posting one. His original plan had been a solo ride out to Vienna but checking with a few others indicated some were interested in making that journey, too. So we ended up with 7 riders doing the entire ride. Leslie met us at the bike shop after doing some shopping in Vienna and the at the bike shop.

Outbound, a couple of riders got out ahead of the main group and missed a bio stop in Bluemont. We met up with them at the bike shop. Another rider waited at the Vienna caboose just west of Church Street. We didn't see them there, they saw us, tried to catch up but by the time they started riding, we had already made the turn onto the alley and disappeared from view. They rejoined the group that headed back sans lunch as only a couple of us had lunch in Vienna.

For two of our group, this was their first time on both the Four Mile Run trail and the W&OD. They liked what they saw outbound - I'll assume their return trip was just as pleasant.

Tayloe's Neck>Jacksontown 37 miles

Ron Altemus — Sat, 15 Nov 2025 15:30:00 GMT

Leader & Members: Steve Palincsar, RL Ron Altemus, GloJean Gladden (photog), Ray Luckenbach

Route: https://ridewithgps.com/routes/41956882 35.8 miles, 1215' elevation change. From Friendship Farm park, Ironsides and MD-6 took us to Tayloe's Neck Road. We did an out and back on Bluff Point before following Tayloe's Neck to its end point. Retracing, we ventured down Walter's Landing to Friendship Acres and the a retrace on Tayloe's Neck and MD-6 back to King James Church for a rest stop. Retracing on MD-6 to Hancock Run, then Adams Willett and Liverpool Point for a second rest stop at the Nanjemoy Store. Final routing used Jacksontown, Greenleek, MD-6, Poseytown, Bowie, Baptist Church, and Ironsides to return us to Friendship Farm park.

Weather: under cloudy and/or overcast skies, temps ranged from the mid 50s to the low 60s with 3-5 mph breezes. The sun made a few futile attempts to break through but all efforts proved unsuccessful.

AMS: swept in the low 12s

Mechanicals/Mishaps: none

Report: as with most rides in the Greater Nanjemoy Metropolitan Statistical Area, we traveled on roads with minimal vehicular traffic - some being completely car free. Leaves continue to fall so not much in the way of vibrant color, but the muted yellow/oranges, browns, and grays, with the occasional verdant greens of a holly or pine providing attractive scenery.

GloJean and Ray had never ridden on Tayloe's Neck so it was nice to introduce them to another part of Nanjemoy. We rode mostly as a group until slightly separating prior to Walter's Landing, but regrouped at King James Church. Unexpectedly, the restrooms building was locked. After our second rest stop at Nanjemoy Store, Ray and GloJean headed out early as she had an afternoon engagement. Steve and your faithful correspondent/favorite neighborhood ride leader continued at a casual conversational cycling pace back to the start.

Of note - Walter's Landing and Tayloe's Neck is less than a mile from Friendship Farm park but on the other side of Nanjemoy Creek hence our riding ~16 miles just to be on the other side of the creek. After the ride, Steve captured the creek with Friendship Acres over on the other side.

All in all, a most pleasant day of cycling!

Allen Pond To Harwood, 9:30, A/B, 28 miles

Diane Harris — Sat, 15 Nov 2025 14:30:00 GMT

Ride Leader: Diane Harris

Members: Lou D, Sam, P, William C, Theresa R

Guests: None

Route: Allen Pond To Harwood, starting from Allen Pond park and traveling along backroads of Prince George's and Anne Arundel Counties

Weather: Overcast for most of the ride, with a starting temperature of 49°, warming to ~60°. There was a brief period where we felt a few raindrops.

Mechanicals/Mishaps: None

AMS: Ride leader ended with 15.1

Report: The goal was to ride this route at an A/B pace with the ending ams between 14 to 16 mph. We met that goal by sharing the work of leading the ride between the 5 of us. It was a good ride even though some of the roads were riddled with uneven pavement and potholes (Mill Branch and Queen Anne Bridge roads). Much of the route was along 2 lane back roads with woods on both sides and occasionally, houses on large lots, and not much vehicle traffic. The sun came out briefly and at one point, we felt occasional raindrops but that quickly ended. Thanks to all who joined me for this ride.

Friday IHRT ~20 miles

Ron Altemus — Fri, 14 Nov 2025 15:00:00 GMT

Leaders: Ron & Susan Altemus

Members: RL Susan, Fran Jezisek, Gene Villiva, Leesha Saunders, Robin Garnett, Bob Rourke, Paul Adams, Jackie Schoch, Esther Steward, Carl Hattery, Donaro Gardner

Route: Friday's FAV - Indian Head Rail Trail east from the Livingston Road parking lot to trailhead in White Plains. After a conversation-filled rest stop, return westward ho! to the start.

Weather: starting off mostly sunny but clouding over on the return from White Plains. Winds of 7-10 mph, with higher gusts, out of the west. Temps started in the low 50s, supposedly rising to the upper 50s, but the return into the wind felt much colder than the outbound ride.

AMS: varied by rider but most probably in the mid11s to low 12s

Mechanicals/Mishaps: none

Report: as detailed in Weather above, though the temperature went up during the day, it seemed to get colder riding back from White Plains. Not that is was bone chilling cold, just not that warm.

We had the usual group of riders, traveling in small conversational pairings to the rest stop and back. On the return, a number of us stopped to observe an eagle sitting on a log in Pages Swamp. Jackie was fortunate to see the eagle standing in the water catching small fish. She saw him/her catch 2. While we were watching, it flew a short distance up the creek and then appeared to resume fishing, though it was now a bit too far away to determine it if was successful.

Fran used her telephoto lens to get the close up on the right.

Other sightings of interest included several hornet nests just before Bumpy Oak Road. Though named Bald-Faced Hornets, they are actually wasps. Each nest will contain 400-700 individuals over the course of the season.

Below, a Bald-Faced hornet nest barely visible due to its coloring and only seen once leaves have dropped

Two Bald-Faced hornet nests. They are only used for one year so the lower one, which was noted last year, just hasn't fallen yet.

Five Points, Gallant Green & Truman Manor (CC,33)

Stephen Palincsar — Thu, 13 Nov 2025 15:30:00 GMT

Ride leader: Steve Palincsar
Members: Ron Altemus, Connie Quickstad, Patricia Sanders
Route: https://ridewithgps.com/routes/53277668
Weather: Blustery and chilly-feeling: 52-57 degrees and sunny, with supposedly 15 mph winds and nearly continuous gusts up to 25 mph
MIshaps & mechanicals: none
AMS: 12.4

A windy ride. Pleasant company, a nice route featuring roads we haven't ridden in a long time (Gallant Green, Truman Manor). We had a nice rest stop at Moreland Market, where we learned that internet connectivity was so poor it wasn't possible to display maps to plot alternate routes to escape from the wind, so we rode the whole distance and were pleasantly surprised to find it wasn't really all that bad. We added an extra stop at the site of the Baden Community Center, mainly just to get a break from riding into the wind on Aquasco Rd.

MV-38 Pisgah (B-38)

Wed, 12 Nov 2025 17:00:00 GMT

Leader: Lou Dall'Orso

Members: none

Guests: none

Route: ridewithgps.com/routes/12378617

Weather: Around 50 at ride start, climbing to the mid 50s by mid ride, mostly sunny and wind, lots of SW to SSW gusty wind, did I mention wind?....

AMS: A bit under 15 mph, maybe....

Mechanicals/Mishaps: none

Report: Didn't have anyone sign up for this late post, so I took my time getting started, probably around 12:20 or so. Knew the first half or more was going to have quite a bit of head and head cross wind, so I talked myself into looking forward to the last legs. The first leg down 228 to McDaniels and Middletown were as predicted, I was hoping the turn onto Marshall Corner would make it better, nope, still windy. Once crossing Hawthorne to the Rose hill stretch, the trees did offer some shelter, and the descent down to route 6 came quickly. Decided to power up the climb off the saddle on 6 up towards the right on poorhouse, and only then realized I had a tad of tailwind, made the right on poorhouse, and while the turn brought back the headwind, the smooth pavement contrasted nicely with the chip and seal shoulder just left behind. Looked forward to the Pisgah store rest stop, where I grabbed a quick snack, and replaced water bottles. From there the wind was minor or helpful, and once on Chick, it was almost like autopilot to Livingston and route 210, where I felt like an e-bike spinning in the strong tailwind. Back at the car a bit after 3, AND, Giant had Halloween candy 50% off! Got 2 big bags...

MV 35 Starbucks Local - Chapman Circles (CC, 34)

Stephen Palincsar — Sun, 09 Nov 2025 17:00:00 GMT

Ride leader: Steve Palincsar
Members: Patricia Sanders, Sherwood Byers
Route: https://ridewithgps.com/routes/53224307
Weather: Overcast and gloomy at the start, temp around 63 and breezy. There was evidence everywhere that it had rained last night and in the morning, but as predicted the rain had stopped well before noon. As we were leaving the first rest stop the sky cleared and the sun came out, but it had clouded up by the time we turned onto the Indian Head Rail Trail. Near the end of the ride one of the local churches had an illuminated sign that read 70 degrees, which was close to the forecast for 4 pm.
Mishaps & mechanicals: Sherwood got a flat about 12 mi from the end. Since he'd used his only spare tube, we decided to shorten the meanderings through the neighborhoods east of MD-210.
AMS: 11.1
Report:
A very nice ride, considering the gloom of the day. This being a local rather than an express ride, we stopped for a break at the Dash-In at Lower Wharf & 210. Excellent stop; nice facilities, easy to get into and even easier to make the turn onto 210 than staying on Lower Wharf. I'm going to modify the route to make it official, and I recommend that any ride originating in Manokeek that comes back on 210 or Chapmans Landing stop there.

Mennonite Country, 37 miles, A/B

Diane Harris — Sat, 08 Nov 2025 15:00:00 GMT

Ride Leader: Diane Harris

Members: Sherwood B, Theresa R, Liam H, Lou D

Guests: Solomons Island club members, Matt, Garrett, and another cyclist

Route: Back roads of St. Mary's County, with occasional sightings of members of the Mennonite community

Weather: Clear, sunny with temperatures in the low 60s, occasional breezes. Roads mostly dry after an overnight rain

Mechanicals/Mishaps: One rider with a flat tire. A few missed turns, resulted in having to backtrack to get back on the route

AMS: Ride leader, 14.9

Report: This was the first joint ride of the Oxon Hill and Solomons Island bike clubs, and the route chosen was one along roads traveled by members of the Mennonite Community. It's a beautiful area with lots of farmland and trees still holding onto colorful red, yellow, and orange leaves. There was not a lot of motor vehicle traffic which made for a very nice ride. With many cycling groups, there's the assumption that the cyclist in front knows the route and will keep everyone on course. Our mishaps occurred with that assumption, as we got off course several times, having to backtrack. Anyway, this was a very nice way to spend a Sunday afternoon, sharing the road with members of the Solomons Island Cycling Club.

Mennonite Country CC

Dan Donahue — Sat, 08 Nov 2025 15:00:00 GMT

Ride Leader: Dan Donahue

Members: Pat C, Lois L., Ron A., Linda B. Steve P. Sue C., Ray L., Deborah B.

Guests: No Solomons Island club members showed up for this joint club ride,

Route: Back roads of St. Mary's County, with occasional sightings of members of the Mennonite community

Weather: Clear, sunny with temperatures in the low 60s, occasional breezes. Roads mostly dry after an overnight rain

Mechanicals/Mishaps: Two riders with flat tires. One rider with ongoing mechanical problems. A 24 mile shortened route resulted from lengthy flat tire repairs for the rear rider grouping .

AMS: Ride leader, 13.0

As often happens on group rides, the CCers split into front and rear groupings. It was a beautiful sunny fall day for a ride, but on mile 7 a rear flat occurred to an e-bike rider with the rear grouping. This led to a lengthy repair delay. Only with the arrival and assistance of a mystery rider were we able to resolve mechanical problems related to the flat repair. Once ready to resume an agreed upon shortcut route, a second e-bike in the group had a rear flat. Three riders with Pat Colvin as a temporary ride leader continued the shortcut route. A rescue of the second e-bike and rider was initiated.

In the meantime, Steve Palincsar had become the unofficial ride leader of the faster group, which completed the 37.7 mi. without any flats or mechanicals. Once I caught up to the shortcut riders, it was discovered that the e-bike rider who had the first flat was experiencing ongoing mechanical issues but was able to finish the ride. As the shortcut group was making the turn on the last road to the library, a dog broke away from its owner and began chasing us. Judging the risk from the dog to be low, I stopped (my usual inclination is to go as fast as I can to escape). The dog stopped chasing and its owner was able to catch up and get it under control.

A final loop was made to hook up with the faster CC riders to escort them back to the library. This is only a personal opinion, but for club members considering switching to an e-bike, consider the advantages of a mid-drive system instead of a rear hub motor. Changing rear flats with a mid-drive is much easier and less time-consuming.

Smallwood Church>Valley>Pomfret 38 miles

Ron Altemus — Thu, 06 Nov 2025 15:00:00 GMT

Leader: Ron Altemus

Members: Steve Palincsar, Patricia Sanders, Connie Quickstad

Route: From Livingston Rd IHRT parking lot, we headed west and then onto Hawthorne to Chicamuxen, taking Marbury Run, Bicknell, and Sweetman back to Chicamuxen to Smallwood Church. Onwards via Mason Springs to a bio stop at Pisgah Park, then Poorhouse, Annapolis Woods, and Firetower to a rest stop in Welcome at Scott's Store. Continuing via MD-6 to Valley, up Hawthorne to Marshall Corner, with Preston, Pomfret, and the IHRT back returning us back to the start. https://ridewithgps.com/routes/53189874 38.1miles, 1,254ft elevation change

Weather: Cloudless blue skies, temp range 53-59, mostly constant 12 mph wind out of the NW gusting to mid 20s way too much of the time.

AMS: swept in the upper 11s

Mechanicals/Mishaps: none

Report: As mentioned above, a bit breezy (down right windy!) today. This was a rare Thursday ride which did not start at North Keys, usually considered the windiest place in Prince George's County. Guess the weather gods wanted us to feel right at home no matter where the ride started.

It is fall, and the windy conditions of the past several days have seen many a tree lose most of its leaves. All the same, there was still some vibrant color here and there: a bright red ornamental maple on Smallwood Church; then more red leaves, this time young red oak trees on Annapolis Wood followed by 4'-5' yellow and orange sweet gum saplings taking over an uncultivated field. Lower level plants are also losing their leaves or dying off if they are annuals so there is more to see when looking into some of the wooded tracts. As the weather gets colder, the views will continue to change.

The first part of Chicamuxen had a lot of vehicular traffic but then we were mostly car free to Welcome. MD-6 was very busy though there wasn't a car in sight either direction when we needed to turn left onto Valley, which we traversed its entire length without any traffic at all. Back to busy on Hawthorne and the first part of Marshall Corner. It was nice to have the final four miles on the serene IHRT to end the ride.

B&A and BWI Trails CC 26

Rick Hagen — Wed, 05 Nov 2025 15:00:00 GMT

Leaders - Lisa Petersen and Rick Hagen

Members - none

Guests - None

Weather - Beautifully sunny, but breezy. Started at 55, warmed up to 65 by the time we finished. Winds were out of the SW increasing from 7 mph at ride start to 18 mph at ride end.

Route - https://ridewithgps.com/routes/53206571

Route - We started at the Baltimore and Annapolis Trail Park and rode north along the northern half of the Baltimore & Annapolis Trail, clockwise around the BWI airport loop, then back to the start.

AMS - 11 mph

Mechanicals/Mishaps - None

Report - Bike/pedestrian traffic was light on the trail as we made our way north from the park ranger station. We crossed over the highway 100 bridge and swung around the Marley Station Mall and continued to the end of the B&A trail at Dorsey Road. From there we went west on the connector trail past the Sawmill Creek Park (where we pitied the poor pickleball players forced to play using the tennis nets). Continuing west on the BWI trail we passed through a wooded area where the trail was thickly covered with leaves and pine needles. The Dixon Aircraft Observation area was quiet today as the flights were not using the N-S runway. When we reached the NE corner of the loop, we stopped for a snack at the picnic table that overlooks the airport which didn't seem very busy today. We then continued past the horses at the equestrian center and turned south to complete the loop. As we retraced our path on the B&A Trail, we ticked off the planets on the scale solar system model along the trail, reaching Pluto just as we reached the ride start. The temperatures were pleasant, and the wind was only really noticeable when we crossed some of the open areas around the airport.

Wildlife: turtles on logs, great blue heron.

Starbucks Express Modified, 27 miles, A/B

Diane Harris — Sun, 02 Nov 2025 17:00:00 GMT

Ride Leader: Diane Harris

Members: Theresa R, Sam P, Sherwood B, Tom S, Lou D, David W, Walt R

Route: From Accokeek, to Waldorf to access the Indian Head Rail Trail, to the short climb up Hawthorne, to Chapman's Landing, then off and on Indian Head Hwy until turning onto Manning and back to the parking lot.

Weather: A beautiful Fall day with sunshine, temperatures mid 60s and low humidity

Mechanicals/Mishaps: None

AMS: Ride leader ended with 16.4, others were higher

Report: Before starting, we discussed maintaining a paceline in order to keep to the advertised pace by sharing the workload. We were successfull. On the Indian Head Rail Trail we noticed quite a few runners, water stations, and police manning some of the trail/road intersections. This was the day for the We Got Your Six Running Festival, benefitting the Tunnel to Towers Foundation. According to one of the water station volunteers, it's also a qualifying event for the Boston Marathon. Following the Rail Trail, in spite of some of us wanting to alter the route by staying on Indian Head Hwy, we all agreed to stick to the route by taking Chapman's Landing, a road that's shaded with rollers which eventually gets us back onto Indian Head Hwy. We arrived back to the parking lot with plenty of time to sit, talk, and enjoy post ride beverages and snacks from Starbucks. Thanks to all who joined me on this ride.

Mason Neck ~28 miles

Ron Altemus — Sun, 02 Nov 2025 15:00:00 GMT

Leader: Ron Altemus

Members: Susan Altemus, Gene Villiva, Debbie Bowman, Janell Saunders, Mary Scala, Karen Morgan, Bob Rourke, Paul Adams

Route: casual tour of Mason Neck, starting with an out and back on Belmont Blvd with some of the group venturing down to the George Mason University Carter Center and then retracing on Belmont Blvd. Gunston Rd took us to the Mason Neck trail followed by a short spur on Springfield before rejoining the trail. We left the trail at High Point Rd to head down to the Mason Neck State Park Visitor Center. Retracing on High Point, we used Gunston Rd to tour the Hallowing Point and Gunston Manor neighborhoods and then back to the trail. Gunston Hall and Pohick Bay Park were visited including a spin through the latter's campground. Three hardy (masochistic?) souls rode down to the water and back up the hill. We returned to the trail and then another out and back into the golf course before the final short stretch on Gunston Rd to the ride start.

Weather: really nice. Temps started in the mid 50s and rose to the mid 60s; in the sun, it was quite warm though on shaded sections of the trail or roads, a bit cooler. Air movement of 7-8 mph mostly from the southern quadrant.

AMS: probably in the mid 11s

Mechanicals/Mishaps: none

Report: One of those days weather-wise where one could ride forever. Today, with this nice group, it was most pleasant ride travels with many trees showing vibrant colors - yellows, reds, and especially orange (though since that is your faithful correspondent's color, perhaps he was just more attuned to those trees).

It was great having Janell back for a club ride. As photographed below by Mary, she leads some of the riders on High Point Road through the colorful foliage:

Afterwards, several of us went to Glory Days in Lorton Marketplace for a most enjoyable lunch.

MV-38 Pisgah (B-38 miles)

Sat, 01 Nov 2025 16:00:00 GMT

Leader: Lou Dall'Orso

Members: Sherwood B. and Liam H.

Guests: none

Route: ridewithgps.com/routes/12378617

Weather: Right around 60, maybe a little over for most of the ride, a mixture of sun and clouds, and wind, lots of wind....

AMS: A bit over 14 mph

Mechanicals/Mishaps: none

Report: Happy to have Sherwood and Liam sign up for the ride today, thank you both for the company. As is the norm for this ride, we rode together or within sight of each other for the majority of the ride. There was a strong head/cross wind for most of the ride, kept thinking we would have some tail after the next turn, didn't seem to happen until we turned right onto route 210 from Livingston, but once we did, it made for a quick last leg back to the parking lot. Good weather, good roads, good company, can't ask for more.

Halloween Friday IHRT ~20 miles

Ron Altemus — Fri, 31 Oct 2025 14:00:00 GMT

Leaders: Robin Garnett, Ron & Susan Altemus

Members: Vicki Garlock, Bob Rourke, Paul Adams, Esther Stewart, Maureen Flynn, Connie Quickstad, Peter Stelman, Robin Garnett, Carl Hattery, Susan Altemus, Pat Colvin, Denny Miller (and a few decorated bicycles)

Route: haunted Indian Head Rail Trail from Livingston Road parking lot east to White Plains trailhead. After a short rest stop, return west to ride start.

Weather: Sunshine and blue skies with an occasional cloud; temp range mid to upper 50s; westerly winds 12-16 mph with gusting into the upper 20s/low 30s (making the return ride a bit more strenuous that usual)

AMS: varied by rider

Mechanicals/Mishaps: none

Report: a major accident closed the outer loop of the Beltway just beyond MD-210 so some of the Virginia members (your faithful correspondent and one of the ride co-leaders) were late or didn't attempt to cross the bridge. Robin led the group to White Plains and the latecomers joined them there for picture taking and conversation.

Numerous other trail users with only one reported wildlife sighting of a deer though a number of domesticated, but free range, chickens were seen busy searching for food just east of Middletown.

Several riders did don costumes for this Halloween ride: Skelecyclist, Señora dia de los muertos, Bikerina, Girafferino

(photo courtesy of Robin G)

South County Bayside Tour

Stephen Palincsar — Tue, 28 Oct 2025 14:00:00 GMT

Leader: Steve Palincsar

Members: Catherine Ade, Joan Oppel, Lisa Petersen, Patricia Sanders

Guests: none

Route: https://ridewithgps.com/routes/45533084

Weather: Chilly, overcast and blustery: 52 at the start rising to 57 by early afternoon, with 15-17 mph winds from the northeast, with gusts up to 25 mph.

AMS: 11.4

Mechanicals/Mishaps: Joan and I rode into each other making a right turn while riding through the back streets of Masons Beach (for the record, turning from Charles Ave onto Melbourne Ave at mile 16.1) only a few minutes after having left South County Cafe.

Our handlebars got tangled together, we lost steering control and we both went down, me landing on top of Joan, who hurt her elbow.

Within a couple of minutes two local residents came to our aid, one a retired police officer and the other I believe a serving officer, and the two of them convinced Joan to call 911; EMTs arrived a few minutes later.

One of residents offered his garage as a place to store their bicycles while Joan and Lisa rode in the ambulance to Annapolis.

Joan suffered a broken elbow and needed surgery to repair it.

Report: This ride started out as a low-key riding farewell to Catherine Ade, who has relocated to Memphis TN. Catherine loves water views, and this route winds around the back streets of Masons Beach and Deale Beach with many views of the Chesapeake Bay, Parkers Creek and Carr Creek.

Lisa rode from home and joined us on MD-2 about 9 miles into the ride. We’d been riding into stiff headwinds on Greenock, and they continued as we rode east on Nutwell and Bay Front. It was a relief when we arrived at South County Cafe. We enjoyed coffee, pastries and conversation in the restaurant, and after a very pleasant interlude set out to tour the back streets of Deal. We were only a mile and a half into the tour when disaster struck and Joan and I were lying on the pavement.

After Joan and Lisa left in the ambulance, Catherine, Patricia and I headed straight back to Waysons Park & Ride, taking Bay Front and Southern Maryland Boulevard. Later that day, Rick and Lisa retrieved the two bicycles and and brought them to Waysons along with Joan’s keys. Catherine and Walt met them at Waysons and brought Joan’s car and bicycle home.

Joan had two surgeries to repair her elbow and is now home recuperating.

MV-38 Pisgah (B 38)

Sun, 26 Oct 2025 16:00:00 GMT

Leader: Lou Dall'Orso

Members: none

Guests: none

Route: ridewithgps.com/routes/12378617

Weather: High 50s maybe kissing 60, and overcast with partly to mostly cloudy skies for most of the ride, not much wind.

AMS: right around 16 mph, maybe a little less

Mechanicals/Mishaps: none

Report: Didn't have anyone sign up for today's ride. Got going right at 12:00 pm, back at the car at 2:30 pm, only made one quick stop at the Pisgah store. Saw a deer just past the entrance to Thomas Stone Historic Site on Rose Hill Road, and played dodge the caterpillars on some of the wooded roads. Another fun and uneventful ride.

Tour de Accokeek/Bryans Road 30 miles

Ron Altemus — Sun, 26 Oct 2025 14:00:00 GMT

Leader: Ron Altemus

Members: Patricia Sanders, Steve Palincsar, Ray Luckenbach

Route: https://ridewithgps.com/routes/49615056 30,4 miles, 735' elevation change.

From Accokeek firehouse, we used the regular Tour de Accokeek routing to the intersection of Mathews and Marshall Hall road. At that point, we went straight to continue on Mathews to use Basingstoke, Belden, Timber Vista, and Timber Ridge for a tour of the newer Timber Ridge subdivision then onto Marshall Hall road heading towards the river. An out and back on Fenwick, including a spin through Fenwick Shores, returned us to Marshall Hall Rd to head down to the landing. After a rest stop (pictured above), we retraced for a second out and back on River, then Marshall Hall Rd to the climb up Barrys Hill (main elevation gain for the day). A left at the top for the third out and back on Old Marshall Hall Rd taking us down to Chapin Farm before retracing to Accokeek Rd, after which Livingston Rd returned us to the start.

Weather: Starting temp of 50 rising to 60 by ride's end under mostly high overcast conditions so that there were extended periods of sunshine, just no blue skies. Winds of 3-4 mph out of the northern quadrant

AMS: proclaimed a "leisurely ride" at the start, we rode accordingly, finishing only in the mid 10s

Mechanicals/Mishaps: none

Report: A nice Sunday ride with minimal traffic throughout with some sections being car free. The only time we had to concern ourselves about vehicles was crossing Marshall Hall Rd in Bryans Road to stay on Mathews.

This was Ray's first time riding in the greater Accokeek/Bryans Road metropolitian statistical area so we spent a bit of time explaining to him the peculiarities of Livingston Road, the original routing to Marshall Hall(which once had an amusement park on the site), and the history of Moyonne Reserve. The out and back on Fenwick included a nice fall display at the corner of Fenwich and McCrea:

Only wildlife sighting of interest was a bald eagle sitting high up in a tree on Fenwick close to the Marshall Hall Rd intersection. An eagle had been spotted there in the past, so much like Friday's IHRT ride eagle sightings, it would appear these raptors are once again getting ready for colder weather which means mating, egg laying, and hopefully hatching of chicks.

Construction news: hadn't done this extended route since early February so there was some new building to see. A big development of town homes has gone up on Mathews just down the road from the shopping center. New individual single family homes were under construction on Fenwick. On River, clearing of a lot towards it terminus probably means another single house being constructed while building has commenced on a second house on the old Denison orchard site, as pictured below:

MV-38 Pisgah (B 38)

Sat, 25 Oct 2025 16:00:00 GMT

Leader: Lou Dall'Orso

Members: Liam H.

Guests: none

Route: ridewithgps.com/routes/12378617

Weather: Temperatures in the high 50s to a degree or two over 60 throughout the ride, sky started with a mix of sun and clouds, and increasing to overcast towards the latter part of the ride, no wind to speak of.

AMS: Between 13 and 14 maybe?...

Mechanicals/Mishaps: none

Report: Was happy to have Liam join me on the ride, made for a more enjoyable time. We rode together or within sight for it's entirety, making stops at both the Pisgah store, and the Livingston IHRT Portalet, as well as an earlier quick pit stop at the Park on Rose Hill road for a wardrobe adjustment. Saw a deer crossing the road at the top of Livingston hill (of all places) as well as two Trunk-or-Treats, one at the Pisgah Fire House, and one at a church on Livingston on the way to route 210. Doing it again tomorrow, same Bat time, helmets mandatory, cycling shoes optional... :)

Cumberstone & Galesville

Joan Oppel — Sat, 25 Oct 2025 14:00:00 GMT

Leader: Joan Oppel

Members: Steve Palincsar

Route: https://ridewithgps.com/routes/49789942 Visit to Cumberstone and Galesville via Sands, Harwood, Mill Swamp, Muddy Creek to Cumberstone, then into Galesville and return on all the Sudleys, Rt 2 and W Bay Front, with a detour on Brooks Woods and Little back to Bay Front to reach Wrighton and Plummer.

Weather: Spectacular - sunny blue skies with fluffy white clouds, temperatures about 48 at the start, warming up to about 55. Perfect riding weather.

Report: A nice route with some stretches on the shoulder of busy roads to reach quiet ones. And some detours off the busy roads, such as the quiet and hidden Lansdale and the lovely Brooks Woods and Little Roads. Plus the always beautiful out and back on Cumberstone. Today was simply a great day for a bike ride.

Our rest stop at the tiny park in Galesville next to a marina provided all the pictures.

The mysterious tripod platforms at the marina, colorful but what are they?

The answer is revealed -

This marina has been a caretaker for the neighborhood feral cats for years. The cats are provided with insulated wooden boxes, lined with soft bedding, heavy plastic door coverings - and a special wooden covered feeding structure where they can safely eat. For a long time there were only 2 cat houses, today I counted 7! A sign nearby advises that cruelty to an animal is a felony punishable with up to 3 years in prison.

Croom, Magruders, Croom & Merkle (CC, 36)

Stephen Palincsar — Thu, 23 Oct 2025 14:00:00 GMT

Rest stop at Magruders Landing

Ride leader: Steve Palincsar

Members: Patricia Walthers, Joan Oppel, Karen Morgan, Connie Quickstad

Route: https://ridewithgps.com/routes/53071533 36 mi, 2000' elevation gain

Weather: Sunny, 53 at the start rising to 63 (actually, 70 by the end, according to my car) and windy. Officially, prediction was 10-13 mph from the west, with 16 recorded on the road, and according to the weather report on the radio on the way home, we had gusts up to 26 mph. It's a good thing that except for a couple of very short distances, our route went across the wind.

AMS: 11.4 mph

Mishaps & Mechanicals:

Connie discovered a flat tire: in the back, a piece of glass, as soon as she tried to leave the parking lot. But no worries: with Joan Oppel on hand, the occasion turned into a class on fixing flat tires in the field. Once again, all were impressed with Joan's electric tire pump, and very glad she was on hand to save the day. I have one too, but mine's still in the box and I haven't even looked at the instructions yet. Maybe it's about time...

TS34 South AA County to Jack Creek Park CC 34

Rick Hagen — Wed, 22 Oct 2025 14:00:00 GMT

Leaders - Lisa Petersen and Rick Hagen

Members - Ron Altemus, Pat Colvin

Guests - None

Weather - A beautiful sunny autumn day. Started at 60, warmed up to 67 by the time we finished. Winds were out of the west about 10 mph.

Route - https://ridewithgps.com/routes/48898572

Route - This ride took us through southern Anne Arundel County to a park in Shady Side with nice views of the Chesapeake Bay and Bay Bridge. We began at the Route 260 Recreation Area and went north and east on Fishers Station and Little roads. Route 258 took us to Churchton where we stopped at the Royal Farms for food/drinks to take to the park. It was then a flat ride with a tail wind to the north end of Shady Side where we took the 1/2-mile crushed gravel road into Jack Creek Park. To get back to the cars, we took Sudley and Nutwell roads, then Route 2 south to Jewell Road. We crossed Route 260 to ride on quiet Chaney Rd, then took Routes 4 and 260 a short distance back to the cars.

AMS - 12 mph

Mechanicals/Mishaps - None

Report - It was a beautiful fall day for a ride. We enjoyed the 6 miles of quiet country roads at the beginning, then took busier roads to Churchton where we stopped at the Royal Farms for food to take to the park. We then rode the 4 miles to Jack Creek Park and the 1/2 mile on fine gravel to a cute little beach with a clear view of the Bay, the Bay Bridge, and five anchored container ships waiting to get into Baltimore. After our lunch we re-traced our path out of the park and back to Churchton, then went west and south on Sudley, Nutwell, and Route 2 to Jewell. At the Jewell and Rt. 260 intersection we went straight across, then right onto Chaney Road. We then rode a short stretch on the shoulder of Rt. 4 and Rt. 260 back to the cars.

Wildlife: turtles on logs, woolly bears, squirrels.

Ironsides, Durham Church & Fire Tower (CC, 35)

Stephen Palincsar — Tue, 21 Oct 2025 14:00:00 GMT

Rest stop at Scott's Store

Ride leader: Steve Palincsar
Members: Ron Altemus, Patricia Sanders, Tom Short, Joan Oppel, Linda Bankerd
Route: https://ridewithgps.com/routes/51715526 34.5 mi, 1268' elevation gain on a route mostly on quiet, wooded roads.
Weather: Mid-50s at the start rising to 70 by early afternoon on a sunny, breezy, crisp fall day.
Mishaps & mechanicals: none
AMS: 12.1

A lovely fall day for a bike ride. We started by heading west on the IHRT and Strauss, then cut over to the IHRT at Blair and came back to Hawthorne, then took Chicamuxen, Bicknell and Pisgah Marbury over to Mason Springs and a rest stop at Pisgah Park. After the break we headed south on Mason Springs and Ironsides to Durham Church, then went down Durham Church Rd to MD-6 and took that to a second stop at Scott's Store. Leaving Scott's, Fire Tower took us to Annapolis Woods and Ripley; we turned right on Hawthorne and took it to Bumpy Oak and the Indian Head Rail Trail.

It was a very pretty route, on a day with the sort of clear, bright sunshine that makes leaf color sparkle. A few trees are starting to turn, but serious fall leaf color is still some time away.

Manokeek Express, B/CC, 27 miles

Diane Harris — Sun, 19 Oct 2025 16:00:00 GMT

Leader: Diane Harris (with the assistance of Joan, Sherwood, Steve, Sonya, and Ron)

Members: Joan O, Ron A, Sherwood B, Sam P, Tom S, Theresa R, Denny M, Leon W, Ray L, Pat C, Robin G, Connie Q, Bernard S, Linda B, Lou D, Sonya N, and Steve P

Guests: None

Weather: Temperatures in the low 70s, clear, sunny, WINDY!!

Mechanicals/Mishaps: None

AMS: Ride leader 14mph

Report: Eighteen club members took advantage of the later start time to ride the backroads of Southern Maryland, giving them the morning to attend services, or sleep in, or do a weeken chore or two, or to just do a conversational paced afternoon ride (after yesterday's more spirited ride), or just because. The weather was perfect but a bit windy. This route starts with a nice descent whis is followed (too soon!) by the first of 2 serious climbs, Mill Hill Rd. This is followed by mostly flat roads with occasional gentle rises, before accessing miles on the flat Indian Head Rail Trail. It's especially pretty this time of year with the changing colors of leaves. This ride was comprised of B and CC riders and separation of the group was expected but because there were several ride leaders within the group, no one was left to fend for themselves. Following the rest stop, we all continued to the second serious climb, Bumpy Oak Rd. I stopped to get a photo of the bench placed along the trail in memory of our past President, Randy Schoch. The remainder of the route has us intermittently and briefly on Indian Head Hwy before turning off to head to the parking lot. My reward? The after ride fellowship with club members, enjoying drinks and snacks from the nearby coffee shop.

MV-38 Pisgah (B 38)

Sat, 18 Oct 2025 16:00:00 GMT

Leader: Lou Dall'Orso

Members: none

Guests: none

Route: ridewithgps.com/routes/12378617

Weather: Mid to upper 60s at the start a tad over 70 at the end, mostly sunny and breezy. Great riding weather.

AMS: 16 mph

Mechanicals/Mishaps: none

Report: Another great weather day for a ride. I'm really starting to like this route, very light car traffic on some familiar and fun roads, only some company could have made it better, maybe next time...

Farms and a rally

Joan Oppel — Sat, 18 Oct 2025 14:00:00 GMT

Leaders: Joan Oppel and Steve Palincsar

Members: Karen McMillan, Randy Sim, Pat Walthers

Route: https://ridewithgps.com/routes/53052008 We started in the middle of Poolesville at E E Halmos park so that we could be near the rally a the end of our ride. Our route took us through some of the very rural countryside in Montgomery County - West Offutt Rd, Edwards Ferry, Wasche, West Hunter, Big Woods, Mt Ephraim. We passed the entrance to Sugarloaf Mountain park, then on to Peach Tree before returnning to Poolesville on Cat Tail Rd.

Hanging out with Potomac Pedalers riders at the Dickerson Store

Weather: Beautiful fall weather! About 55 to start, risiing to the mid 60's arounf the halfway point and the mid 70's arriving back in Poolesville.

Report: Beautiful ride, some tree color along the way, lots of farms annice rest stop at the Dickerson store, where the portapotty has been upgraded in the past few months but was a revelation to Steve, who was so impressed he took a photo. (Those who experienced the one that was there fo 30 years will understand.) Lots of farms, orchards, some new housing going in, but much remains the same for the past 100 years, since Montgomery County established a Rural Preserve, known as the Ag Reserve.

We arrived in Poolesville at about 1:20, and joined the No Kings rally, where people were lined up on the sidewalk on the main street near the town community park. People were enthusiastic, chatty, friendly, waving signs and flags with drivers honking and waving.

Friday IHRT ~20 miles

Ron Altemus — Fri, 17 Oct 2025 21:03:45 GMT

Leader: Ron Altemus

Members: Leesha Saunders, Connie Quickstad, Pat Colvin, Maureen Flynn, Esther Stewart, Peter Stelman, Jackie Schoch, Vicki Garlock, Carl Hattery, Fran Jezisek, Donaro Gardner, Susan Altemus, Robin Garnett, Oswald Martin

Route: the Firday FAV - Indian Head Rail Trail from Livingston Rd parking lot east to White Plains trailhead. After a conversational rest stop, return Westward Ho! back to the ride start.

Weather: a fall morning with temps starting in the lowish 50s rising to just about the mid 60s with brilliant sunshine and blue skies, 6-8 mph air movement out of the NW.

AMS: varied by rider, as did their mileage. Strava shows a range of 20-31 miles as some riders got in a few extra pedal strokes.

Mechanicals/Mishaps: none

Report: A large contingent of riders, all converging at White Plains at the same time as pictured above. We encountered the usual assortment of other users, though it seemed we didn't start to see many cyclists until closer to White Plains. Maybe they were waiting for warmer temps.

For a while outbound, our only "wildlife" sightings were a number of woolly bear caterpillars. For as brightly colored some of these caterpillars can be, the adult Isabella tiger moth is rather nondescript. Read more in Wikipedia (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pyrrharctia_isabella). Actual wildlife appeared when first a large female (doe) deer bounded across the trail just ahead of Carl and your friendly neighborhood ride leader (and faithful correspondent). The doe was followed almost immediately by a large stag, which was in turn followed by a smaller doe. We abruptly halted, fearing a fourth deer might appear out of the woods but three was the limit. Vickie and Jackie also saw a single deer (sex unspecified) on another part of the trail. Towards the end of the ride, Donaro and I came upon a green snake on the trail. Given the temperature, it was somewhat odd to see a snake. It was lifted to the side of the trail and slowly slithered off. It might have been hoping for some warmth from the asphalt though that section of trail was in shadow given the lower sun angle at this time of year.

Celestial, Young & Pinefield (CC, 36)

Stephen Palincsar — Thu, 16 Oct 2025 14:00:00 GMT

Ride leader: Steve Palincsar
Members: Patricia Sanders, Ron Altemus, Joan Oppel, Pat Walthers
Weather: Sunny, around 54 at the start rising to 64 by early afternoon; windy (13-15 mph from the northeast)
Route: https://ridewithgps.com/routes/41857565 35 mi, 1295' elevation gain. A more-or-less conventional route to the Five Points, Wilkerson, Celestial and Young with a rest stop at the Moreland Market (sadly, no working rest rooms today) followed by a jaunt down Dr Mudd Rd and St Peters Church, followed by what is probably the most extensive tour of the Pinefield development in our route portfolio, one I last recall doing in January of 2023.
Mishaps & mechanicals: none
AMS: 11.9

It's small wonder that except for the stretch on Horsehead to the Five Points, it seemed as though we were either riding across or into the wind: we were. It wasn't impossible, just noticeable, and it wasn't really cold -- certainly not like the the last time we did this ride, when the high was in the 40s and the wind was gusting up to 26 mph -- until it got a lot warmer at Moreland's.

Halloween has not come to Pinefield yet, except for six or seven houses. We saw a handful of pumpkins, six or seven deflated inflatables, and exactly one house that was fully decorated. No skeletons, no witches; if we were searching for Halloween decor, we should have been touring in Alexandria or Arlington.

MV-38 Pisgah (B 38)

Wed, 15 Oct 2025 19:00:00 GMT

Leader: Lou Dall'Orso

Members: none

Guests: none

Route: ridewithgps.com/routes/12378617

Weather: low 70s mostly sunny at the start, down a few degrees to the high 60s by the end, quite a bit of wind.

AMS: Around 16 mph

Mechanicals/Mishaps: none

Report: Too nice not to ride. Left the parking lot a couple of minutes before 3, back at the car a couple of minutes before 5:30, A bit more car traffic than usual, but overall not too bad. Had a good tail wind for most of the first half of the ride from Middleton to the bottom of Rose hill, a strong cross/head in the middle, and diminishing towards the end on the trip back up 210 to the parking lot.

WB&A Trail CC 24

Rick Hagen — Wed, 15 Oct 2025 14:30:00 GMT

Leaders: Lisa Petersen and Rick Hagen

Members: Ron Altemus, Susan Altemus

Guests: none

Route: https://ridewithgps.com/routes/50948813

Weather: Sunny, 66 to 73 degrees, 12-15 mph winds but not noticeable on the trail. Very nice day!

AMS: 10.5 mph

Mechanicals/Mishaps: none

Report: We started at the Glenn Dale Community Center in Glenn Dale Md. where there is plenty of parking, bathrooms, water and vending machines (unlike the official trail parking lots). We rode southwest from there on the Washington Baltimore & Annapolis trail to a pond near the southwest start of the trail, then spontaneously took a half a mile of Glenn Dale Rd. to see the ruins of the old Glenn Dale Hospital, formerly a tuberculosis sanatorium closed in 1981 due to asbestos. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Glenn_Dale_Hospital From there we took the WB&A trail northeast toward the other end of the trail in Odenton.

We stopped at Rieve’s Deli in Odenton for some food and conversation at an outdoor table. The deli employees came out to put the umbrella up to give us some shade.

We explored two spur trails near the new bridge, one going to the power lines west of the trail and ending abruptly, and the other near the bridge where the original train line went straight across the Patuxent. Something must have happened to that bridge at one time, leaving the two disconnected trail segments.

Wildlife: turtles on logs in the marshes, one trying to cross the trail that Ron assisted, squirrels of course, spotted lantern flies.

Cloudy ride to Goose Bay

Joan Oppel — Tue, 14 Oct 2025 14:00:00 GMT

Leader: Joan Oppel

Members: Steve Palinscar and Pat Walthers

Route: https://ridewithgps.com/routes/44564234 36 miles .A straight forward way to Goose Bay, then a convoluted return, with most of the elevation gain in the second half. Outbound Chicmuxen, Pisgah Marbury, Poorhouse and Burch to Rt 6, Blossom Point. Return takes Mill Swamp, Rt 6, Fire Tower and Annapolis Woods, then to Hilltop, back to Rt 6, to Mason Springs, Smallwood Church, up Sweetman, down Bicknell, Chickamuxen to home base.

Weather: Complete cloud cover for the entire ride, temperature hovering in the mid-50s, rising to all of 59 at the end. Some wind at times but it did not have much effect on our ride.

Report: The gray skies did not interfere with a lovely ride, some leaves are finally turning to color and the Goose Bay porch entertained us with tens of pumpkins and a well-dressed greeter. We also met a small dog named Putin, who emigrated from Russia to the U.S. 8 years ago and loves his new home.

We also recruited a potential new member with cool sunglasses.

Williamsburg Tour 2025 Final Day

Sherwood — Mon, 13 Oct 2025 13:30:00 GMT

The final day, the ride home. This day the weather was predicted to be a windy and blustery day. Winds forecasted to be 30 mph from the NNW, our direction. Oh Well, let's ride. As we headed for home not very eventful, winds were calm and easy riding. Some stopped at the Spoke and Art to grab something to eat while the others continued to Chickahominy State Park for the first rest stop and waited for the group to reunite.

After all had reunited we continued to the next regrouping point. It was a great pleasure to find that 17 miles from the hotel a new place to stop for regrouping, a full service Sunoco on the other side of the highway with controlled crossing and btw it is just a couple of miles ahead of the planned stop. We decided to stop there and found it to very accommodating.

Continuing to the next regrouping stop at the Dorey Park parking lot which also has accommodations, this stop is only 4 miles to Portobello Italian Restaurant where we would all stop and have a meal. We have stopped here every year since the beginning of this tour except during COVID and Autumn, our Hostess, has always been our server and looks forward to our group coming by each year.

It is only 8 mile from the restaurant to the end of the tour. But while we were eating, the winds had picked up, very blustery and directly in our faces. The30 mph plus winds was not going to free us. if it is anything good to say about the winds, they were expected and we escaped them for most of the ride, and to our good fortune, the rest of the ride was mostly downhill. At the trail head we gathered for a final group photo op. No mishap or mechanical issues were reported to me on this final day of touring.

I would like to thank, Diane Harris, Ron Altemus, Theresa Rowell, and Stewart Street for there assistance as Co-Riders Leader and Intersection Crossing Support. Also, I would like to Thank Ron and Susan Altemus for there very kind offer to carry our panniers to Williamsburg and to Richmond for us easing our ride.

This year's tour was in memory of Oxon Hills Bike and Trail Club late President, and one of the founding members, Randy Schoch. Randy will be missed but not forgotten. Jackie, his wife, rode with us enjoying herself.

Thank you to all who joined me in this tour and making it the success that was enjoyed by all. I had a great time, in fact, it was a "BLAST" .

Sherwood, Ride Leader

Williamsburg Tour 2025 Day 3

Sherwood — Sun, 12 Oct 2025 13:30:00 GMT

Day 3 of the tour was a washout. Rained all day so it was decided to have a rest day. Many of the riders met t at "Another Broken Egg" for breakfast and "Plaza Azteca for dinner.

Scenic Covered Bridges Ride

Joan Oppel — Sat, 11 Oct 2025 14:00:00 GMT

Leader: Joan Oppel

Members: Steve Palincsar, Patricia Sanders, Mary Scala, Randy Sim, Pat Walthers

Loy's Station Bridge

Route: https://ridewithgps.com/routes/52944780 This route wanders around through Devilbiss, Glade, Links, Dublin, Links Bridge to descend Wilhide, climb Stevens and take the long way around via Longs Mill and New Cut to Loy's Station Covered bridge. Then around the scenic Mud College area to Orndorff and Roddy Covered Bridge. The return is on Apples Church and scenic Seiss, then Graceham, Blacks Mill, along the stream on Wilhide and Anglesberger to Hessong Bridge, to Utica Road and through Utica Covered Bridge, about a half mile from the end. Note: NO store on this ride but bathrooms available at each stop.

Weather: MUCH better than anticipated! We expected deeply cloudy skies keeping temperatures very cool but what we got was a beautiful white cloud sunny day. And temperatures mostly in the mid-60s, started ouit around 53 and the ride leader shed clothing before mile 6. Perfect biking weather.

Riding toward the old mill house next to Roddy Bridge. The leaves aren't turning, the sun was really bright!

Report: It was a fun day of riding with congenial companions and with unhurried rest stops at two of the bridges.

Roddy Bridge

Williamburg Tour Day 2

Sherwood — Sat, 11 Oct 2025 13:30:00 GMT

Day 2 was an interesting weather day. Kind of dreary, but a very doable day to ride. A brief overview of this days agenda and off we went. The ride to the ferry went well as we navigated around the campus of William and Mary College to Jamestown Road which is a straight shot to the ferry. Once we boarded the ferry we were on our way to Surry for the days events of visiting Chippokes State Park, Bacon's Castle, Lunch at Meats of Virginia, and Smith's Fort, all plantations before our return to Williamsburg. The weather held up and the dreary day was a gooddayto ride. One bent derailleur and one flat tire were the only mishaps reported to me.

Friday IHRT 20 miles

Vicki Garlock — Fri, 10 Oct 2025 14:00:00 GMT

Leader: Vicki Garlock

Members: Connie Quickstad, Bob Rourke, Gene Villiva, Carl Hattery, Esther Stewart

Route: Start at the Livingston Road parking lot toward White Plains Trailhead and back again.

Weather: a sunny but crispy 62 degrees day

AMS: Varied by rider

Mechanicals/Mishaps: None

Report: We saw a few walkers, bikers, joggers and even a couple of skaters out enjoying the cool finally Fall weather. As for wildlife lots of furry caterpillars are all that crossed our path/trail headed for their winter homes. At the White Plains end of the trail behind the covered benches some grapes were spotted growing up high in the trees and the suggestion of making wine came up, but since there were so few grapes, we decided against it. Maybe next year the harvest will look better. We can only hope.

Williamsburg Tour 2025 Day 1

Sherwood — Fri, 10 Oct 2025 13:30:00 GMT

0n a chilly and breezy, Friday morning of the Columbus Day Holiday weekend Ron Altemus, Theresa Rowell, Pat Colvin, Sue Gunter, Linda Bankerd, Robin Garnett, Diane Harris, Stephen Pipken, Jackie Schoch, Walter Roscello, Catherine Ade, Stewart Street, and Sherwood Byers took part in the Oxon Hill Bike and Trail Club's (OHBTC) tour of Williamsburg, Virginia. This year's tour was dedicated to and in memory of the club's past President, Randy Schoch.

All had arrived at the Richmond Train Station and prepared themselves for a long days ride on time, and after a briefing of the days agenda the tour would begin. There were stops along the way, (food, regrouping, rest, and lunch).

Diane Harris, Theresa Rowell, Ron Altemus, and Stewart Street all gave assistance to me in leading and traffic control at crossings. The decided to eat at the Indian Fields Tavern in Charles City.

With stops after lunch, regrouping, a stop at Chickahominy Park, and Spoke & Arts we continued to the hotels for a quick respite, we had dinner at the Fat Tuna.

No Mishaps, Injuries, or Mechanical issues were reported to me on this day.

Cross Road, Jug Bay & Merkle (CC,37)

Stephen Palincsar — Thu, 09 Oct 2025 21:06:50 GMT

Ride leader: Steve Palincsar
Members: Joan Oppel, Mary Scala, Patricia Sanders, Lou Dall'Orso, Walt Roscello, Lois Lightfoot
Route: https://ridewithgps.com/routes/52926144 37 mi, 1870' elevation gain
Weather: Sunny, breezy, mid-50s at the start rising to the mid-60s by early afternoon. This felt like real fall weather, and I think we -- most of us, anyway -- have our thermostats still set on late summer.
Mishaps & mechanicals: none
AMS: 12.2

The club's involved in planning a history-oriented ride for PG County for next year, and today's ride gave us a chance to preview some of the roads and some of the attractions we're thinking about including.

After heading right from North Keys Park (something we've done only a few times this year) we took North Keys to Old Indian to Cherry Tree Crossing and Cross Road Trail, making a big circle around to North Keys. The pavement on Cross Road Trail was bad the last time I rode it earlier this year, and it's only gotten worse in the absence, but the climb -- oh, yes, the climb! -- at least warmed us up as it took our breath away.

We took Molly Berry and Mattaponi to St Thomas Church, then went down Croom Airport to Park Entrance and a rest stop at the Jug Bay Visitors Center. I sent scouts down to the Farm Life Museum to evaluate the road and the attractions, and I think if the climb back up Park Entrance doesn't seem too difficult, we could create a very scenic "family ride" that explores the paved half of the Critical Area Driving Tour, Selby's Landing, the Airport and the roads in and out of Jug Bay and the attractions down at the Jug Bay Visitors Center.

We took Duvall to Mount Calvert up to Croom, then rode four miles on Croom, turned left on Nottingham and left again on Fenno to a second rest stop at Merkle. Reluctantly leaving Merkle after a lengthy, relaxing break in the warm sun, we took Candy Hill to Martin.

This was Lois' first time up the hill at Martin, and several in the group had prepared her: oh, it's terrible; be sure to use your lowest gears; and so on. At the top she asked me, "Is this where I'm supposed to say 'That wasn't too bad'?"

A pretty route and a lovely day. Now if only I can get recalibrated for the change of seasons!

Durham Church, Adams Willet, Nanjemoy (CC, 39)

Stephen Palincsar — Tue, 07 Oct 2025 14:00:00 GMT

Ride leader: Steve Palincsar
Members: Patricia Sanders, Ron Altemus, Bob Thompson, Chantal Briere, Connie Quickstad and joining us, Lou Dall'Orso
Route: https://ridewithgps.com/routes/44487818 39mi, 1680' elevation gain
Weather: Sunny, 71 at the start rising to 80 by early afternoon, and breezy: 7-12 mph winds with gusts up to 21 mph
AMS: 12 mph
Mishaps & mechanicals:

Patricia had a flat in the parking lot. It doesn't get any better than this: several floor pumps in cars, and Lou Dall'Orso there to help fix the flat, and if you needed to sit down to work you had your choice of cars to sit in.

Ride report: A beautiful day, a nice group, a scenic route, and if you were going to have a flat on a ride you couldn't have picked a better time and place. Unfortunately, Bob and Chantal had a time constraint and couldn't wait for us to fix the flat, so they went on ahead. Lou had another solo ride with no takers; we were on different routes, but we saw him on Mason Springs coming from Poorhouse a half mile from our first rest stop. This was Connie's first time going up Durham Church. She climbed it just fine, but I think it was a bit of a surprise.

Clockwise Nanjemoy Loop (B-46)

Tue, 07 Oct 2025 14:00:00 GMT

Leader: Lou Dall'Orso

Members: none

Guests: none

Route: https://ridewithgps.com/routes/5173026, (47.3 mi, +/- 1655' )

Weather: Around 70 at the start, almost 80 by the end, just a few puffy clouds increasing through the ride, and a bit of gusty wind, near perfect riding weather, specially for this time of year.

AMS: Right about 16 mph

Mechanicals/Mishaps: none on my ride, but did assist with a flat on one of Steve P's CC ride. A bit weird, rider noticed the flat right after leaving the parking lot, and turned around back to it. When we got the tube out there was no sign of a hole on the tube or any sign of anything in the tire, or damage to the rim strip. Double and tripled checked, but still nothing found, and tube held air. Changed it out with a new tube, and then we were off. Rode together for about a mile or so until they turned right on Chick, and I continued straight on Hawthorne.

Report: Another fun and uneventful ride through some great roads, got to see the CCs on the climb up to Pisgah Park while on Mason Springs. "Rescued" a turtle that was laying in the middle of Riverside, I think it was trying to get some heat from the pavement because as I turned around and approached it, it scooted along at beat the hare speed well into the grass. The wind was gusty at times, but overall it felt like it had more tail than head most of the time, and the trees still have enough leaves to block a lot of the cross.

Mason Neck 28 miles

Ron Altemus — Sun, 05 Oct 2025 14:00:00 GMT

Leader: Ron Altemus

Members/Guest: Cindyt Marisch (guest), Mary Scala, Ray Luckenbach, Steve Palincsar, Gene Villiva, Joan Oppel

Route: casual tour of Mason Neck, starting with an out and back on Belmont Blvd with some of the group venturing down to the George Mason University Carter Center and then doing the short section of gravel on Belmont Landing Rd before rejoining the others on Belmont Blvd. Gunston Rd took us to the Mason Neck trail followed by a short spur on Springfield before rejoining the trail. We left the trail at High Point Rd to head down to the Mason Neck State Park Visitor Center. Retracing on High Point, we used Gunston Rd to tour the Hallowing Point and Gunston Manor neighborhoods and then back to the trail. Gunston Hall and Pohick Bay Park were visited including a spin through the latter's campground. Back to the trail with another out and back into the golf course before the final short stretch on Gunston Rd to the ride start.

Weather: great days for bicycling continue w/cloud free sunny blue skies, temps starting in the upper 60s climbing to just about 80, no humidity, 6-8 mph air out of the southern quadrant

AMS: swept in the low 11s; others had a bit higher velocity

Mechanicals/Mishaps: none

Report: a very nice ride with a very cordial group over roads that seemed to have less than half the traffic of the previous ride on Mason Neck. We mostly stayed together until heading into the state park but gathered together, as shown in the group photo, at the visitor center. A bit of separation on the section of Gunston Road down to Hallowing Point but from that point on, we were pretty much together.

Steve captured the tranquil calm of Belmont Bay from the visitor's center back porch:

NK Celestial No Gallant Green 33 miles

Diane Harris — Sun, 05 Oct 2025 13:30:00 GMT

Leader: Diane Harris

Members: Theresa R, Linda B, Randy S

Guests: None

Route: NK Celestial No Gallant Green 33 miles

Weather: Another absolutely gorgeous fall day, cool at the start, clear, sunny, low humidity

AMS: 12.7 (at ride start we agreed to make this a joint class Ride to stay together)

Mechanicals/Mishaps: One rear flat. Took a bit of time to get the tire off the rim. The culprit was a thin wire, found only by checking the inner surface of the tire. Replaced the tube and resumed the ride.

Report: A late posting for a CC ride resulted in the addition of 2 riders to the group of 4 A/B riders. We agreed to change the ride to a joint pace that kept us all together. The result? Another nice ride in gorgeous Fall weather along mostly rural roads in Southern Maryland. We passed fields of dried corn stalks, sorghum, and soybeans, churches, and weathered barns.

The only mechanical was a rear flat where removal of the tire took longer than the actual tube replacement, remounting the tire, re-inflating, and putting the wheel back onto the bike. I'm sure most of us have had that experience. I haven't been at Moreland's store (rest stop) in quite some time and didn't recognize it! Now, in addition to being a country market, it's also a small gas station!! This is another very nice route along the backroads of Southern Prince George’s and Charles Counties. Thanks to all who joined me (and Sonya) for this relaxing Sunday morning ride.

NK Celestial No Gallant Green 33 miles

Sonja Newman — Sun, 05 Oct 2025 13:30:00 GMT

Leader: Sonja Newman

Members: Pat Sanders

Guest: none

Route: NK Celestial No Gallant Green 33 miles

Weather: Temperatures a bit cool in the 50s, rose 70s to low 80s afternoon.

AMS: 11s - 12s

Mechanicals/Mishap: Flat tire (A/B) riders

Ride Summary

The ride started off a bit chilly, with two groups — A/B and CC. I led the CC group, but we decided to ride together as one group for the day. Early in the ride, conversation turned to my GPS app, which provided extra commentary — not only announcing turns, but also giving updates on the time, estimated completion, and mile status. It gave everyone a good laugh, though it got a little annoying after a while! Lol

As the ride went on, the cool morning air gave way to sunshine by the time we reached our first rest stop. The pace was comfortable, and it turned into a beautiful Sunday morning ride. Traffic was a bit hurried in spots, but overall it was a smooth and enjoyable outing.

Thanks to Diane for reviewing proper cycling protocol, bike rules, and safety tips before we rolled out — a great reminder for everyone.

Colton Point and Chaptico Multi-Class ride

Diane Harris — Sat, 04 Oct 2025 14:00:00 GMT

Leader: Diane Harris

Members: Lou D, David R, Theresa R

Guests: None

Route: Colton Point and Chaptico 52 miles

Weather: Absolutely gorgeous, mild temperatures, clear, low humidity

AMS: ~15 mph

Mechanicals/ Mishaps: None

Report: Initially there were 3 riders (me, Theresa, and Lou) at the start and for most of the ride. However, at our last rest stop, we were joined by David, who missed the group start because of having difficulty finding the start location. This was a really nice ride, not just because of the low traffic roads and pretty scenery of rural Southern Maryland, but also because of how the group rode cooperatively in a paceline sharing the work of keeping our speed where we wanted it to be. When we got stretched out, the pace eased until we regrouped. Oh, did I mention the scenery? If you haven't ridden in this part of Southern Maryland, you've missed a real treat.

Thanks Steve!! The only mishap was the ride leader missing a cue, causing us to add ~3 miles to the ride. I didn't mind, a ride's not a ride without a little adventure! Thanks to all who joined me on this ride.

Colton Point & Chaptico Multi-Class Ride (CC, 44)

Stephen Palincsar — Sat, 04 Oct 2025 14:00:00 GMT

Sign Collector on Morganza Turner

Ride leader: Steve Palincsar
Members: Deb Reynolds, Connie Quickstad, Joan Oppel, Dan Donahue, Robin Sparer, Ron Altemus, David Richmond, Sarah Ackley, Liam Healy and Evelyn Egizi. At least, I think that's who set out with the 44 mi group. Diane led the 52, and after 7th District Park the routes were the same, and it was hard to tell after a while who was in which group -- which, after all, was part of the plan.

I think Beth Martin, and I'm sure Theresa Rowell started with Diane, but I'm sure there were others, and I'll let Diane have the final word. We also had a couple of guests who registered for the 30 mile route, but that was meant to start at 11 and thanks to traffic delays due to a crash on MD-5 at Golden Beach, a delayed start and a flat a mile from 7th District Park, we didn't arrive there until 11:50 and never saw them, if indeed they had been there.
Route: https://ridewithgps.com/routes/52623861
Weather: 65 at the start, 80 at the end, with bright sun and an absolutely clear blue sky.
AMS: 12.7 at the front of the back group (according to Dan, who started out as the 44 sweep but got caught up in the excitement and rode with the fast 44 group, the fast 44s were running around 15 mph).
Mishaps & mechanicals: A mile from 7th District Park we came up on the fast 44s fixing a flat tire.

It was a mixed bag of good and bad:

an e-bike that needed a special wrench, and they had it, Good
back wheel out, Good
glass shard found in the tire and extracted, Good
couldn't get the bead off the rim, Bad
and that was because the tire lever was too thick to easily slip under the bead, Bad

As it happens, I carry four sets of tire levers in my tool bag: the old English metal ones I first started using in 1972, which I carry these days mainly for nostalgia (but they work great on disc brake pistons!); the red plastic Trek ones I got when I found the old English metal ones weren't working well on modern Tubeless Compatible tires; the blue Schwalbe levers I got when I found the red Trek ones were too thick at the tips to fit under some really tight Tubeless Compatible tires; and the blue Park levers I got when I found that for me, the blue Schwalbe levers were great at installing beads, trapping them in place, but seemed useless at removing tight Tubeless Compatible tires. (Joan swears by them for removing beads. YMMV)

I deployed the blue Park levers and Hey Presto, off came the bead and out came the old tube, no trouble at all.

By then, Joan Oppel had arrived on the scene and took over. She replaced the bead (while demonstrating proper bead mounting technique that never involves the thumbs) and then fired up her amazing electric pump, inflated the tire (allowing sufficient time for the valve, which the electric pump heats up enough to create 3rd degree burns, to cool) and we were back on the road.

The moral of the tale: sometimes it takes a village and four sets of tire levers, at least if you're the sort of person who doesn't throw away a perfectly serviceable tool you paid good money for that only works some of the time; and in the hands of someone who has read the instructions, practiced with it and knows what they are doing, electric bicycle tire pumps rock! (I have one, too, and had it with me, but I haven't had it out of the box, haven't read the instructions, and don't have the first idea how to proceed with one... yet. One of these days.)

Ride Report
It was a lovely day for a bike ride. Today's ride was a bit of an experiment: more than a piggyback, since the differing lengths had been designed to have the fast and the slower riders arrive together at the first rest stop, and less than an all-class ride, since all classes weren't accounted for (no trail ride, although Janell did start on the trail with us and did her own trail ride, and I have no idea what happened with the two guests who wanted to do the 30 mile ride.) We had 18 registered and I think 14 actual attendees, which although quite low by all-class ride standards, was fine if you view it as a couple of rides with different but related routes that started at the same starting point. Most importantly, however, people enjoyed themselves, had good company, saw pretty scenery and nobody got hurt.

The slow 44 group was pretty slow this morning, and I'd expected the 52 mile group to have beat us to 7th District Park, and was quite surprised to see them passing us as we were finishing up with the flat tire. Seemingly in spite of ourselves, we managed to have our first rest stop together. After that, things didn't quite go to plan.

We saw the 52s coming the other way as we approached Colton Point. We stopped and viewed St Clements Island, noting that the museum behind us had been completely demolished, with nothing left but the foundation, and a couple of riders took selfies with the group.

Selfie at Colton Point / St Clements Island in the background

Things fell apart after that: only the slow 44s stopped at the rest stop at Murphy's Town & Country. Did they skip it, or miss it?

The slow 44s stayed together, stopping at the Chaptico Store and then taking Chaptico Rd (where'd all those cars come from? You'd have thought the ferry had just landed) to Baptist Church and the Three Notch Trail. Diane and some of her group were still at Mechanicsville Elementary when we arrived, putting a nice finish on the day.

My Big Fat Greek Ride, CC- 40miles

David Van Ameyden — Sat, 04 Oct 2025 12:30:00 GMT

Leader: Dave VanAmeyden

Members: Beth Ingalls and Lori Michelson

Guests: Two from PPTC

Route: https://ridewithgps.com/routes/16374976

Weather: High 50s at start, mid-70's at end. Beautiful and sunny day!

AMS: Humming along at 12mph.

Mechanicals/Mishaps: At mile 30, one of the PPTC riders had to adjust his seatpost clamp.

Report: After getting washed out in the spring, the weather made up for it. We rolled out of the Thomas Jefferson Community Center at 8:40AM, getting ahead of the urban traffic. We went west and then north through Rosslyn, down Military Rd and up through McClean. We then turned south towards Falls Church to Springfield, then back north around Lake Barcroft and back into Arlington.

About three miles from the end, we all stopped at St. Katherine's Greek Orthodox Church and partook in their annual fall festival, including lunch, drinks, and desserts! We took a casual pace back to the start, and the PPTC riders rode back home to Crystal City.

The pace was fairly high, even with the many small climbs, stopping often to re-group. Traffic wasn't too bad and riders agreed it was a good idea to start at 8:30AM to get to the festival around noon.

It was a great ride and looking forward to the spring festival!

Friday IHRT 20 miles

Susan Altemus — Fri, 03 Oct 2025 14:00:00 GMT

Leader: Susan Altemus

Members: Leesha Saunders, Mark Garrison, Connie Quickstad, Peter Stelman, Jackie Schoch, Maureen Flynn, Carl Hattery, Fran Jezisek, Oswald Martin, Esther Stewart, Donaro Gardner

Route: Indian Head Rail Trail

Weather: When I got up it was 53 degrees, but thank heavens it was in the low seventies for most of the ride.

AMS: 12 -15 mph

Mechanicals/Mishaps: none

Report: Friday’s Rail Trail ride began with brisk temperatures in the sixties and blue skies. But as the morning ride continued, the warmth of the sun brought the temperatures to the low seventies making for a delightful ride. The trail was quiet with no evidence of the usual animal creatures, yet we shared the trail with various walkers, runners, and other bikers. At White Plains the riders caught up on the activities of each other then we headed back to Livingston without incident. At Livingston parking lot several riders continued riding and others headed to lunch or home. We were all grateful for such a beautiful day to ride.

Malcolm, Eagle Harbor & Covington (CC 37)

Stephen Palincsar — Thu, 02 Oct 2025 14:30:00 GMT

Cedar Haven Fishing Area

Ride leader: Steve Palincsar
Members: Ron Altemus
Route: https://ridewithgps.com/routes/39621365 36.9 mi, 1296' elevation gain.
Weather: Low 60s at the start rising into the 70s by mid-day. Lots of large puffy clouds, at the start with dark centers, and breezy.
Mishaps & mechanicals: None, although when the truck pulling the large trailer passed us within a few centimeters on Aquasco Road, it felt like that point was open to debate.

A gorgeous day for a ride, although a bit cool if you're still calibrated for the 80s and 90s, and it seemed like every motorist in PG County had the same idea, because neither Ron nor I had ever seen so much traffic on the back roads as we did today. I wonder where all the other cyclists were.

Chapel Point, Quailwood (CC, 33)

Stephen Palincsar — Tue, 30 Sep 2025 21:13:34 GMT

Ride leader: Steve Palincsar
Members: Joan Oppel, Patricia Sanders
Weather: Cool and cloudy: high 60s to low 70s and very humid
Route: https://ridewithgps.com/routes/41261614
AMS: 12.5
Mishaps & mechanicals: none

An uneventful, pleasant ride; the first time I've been down the Beast of Bel Alton in what feels like three or four years, and quite a thrilling downhill it was, too. It, and the descent of Mighty Mount Pisgah at the end, seemed fair compensation for the climb up Chapel Point.

Ferry to Bellevue (CC, 50)

Stephen Palincsar — Sun, 28 Sep 2025 14:30:00 GMT

Leader: Steve Palincsar

Members: Sherwood Byers, Linda Bankerd, Walt Roscello, Catherine Ade, Deb Bowman

Route: The route was a 50 mile modified version of an Easton-Oxford-Bellevue ride I've been doing since the 80s, using the start and finish of the C3 Ice Cream Ride route, cutting a few miles on the east side of Rt 50 and adding some back-streets exploration of Oxford.

Some of it worked, some didn't. The roads near the ride start have detours due to ongoing construction of a large medical center near the park that caused us issues at the start and the finish. In the end, 50.5 miles with 650' elevation gain. I won't post a route number because starting from Talbot County Park Playground won't be practical until road reconfiguration is completed.

Weather: You couldn't have asked for better. Although the forecast three days out had a good chance of rain, on the day it was sunny, 70s to 80s, with a wind said to have been 8 mph (of course, on the Eastern Shore you feel every single mph amplified several times over, but still, for the Eastern Shore, a gentle breeze.)

AMS: 12.9

Mechanicals/Mishaps: none

Report: Within a mile of leaving the Park we ran into road construction. The road we were to follow is closed and being torn up, and they've added a roundabout with a couple of spurs that end in construction sites and one route that, as it turned out, joined up with the planned route.

It was a quiet Sunday morning in Easton, but there were quite a few pedestrians on the Easton Rail Trail. We crossed Rt 50 five or six miles into the route and had a stop at the Royal Farms, since the next chance for a stop was at Trappe, around 15 miles later.

Leaving the Royal Farms we soon entered scenic farm country. The flat land and open spaces inspired the fast group to take off, opening a gap of more than a mile between them and the trailing group of me, Linda and Deb. When we got to the intersection of Deep Branch, Bruceville and

Landing Neck, the route took a sharp left on Bruceville, but the GPs said turn right. Deb and I turned right; the Garmin immediately said "Off Course," and as we were turning around, without our noticing it, Linda made the correct turn.

And there we were, Deb and I, alone, with nothing in sight but farmland and no idea where the rest of the group had gone.

As usual, an attempt to call a rider in the lead group failed; nothing left to do but carry on in the hope that no one was lost and that the lead group would still be at the rest stop in Trappe when we got there. Not at all a good feeling, thinking you've lost 2/3 of your ride!

They were all there at the Valero Gas in Trappe. We regrouped after the break, but once across Rt 50 the group spread out again, with as much as a mile between pairs of riders.

We regrouped again at a small park at the end of Bonfield Ave in Oxford. Touring the back streets on the south side of Oxford Road was disappointing, as some of the roads turned out to be private.

There was a huge crowd ahead of us at the Scottish Creamery, and we waited in line almost a half-hour; but by the time we did get served and were eating ice cream on the benches outside the Creamery, we had the street to ourselves.

There were still unexplored avenues and water views along Tilghman and The Strand, but we'd lost so much time at the Creamery I couldn't bear the though of missing the ferry.

Ten bucks and a short boat ride later, we were debarking in Bellevue and heading for Royal Oak, Glebe Rd and Goldsborough Neck Rd... which was also closed off, with signs directing us to a detour.

More riding separated by miles from the rest of the group and off the map, and suddenly the Garmin was back on route and we were back at the Park. I thought for sure everyone else would have packed up and left by the time we arrived, but instead the group was all there and they decided that since it was almost 5 o'clock, we should all go to the Easton Diner, five miles south on Rt 50, for dinner before heading home. And so we did; an extraordinary finish to a very unusual ride.

Mason Neck ~28 miles

Ron Altemus — Sun, 28 Sep 2025 13:30:00 GMT

Leader: Ron Altemus

Members & Guest: Mary Scala, Patricia Sanders, guest Ruth Bergdoll, Len Wilkinson, Dave Van Ameyden, Pat Colvin, Susan Altemus

Route: a casual tour of Mason Neck, starting with an out and back on Belmont Blvd. Gunston Rd took us to the Mason Neck trail followed by a short spur on Springfield before rejoining the trail. We left the trail at High Point Rd to head down to the Mason Neck State Park Visitor Center. Retracing on High Point, we used Gunston Rd to tour the Hallowing Point and Gunston Manor neighborhoods and then back to the trail. Gunston Hall and Pohick Bay Park were visited including a spin through the latter's campground. Back to the trail before the final short stretch on Gunston Rd to the ride start.

Weather: very nice. Lots of sunshine under blue skies with puffy clouds; temps staying in the 70s; low humidity; 6-8 mph breezes at times.

AMS: probably in the mid 11s

Mechanicals/Mishaps: none

Report: An enjoyable ride with a nice group of club members. We started off sans Pat and Mary who were running late but they joined us at the visitor's center as pictured above. Numerous other cyclists on Gunston Road and High Point Rd heading to the park; none on the trail proper or the eastern end as we toured the neighborhoods. It was noted by a few riders that they thought a couple of stretches had a bit more traffic than usual.

Two turtle rescues to report: first was a box turtle trying to cross a busy stretch of Gunston Rd near Gunston Manor; the second was a smaller painted turtle on Mt Vernon Avenue in Gunston Manor. In both cases, it was surmised that neither would have made it to the other side without human intervention. Dave caught your friendly neighborhood ride leader placing the painted turtle out of harm's way as pictured below:

Our foray into Pohick Bay Park included a spin through the campground. Unlike the late August ride just before Labor Day when all sites were taken, there were only a few occupied today. There are a couple of cabins available as rentals for those who like to rough it indoors.

Jackie's 79th Birthday! Ride

Joan Oppel — Fri, 26 Sep 2025 12:00:00 GMT

Leader: Jackie Schoch

Members: Segment One: Mark Garrison, Carl Hattery, Connie Quickstad, Segment Two: Anonymous User, Maureen Flynn, Vicki Garlock, Mark Garrison, Joan Oppel, Connie Quickstad, Walt Roscello, Peter Stelman, Esther Steward Segment Three: Anonymous User, Joan Oppel, Steve Palincsar, Walt Roscello

At Randy's bench

Route: Out and Back TWICE starting at 8 am - from Livingston Road Indian Head Trail parking to White PLains. Then Part 3 (after lunch) https://ridewithgps.com/routes/52768211 - was an on-the-road route to the end of Mattingly Road as an add-on, up the hill to the Indian Head Green, around the neighborhood nearby and over to Hawthorne/Chicamuxen. Next add-on was down and up Mattawoman Creek Rd to Creeds Mill. On to Smallwood Park, Smallwood Church, Pisgah Park, the Stuckeys, Pisgah Marbury, Marbury Run and Hawthorne back to the trail head. Due to a slight miscalculation, Jackie needed about 4 more trail miles and Walt and Catherine accompanied her on the trail.

Jackie at Mattawoman Creek "beach" .

Weather: Partly cloudy, temperatures in the mid 80s and very humid.

Report: What a wonderful day! Jackie had company for every mile, a bouquet of flowers to decorate her bike, and Randy's Masonic flag flying in the breeze. She stopped at "Randy's Bench" along the Indian Head Trail at each passing and we know he was with her and us. Plus, several car/truck honked to acknowledge Randy's Masonic flag.

After the second round trip on the trail, Jackie's daughter Heidi met us with - LUNCH! Homemade sandwiches and cupcakes and water refill. The best lunch ever served on an Indian Head Trail Ride.

After lunch the Part 3 group took off and after some calculations, realized that additional miles were going to be needed to end with 79. So extra miles were added, including a couple of extra hills. A rider we met on the trail nearing Mattingly was so amazed at Jackie's 79 for 79 that when she saw us at the Green, she ran over from her car and insisted on a picture. This road ride included leisurely stops at the water view from the end of Mattingly Rd, the water view from the end of Mattawoman Creek Rd, the wonderful shade tree at the river in Smallwood Park, and an unplanned stop for cold drinks at the Pisgah Store.
And, in conjunction with the birthday meanderings, three turtles were rescued during the trail rides.

Mattawoman Creek at the foot of Mattingly Road

The weather was perfect, the company was excellent - thanks to all who joined in the celebration.

A better view of Randy's bench to check out the inscription.

Smallwood Church, Nanjemoy, Smallwood Park (CC, 36)

Stephen Palincsar — Tue, 23 Sep 2025 21:33:27 GMT

Ride leader: Steve Palincsar
Members: Connie Quickstad, Tom Short, Joan Oppel
Route: https://ridewithgps.com/routes/52744388 At least, that's what we planned. A suggestion from Walt Roscello prompted a diversion down Mattawoman Creek Road three or four miles from the start; Tom didn't join us and kept going instead; we didn't see him thereafter.
Weather: Sunny, 73 at the start rising to 83, with 8 mph winds.
AMS: 11.9
Mishaps & mechanicals: none

A lovely ride on a lovely day. We had a nice chat with folks at the Nanjemoy Community Center, and later, near the end of the ride, as I was explaining to Connie about the spring on Marbury Run and how people come from all over to get their water there, as we passed the stairs (now defunct) to the spring we stopped to chat with a man who had just come up from the spring with a large jug of water he'd collected there. Connie's new to riding and to bike clubs, and it was a real pleasure to show her around Nanjemoy.

45 Nutwell, Deale, and North Beach

Diane Harris — Sun, 21 Sep 2025 13:00:00 GMT

Leader: Diane Harris

Members: Liam H, Lori M, Theresa R, Sean D

Guests: None

Route: 45 Nutwell, Deale, and North Beach

Weather: Cool and overcast at the start, looking like impending rain. By the end of the ride, the sun finally made an appearance.

AMS: ride leader ended with a 14.9 ams

Mechanicals/Mishaps: None

Report: Although there wasn't sunshine during most of the ride, the weather was perfect for our ride to Deale and North Beach. This route offered plenty of available rest stops but we only stopped at two, the South County Cafe in Deale (coffee and baked treats) and the Boardwalk at North Beach. The ride was a good mix of flat roads where we could really up the speed and climbs where slow and steady got us to the top. Thanks to all who joined me on this ride.

45 Nutwell, Deal & North Beach (CC)

Stephen Palincsar — Sun, 21 Sep 2025 13:00:00 GMT

Ride leader: Steve Palincsar
Members: Peggy Alfonso
Route as ridden: https://ridewithgps.com/trips/335679981 46.7 mi, 1963' elevation.
Weather: high 60s at the start rising to the high 70s by mid-day. Overcast, actually sprinkled rain during the drive to Waysons, but the forecast said there was but a single-digit chance of rain, and in spite of appearances that proved to be the case.
AMS: 13.3

Although we had a few other riders registered, in the end it was just Peggy and me. We rode out from Waysons together with Diane's A/B group but by the time we made the first turn onto Greenock they were long gone.

We caught up with them at South County Cafe, but once we rolled out from there we didn't see them again; that wasn't surprising since by the time we left South County I really didn't feel like doing the climb on Franklin Gibson southbound to Leitch, and persuaded Peggy to join me in a detour that came to Leitch northbound at the cost of a couple of extra miles.

We didn't see Diane's group at Chesapeake Market: a phone call revealed they'd skipped Chesapeake Market and were having their break in North Beach. Peggy and I had a break at North Beach too, and then to take back some of our extra miles we just went straight up 5th St to Friendship, where we took the Official McKendree Detour on MD-2 to Bay Front rather than doing Diane's journey to Fisher Station. Doing so won back some extra mileage, so we took the scenic route back from Lothian on Pindell and the MD-4 Service Road rather than coming straight back on So MD Blvd.

It was a nice ride in spite of a gloomy, overcast day.

Friday IHRT ~20 miles

Ron Altemus — Fri, 19 Sep 2025 14:00:00 GMT

Leader: Ron & Susan Altemus

Members: Denny Miller, Mark Garrison, Leesha Saunders, Vicki Garlock, Co-RL Susan Altemus, Dan Donahue, Jackie Schoch, Robin Garnett, Carl Hattery, Fran Jezisek. Not pictured: Pat Colvin

Route: Indian Head Rail Trail - Livingston Rd parking lot to White Plains r/t

Weather: Under clear skies with plenty of sun, it was a bit warm for the middle of September but thankfully, humidity wasn't too bad. Temp range of mid 70s to low 80s with not much happening in the way of air movement.

AMS: varied by rider

Mechanicals/Mishaps: none

Report: We had a good turnout but the trail didn't seem to have as many users as the past several Fridays.

Nonetheless, wildlife sightings were up: numerous deer, a green snake, a couple of turtles, and a grayish Great Blue Heron in Pages Swamp, as pictured below:

Vicki photographed one of the turtles:

Later, she captured two different pairs of riders near the Bumpy Oak Pond: (left) Robin & Leesha; (right) Mark & Carl

Merkle, Mt Calvert & The Pavilion

Joan Oppel — Thu, 18 Sep 2025 13:30:00 GMT

Leader: Joan Oppel

Members: Anonymous User, Ron Altemus, Steve Palincsar, Connie Quickstad, Walt Roscello, Peter Stelman, Pat Walthers

Route: https://ridewithgps.com/routes/45332053 Today we did a quick visit to circle Merkle, then on to Mt Calvert for the view. Next to the Patuxent River Park Pavilion for our rest stop and we returned via Duley Station, Van Brady and North Keys.

Weather: Excellent - lots of clouds, some bursts of sun, temperatures ranged from about 66 to 75.

Mechanicals/Mishaps: None

Report: Two fast riders went off the front for most of the ride, but waited for us often and joined us at all the stops. They (Walt and Anonny) even cleared debris in Merkle before we got there. The rest of us more or less stayed together. We weren't sure we'd be able to go all the way to Mt Calvert due to the previous rainy day possibly making the gravel unrideable. But, we found that a bunch of cars had packed the road well enough for all of us to make it to the house and overlook area.

From the Pavilion, we added an extra mile before leaving Patuxent River Park by going down to Selby's Landing to check out the area.

The abundance of clouds made for an interesting sky, the group made for great riding company, the roads had (for the most part) low traffic (even the two sections of Croom seemed calmer today than when we last rode there) .

A terrific day on the bike!

Ron and his new bike

View over the Patuxent from Mt Calvert

Around Pisgah, Marbury and Nanjemoy

Joan Oppel — Sun, 14 Sep 2025 14:30:00 GMT

Leader: Joan Oppel

Members: Ron Altemus, Debbie Bowman, Chantal Briere, Ray Luckenback, Sonja Newman, Connie Quickstad, Bob Thompson, Pat Walthers

Route: https://ridewithgps.com/routes/33263481 From Pisgah Park around Smallwood Church to Mason Springs, Ironsides, Rt 6, Hancock Run & Adams Willett to the Nanjemoy Store for a rest stop. Then Jacksontown, Riverside, Chicamuxen to Smallwood State Park. A tour of the campground and General Smallwood's Retreat area, then Sweetman, Bicknell, Mason Springs back to the park

Weather: Outstanding - sunny, white clouds, temperature 78-80, very light wind.

Mechanicals/Mishaps: None

Report: The group decided at the start to skip the stop at Friendship Landing and make the Nanjemoy Store the first rest stop. We separated into two groups within the first 4 miles and stayed that way until the store. Traffic was very very light for the 5 of us at the back, a couple of cars on Smallwood Church, a couple on Route 6, Hancock Run, Adams Willett and Liverpool Point to the store.

Regrouping, splitting up, regrouping was the pattern of the day. At Smallwood State Park, everyone took an impromptu break at one of the tables. On the fence near the bathrooms, Debbie and I saw this amazing insect - the Green Darner dragonfly (very common, it turns out but pretty special to see it up close).

We then rode the campground loop/General Smallwood's Retreat loop to make up the mileage missed by skipping Friendship Farm - and to experience a couple more hills.

Note - Connie Quickstad rode her longest ride today on her new bike! Congratulations, Connie.

And i substituted for Steve as leader, since he had a last minute issue (he's fine).

Flora Corner, Woodburn Hill & Old Sycamore (CC, 38)

Stephen Palincsar — Sat, 13 Sep 2025 14:00:00 GMT

Rest stop at Clover Hill Dairy

Leader: Steve Palincsar

Members: Ron Altemus, Walt Roscello, Chantal Briere, Catherine Ade, Joan Oppel, Lois Lightfoot, Bob Thompson, Joshua Garrison and Dan Donahue

Guests: None

Route: https://ridewithgps.com/routes/52612708

Weather: How perfect can you get? Sunny, breezy, around 70 when we got going rising to the low 80s when we finished.

AMS: 13.4

Mechanicals/Mishaps: One of the riders developed cramps near the end of the ride. Ron rode with him, and then drove back with his car to rescue him, while Joan stayed in the park to watch Ron's bike. In addition to the good company and the fabulous routes, this is one of the reasons we ride in a group. I myself was rescued earlier this month when my battery ran out of charge.

Report: Oak Ridge Park was jam-packed with people this morning. Evidently, a baseball tournament was going on, and there were many more people than I've ever seen in the park. It was hard to find a space, except well into the park by the rest rooms -- the area beyond the gate, which we learned would be locked at 2 pm. We regrouped at the parking lot at the park entrance and were rolling by ten past.

Down shady Oaks Road, up the hill and right onto the Three Notch Trail to MD-6, where we went right, following 6 down to Flora Corner and across MD-5 to Old Village, Mechanicsville, and the Three Notch Trail.

Locke's Crossing took us to Thompson Corner and Woodburn Hill, where we (thanks to an error I made compiling the route) took a rest stop at the Clover Hill Dairy on the way in rather than on the way back. After the break we rode in small groups down Woodburn Hill seeing the sights, especially a large group of eagles flying over what we believe to be Amish Meat John Wye on Westham Lane.

Regrouping at Thompson Corner we followed Dixie Lyon and Ryceville to Budds Creek and up Old Sycamore and down Dubois to 6 and Keech and up the final hill on Oaks back to the park -- as it turns out, with 15 minutes to spare before they locked the gate.

38 miles, 1400' elevation gain, and an absolutely marvelous, beautiful late summer day.

Friday IHRT ~20 miles

Ron Altemus — Fri, 12 Sep 2025 14:00:00 GMT

Leader: Ron & Susan Altemus

Members & guest: Lester Jackson, Jr., Jackie Schoch, Susan Altemus, Maureen Flynn, Peter Stelman, Anonymous user (hidden by Peter), Gene Villiva, Conine Quickstad, Mark Garrison, Denny Miller, Leesha Saunders, Lou Avenilla (guest), Donaro Gardner. Not pictured: Dan Donahue, Pat Colvin

Route: where else to ride on a Friday morning but the Indian Head Rail Trail? Start at the Livingston Road parking lot, head east to the White Plains trailhead. After a conversational rest stop, westward ho back to the ride start.

Weather: Fantastic continues - sunshine w/resultant blue skies, temps in the low 70s, mild air movement, very low humidity.

AMS: varied by rider. Leader swept in mid 11s so everyone was faster.

Mechanicals/Mishaps: none

Report: big turnout thanks to the weather and the continuing commitment by a number of club members to having a great social ride on Friday mornings. We had one guest (Lou, as noted above) and several Friday newbies joining us, swelling the total to 16 riders.

Additional trail users consisted of the usual contingent of other cyclists, walkers, and joggers. We encountered the mom's group just east of White Plains on the return. It was encouraging to see so many young'uns on their bicycles having a great time.

Wildlife sightings were limited to a deer immediately alongside the trail and several turtles, one of which was successfully transported from one side to another by Jackie. Fall colors are beginning to appear as evidenced by some leaves turning and the profusion of yellow seasonal flowers including sneezeweed, daisy fleabane, tickseed, and goldenrod.

Goose Bay, Burch & Hawthorne (CC, 31)

Stephen Palincsar — Tue, 09 Sep 2025 14:00:00 GMT

Leader: Steve Palincsar

Members: Tom Short, Chantal Briere, Peter Stelman, Pat Walthers, Joan Oppel, Ron Altemus, Linda Bankerd

Guests: none

Route: https://ridewithgps.com/routes/52580316

Weather: Sunny, 67 at the start rising to 76 by early afternoon, and windy (14-15 mph breezes that always seemed to be headwinds)

AMS: 12.5

Mechanicals/Mishaps: Nothing worse than Garmin glitchiness

Report: It really feels as though sweltering summer is over, and fall is just around the corner. For most riders, this is the best time of the year, and it was a very enjoyable day for us. Goose Bay was lovely, as always, and the riding to it and back from it were pleasant and uneventful.

Ron was quite excited to have found a crawfish on the Indian Head Rail Trail. Is this the kind people eat, I wonder?

MV 38 Pisgah (B 38)

Sun, 07 Sep 2025 21:00:00 GMT

Leader: Lou Dall'Orso

Members: Rita Z

Guests: none

Route: ridewithgps.com/routes/12378617

Weather: low 70s mostly cloudy at the start, clearing mid ride, high 60s by the end

AMS: Almost 16 mph

Mechanicals/Mishaps: none

Report: Got up early as I usually do these days, planning to sign up for Steve P's ride from Wayson's Corner, and found it was canceled due to the rain, bummer. Looked at the forecast, and pulled up the radar, and yeah, it was going to end early afternoon. So decided to do this ride again but this time in the afternoon, giving the roads a chance to dry. Submitted it last minute via email. (A big thank you to the ride posting folks who do a great job of turning these around.) Met Rita at the start, and headed off down 228 to Middleton, luckily she had the route on her device, so I didn't need to pull out my cue sheet, and having the route fresh from the previous day, I sort of not missed any turns. Almost perfect riding weather, and good fresh pavement on most of the roads made for a quick trip to the rest stop at the Pisgah store. Got back underway, wound our way back to 210 and finished ahead of the impending sunset. I think Rita enjoyed the ride, and it was nice having some company.

W&OD anti-clearcut rally and ride - 35 mi

Walt Roscello — Sat, 06 Sep 2025 13:30:00 GMT

Leader: Walt Roscello

Members: Deb Reynolds, Steve Palincsar, Karl Moritz, Mark Garrison, Ron Altemus

Route: From Cedar Lane in Vienna to Carolina Bros BBQ in Ashburn and return, via the rally at the Vienna Town Green

Weather: Pleasant and a bit hot. Highs near 90 but we had partial clouds for the majority of the time.

AMS: Around 14.5 for most

Mechanicals/Mishaps: None

Report: We assembled at the church-owned parking lot on Cedar Lane in Vienna and rode to the town park less than 2 miles away. (This is a great place to start a ride near Vienna - but remember it's not available on Sunday.)

We joined around 100 people in rallying to pressure Dominion Power to abandon plans to do powerline maintenance along the W&OD by clearcutting trees and brush to bare ground, and return to less severe trimming practices. In addition to the support of The Sierra Club and WABA, there was good representation among the speakers from the town of Vienna, county, and state rep levels. In addition to the loss of shade and habitat, the clearcutting allows invasive species to take hold in the newly cleared land.

https://photos.app.goo.gl/4fAeuKTmDkicne8b7

https://photos.app.goo.gl/PJuv9mx447q4gUVh6

After the rally, we headed west on the trail through Reston, Herndon, and to Ashburn. (Except Ron, who had ridden from DC and was already getting his miles to and from the rally.) The trail was well-used on a Saturday and the riders expressed varying levels of comfort with the amount of traffic - we rarely had to slow to pass pedestrians, but they were frequent so attention was required. Given our medium pace, very few cyclists passed us although we passed many casual riders.

We enjoyed BBQ sandwiches, side dishes and pie, or PB&J sandwiches according to rider preference - and reloaded on ice water - and then returned on the trail a little faster (light wind from the west) with a rest at Herndon. Four of us stayed close with one taking it slower, but all were confirmed back at the parking lot.

MV 38 Pisgah (B 38)

Sat, 06 Sep 2025 13:00:00 GMT

Leader: Lou Dall'Orso

Members: Denny M, Sam P,

Guests: Anonymous

Route: ridewithgps.com/routes/12378617

Weather: 70s at the start, 80s mid ride to the end, sunny and a bit humid

AMS: Maybe a tad over 14 mph?

Mechanicals/Mishaps: none

Report: Upon leaving the Livingston IHRT parking lot on Thursday after the Clockwise Nanjemoy Loop, I was flagged down by one of the returning CC riders, who asked if I would like to do a long ride on Saturday. I told him I was doing a 62 miler with another club, but decided to take him up on it when he said maybe 70 miles or so. I agreed, and told him I would look at a possible route and reach out to him. I looked through the club Library, and found this ride, which I proposed we do twice. So posted it as the 38 thinking a better chance of getting more riders, well we had one other rider, but she backed out, and thinking it was just us two, found a member at the Manokeek parking lot who was there to do a solo ride, so I went into full bike floor sales mode, and soon he agreed to come along. So we headed off down 228 to a right on Middleton, and then wound around to a nearly straight shot to our rest stop at the Pisgah store. Kept everyone in sight with just some slight stretching out on some of the humps. After a brief stop, we continued on working our way to Chicamuxen and Livingston to 210 and back to the start, again keeping everyone nearly together. Back at the start said our goodbyes to Sam and anonymous, and after talking with Denny, he suggested we do down to Indian Head and back, or 210 to Marshall Hall and back, as it was nearing the warmest part of the day, and it was already 85ish. So we wrapped around to 210 and headed south. Stopped at the Brians Road McDonalds for a nature break, and a snack, but the line was crazy long, so skipped the vittles. We decided to make the right and head down to the water and back, and on the return we took a left on Barry Hill, making the route essentially the old Wednesday night favorite from the firehouse. It made for a shadier ride back, and we continued on past 210 to a right on Dusty to a straight shot across 228 back to the parking lot. I think Denny got all his miles in, and I ended up with 72 having ridden in from home and back to the start. I think everyone enjoyed the ride.

Sweet day, sweet ride

Joan Oppel — Thu, 04 Sep 2025 13:30:00 GMT

Leader: Joan Oppel

Members: Chantal Briere, Denny Miller, Steve Palincsar, Walt Roscello, Tom Short, Pat Walthers

Route: https://ridewithgps.com/routes/49862324 Locust Grove, Dash In and Quailwood

Weather: What Lou said: Perfect riding weather, mostly sunny around mid 60s at the start, climbing to the low 70s by the end, crisp dry air all ride. .

Mechanicals/Mishaps: none

Report: A beautiful day to be out riding - our group split up on the roads and hung out together at the Port Tobacco park rest stop and again at the Dash In. Chantal rode to a bakery near the Dash In and brought back macarons for each of us. So we had quite a sugar high to fuel the return trip.

Clockwise Nanjemoy Loop (A/B 46)

Thu, 04 Sep 2025 13:00:00 GMT

Leader: Lou Dall'Orso

Members: none

Guests: none

Route: https://ridewithgps.com/routes/51730263

Weather: Around 70 at the start, almost 80 by the end, just a few puffy clouds, and a bit of gusty wind, which seemed to have some cross on most of the roads.

AMS: Right about 16 mph

Mechanicals/Mishaps: none

Report: Having no one signed up, and staying up late (early actually) having come home, I want to say maybe 3:30 in the morning from a concert in Virginia Beach, I took my time and got a slightly late start, which actually allowed me to see and chat with the CC group, who started their ride 30 minutes later. As mentioned above it was a bit windy, but not too bad. The ride itself was uneventful, and enjoyable. I did notice quite a bit of leaves now falling, and on the stretch where 6 meets Riverside (on the bottom of the bowl) for a few miles, there were quite a few covering the road. Back at the car at 12:24, waited for the first of the CCs to arrive and chatted a bit before leaving.

Clockwise Nanjemoy Loop (A/B 46)

Tue, 02 Sep 2025 13:00:00 GMT

Leader: Lou Dall'Orso

Members: none

Guests: none

Route: https://ridewithgps.com/routes/51730263

Weather: Perfect riding weather, mostly sunny around mid 60s at the start, climbing to the low 70s by the end, crisp dry air all ride with little to no wind.

AMS: Right about 16 mph

Mechanicals/Mishaps: none

Report: Had no takers again today, so like David Byrne might say, "same as it ever was". As mentioned above the weather could not have been better, made just one stop near Mallow's Bay, and back at the car around 12:30 after a great ride. Only some company could have made it better. Will be back at it on Thursday, hope to see more riders.

PICNIC THANK YOUs

Joan Oppel — Mon, 01 Sep 2025 18:00:00 GMT

MAJOR THANKS TO JACKIE SCHOCH FOR ORGANIZING THE PICNIC, PURCHASING OR PICKING UP EVERYTHING AND THEN COOKING ALL MORNING! AND BIG THANKS TO LISA PETERSON AND PATRICIA SANDERS, who did not ride, but DEDICATED THEIR DAY TO HELPING OUT AT THE PICNIC.

Labor Day Picnic Ride CC/C 30

Sonja Newman — Mon, 01 Sep 2025 13:00:00 GMT

Leader: Sonja Newman

Members: Rick, Don, Stephen, Sean, Mark, Sonja, Peter

Route: Labor Day 2025 30 miles
Weather: PERFECT!
Mechanicals/Mishaps: none

Bike Ride Report: A Beautiful Labor Day OH Ride

On a stunning day blessed with perfect weather, I set out with six fellow riders for a scenic and invigorating bike ride. As it turned out, I was the only female in a group of six men, which added a unique dynamic to the adventure.

We began our journey from Village Green Park, Indian Head MD, and shortly after departing, we merged onto the trail. The group maintained a steady pace, riding in sync, except for one rider who preferred to ride solo while on the trail. He shared his preference with me, and I respected his choice, continuing on with the rest of the group.

Our first rest stop was at Smallwood Park, where we paused to take in the serene beauty of the calm river waters and the peaceful surroundings. It was a refreshing moment that set the tone for the rest of the ride.

Next, we headed to Pisgah Park, another tranquil spot that offered a chance to relax and appreciate the clear skies and gentle breeze. With only about 11 miles remaining after leaving Pisgah, the group naturally split into two smaller packs—three riders in front and three trailing behind.

One rider was not seen after our first stop at Smallwood Park. It was later understood that he had moved ahead of the group rather than falling behind.

Throughout the ride, I enjoyed occasional encounters with other cycling groups. These moments added variety and camaraderie to the journey, allowing us to briefly ride alongside new faces.

As we approached the final stretch on Hawthorn Road, a few members of my group chose to return to the trail instead of climbing into the neighborhood. One rider stayed with me as we ascended Hawthorn road and briefly entered the neighborhood before reconnecting with the trail to complete this awesome ride.

It was a day filled with beautiful scenery, great company, and the joy of cycling—an experience to remember and hopefully repeat.

Thank you to Jackie Schoch, Lisa Peterson, and Patricia Sanders and all the volunteers that made this ride complete in style without you the day would not have been the same.

Labor Day picnic ride - IHRT 27 miles

Ron Altemus — Mon, 01 Sep 2025 13:00:00 GMT

Leaders: Ron & Susan Altemus

Members: Gail & Bruce Black, Maureen Flynn, Fran Jezisek, Catherine Kitchell (hidden behind Denny - sorry!), Denny Miller, Leesha Saunders, Robin Garnett, Esther Stewart, RL Susan, Connie Quickstad, Gene Villiva. Not pictured: Paul Adams and Bob Rourke, Butch Counts, Diana and Dan Donahue

Route: the full complete Indian Head Rail Trail. Village Green to White Plains and return.

Weather: it just keeps staying fanastico! Brilliant blue skies with puffs of adorable white clouds, air movement moving from NNE to NNW, temps range of upper 60s to mid 70s, continuing NO humidity

AMS: varied by rider. RL swept in the mid 12s

Mechanicals/Mishaps: Paul's rear derailleur cage malfunctioned shortening his ride after only 2 miles. He walked back to the Village Green.

Report: what a big turnout! Everyone rode at their own pace and distance on the trail of their choosing. It was nice seeing some new faces and/or long time Virginia members who haven't ventured across the river in a while.

Many other trail users given the Labor Day holiday and the fantastic weather. Plenty of cyclists, including a good number of children. Hopefully, they will grow to love bicycling as much as club members do and continue riding long into the future.

The after ride picnic seemed to be the best ever. Again, weather might have played a part as no one was exhausted from the heat. The hot dogs cooked by Jackie Schoch, and her serving crew of Lisa Petersen and Patricia Sanders, for fritos, watermelon, sodas, and cookies, deserve our thanks for not riding in order to prepare the picnic meal. Good times had by all.

Item of interest: this was Diana's birthday and she was extremely pleased that it had been declared a National Holiday and so many of her bicycling friends had come out to ride with her and have a picnic.

40 CC Labor Day Picnic Ride

Joan Oppel — Mon, 01 Sep 2025 12:30:00 GMT

Leaders: Joan Oppel and Linda Bankerd

Members: Catherine Ade, Caresse Bullock, Babs Butcher, Candace Carlisle, Andrea Clayville, Eric Feigebaum, Josh Garrison, Ellen Goodwin, Liam Healy, Christopher Lawrence, Ray Luckenbach, Karen McMillan, Lori Michaelson, Karen Morgan, Steve Palincsar, Deb Reynolds, Randy Sim, Dave Van Ameyden.

Weather: Stunning day - cool and pleasant at the start, warm and pleasant through the rest of the day. Bright blue sky with some fluffly clouds showing up (and a little breeze).

Route: 40 miles from Indian Head to Smallwood Park, then to Nanjemoy and through Pisgah and back to the Indian Head Green https://ridewithgps.com/routes/52166561

Mechanicals and Mishaps: Steve needed to change his e-bike battery and was having trouble connecting it Dave discovered/removed a small stone in one of the ports and also cleaned the battery terminals with an alcohol wipe.

Report: The group broke into several parts but most of us gathered at Smallwood State Park and at the Nanjemoy Store. Everyone enjoyed the chance to eat,chat and hang out after riding.

Labor Day Multi Class Picnic Ride, A/B 50 miles

Diane Harris — Mon, 01 Sep 2025 12:00:00 GMT

Leader: Diane Harris

Members: Sherwood, Pete, David, Michael, Larry, Taylor, Walt, Theresa, Andy, Terre, Christina, Pete, Steve, Leon, and Rita

Guests: None

Route: IH 50 Labor Day 2025

Weather: Could not have asked for a better day, cool at the start, sunny, dry, breezy on the return

AMS: 14.9

Mechanicals/Mishaps: None

Report: Everyone came out to enjoy the holiday riding the roads of Southern Prince George's County. The group self selected between those at the top range of ~17 mph and the rest of us, with the ride leader ending with 14.9. Rest stops for snacks and restroom breaks were at Smallwood State Park with views of Mattawoman Creek, Goose Bay Marina and Campground on the Port Tobacco River, and the Nanjemoy Country Store and Bar in Nanjemoy. My small group bypassed the last optional rest stop at Pisgah Park as we were only a few miles from the end of the ride. Once bask at the Indian Head Village Green, we enjoyed hotdogs, Fritos, watermelon, cookies and soft drinks provided by the club and prepared by one of our founding members, Jackie Schoch. This event was a wonderful way to end the Summer season of riding. Now, let the Fall riding begin!!

Mason Neck ~28 miles

Ron Altemus — Sun, 31 Aug 2025 13:30:00 GMT

Leader: Ron Altemus

Members: Rick Hagen, Mark Garrison, Joan Oppel, Gene Villiva, Susan Altemus, Lisa Petersen (pictured in front of George Mason's Gunston Hall)

Route: advertised as a casual tour of Mason Neck, we started off with an out and back on Belmont Blvd. Gunston Rd took us to the Mason Neck trail followed by a short spur on Springfield before rejoining the trail. We left the trail at High Point Rd to head down to the Mason Neck State Park Visitor Center. Retracing on High Point, we used Gunston Rd to tour the Hallowing Pointand Gunston Manor neighborhoods and then back to the trail. Gunston Hall and Pohick Bay Park were visited in turn off the trail before the final short stretch on Gunston Rd back to the ride start.

Weather: the great fall like weather continues! Sunny, temp range mid 60s to low 70s, light air movement, and NO humidity. Perfect day for riding and riding and riding...

AMS: RL was in the mid 11s.

Mechanicals/Mishaps: none

Report: as mentioned above, another fantastic day for bicycling. Two club members hadn't been to Mason Neck in over 30 years but actually it hasn't changed too much other than the number of MacMansions occupying large lots. We rode together the entire route with plenty of CCing (conversational cycling) taking place. Traffic was mostly light though there were occasional grouping of cars in one direction or another. Numerous other cyclists at the visitor's center but none on the trail or farther down the Neck in the neighborhoods.

Outbound on Belmont Blvd. Photo by Rick.

After the ride, all of us went to Panera's over at Lorton Market for nourishment and more conversating. A most excellent way to end the day's ride.

Bushwood, Yellow Bank & St Clements Bay (CC, 53)

Stephen Palincsar — Sat, 30 Aug 2025 13:30:00 GMT

The group at Bushwood Wharf

Leader: Steve Palincsar

Members: Lou Dall'Orso, Joan Oppel, Dave Van Amayden, Pat Walthers, Patricia Sanders, Ellen Goodwin, Stephen Cohen, Walt Roscello

Guests: none

Route: https://ridewithgps.com/routes/52275528

Weather: Sunny, cool (63) at the start, rising to 80 by late afternoon

AMS: 12.7 for me

Mechanicals/Mishaps: It seems as though it's been quite a while since there's been a decent story for the Mishaps & Mechanicals section, but today makes up for that deficiency. All was well until the lunch stop at Murphy's Store at mile 27, but leaving the rest stop I noticed the familiar thump-thump-thump that means no one no good. Oakley Rd is no place to fix a flat: even though there's plenty of shade, there's no shoulder to get off the road, and no place to put your stuff, never mind sit down.

We'd only gone a few yards, so we turned around and headed back to Murphys. There was even a place to work on the flat in the shade, albeit right next to where they keep the dumpster. Although the dumpster was gone, its fragrance signature lingered onl.

Normally stopping to fix a flat isn't the best of times, but today we had Lou and Joan. After Lou found and removed the thorn that had caused the flat and replaced the tube, Joan produced her electric pump (see my Road Captain's Report in the August Newsletter) and painlessly, albeit not quickly (my 650Bx48mm tires take a lot of air) fixed the flat.

While they were doing that, I thought this would be an opportune time to swap out my drive battery. We were halfway done with the ride and I was 60% through the charge. No worries, I had a spare with me that, when I checked it last night, was fully charged. Except that when I swapped it in, I found it was 80% depleted. Oh oh; even dialing the assist back to the minimum that wasn't enough charge to finish the ride.

Plan B was to skip the out-and-back on Cobrum's Wharf, saving almost 4 miles, reduce the assist to the lowest practical level, and stop at Baggett Park and wait for the group to return to the ride start, and wait while someone put their bike in their car and drove mine back to Baggett to pick me up. Lou to the rescue once again!

Report: A chilly-feeling start, but beautiful clear skies and gorgeous St Marys County scenery we haven't visited in several years made for a beautiful ride.

End of the road at MD-520 (on the Yellowbank Peninsula)

Lunch in Avenue, MD

Friday IHRT ~20 miles

Ron Altemus — Fri, 29 Aug 2025 13:00:00 GMT

Leaders: Ron & Susan Altemus

Members: Paul Adams, Bob Rourke, Gene Villiva, RL Susan Altemus, Fran Jezisek, Mark Garrison, Robin Garnett, Donaro Gardner, Carl Hattery, Esther Stewart, Leesha Saunders. Not pictured: Diana & Dan Donahue (met us at White Plains) and Pat Colvin

Route: the best Friday ride in the DMV area: Indian Head Rail Trail east from Livingston Rd parking lot to White Plains trailhead. After a rest stop, retrace back to the start. A number of riders rode additional miles on to Indian Head proper and back.

Weather: continues to be fantastic - sunshine, no humidity, pleasant breezes, and temp range from the mid 60s to low 70s.

AMS: varied by rider but probably most in the 11-12 range

Mechanicals/Mishaps: none

Report: a good size group, lots of conversation. Two riders had recently completed the GAP tour and it was exciting to hear of their experiences on that multi-day trip.

Other trail users included cyclists, walkers, and joggers. No noticeable or reported wildlife sightings. Still a great day to be on a bike on the IHRT!

Cruising Croom

Joan Oppel — Thu, 28 Aug 2025 13:30:00 GMT

Leader - Joan Oppel

Members - Chantal Briere, Karen Morgan, Walt Roscello, Tom Short and Bob Thompson

Route -https://ridewithgps.com/routes/52407501 34 miles, 2000 feet of elevation.

Our route took us to Jug Bay Visitor Center by way of Van Brady, Calvert-Buvall, then to Merkle by way of St Thomas-Fenno. The long way home went around Nottingham, Brooks Woods, Bagen Nayloe, Molly Berry and Martin.

Report - Weather - best of the summer. Mid-70's, occasional breeze, low humidity, pretty clouds. We enjoyed the beautiful weather's gift to climb some hills and, except for the short segments on Croom Road, to ride on relatively quiet roads. We also discovered that the County filled more of the potholes marked by Steve P and Lou D for the Rural Legacy - on all of Fenno to Nottingham and on Molly Berry.

Clockwise Nanjemoy Loop (A/B 46)

Thu, 28 Aug 2025 13:00:00 GMT

Leader: Lou Dall'Orso

Members: none

Guests: none

Route: https://ridewithgps.com/routes/51730263

Weather: Partly cloudy, a little cool at the start, warming up nicely, almost perfect riding weather.

AMS: Right about 16 mph

Mechanicals/Mishaps: See report below.

Report: Pedaling delayed, pedaling denied?

Again, had no one signed up in the morning, so decided to get a slightly earlier start, and having left the bike in the car from Tuesday's ride, it made the morning load up easier. Got to the IHRT parking lot, and took out bike, leaned it on car, pumped up front tire, then when I went to pump up rear tire I noticed it was flat. Quick expletive, and when I prepared to change out the tube, I realized I only had one spare (and no patch kit), pondered changing out the tube and going without a spare, but the possibility, all be it unlikely of getting another flat and being stranded far from anything talked me out of it, so decided to drive back home, and on the way thought about fixing the flat and going for a ride from home, but decided instead to reschedule the ride to Friday.

Fixed the flat at home, had a very tiny metal thing in the tire that had barely pierced the tire, and was too small to be seen and explained the slow leak. I only found it by feel after lining up the tire with the hole in the tube, It's still in the tire, I decided just to throw a new one on, not wanting to look for tweezers at the time. Seeing it was already afternoon, I decided not to repost the ride, but ride it anyway the next day. I got there in time to get going around 0830 or 0845, just as the OHBTC Friday Trail riders were arriving. The ride was uneventful, and I was back at the car just before noon.

GAP Tour Final Day

Sherwood — Wed, 27 Aug 2025 13:30:00 GMT

More to come.

GAP Tour Day 3

Sherwood — Tue, 26 Aug 2025 13:30:00 GMT

An Active Landslide!

Yes, there is an active landslide between Markleton, PA and Rockwood, PA! We were alerted early during the planning stage of the tour. That afforded us the time to make plans to avoid this area, The management of the trail had closed this section down to prevent human disaster. The authorities are waiting for the collapse so the engineers can do their work to reopen. They are seeing tree movement on a regular basis. The trail conservancy made arrangements with shuttle companies around the affected zone. Without this the riders alternative would have to climb a massive hill of approximately 14% in grade. Because of our early notice, we were able to secure shuttle service around the area without the wait.

Knowing the aforementioned, we had our breakfast and met at the rendezvous point for an on-time departure. Our meetup time for the shuttle was getting tight as we stopped in Confluence to eat but time was of the essence so we continued to Markleton.

The shuttle ride around the landslide was good because I did not hear anyone begging to climb those hills, Leg powered or electric powered bikes. Rockwood did not offer much in places to eat lunch, but the local gas station did have what I thought was a better than Domino's pizza (Tastier, Larger, & Cheaper). The ride to Meyersdale was only twelve more miles from Rockwood. Again, we had a post ride briefing when we arrived. Some met later at Dongies for dinner and ice cream at The Pit Stop Kremery. No reports to me of mechanical issues or mishaps on this day.

Riding around Pisgah

Joan Oppel — Tue, 26 Aug 2025 13:30:00 GMT

Leader: Joan Oppel

Members: Chantal Briere, Lou Dall'Orso, Donaro Gardner, Patricia Sanders, Tom Short, Pat Walthers

Route: https://ridewithgps.com/routes/41975840 Loops around Pisgah: Up Mt Pisgah, over Poorhouse to Rt 6, all the way to take the far side Hilltop Rd section to Annapolis Woods. To Pisgah Park for a rest stop, Smallwood Church, Sweetman, Bicknell, Marbury Run, Chicamuxen.

Weather: Absolutely wonderful.

Report: The ride separated into two groups. The slower group stayed pretty much together. Two faster riders were spotted at the Pisgah Store - and at least one might have been eating a hot dog. The other faster rider met us at Pisgah Park, where we relaxed and then headed back. A lovely ride, good company!

GAP Tour Day 2

Sherwood — Mon, 25 Aug 2025 13:30:00 GMT

On a morning after probably the longest day of the tour, all had found a place to have breakfast and prepare themselves for the day's adventure. All had placed their luggage at the assigned location for the ferrying service to transport and met at the rendezvous point for briefing and a photo op. The temperature was 42 degrees this morning and riding in the shade did not make it any warmer. Jessica kindly volunteered to be the sweep again for which I am thankful. I was holding a moderate pace so as to not have the group so spread apart. The regrouping points again were 8 miles apart. Some had stopped at a veggie/fruit stand just short of the regrouping point causing a bit of confusion. There was not much in wildlife to be seen, only about 5 wild turkeys and something crossing the trail only to turn around and go back into the woods after I rang my bell. Continuing to the next regrouping point some had stopped to view the site and take some photos before heading to lunch. Some had stopped at Martins while others had gone into Connellsville to find a place to get their lunch. We ate our lunch at the Connellsville Park and was also the meetup point. Two riders fell at the same moment dismounting at the park on soft unstable, ground, one scraping their knee, the other stating they had no problem. One rider had fender problems and later removed their rear fender. By the way, the ride leader misplaced the bike lock key which had 4 bikes locked only to find it was where he placed it after the lock was cut (as is always the case).

After lunch we continued to Ohiopyle. Once all were settled, we went to Falls City Pub for dinner before retiring.

Goose Bay and Nanjemoy 8-24-25

Ellen Goodwin — Sun, 24 Aug 2025 21:07:17 GMT

Riders: Chantal Briere, Bob Thompson, Drew Sommers, Joan Oppel, Karen McMillan, Diane Harris, Theresa Rowell, Tom Short, Pat Walthers, Patricia Sanders

Leader: Ellen Goodwin and Joan Oppel

Route: First stop at Goose Bay and second stop at Nanjemoy Store

AMS: around 12 at the back

Report: It was a great day to ride--cloud cover the entire ride and not too hot, although it was humid. The group split up immediately into a faster group and a slower group. The slower group of seven riders stayed together through the whole ride. It was a great day to ride. Very low traffic and everyone seemed to enjoy the route and the time outside.

Mishaps and Mechanicals: One rider missed a turn off of Ironsides, but two riders stayed back to look for and find the rider. The rider quickly realized the miss and rerouted so the group could stay together. About 3 miles from the end, one rider got a flat on the rear tire. Three of us stayed to help and the flat was fixed in short order. Thanks to Joan for the lesson in how to use the fancy Schwalbe tire levers which are in fact pretty cool as well as demonstrating her new battery operated pump!!

Clockwise Nanjemoy Loop (A/B 46)

Sun, 24 Aug 2025 13:00:00 GMT

Leader: Lou Dall'Orso

Members: none

Guests: none

Route: https://ridewithgps.com/routes/51730263

Weather: Overcast and mild, temperature and humidity rising during the second half of the ride. Good riding weather.

AMS: Right about 15 mph

Mechanicals/Mishaps: none

Report: Posted ride kinda late, so not surprised no one else signed up. Got going around 9:05, and spun a steady easy(ish) tempo. Rode a club's ride yesterday and doubled up on two climbs, and threw some intervals here and there, so I expected the legs to be a tad heavy today (and they were), so I just took it fairly easy the whole way and made one stop near Mallow's Bay, skipping the first stop at King James Church, and the slight detour for the Nanjemoy store. Back at the car at 12:20.

GAP Tour 2025 Day 1

Sherwood — Sun, 24 Aug 2025 13:00:00 GMT

The Long Wait Is Over!

After a great travel day lunch at Buddy Lou's in Hancock Maryland, a ride of the Western Maryland Scenic Rail Trail, and a visit to Fort Frederick, Oxon Hill Bike and Trail Club Members (OHBTC) Linda Bankerd, Deborah Bowman, Barbara Butcher, Pat Colvin (Ride Sweep), Robin Garnett (Ride Sweep), Deborah Gebhardt (Ride Sweep), Sue Gunter, Jessica Hirschhorn (Ride Sweep), Beth Merricks, Ed Reardon, Steve Palincsar (Co-Ride Leader), Deborah Reynolds, Tom Fedewa (Guest), Peggie Tyree, and Sherwood Byers, Sr. (Ride Leader) continued to Cumberland Maryland for their weeklong tour of the Great Allegheny Passage (GAP).

With all arriving at the rendezvous point at the Western Maryland Scenic Railway Visitors center dropping off their luggage and having their bikes loaded by 2 Wheel Escapes Shuttle services we were on our way for a 2-1/2 hour ferry to Point State Park, Pittsburgh, PA where our tour would begin. 2 Wheel Escapes would deliver our luggage to Bright Mornings B&B in West Newton, PA our destination 35 miles from Point State Park via the Three Rivers Heritage Trail and the GAP. Regrouping every 8 miles, having lunch in McKeesport the midpoint of our tour, and visiting the Dravo Cemetery a historic point of interest all continued to West Newton. This was a long day and to put it plainly, we were tired and hungry. The town was shutting down for the day we checked into our places to bed and decided to eat at the Trailside Restaurant before showering and retiring for the evening. Mishaps and mechanical issues reported, one rider had fallen and scraped their leg and loose steering stem loose.

Western Maryland Rail Trail to Fort Frederick

Stephen Palincsar — Sat, 23 Aug 2025 15:30:00 GMT

Leader: Steve Palincsar

Members: Catherine Ade, Linda Bankerd, Sherwood Byers, Robin Garnett, Mark Garrison, Sue Gunter, Jessica Hirschhorn, Beth Merricks, Ed Reardon, Deb Reynolds and Walt Roscello

Guests: none

Route: https://ridewithgps.com/routes/52113855

Weather: Sunny, in the 80s.

AMS: 13.4

Mechanicals/Mishaps: One rider was a bit overcome by food poisoning on the steep climb from the WMRT terminus to Fort Frederick

We met at BuddyLou's restaurant for lunch before setting out on the Western Maryland Rail Trail, heading for the southeastern terminus at Big Pool, and from there, a short but memorable climb up to Fort Frederick. The schedule had promised a demonstration of cannon firing, but the full crew of cannoneers didn't show up, so we had to make do with the one reenactor shown above, who demonstrated loading and firing an 19th century rifle.

Some of us toured the fort while waiting for the 3 pm firing demonstration, while others waited in the shade. The trip from the fort to the WMRT trail head was much easier in the downhill direction! On the trip back to Hancock a couple of riders ran over a snake on the trail, screaming in terror as the snake reared up. Honestly, wouldn't you, if several riders had just run over you?

For most of us, the trip on the Western Maryland Rail Trail was a break in the journey to Cumberland, Day Zero of the GAP Tour. Others drove up for the occasion, and a couple continued on north in the direction of Berkeley Springs while the rest of us packed up for the drive to Cumberland.

It's a nice break if you're headed to Cumberland, and the WMRT's a nice trail. We've done this on GAP trips several times in the past, but never in to Fort Frederick, which made a pleasant change. It was disappointing to not have the cannons, and to have to settle for one rifleman, though. Had this been the French and Indian Wars, our goose would have been cooked for sure.

Starbucks Express 27 mi

Sonja Newman — Sat, 23 Aug 2025 13:00:00 GMT

Leader: Sonja Newman

Members: Lou D. Pat S. Tom S. David V. Denny M.

Guests: none

Route: Starbucks Express Manokeek Village Shopping Center

Total Distance: 27

Riders: 6

Mechanicals/Mishaps: Flat tire, Rear cable issue

Report: ‍️ Bike Ride Report – Saturday, August 23

On a bright Saturday morning, five fellow bike members joined me for a scenic and spirited 27-mile ride. We kicked off our journey from the Manokeek Village Shopping Center, right near Starbucks, energized and ready to roll.

Our route took us toward Route 228, with our first turn onto Mill Hill Road—a stretch that proved to be more challenging than some remembered. Before the ride, Tom advised Pat to shift into her smallest gear ring, warning that the hill ahead was deceptively tough. Pat, recalling a previous ride, didn’t remember it being so bad—but as we approached the incline together, she surged ahead effortlessly while I climbed at a more modest, snail-like pace.

Lou, ever the enthusiast, decided to double down on the challenge. After conquering the hill, he turned around and tackled it again—something he would repeat later on Bumpy Oak Road.

We regrouped near North Point High School and continued onto Middletown Road, where we met up with our sixth rider, Denny, at McDaniel Road. The rolling hills of McDaniel gave way to increased speed and a bit of separation among the group, which continued onto St. Patrick’s Road.

It was here that Pat experienced a flat tire. She and David stopped immediately, and I turned around upon noticing they were no longer behind me. I attempted to reach the others to inform them but couldn’t make contact. I returned to assist with the repair, which was successful—until Pat discovered a rear brake cable issue (or something similar) shortly after.

Just then, Tom, Lou, and Denny returned, looking for us—a huge shoutout to them for coming back! At that point, Pat decided to head back to the starting point. I offered to accompany her, but Tom kindly volunteered to ride back with her.

I continued on and completed the ride with David, Denny and Lou. The day couldn't have been more perfect for a bike ride - clear skies, comfortable temperatures, and great company. It was truly a ride to remember.

Highlights:

Total Distance: 27 miles
Riders: 6
Starting Point: Manokeek Village Shopping Center
Notable Roads: Mill Hill, Middletown, McDaniel, St. Patrick’s, Bumpy Oak
Challenges: Steep hills, flat tire, brake issue
Team Spirit: Strong! Riders regrouped and supported each other throughout

The Rail Trail ride on Friday 20-26 mi

Susan Altemus — Fri, 22 Aug 2025 13:00:00 GMT

Leader: Susan Altemus (not Sue or Suzie!)

Members: Don Gardner, Leesha Saunders, Fran Jezisek, Mark Garrison, Carl Hattery, Esther Stewart

Route: Indian Head Rail Trail

Weather: GORGEOUS!

AMS: probably 12-13 mph

Mechanicals/Mishaps: none

Report: This was my first time as ride leader. We all gathered at Livingston to begin our ride. Our early bird, Esther, rode to the start of the trail at Indian Head and was back at Livingston by the nine o'clock ride start, adding six miles to her ride. The rest of us rode the twenty miles for our total.

The weather was beautiful with a slight breeze, blue skies, and comfortable temperatures. We all rode at our own pace visiting with one another along the way. At White Plains riders shared interesting events or fun things that are happening in their lives. We headed back to Livingston without a headwind for an enjoyable ride. Mark said that he was worried that he would get lost, but that I did a good job making sure he got back to his car safely. Hopefully our trusty ride leader, Ron, will be back next Friday. See everyone next week! Happy Trails!!

Lapp's Ice Cream and Two Covered Bridges

Jessica Hirschhorn — Sat, 16 Aug 2025 23:21:37 GMT

24/25 registered riders started at Strasburg RR for our simply terrific and delicious annual pre Covered Bridges Ride.

Acs, Greg
Ade, Catherine
Bankerd, Linda
Bouterie, Larry
Brown, Douglas
Brown Susanne
Butcher, Barbara
Byers, Sherwood
Goodwin, Ellen
Hirschhorn, Jessica
Kidd, Harry (Thank you for your generous SWEEP)
Lightfoot, Lois
Mccullough, Renee
Miller, Cathy
Miller, Ed
Morgan, Karen
Morgan, Taylor
Oppel, Joan
Palincsar, Steve
Roscello, Walt
Sanders, Patricia
Sommers, Andrew and guest
Wittenberg, Anne

The weather was wonderful, somewhat cooler (until the last hour) with a comfortable cloud cover, but still with yucky 80%humidity.

We started out at Strasburg RR, following our regular annual 45 mile route with rest stops at Leola Park, Sheetz, and Lapp's Dairy.

The Lancaster scenery, with stunning farmland and hundreds of acres of verdant farmland (corn, soy, tobacco) was a treat for all.

Bitzer's Bridge was closed to traffic but open to cyclists and pedestrians (see photo).

There were no mechanicals or flats. One rider was felled by the heat a few miles from the end and got a ride back to the RR.

It was a simply wonderful day enjoyed by all.

Starbucks Manokeek Village Shopping Center

Sonja Newman — Sat, 16 Aug 2025 15:25:22 GMT

Leader: Sonja Newman

Members: Luis D. Pat C. Liam H. Tom

Weather: mix of cloudy and sunny skies

Guest: none

AMS: 13 - 14

Mechanicals/Mishps: none

REPORT AUGUST 16

On August 16, five riders gathered at the Manokeek Village Shopping Center to embark on a scenic 26.5 - mile bike ride. Before setting off, the group briefly discussed the possibility of extending the ride by an additional 6 miles to reach the Potomac River and return. However, upon reaching Indian Head, the decision was made to forgo the extension and head back to the starting point.

The ride began under a beautiful mix of cloudy and sunny skies, with all riders starting out together. At one point, I was briefly separated from the group due to a stoplight, while the others continued ahead. I continued riding solo until I reached the intersection of Billingsley Road and Middletown Road, where I saw Pam waiting patiently. Before realizing she was there, I had been standing on the corner, also waiting.

Once Pam and I connected, we rode together until we reached the trail, where Lou, Liam, and Tom were waiting. From that point on, the group reunited and rode back together, maintaining a close formation with no more than a quarter to 1/2 mile of separation between riders.

The ride was a great blend of camaraderie, scenic views, and light adventure, making for a memorable day on the bikes.

Lancaster Weekend ride on the Enola Trail - 38 mi CC

Walt Roscello — Fri, 15 Aug 2025 14:30:00 GMT

Leader: Walt Roscello

Members: Steve Palincsar, Pat Sanders, Catherine Ade, Joan Oppel, Suzanne and Doug Brown, and Lois Lightfoot

Route: From the western trailhead, down the trail to Quarryville, a brief loop to the shopping center, then return

Weather: Not bad, hot but not oppressive, but better if you keep moving

AMS: 13 mph or below on packed gravel chips

Mechanicals/Mishaps: None

Report: This was a pleasant ride on a trail with a good unpaved surface, some unique views and points of interest, and still some shady spots at midday.

The first 8 miles are along the Susquehanna river but around 75 feet above it, providing continuous views and some small streams and waterfalls on the cliff side. This section also includes views of the Safe Harbor dam, and crosses the long, curving, Safe Harbor trestle. Here is an example view captured by Steve:

https://www.flickr.com/photos/97916047@N00/54728683167/in/photostream/

When the trail turns to run eastward, it mostly stays within wooded embankments which thankfully are close enough to sometimes shade the trail even near noon. After crossing the rebuilt Martic Forge trestle the trail turns quiet providing an 8 mile peaceful ride.

We exited at the west end of Quarryville for a less than half-mile jaunt to the nearest shopping center in quest of nourishment. While the Browns opted for by-the-slice pizza, the rest of us found various choices in the deli and fruit stands in the Giant grocery. Unfortunately there were no nearby seats so we had a standing lunch with the pallets of firewood as tables. The leader then 'encouraged' everyone to go check out the ice cream stand across the road where additional calories were enjoyed.

The return was a retrace of the first half, a bit faster and a bit hotter but still with some cooling from our motion. A few additional information panels were read about various events along the railroad, and we saw additional rock climbers in the designated sections of cliff alongside the trail.

Overall everyone was happy with this ride. The trail surface was a bit better than I had anticipated, and the weather a bit more tolerable as well. The trail is practically (but not quite) flat so it was a relatively easy start to the three days of riding that many had planned.

(Who has the group photo at the ice cream break on their phone/camera?)

8/12 Clockwise Nanjemoy Loop (A/B 46)

Tue, 12 Aug 2025 13:00:00 GMT

Leader: Lou Dall'Orso

Members: none

Guests: none

Route: https://ridewithgps.com/routes/51730263

Weather: Mid 70s and overcast to start, 80s with a mix of sun and clouds mid ride through the finish with rising humidity.

AMS: Right about 15 mph

Mechanicals/Mishaps: none

Report: Had 3 riders signed up for the ride, but they fell out before the start, so I decided to add a few miles and meet the CCs who were scheduled to start at the same time from Indian Head coming my way via the Rail Trail, and were sharing the first part of the ride for the first few miles. Did that, and chatted with a couple of them until they turned off on Stuckey from Poorhouse, and I continued to a left on Mason Springs for the loop. Made the rest stop at the King James Church for the first time, as as had skipped it on previous versions, continued on to a rest stop at Mallows Bay Park, and then a final push to Chickamuxen and the car. Ended up with maybe 55 miles or so.

Indian Head around Pisgah to Smallwood-26 miles

Jackie Schoch — Tue, 12 Aug 2025 13:00:00 GMT

Leader: Jackie Schoch

Members: Sonja Newman, Ron and Susan Altemus, Donaro Gardner, Vicki Garlock, Robin Garnett, Stephen Palincsar, and Connie Quickstad.

Route: http://ridewithgps.com/routes47419189

Weather: Cloudy, 76 degrees Feels like 78 degree Humidituy 88% Wind 3.0 mi/h from South

AMS: varied significantly by rider

Mechanicals/Mishaps: None

Report: What a wonderful day for a bike ride. It was great having Susan Altemus on a club ride beside Fridays. It was Vicki Garlock first road trip with her new electric bike. Connie Quickstad is getting stronger with her bicycle riding. We took a little side trip and saw a Fairy House. It was really nice to see what someone did to a stump.

The rest stop at Smallwood State Park was really nice. The park has put out more chairs which made it nice for everyone.

Sands, Chalkpoint and Deale

Deborah Reynolds — Sun, 10 Aug 2025 13:00:00 GMT

Leader: Deb Reynolds, substitute for Steve P.

Members: 12 members were present: Joan, Lou, Carol, Susan, Bob, Chantel, Tom, Ray, Pat, Ron, Lois, and Deb

Only some are in the photo

https://www.flickr.com/photos/154500031@N05/54712764066/in/dateposted-public/#

Guests:

Route: 43 miles from Wayson's Corner. Sands, Chalkpoint and Deale

Weather: fantastic day! Clear, not too hot. Started about 70° F and ended about 86° F.

AMS: varied significantly

Mechanicals/Mishaps: a near miss at a turn between 2 cyclists, but no one fell and all were good.

Report: today was a great day for riding. Nice route, a few hills nothing too bad and really nice views of the bay. A good time was had by all.

https://flic.kr/ps/3mwwLt

Friday IHRT ~20 miles

Ron Altemus — Fri, 08 Aug 2025 13:00:00 GMT

Leader: Ron Altemus

Members & Guest: Susan Altemus, Fran Jezisek, Howard Wilson (guest), Robin Garnett, Jackie Schoch, Donaro Gardner, Connie Quikstad, Vicki Garlock, Mark Garrison, Leesha Saunders, Carl Hattery. Not pictured (late arrivals): Pat Colvin, Darryl Meyer

Route: Friday's fav - Indian Head Rail Trail from Livingston Rd parking lot east to White Plains trail head for a rest stop. Return retraced the IHRT back to the start.

Weather: another most excellent day. Partly sunny giving way to mostly sunny w/temp range of 70-78 degrees, very low humidity, and 5-7 mph air out of the east

AMS: varied significantly by rider

Mechanicals/Mishaps: none

Report: a big turnout matched by high numbers of other cyclists on the trail today, especially between Bensville and White Plains. There were quite a few groups, ranging from 3 to 5+ riders. Of course, our group spread out considerably, so maybe to others, we also looked like small groups of riders. Usual number of walkers and/or joggers.

We welcomed Vicki back to our Friday rides. She has a new Urtopia ebike that she really enjoys. Howard was a guest and also enjoyed today's ride. Minimal wildlife sightings as only a couple of deer were seen on the western part of the trail.

Candy, Moreland & St Peters Church (CC,32)

Stephen Palincsar — Thu, 07 Aug 2025 13:00:00 GMT

Leader: Steve Palincsar

Members: Tom Short, Sonja Newman, Lou Dall'Orso, Harry Kidd, Sam Perry

Route: https://ridewithgps.com/routes/52083886 Newly drafted for the occasion, but the sort of route we used to do very often in the past: Candy Hill from Molly Berry to Nottingham, Tanyard across Croom to Baden Naylor, Baden Westwood and Horsehead to the Five Points at Malcolm, then Mt Pleasant and Woodville to a rest stop at the Moreland Market. After the break we continued on Woodville to Dr Mudd, Poplar Hill and St Peters Church, across Bee Oak onto Dent and onto Cedarville. Going left at the Cedarville Deli we took Ashbox to Brandywine and Gibbons Church to North Keys back to the park. 32 miles, 1189' elevation gain.

Weather: Sunny and windy. A chill-feeling 72 at the start rose to the low 80s, seemingly during our rest stop at the (newly repaved and featuring a newly installed set of Marathon gas pumps) Moreland Market. Wind held constant at 8-9 mph, although it felt a lot stronger when we were riding on Brandywine Rd.

Mishaps & mechanicals: During the break at Morelands Sonja came in with a loose Speedplay cleat: loose because she had lost one of the four screws that hold the cleat to the shoe. I carry Sidi cleat screws, but they didn't fit, being too large in diameter; but I also carry a Phillips and a Torx screwdriver, and with them we tightened down the remaining screws so she could finish (and unclip from the cleat) safely.

AMS: 13.2

Report: a pleasant ride on a nostalgic route. Some leaders have in recent years avoided riding on Cedarville Rd out of fear for dump trucks; we saw half a dozen going in the opposite direction, but none going in our direction and none passed us today. Some sections of Brandywine Rd have new pavement and newly-paved shoulders as well, which was a treat.

8/5 Clockwise Nanjemoy Loop (A/B 46)

Tue, 05 Aug 2025 13:00:00 GMT

Leader: Lou Dall'Orso

Members: none

Guests: none

Route: https://ridewithgps.com/routes/51730263

Weather: Overcast high 60s low 70s, no humidity to speak of, just about a perfect day for a longish ride.

AMS: I dunno

Mechanicals/Mishaps: Yeah, see below.

Report: "Of mice and cyclists". Had planned on doing the Nanjemoy loop again today, and looking at the CC ride starting at the same time and place, I noticed that the first 7 miles or so, consisting of Hawthorne, and Ripley were the same at which point I'd go right on Poorhouse for a left on Mason Springs and the CCs would go left on Poorhouse for the remainder of their ride, so I decided an easy spin along with them would be a good way to get the ride started, so I just spun around in a really tiny gear, planning on a quick stop and a wave goodbye before setting on a tempo pace for the remaining 40 miles or so. Well, that didn't happen, after a bit on Ripley there was a work crew, and as I approached, and slowed while nearing the stop signal person, I sat down after a quick stretch, and heard a pop and felt my saddle fold under me. At first I thought the seat post mast had cracked, but no, the clamp binder bolt sheered. A big thank you to Joan, Ron, and the rest of the CCs, who helped collect the pieces and offered assistance. I ended up making the right on Poorhouse, then a right on Mason Springs for a nearly straight shot back to the start while standing on the pedals.

Mt Pisgah, Hilltop and Smallwood Church

Joan Oppel — Tue, 05 Aug 2025 13:00:00 GMT

Leader: Joan Oppel

Members: Ron Altemus, Anonymous, Robin Garnett, Sue Gunter, Beth Handler, Sonya Newman,Patricia Sanders, Pat Walthers

Route: https://ridewithgps.com/routes/41975840 Looping around the Pisgah and Ironsides area - 35 miles

Report: A lovely ride on a very cloudy day (no one complained) in mid-70's temperatures for the entire time. It was an enjoyable day out, with a nice rest stop at the picnic tables in Pisgah Park. And I forgot to take a picture.

Mechanicals/Mishaps: Well, Lou D was riding his own posted ride, but started with us for the first 5 or 6 miles. We went up Mt Pisgah/Hawthorne, turned on Ripley and about half way along Ripley, we started to hear metal bits hitting the tarmac. Lou's seat clamp bolt broke and scattered his saddle and parts. We all stopped to pick up pieces. The second time on an Oxon Hill ride I have seen this happen. Lou rode back to the start, standing all the way. (The first time it happened we manage to affix the saddle well enough with zip ties and duct tape that the rider could sit to ride back to the start. Lou decined the offer of zip ties and duct tape.)

Dixie Lyon, Aviation Yacht Club & Manor (CC, 42)

Stephen Palincsar — Sun, 03 Aug 2025 13:30:00 GMT

Leader: Steve Palincsar

Members: Anonymous User, Bob Thompson, Suzanne Brown, Joan Oppel, Chantal Briere, Linda Bankerd, Patricia Walthers, Patricia Sanders

Guests: none

Route: https://ridewithgps.com/routes/51963635 41.8 mi, 1523' elevation gain.

Weather: 71 and sunny at the start, eventually rising to a surprisingly warm 83 (oh, how quickly they forget!) with 6-8 mph winds.

AMS: 13.3

Mechanicals/Mishaps: Suzanne's DI2 battery was low, and went into power-conservation mode at the Chaptico Market. She thought she could make it the whole way by carefully managing her shifts, conserving the little charge she had left, and she was right.

Report: It was a lovely sunny morning, and quite comfortable in the 70s as we rode through the Amish landscape on Dixie Lyon Rd and then Thompson Corner Rd, carefully steering around the copious piles of fresh horse droppings (I sure hope it was more than one horse that left all that) on the side of the road. In the recent past there have still been a few farms growing tobacco in the old traditional area on Dixie Lyon, but this year there was none to be seen.

It was a busy day on the pier at Wicomico Shores Landing. Usually when we've ridden there we've been by ourselves, but today there were many people out on the dock fishing, and someone was preparing to cook lunch at the pavilion.

A couple of the riders were new to Wicomico Shores Landing. Getting there on Aviation Yacht Club Rd you go down a long, steep hill by the golf course, and there was some fearful anticipation of the return climb -- quite justified, if indeed you retrace the route, as Pat Walthers and I can attest, having misread the cue sheet once; but fortunately that's not how the route goes: the return passes the turn onto Aviation Yacht Club and takes the easy way up Army Navy Drive, turning onto Aviation Yacht Club only after you've reached the summit.

Passing the Chaptico store we went up the long, slight climb on Maddox and then up the first of the big stairsteps and then turned onto Manor. It's been a while since I've been here, too; sadly, no sunflowers this year.

We took a nice break at the Chaptico store, where Bob was finally able to satisfy his desire for hot dogs with some kind of sausage dish. We'd been discussing the famous Chaptico fried chicken earlier in the ride, and when we arrived at the benches around the corner from the ice cream window there was a family that had come down from DC just to enjoy the Chaptico fried chicken.

It's funny how different your experiences can be on the same stretch of road. After we'd taken the Three Notch Trail to Clearview Ct, crossed MD-5 onto Flora Corner and then headed west on MD-6, Suzanne and I stopped at the turn onto All Faith Church to regroup. As we were waiting, a driver stopped and inquired if we were all right, offering to help if anyone was having trouble. At more or less the same time perhaps a mile behind us, Patricia and Anonymous were being harassed by drivers who were leaning on their horns while passing and screaming the usual abuse as they passed.

One other observation: there are a few stretches on the Three Notch Trail, one between Oaks Rd and MD-6, and the other at the opposite end near Baptist Church Rd, where the trail has gotten some sharp and nasty root heaves. If you're riding there, pay attention: if you're lollygagging and daydreaming when you hit them, those root heaves could really spoil your ride.

Shady Nanjemoy 26 miles

Ron Altemus — Sat, 02 Aug 2025 13:15:00 GMT

Leader: Ron Altemus

Members: Esther Stewart, Robin Garnett, Sue Gunter, Connie Quickstad, Mark Garrison, Susan Altemus, Pat Colvin

Route: Outbound via Ironside, Baptist Church, GIlroy/Chickamuxen, RIverside, and Liverpool Point to a rest stop at Nanjemoy Store. Return took us back to Riverside, then Smith Point, Maryland Point and MD-6 to a second rest stop at King James Church. Final leg was MD-6 and Ironside to Friendship Landing and the park.

Weather: delightful - sunny, temp range of 70-77, some air out of the SW, and NO humidity!

AMS: mid 12s

Mechanicals/Mishaps: nothing notable

Report: more like an early September ride than one in August, especially coming after a couple of weeks of oppressive heat and humidity. For two riders, their first time enjoying the quiet roads and rural splendor of Nanjemoy.

At the corner of Baptist Church and Bowie, unfortunately there were no longhorn cattle to view but that provides a reason to come back and ride again in this area. As we got to our turn onto Gilroy, we had a quick glimpse of the 50 miles A/B riders going past in the other direction. Gilroy itself was almost completely sans traffic. Crossing MD-6 onto Chickamuxen, a few cars passed us but once on Riverside, we rode for long stretches without any vehicular traffic. Riverside's rollers looked daunting to some but were successfully ridden by all members of our group.

The Nanjemoy store parking lot was empty when we arrived and we enjoyed a relaxing break under the roofed picnic area. As we were leaving, the parking lot quickly filled. Maybe word had gotten out that bicyclists were in the area. Back on Riverside, the rest of the rollers were met with the same results as those before - everyone kept rolling down and up. Smith Point provided a bit of excitement with a couple of loose smallish dogs but fortunately they seemed to only want to run alongside us and bark.

At the King James Church rest stop (pictured below), we found water, Fritos and potato chips delivered earlier by Steve Palinscar. A nice setting in the shade, of course, affording another chance to socialize before the last 4 miles back to the ride start. Our C/CC rides tend to be a bit leisurely, social with lots of conversation. Today's was no exception making if a very fun ride.

Shady Nanjemoy -- 50 Miles

Sherwood — Sat, 02 Aug 2025 13:00:00 GMT

OMG, what a wonderful day to ride!

On this great weather day, 14 Oxon Hill Bike & Trail Club (OHBTC) members joined in the All Class Ride of 50 miles around the shaded and quiet roads of Nanjemoy, Maryland. The pace was fast as advertised. I observed AMS's from 16 to 18 mph and some at about "MACH". No incidents were reported unless a missed turn by the ride leader counts. LMAO!

Shady Nanjemoy 36 Miles

Jackie Schoch — Sat, 02 Aug 2025 13:00:00 GMT

Leader: Jackie Schoch

Members: Don and Nancy Kay, Lynda and Ron Honberg, Harry Kid, Susan and Ray Luckenbach, Denny Miller, Marian Robinson, Janel Saunders, and Mary Scala.

Route: We started at Friendship Landing Rd in Nanjemoy.

Weather: Cloudy, 72 degrees and feel like 72 degrees. Humidity 81%, wind 4.2 miles/h from NE. Just a perfect day for a ride.

AMS: varied significantly by rider

Mechanicals/Mishaps: The only mishap was Janel dropped her ear pod but it was found in the middle of the road and a car went over it without touching it. Blessing indeed.

Report: This was a B/CC ride and riding on River Road (when I was a kid we called it the roller coaster road) made it nice going up and down fast. We stopped at St. James Church for a potty stop and snacks. It was good to see that the church now has air conditioning. On Hancock/Adam Willet Rd. I marked pot holes with yellow paint. Hopefully it will be filled. Only time will tell. I now carry yellow paint on every ride.

Everyone had a wonderful time riding in Nanjemoy. Hopefully they will return for more rides.

Friday Indian Head Rail Trail 20 mi

Jackie Schoch — Fri, 01 Aug 2025 13:00:00 GMT

Leader: Jackie Schoch

Riders: Ron and Susan Altemus, Donaro Gardner, Mark Garrison, Carl Hattery, and Linda Bankerd.

Route: Friday's fav - Indian Head Rail Trail from Livingston Rd parking lot east to White Plains trail head for a rest stop. Return retraced the IHRT back to the start.

Weather: Cloudy, 68 degrees Feels like 68 degrees, Humidity 91%, wind 3.1 mi/h from NNE.

AMS: varied significantly by rider

Mechanicals/Mishaps: none

Report: Friday ride is one of the favorite rides for our club. Since it has been going on since 2009. Since it was cloudy and cool jackets were worn by some. It was a very nice change from being in the 90s. We saw a deer, crane and of course squirrels.

Lovely ride & Discovery

Joan Oppel — Thu, 31 Jul 2025 21:10:53 GMT

Leader: Joan Oppel

Members: Steve Palincsar

More details on this (exciting) photo below!

Route: https://ridewithgps.com/routes/49813739 Actual mileage recorded- 32.8 with 1860 feet of elevation

Weather: Sunny, hot and humid, 82 at the start, 90 at the end (until the leader left her bike in the sun and it registered 94)

Mechanicals/Mishaps: none

Report: Steve and I had a great ride, enough breeze to keep relatively cool while riding and then drip with perspiration while stopped. We kept our two stops short. Water obtained at Patuxent River Park Pavilion.

Notable Road Finding! Oxon Hill Bike Club donates services to Prince George's County Roads Department -- For the Rural Legacy event, Steve and Lou Dall'Orso drove the routes before the event and marked the significant potholes for rider safety. We were particularly worried about the significant and multiple potholes on Fenno Road as riders descend the steep hill from Merkle to St Thomas Church Rd. So Steve and Lou used a lot of yellow paint there. And - evidently the road repair crews filled every one of the yellow marked potholes some time in the past few weeks!! We are a public service club!

Valley, Locust Grovel & Ripley (CC, 33)

Stephen Palincsar — Tue, 29 Jul 2025 13:00:00 GMT

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.

7/29 Clockwise Nanjemoy Loop (A/B 46)

Tue, 29 Jul 2025 12:00:00 GMT

Leader: Lou Dall'Orso

Members: none

Guests: none

Route: https://ridewithgps.com/routes/51730263

Weather: Bearable at the start, maybe high 70s, closing in on oppressive towards the end in the low 90s. Overall not too bad.

AMS: 15.5 mph

Mechanicals/Mishaps: none

Report: Got on the pedals shortly before 0800, and headed off down Hawthorne to Ripley, wrapped around to Mason Hills, Ironsides, Route 6, and Riverside, made a quick stop just passed Mallow's Bay, and another one once I reached the shaded portion of Chickamuxen. Back at the car around quarter pass 11. While it was certainly hot, the early start, and shady roads, made for a fun ride.

Mason Neck 28 miles

Ron Altemus — Sun, 27 Jul 2025 13:00:00 GMT

Leaders: Joan Oppel off the front; Ron Altemus sweeping

Members: Fran Jezisek, Mark Garrison, Bob Rourke, Paul Adams, Joan Oppel, Janell Saunders, Gene Villiva, Steve Palincsar, Susan Altemus. Not pictured: Patricia Sanders

Route: https://ridewithgps.com/routes/40798783 27.6 miles, 738' elevation change. Starting at Gunston Elementary heading east on Gunston Rd, we almost immediately took a right onto Belmont Blvd for a 2-mile jaunt to its end to view the eponymous bay. Retracing back to Gunston Rd to again head east, within a quarter of a mile we got onto the Mason Neck trail which took us to a short spur on Springfield. We rejoined the trail and followed it down to High Point Rd which led us to the Mason Neck State Park for the obligatory group photo (above).

Another retrace back to Gunston Road and again eastward to tours of the Hallowing Point and Gunston Manor neighborhoods. Whilst riding through the former along River Rd, we were able to identify the three scrub islands nearer to the Maryland shore in line with Mt Aventine off of Chapman's Landing Rd. Gunston Manor afforded us views of the Potomac River to the north with Mt Vernon barely visible along the tree line.

Our return took us west on Gunston Rd back to the Mason Neck trail. We did a side trip to George Mason's Gunston Hall (pictured below) and another into Pohick Bay Regional Park (which included a loop through the shaded campground). Final spur into the golf course was jettisoned as the day had become much warmer. Most riders still ended with about 27 miles.

Weather: Sunny, hot and humid: temperatures in the 80s with "feels like" temps as high as 101. They had a weather alert sign out at Mason Neck park, and although it was comfortable in the shade while we were moving, it was brutal standing still in the sun.

AMS: upper 11s for many riders; swept in the mid 10s

Mechanicals/Mishaps: two separate tumbles, both while not moving, one getting on, one getting off. The former needed a bandaid but continued for the rest of the ride; the latter's pride was the only thing hurting.

Report: a nice turnout including some newish riders to bicycling on the road instead of only trails. Joan led off the front, stopping at the major turns to allow regrouping. Gunston Road is the only main artery on Mason Neck but today vehicular traffic was very light. While sections of the trail were in direct sunlight, Belmont Blvd, Springfield and High Point had copious amounts of shade, feeling 5-10 degrees cooler.

At our rest stop at Mason Neck, we were joined by PPTC riders that were also riding on the neck today. They had started a bit earlier than we did to avoid midday heat. Familiar faces spent a bit of time comparing notes and ride experiences as shown below. Photo courtesy of Steve Palincsar.

Following the rest stop, we leisurely rode through the two neighborhoods at the eastern end of the neck, noticing how the older, smaller homes were gradually being replaced by mansions. Our visit to Gunston Hall allowed an opportunity to view one of the oldest homes on the neck. Thankfully, we don't have to worry about it being torn down.

No wildlife sightings today. Maybe too hot to venture out into the sunlight, especially since it was much nicer under the tree canopy shade.

Durham Church, Fire Tower and Goose Bay (CC 31)

Stephen Palincsar — Sat, 26 Jul 2025 13:00:00 GMT

Giants visiting the Sprite House on Stuckey Rd. Sprite was not at home.

Leader: Steve Palincsar

Members: Joan Oppel, Ray Luckenbach, Harry Kidd, Tom Short, Dave Van Amayden

Route: https://ridewithgps.com/routes/40019673 31 mi, 1230' elevation gain. Mason Springs and Ironsides to Durham Church; down Durham Church and right on 6, up Annapolis Woods and back down to 6 on Fire Tower, Mill Swamp, Blossom Point and Brentland to Goose Bay. After the break, up Blossom Point, 6 to Burch, left on Poorhouse, Stuckey Rd & Ln to Mason Spring and Pisgah Marbury, left on Bicknell back to Mason Springs and right to Pisgah Park.

Weather: Sunny, hot and humid: around 80 at the start and 90 at noon, humidity 70% to 60%, 7 mph breeze.

AMS: 13.5

Mechanicals/Mishaps: none

Report: A hot day, but a mostly shady route and a nice breeze made it bearable, even pleasant, as long as we were moving or stopped in the shade -- and we did stop in the shade, often, and not just to regroup but also to enjoy the delicious coolness.

Durham Church and Mill Swamp were exceptionally beautiful today due to the contrasting light and shadow, and the Sprite House stop on Stuckey (a battery swap for me, unfortunately out in the sun, as well as an obligatory photo op) was a shady treat.

Normally, 30 miles wouldn't be much of a ride for mid-season, but with the weather we're having this summer, it was just about right (where "just about right" is defined as "much more and we would have flopped right down and fallen on our faces before the end").

7/26 Pisgah Park Clockwise Nanjemoy Loop (A/B, 41)

Sat, 26 Jul 2025 13:00:00 GMT

Leader: Lou Dall'Orso

Members: None

Guests: None

Route: https://ridewithgps.com/routes/51830450

Weather: Around 80 at start, almost 90 by the end, humid and nary a cloud.

AMS: 16 MPH

Mechanicals/Mishaps: None

Report: Plan was to ride the first 5 miles or so with the CC group at the 0900 start time, as we shared the same route to that point, but because of the expected heat, took a poll, and everyone signed up for this ride agreed to get going when ready, which was around 0830 give or take. The route took us down Mason Springs, Iron Sides, Route 6, Riverside, Chickamuxen, and ending with a right on Mason springs for a straight shot back to Pisgah Park. Took another poll to see if anyone would like to add 4 miles or so by way of Hawthorne to Ripley, to Poor House, to Mason Springs, but by decision time the heat and humidity made it unanimous to stick to the plan. In addition to the very shady roads of Riverside, there was shade on several of the other roads, particularly on Chickamuxen, so I think we will stick with Clockwise until the weather relents, as the shade makes a significant difference particularly later on in the day.

"Beat The Heat 46"

Sherwood — Sat, 26 Jul 2025 11:00:00 GMT

We Won!!!

The daily temperatures, high humidity levels, and heat index's (Real Feel) have been very intense this month. Upper 90's and 3 digit real feel temperatures were beginning to be the norm. Although my Garmin is telling me that I am 100% acclimated to the conditions, I am still HOT and UNCOMFORTABLE! Wanting to get in a ride before all of the above ramped up, I decided that an early ride was best. Linda Bankerd, Donaro Gardner, and Sue Gunter, OHBTC members joined me.

As forecasted, the humidity was already high. We could begin to feel the heat starting to rise as we were nearing the end. We did win the battle, but the the weather gods won the war with the continued heat being forecasting of extreme weather conditions.

All said the ride was of a comfortable pace with plenty of respites. Finishing the ride in a little over 3 hours, and no reported mishaps/mechanical issues all were relieved to have finished before the air quality became unbearable.

Beginning the ride early, I thought was a good idea. "We Beat The Heat".

BTW, at the last rest stop, I asked if anybody wanted to extend the ride and add 4 more miles by going up Barry's Hill, there were no takers.

Friday IHRT ~20 miles

Ron Altemus — Fri, 25 Jul 2025 13:00:00 GMT

Leader: Ron Altemus

Members: Bob Rourke, Gene Villiva, Susan Altemus, Robin Garnett, Fran Jezisek, Connie Quikstad, Donaro Gardner, Mark Garrison, Esther Stewart, Paul Adams, Carl Hattery

Route: where else to ride on a Friday morning but the Indian Head Rail Trail - Livingston Rd parking lot east to White Plains trailhead and return

Weather: sunny, marginal breezes, temp range low 80s to upper 80s, humidity very noticeable

AMS: swept in the mid 11s

Mechanicals/Mishaps: none known

Report: thankfully, the earlier 9 am start had us finishing while the dew point was only in the muggy range and hadn't reached "oppressive." In addition to our gang, trail users included walkers, a few runners, and numerous other cyclists. Not much in the way of wildlife today: minimal number of turtles in some of the ponds, a black vulture overhead (perhaps hoping someone would succumb to heat stroke?), and a few butterflies.

Whites Landing, Magruders & Nottingham (CC, 34)

Stephen Palincsar — Thu, 24 Jul 2025 13:00:00 GMT

At Whites Landing

Leader: Steve Palincsar

Members: Denny Miller, Joan Oppel, Tom Short, Sonja Newman, Harry Kidd, Patricia Walthers and Lou Dall'Orso

Guests: none

Route: https://ridewithgps.com/routes/32110645 33.8 mi, 2043' elevation gain.

Weather: Sunny, hot and humid: low 80s at the start rising to just about 90 by early afternoon, 60% humidity and winds ranging from 10-15 mph.

AMS: 12.4 mph

Mechanicals/Mishaps: none

Report: A scenic route with lots of shade and, as it turns out, lots of elevation gain: hard enough that for some the awareness of the scenic surroundings didn't become evident until well into the ride due to the challenging nature of the terrain.

One of several breaks in the shade: here at Brooks Church, after the climbing on Baden Naylor

The shade and the breeze made it seem so cool, so pleasant, especially on the downhills that I really didn't notice the temperature until we'd arrived back at North Keys Park; and I didn't notice the effect of the temperature until the Man With the Hammer came for me on the drive home.

Tour de Acookeek

Sonja Newman — Wed, 23 Jul 2025 22:00:00 GMT

Leader: Sonja Newman

Members: Lou D. and Connie Q.

Guests: none

Weather: Low Humidity, Sunny

AMS: 11 - 12 mph

Mechanicals/Mishaps: none

Report:

There were three of us - Lou, Connie and myself - out for a beautiful evening ride. The weather couldn't have been better clear skies, low humidity, and comfortably warm temperatures. Lou rode his bike to meet us at the starting point, and from there, the three of us set off at a comfortable pace, riding together most of the way.

The descent down Marshall Hall was a thrill - Fast and Furious-style! Connie surprised me by staying close behind; later, she mentioned feeling faster today, and I'd have to agree.

At the halfway point, we paused at the rest stop over looking the Potomac River. We snapped a few photos and took in the view. I even spotted a couple of adults and two kids in the water.

As we approached the final mile, Lou picked up the pace, making a break for home before the sun dipped below the horizon.

Lou thanks for sticking with us for the whole ride!

All in all, it was a great ride with good weather, great company, and strong vibes.

Here's to the next one!

Tour de Accokeek, extended (CC/28 mi)

Stephen Palincsar — Sun, 20 Jul 2025 13:00:00 GMT

Leader: Steve Palincsar

Members: Anonymous User, Lisa Oken, Janell Saunders, Joan Oppel, Pat Colvin, Linda Bankerd, Patricia Sanders, Sherwood Byers and Ron Altemus

Guests: none

Route: https://ridewithgps.com/routes/26920630 28.2 mi, 696' elevation gain

Weather: Hot and humid, what else? The day started off overcast, but by the time we reached the rest stop at Marshall Hall, what is usually a pleasant oasis was more like inside that device you see in a 7/11 where the hot dogs rotate, sweating out their grease as they slowly turn.

AMS: 12.2

Mechanicals/Mishaps: none

Report: We started out together, but by the time we reached the turn onto Fenwick we were strung out. Some skipped Fenwick and stayed on Marshall Hall, others were on the way back.

After a very pleasant trip down a meandering wooded lane with views of the Potomac we reached the end of Marshall Hall Rd. Out in the sun it was too hot to take a rest stop there there, so those of us not already on the way back stopped in the shade at the end of Riverside for a break.

Some in the group had never been on Fenwick and Riverside, and really enjoyed the surprising rural seclusion and, of course, the shade. It's always a treat to show riders these hidden delights for the first time.

Back in the cool of the shade on Barrys Hill and left on Old Marshall Hall, those of us who hadn't already come and gone and those who skipped the out-and-back, stopped at the Welcome sign for a photo op before heading back to the Firehouse, arriving, as promised, by noon.

North Beach: 5th St & Leitch (CC, 46)

Stephen Palincsar — Sat, 19 Jul 2025 13:00:00 GMT

Leader: Steve Palincsar

Members: Deb Bowman, Patricia Sanders, Lou Dall'Orso, Joan Oppel, Tom Short, Patricia Walthers and Harry Kid

Guests: none

Route: https://ridewithgps.com/routes/51732149

Weather: Overcast, cloudy, sometimes sunny, sometimes heavy dark clouds; very humid, temperatures in the 80s. Seemed like there was rain all around us, including recently rained-on roads, but other than a few stray drops that could have been blown in the wind, we avoided the rain.

AMS: 13.8

Mechanicals/Mishaps: None.

Report: We could call this route "McKendree Detour #1," probably the first of many variations working around the closure of McKendree Rd between now and next spring. Today we took Pindell and Wrighton to Bay Front and rode it, pleasantly surprised at how much shade there was, all the way to MD-2, then took Old Solomons and MD-2, again very happy to see how much shade, to a right on the official detour route on Jewell to Wilson and Sansbury. A bit of a wait at the rotary, then across and down Walke at the restaurant to Old Solomons, past the Christmas tree farm to a rest stop at the Dash-In.

Climbing back past the tree farm after the break, we turned on Friendship and Boyd's Turn, then went left on 5th st into North Beach. As you'd expect with this group of riders, we split into a fast group and a not so fast group with the occasional regrouping stop. At North Beach the fast group didn't stop for the photo op, but rather went straight to Chesapeake Market under heavy dark clouds that looked as though we'd be rained on any second.

After a brief stop at the Market we climbed up Friendship and went down Fairhaven on to Town Point -- a bit of a running stream across the road, but not a huge pond like last time, when a rider went down in the water -- and up Leitch. We regrouped at the top of the climb, then went left on Franklin Gibson back to Fairhaven Rd, right on Old Solomons, then pm MD-2 back to Bay Front for half a mile, right on Brooks Woods and another rest stop at Honey's Harvest Farm. The Farm Store was open today, and after a visit to the store we debated route changes due to the very dark cloud right overhead and the occasional sprinkle. Since the next few miles had no alternatives, we decided to defer a decision on short cuts until we got to Southern Maryland Blvd at Lothian.

It had obviously rained on Brooks Woods, and only moments before, but as we headed towards Lothian the sky cleared and the sun came out. Forget the short cut: we all took the full route, Southern Maryland Blvd to Upper Pindell to Pindell, Plummer Lane and the MD-4 Service Road back, for a full 46 miles.

Unpromising weather yielded a comfortable ride, and a forced detour that put us on unfamiliar roads in seldom-ridded directions turned out to be a very pleasant route, and a worthy alternative to our more-frequently used variations.

Friday Indian Head Rail Trail 20 mi

Jackie Schoch — Fri, 18 Jul 2025 13:00:00 GMT

Leader: Jackie Schoch

Members: Bob Rourke, Paul Adams, Ron & Susan Altemus, Fran Jezisek, Robin Garnett, Mark Garrison, Carl Hattery, Janell Saunders, Esther Steward, Gene Villiva

Guests: Jennifer Wampler from Richmond, VA.

Weather: The weather was nice and cloudy but the sun came out toward the end, since the Ride Leader Jackie forgot to put on suntan lotion and got burned.

Mechanicals/Mishaps: Paul Adams had a little problem with his new electric bike when he went to shift gears. The problem wasn't electronic, it was his chain fell off. Easy fixed.

Report: It was another Friday with a GREAT turn out. We saw a deer, turtles at the beaver dam and of course squirrels. It was great having Jennifer Wampler from Richmond, VA and she is a volunteer for the Potomac Heritage Trail. She said it took her 1 hr 45 mins to get to the ride. She said that she had heard a lot about our Bike Club. I told her how we got started and that we are 53 years old. After our ride Ron and I took her to the beginning of the trail. She loved our IHRT. Jennifer told us there will be a meeting open to the public at the St. Mary's Library in Leonardtown about joining the Three Notch Trail and the IHRT Trail in October. I am sure we will get more information about this.

Chapel Point Promfret (32, mi, CC)

Sonja Newman — Thu, 17 Jul 2025 17:25:19 GMT

Four of us - Tom S, Steve P, Patricia S and I - set out on a leisurely bike ride that began on mostly shady roads, offering a comfortable and scenic start. We all stayed together at a relaxed pace as we made our way to the first rest stop at St. Ignatius. The climb up St. Ignatius hill was tough, but the view and a sense of accomplishment made it worthwhile. While we rested, Steve took some photos and mentioned he was on the lookout for butterflies.

After a brief stop at our second rest point, The Dash In gas station, we began our return back to the starting point. Roughly 6 or 7 miles out Steve got a flat tire. Pat and I assisted - though the first inner tube didn't hold, the second one did the trick.

A kind couple couple stopped to check if we needed help, but unfortunately, they didn't have a suitable bike pump.

The final stretch - over four miles on a the Indian Head Trail - was especially refreshing. Tom initially unaware of the flat, had gone ahead. Pat gave him a quick call and he graciously waited for us at the parking lot to wrap up a great day of riding!

Clockwise Nanjemoy Loop (A/B 46)

Thu, 17 Jul 2025 13:00:00 GMT

Leader: Lou Dall'Orso

Members: none

Guests: none

Route: https://ridewithgps.com/routes/51730263

Weather: Hot and humid, but due to being morning, as well as the shade on a large portion of the route, (particularly Riverside), not as bad as the numbers might suggest. The closing miles on exposed roads with the sun overhead did get interesting. Overall not too bad.

AMS: 15.2 mph

Mechanicals/Mishaps: none (if you don't count dropping my box of raisins.)

Report: Pushed down on the right pedal, then on the left one and just kept that up at a tempo pace on the flats and descents, and babied the uphills. Had to stop a couple of times to clear the glasses, and wipe some sweat.

Met the CC group at the parking lot, and they invited me to go with them, but I wanted to get a feel for the route, so I declined. I did get to ride the first 100 feet with them, they went down the trail, and I turned right on Livingston. A big thank you to Steve Palincsar for his help with setting up and posting the ride. I'll probably will be posting this ride (or something similar) for the next few weeks. Looking forward to some company.

Mount Calvert & Jug Bay (CC, 31)

Stephen Palincsar — Sun, 13 Jul 2025 14:00:00 GMT

Leader: Steve Palincsar

Members: Catherine Ade, Donaro Gardner, Harry Kidd, Ray Luckenbach, Joan Oppel, Walt Roscello, Tom Short

Guests: none

Route: https://ridewithgps.com/routes/51597469

Weather: We had plenty of it today: everything from hot, humid and sunny to humid and overcast, light rain, thunder rumbling in the distance, and -- in the area, but either before we got there, or after the ride and just down the road -- heavy rain with flash flood warnings.

Overcast and humid before we left North Keys Park, becoming sunny and humid, and then water on the roads, is that spray off the back wheel of the bike in front of me? no, that's definitely light rain, tapering off to overcast, then sunny and humid in Jug Bay. Overcast on Duley Station, and going down Van Brady and up North Keys, thunder in the distance and light drizzle in the Park.

Once we left the park and went 200 yards down the road driving home, we drove through a major storm cell with rain so heavy the wipers wouldn't keep up but were out of it by Brandywine Rd. and the flash flood alerts were all for somewhere else.

As far as we riders were concerned, the light rain at the start merely gave perspiration a head start and set evaporative cooling on High, and we had a great time.

For the record, temperatures around 85, winds ranging from 6-14 mph, humidity 75-90%. The forecasts this morning (I checked 7) ranged from 0% chance of rain (I think there's a problem with their API's) to 100%, with 30%, 40% and 65% scattered around at different hours. I could have canceled, and I'm very glad I didn't.

AMS: 13.1

Mechanicals/Mishaps: none

Report: Hot and humid at the start gave way to overcast and then light rain as we rode north on Molly Berry. When we turned onto Croom it was clear there had been heavy rain not long before, with ponding on Croom and wet pavement on Mattaponi. The light rain stopped somewhere on St Johns Church, and damp clothes and nice breezes kept us cool, albeit somewhat sticky.

We rode down Mt Calvert to the end of pavement, but found, as we feared the gravel road to the historic site was very soft and difficult to ride, so we turned back after a few hundred feet, climbed back to Duvall, turned on Croom Airport and went down Park Entrance Rd to the Jug Bay Visitors Center. After posing for pictures around the google-eyed waste receptacle we climbed or took the elevator up to the observation tower and finally got a look at Mount Calvert.

After climbing Park Entrance and Croom Airport we turned down Duley Station with a diversion down Bellefield, onto Cheltenham and Old Indian, across that awful railroad crossing onto Van Brady. We could hear thunder in the distance as we turned onto Molly Berry, and once we turned on North Keys the thunder became louder and we could feel light rain in the air again. It was almost a drizzle as we turned into North Keys Park.

The real fun began on the drive home once we passed Gibbons Church and entered the storm cell. Heavy rain -- the sort of heavy rain that must have caused the wet pavement and streams running across Croom Rd early in the ride -- slashed down for maybe half a mile, clearing up by the time we turned onto Brandywine Rd. The forecasts were fulfilled, and we managed to beat the heat, beat the rain, beat the flash floods, and got in a great ride. Not a bad way to begin the week.

Leonardtown, Fairgrounds & Sandgates (CC, 36/47)

Stephen Palincsar — Sat, 12 Jul 2025 13:30:00 GMT

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.

Friday IHRT ~20 miles

Ron Altemus — Fri, 11 Jul 2025 13:00:00 GMT

Leader: Ron Altemus

Members: Gene Villiva, Robin Garnett, Donaro Gardner, Paul Adams, Esther Steward, Bob Rourke, Connie Quickstad, Fran Jezisek, Susan Altemus, Jackie Schoch, Mark Garrison, Carl Hattery

Route: Indian Head Rail Trail, Livingston Road parking lot to White Plains trailhead for a rest stop, then return to the start

Weather: alternating between sunny and cloudy, temps starting in the mid 70s rising to the mid 80s, some air movement out of the SW

AMS: probably everyone in the 11s

Mechanicals/Mishaps: none

Report: Good turnout for what was a nice ride. As usual, some rode foast, some rode a bit slower, all had a good time. Lots of conversations while riding. We saw several small groups of other cyclists, one of which appeared to be family, another was all e-assist. They all looked they were having fun, too.

Wildlife sightings included a couple of turtle rescues by Jackie: one small, quarter-sized baby painted turtle; the other a slightly larger young box turtle. Deer were also present including the what was probably the same stag seen Sunday on the IHRT's Watermelon Ride. A couple of great blue herons were observed along the trail while Bob captured the picture below of a green heron in the beaver pond just west of the Livingston Rd parking lot.

Large numbers of butterflies are now present along the trail. This year, it seems that zebra swallowtails are the most common, but sightings of black and tiger swallowtails are also frequent. Paul photographed both a black swallowtail and a Monarch on flowers between Bumpy Oak and Livingston Rd. The pale lavender flowers need identification - they might be some kind of Aster though three different books have not provided a positive match.

Watermelon Ride 49 miles

Diane Harris — Sun, 06 Jul 2025 13:00:00 GMT

Ride Leader: Diane Harris

Members: Theresa, Barbara, Janice, Rita, Michael, Eric, Bruce, Lou, Riley

Weather: Clear, sunny, humid, starting temperatures ~75°

Mishaps: None. At the rest stop, riders were asked not to block access to amenities used by the customers of businesses

Report: After days of rain, threats of rain, high heat and humidity, this turned out to be a good day for the club's annual Watermelon Ride. My group of 10 riders did the 49 mile route which took us on the Indian Head Rail Trail to mostly lightly traveled rural roads of Southern Maryland. The rest stop was at the Goose Bay Marina and Campground where we took advantage of seating on the covered porch and indoor restrooms. There was a (what I call) a pop-up camper that reminded me of the one my dad used to take our family of 8 on a cross country trip from DC to Los Angeles, CA. Good times! Leaving the rest stop, a dropped chain separated the group, resulting in the guys getting ahead while the ladies rode together for the rest of the ride. Did you know there's a farm in Southern Maryland that has a herd of Texas Longhorns? I've got pics to prove it! The rest of the ride was uneventful, with a second rest stop at the Pisgah store before returning to the Indian Head Village Green for the much appreciated and enjoyed watermelon. Thanks Jackie!!

2025 Watermelon Ride 40 mile Edition

Catherine Ade — Sun, 06 Jul 2025 13:00:00 GMT

Although 19 riders initially signed up, only 13 rolled out with the 40 mile group. We stayed together on the IHRT but spread out when we reached the climb on Bumpy Oak. Walt Roscello joined us before we got to the rest stop at Goose Bay, as he was doing his own Franken-ride (combining features of both the 35 and 40 mile routes).

We re-grouped when we got to Goose Bay, where we met up with the group doing the 50 mile route. Eventually, the riders doing the 35 mile route came and joined us. I don't think I've seen the patio that busy!

A few of us decided to take the right out of Goose Bay onto Brentland Road and went down to Port Tobacco River. At the end of the road, you get a unique view of St. Ignatius Church without having to climb the hill.

On the way back to the Indian Head Village Green, we definitely started feeling the heat of the day. We stopped and regrouped a few times to make sure we more-or-less stayed together for the rest of the ride. At one such re-group at the church on Poorhouse right before you hit Mason Springs, a woman came out and gave us cookies (did we look that bad?). She was quite apologetic that they were store-bought.

Turning onto the IHRT, we ran into Sonja Newman and one of her riders waiting for a pick-up. Pat W stayed with them so Sonja wouldn't have to ride back alone. When we returned back to IHRT, we tucked into some ice cold watermelon, a well-deserved treat after our ride in the July heat.

WATERMELON Bike Ride - 35 MILES

Sonja Newman — Sun, 06 Jul 2025 13:00:00 GMT

35 MILES, Leader - Sonja Newman

·         Date and time of the ride – 7/6/25, 9am

·         Distance covered – 35 mile ride

·         Route or location – Village Green Park

·         Weather conditions – Nice weather, 80’s, prior to rest stop. After first rest stop hot and sunny!

·         Duration – 3 ½ - 4 hrs

·         Average speed – 10 -14 touring

·         Highlights or memorable moments – New member Connie Quickstad completed her first road ride totally 32 miles.
Hooray Connie!!

·         Challenges faced – Hot temperatures last 10+ miles.

·         Members signed up for the 35 mile route -Kathleen Bailley, Evelyn Egizi, Donaro Gardner, Janet Johnson, Joseph Mckenzie, Denny Miller, Connie Quickstad, Walt Roscello, Ester Steward, Jill Thompson Riese and Lisa Troshinsky

NOTE: We had 3 additional riders join us that previously registered with another group.

‍ Ride Summary – 35 Miles in the Warm/Heat

On a warm sunny day, over a dozen riders came together for a spirited 35-mile bike ride. To accommodate different paces and comfort levels the group wisely split into two smaller packs roughly six riders in each.

Group 1, Thank you Donaro and Ellen, stepping in to assist me with the riders. Both set a steady pace and showed incredible leadership and patience. A huge thank you to both of them for not only guiding the ride but also for their thoughtful support—waiting periodically to regroup and ensure no one was left behind.

Group 2 Led by me, followed at a more relaxed pace, taking in the scenery and managing the heat with plenty of hydration and camaraderie.
Following the first rest stop, heat and lack of hydration may have contributed to one of our newest members not being able to complete the ride. Despite the challenging conditions, spirits remained high, and everyone pushed through with determination and teamwork.
Ride Highlight – Connie’s First Road Ride!

A big kudos to Connie, who took on her very first road ride with incredible determination and spirit! Riding a hybrid bike and not clipped in, she pushed through the summer heat and unfamiliar terrain to complete an impressive 32 miles.

About 3 miles from the finish, Connie let us know she couldn’t continue. She made the smart call to contact her husband for a pickup. Pat and I stayed back with her to keep her company and make sure she was okay. Once her husband was just minutes away, Pat and I headed back to complete the ride.

Connie’s perseverance and positive attitude were truly inspiring. First road ride, 32 miles—what an achievement! We’re all proud of you, Connie, and can’t wait to ride with you again soon!
Lastly, I want to thank those that went above and beyond to ensure Connie and I were ok! Thank you Donaro and Catherine for calling to check on us while we waited for Connie’s husband. Thank you Pat Walters for staying with Connie and I and riding back with me to the finish. Also Pat Sanders thank you for waiting periodically to ensure we were properly following the cue sheet.
Thank you Glo Jean for waiting on rider(s) without cue sheets/and or Ride w/GPS and thank you Patricia Sanders for the brief cycling etiquette verbal cues.

The ride was a great example of community, flexibility, and looking out for one another.

Kudos to all who participated and made it a memorable day on two wheels!

Thank you to the entire Oxon Hill Family and visitors!!!

Sonja Newman

2025 Watermelon Ride Overview

Stephen Palincsar — Sun, 06 Jul 2025 13:00:00 GMT

Continuing OHBike's longest standing tradition, we held the Watermelon Ride today, starting from the Indian Head Village Green.

Weather

We had perfect weather, for an early July day in a summer that has been notably hot and humid: 78 at the start, rising to 87 by early afternoon, with humidity at 74% when we started, dropping to 65-70% as the temperature rose. The early afternoon rain forecast by some sources happily failed to materialize.

Leaders

Jackie Schoch led the 26 mi road ride and provided the watermelon; Ron Altemus led the IHRT Trail Ride. Sonja Newman led the 35 mi ride, Catherine Ade the 40 mile and Diane Harris led the 49 mile ride. The three longest rides all went to Goose Bay, where we all had a wonderful time.

26 mi group (Ron Altemus photo)

35 mi group (Ron Altemus photo)

40 mi group (Ron Altemus photo)

49 mi group (Ron Altemus photo)

Leaving Goose Bay, some of Catherine's 40 mile riders added a few bonus miles exploring the far eastern end of Brentland Rd, becoming for a few moments part of the famous view from St Ignatius Church.

Riders

64 riders registered for the event; 36 were checked in, a questionable number considering the difficulty in establishing who was there and who rode what route. That said, the stats record 9 on the 26 mi road ride, 4 on the IHRT Trail ride, 7 on the 35, 7 on the 40 and 9 on the 49.

Routes

26 mi to Pisgah https://ridewithgps.com/routes/47419189
35 mi to Goose Bay https://ridewithgps.com/routes/29553475
40 mi to Goose Bay https://ridewithgps.com/routes/47170756
49 mi to Goose Bay https://ridewithgps.com/routes/47170809

Watermelon Ride - IHRT Edition ~27 mi

Ron Altemus — Sun, 06 Jul 2025 13:00:00 GMT

Leader: Ron Altemus (who took pictures of the other four groups and never got a picture of the trail riders!!!)

Members: Paul Adams, Pat Colvin, Mark Garrison, Deidre Hardy, Harry Kidd, Bob Rourke, Gene Villiva

Guests: Kim MacDonald, Geneva Wigfall

Route: Indian Head Rail Trail from the Village Green to White Plains for a rest stop and then return to awaiting watermelon

Weather: very nice - sunshine mixed with clouds, temp range of upper 70s to low 80s, bearable humidity, enough breeze out of the SW to provide a bit of cooling

AMS: varied by rider; swept in the low 11s

Mechanicals/Mishaps: on the return, two riders in different instances took tumbles at the Livingston Road parking lot. One fell slowly into the grass and was unhurt except for their pride; the other unfortunately fell onto gravel and drew blood. Mark had his "crash kit" with him and was able to provide a correctly sized bandage to cover the wound successfully.

Report: a bit of confusion in the sign-up process (two 26 miler rides listed) prompted some to sign up for the Pisgah ride but they changed over to IHRT, cutting Jackie's number in half while doubling the IHRT contingent.

We had a new member and two guests, as noted above. As with any club ride on the IHRT, lots of riding in pairs and socializing from one end of the trail to the other. Plenty of other trail users including families with small children bicycling or in strollers, lots of walkers/runners, and numerous cyclists. Wildlife sightings included painted turtles, a small deer, a 4-6 point male deer, and a 4' eastern rat snake. The latter brought a number of riders to a complete stop, unwilling to ride past it until it was encouraged to leave the trail for the vegetation alongside.

The highlight of the ride was the return to delicious watermelon served up to Jackie Schoch in the shade on the Village Green:

Jackie serving to Deidre, Kim, and Harry.

Bob and Paul enjoyed their watermelon as Gene looks on.

Special thanks to Harry Kidd and Mark Garrison for their help in providing assistance to our riders. And a big shout out to Jackie for the watermelon!

Annapolis Meander (Class CC)

Leslie Tierstein — Sat, 05 Jul 2025 18:00:00 GMT

Photo album: https://tinyurl.com/yr7zuskj

Leader: Leslie Tierstein

Riders: Only me

Description: The ride went through neighborhoods and parks that face the South River. Quiet Water Parks does charge a parking fee of $6.00, but the park ranger advised me to park "in the shopping center across the street". The ride down to the river and the "South River Overview" is worth doing/seeing. Hillsmere Shores, the adjacent neighborhood, has gorgeous houses, boat moorings, and a nice peaceful ride down to the river. The published route needs to be revised to avoid traffic on Bay Ridge Rd to get to the next neighborhood and Thomas Point. Next time.

Mechanical: I forgot to pump up my bike tires before the ride. I was about to use my hand pump (in the parking lot) when another bicyclist passed. When I asked for help, she produced a fantastic battery pump, a Dwndpump. I have already ordered one from Amazon. Small and reasonably priced.

Sands & Harwood to South County and the Bay (B/CC, 40)

Catherine Ade — Fri, 04 Jul 2025 13:00:00 GMT

Leader: Catherine Ade and Walt Roscello

Members: Steve P, Anon. User, Ray L, Barbara B, Patricia W, Linda B, Eric N

Guests: None

Route: https://ridewithgps.com/routes/51508438

A route we don’t ride often! North on Sands, South/East on Harwood, Down Owensville-Sudley Road, down to the Water at Franklin Manor. Two short pootles by the Bay before a welcome stop at South County Cafe in Deale. Short pootle to aid digestion preceded the climb out on Bay Front. We turned onto Brooks Woods, taking it to Greenock, eventually flying down in the shaded comfort of Wrighton, Pindell and the Rt 4 Service Road.

Weather: Clear skies, between 80-90F for the ride. Cooler in the shade

AMS: Varied between riders. ~14.5 for the ride leaders overall.

Mechanicals/Mishaps: None

Report:

When coming up with this ride, there were several aspects we wanted to include. In no particular order:

a.) Keep the ride between 35 and 45 miles

b.) Ride mostly in the shade

c.) Minimize the climbing (or at least keep most of the climbing in the first half of the ride)

d.) Have a spot to eat lunch

e.) Ride to the water (preferably places with good views)

f.) Be finished with enough time to allow riders to celebrate with their families/avoid celebratory events and/or avoid the debauchery spilling out on the road

We started out at 9am, which turned out to be pretty perfect; not too hot, and late enough to allow riders ample time to get to the start site. The ride out on Sands and Harwood was mostly in the shade, which felt slightly chilly when descending (not a complaint, just an observation). Going this direction in the relative coolness of the morning, the climbing seemed reasonable. Perhaps this author would feel differently in the beginning of the season (or on a scorching hot afternoon), but in these conditions it was… dare I say… fun? Tolerable, at the very least.

We stopped at the 7-11 at the end of Harwood. For future reference, they have water and ice from the soda fountain, and a variety of snacks for $1. Also, the restrooms were clean.

We spent the next 16 miles winding down to the water-front neighborhoods. This ride featured 4 distinct water views– three in a ‘stem-and-flower’ configuration (which I believe was new to a lot of the riders), and the pier at the corner of Chesapeake Dr and Hartford St. Four riders stayed to take in the sights on the pier while the rest of the group headed to South County Cafe. After taking pictures, relaxing, and trying to figure out what wooden structure used to be out in the water (old pier? Sunken ship?) the four remaining riders joined the rest of the group.

After our lunch break, we took a meandering two mile loop around Masons Beach before heading back up Bay Front. This was probably the first time we started feeling the heat and sun beating down on us, being exposed on the open shoulder of Bay Front (or was it because some of us in front were chasing down a tandem? The world may never know…). When we turned off of Bay Front onto Brooks Woods, the shade was welcomed. It is always fun taking this way back to the Park and Ride at Waysons; Brooks-Woods and Greenock are fun in this direction, and it is a shame we don’t go this way more often. We got back to the cars around 1:30pm, which gave us ample time to chat and reflect on the day.

Overall, I would say this ride achieved what we set out to do. We rode mostly in the shade, keeping the hardest climbs to the beginning when our legs were fresh. We had ample opportunities to look at the water, refuel, and rest-up if needed. We also took some roads we are not as familiar with, either because they are rarely utilized or because we usually ride them in the opposite direction. I think this ride could be a go-to when planning a sensible, shady ride for those days when you don’t want to hurt yourself. This route is also amenable to modification based on desired length, purpose, and rider interest.

Big thanks to Steve and Walt for designing this route and suggesting these specific water-views.

Friday Indian Head Rail Trail 20 mi

Jackie Schoch — Fri, 04 Jul 2025 13:00:00 GMT

Riders: Donaro Gardner, Robin Garnett, Mark Harrison, Denny Miller, Connie Quickstad, Ester Steward and Jackie Schoch. Charles Williams signed up but was no show.

Weather: PERFECT You couldn't ask for better weather no humidity and only in the low 80s.

AMS: This ride is a ride at your own pace so AMS was different for everyone.

Mechanical/Mishaps: None

Report: This was one of the perfect days for riding after having so many days in the high 90s.

The trail was really busy with bike riders (a lot) walkers with dogs, and runners. Everyone was enjoying this beautiful July 4th.

Wildlife we saw was a deer, turtles and a crane.

Locust Grovel, La Plata & Qualwood

Stephen Palincsar — Sun, 29 Jun 2025 13:00:00 GMT

Leader: Steve Palincsar

Members: Harry Kidd, Tom Short, Deb Reynolds and joining us on St Marys Ave in La Plata, Walt Roscello

Guests: none

Route: https://ridewithgps.com/routes/51435867 As ridden, 31.1 mi, 1074' elevation gain.

Weather: The heat wave continues, around 80 at the start rising to just under 90 by noon, with humidity at 88% at the start, leading to a heat index of 96 by noon. Hot and humid, and it felt like it.

AMS: 13.8

Mechanicals/Mishaps: none

Report: It was shady and pretty comfortable on the IHRT, up Bumpy Oak and down Rose Hill, and also up Locust Grove and into La Plata. We were pleasantly surprised when Walt Roscello joined us on St Marys Ave. He would stay with us all the way back to the parking lot at Livingston Rd.

We stopped at the Dash-In in La Plata, and then took Kent Ave to Hawthorne across US-301. The plan was to follow Hawthorne to Quailwood, but Walt showed us a new way to get there by turning almost immediately onto Magnolia, trading the shoulder of Hawthorne for pleasant tree-lined residential streets that eventually linked up with Quailwood.

But then we turned onto Rt 6 and left the shade behind. 6 down to a low point at Rose Hill, and then up past Shirley Blvd and the Charles County Government building out in the open, broiling. By the time we got to Burch and turned back into the shade, we were really starting to feel the heat.

When planning the route earlier in the week, I'd originally extended it on Strauss to Blair with a return on the IHRT adding another five miles or so, but heading down Mighty Mount Pisgah on Hawthorne I was glad we were only doing 31 miles, and I'm confident I wasn't the only one.

Goose Bay and Nanjemoy

Ellen Goodwin — Sat, 28 Jun 2025 22:48:33 GMT

Members: Tom Short, Linda Bankerd, Sherwood Byers, Steve Palincsar, Dave VanAymaden, Lois Lightfoot, Pat Sanders, Walt Roscello, Ellen Goodwin, Liam, Luis Dal Orso

Leader: Ellen Goodwin

AMS: 12.6 at the back

Course: 42 miles including stops at Goose Bay, Friendship Farm and Nanjemoy Store.

Mechanicals: One flat tire

Report: The ride started at 9 am under thick cloud cover and very high humidity. Fairly quickly the group split into a faster group and a slower group. About 2 miles before arriving at Goose Bay, Sherwood had a flat tire and about 7 of us stopped to help or just talk about helping. While we were stopped to resolve Sherwood's flat, Tom Short rolled up who had arrived a little late at the start after the group had already left.

We had a pleasant rest on the porch of Goose Bay. After we started back up it drizzled on us minimally, which wasn't enough to cut the humidity or the heat. We stopped by Friendship Farms park to use the porta potty, and found that the porta potties at Friendship Farm have been moved to a parking lot further down the road. So, FYI, the porta potties at Friendship Farm are further away than they used to be.

Shortly before we arrived at the second store, the Nanjemoy store, the sun had fully come out driving the heat further up. We all rested and had snacks and a nature break at the Nanjemoy store.

We arrived back at the parking lot at the full heat of the day. It reached around 90 degrees by the end of the ride. The group stayed together for the most part, except for a few faster riders, and most of the group finished together.

Note that the road to Friendship Farm and Gilroy Road have recently been regraveled, covered with a too-generous top layer of loose gravel.

Everyone seemed to have a great time even though the ride was very hot. Finally, I should note that this is the first ride posted using the newly unveiled ride posting form. The ride leader filled out the new ride posting form, sent it to the club, and the ride was posted on the calendar faster than you can say "Wild Apricot"! Hopefully others will take advantage of this easy way to post a ride!!!

Friday IHRT ~20 miles

Ron Altemus — Fri, 27 Jun 2025 13:00:00 GMT

Leader: Ron Altemus

Members: Esther Stewart, Robin Garnett, Susan Altemus, Donaro Gardner, Sue Gunter, Fran Jezisek, Connie Quickstad, Mark Garrison, Oswald Martin, Carl Hattery

Route: Friday Fav - Indian Head Rail Trail, Livingston Rd parking lot east to White Plains. After a rest stop, westward ho! the bicycles back to the start.

Weather: Cool as temps started at 68, reached 70 at White Plains before the rain started, dropped to 67 in the rain, and returned to 70 at the end. Yes, it rained from White Plains to Bensville on our return heavily, then a light rain back to the ride start where it stopped. SW breezes 7-10 mph.

AMS: swept in the mid 11s. With the rain hastening riders back to the start, several posted new land speed PR's!

Mechanicals/Mishaps: none other than getting wet

Report: a nice turnout with cooler temps than prior in the week and none of us thinking rain. Everyone seemed to pedal in pairs up to White Plains for our usual rest stop, with wildlife sightings along the way including trailside deer, turtles, and turkeys.

At White Plains, weather forecasts via cellphones were consulted and it was announced rain was expect to start also immediately. It did - we pedaled through a heavy rain to Bensville where it slackened and became a light rain for the remainder of the ride back to the start.

Afterwards, a few thoroughly drenched riders remarked that they had never ridden in the rain nor thought that they would want to do so, but it had actually been fun. And as noted above, there were several Personal Records set racing back to the cars.

South Polling House, Galesville & Polling House (CC, 34)

Stephen Palincsar — Sun, 22 Jun 2025 13:00:00 GMT

Rest stop at Elizabeth Dixon Park on the West River at Galesville

Leader: Steve Palincsar

Members: Donaro Gardner, Harry Kidd, Chantal Briere, Dave Van Amayden and Steve Perakis

Guests: Ellen Silver and Jerrold Keilson

Route: https://ridewithgps.com/routes/41526134 34 miles, 1400' elevation. The route takes Sands to Bayard, goes up South Polling House (and it's been a really long time since we did that!) to Polling House, then MD-2 and Mill Swamp down to Muddy Creek heading for Galesville, with significant side trips on Lansdale (the old alignment of Muddy Creek, I think) and Cumberstone, a thoroughly delightful narrow winding shaded lane bordering on the Smithsonian Environmental Research Center.

After a rest stop at the Elizabeth Dixon park in Galesville, the route goes up Galesville Rd, which becomes Owensville Rd, turns on Ownesville Sudley and heads back to Polling House, Bayard and Sands.

It's not Nanjemoy, but it is very shady and scenic, and was an excellent choice for a day like today.

Weather: 80 when we started, rising to 88 or 89, with 65-52% humidity that made the Washington Post, and 10 mph breezes.

AMS: Around 13 mph

Mechanicals/Mishaps: None

Report: A lovely route, with scenic views and lots of shade made much tougher than it would have ordinarily been by the heat and the humidity. It was wonderful to have guests. I think they enjoyed themselves, as did we all. I always marvel at how thoroughly lovely Cumberstone is: basically just a long out-and-back, a pleasant twisty downhill in the shade, and a surprisingly gentle climb back up, with nothing to see but the views, and worth every one of its 3.4 miles.

Galesville too is a treat as always, and the climb up South Polling House and the descent down Polling House provide an unusual treat as well.

York Tour 2025

Sherwood — Sat, 21 Jun 2025 14:00:00 GMT

On a beautiful weekend in Cockeysville, Maryland, 14 Oxon Hill Bike and Trail Club (OHBTC) members met together in Cockeysville, Maryland for a tour of the Torre C. Brown trail and Heritage Rail trail (HRT) en route to York, Pennsylvania.

The tour began with a remembrance of Randy Schoch, past president and one of the OHBTC founding members. Randy is also to be thanked for arranging our secured parking at the Grand Lodge of Ancient Free & Accepted Masons. After introductions, a pre ride briefing, and a group photo, the tour began. There were regrouping stops at Monkton Station, the Mason/Dixon Line, Hanover Junction Station, the York School of Civil Engineering, and the end of the HRT trail in York. The group stopped in New Freedom, the midway point of the tour, for lunch.

Tour participants stopped throughout the ride taking photos to remember their experience. Here are some of mine.

The weekend weather was good, but hot. The trails offered plenty of shade comforting us.

New Freedom, the high point along the trail was a welcomed relief from the gradual but challenging climb as the trail was all "Downhill" from there to the hotels.

After a long day of riding, we arrived at the hotels safely. All wanted a shower and a rest before meeting for dinner. When we returned to the hotel, Dani Villiva had baked some delicious ginger and chocolate chip cookies for us to enjoy. Thank you Dani.

All had agreed to be on the pedals at 9 AM for the day 2 return. We were to meet another rider at the trail head as he road up to York earlier Sunday morning to complete the tour in one day.

Again it was hot. We did meet the other rider and after a short greeting we continued. A photo op was taken at the large bicycle just short of the next regrouping point (Hanover Junction).

Continuing to New Freedom for lunch, most had stopped to refuel at the many various eateries (Paesano's Pizza, Vortex Grill, etc.). It was sad to learn that 2 of the favorite eateries had closed. It's a good thing that we were at the "Hight Point" of the trails because again it was all downhill from there as one of the "ebikes" had not had its battery recharged. Also one rider had run over a stick on the trail and was caught in the chain causing it to drop its chain. A navigation aid was dislodged from there bike which I recovered and returned to its owner. One rider was sagged, not being able to continue. Also the ebike rider with the dead battery accepted a ride back to the tour start. No other mishaps were reported to me.

At this time, with the high humidity and temperature rising, and all were beginning to get exhausted. This was a successful tour with all enjoying themselves.

Thank you to all for joining me on this tour...Sherwood

Less Riverside, More Side Roads (CC, 48)

Stephen Palincsar — Sat, 21 Jun 2025 13:00:00 GMT

The group at Pisgah Park, being surveilled by an FPV drone

Leader: Steve Palincsar

Members: Lori Michaelson, Chantal Briere, Sonja Newman, Ray Luckenbach, Ellen Goodwin, Charles Williams, Joan Oppel, Patricia Walthers, Dave Van Amayden

Guests: none

Route: https://ridewithgps.com/routes/37944348 As planned, 49 miles, 1680' elevation gain. For those of us who skipped the out-and-back to the end of Liverpool Point Rd, 47.3 and 1661' (per my Garmin)

Weather: Partly cloudy, hot and humid. 83 at 9 am rising to 90 by mid-day, with 7-8 mph breezes and humidity at 45%.

AMS: 13.6 for the trailing group, probably around 15 for the fast group.

Mechanicals/Mishaps: none

Report: A hot and humid one for the first day of summer, but the route was shady and the breeze helped keep us cool. Nanjemoy is a great place to ride on a day like today, and the design of the route (thanks, Joan!) kept us in the shade, and on the shady side of the road, for almost the entire distance.

The groups separated into a fast group and a less fast group almost before we left Pisgah Park, and by the time we turned on Annapolis Woods the lead contingent was well out of sight. We found them waiting at our first rest stop at Friendship Farm Park, didn't see them at King James Church and sighted them again at Liverpool Point Rd, as they were returning from the out-and-back.

We stopped at the Nanjemoy store at around noon for lunch, some heading there directly and others going down to the end of Liverpool Point Rd (muddy with puddles, Joan said, and you had to view the river from a driveway since it was too hard to get down to the fishing spot) before the store. As Joan predicted, those of us who went straight to the store skipped the out-and-back to Liverpool Point. The stop at the store was terrific. We enjoyed canine company for lunch, visible at the far left in the photo.

You'd be hard-pressed to find a better route for a hot summer day than this one. We had everything you need for an excellent time: water at the Nanjemoy Community Center; food, water and sodas at the Nanjemoy store; shade everywhere; a light breeze to evaporate our (copious) perspiration; a great group to ride with; and a dog for company at lunch.

Friday Indian Head Rail Trail 20 mi

Jackie Schoch — Fri, 20 Jun 2025 13:00:00 GMT

Route: Friday Indian Head Rail Trail, Livingston Rd parking lot eastward to White Plains trailhead. After a conversational stop, westward ho! back to the start.

Weather: We started the ride at 9 AM instead of 10 because of the heat.

AMS: varied by rider; We had a new rider that rode in the low 11s.

Mechanicals/Mishaps: none

Report: It was great to be leading a Friday ride again. I have to say it was strange without Randy because he always wrote the ride reports. There were a lot of bike riders, walkers and runners on the trail enjoying the early morning wonderful temperatures. Wildlife sightings included deer, squirrels, and turtles. I rescued one turtle on the way back to the parking lot and left my water bottle. So I got in the car and drove to White Plains to find my bottle which I found and it added 10 miles to my total for the day. While I was riding I saw a real pretty bright colored box turtle and she was digging a hole to lay her eggs. That was great to experience. No eagles visible on the nest near Livingston Road.

I had pictures but I couldn't get them added to the report. Can someone help me with this?

Juneteenth: Drayden School>Piney Point>St George Island 32 miles

Ron Altemus — Thu, 19 Jun 2025 13:00:00 GMT

Leader: Ron Altemus

Members/Guests: Robin Butler-LeFrancois, William "Soup" Cambell, Oswald Martin, Diane Harris, Beth Ingalls (guest), Theresa Rowell, Lori Michaelson, Sherwood Byers Sr, Leon Wells, Robin Garnett, Steve Perakis, Susan Altemus, Esther Stewart, Lou Dall'Orso. Not pictured: Walt Roscello, longer routes RL, Catherine Ade, Steve Palincsar, Dave Van Ameyden

Route: From the Weis in Callaway, south on Piney Point Rd to Happyland, St Georges Church Rd, Flat Iron, Drayden, Cherryfield to the Drayden Schoolhouse. Retracing back to Drayden to Piney Point Rd and Lighthouse Rd to a rest stop at the Piney Point Lighthouse. Retracing back to Piney Point to explore St. George Island with out and backs on Thomas Road and Piney Point Rd. Return via Piney Point Road to Tall Timbers Rd for lunch at Dent's, then Piney Point Rd back to the start

Weather: Not as bad as feared! Temp range of low 80s to mid/upper 80; plenty of sunshine and blue skies; SW 10-14 mph breezes kept the humidity comfortable enough.

AMS: swept in the mid 12s. Others were faster.

Mechanicals/Mishaps: none

Report: to honor Juneteenth, we visited the Drayden African-American Schoolhouse in St. Mary's County. Our ride included explorations of Piney Point and St. George island. Several route options were available - 32, 42, and 49 miles. Walt Roscello led for the longer routes. Riders were able to chose how far to ride depending on how they were affected by the heat. A few retraced from our Piney Point lighthouse rest stop back to the start; others did a variation on the 42 mile route.

Per St. Mary's County Department of Parks, the Drayden School is "Known as one of the best-preserved African American schoolhouses in the country, this recently renovated (2018), one-room structure stands on its original site and has not been significantly altered. Built around 1890, it continued use until 1944. " Signage allowed riders to get a fuller understanding of the "struggle of the St. Mary’s County African American community during an era of segregated education."

Signboards provided information and though the schoolhouse was not open, we could peer through the windows into the classroom.

Photo credits to Robin B and Robin G

From the schoolhouse, we traveled to the Piney Point Lighthouse for a rest stop, then a tour of St George Island. In 1776 during the American Revolution, British troops tried to land on the island but were repulsed by Maryland militia. Years later, during the War of 1812, the British were more successful and occupied both the island and Piney Point. They felled numbers of the loblolly pines to ship back to England for use as masts and spars on British ships.

On the return, we stopped at Dent's market/deli in Tall Timbers for lunch. Not only was the food good, but the a/c was really appreciated. Thanks to all that came out for this ride.

Juneteenth - 43 mi B pace option

Walt Roscello — Thu, 19 Jun 2025 13:00:00 GMT

Leader: Walt Roscello

Members: Steve Palinscar, Catherine Ade, Diane Harris, Theresa Rowell, Dave Van Ameyden, Sherwood Byers, and some others registered with the other group

Route: https://ridewithgps.com/routes/51291575

The route as described by Ron, with a few extra out-and-backs after the school and on the island, then touring the neighborhood past Dent's store. All but Steve, Catherine, and I went straight back on Rt. 249, whereas we skipped the last out-and-back but took Rt. 244 and Chingville Road which was a good route.

Weather: As Ron said, not as bad as feared. In the morning (1 hour earlier start) there was still a bit of cool air to be found in the shady forested areas. We were fairly comfortable until the last seven miles or so. Still, the car said we had hit 95 degrees by the end.

AMS: Around 15 mph with some casual riding in the neighborhoods

Mechanicals/Mishaps: none, though there was a stop to check after Sherwood and another rider rode over a piece of metal on the shoulder

Report: See Ron's report and the comments above. The fact I most noted at the schoolhouse is there was no public high school at all for African Americans in St. Mary's county, so some went over to Pomonkey in Charles County or attended a Catholic school.

At the Piney Point lighthouse pier, we observed a group (school?) of skates, and Catherine and I even saw them go into a spiral formation briefly to hunt something.

In addition to the good fresh food available, it was much appreciated that Dent's has crushed ice and a water dispenser on their soda dispenser, so we were able to enjoy ice cold water for a bit while there and afterwards.

Friday IHRT ~20 miles

Ron Altemus — Fri, 13 Jun 2025 14:00:00 GMT

Leader: Ron Altemus

Members: Robin Garnett, Susan Altemus, Esther Stewart, Jackie Schoch, Fran Jezisek, Gene Villiva, Leesha Saunders, Carl Hattery

Route: Fav Friday Indian Head Rail Trail, Livingston Rd parking lot eastward to White Plains trailhead. After a conversational stop, westward ho! back to the start.

Weather: high overcast but still sunny; temps starting in the mid 70s rising to the mid 80s; not much in the way of air movement; lots of humidity

AMS: varied by rider; sept in the low 11s

Mechanicals/Mishaps: none

Report: Nice to have Jackie back triking. Since it was a bit hot even early on, not too many other trail users, and their numbers seemed to drop as the temps rose. Wildlife sightings included deer, squirrels, a young rabbit, turkeys, snakes and turtles, along with countless smaller brown something birds seen, others unidentified and only being heard. No eagles visible on the nest near Livingston Road..

Late Notice Merkle Circles

Joan Oppel — Wed, 11 Jun 2025 13:30:00 GMT

Leader: Joan Oppel

Member: Pat Walthers

Route: https://ridewithgps.com/routes/37926433

Weather: Sunny, mid 70's to start, mid 80's and higher in the direct sun at end. Bonus stat - Low humidity!

Mechanicals/Mishaps: None

Report: This ride was posted late on the prior afternoon so no surprise that attendance was meager. But the route traced some of the roads for the Rural Legacy, in the opposite direction of its routes. And thus we paid attention to opposite side road surface issues as we biked, to report them to the folks who will mark some significant road hazards before the event.

We went to the Jug Bay visitor center this time instead of to the Pavilion and - with the observation tower, where the view did not disappoint.

Great Falls

Sherwood — Tue, 10 Jun 2025 14:00:00 GMT

On a Tuesday morning when the weather forecast was "Iffy" at best (Humid, Possible showers, etc) Ron Altemus, Robin Garnett, Oswald Martin, Donaro Gardner, and Linda Bankerd Joined Sherwood Byers, Ride Leader for a ride to Great Falls Park. Two of the riders had never been Great Falls, nor had they never ridden the C &O Canal. I was a bit concerned due to it's not so kind gravel trail, but they did just fine. The ride started on time and continued to Fletcher's Boathouse for our first stop. After a short respite, we continued our trek. There was a short detour about 2 miles from Fletcher's, but was easy to navigate through it. Not mush wildlife to be seen but there was a deer in the water in the canal eating the vegetation (Personally, I have never seen a deer in the water). Someone thought he was stuck in the mud, not the case at all.

A short stop at lock 6 for a photo op and quick visit of the lock house for rent we continued.

Continuing to Great Falls we stopped at the overlook where a lot of time viewing the falls and taking photos as some had never seen Mother Nature's work.

A visit to the parks visitor center we rested for a while then continued up the trail for a little exploring the condition of the trail for further use. It was time to turn around and retrace the route to the ride start but a decision was made to deviate from the Memorial Bridge to get away from the work being performed in preparation for the Military Parade. The fencing everywhere made it difficult to ride. it was thought that we could cross the 14th Street Bridge to make the passage easier, no it did not. The fencing was everywhere. After crossing the bridge, we were in "Happyland". Smooth riding to our vehicles.

No Mishaps or Mechanical issues were reported me during this ride. The weather was perfect.

I wish to thank all of the riders who joined me today.

Friday IHRT ~20 miles

Ron Altemus — Fri, 06 Jun 2025 14:00:00 GMT

Leader: Ron Altemus

Members: Susan Altemus, Esther Stewart, Astrid Caldas, Robin Garnett, Walt Roscello, Carl Hattery, Leesha Saunders, Fran Jezisek, Raul Adams, Gene Villiva, Donaro Gardner, Bob Rourke. Not pictured: Pat Colvin

Route: Fav Friday IHRT - Livingston Rd parking lot to White Plains and return

Weather: temps starting in the low 70s warming about 6 degrees, mostly sunny with still a high smoky haze from Canadian wildfires, 3-5 mph SSE air movement

AMS: varied greatly between individual riders, Swept in the low 10s

Mechanicals/Mishaps: none known

Report: quite the turnout with at least one rider doing their first ride of 2025. Numerous small groups or pairings rode at their preferred rate of travel allowing for the ultimate in casual conversational cycling.

Conflicting accounts as to the number of other trail users as some commented that the trail seemed busy while some thought it rather deserted. But since we were widely spread out, it's possible both viewpoints were equally valid.

Not as many wildlife sightings as the previous week: one eagle visible on the nest near the ride start, a single turtle noted alongside the trail while many others sunning on logs in the various bodies of water, plenty of small birds flitting by too quickly to be identified and lots of bird sounds.

Robin captured the triptych below of a turkey crossing the trail, probably to get to the other side.

WaysonsCorner>BrooksWood>Nutwell>SC Cafe>McKendrie>Pindells CC 30

Rick Hagen — Thu, 05 Jun 2025 14:00:00 GMT

Leaders: Rick Hagen & Lisa Petersen

Members: Steve Palincsar

Guests: none

Route: https://ridewithgps.com/routes/46951571

Southeasterly from Waysons Corner Park & Ride along the service road, to Greenock Road/Route 259, then south on Brooks Woods to Bayfront Rd/Route 258. North on Route 2 to Nutwell, then Nutwell Sudley Rd south to Bayside/Route 258. Swamp Circle Rd took us to Deale-Churchton Rd and the South County Cafe. Followed Deale Road up the hill to Tracys Landing to Route 2, then south to Jewell Rd just to McKendree and north to Bayfront Rd again. West on Bayfront to Fishers Station, carefully cross Route 4, and enter the Pindells, except one rider wanted to ride OVER Route 4 by continuing on Bayfront and then south on So. Md. Blvd. to Upper Pindell. That road and Pindell takes us past Jug Bay to the Route 4 Service Road to get back to the cars.

Weather: Sunny, temps 76-84, humidity averaged 60%, and no wind.

AMS: 12.6 mph

Mishaps: Rick’s bike was shifting gears to smaller cog on its own, so Steve suggested turning the barrel adjuster on the rear derailleur half a turn counterclockwise and that solved the problem.

Report: Ride leaders posted the ride with short notice therefore only the 1 other member came. Our small group had an enjoyable and uneventful ride in southern Anne Arundel County. We sat outside the South County Cafe to eat an early lunch, then zigzagged back to the cars on mostly quiet county roads. Steve did not want to cross the 4 busy lanes of Route 4 at Fishers Station Rd., so he went north to Bristol where he could use the overpass and then come south to Upper Pindell to meet the ride leaders and continue back to the cars.

WB&A Trail CC 25

Rick Hagen — Tue, 03 Jun 2025 14:00:00 GMT

Leaders: Lisa Petersen and Rick Hagen

Members: Ron Altemus, Robin Garnett, Tom Short

Guests: none

Route: https://ridewithgps.com/routes/50948813

Weather: Sunny, 70 to 80 degrees, no wind. Very nice day!

AMS: 11.2 mph

Mechanicals/Mishaps: none

Report: We started at the Glenn Dale Community Center in Glenn Dale Md. where there is plenty of parking, bathrooms, water and vending machines (unlike the official trail parking lots). We rode southwest from there on the Washington Baltimore & Annapolis trail to a pond, then turned around to go northeast to the other end of the WB&A in Odenton. The full length of the trail is now 13 miles thanks to a new bridge over the Patuxent River that just opened on May 26.

This was once a railway line, nice and straight, except for a dogleg near the middle to go over the new bridge. The trail is all nicely paved, about 10 feet wide, and passes through forest, along marshes and power lines, runs past peoples’ backyards, goes over rivers and mostly over and under roads (short tunnels). Ron was particularly impressed by the extensive trail markings on the pavement! Elevation gains are gentle except for the hill north of the new bridge that switchbacks up a half a mile at a 5% grade. This hill was an enjoyable slalom ride down when we came back. We stopped at Rieve’s Deli in Odenton for some food and conversation at an outdoor table in the shade.

Wildlife: a deer at the side of the trail not bothered by the 5 of us passing within about 10 feet on bikes, many turtles on logs in the marshes, some woodchucks

Historic Bridges of Frederick County

Stephen Palincsar — Sun, 01 Jun 2025 14:00:00 GMT

Photos by Joan Oppel Camera icons indicate historic bridges on the route

Leader: Steve Palincsar

Members: Greg Acs, Catherine Ade, Deborah Bowman, Margaret Draper-Harris, Ellen Goodwin, Harry Kidd, Joan Oppel, Deborah Reynolds, Walt Roscello, Robin Sparer, Dave VanAmayden, Pat Walthers, Anne Wittenberg

Guests: Lydia Cunningham, Johanna Nathanson, Regina Spallone

Route: https://ridewithgps.com/routes/50833754 40.2 mi, 1919' elevation gain

Weather: Sunny, 60 at the start rising to the low 70s. The wind was predicted to be 7 mph with gusts up to 12, but after around the first 10 miles the gusts increased and steadied at 16 mph, according to Weather Underground.

AMS: 12.5

Mechanicals/Mishaps: none

Report: They call Thurmont the "Gateway to the Catoctins," and a glance at the route map above shows why: immediately to the west of the route are the Catoctin Mountains. But stay to the east of Thurmont and Emmitsburg (the blue restroom icon at the north of the route is Mount St Mary's University in Emmitsburg) and you're in a rolling valley dissected with streams and made up of farms.

In this part of Frederick County, many of those streams are spanned by historic bridges: wooden covered bridges, and iron and steel truss bridges built in the 19th and early 20th centuries (and rebuilt and reconstructed many times over the years, as cars and trucks smashed into the covered bridges and floods moved the truss bridges from their moorings.)

Today 13 members and 3 guests joined me in a meandering route through the valley on quiet farm roads to see the sights and ride through as many of those historic bridges as we could manage in a ride around 40 miles long. (There are 55 and 60 mile variations on this theme in the Club RWGPS Library, some even visiting that amazing monument to questionable ingenuity, the Rocky Ridge Big Slide.)

We stopped for a break at the Loy Station Covered Bridge Park, and again at Mt St Mary's. The planned stop was at the student center, but we found open rest rooms at the Waldron Stadium and took our break there, eliminating the need to go through the tunnel under US-15. At that same point, the rising wind found us, and the remaining 19 miles were a brutal slog against the wind.

Many of us took an unscheduled break at the park at the Roddy Covered Bridge, and then we continued on to Thurmont where half the group skipped the stop at the High's. By the time we passed through the Utica Rd Covered Bridge, few had thoughts of anything but finishing.

It was a pretty day and a scenic route, marred only by the wind. It was a pleasure to see all the road work that had closed roads in the area for the past several years finally completed, and a relief to see the bridges they'd been working on completely restored to their original glory, rather than replaced with something modern and nondescript. A fun day, but next time perhaps a wee bit warmer, and a lot less wind would be nice.

Rain-Shortened Ride

Joan Oppel — Sat, 31 May 2025 14:00:00 GMT

Leader: Joan Oppel

Mmbers: Suzanne Brown and Steve Palincsar

Route: Original - 39 -https://ridewithgps.com/routes/51011054 As ridden - 30 miles

Weather: Temperatures in high 60's, low 70's, dropping to mid 60's in the rain. Wind consistently 13 to 18 mph with gusts.

Notable events: SIX turtle rescues.

Report: A last minute ride posting Friday evening. Steve had posted a ride that no one signed up for due to predicted weather, he and I were on the phone for other reasons around dinner time Friday, we looked at the weather and the forecast had improved. So we decided to post a ride from North Keys.

Only one other member joined us: Suzanne, who lives 3 miles from the park. The weather was sunny but very breezy. The route took us to Magruders by way of Molly Berry and Baden Westwood. We did find some partial road blocks from downed trees and debris from the prior night's heavy thunderstorms. From Magruders we retraced to Baden Naylor and Brooks Church to Nottingham and Merkle.

While at the picnic tables at Merkle, the sky got very dark, with ominous clouds. Weather apps showed a thunderstorm heading diectly towards us. We retreated to the Merkle visitor center porch and assessed. Northwest wind blowing dark, heavy clouds toward our next destination: Croom Airport and the Pavilion. Light rain drops coming down. Not a difficult decision to go in the opposite direction. As we were on Croom Road heading toward Candy Hill - loud thunder and lightning, then again on Candy Hill. Wind blowing hard, so still pushing the storm away from us - but then it poured at the back of the storm! We got soaked for 4 or 5 miles.

And, of course, we had a good time!

Contemplating the weather app and the real life situation from the Merkle visitor center porch. Up and to the right of my head you can see the barn swallow who nests (year after year) under the porch roof on top of one of its support columns, we disturbed her peace.

Friday IHRT ~20 miles

Ron Altemus — Fri, 30 May 2025 14:00:00 GMT

Leader: Ron Altemus

Members: Paul Adams, Fran Jezisek, Susan Altemus, Gene Villiva, Donaro Gardner, Esther Steward, Bob Rourke

Route: Indian Head Rail Trail - Livingston Road parking lot east to White Plains trail head for a rest stop. Retrace westerly back to ride start.

Weather: Mostly sunny, temps starting in the low 70s rising to the mid 70s, marginal airs out of the western quadrant

AMS: swept in the mid 11s

Mechanicals/Mishaps: none

Report: another reptilian kind of day with plenty of turtles, both alongside the trail on the western end and in the many ponds bordering the trail. Snakes were also present including Eastern Rat snakes, green snakes, and a common water snake swimming in the Bumpy Oak "lake." Turkeys, deer, and countless smaller birds were also enjoying the day.

Number of other trail users, mostly walkers/runners. Just another pleasant day riding the IHRT.

Nanjemoy & the Stuckeys (aka the wood sprite house ride)

Ron Altemus — Tue, 27 May 2025 14:00:00 GMT

Leader:   Ron Altemus

Members:   Steve Palincsar, Tom Short, Joan Oppel, Patricia Sanders

Route:   A direct route to the Nanjemoy store via Chicamuxen and Riverside for a rest stop. Return via Jacksontown, Poseytown, Bowie, and Mason Springs to a bio stop at Pisgah Park. Final routing includes the Stuckeys to visit the wood sprite house, Pisgah Marbury, and Chicamuxen back to ride start. https://ridewithgps.com/routes/50931378 35.9 miles, 1,348' elevation change

Weather:   cloudy, temps in the mid 60s, negligible 5-6 mph breezes, moisture in the air for the last few miles on our return

AMS:   swept in the mid 11s

Mechanicals/Mishaps:   none

Report: weather conditions more like the middle of April then the end of May but nonetheless, an enjoyable ride. We separated a bit outbound with Tom first to arrive at the Nanjemoy store. After a rest stop, we basically rode together for the remainder of the route. Except for the first part of Chicamuxen, traffic was light and on a number of roads, we did not encounter any other vehicles.

The highlight of the ride was going past the "wood sprite" house on Stuckey Road. Imagination and talent produced a memorable scenic just across from the Belly Acres Farm house, as pictured below:

Knocked but no one was home. Or maybe they're shy.

5/25 - Mechanicsville to Newtowne Neck - CC 52 mi

Walt Roscello — Sun, 25 May 2025 13:30:00 GMT

Leader: Walt Roscello

Members: Steve Palincsar, Catherine Ade, Pat Sanders, Joan Oppel

Route: https://ridewithgps.com/routes/38571587

Down through Loveville to Newtowne Neck state park, with return via Big Chestnut and Pin Cushion and past Chopticon High School

Weather: Pleasant and a bit cool - around 60 at the start to about 70 at the end. Windy down by the river but not too much of a factor. One of those days where you think you're hot when riding uphill with the wind, then find you're cool when stopped or riding into the wind.

Report: Everyone on the ride had been on the May Madness rides the day before, so we dropped the 'B' rating from the ride and took it easy - 52 miles is still a good accomplishment at any pace! The ride also helped some riders tune up their nutrition needs when recovering to ride multiple days in a row.

We cruised down the trail, with more users than I think I've ever seen out there at once. At Laurel Grove we had a few surprises: we rendezvoused with Steve who was shortening the ride (expected), but just as we arrived we spotted a unicyclist with a dog on a leash! We all agreed that must be a well-trained dog. The other surprise was not as welcome: Laurel Grove has had still-loose gravel laid on top, so we may want to detour around that portion for the rest of this season. The shoulder of Rt. 235 is an option, or Morganza Turner Road.

After a pleasant (shady, almost traffic free) cruise down Maypole road, we got to enjoy a rest stop at the completely rebuilt Dash-in, then got our first water views on the loop down Bull Rd. to the Breton Bay golf course and development. At Newtowne Neck itself there were wide views of the Potomac from the small beach, as well as of St. Clements island to the west. Catherine wants to plan a ride to catch the ferry and walk around the island.

While at Newtowne Neck we engaged the rangers at length about the future reservation system required to access the park, and its application to cyclists. It may initially be strictly required, but we pointed out would mean a cyclist stopping for a 15 minute restroom break would take a slot away from a family wanting to spend the whole day. If you see an opportunity for public comment on these plans, please highlight the need for accommodation for cyclists (and the fact that in most cases, these parks have a parking capacity problem, not a visitor capacity problem).

Some of us took a look around the St. Francis Xavier church site (an original site of the Jesuit presence in Maryland) then we toured another waterfront community and headed up the road, enjoying Big Chestnut road after the brief initial climb, then heading back on more familiar (and busier) roads for the final 14 miles.

All had an enjoyable time, even if fatigued from Saturday's rides, and appreciated the good weather and camaraderie of the group.

May to The Bay 30 mile C/CC

Jessica Hirschhorn — Sat, 24 May 2025 18:48:32 GMT

It was a bit blustery, but the brilliant blue sky, stunning clouds, and scenic views made for a truly wonderful ride.

RIDERS: Linda Blackman, Marc Blackman, Lynda Honberg, Ron Honberg, Jessica Hirschhorn, Robin Garnett, Nancy Kay, Doug Kay, Harry Kidd (SWEEP) , Barbara Raimondo, Esther Steward, and Kathy King

The early corn, horses, weathered grey barns and long expanses of sun dappled rural roads were a bane to any woes!

We stopped at The Farm Store, with its FIVE STAR PortABathrooms, CBD products, raw milk ("for cats and dogs") and truly yummy (and highly recommended) energy treats.

Our lunch stop was at South County Cafe, where all of the groups met, socialized and enjoyed the outdoor picnic tables.

One mechanical: Lynda H had a rear flat about 5 miles from the end, expertly fixed by Tom Short (including a Master Class, thank you Tom!)

There were some slow, long climbs and we all reached the parking lot happy and tired.

Thanks to everyone for coming out on this terrific day.

Jessica Hirschhorn

May to the Bay Overview

Stephen Palincsar — Sat, 24 May 2025 13:00:00 GMT

Riders at the start. Clockwise from upper left, A/B58, B/CC49, B/CC 43, C/CC 30

Riders at the Farm Store (first stop)

2nd Rest Stop, South County Cafe

On the North Beach Pier

Ride Leaders: Catherine Ade, Pete Czapiewski, Jessica Hirschhorn, Steve Palincsar

Riders: Over 60 registered, and over 50 were checked in. Attending were Catherine Ade, Linda Bankerd, Alex Batkhan, Robert Bernstein, Linda Blackman, Marc Blackman, Chantal Briere, Kathryn Burns, Barbara Butcher, Sherwood Byers, Sr., Cheryl Carter, Pat Colvin, Pete Czapiewski, Luis Dall'Orso, Harold Datz, Edward DeShields, Patricia Douville, Lisa Friedman, Donaro Gardner, Robin Garnett, Ellen Goodwin, Deborah Greenside, Sue D Gunter, Jenny Haddon, Rick Hagen, Diane Harris, Jessica Hirschhorn, Lynda Honberg, Ron Honberg, Doug Kay, Nancy Kay, Harry Kidd, Kathy King, Peter Klosky, Lois Lightfoot, Ray Luckenbach, Cindy Malvicini, Lawrence McCarthy, Lori Michaelson, Denny Miller, Karen Morgan, Stuart Morgan, Taylor Morgan, Michael “Sue” Murray, Clare Neal, Cynthia Nuzzi, Joan Oppel, Stephen Palincsar, Lisa Petersen, Barbara Raimondo, Walt Roscello, Theresa Rowell, Patricia Sanders, Tom Short, Esther Steward, Christina Swartz, David Van Ameyden, Dan Wallach and Rita Zeidner.

Routes:

30 mi	https://ridewithgps.com/routes/50425989
43 mi	https://ridewithgps.com/routes/40145182
49 mi	https://ridewithgps.com/routes/50146823
58 mi	https://ridewithgps.com/routes/50146923

Climb of the Day: Franklin Gibson, southwest from Trott's Branch to Leitch Rd. 3,000' distance, 120' elevation gain, maximum grade (per my Garmin) of 11.2% We don't go up Franklin Gibson very often in this direction, and there's a reason for that. It certainly was memorable and scenic.

Weather: sunny, 60 at the start rising to 73 by late afternoon and windy: winds 12-17 mph with gusts up to 29 mph.

May to the Bay, CC/B 49

Catherine Ade — Sat, 24 May 2025 13:00:00 GMT

A late ride report, but better than none!

Meeting at the Park and Ride at Wayson's Corner for an all class ride was a big point of discussion for the board. Although there is ample parking, there aren't any restrooms at the parking lot, and some of the port-a-johns nearby have a less-than-stellar reputation. Nevertheless, I think this ride demonstrated that Wayson's is a feasible place to start a larger ride, opening up the places we can visit on the bikes.

I believe we started out with eight or nine people on the 49 mile route (down from the 13 or so that had signed up). A few miles in, one of the riders either went with a different, or decided to do their own ride (as is their prerogative from time to time). Not knowing this, I turned around to try and find them in order to make sure they were okay. After two miles, I came across another group who informed me they didn't pass anyone. Swearing, I turned back around and met the rest of my group at the farm.

At this point, we were down to six in our group. We regrouped with several riders at both at South County Cafe and then Chesapeake Market. Two people ordered food at Chesapeake Market, which took quite a long time. Walt Roscello and I stayed to make sure they didn't get dropped as the rest of our group decided to make their way back to the start.

At this point in the day, we were definitely starting to feel the wind and the hills (although I will gladly take them if it means we can visit the bay), so we were glad to be heading back to Wayson's. Walt floated an additional few miles of riding for a change of pace, but the rest of us weren't having it. We passed Pat Sanders, walking her bike along the shoulder of West Bay Front with a flat. We offered to help, but she was confident she could take care of it at home, and Joan was already on her way back to pick her up.

Overall, it was a great ride. Windy, but good. The AMS as per my watch was 14.4 for the 51 miles I ended up doing. I think we learned two important things:

(a) We can use Wayson's as a start to a multi-class ride

(b) Don't order food at Chesapeake Market. (the pizza did look good, though)

Friday IHRT ~20 miles

Ron Altemus — Fri, 23 May 2025 14:00:00 GMT

Leader: Ron Altemus

Members: Esther Stewart, Susan Altemus, Leesha Saunders, Fran Jezisek, Robin Garnett, Paul Adams, Bob Rourke, Donaro Gardner, Gene Villiva

Route: the Friday blue plate special - Indian Head Rail Trail east from Livingston Rd parking lot to White Plains trail head and return

Weather: mostly sunny; temp range 64-68; brisk 12 mph NW airs

AMS: swept in the low 12s

Mechanicals/Mishaps: none

Report: coolish morning for late May but the sun made it pleasant. Nothing out of the ordinary - number of other users either bicycling or walking/running. Wildlife included bald eagles, wild turkeys, turtles, and numerous other small birds.

May 20 ride

Tom Short — Tue, 20 May 2025 22:13:11 GMT

Steve, I am trying to increase my cycling strength and endurance. I did not look at our cycling calendar to see there was a scheduled ride but, instead, went to Pisgah Park as my starting point. I rode from there to Bicknell Rd, then on Chicamuxen (where Stuart Morgan passed me ), then onto Hawthorne Rd. When I neared Ridley Rd I saw a group of cyclists turning on Hawthorne. I managed to catch up and, to my surprise, it was you and your group. I stayed on Hawthorne to La Plata and began my return route. I rode 27 miles with a 14.9 average speed. I believe my route was less hilly than yours. It was a very good day for cycling.

Port Tobacco, Locust Grove & Quailwood (CC, 33)

Stephen Palincsar — Tue, 20 May 2025 14:00:00 GMT

Wood Sprite House on Stuckey Lane -- photo by Ron Altemus

Leader: Steve Palincsar

Members: Ron Altemus, Linda Bankerd, Chantal Briere, Sherwood Byers, Sarah Clement, Lou Dall'Orso, Donaro Gardner, Karen Morgan, Stuart Morgan, Sam Perry, Walt Roscello, Mary Scala, Bob Thompson, Patricia Walthers (and making cameo appearances, Tom Short and Alan Kurzweil)

Guests: none

Route: https://ridewithgps.com/routes/49862324 According to my Garmin, we did 32.6 miles and climbed 1233' with a maximum grade of 6.8% on Pisgah Marbury Rd. I'd have sworn there were steeper grades than that on Glen Albin and Locust Grove -- but then, what does that Garmin know? Riding on Hawthorne about to make the turn onto Rose Hill my GPS kept telling me to turn left onto Bumpy Oak, skipping most of the ride.

Weather: Sunny, in the low 60s at the start rising to the low 70s by mid-day, with a 14 mph breeze - pretty close to perfect.

AMS: 12.8 in the middle of the pack

Mechanicals/Mishaps: Stuart Morgan broke a shift cable around six miles into the ride. He rode back to the car, drove to the Trek store in Waldorf and got the cable replaced, drove back to the ride start and started riding the route backwards until he rejoined us on Bumpy Oak towards the end of the ride.

Report: A fabulous day for a bike ride, and a wonderful group to do it with, too. I had a grand time riding with a several riders I haven't seen in more than a year, catching up.

At the break in La Plata, Walt showed us the location of a newly opened bake shop half a block from our usual Dash-In stop, and I was happy to see that right next door to it is a newly opened ice cream shop. Those will certainly come in handy this summer!

Folks had such a good time being together they didn't want to leave the parking lot after the ride, staying for more than a half hour chatting with friends.

Strawberry Festival D ride

Dan Donahue — Sun, 18 May 2025 15:30:00 GMT

Leader: Dan Donahue

Members: Diana Donahue

Guests:   None

Route:   Chaptico Park, Chaptico, MD, to the Strawberry Festival. D/11 mi.

Weather:   Delightful! Sunny with mild temps—upper 70s. Some wind.

AMS:   10.2 mph

Mechanicals/Mishaps:   No mechanicals, but Diana had to bail at the Strawberry Festival due to allergy-related breathing issues.

Report: Half of the people who signed up for the ride were no-shows, but they missed out on a pleasant ride and an even more enjoyable experience at the Strawberry Festival. We met up with cyclists from other Oxon Hill rides and shared stories and strawberry treats. There was also a group from La Plata, Get It In (GII), who rode to the festival.

Big picture-wise, there was a total of 19 cyclists at the Strawberry Festival. The first wave of 10 arrived early enough for Father Peter’s 1 pm Blessing of the Bikes. An abbreviated blessing was held for the second wave of longer distance riders who arrived later in the afternoon.

Diana was rescued and is doing much better.

All in all, it was a great afternoon!

Strawberry Festival, A/B, 58 miles

Diane Harris — Sun, 18 May 2025 12:30:00 GMT

Date: May 18th, 2025, 8:30am

Members: Diane Harris, Theresa R. and Bernard S.

Guests: None

Weather: A beautiful warm, sunny, but breezy day

Mechanicals/Mishaps: 1 flat tire

Report: Today's Strawberry Festival ride, Class B, 58 miles. The weather was perfect, sunny, warm, but breezy. There were 3 riders (me, Theresa, and Bernard) on the 58 mile route. The ride was uneventful until a rear flat (caused by a thin wire) had us stopped for a tube change. Then, before the first rest stop, we reached segments of the Three Notch Trail that were impacted by a recent rain storm that left fallen trees requiring us to pick up bikes and climb over big tree trunks. Did I mention the disrespectful wind? The wind was disrespectful!! However, stopping at Christ Church for the Strawberry Festival made it all worthwhile!!

Visiting Eagle Harbor

Joan Oppel — Sat, 17 May 2025 13:30:00 GMT

Leader: Joan Oppel

Members: Linda Blackman, Lou Dall'Orso, Harold Datz, Lisa Oken, Randy Sim, Pat Walthers, Rita Zeidner

Nonmembers: Josh Garrison

Weather: Temperatures in low 70's at the start, climbing in to the mid 80's, wind at 13 to 18 mph. Very sunny.

Route: https://ridewithgps.com/routes/46748246 From North Keys out Marin, Molly Berry, Nelson Perrie, Bald Eagle, Baden Westwood, Croom. Then Covington etc to Woodville, Dr Bowen and into Eagle Harbor. Retrace back to Malcolm and then parts of 381, Cedarville, Ashbox, 381, Gibbon Church

Mishaps/Mechanicals: One rider took a tumble getting on his new bike, and he was at the end of the departing stream. He was unhurt and another rider still there accompanied him to where we were all waiting.

Report: It was the hottest day we've ridden this year - at least it felt that way. It was great to have Josh with us. He's working on improving his cycling and we enjoyed his company and he is likely to join.

Our group spread out but regrouped at several places so that we arrived at the Cedar Haven rest stop all together. When we passed the Eagle Harbor Community Center (rest stop site for the Rural Legacy), a woman was walking with her toddler grandson. And she said to him "Look, it's our biking friends." Eagle Harbor appreciates us!

The picnic table was deep in shade - much appreciated. On the way back, we also stopped at the store (again under new owners) at Dr Bowen and 381 (open 7 - 3 on Saturday, closed Sunday) to get water.

Most roads were quiet, though Saturday morning does seem to bring out more traffic than the same time on a weekday morning. Two different cars that waited patiently and then passed us (different roads) said out the window "You all be safe now". Unexpected - and appreciated.

Friday IHRT ~20 miles

Ron Altemus — Fri, 16 May 2025 14:00:00 GMT

Leader:   Ron Altemus

Members:   Bob Rourke, Gene Villiva, Paul Adams, Robin Garnett, Esther Stewart, Oswald Martin, Donaro Gardner, Leesha Saunders

Route:   Indian Head Rail Trail. East from Livingston Rd parking lot to White Plains trailhead. After a rest stop, return to the start.

Weather:   mostly sunny; temp range low 70s to low 80s; 8-10 SW air; noticeable humidity

AMS:   swept in the low 12s

Mechanicals/Mishaps:   none

Report:   two new members, Bob & Paul, joined us for our weekly ride. As usual, everyone rode in groups of 2-3 with plenty of conversation.

Wildlife sightings included eagles on the nest near the parking lot and numerous other small birds either flitting around or being heard, not seen. It was a reptile kind of day: two different box turtles observed along the trail; a large snapping turtle under a truck in the parking lot at ride start; a painted turtle, maybe laying eggs alongside the pond at Bumpy Oak; and a black snake close to Middletown along with an Eastern Rat snake after Pomfret.

Full size pictures to better appreciate some of the reptiles

the snapper (picture by Leesha)

the momma (?) painted

the eastern rat snake (a big un)

Montivideo to Cattail, Lunch in Poolesville (CC, 33)

Stephen Palincsar — Sun, 11 May 2025 14:30:00 GMT

Leader: Steve Palincsar

Members: Catherine Ade, Sarah Clement, Harry Kidd, Joan Oppel

Guests: none

Report: The route was https://ridewithgps.com/routes/50645476 with a few changes. We'd hoped for a portolet stop at the peach orchard at mile 14, but those portolets are seasonal and they weren't in place yet, so we detoured off the route in Poolesville, visiting the Tractor Supply that used to be the new old supermarket, Selby's, I think it used to be called, in the shopping center on Wooton Ave.

Joan couldn't stay for lunch at Local's so she suggested doing the Westerly-Edwards Ferry-West Offutt loop before lunch rather than after. When she left us, Harry went with her, and Catherine, Sarah and I went to Locals for lunch.

And what a wonderful lunch it was! Local's was a last-minute substitution for the K2 Cafe, which is no longer open on Sundays, but it deserves to be the main attraction. We stayed and enjoyed ourselves long after having finished eating, and only reluctantly tore ourselves away.

It very much felt as though we'd had a nice scenic, hilly Ag Reserve ride, followed by a delightful lunch, after which we took another ride that happened to bring us back to our cars at Rileys Lock. In all, a fabulous way to spend a beautiful May day.

Weather: Sunny, temps in the low 70s at the start rising to the low 80s by mid-afternoon.

AMS: 12.0

Mechanicals/Mishaps: none

Upper Pindell, Fairhaven & the Chesapeake Beach Railway Trail (CC/44 mi )

Stephen Palincsar — Sat, 10 May 2025 14:00:00 GMT

Rest stop at the Farm Store on Brooks Woods Rd

Leader: Steve Palincsar

Members: Lou Dall'Orso, Karen McMillan, Ray Luckenbach, Joan Oppel, Ellen Goodwin, Len Wilkinson, Lisa Petersen, Rick Hagen, Pat Walthers and Catherine Ade

Guests: none

Route: https://ridewithgps.com/routes/50643409 as modified by skipping the out-and-back on Old Solomons Island Rd to the Dash-In

Weather: Sunny, windy and cool. Temps at the start were barely 60, rising to the low 70s by the end of the ride, and the wind appeared to be a headwind no matter which way we turned. Joan's weather app said winds were somewhere around 12-13 mph, but I don't think that accounted for the gusts, of which there were plenty.

AMS: 12.6

Mechanicals/Mishaps: No mechanicals I'm aware of. One of the riders arrived without a helmet, but a quick trip to the Tractor Supply across the road from the Park & Ride remedied that. One of the riders got a pedal bite, repaired in a quick regrouping stop at the terminus of the Railway Trail.

Report: We skipped the usual bio-break at Lothian Service, stopping at the Farm Store on Brooks Woods instead, where we were welcomed by the owner, herself a cyclist, and awed by the portable rest rooms, complete with running water and flush toilets. We haven't seen their like since the renovations at the Pisgah Firehouse were completed back some years ago. Rick and Lisa joined us at the Farm Store, having ridden from home. They stayed with us until we reached Boyds Turn.

We had a leisurely lunch stop at the Chesapeake Market, joined by an Annapolis Bike Club group, then went on for a photo op at the North Beach Pier.

Photo Op at North Beach Pier

Continuing on, we rode the Chesapeake Beach Railroad Trail, this time skipping the left turn to the remains of the trestle.

Riding the Chesapeake Beach Railroad Trail

After Rick and Lisa left us, we continued on Boyd's Turn to Old Solomons Island Rd, where after a quick vote we agreed to skip the out-and-back past the Christmas Tree farm to the Dash In, and proceeded straight back instead, for a total of 40.7 miles and 1950' of elevation gain.

Aside from the wind, it was a beautiful day and a great group to ride with. We all had a wonderful time.

We ride from North Keys again!

Joan Oppel — Thu, 08 May 2025 13:30:00 GMT

Leader: Joan Oppel

Members: Anonymous User, Chantal Briere, Lou D'All Orso, Harold Datz, Jessica Hirschhorn, Lisa Oken, Steve Palincsar, Patricia Sanders, Bob Thompson, Pat Walthers, Rita Zeidner

Benjy

Route: https://ridewithgps.com/routes/50629529 A test ride of part of the Rural Legacy route with a visit to Magruders Ferry and Merkle Wildlife Center.

Weather: Mid to high 70's for most of the ride, light wind. partly cloudy. .

Mechanicals and Mishaps: None (as far as the leader knows)

Report: The group split near the beginning, into four groups. Two were delayed by a rider forgetting a vital piece of equipment and another rider waiting for him. We did regroup for a little while at Magruders but then split up again. It was a challenging ride for some riders, their longest and hilliest ride of the year. I clocked 41.4 miles and 2300 feet of elevation.

Some really lovely roads on this route and we enjoyed riding from North Keys again (we used to ride every week from this park, and prior to that from the fire station but we seem to be out of the habit).

Animal encounters: two riders tested the Merkle Visitor Center door and findiing it open, went inside. We got to use the indoor bathroom, we got to talk to two rangers and find out that programs are held there even though the center is closed for routine use and - we got to visit Benjy the Terrapin. His aquarium sits on a large handmade wooden cabinet - the construction of which was made possible by Oxon Hill Club donations.

There were two turtle rescues - identified later as one Eastern box turtle and one painted turtle. One deer crossed close in front of a rider, though uneventfully, on Baden Westwood.

Mason Neck 28 miles

Ron Altemus — Sat, 03 May 2025 13:30:00 GMT

Leader:   Ron Altemus

Member: Gene Villiva

Route:   https://ridewithgps.com/routes/40798783 27.6 miles, 738' elevation change

Weather:   mostly cloudy at start becoming mostly sunny, temp range of 72-80, 10-12 mph SW air, low humidity

AMS:   11ish

Mechanicals/Mishaps: none

Report:   leisurely ride with very little vehicular road traffic. Lots of other cyclists, majority of which were on the roads and not the trail. Belmont Bay was full of bass fishing boats - maybe a tournament(?).

Pindell, Chalk Point & Franklin Manor (CC/40 mi)

Stephen Palincsar — Sat, 03 May 2025 13:00:00 GMT

The Willing

Leader: Steve Palincsar

Members: Denny Miller, Lois Lightfoot, Lou Dall'Orso, Lisa Oken, Dave VanAmayden, Linda Bankerd, Sherwood Byers, Ray Luckenbach, Sue Gunter, Len Wilkinson, Joan Oppel, Patricia Sanders, Pat Walthers, Catherine Ade

Guests: none

Route: https://ridewithgps.com/routes/50570353 A new 40 mile variation that visits some of my favorite roads (Pindell, Lower Pindell, Nutwell) you'll see often on Waysons routes to Deale, along with some new twists and perhaps surprises (Swamp Circle to Plantation Drive to Chalk Point) and a first ever stop at the new Royal Farms at the corner of Shadyside and Deale Churchtown (very successful, we'll definitely be back). After the break at Royal Farms we went down to the Bay at Franklin Manor before the main lunch stop at South County Cafe, which more than half the group skipped. The route back to Waysons typically either follows Bay Front, with its seemingly interminable long, gentle grades, or takes the Sudleys to Harwood then down Sands or Polling House to Sands. This route tried something different: Deale Rd over the bridge and past Happy Harbor all the way up to Franklin Gibson, but instead of zooming down Franklin Gibson to Bay Front and its interminable grades, stayed on Deale Rd to MD-2. We took MD-2 to Bay Front, but soon turned onto Brooks Woods and then onto Little back to Bay Front for a short distance before the final return on So. MD Blvd. 40.5 mi, 1490' elevation gain per RWGPS.

Weather: Sunny, low 70s at the start rising to a very, very summer-like 84 by early afternoon, accompanied by 12-15 mph winds with gusts up to 22. The forecast had been threatening rain in the early afternoon for days, but we had none.

AMS: 12.8

Mechanicals/Mishaps: none I'm aware of.

Report: It's always fun to visit Deale, the West River and the Chesapeake Bay, but it's especially fun when you've got a great group, some of whom I haven't seen in quite some time.

Friday IHRT ~20 miles

Ron Altemus — Fri, 02 May 2025 14:00:00 GMT

Leader:   Ron Altemus

Members:   Donaro Gardner, Gene Villiva, Oswald Martin

Route:   Indian Head Rail Trail - east from Livingston Rd parking lot to White Plains trailhead. After a short rest stop, return westerly to ride start.

Weather:   Sunny, warm mids 70s to low 80s temps, humidity beginning to become noticeable, SW 8-10 airs

AMS:   mid 11s

Mechanicals/Mishaps: none

Report:   a smaller group but still plenty of conversational opportunities. Not a large number of other trail users though one of interest noted below. Wildlife sightings included a couple of turtles crossing the trail; a mole king snake and green snake at various points outbound; and, eagles on the nest, red winged blackbirds, and other brown somethings.

Both outbound and inbound, we encountered a fellow cyclist viewing the eagle nest near the Livingston Rd parking lot. He was hopeful of catching sight of the adults returning to the nest with food for the young eaglets. Of interest - he had taken a long, sturdy piece of dead bamboo from the adjacent stand next to the trail and fashioned it into a monopod to hold his cell phone for picture taking purposes. This clever rig allowed him to view the nest through binoculars and then have the phone ready to capture photographs.

Utica Park and Three Covered Bridges

Jessica Hirschhorn — Mon, 28 Apr 2025 20:25:30 GMT

What a simply SMASHING day for a bike ride! The temp, sunshine and windless day could not possibly have been better. We had a bit of excitement and everyone enjoyed the ride.

RIDERS: Barbara Butcher, Jim Cavanaugh, Susan Golonka, Jessica Hirschhorn, Lynda Honberg, Ron Honberg, Harry Kidd (SWEEP), Kathy King, Karen McMillan, Joan Oppel, Peggy Tyree, Anne Wittenberg.

Babs Butcher had a rear flat, and 3 of us stayed to help her change it. We caught up with the group at Roddy Bridge. We stopped at Loy Bridge. The livestock were out in force today, and we passed many horses, cattle, sheep, goats, and lambs. The sun was brilliant and the early spring wheat was a wonderful deep green.

Roddy Bridge was CLOSED due to damage from a truck, but we were able to figure out a "workaround". Enough said about the details.

Total 36 .28 miles, 1657' elevation with an average speed of about 11.

Indian Head Rail Trail

Donaro Gardner — Fri, 25 Apr 2025 18:12:53 GMT

Leader: Donaro Gardner

Members: Oswald Martin,Leesha Saunders,Dan Donahue

Guests: 0

Route: North Keys 32 miles 10:00 am

Weather: 68 degrees F

AMS: 12.5

Mechanicals/Mishaps:None

Report:

It was a exciting ride.It was sunny but windy.After the ride I added another 6 miles to the ride,the other riders accompanied me.We.saw deer and a green snake.Thanks to the riders that accompanied me!

Another Lovely Spring Ride

Joan Oppel — Thu, 24 Apr 2025 14:00:00 GMT

Leader: Joan Oppel

Members: Chantal Briere, Lou D'All Orso, Donaro Gardner, Sue Gunter, Harry Kidd, Denny Miller, Patricia Sanders

Route: https://ridewithgps.com/routes/50441464 This is the route we rode, not exactly the same as the one published. Outbound we took Chicamuxen to the Stuckeys and Poorhouse/Burch, then on to Goose Bay. Inbound we took Fire Tower/Annapolis Woods/Poorhouse to Sweetman and down to Smallwood Park. At the Smallwood shore, we revised on the fly - to eliminate a retrace of Sweetman to Bicknell to Chicamuxen and substitute instead - the loop inside Smallwood Park that goes near the General Smallwood House and then return directly on Chicamuxen.

Weather: Mid to high 70's for most of the ride, light but sometimes noticeable wind ~8 mph. about 80 at the end.

Mechanicals and Mishaps: Flat tire - about a mile from the end

Report: A couple of riders went off the front early, the rest stayed more or less together all the way to Goose Bay. Leaving Goose Bay, there was another split, then one rider returned to the start without going to the Smallwood shore.

Everyone else was at Smallwood, rode the new route change above together, then rode -almost - to the end together. I was in the lead and at the Hawthorne light when Chantal told me that Sue had stopped on the shoulder of Chicamuxen. I turned back to Chicamuxen and Lou also u-turned. Sue had a flat, which we almost fixed quickly - except her first spare tube was also flat. So that got uninstalled, she had a second spare and now it was quickly taken care of.

A few of the riders waited for us to see if we were ok, or needed a ride back, always nice to know others have your back.

Mid-week IHRT 27 miles

Ron Altemus — Wed, 23 Apr 2025 14:00:00 GMT

Leader: Ron Altemus

Members: Donaro Gardner, Susan Altemus, Fran Jezisek, Sue Henn

Route: the ENTIRE Indian Head Rail Trail from the Village Green to White Plains and return

Weather: another delightful day with plenty of sunshine/blue skies, temps rising from 64 to 71, NW air movement 7-8 mph

AMS: varied with RL sweeping in the mid 11s

Mechanicals/Mishaps: none

Report: billed as a chance for Coastal NC participants to get in some miles prior to the weekend. Sue Henn, on her first club ride of the year, came because she has an Eastern Shore event next week. Others just rode as the IHRT is always so nice.

For mid-week, a fair number of other users, mostly walkers but several cyclists. Not too much in the way of wildlife sightings - maybe an immature eagle flying across the path as we headed up the slope to Middletown. Lots of turtles, including one in the Bumpy Oak pond that was just a baby - size of a dollar coin, if that. Many other unidentified birds, mostly heard, not seen.

Also of interest; fishermen have started trying their luck in the smallish pond just east of Livingston. We spoke with two of them who said snakeheads, bass, pickerel, and bluegills are often caught there. Whilst one of them hadn't yet had any luck, the other had a bucket with several good size (i.e., pan frying size) in their catch bucket.

Brooks Woods, Nutwell & Deale (CC/30 mi)

Stephen Palincsar — Tue, 22 Apr 2025 14:30:00 GMT

Masons Beach, by the Chesapeake Bay

Leader: Steve Palincsar
Members: Pat Walthers, Erika Kane, Joan Oppel
Guests: none
Route: https://ridewithgps.com/routes/50425989 27.8 mi and 1146' of elevation gain, according to my Garmin, but who knows what it was recording in its comatose state. RWGPS thinks it was 29.5 miles.
Weather: A taste of summer, with temperatures ranging from the low 70s at the start to around 82 by early afternoon. Partly cloudy, winds about 6 mph.
AMS: 11.9, according to the Garmin, which had an emotional breakdown at around mile 26 and froze in place, mimicking an earlier freeze before lunch.
Mechanicals/Mishaps: Aside from my Garmin's failure to navigate, none.
Report: A beautiful day for a bike ride. We arrived at South County Cafe at noon and enjoyed an outdoor lunch, then pootled around the back streets of Masons Beach before tackling the climb up to Franklin Gibson and the thrilling swoop back down. The long grades on Bay Front and 80 degree temperatures made the last few miles far more challenging in our unacclimated state -- this is, after all, still April, not July -- than the mere numbers would suggest.

Today's ride was a preview of the Memorial Day all-class ride, and will be one of the routes featured.

Cobb Island Rock Point Explorer

Stephen Palincsar — Sun, 20 Apr 2025 14:30:00 GMT

Leader: Steve Palincsar

Members: Ron Altemus

Guests: none

Route: https://ridewithgps.com/routes/50368066

Weather:High haze, sunny, breezy. 70 at the start, almost 80 at the end.

AMS:11.5

Mechanicals/Mishaps: Plenty, beginning with a camera malfunction (memory card somehow got unseated), continuing with me getting trapped in the booth at Captain John's (if Ron hadn't suggested standing

up and sitting on the fence to wriggle out I'd still be stuck there) and coming to a crescendo trying to fix a glass puncture with a pump that developed pressure but wouldn't open the valve; a pump whose piston freely moved up and down but wouldn't move any air; a backup pump I've carried for a couple of years that simply fell apart the first time I actually had to use it; and a replacement tube that may or may not have actually been holding air.

Report:

Cobb Island's place in radio history

No cyclists out today, but there was a good sized crowd at Captain John's. The waitresses were wearing bunny ears to celebrate Easter. We had toured Cobb Island before stopping to have lunch, and after I extricated myself from my imprisonment in the booth on the deck outside, Ron and I set out to explore some wooded lanes that went down to the shore of Neal Sound. The shoulders of Rock Point Rd were strewn with broken glass, and we got as far as Furby Rd when my front tire went flat.

We struggled for a while with pumps that weren't pumping (at least it was easy to get the tire on and off, so the wheel rebuild and the new rims were definitely a success) as a bunch of children on dirt bikes kept roaring up and down the road. Ron finally suggested installing the round nut on the valve stem, and somehow, I still don't know how, that change let me start getting air into the tire.

I decided to skip the out-and-back to Woodbury Beach and we headed straight back up Rock Point Rd to Piccowaxen Rec Center, finishing with 29.9 miles. Definitely an "adventure" that left some indelible memories.

The Four Musketeers in The Ag Reserve!

Jessica Hirschhorn — Sat, 19 Apr 2025 18:26:54 GMT

It was a lovely day for a bike ride. This was apparently on the minds of MANY other cyclists who were out in FORCE today. There is a road race next week and we suspect that many were training for the race. NOT us.

Riders: Jessica Hirschhorn, Alan Hugely, Doug Kay and Linda Blackman.

29.27 miles from EE Halmos Park, dipping down to White's Ferry and a beautiful view of the Potomac.

The late cherry trees are still in stunning bloom, and the early wheat is a brilliant shade of green. We had a simply wonderful ride.

Friendship Farm, Mallows Bay & Smith Point (CC 36mi)

Stephen Palincsar — Sat, 19 Apr 2025 14:00:00 GMT

Leader: Steve Palincsar

Members: Chantal Briere, Bob Thompson, Luis Dall'Orso, Karen McMillan, Joan Oppel, Tom Short

Guests: none

Route: https://ridewithgps.com/routes/31317564

Weather: 70 at the start rising to the mid-80s, cloudy and breezy.

AMS: 12.3

Mechanicals/Mishaps: none

Report: A pleasant day for a ride in Nanjemoy. Lilacs blooming in abundance, and the air was heavy with their scent -- or so Joan tells me; when my hay fever is acting up, I don't smell anything. As usual, Tom Short skipped the rest stop at Mallows Bay in an effort to increase endurance, and as usual Lou was off the front and off the route. The rest of us enjoyed a visit to Mallows Bay and a lunch stop at the Nanjemoy Store, staying together. We didn't see much traffic, typical of Nanjemoy, but unlike Jessica and the Gang of Four in the MoCo Ag Reserve, we saw no other cyclists.

Friday IHRT ~20 miles

Ron Altemus — Fri, 18 Apr 2025 14:00:00 GMT

Leader: Ron Altemus

Members: Gene Villiva, Susan Altemus, Robin Garnett, Fran Jezisek, Leesha Saunders, Sherwood Byers, Sr., Oswald Martin, Linda Bankerd, Lester Jackson, Jr., Donaro Gardner, Joan Jackson, and guest Mark Martin (Oswald's son). Not pictured: Brian Mills, who was delayed but joined us at White Plains

Route: the Friday Fav - Indian Head Rail Trail east from Livingston Rd parking lot to the White Plains trailhead. After a rest stop, a westerly return back to the ride start.

Weather:   a nice spring day with seasonal temps (lower to mid 60s), sunny through a high white haze, winds out of the south 6-9 mph

AMS:   RL swept at 11 mph. Everyone else faster...

Mechanicals/Mishaps:   none

Report: good weather brought out the largest group for a Friday ride this year. We were stretched our along the trail, mostly in pairs conversing as we rode. First ride of the year for Lester and Joan and we hope to see them again in the very near future.

Lots of other trails users, the majority of which were utilizing the eastern end of the trail. Bald eagles sightings at the ride start, near Bumpy Oak pond on the return, and on the nest close to Livingston Rd. Lots of other smaller birds and a hawk near White Plains; the various ponds had turtles sunning.

Beautiful ride, sad encounter

Joan Oppel — Thu, 17 Apr 2025 14:00:00 GMT

Leader: Joan Oppel

Members: Ron Altemus, Lou D'All Orso, Sue Gunter, Denny Miller, Tom Short, Pat Walthers

Route: https://ridewithgps.com/routes/48179152 Outbound on the trail, Bumpy Oak, Rose Hilll to Rt 6, Poorhouse to Masons Springs, rest stop at Pisgah Park, Smallwood Church, Chicamuxen, brief visit to Smallwood Park and return

Weather: Mid 50's for most of the ride, about 60 at the end, with a north breeze at 8-9 mph

Mechanicals and Mishaps: None to the riders

Report: Two riders announced at the start that they would be doing the route straight through with no stops and we waved them off to do their thing. Five of us - Ron, Denny, Pat, Sue and me - rode more or less together, with a couple of regrouping stops. It was a quiet ride with little traffic except on Bumpy Oak, Rt 6 and Chicamuxen near Hawthorne - but miles and miles of very few passing cars.

We did have one eventful and sad encounter: about halfway to Pisgah Park on Mason Springs, we noticed a young deer struggling in a ditch, obviously having been hit by a car. We stopped a couple hundred feet up the road and I called Charles County Animal Control, listened to a long menu, called out the most likely number to call. Sue dialed that and then got transferred to the Charles County Sheriff's department. About 10 minutes later, a sheriff's car showed up back down the road and he called out that he had spotted the animal. We left, knowing very sadly that there was no good outcome but at least we could help the animal out of its misery.

On the other hand, it was a gorgeous day for a bike ride, bright deep blue sky and lots of sun.

Sad Encounter

Tom Short — Thu, 17 Apr 2025 14:00:00 GMT

Luis and I, Tom Short, saw the struggling but hopeless deer. We stopped at the entrance to Pisgah Park and called Charles County non- emergency number to report the deer. We then continued riding in that any further involvement on our part would serve only to further terrify the deer. The police you saw was likely there in response to our call to them. It was indeed a sad event.

Tour de Accokeek - All class 16

Janell Saunders — Wed, 16 Apr 2025 21:30:00 GMT

Leader: Janell Saunders

Members: I was joined by Sherwood Byers, Jr., Linda Bankerd and Pat Colvin

Route: the standard TDA 16

Weather: 60ish

Mishaps: a flat near the end of the ride.

It was cool and breezy but not nearly as windy as the day before. Linda was on her second ride after knee replacement surgery, so we kept to the standard route and had a relaxed ride.

After descending Marshall Hall road, we decided to bypass the rest stop since it was a steady headwind. Linda's aim was to make it up Barrys Hill without stopping which she did (the little engine that could and did!) After that, we turned left to make up a couple miles heading toward Mayoene Reserve and view the 2 giant pigs at the farm along the way, they were snuggled up and napping. Sherwood was chased by a dog after making the turn ahead of us, but the owner was able to retrieve the offender before it got a hold of Sherwood.

On our return, your leader headed home and did not return to the start, but found out later that Pat had flatted after making the turn on Accokeek Rd W. The remaining riders teamed up to do the repair which was hampered by her e-bike configuration. They did make it back to the start by 8pm.

Kent Island: The Octopus Ride!

Jessica Hirschhorn — Mon, 14 Apr 2025 14:00:00 GMT

13 riders joined me on Kent Island, a day that started with cloudiness and turned to wonderful sun! We enjoyed the multiple out-and-backs to see The Chesapeake Bay Bridge, shetland ponies (thank you Susan for remembering to bring apple snacks!) a community fishing pier, a stunning beach at a wedding venue, ospreys and nests, and the southernmost end lighthouse and picnic area for lunch.

RIDERS: Jessica Hirschhorn, Steve Palincsar, Walt Roscello, Catherine Ade, Ron Altemus, Susan Altemus, Barbara Butcher, Andrea Clayville, Robin Garrett, Susan Golonka, Lynda Honberg, Anne Wittenberg, and Gene Villeva.

34.4 miles. 381'

Start the Season All-Class Ride Photos

Stephen Palincsar — Sun, 13 Apr 2025 13:30:00 GMT

Ride Leaders - Deb Reynolds, CC 35; Diane Harris, Ellen Goodwin, Catherine Ade, Walt Roscello, B/CC 41

Top Row: Sorting out the 35 and 41 mile riders; Bottom Row: 35 mile and Trail rides.

CC/B 41 mile ride -- Start the Season

Ellen Goodwin — Sun, 13 Apr 2025 13:30:00 GMT

Leaders: Ellen Goodwin (sweep), Catherine Ade and Walt Roscello (middle of the pack) and Diane Harris (fast group)

Members: Ian Altendorfer, Karen Barnett-Mccain, Riley Bates, Chatal Briere, William Campbell, Luis Dall-Orso, Liam Healy, Larry Malone, Getachew Negash, Lisa Oken, Theresa Rowell, Mario Salazar, Bernard Steward, Bob Thompson, David Van Ameydan, David Whiteman, Pat Walthers

Report: The ride started at 9:30am and it was chilly and cloudy at the start. Quickly the group broke up with a fast group off the front, a middle group, and a more leisurely group in the rear. The ride was quick to Goose Bay where the sun had come out to warm us for the return trip. It was a very windy day and it felt as though every direction had a headwind. The slower paced group decided to take a detour out of Goose Bay and took a right at the top of the Goose Bay hill instead of a left to go back. We rode half a mile or so to the end of the road and enjoyed the glorious view of St. Ignatius church and other beautiful things including geese from the end of the road. That's a view worth taking in and I'm glad we took the time to do it.

Mechanicals/Issues: None that this correspondent is aware of.

Start the Season IHRT ~27 miles

Ron Altemus — Sun, 13 Apr 2025 13:30:00 GMT

Leader/Members: RL Ron, Janell Saunders, Gene Villiva

Route:   Village Green to Indian Head Rail Trail east to White Plains for a rest stop. Return Westward Ho! to ride start.

Weather:   Partly cloudy becoming quite sunny with temps ranging from 53-59 degrees - cooler when the sun was hidden by the errant cloud. NW winds 10-12 mph so noticeable on the return.

AMS:   mid 11s

Mechanicals/Mishaps:   none during the ride proper but... Janell flatted on MD-210 in Indian Head proper. She was a bit unsure as to how to cope with her thru-axles, so once photog Steve finished his official duties, he went off to assist as possible. Initially encountering problems, they ended up taking the bike back to Janell's house and then had no issues fixing the flat. Janell rode back to the trail via Livingston/Pomfret and met up with us near MM 12.

Report:   A nice day on the trail, especially as the sun warmed the air. Numerous users but not as busy as might have been expected - perhaps others though the day had started a bit too cool Wildlife sightings (visually or aurally) included frogs, turtles, wild turkeys and different types of smaller birds. Outbound, an eagle was visible on the nest near Livingston Road while on the return trip, an immature flew diagonally across the trail in front of us below tree top level. Bald eagles are big birds! Shortly thereafter, a pileated woodpecker also flew across the trail in front of us.

Woodburn Hill, Locke's Crossing & Morganza Turner (C/CC, 28 mi)

Stephen Palincsar — Sat, 05 Apr 2025 14:30:00 GMT

Walking Home on Woodburn Hill

Leader: Steve Palincsar

Members: Ron Altemus

Route: https://ridewithgps.com/routes/50193221

Weather: Cloudy, low 60s at the start rising to the low 70s by 2pm, roughly 10 mph winds.

AMS: 11.5

Mechanicals/Mishaps: none

Report: While Walt and Catherine explored Golden Beach, Ron and I took the 3 Notch Trail to Thompson Corner, cutting through the Farmers Market parking lot, then went down Woodburn Hill and back, stopping briefly at the Clover Hill Dairy. No crowds this time, unlike last week.

From there we took Locke's Crossing to the 3 Notch Trail across from Mechanicsville Elementary. We followed the 3 Notch Trail to Morganza Turner, taking that down to Laurel Grove to Baggett Park. As planned, we met Walt and Catherine at the park, and followed them back on the trail.

It was a pretty nice day. We're all still wondering, where was everybody? Were they among the tens of thousands at the "Hands Off" rally at the Washington Monument?

Friday IHRT - afternoon edition ~20 miles

Ron Altemus — Fri, 04 Apr 2025 17:00:00 GMT

Leader:   Ron Altemus

Members:   Jackie Schoch, Gene Villiva, Oswald Martin, Leesha Saunders, Donaro Gardner

Route: Friday same old same old - Indian Head Rail Trail east from Livingston Rd parking lot to rest stop in White Plains and return

Weather:   mostly cloudy with some sun on the return; temps in the mid 70s; 8-10 mph air out of the NW

AMS:   swept in mid 12s

Mechanicals/Mishaps:   none

Report: weather forecasts had thunderstorms/rain for the regular morning start so rescheduled to 1 pm and most everyone was able to accommodate the time shift. All of us felt the need for a Friday bike ride, socializing/conversating with pleasant weather.

Enough other trail users today so we didn't feel all alone. Saw one group of 6-8 mid route and they got to White Plains just before we departed. Interestingly, they all started stretching having completed their ride.

Minimal wildlife sightings consisting of various birds and turtles, either on the trail or basking on logs in one of the numerous ponds along the trail.

Mason Neck 15 miles

Ron Altemus — Sun, 30 Mar 2025 14:30:00 GMT

Leader:   Ron Altemus

Members:   Len Wilkinson, Susan Altemus, Gene Villiva, Fran Jezisek

Route:   Mason Neck trail from Pohick Bay Park to the golf course, then retrace back to High Point Road to the state park visitor's center. Return included a stop at Gunston Hall

Weather: plenty of sunshine; temps rising from the upper 60s to mid 70s; pesky winds out of the south

AMS:   11ish

Mechanicals/Mishaps:   none

Report:   a leisurely route for trail riders with only the one hill on the return after High Point Rd. We rode as a group for the entire trip; surprisingly, we did not see any other cyclists on the trail but there was a steady stream going both ways on High Point Rd. Three plus ospreys were active near the visitor's center and over Belmont Bay. When we went behind the visitor's center at Gunston Hall for the view of the house, we encountered club members Joan Oppel and Jessica Hirschhorn. They were riding the full 28 mile Mason Neck route.

Woodburn Hill, Ryceville & Bowling (CC, 32 & 38 mi)

Stephen Palincsar — Sat, 29 Mar 2025 14:30:00 GMT

Rest stop at the Clover Hill Dairy

Leader: Steve Palincsar

Members: Catherine Ade, Ron Altemus, Sherwood Byers, Luis Dall'Orso, GloJean Gladden, Karen McMillan, Joan Oppel, Deborah Reynolds, David VanAmayden and Pat Walthers.

Guests: none

Route: 32 mile route: https://ridewithgps.com/routes/32015569 and the 38 mile extended version, https://ridewithgps.com/routes/50091140. My Garmin recorded 1028' elevation gain on the 32 mile route.

Weather: Overcast, mid-60s at the start rising to a sunny, humid 82 with 10-12 mph breezes. The forecast suggested the possibility of light rain but no rain was seen on the ride.

AMS: 13.1

Mechanicals/Mishaps: Leading the fast contingent, Sherwood encountered some aggressive dogs on Ryceville Rd. He reports that it appeared for a moment as though he was going to get bitten, but he drove the dog off.

Later in the ride, after the 2nd break (when he'd unfortunately been left behind because his riding companion failed to hear he was going into the Gents to remove his base layer) Sherwood took the long route and got a flat on the debris-laden shoulder of Golden Beach Rd.

Leaving Gilbert Run Park after the 2nd break, my foot slipped out of the pedal on my first start-up stroke, and came down onto the roadway. I was off balance and was unable to regain my balance, and eventually I went down. I got a few scrapes on my knee and elbow.

Traffic instantly stopped on MD-6 in both directions, and passers-by (including a passing police officer) offered to call an ambulance, but Joan and Pat quickly bandaged me up.

A note in passing: superficial scrapes like that -- the ones we not-so-lovingly refer to as "road rash" -- sting well out of proportion to their seriousness. Modern bandages like the CVS Advanced Care series transparent dressings and BandAid ProHeal with hydrocolloidal gel pads do a wonderful job removing the pain and eliminating scabbing.

Report: There was a bad crash on MD-5 at Cedarville/McKendree that brought southbound traffic to a crawl this morning. I didn't arrive at the Northern Senior Center until around 11 am. Early arrivals who'd been fortunate enough to take alternate routes that avoided MD-5 through Waldorf found a parking lot full of cars belonging to participants in a 5K race and a Senior Center building open so they could use the rest rooms.

It was chilly and overcast when we got started, warming enough to require a clothing change by the time we got to Woodburn Hill Rd. It was scenic there, as always, but hopes for views of bald eagles were disappointed; perhaps we were too early in the season.

We stopped for a rest break at the Clover Hill Dairy. I was in line behind a couple of customers as I waited to purchase a drink. When the second customer at length finally had the contents of her shopping basket (mainly large foot-long blocks of cheese, two shopping bags all told) rung up, she was given a bill for $961 and some change. She presented around $80 cash in 10s and 20s. "It's nine hundred and sixty one dollars." She presents another $20, up to $100 now. "It's nine hundred and sixty one dollars."

At that point I thought better of my purchase and put my drink back in the cooler, went the loo and then rejoined the group waiting outside. Either someone made a big mistake ringing up the order, or at $3-10/lb .those foot-long blocks of cheese are a lot heavier than I would have guessed. (I mean, like who buys almost a thousand dollars worth of cheese?)

We continued through Amish farm country on Dixie Lyon and Ryceville, where Sherwood had his dog encounter, but didn't see any dogs, then rode on Olde Mill and Plater, I believe to be old alignments that at one time were the route of Budds Creek Rd, before taking Bowling to Trinity Church and MD-6 to our second rest stop at Gilbert Run Park.

After our break and my fall, we took Keech to Oaks to the Three Notch Trail back to Northern Senior Center. Aside from the massive delays in getting started, and of course the mess that happened leaving Gilbert Run Park, it was a very enjoyable day.

Friday IHRT ~20 miles

Ron Altemus — Fri, 28 Mar 2025 14:00:00 GMT

Leader:   Ron Altemus

Members:   Susan Altemus, Donaro Gardner, Gene Villiva, Robin Garnett, Leesha Saunders

Route: Indian Head Rail Trail, Livingston Rd parking lot east to White Plains. Return to start after a rest stop.

Weather:   mostly cloudy>partly cloudy>mostly cloudy; mid 50s to upper 60s temp range; 5-7 mph SW airs

AMS: varied by individual

Mechanicals/Mishaps: none

Report: as pictured above, we started off somewhat bundled up but by the time we returned, it was quite nice. The number of other trail users rose along with the temperatures. Wildlife sightings included several bald eagles, turtles, crows and numerous smaller birds. Heard but not seen was a noisy woodpecker.

Early Morning Ride to Cherry Blossoms

Leslie Tierstein — Fri, 28 Mar 2025 11:15:00 GMT

Robin and I had a lovely ride to view the cherry blossoms. We rode around Hains Point, past the Tidal Basin and the Washington Monument, stopping for photo ops. Unfortunately, the bright sunrise I saw on the way to the ride at 7 AM didn't last, so we had overcast skies. The blossoms look like they are near peak, so you still have time to see them.

Tayloes Neck>Jacksontown 36 miles

Ron Altemus — Tue, 25 Mar 2025 14:30:00 GMT

Leader: Ron Altemus

Members: (not as fast group at Walters Landing) Pat Walthers, Denny Miller, Sue Gunter, Donaro Gardner, Joan Oppel, Jackie Schoch

(the fast guys at Nanjemoy Store) Sherwood Byers, (onlooker Joan), Luis Dall'Orso

Route:   https://ridewithgps.com/routes/41956882    From Friendship Farm, Ironsides.MD-6 to Tayloes Neck for an out and back including Bluff Point and Walters Landing.   Retrace back to King James Church for a bio stop. Hancock Run>Adams Willet to a rest stop at Nanjemoy Store. Jacksontown, Poseytown, Bowie, and Baptist Church back to the start point. 35.8 miles, 1215' elevation change.

Weather: blue skies giving way to mostly cloudy by ride's end; temp range mid 50s to mid 60s; 8 mph NW winds

AMS:   ride leader swept 11ish, the fast guys were around 18 mph

Mechanicals/Mishaps:   none

Report: a very delightful and leisurely tour of Tayloes Neck followed by some fav Nanjemoy routing. We split into two groups on Ironside and redistributed numbers near the end of Tayloes Neck with some of the group out ahead slowing while the fast guys did their thing. With the exceptions of Ironsides and MD-6, roads had little to no traffic, which is why the Nanjemoy area is so great for cycling.

The visit to Walters Landing was memorable. On Friendship Acres Rd, there is a boggy area that has growing on it a large number of wild magnolia trees (pictured below). When we stopped at Walters Landing, resident Loretta came out and talked with us and we queried her about the magnolias. She described the site was "boggy" which is what magnolia trees prefer and she mentioned another boggish area near the intersection of MD-224/225. Both sites are of interest and concern for State of Maryland Wildlife Conservationists as these types of tracts are disappearing rapidly. The site below is the only one your faithful correspondent has ever seen with WILD magnolias growing on it.

Hancock Run & Adams Willet - C/CC 30, Steve Palincsar

Stephen Palincsar — Sat, 22 Mar 2025 14:30:00 GMT

Leader: Steve Palincsar

Members: Ron Altemus

Guests: None

Route: https://ridewithgps.com/routes/39819531

Weather: Partly cloudy, mid 50s at the start, rising to the high 60s. Breezy, with 10-12 mph winds.

AMS: 11.9

Mechanicals/Mishaps: none (Well, none on my route. Lou Dall'Orso had a flat which was repaired at the Nanjemoy store, but he was with Joan's group)

Report: Not much sign of spring in Nanjemoy yet, unlike Alexandria and the District, but it definitely felt like a spring day, especially towards the end when the temps got up to almost 70.

This was my first chance for a weekend ride in weeks, and I could definitely feel it. The 30 mile route was easy by design: it's been a long hard winter with few opportunities to ride. Surely others must be feeling as rusty as I do and would appreciate an easy start to the season.

Joan was up for a longer route and posted a 35 mile variation. 9 others joined her, several actually on their first rides of the season. Ron and I did the 30 version. The two groups rode together for the first 20 miles, separating at the 2nd rest stop at the Nanjemoy Store as the long route went down to the end of Liverpool Point Rd. while Ron and I took a break at the store before returning to Friendship Farm Park.

It was a lovely day, and it was wonderful seeing riders I haven't seen in a year or longer - in one case, not since the Pandemic. And it was a fine reminder of why this is such a great activity.

Hancock Run, Adans Willett & Liverpool Pt extended

Joan Oppel — Sat, 22 Mar 2025 14:30:00 GMT

Leader: Joan Oppel

Members: Chantal Briere, Lou Dall'Orso, Lois Lightfoot, Ray Luchenbach, Karen McMillan, Jackie Schoch, Tom Short, Bob Thompson

Route: The longer version of the ride Steve posted - https://ridewithgps.com/routes/50032848

Weather: Some clouds, some sun - Partly cloudy, high 50's to start rising into mid 60's, a west wind that was rarely felt due to (I think) the wind shielding effect of the forests. Some outstanding cloud formations, like painting in the sky.

Mechanicals/Mishaps: Lou Dall'Orso found a slow leak in a tire, pumped a few times, then checked out at first Nanjemoy store stop and a small piece of glass discovered. Tire/tube quickly changed and on our way.

Report: We gathered with Steve P and Ron A at the start and more or less rode as a group the first 11 miles to the Nanjemoy Store. At that point, everyone split up into small groups. Three's, two's, even one who set out to do his own thing. After the second visit to the Nanjemoy Store (we didn't really stop) at mile 20, Lois, Ray, Jackie, Karen and I rode down to the end of Liverpool Point. We could not reach the beach area due to a massive mud puddle. After we turned right to loop around Riverside Road to Maryland Point, Ray and Lois took off on Riverside and Jackie, Karen and I rode the final 13 or 14 miles together.

It was a beautiful, warm day, low traffic, good company.

Friday IHRT ~20 miles

Ron Altemus — Fri, 21 Mar 2025 14:00:00 GMT

Leader:   Ron Altemus Members: Donaro Gardner, Denny Miloler

Route:   Indian Head Rail Trail - Livingston Rd parking lot east to White Plains and return after a brief rest stop

Weather:   sunny with temps starting in the mid 40s rising to 50; 12-15 mph NW winds with gusts in the 20s

AMS:   11ish

Mechanicals/Mishaps:   none

Report:   actually not too bad with a tailwind outbound and only a few of the aforementioned gusts coming back (actually, average speed was faster on the return into the wind!). Until we got to Middletown heading east, we were the only ones on the trail. The eastern end saw some walkers and joggers and only one other cyclist.

Scored a cold-blooded trifecta as we saw turtles, a couple of snakes, and heard frogs at various points along the trail. Bird sighting included two Great Blue Herons at different locations, a red-shouldered hawk overhead, plenty of robins, and numerous other brown birds of various sizes.

Early Morning Ride to Early Cherry Blossoms

Leslie Tierstein — Fri, 21 Mar 2025 11:30:00 GMT

If anyone had been registered, I would have canceled due to the weather (cold and windy). But I was the only sign-up, so I rode. The sun was in my eyes for half the ride and the wind was in my face for the other half. It is delightful to visit tourist attractions when there are no tourists there -- Washington Monument, for example. The cherry blossoms were just peeking out. I'll repeat this ride next week, hopeful with more people, better weather, and some cherry blossoms.

Falls Church

Sherwood — Thu, 20 Mar 2025 14:30:00 GMT

Alan Kurzweil, Sue Gunter, Robin Garnett, and Donaro Gardner joined me on my weekly maintenance ride starting from Jones Point to Falls Church. This loop continues from the Mt. Vernon, Custis, W and OD, Falls Church, and Four Mile Run trails along with some off-trail usage of roads. After a stop in Falls Church at the local Starbucks we continued the loop to return. Alan started his ride with us from his house and met us at the ride start thus peeling off in Alexandria to finish his loop.

The ride was a casual pace so not to leave anyone behind. Pace was about 12 AMS. No "Mishaps/Mechanical" issues were reported to me during this ride.

All reported to me that they enjoyed this ride.

Thank you to all who joined...Sherwood

Tour de Accokeek - All class 16

Janell Saunders — Wed, 19 Mar 2025 21:00:00 GMT

Leader: Janell Saunders

Members: I was joined by Dana Trevas, Tim Murphy, Sherwood Byers, Jr. and Bernard Stewart.

Route: the standard TDA 16

Weather: 70ish

Mishaps: none.

We had a fine evening for an early season ride to get the legs back on track and brush off the cobwebs on the bike and get it ready to go.

We stuck with the standard 16 mile route, enjoying catching up on our past exploits and plans for future ones.

Some of us zoomed down the hill to the boat ramp rest stop, and on our return realized why we were at Mach speed....a headwind going back, ugh.

A slow ascent on Barrys Hill and an easy ride back to the start. No ice cream yet as the window at BJs doesn't open till April.

North Beach>Pindells (CC 36 miles)

Rick Hagen — Wed, 19 Mar 2025 14:00:00 GMT

Leaders: Rick Hagen & Lisa Petersen

Members: Ron Altemus, Chantal Briere, Barbara Butcher, Sherwood Byers, Susan Golonka, Joan Oppel, Walt Roscello, Anonymous User, Pat Walthers

Route: https://ridewithgps.com/routes/49051680

Weather: Sunny with temps in the 60s. Seemed cooler the first half of the ride. Winds were 8 mph out of the southeast.

AMS: 11.6 for the sweep

Mechanicals/Mishaps: None.

Report: This ride took us from Waysons Corner Park & Ride southeastward on mostly country roads to North Beach, then back on different roads to the start. The parking lot at Waysons is busy now, next time we’ll park at the southeast end. In this area, the country roads are nice, and luckily most of the busy roads have a wide shoulder that we ride on. Just before Fairhaven, we got chased by a dog, the first time I’ve had that happen in years. We stopped at the site of a 1949 plane crash near Fairhaven, gathered for a group photo at the cliffs at Fairhaven, and stopped for lunch at Chesapeake Market & Deli. Then we wandered along the North Beach waterfront and trudged up the hill on Route 260. Country roads in southern Anne Arundel took us to the lovely Pindells area (so-called because of roads named Upper Pindell, Lower Pindell and Pindell). Some stopped at Glendenning Nature Preserve to use the restroom before riding the final 2 miles back to the Park & Ride.

Wildlife: ducks, 2 turtles on a log, 1 smashed eastern box turtle

Rural Legacy Route Test

Joan Oppel — Tue, 18 Mar 2025 14:00:00 GMT

Leader: Joan Oppel

Members: Chantal Briere, Lou Dall'Orso, Donaro Gardner, Oswald Martin, Patricia Sanders, Tom Short, Patricia Walthers, Rita Zeidner

Route: https://ridewithgps.com/routes/49990778
Route uses part of a Rural Legacy route, substituting North Keys as the ride start for a shorter drive. The revised route still covered about 97% of the actual route.

Weather: Lots of sunshine, temperatures started in the high 40s and were in the mid 50s for most of the ride.

Mechanicals/Mishaps: none

Report: As usual, the coldest place on the entire ride was at the start in the parking lot with a chill wind. After leaving the parking lot, temperatures were pleasant. Riders split up into singles or small groups but all gathered at each rest stop. It was a beautiful day, traffic was quiet on most, but not all, of the roads. It was also a hilly ride for this early in the season but, all in all, it was enjoyable due to the sunshine, pretty scenery and good camaraderie. .

Friday IHRT ~20 miles

Ron Altemus — Fri, 14 Mar 2025 14:00:00 GMT

Leader:   Ron Altemus

Members: Donaro Gardner, Darrell Meyer, Gene Villiva

Route:   Indian Head Rail Trail (IHRT) - Livingston Rd parking to White Plains and return

Weather: raw chilly grey day, narrow temp range 44-46. minimal ENE air movement

AMS: 12ish

Mechanicals/Mishaps:   none

Report: big difference in "feels like" temperature from the last time we rode from the Livingston Rd parking lot. Our Tuesday, March 11 ride had an almost identical start temp of 46 but under brilliantly sunny skies, the "feels like" listed as 55!   Seemed like one never warmed up today - a sentiment shared by all of us.

As usual, not a lot of other trail users until we got to Bensville and then a good number of walkers, some cyclists, and several families with children on bikes or scooters. The latter didn't seem to be as cold as we were moving a little faster on our bikes.

Trees continue to leaf out with splashes of red and green vying to be the most observed color. An eagle was seen both outbound/inbound on the nest near Livingston Road. Heading towards White Plains, Gene was ahead prior to Bensville where he had several deer saunter across the trail as he approached. The rest of us behind didn't see the deer but we did see either a big fox or smallish coyote cross the trail behind Gene. Spring peepers were doing their peeper thing, mainly near Pomfret in the overflow areas of Mattawoman Creek.

Smallwood>Ripley>Marshall Corner 30/37 miles Ron & Joan

Ron Altemus — Tue, 11 Mar 2025 14:30:00 GMT

Leaders: Ron Altemus and Joan Oppel

Members: Donaro Gardner, Tom Short, Pat Walthers, Gene Villiva, Jackie Schoch, Luis Dall'Orso, RL Joan, Steve Palincsar, Rita Zeidner, Pat Colvin

Route: Short - https://ridewithgps.com/routes/49881783 - 29.5 miles, 842' elevation change; long - https://ridewithgps.com/routes/49928662 - 37.3 miles. 1,138' elevation change

Both routes started at the Indian Head Village Green, used the Indian Head Rail Trail to Hawthorne and Chicamuxen to a rest stop at Smallwood Park. Leaving the park, Sweetman, Bicknell/Poorhouse (with a snack break at Pisgah Store) to Ripley where we broke into 2 groups. The long route continued on Poorhouse to Burch, MD-6, and back on Poorhouse. Both routes traveled Ripley and Hawthorne to Marshall Corner, then Preston/Pomfret as the return to the IHRT and back to the start.

Weather: plenty of warm sunshine, temps climbing from the upper 40s to mid 60s, advertised winds of 2-5 mph though they increased to 8-9 mph from the south, definitely not as advertised for the middle of the ride.

AMS: swept for the shorter route in the mid 11s

Mechanicals/Mishaps: none noted for the short ride

Report: with the day feeling more like early May, it brought out several riders for their first ride of the year. Those that have been out occasionally saso warmly welcomed the delightful weather.

We had a longish rest stop at Smallwood and then soon after another stop at Pisgah Store to lay in provisions. At Ripley, 5 members accompanied RL Joan on Poorhouse, while the other five of us took Ripley to Hawthorne. A couple of riders, not having gotten in a lot of miles this year, used Bumpy Oak as their return to the IHRT. Maybe it was the time of day, or maybe the time of man, but vehicular traffic wasn't too bad for the shorter route.

The longer group also got to experience a notable sign of spring: the calls of spring peeper frogs. These frogs are only an inch to an inch and a half in size (think postage stamp) but together they make a loud chorus that always heralds spring.

https://youtu.be/UwVEI5M-948

Deale, Broadwater & Franklin Manor (C, 25)

Stephen Palincsar — Sun, 09 Mar 2025 15:00:00 GMT

Leader: Steve Palincsar

Members: Ron Altemus, Sarah Clement, Rick Hagen, Lisa Petersen, Patricia Sanders and Janell Saunders

Guests: none

Route: https://ridewithgps.com/routes/49889805

Weather: Sunny, low 40s at the start rising to the high 50s by early afternoon. Windy - 10-12 mph per the forecast, but by the shores of the Chesapeake Bay it felt like a lot more.

AMS: 10.8

Mechanicals/Mishaps: none

Report: A beautiful day to brush off the cobwebs, recharge the e-bike for the first time in months, find the water bottles, figure out what to wear and remember how to load a route into the GPS. And for me, to also remember how to post a route and how to write a ride report.

We ride by Bayside communities, taking our time as we cruised through a maze of backstreets, stopping to take pictures of swans on the water and piers damaged by winter storms, exploring one community we've never visited before (and missing the turns for a couple of the out-and-backs). We stopped for lunch at Christopher's Fine Foods before heading out to Chalk Point, and then stopped at South County Cafe almost at the end. It was wonderful being out in the sun and the breeze with friends, enjoying the day and having fun.

Friday IHRT ~20 miles

Ron Altemus — Fri, 07 Mar 2025 15:00:00 GMT

Leader:   Ron Altemus Members: Leesha Saunders, Oswald Martin (not pictured: Denny Miller)

Route:   Indian Head Rail Trail, Livingston Rd parking lot east to White Plains and return

Weather:   better than forecast with plenty of sunshine; temp range 43-49; 12-14 mph westerly air with just an occasional gust higher

AMS: >mid 11s mph

Mechanicals/Mishaps: none

Report:   small contingent today, with Denny not tumbling to the 10 am start time. Arriving before 11 at Livingston Rd and encountering cars sans club members, he rode fast and hard eastward, encountering us between Bensville/Middletown and then got back to Livingston Rd shortly after we did. Only one other cyclist (Wes) and a handful of walkers/joggers were using the trail today.

Trees are beginning to leaf out - maples showing red between Livingston and Bensville, oaks sporting green growth Middletown to White Plains. Also, frogs were heard between Bumpy Oak and Pomfret in those stretches where the creek overflows. Spring is approaching.

Mason Neck ~24 miles

Ron Altemus — Tue, 04 Mar 2025 16:00:00 GMT

Leader:   Ron Altemus

Members:   Patricia Sanders, Steve Palincsar

Route:   advertised as https://ridewithgps.com/routes/40798783 27.6 miles, 738' elevation change but we shortened a bit by cutting out the final 4 spurs (Gunston Manor, Gunston Hall, Pohick Bay park, Pohick Bay golf course) to end up with 23.6 miles, approx the same elevation change.

Weather: Sunny under pale blue skies due to high overcast; temp range 52-59; 12-13 mph air out of the WSW, gusting at times to over 20

AMS:   mid 10s

Mechanicals/Mishaps: none

Report: another nice day to be outdoors and riding one's bicycle. Very leisurely pedaling as part of the acclimatization of riding again after a prolonged absence. Varied conversation for the length of the ride. Vehicular traffic on Gunston Road was light and we did see other cyclists, both on the path and on the roads. (Item of note: we used the Meadowoods Mt Bike parking lot due to school being in session at Gunston Elementary. There were 15+ cars there at ride start - assuming they belonged to riders using the mountain bike paths.)

Two notable observations in the Hallowing Point neighborhood: 1) with the leaves off the trees, Mt Aventine at Chapman State Park was visible across the river; 2) we continued on River Rd to its southern terminus to see if the tundra swans were still wintering over in the Great Marsh. They were as lots of these large white birds were visible on the far shore. It had been told to your faithful correspondent that there were "thousands" at the marsh - seems like a big number but maybe so!

Good day for a ride to La Plata

Joan Oppel — Tue, 04 Mar 2025 15:00:00 GMT

Leader: Joan Oppel

Members: Darrell Meyer, Pat Walthers

Route: https://ridewithgps.com/routes/49860335 A roundabout way to go to La Plata and back.

Weather: Mostly sunny, temperatures between 53 and 63 while riding. The wind was between 7 and 12 mph but was noticeable at times and felt a little chilly.

Mechanicals/Mishaps: None.

Report: This route was a pleasant way to end up in La Plata without going up St Ignatius. We took Chicamuxen, Marbury Run, Bicknell, Pisgah Marbury, the Stuckeys, Poorhouse, Annapolis Woods and Hawthorne to reach Rose Hill. Then to Chapel Point and Locust Grove to Springhill Newton, Glen Albin and the Dash In. We sat on some steps in the sun at the back of the Dash In, rather than stand around snacking. Return was on Quailwood with a stop to check out the dragon and its many companions.

Excellent day to get out and we all enjoyed the ride!

Accokeek & Bryan's Road 16 miles

Ron Altemus — Sat, 01 Mar 2025 18:00:00 GMT

Leader:   Ron Altemus

Member: Steve Palincsar

Route: Regular TdeA routing to Bryan's Road and then exploration of the Timber Ridge subdivisions working our way back to Marshall Hall Road. A left, then right on Arbor to loop through Strawberry Hills Estates, retrace back to Bryan's Road. After a rest stop at the MacDonalds, continued retracing to Old Marshall Hall Rd. We planned an out and back to Poplar Hill before retracing back to Accokeek Rd/Livingston Rd to return to the start. Advertised as 20.3 miles, 489' elevation change.

Weather: Sunny, temps staying basically at 60-61 degrees, shifting 15-17 mph winds out of the entire western quadrant, with gusts up to 30 mph.

AMS:   maybe ten

Mechanicals/Mishaps:   a couple but nothing serious - 1) ride leader forgot to load the course to his Garmin but fortunately Steve had loaded it to his, plus he had a cue sheet; 2) ride leader's bike got blown over which caused the rear fender to loosen producing tire squeal which was corrected with a bit of stay bending.

Report: route was advertised as being considerably different then the usual TdeA/BR ride at 20 miles, very flat., and NO down Marshall Hall Road and NO up Barry's Hill. It was aimed at the casual rider who hadn't been on the bike much at all in 2025, or anyone else who fit that category.

Traffic on the beltway and 210 was heavy but our route was surprisingly vehicle free until the final stretch on Livingston Rd back to the firehouse. The firehouse parking lot seemed to be very windy and we had several stretches with strong headwinds and a few unsteadying gusts. After turning onto Old Marshall Hall Rd, we encountered an unrelenting fierce wind and the decision was made to shorten by simply turning onto Accokeek Rd instead of out and back to Poplar Hill. Even with the shorter distance (only 16 miles), it was nice to be out riding, getting in some miles, and plenty of fresh air.

Rural Legacy Preview Abbreviated Edition

Ellen Goodwin — Sat, 01 Mar 2025 15:00:00 GMT

MEmbers: Darrell Myer, Lisa Okin, Joan Oppel, Dave VanAymaden, Liam Healy, Martin Oswald, Tom Short, Donaro Gardner, Luis D'Alorso

LEader: Ellen Goodwin

Route: This was a repost of a Thursday ride that was canceled due to rain. 33 mile route that started at North Keys Park, and proceeded to Merkle Nature Preserve and Patuxent River Park for two rest stops, then back to North Keys Park.

Report: We had a good turnout of 10 riders on a forecasted sunny day with highs somewhere around 60. The ride itself was quite hilly for 33 miles. A few of us were on one of our first rides for the year and felt the hills. The wind definitely picked up as the ride progressed with winds between 16 and about 23 mph. But the company was great and the group stayed together for the whole ride for the most part. On the way back, three of us looked for the elusive zebras that used to roam the area, but found none. Lisa's birthday was today and we were glad to celebrate with her. Thanks to everyone for coming out on surely the better day of the weekend.

Mechanicals: none that I know of.

Friday IHRT ~20 miles

Ron Altemus — Fri, 28 Feb 2025 16:00:00 GMT

Leader: Ron Altemus

Members: Donaro Gardner, Oswald Martin, Leesha Saunders, Denny Miller

Route:   Indian Head Rail Trail, Livingston Rd parking lot east to White Plains, rest stop, and westward ho! to the start

Weather:   sunny; temp range 48-54; 12-14 mph breezes out of the west with a gust or two in the 20s

AMS:   swept 11ish

Mechanicals/Mishaps: none

Report: nice day even with the breeze. Not a lot of other trail users, just a few walkers, cyclists, and the blade woman. After the winter snows and rain, all of the ponds along the trail have returned to their full levels.

Of note - turtles sunning on logs in the Port Tobacco Creek pond just west of White Plains. Spring is slowly coming.

Warm winter day in Nanjemoy

Joan Oppel — Tue, 25 Feb 2025 15:30:00 GMT

Leader: Joan Oppel

Members: Lou Dall'Orso, Tom Short, Patricia Sanders, Pat Walthers

Route: A pleasant visit to Nanjemoy from Pisgah Park by way of Mason Springs and Ironsides all the way to Rt 6. Then Maryland Point to Smith Point, taking Riverside to the Nanjemoy Store, then back to Riverside. On to Chicamuxen, leading to Gilroy, Bowie, Rt 6 again and Mason Springs back to the Park https://ridewithgps.com/routes/49794581

Weather: Mostly cloudy, with occasional sun, temperatures in the 50's, wind very light

Mechanicals/Mishaps: None.

Report: Today felt warm compared to all the prior riding days of this year - 50's for most of the ride. Riders spread out, gathered together, conversed some and spread out again throughout the day. Nanjemoy delivered very quiet roads, and polite drivers when encountered. The Nanjemoy store made for a nice rest stop, as always.

No wildlife other than birds, spotted along the way were an eagle, a pileated woodpecker, blue birds and two killdeer.

(Ride leader forgot to take a picture.)

Mason Neck 28 miles

Ron Altemus — Sun, 23 Feb 2025 16:00:00 GMT

Leader:   Ron Altemus

Members:   Lisa Oken, Gene Villiva, Karen McMillan

Route:   what has become the de facto routing: Out and back on Belmont Blvd, then Gunston Rd to the Mason Neck trail. A spur on Springfield, back to the trail, and then High Point Rd to the Mason Neck State Park visitor center. Retracing, Gunston Rd to Hallowing Point for a meander through that subdivision. Returning, visits to Gunston Manor neighborhood, Gunston Hall, Pohick Bay Park, and finally the Pohick Bay golf course.

Weather:   a big improvement over the past week! Plenty of sunshine and cloudless blue skies, temp range of 43-49, 3-5 mph breezes out of the NW. It felt quite pleasant riding today.

AMS:   11ish

Mechanicals/Mishaps:   none

Report: Lisa's first ride in Mason Neck while Karen hadn't been down there in quite a few years The four of us rode as a group with lots of conversation. Vehicular traffic was fairly light. We did see several other individual cyclists.

In Hallowing Point, we road down River Road to where it stops. Looking through the yard of the house there, we were able to view Tundra Swans in the Great Marsh. In the next couple of weeks, leaves will start coming out on trees and bushes and such scenic views, only possible late winter, will no longer be visible.

Sunny day to Goose Bay- Snow tomorrow

Joan Oppel — Mon, 10 Feb 2025 16:00:00 GMT

Leader: Joan Oppel

Members: Ron Altemus, Donaro Gardner, Susan Golonka, Oswald Martin

Weather: Sunny! Light wind! Temperature between 40 and 44 during the ride.

Mechanicals/Mishaps: None.

Report: Another very nice day for a ride, sun, light wind, mid 40s - we were comfortable and it seemed we all knew how to dress for this kind of day. As always, the porch at Goose Bay made for a great rest stop and as always, we stayed longer than we would have somewhere less appealing.

Wildlife, well, "Birdlife" sightings - eagles, a red tail hawk close overhead with full tail extended, pilieated woodpecker

My arms are not long enough to get all of me plus riders plus the key element, the Goose Bay porch with sign!

Route: https://ridewithgps.com/routes/49087127 A simple route to Goose Bay - via Pisgah Pisgah Marbury, the Stuckeys and Poorhouse, connecting with Annapolis Woods, Fire Tower and on to Goose Bay. Return Rt 6, Burch, Poorhouse, Ripley. Go right on Hawthorne to connect with Bumpy Oak and the Indian Head Trail

Thanks to my co-riders for a really good day on the bike!

A Sunny Mason Neck Circuit

Joan Oppel — Sun, 09 Feb 2025 15:30:00 GMT

Leaders: Joan Oppel and Ron Altemus

Members: Darrell Meyer, Rita Zeidner

Overlooking the Potomac from the Mt Vernon visible to the eye but way up river

Route: https://ridewithgps.com/routes/40798783 The mostly standard Mason Neck route, as Ron and I like to do it. Some riders chose to add some downs and ups on a couple of hills (ups/downs not on the official route).

Weather: Temperatures 41-44, pleasant enough for winter. Mostly sunny mixed with some clouds, winds in the 12 to 17 mph range, with the higher winds early in the ride. However, the wind was at our backs on the way to Mason Neck and the end of the peninsula, and in addition this route has a lot of sheltered areas and we only felt the wind occasionally.

Over looking Belmont Bay

Mechanicals/Mishaps: None

Report: This was a really nice day to be riding, especially with a route that provided for the wind at our backs when it was strongest plus a lot of sheltered roads. We took our break at the Mason Neck visitor center, overlooking the bay. And it was very windy there so we bird and wave watched for a while and then moved to the other side. At the Visitor's Center, we met up and chatted with the Potomac Pedalers club riders, also a small group. They were doing the same roads but with a different twist.

Wildlife - on the first part Springfield Road a very healthy-looking beautiful fox crossed the road ahead of us, sprinting full out. And then we saw eagles more than once, possibly the same eagles tracking our progress.

George Mason's historic home

All pictures thanks to Darrell.

Friday IHRT ~20 miles

Ron Altemus — Fri, 07 Feb 2025 15:30:00 GMT

RL Ron Altemus; Members Oswald Martin, Robin Garnett, Donaro Gardner

Route: Indian Head Rail Trail

Weather: mostly sunny, temp range 46-50, NW 9-10 mph air w/higher gusts

AMS: swept at 11.9; others in low 12s

Mechanicals/Mishaps: none

Report: another day w/o a lot of trail users, maybe one other cyclist and some walkers. No significant (nor insignificant) wildlife sightings. Just a pleasant social ride with lots of conversation.

Tour de Accokeek & Bryans Rd 30 miles

Ron Altemus — Tue, 04 Feb 2025 15:00:00 GMT

Leader:   Ron Altemus

Members:   Denny miller, Sam Perry, Esther Stewart, Joan Oppel, Oswald Martin, Donaro Gardner. Not pictured: Robin Garnett and Jackie Schoch who eschewed Marshall Hall landing for a quicker return via Barrys Hill.

Route:   Regular Tour de Accokeek routing to Bryan's Road and then an exploration of the Timber Ridge subdivisions back to Marshall Hall Road. Following a hair raising descent of Marshall Hall Road, out and back on Fenwick prior to a rest stop at Marshall Hall Landing. Return next featured another out/back of River Rd before resuming the standard TdeA with the ascent of Barry Hill Road. Final leg was a short excursion left on Old Marshall Hall Road before retracing and returning to the start. RWGPS: https://ridewithgps.com/routes/49615056 30.4 miles 735' elevation change.

Weather: Sunny; temps 56-57 degrees, feeling warmer in the sun with a tailwind, colder near the river with a headwind; said winds out of the NW 12-15 mph gusting to the mid 20s, most noticeable between Fenwick and Marshall Hall landing.

AMS:   swept in the mid 10s

Mechanicals/Mishaps:   none

Report:   a good turnout for a nice morning ride. Vehicular traffic was light and we rode as a group, with some separation at times, for the entire route. The Bryans Road subdivisions continue to proliferate with building sites laid out on Matthews while Timber Ridge grows bigger. Fortunately, the areas closer to the river are still largely undeveloped and wildlife sightings are common. Along the marshy areas of both River and Barry's Hill, we observed large raptors in flight, the former probably a hawk, the latter an immature bald eagle.

Winter rides also provide viewing opportunities of the countryside unhindered by tree leaves. A nice view of Pomonkey Creek from Fenwick is one such example:

Mason Neck - 28 miles

Ron Altemus — Sun, 02 Feb 2025 18:00:00 GMT

Leader: Ron Altemus

Members: no takers...

Route:   JRA Mason Neck https://ridewithgps.com/routes/40798783 27.6 miles, 738' elevation change .

Weather:   Gray cloudy skies, temp range of 36-37, 7 mph SW air which wasn't really noticed. All things considered, it wasn't bad riding today.

AMS:   mid 11s

Mechanicals/Mishaps:   none

Report:   evidently too cold for others, Only saw one other cyclist on the road but a few riders were using the mountain bike trails off Belmont Blvd. Wildlife sighting of note - 10+ deer crossing Gunston Road a bit past the park entrance. Fortunately, for both deer and bicyclists alike, very little vehicular traffic today.

Thursday (!) IHRT ~20 miles

Ron Altemus — Thu, 30 Jan 2025 16:00:00 GMT

Leader:   Ron Altemus

Members:   Oswald Martin, Robin Garnett, Alan Kurzweil, Esther Stewart, Donaro Gardner, Gene VIlliva, Denny Miller

Route:   Indian Head Rail Trail from Livingston Road east to White Plains trailhead and return

Weather:   mostly sunny, temps in mid 40s, westerly breezes climbing from 3 > 8 mph over the course of the ride

AMS:   swept in the mid 11s

Mechanicals/Mishaps:   none

Report: after three weeks of cancellations and with the prospect of rain on the last Friday of January, we had a good turnout of eager riders for a Thursday edition of the IHRT ride. The trail was in pretty good shape regarding snow/ice coverage as we encountered only a few iffy stretches. Most notable were a couple of sections before Middletown where bare asphalt was reduced to narrow lanes prompting some riders to dismount and walk. On the return, sufficient solar energy had continued the melting process and passage was easier with no one needing to dismount.

Not a lot of other trail users though we did see two other cyclists after Bumpy Oak when we were outbound. Wildlife sightings of note: two bald eagles were on the nest just to the east of the parking lot; upon our return, a single eagle was perched above the nest as seen below, with possibly the head of the other in the nest to the left. It is egg laying and incubation season so perhaps we will see fledglings at some point in February.

First ride since New Year's Day due to snow.ice, COLD

Joan Oppel — Tue, 28 Jan 2025 15:30:00 GMT

Leader: Joan Oppel

Members: Ron Altemus, Donaro Gardner, Jessica Hirschhorn, Patricia Sanders

Route: https://ridewithgps.com/routes/49557816

The roads were clear so snow, ice and salt, including the shoulders. The route did use pretty well traveled roads - Hawthorne and Mt Pisgah, Ripley, Poorhous, Masons S;prings, Smallwood Church, Smallwood State Park, Sweetman, Bicknell, Chicamuxen.

Weather: Pretty nice - sunny! -after temperatures hovering in teens and low 20s for (seemed like) weeks - about 44 to start, hovered between there and 50 for most of the ride.

Mechanicals/Mishaps: None

Report: It has been rainy or snowy since right after New Year's Day. Two snows a week apart were followed by very cold temperatures - lows below teens, highs 20s - and ICE. Today's ride was the first one scheduled since January 1 to actually happen.

And we had a great time. It was terrific to find the roads so clear. The worst surface was in the Livingston parking lot - a nice sheet of packed snow and ice. (The trail was still snow covered in many places that we could see.)

Impromptu rest stop at Pisgah Park, impromptu stop at Mini Farm World on Smallwood Church to say hello to some baby goats and the Highland cattle (and dogs and donkeys and chickens). Acutal rest stop at Smallwood State Park, where we foung the boat ramp and dock area iced in.

Volunteer Dinner

Joan Oppel — Sat, 11 Jan 2025 22:00:00 GMT

Here are some pictures from the January 11 club dinner for 2024 volunteers - ride leaders, Rural Legacy workers, Board members and guests who gathered at Grace Lutheran church for a fun, social ,catered dinner with homemade extras and desserts.

Friday IHRT ~20 miles

Ron Altemus — Fri, 03 Jan 2025 16:00:00 GMT

Leader:   Ron Altemus

Members:   Donaro Gardner, Denny Miller

Route:   Indian Head Rail Trail

Weather:   Overcast with an occasional yellow dot as the sun tried to break through, 6-7 mph SSW air, temps 38-43. Not too bad...

AMS:   mid 12s

Mechanicals/Mishaps:   none

Report:   another cold day so only the polar bears out riding. Others using the trail included several other cyclists, a number of walkers, and the Blade Lady back from vacation and on her inline skates.

2025 Kickoff Ride-With Wind

Joan Oppel — Wed, 01 Jan 2025 15:30:00 GMT

Leader: Joan Oppel

Members: Anon U, Linda Bankerd, Sherwood Byers, Pat Colvin, Robin Garnett, Steve Palinscar, Janell Saunders, Peter Stelman, Esther Steward. Ron rode to meet us at the start but then did his own ride. Guest: Dan Lehman

Weather: Sunny - and WINDY in mega capital letters, 18-20 mph sustained with higher gusts. But - it was not very cold.

Jefferson

Lincoln

Report: We gathered at Daingerfield Island, and those of us who had ridden to the ride start had suffered in the wind to get there. We then rode into DC facing winds of 18-20 mph with higher gusts. We all made it successfully into the city, and there the wind was not an issue.

We had leisurely stops with lots of picture taking (and reversing positions to satisfy the photographers). We rode down the middle of Pennsylvania Ave in the bike lanes. The display at the Botanic Garden was very impressive, Pollinators and their Plants, everything constructed from natural material. The Peets Coffee rest stop was welcome for the bathroom and some baked treats (though it was reported the coffee was not hot).

Orchid bee & Vanilla orchid

All in all, a great start to 2025 riding, made better for the great company of biking friends. And, we rode every day in 2025

Final 2024 Ride

Joan Oppel — Tue, 31 Dec 2024 14:30:00 GMT

Leader: Joan Oppel

Member: Donaro Gardner

Route: https://ridewithgps.com/routes/48179152 A simple route from Livingston IH trail parking. Heading out on the trail and onto Bumpy Oak, turn on Rt 6 and then on Poorhouse. Next to Masons Springs, stop at Pisgah Park, over to Smallwood Church, quick stop at Smallwood park, loop around near the campground and back via Chicamuxen, Marbury Run etc.

Weather: Much nicer than anticipated - not cloudy, sunny! Not cold - just right! Not windy ---- etc.

Report: Don and I had a delightful ride, chatting the whole way out and back. A very nice way to end 2024.

St Ignatius>Pomfret 32 miles

Ron Altemus — Mon, 30 Dec 2024 15:00:00 GMT

Leader:   Ron Altemus

Members: Darrell Meyer, Patricia Sanders, the RL, Janell Saunders, Sherwood Byer, Sr., GloJean Gladden, Walt Roscello, Tom Short, Pat Colvin, Linda Bankerd. Not pictured: photographer Anony U.

Route:   IHRT/Bumpy Oak, Rose Hill, Causeway & Chapel Point to a rest stop at St Ignatius (pictured above.) Continuing on Chapel Point/Bel Alton Newtown, Fairgrounds, St Mary's, Glen Albin and Oak to a second rest stop at the La Plata Dash-In. Final leg on Charles/Port Tobacco to Quailwood, Hawthorne, Marshall Corner and Pomfet back to IHRT. https://ridewithgps.com/routes/49336012 31.6 miles 1014' elevation change.

Weather: very nice for the 30th of December. Plenty of sunshine with almost cloudless skies raising temps from the mid 50s to mid 60s. Winds out of the western quadrant 8-10 mph w/gusts of 15.

AMS:   swept in the mid 11s

Mechanicals/Mishaps:   one slipped chain, easily rectified with a second pair of hands.

Report: the penultimate ride of 2024 was a great day for bicycling with most pleasant weather and great company. Vehicular traffic wasn't too bad: drivers were very courteous going up Bumpy Oak and Rose Hill while Chapel Point and St Marys had only a few cars, again with courteous drivers.

Nice view of the Port Tobacco River along Chapel Point Road:

Looking out from St Ignatius, Goose Bay is on the other side of the Port Tobacco River and the Potomac River clearly visible behind Windmill Point to the west:

Best wishes to all club members for most excellent riding in 2025: may all your routes be downhill with a tailwind!

Friday IHRT ~20 miles

Ron Altemus — Fri, 27 Dec 2024 15:00:00 GMT

Leader:   Ron Altemus

Members:   Denny Miller, Leesha Saunders, Darrell Meyer, Donaro Gardner

Route:   where else would one ride on a Friday morning but the Indian Head Rail Trail, of course. From Livingston Rd parking lot, east to White Plains trail head for a rest stop and then westward ho back to the starting point.

Weather:   very high overcast that paled the color of the sky but didn't prevent the warming rays of the sun to raise starting temps from the mid 30s to mid 40s by ride end. No air movement to mention - the Bumpy Oak pond was very calm and serene.

AMS:   swept in the 11s; others might have reached the 12s

Mechanicals/Mishaps:   Leesha had some shifting issues but managed to get the gearing into a "sweet" spot that allowed her to ride comfortably (and fast!).

Report: Since the start temperature was in the mid 30s, Leesha qualified as the newest member of the 2024-2025 winter polar bear club. As noted above, the sun warmed us up nicely. Several of us were a bit overdressed, whether wearing new gear received as a Christmas present (Denny) or trying different clothing combinations (Don and Ron).

Unlike the past several weeks, there were lots of trail users today - walkers, runners, and other cyclists. On our return, it appeared that there was an eagle above the nest just east of the parking lot. It's close to the time that they will be mating and producing offspring.

Today was the last Friday IHRT ride of 2024. Mark your calendars for all Fridays in 2025 to join us for a very social/conversational riding experience.

Ft Hunt Christmas Lights 12 miles

Ron Altemus — Thu, 26 Dec 2024 22:30:00 GMT

Leaders:   Ron Altemus and Joan Oppel

Members: RL Ron, RL Joan, Pat Colvin, Martin Howell, Robin Butler-LeFrancois, Suzanne Brown, Gene Villiva, Janell Saunders. Not pictured: Darrell Meyer, photographer

Route:   Serpentine meandering through several Fort Hunt neighborhoods viewing seasonal lights/decorations. 12 miles, 235' elevation change.

Weather: Dark, temps 35-39, little to no air movement.

AMS:   upper 8s

Mechanicals/Mishaps: nothing worth mentioning

Report: a nice turnout to view what seemed to some repeat riders as more and better displays of interest. Mostly we simply rode various streets viewing the lights slowing as we went past. We did make several stops to more thoroughly enjoy the displays. Some people have "strange" ideas as to suitable Christmas decorations as we encountered numerous dragons, dinosaurs, minions, and other non-traditional representations of Christmas, including a Star Wars AT-AC. Darrell snapped this picture featuring the world's largest reclining snowman in the background with other signs of the season.

The biggest display was saved until the end of the ride - the house on Collingwood Road as featured in the Washington Post (https://wapo.st/3ZTBwMR). We watched the lights show for 10-15 minutes out of the total run time of over 20 before heading back. Some of us were getting a bit cold. It's well worth a trip to view:

Merry Christmas to all and best wishes for a most prosperous Happy New Year 2025!

Friday IHRT ~20 miles

Ron Altemus — Fri, 20 Dec 2024 15:00:00 GMT

Leader: Ron Altemus

Members: one cancellation call and a couple of no shows. Weather forecasts were iffy, though.

Route:   Indian Head Rail Trail - Livingston Road parking lot to White Plains trailhead r/t

Weather: Overcast of various shades of grey, moisture in the air that never even qualified as mist, 3-4 mph breezes out of the northern quadrant, temps stuck in the mid 30s

AMS:   low 12s

Mechanicals/Mishaps: none

Report:   lots of birds and 10 or more deer at various points along the trail. Minimal trail users - saw only 3 outbound to White Plains. Return saw a few more prior to Bensville and then there were multitudes (~10) when finishing at Livingston Road. No other cyclists, though.

At this time of year, it is often remarked that 35 degrees at night seems a lot colder than 35 during the day. A corollary to that adage is that 35 degrees during the day when riding solo seems a lot colder than 35 with a group. ..

U.S. Botanical Gardens "Season's Greenings" 22 mi

Ron Altemus — Thu, 19 Dec 2024 15:00:00 GMT

Leader:   Ron Altemus

Members:   Gene Villiva, Esther Stewart, Sherwood Byers, Sr., Robin Garnett, Leslie Tierstein in front of the U.S. Capitol Christmas tree

Route:   from Belle Haven Park, north on the Mt Vernon Trail, cross the 14th St bridge, around the east side of the Tidal Basin, then Raoul Wallenberg Place/15th St NW to Jefferson Drive, 3rd St NW, and the Botanical Gardens. Return via 3rd St NW to Madison Drive, 15th St/Raoul Wallenberg to 14th Street bridge, and Mt Vernon Trail back to Jones Point Park or Belle Haven Park.

Weather:   temps in the mid 40s, 7-9 mph air out of the NW, enough clouds in the sky to hide the sun throughout the ride though when it was free of obstruction it felt much warmer.

AMS:    RL swept in the low 10s

Mechanicals/Mishaps: none

Report: our ride up the Mt Vernon Trail started under cool conditions as the sun was mostly hidden and air movement out of the NW gave us a bit of a headwind. Leslie met us at the Jefferson Memorial and with Sherwood leading, your friendly neighborhood ride leader sweeping, we traveled across the Mall to the Botanical Gardens. Since it was a work day, the grounds weren't too crowded and it was easy to watch the trains move through the displays of various pollinators, all constructed from plant matter. Esther, Sherwood, and Robin took various pictures of the display, as shown below:

Inside the building, Washington's famous edifices were represented by models, again constructed from plants. Robin captured this photo of the U.S. Capitol:

After leaving the Botanical Gardens, we made a short trip over to the real U.S. Capitol's grounds to see it's Christmas tree. A group photo was taken there, then Sherwood went artistic trying to get the "perfect shot," putting himself in harm's way of being run over by a group of toddlers or loose baby carriage. Physical gyrations and the result:

As we headed back approaching the pedestrian/bike lane across the 14th St Bridge, Sue Gunter passed us going into DC. Sherwood turned to catch up with her and talk to her (and the RL saw her later in Alexandria on the trail near Montgomery St). Sue has been able to resume cycling; she was out yesterday on 10 mile ride and had upped her distance a bit for her ride today. She looked good, she said she felt good, and it was great to see her out riding again.

South County Cafe on a Warm Winter Day

Joan Oppel — Tue, 17 Dec 2024 15:00:00 GMT

Leader: Joan Oppel

Members: Anonymous User, Linda Bankerd, Luis Dall'Orso, Donaro Gardner, Rich Hagen, Ray Luckenbach, Lisa Petersen, Patricia Sanders, Tom Short, Bill Silva, Pat Silva and Pat Walthers. Surprise Guest! - Steve Palincsar drove out to the South County Cafe to meet us.

Note special guest rear left!

Route: https://ridewithgps.com/routes/49270350

Weather: Great! A little cloudy at first, about 51 at the start, 60 at the end although my car was reading 65 in the parking lot. Things warmed up, the sun came out (along with a breeze) and as we sat in the sun outside the South County Cafe my Garmin registered 73 in the full sun.

Report: The group quickly split, faster folks off the front, slower in the back. We all had a lovely ride, mostly quiet roads, except for the segment where we rode up Deale Churchton Road to get to Franklin Manor neighborhood. The appeal there is the terrific view of the Chesapeake Bay that's hidden in that neighborhood's waterfront. You can see the sky looks cloudy but there's a vast expanse of water. It was actually bright and sunny as you can see in the second picture.

Friday IHRT ~20 miles

Ron Altemus — Fri, 13 Dec 2024 15:00:00 GMT

Leader: Ron Altemus

Members:   RL Ron, Robin Garnett, Denny Miller, Donaro Gardner. Not pictured: Sherwood Byers, Sr. , already on his way back to the start

Route:   Indian Head Rail Trail - Livingston Rd parking lot to White Plains trailhead and return

Weather:   Cold (temps 36-38), mostly overcast with an occasional sunbeam, 2-3 mph air out of the ENE

AMS:   ride leader (RL) swept at 11.4. Others much faster.

Mechanicals/Mishaps:   none

Report: Don and your faithful correspondent welcomed several new additions to the 2024-25 polar bear club. There were some cold fingers and/or cold toes but fortunately, the lack of wind allowed our cores to warm up after a bit of exertion.

We were the only cyclists on the trail and saw five walkers at various points. Deer were plentiful again this week. A small herd of 4-5 were grazing on the land next to the rifle range; a couple of individuals were seen elsewhere. In all cases, the deer did not flee from our presence.

Don had ridden the trail on Thursday and between MM 8 and MM9 encountered a large fallen tree from the high winds earlier in the day. He had to dismount and carry his bike over the tree. When we reached that section of the trail this morning, it was clear of trunk and debris, as shown below. A bit farther along towards White Plains, we saw Juliana and thanked her for being out early to clear the trail for our weekly ride.

Winter 2024-25 has already had lower ride temps than last season. Looks like there will be plenty of opportunities for any polar bear wannabees to join the core group on a cold Friday ride. Dress warmly!

Linda and Robin's Birthday Ride

Linda Bankerd — Thu, 12 Dec 2024 13:54:36 GMT

Linda and Robin’s 46mile Birthday Ride December 12. 2024

Attending: Robin Garnett, Linda Bankerd, Sherwood Byers, Ron Altemus, Jessica Hirschhorn, Joan Opel, Esther Stewart

The weather promised to be great, in the 60’s, a few days prior. As it so often happens, the prediction was considerably off. At best it may have reached the low 50’s with a lot of fog, clouds and even mist. We rode ourselves out to the Bike Lane along the W&OD where we enjoyed a welcome respite; thanks Sherwood for treating us all. We arrived back at Jones Point a little before 4:00. There were no major mishaps. Linda’s cable gave her a problem which was readily fixed by Sherwood.

Holidays @ Mt Aventine and Mattawoman Creek Art Center 21 mi

Ron Altemus — Sun, 08 Dec 2024 16:00:00 GMT

Leader:   Joan Oppel and Ron Altemus

Members:   Patrica Sanders, Deb Reynolds, Robin Garnett, RL Joan, Lori Michaelson, Donaro Gardner, Pat Walthers, Pat Colvin, Linda Bankerd, Gene Villiva

Route:   From the Indian Head Village Green, Strauss, Lower Wharf, MD-210, and Chapmans Landing delivered us to Mt Aventine. Retracing to Lower Wharf, we used Hawthorne and Chicamuxen to Smallwood State Park and the Mattawoman Creek Art Center. A retrace back to Hawthorne and then the IHRT returned us to our start.

Weather: Very nice early December day - plenty of sunshine, temp range of mid 50s to low 60s (25+ degrees warmer than the preceding Friday/Saturday rides), and unexpected pesky gusty 12-14 mph air movement out of the SW

AMS:   uppers 10s/low 11s (?)

Mechanicals/Mishaps: none

Report:   the weather made for a most enjoyable ride. Mt Aventine was busy with a nice buffet of treats, musicians playing holiday songs, and wares available for sale. The view of the river across to Virginia from was quite nice thanks to the good air quality. Mattawoman Creek Art Center appreciated our visit - we were the only ones there at that time. Along with art from members of the center, jury-judged middle school drawings/paintings were on display. Several riders made holiday purchases at our two stops.

Last Minute Mason Neck

Joan Oppel — Sat, 07 Dec 2024 16:00:00 GMT

Leader: Joan Oppel

Members: Ron Altemus, Mary Scala

Route: https://ridewithgps.com/routes/407987

Weather: Sunny, light wind, temperature was pretty steady at about 37 degrees. Mechanicals/Mishaps: none

Report: Because of travel and then various appointments and gale force winds (Thursday), I hadn't ridden my bike for two weeks. I decided this morning that temperatures in the mid-30s are fine for riding so posted this last minute excursion.

Mary and Ron came to join me and we set out on the "traditional" route from Gunston Elementary School. It was chilly at the start but we actually warmed up pretty quickly. The view from tbehind the visitors' center at Mason Neck park was particularly interesting - with literally hundreds of water fowl spread out across the water near the shore. Ice extended from the shoreline out about 20 feet and then birds everywhere, left and right.

Mary had a time constraint and returned to the school after exiting the park. Ron and I continued on at a leisurely pace, exploring the neighborhoods, Gunston Hall and parts of Pohick Bay park.

This is one of those days when I say emphatically - I'm glad I got out to ride!

Friday IHRT ~20 miles

Ron Altemus — Fri, 06 Dec 2024 17:30:00 GMT

Leader:   Ron Altemus

Members:   RL Ron, Oswald Martin, Donaro Gardner

Route:   Indian Head Rail Trail - Livingston Rd parking lot to White Plains trail head and return

Weather:   mostly sunny, temps 37 at Livingston Rd/34 at White Plains, SW 12-14 mph winds w/gusts in the mid 20s

AMS: 12ish

Mechanicals/Mishaps: none

Report:   the first ride of winter 2024-25 that qualified as "polar bear" brought out just a few riders. We are still trying to remember what clothing works best at various temperatures but for the most part, we warmed up and the ride wasn't unbearable. The three of us were the only cyclists on the entire trail, though as we passed the parking lot at Middletown on our return, a couple were readying their bicycles for a ride. Only a few walkers/joggers and one runner in shorts.

We were aware of Randy's status as we began the ride and thought that we honored his memory by remembering him as we rode. Back in late October, Randy recounted in his ride report that he had stopped and had a conversation with two deer along the trail We saw a lot of deer today and it made me wonder if they were looking to talk with Randy. We will all miss him greatly.

Friday IHRT ~20 miles

Ron Altemus — Fri, 29 Nov 2024 15:00:00 GMT

Leader: Ron Altemus

Members: Diane Harris, Linda Bankerd, Darrell Meyer, Pat Colvin, Denny Miller

Route: Indian Head Rail Trail - Livingston Rd parking lot east to White Plains trailhead for a rest stop prior to returning west back to the ride start.

Weather: not too cold - 45 at ride start under mostly cloudy skies, climbing to 49/50 with some blue showing but minimal sunshine. Winds of 6-8 mph, gusting up to 17 mph, seemingly constantly changing direction.

AMS: mid 11s or higher

Mechanicals/Mishaps: none

Report: Nice ride with lots of conversation. One deer bounding across the trail just after Pomfret outbound. Wasn't really until we were on the way back that we started seeing other trail users, as at that point, it was a bit warmer.

Nanjemoy Visit 33 miles

Ron Altemus — Tue, 26 Nov 2024 15:00:00 GMT

Leader:   Ron Altemus

Members:   Darrell Meyer, Walt Roscello, Pat Colvin, Donaro Gardner, Robin Garnett, RL Ron. Not pictured: Anonymous User, photog

Route:   Chicamuxen to Port Tobacco Road, arriving at the Nanjemoy Community Center for a rest stop. Then Baptist Church/Bowie to Mason Springs, Poorhouse/Ripley to Hawthorne, and finish with an exhilarating descent of Mighty Mount Pisgah. https://ridewithgps.com/routes/49129662 32.5 miles, 1086 elevation change

Weather: Clouds breaking up at the start eventually almost completely disappearing w/plenty of sunshine; temp range of upper 50s to lower 60s; 10-12 mph winds out of the NW gusting to the low/mid 20s at times

AMS:   swept in the mid 11s

Mechanicals/Mishaps:   ride leader's Garmin battery died at 21.38 miles into the route which didn't make navigation hard given the simplistic route but it would have been nice to know how slow we were traveling into those gusty NW winds.

Report: Forecasts had predicted good weather for the ride with the caveat of early morning rain, which was gone by 9:30, leaving wet roads at the start. A few riders cancelled due to the conditions but we had a most enjoyable ride. By the time we traversed Hawthorne and Chicamuxen, with their wide shoulders, to the Stump Neck naval facility, the roads had dried out, the sun was shinning, and the breezes were picking up.

A bit more vehicular traffic than usual but if drivers were intent on doing grocery shopping for Thanksgiving, they were courteous and mindful of cyclists on the road. Outbound we did have a tailwind; heading back NW on Bowie and Mason Springs, there were stretches that we noticed the wind. The final segment on Hawthorne was when the gusts were the fiercest and the descent of Mighty Mount Pisgah wasn't as exhilarating as usual, almost severe enough that one needed to pedal downhill.

Special treat was viewing the longhorns at the intersection of Baptist Church and Bowie. They were contentedly taking their leisure close to the fence. When we stopped for the obligatory photo op, several of them raised up and posed displaying some very long horns.

Tour de Mason Neck 28 mi

Ron Altemus — Sun, 24 Nov 2024 15:00:00 GMT

Leader:   Ron Altemus

Members:   Mary Scala, Theresa Rowell, Pat Colvin, Dave VanAmeyden, with Pat's new Ride1Up Racer1 E-bike in front.

Route:   Starting at Gunston School, we did an out and back on Belmont Blvd, then used Mason Neck trail, with a short diversion on Springfield, to High Point Rd into Mason Neck State Park for a rest stop. Retracing out of the park, we took Gunston Road east to tour Hallowing Point, then heading back, visited Gunston Manor, Gunston Hall, Pohick Bay park, and the Pohick Bay golf course.   https://ridewithgps.com/routes/40798783 27.6 miles, 738' elevation change

Weather:   Nicest day of the weekend with temps starting in the low 50s, rising to the upper 50s, 6-7 mph air movement out of the SW, mixture of sun and clouds

AMS: mid 11s

Mechanicals/Mishaps:   none

Report: As pictured above, Pat has a new eBike which is quite the looker. This was only her second ride on it but she was all smiles from beginning to end, enjoying the bike's geometry and its pedal assist.

Mason Neck was a busy place for cycling as we saw a number of other groups, including a fast one riding out of Rats Cycles in Fort Belvoir. There were also quite a number of individual or pairs of cyclists on the roads, too.

A first time visit to Mason Neck for Pat and Theresa, and with many trees now devoid of leaves, there were great views of the waterways that surround the neck. As Dave noted, Mason Neck shows different views for every season.

North Keys Park Ride

Donaro Gardner — Thu, 21 Nov 2024 14:55:26 GMT

Leader: Donaro Gardner

Members: Oswald Martin,Linda Bankerd

Guests: 0

Route: North Keys 32 miles 10:00am

Weather: 53 degrees F

AMS: 12.5

Mechanicals/Mishaps: The ride leader had a soft tire at start of ride that held up until 1/3 into the ride It finally had to be changed.

Report:

It was a exciting ride.It was sunny but very windy Merkle was closed for renovation.We.saw deer and had a school bus driver that was very reckless and almost caused a accident.Thanks to the rider who was riding defensively and prevented it.Thanks to the the riders that accompanied me!

Picture IMG_20241121_113353011.jpg

Goose Bay Good Deed

Joan Oppel — Tue, 19 Nov 2024 15:00:00 GMT

Leader: Joan Oppel

Members: Anonymous user, Linda Bankerd, Barbara Butcher, Sherwood Byers, Lou Dall'Orso, Donaro Gardner, Robin Garnett, Darrell Meyer, Tom Short, Esther Steward and Pat Walthers

Route; https://ridewithgps.com/routes/49087127

Weather: Cloudy, temperatures in the 50's, almost no wind - still good riding weather

Report: Luckily we had former military officers with us, because everyone including the ride leader was facing the wrong way for the start and when "ABOUT FACE" was called, we all complied - immediately.

The group split up by pace but everyone gathered on the Goose Bay porch, where we were welcomed by the manager and where we spread out on the comfy chairs. When it was time to leave, I noticed a small wheel from a child's bike sitting on a chair with a flat tube and a box with a new tube. Lou said "I can fix that."

We went in to ask if that was ok and the manager was delighted. The bike belongs to the marina owner's daughter (about 4 or 5). Lou set out to fix the flat, noticed the rim strip was torn so so I got out my fix-it kit, got the 3 feet of emergency duct tape and with Pat Walthers assistance we added a new rim strip. Anonymous user also assisted and Linda Bankerd lent a pump. Everyone hung around while all this was going on to lend moral support.

The marina owner also showed up and watched. We have thanked him whenever we see him for his hospitality to us, we have tried in the past to offer him a small donation for our use of the facilities but he has refused. So this small repair will be part of our thanks.

Urbana District Park to Point of Rocks

Rita Zeidner — Sun, 17 Nov 2024 15:15:00 GMT

Leader: Rita Zeidner

Members: Joan Oppel, Harold Datz, Greg Acs, Anne Wittenberg, Patricia Walthers, Rita Zeidner

Guests (from PPTC): Carol Linden and Bob Ichord

Route: https://ridewithgps.com/routes/49036275

Weather: Delightful, especially for November. 60s, partially sunny

AMS: 11-13

Mechanicals/Mishaps: Nothing that needs mentioning

Report: This was the second of two rides I led out of Frederick County this weekend. Really nice group and everyone seemed to like the route -- which was new to most people. We pretty much stayed together, although more than half of this group rode ebikes. Everyone brought snacks, so no need to visit a store. We took one major rest at Point of Rocks, and a few short breathers.

This is a really excellent route and Urbana District Park is a good place to start. If you're looking for something new, try this route.

Waysons Corner->North Beach->Pindells CC 36

Rick Hagen — Sun, 17 Nov 2024 15:00:00 GMT

Ride leaders: Lisa Petersen & Rick Hagen

Members: Rick Hagen, Ray Luckenbach, Susan Luckenbach, Lisa Petersen, Patricia Sanders

RWGPS Route: https://ridewithgps.com/routes/49051680

Weather: mostly sunny with a few clouds, low 50s at the start, almost 60 at the end, light & variable winds weren’t noticeable

AMS: 12.4 mph

Mechanicals/Mishaps: none

Report: Our route took us from Waysons Corner Park & Ride eastward on the service road and Route 258 to the quiet roads of Little and Brooks Woods. Then south on noisy Route 2 to a backroad toward the bay. We stopped at the 1949 plane crash site and continued down Leitch Rd. to Fairhaven for a photo op of the bay. We went up Fairhaven Rd and down Friendship Road to a lunch stop at Chesapeake Market & Deli. They were still serving breakfast at 11:30 when we arrived! From there it’s flat riding around Holland Point to North Beach where we followed the bike path along the boardwalk. We climbed the hill up Route 260, then went north on Boyds Turn to Friendship Rd and westward through southern Anne Arundel Co. We had little trouble crossing the 4 lanes of Route 4, We finished the ride by wandering through the peaceful Pindells back to the cars. We saw lots of people on bikes in several different groups.

Wildlife: great blue heron, ducks

Thurmont to Gettysburg Battlefield

Rita Zeidner — Sat, 16 Nov 2024 15:15:00 GMT

Leader: Rita Zeidner

Members: Harold Datz, Ellen Goodwin, Anna Banyai and a slew of folks from PPTC

Route: Folks had a choice of a longer and a shorter route. Anna took off with the fasties and was never seen again. We assume she did the long route. Harold, Ellen, our friend Chuck and I took the shorter route.

44 mile ride (+1746 feet of climbing) no restrooms: https://ridewithgps.com/routes/49036954

48 mile ride (+1829 feet of climbing) and has a restroom stop: https://ridewithgps.com/routes/49036941

Weather: Gorgeous. Low to mid 60s but pretty darn windy.

AMS: 11 ish

Mechanicals/Mishaps: None

Report: Super fun day, if the ride leader does say so herself. The four of us stuck together, with two of us (Harold and me) on e-bikes. Human-powered people were troopers dealing with the substantial wind. For anyone who has never done this ride, try it when you can. Not too difficult. The only problem is the shorter route has no restrooms or places to buy food or get water. I warned people about this and everyone came prepared. We took one longer rest stop at Sachs Bridge and a few breathers to let human-powered people catch their breath.

Friday IHRT ~10 miles

Ron Altemus — Fri, 15 Nov 2024 15:00:00 GMT

Leader: Ron Altemus

Members: Donaro Gardner, Oswald Martin, Darrell Meyer, Henry Hoyle

Route:   Indian Head Rail Trail from Livingston Rd parking lot east to White Plains trailhead; after a rest stop, return westward.

Weather:   overcast at start improving to almost partly cloudy; temps in the mid 50s; airs out of the north

AMS: 11 mph for the RL; others faster or slower.

Mechanicals/Mishaps:   none

Report:   some much needed overnight rain left the trail wet but the Charles County Parks crew must have used their blowers late Thursday afternoon, because the surface was mostly free of leaves. We only saw 3-4 other cyclists and a dozen or so walkers. Just a few wildlife sightings: squirrels, deer, lots of small brown something birds, and maybe a pair of White-breasted Nuthatches.

The aforementioned rain wasn't enough to get water flowing in the stream beds bisecting the IHRT. Of note, though - the pond closest to White Plains (identified as Port Tobacco Creek) has had the breach in it repaired, presumably by Parks, since good size boulders have been placed into the opening (not the handiwork of beavers!). There was more water in the pond than the previous two weeks.

Tour De Accokeek Extended 24 Miles

Donaro Gardner — Thu, 14 Nov 2024 22:00:00 GMT

Date-11/14/24

Ride Leader-Donaro Gardner

The ride started at 10:15am.

The route was very quiet the average moving speed was about 12.5.The temperature was about 50 degrees and slightly windy.

The riders were Oswald Martin,Robin Garnett,Esther Steward,, Darrell Meyer,Linda Bankerd and Ron Altemus.

A eagle and deer where seen on the route. At the rest stop a civil worker who took our picture.

It is a great feeling to help members of our club get in a quick and challenging ride!

The route was very quiet the average moving speed was about 12.5.The temperature was about 50 degrees and slightly windy.

The riders were Donaro Gardner-Ride Leader,Oswald Martin,Robin Garnet,Esther Stewart, Daryl Meyer,Linda Banker and Ron Altemus.

A eagle and deer where seen on the route. At the rest stop a civil worker who took our picture.

Pisgah Circuit

Joan Oppel — Sun, 10 Nov 2024 15:00:00 GMT

Leader - Joan Oppel

Members -Ron Altemus, Darrell Meyer, Patricia Sanders, Mary Scala, Dave Van Ameyden

Route - https://ridewithgps.com/routes/49003930 in Leaving from Accokeek Firehouse, we headed to Bryan's Road via the back way (Gospel Union) and down Livingston to climb Mt Pisgah. Over to Poorhouse, Pisgah Marbury, Marbury Run, Chicamuxen and Hawthorne to a rest stop at the Dash In. Chapman's Landing took us back to Bryan's Rd, then down to Barry's Hill and the return.

Weather - Cloudy and 49 (leader's Garmin reading) = chilly start. Sunny and 55 (60 reading in car in parking lot) and feeling a lot more comfortable at the end.

Report - An uneventful ride, with a brief interlude to discuss an alternate to the Pisgah store (no bathroom) for a rest stop. Suggestion was for an Indoor opportunity for warmth as well as a bathroom, thus the change to the Dash In. All agreed - good to be out today but we hope it rains tonight to alleviate the drought.

Nanjemoy Circuit

Joan Oppel — Sat, 09 Nov 2024 15:00:00 GMT

Leader - Joan Oppel

Members - Ron Altemus, Ellen Goodwin, Patricia Sanders, Pat Walthers

Route - https://ridewithgps.com/routes/49004783 Starting at Friendship Farm park, across Baptist Church to Bowie, then Poseytown, we climbed up Greenleek hill and then took Sandy Point to Riverside. An impromptu stop at the Nanjemoy Store, then all the way around Riverside to Rt 6. Up Holly Springs, to then go down Maryland Point, a visit to King James, a run along Hancock Run and Adams Willett. And back along Baptist Church to the park. (Thanks to Randy S, whose route was the inspiration for this one.)

Weather - At the start is was 53 degrees and at the end it was 55 degrees with bright blue, mostly cloudless skies.

Mechanicals - None

Report - Today, the "feels like" temperature was at least 10 degrees higher than whatever was recorded by devices. It was a delightful warm day. We made a quick bathroom stop at the Nanjemoy Store. Riverside from Sandy Point to Rt 6 was lovely and mostly lonely we actually rode the first 15 miles without a car passing us after the first mile. Then nearing Rt 6 and on 6 to Holly Springs, it seemed as if the local residents all left the house at the same time. Luckily the population is sparse and traffic was still light. Our planned stop at Oak Grove Baptist Church (many times a rest stop location for the Indian Head 100) was thwarted by a church event.

A few went on to King James Church, two took an impromptu stop on Holly Springs -

Among us, we spotted 4 eagles today on Riverside (or we spotted the same eagles more than once).

Friday Indianhead 20 mile All Class

Randall Schoch — Fri, 08 Nov 2024 15:00:00 GMT

Leaders - Jackie & Randy Schoch

Members - RL Randy, Mark Garrison, Ron Altemus, Oswald Martin, Linda Bankerd, Derrell Meyer, and RL Jackie. Not pictured: Leesha Saunders

Route - IHRT

Weather - Warm (70's) but breezy

AMS - Varied per/rider

Mechanicals/Mishaps - None

Report - Our regulars came out on this great fall weather morning ride. Leesha tried to start the ride but had to abort because of a sore leg. There were not many other trail users considering the good weather. Not much wildlife either except for the squirrels and birds. It was a nice ride to the White Plains rest area. The "rest rooms" are closed for the season so we all had to use the "porta-potties" which is OK. After a short break, we headed back to the parking lot and into a fairly stiff breeze. Everyone else headed off but Jackie and I went to the new grocery store in Indian Head and did some shopping. It (Oasis) is a nice and well stocked store. Plenty of parking in the rear. Please bring your own bag if possible. They do have plastic bags for a cost.

Meandering to Merkle, Mt Calvert & Patuxent River Park

Joan Oppel — Tue, 05 Nov 2024 15:30:00 GMT

Leader - Joan Oppel

Members - Donaro Gardner, Rick Hagen, Oswald Martin, Lisa Peterson, Patricia Sanders, Jackie Schoch, Randy Schoch, Tom Short, Pat Walthers

Route - https://ridewithgps.com/routes/48964764 We have not had a listed ride from North Keys Park for some time. So we took favorite (and familiar) roads to wind around and visit favorite places. From North Keys we took Martin to Molly Berry, then Baden Naylor and Brooks Church to meet up with Tanyard and Nottingham and on to Merkle. Then on Croom to Mt Calvert overlooking the Patuxent. Next stop the Pavilion at Patuxent River Park before heading back via Duley Station, Van Brady, Molly Berry and North Keys.

Weather - Beautiful - high 60's into 70's, some wind late in the ride

Mechanicals/Mishaps - Sunglasses escaped

Report - The weather was perfect, short sleeve jerseys on most of us, a jacket here and there that came off. The familiar roads were still lined with fall colors, the traffic was quiet (except for our brief sections on Croom). We stopped at Merkle picnic area (because it's hard to ride right passed it) and then stopped at the Mt Calvert manor house. There are new historical signs around the Mt Calvert property and the house is undergoing what looks like major renovations, with fencing to keep people out. Construction brought a surprise gift (to cyclists) - a portapotty.

As he dismonted at Mt Calvert, Oswald realized he didn't have his sunglasses and was sure he left them at Merkle when he shed his jacket. Randy offered to lead him back there and Don and Jackie went with them. This splinter group reached the end before everyone else. Don later reported that the glasses were found!

Patricia, Pat, Rick, Lisa, Tom and I continued on to the Pavilion - with its welcoming picnic tables and water bottle fill station (and bathroom, of course). On the way back to North Keys, Pat Walthers took a shortcut as she had workers to meet at home and the remaining crew took the planned route to the end.

Wildlife reported - fox and two deer.

Excellent ride!

Mason Neck 28 miles

Ron Altemus — Sun, 03 Nov 2024 15:00:00 GMT

Leader:   Ron Altemus

Members:   TRL, Gene Villiva, Patrica Sanders

Route:   https://ridewithgps.com/routes/40798783 27.6 miles, 738' elevation change.   Out and back on Belmont Blvd, then Mason Neck trail to High Point Road to a rest stop at the Mason Neck State Park visitor's center. Retracing from the park, Gunston Road to CCW tours of Hallowing Point and Gunston Estates prior returning to the trail. Short visits to Gunston Hall, Pohick Bay Park, and Pohick Bay Golf Course completed the route.

Weather:   Spectacular!   Brilliant sunshine making the sky (and water of Belmont Bay) vividly blue. Temp range of just a few degrees in the mid 50s and 6-8 mph breezes from the west.

AMS:   a leisurely 11 mph

Mechanicals/Mishaps:    none

Report: Another fantastic day for bicycling! Surprisingly, we saw very few other cyclists and none on the trail. Fall colors are lessening but there were still occasional bursts of color. A nice start to EST.

Last Minute Poolesville Ride

Joan Oppel — Sat, 02 Nov 2024 14:00:00 GMT

Leader - Joan Oppel

Members - Marcy Kelley, Lois Lightfoot, Patricia Sanders, Pat Walthers

Route - https://ridewithgps.com/routes/42551047 Our route circled to Hughes Rd to River then up West Willard back into Poolesville's outskirts and a turn on Westerly. From there on to Edwards Ferry, Club Hollow, Elmer School and Martinsburg to take us to Rt 28 and a stop at the Dickerson Store. We then rode on to Mt Ephraim and newly paved Comus Rd and over to Slidell Rd to Bucklodge, up Whites Store, across Peachtree, taking Cattail to return to Poolesville.

Weather - Temperature about 50 at start, hovering in mid 50s most of the ride and 59 at the end. Lots of bright sunshine, hardly any clouds.

Mechanicals/Mishaps - None

Report - The late notice still brought out 4 riders to join me. We started from K2 Cafe on West Willard Avenue in Poolesville, MD, a bike-friendly business. The owner is welcoming, has installed a bottle-filling station on a wall and the food is good.

There wasn't much traffic today until we got to Comus Road, which is the gateway to Sugarloaf Mountain (and the popular Sugarloaf Winery). But once we crossed to the quiet section of Comus and turned on Slidell, we again had light traffic most of the way back.

A delightful day for a bike ride, with some still-colorful trees and scenery.

Friday IHRT ~20 miles

Ron Altemus — Fri, 01 Nov 2024 14:00:00 GMT

Leader:   Ron Altemus

Members: Jackie Schoch, Leesha Saunders, Randy Schoch

Route:   usual Friday routing - Indian Head Rail Trail east from Livingston Rd parking lot to White Plains trailhead. After a rest stop, "Go West" back to the start

Weather:   overcast/cloudy at the start but by the time we finished, blues skies were moving in from the north (see picture below); temp range of 69-71; 9-10 mph air from the SW; a trace of rain in the Bensville area

AMS: mid 12s

Mechanicals/Mishaps:   none

Report: maybe Hallloween hangover as we were a small group and there were few other cyclists using the trail and not that many walkers/joggers. Leaves were coming down quickly and it won't be too long before the trees are bare.

After last week's discussions with young deer alongside the trail, Randy had a stag bound across ahead of him outbound. Not much else in the way of wildlife sightings.

Of note: the whole DC metro area has now gone over 30 days w/o measurable rain. The IHRT is showing the effects of the drought - Mattawoman Creek was almost dry where it passes under the trail near MM 6; the ponds near White Plains (Pages Swamp and Port Tobacco Creek) had little to no water; and the pond just east of the parking lot near MM 3, pictured below, is also an arid landscape.

Ft Hunt Halloween ride ~20 miles

Ron Altemus — Thu, 31 Oct 2024 13:30:00 GMT

Leader:   Ron Altemus & Joan Oppel

Members:   Esther Stewart, Robin Garnett, Maureen Flynn, RL Joan, Jessica Hirschhorn, Peter Stelman, Mary Scala

Route: https://ridewithgps.com/routes/48890759 Casual meandering tour of Fort Hunt neighborhoods to view ghosts, ghouls, goblins and other scary decorations.

Weather: more like an early September day rather than the end of October. Lots of warm sunshine and blue skies with temps starting in the mid 60s, rising to the mid 70s, air movement for a westerly direction.

AMS: 10 mph

Mechanicals/Mishaps: Peter might have had a flat but since he was tubeless, it self-repaired and we kept on riding.

Report:   a pleasant time was had by all as attested to by a few visuals:

Southern Anne Arundel County to Jack Creek Park CC 34

Rick Hagen — Tue, 29 Oct 2024 14:00:00 GMT

Leaders - Lisa Petersen and Rick Hagen

Members - Pat Walthers, Lisa Petersen, Joan Oppel, Rick Hagen.

Guests - None

Route - This ride took us through southern Anne Arundel County to a park in Shady Side with nice views of the Chesapeake Bay and Bay Bridge. We began at the Route 260 Recreation Area and went north and east on Fishers Station and Little roads. Route 258 took us to Churchton where we stopped at the Royal Farms for food/drinks to take to the park. It was then a flat ride to the north end of Shady Side where we took the 1/2-mile dirt road into Jack Creek Park. To get back to the cars, we took Sudley and Nutwell roads, then Route 2 south to Jewell Road. We crossed Route 260 to ride on quiet Chaney Rd, then took Routes 4 and 260 a short distance back to the cars.

Route - https://ridewithgps.com/routes/48898572

Weather - A beautiful sunny Fall day. Temp was low 50s at the start, warming up to about 65 by the time we finished. Very light breezes.

AMS - 12.3 mph

Mechanicals/Mishaps - None

Report - It was a beautiful fall day for a ride. A bit chilly at the start, but we all warmed up quickly and stopped to shed some layers. The back roads were nice and quiet as we worked our way east to Churchton where we stopped at the Royal Farms for a bathroom break and picked up food for lunch. We then rode the 4 miles to Jack Creek Park. After pushing our bikes around the road barrier we rode a 1/2 mile on smooth gravel to a cute little beach with a nice view of the Bay and the Bay Bridge. We sat there at the picnic table and ate our snacks while we enjoyed the view. After lunch we re-traced our path out of the park and back to Churchton, then went west and south on Sudley, Nutwell, and Route 2 to Jewell. At the Jewell and Rt. 260 intersection we went straight across, then right onto Chaney Road (which even Joan had never been on). We then rode a short stretch on the shoulder of Rt. 4 and Rt. 260 back to the cars.

Friday Indianhead 20 mile All Class

Randall Schoch — Fri, 25 Oct 2024 14:00:00 GMT

Leader - Randy Schoch

Members - Pat Colvin, Dan Donahue, Donaro Gardner, Mark Garrison, Tom Gestner, and Oswald Martin.

Guests - None

Route - IHRT

Weather - Good (high 60's) with a light breeze

AMS - Varied per/rider

Mechanicals/Mishaps - None

Report - A good turnout of our regulars except for Jackie who is not feeling great. A little cool this morning so the other trail users were not out and about this morning. But the wildlife was there to accompany us on our ride. We saw the usual squirrels and chirping birds. We had a nice break and visit at the White Plains Rest Area. On the way back, I stopped and talked to two teen age young deer beside the trail. They were not afraid of me and observed me on my trike and kept eating grass and leaves off the bushes.

After the ride, I went into Indianhead town proper to check out the new grocery store. But the Oasis parking lot was so full I couldn't find a parking space, so I went home. See yens next week.

Animal Treats

Joan Oppel — Tue, 22 Oct 2024 13:30:00 GMT

Leader - Joan Oppel

Joan giving a treat to a rescued Highland (Scottish) cow.

Members - Ron Altemus, Donaro Gardner, Patricia Sanders, Pat Walthers, Tom Short

Route - https://ridewithgps.com/routes/48179152 Along the trail to Bumpy Oak and all the way to Route 6. Then to Poorhouse and a stop at Pisgah Park, continue on Mason Springs to Smallwood Church. Over to Chicamuxen, into Smallwood Park, circle the road to the campground and General Smallwood's house and then around the gate to the "other" Sweden Point Rd. Then take Chicamuxen, Marbury Run and Hawthorne to home base.

Weather - Chilly but sunny start at 51 degrees, warming up quickly and ending in mid-70s

Mechanicals/Mishaps - None

Report - We started on a beautiful fall morning, very bright sun, some colorful trees, uneventful but enjoyable ride - until we stopped at a house on Smallwood Church Road, about a mile before Chicamuxen. A couple of riders noticed a Shetland pony and a donkey near a house and stopped to look. The owner came out and - soon everyone was feeding treats to various rescued animals housed at this mini farm. Two recently born calves were housed in the front yard, the pony and donkey had a large enclosure near the road, about 8 miniature goats had the run of another space - and 2 Highland (Scottish) cows had a large pasture in the back. We fed them all treats by hand, they all had names and the owner was obviously enamored of all of them.

Don getting checked out for more treats.

Ron and minifarm owner serving treats on demand.

Pat watching the treat frenzy.

Tom and the treat-seeking Shetland.

Smallwood Church>Durham Church ~37 miles

Ron Altemus — Sun, 20 Oct 2024 14:00:00 GMT

Leader: Ron Altemus

Members: Randy Sim, Pat Colvin, Catherine Ade, Susan Luckenbach, Tom Short, Ray Luckenbach, Luis Dall'Orso, Janell Saunders, Alan Kurzweil, Dian Harris, Walt Roscello, Theresa Rowell, Pat Walthers, and Dave Van Ameyden hidden behind Alan.

Route: https://ridewithgps.com/routes/11382689 From Pisgah Park, Mason Springs and Smallwood Church to Chicamuxen/Riverside to a bio stop at Mallows Bay. Liverpool Point delivered us to a rest stop w/food stuffs at the Nanjemoy market. We continued via Willetts & Hancock Run to MD-6 and Ironside Rd for a second bio stop at Friendship Park. Durham Church, MD-6, Annapolis Woods, and Poorhouse were used to return back to our start.   RWGPS file advertised 36.7mi; 1,362 ft elevation change, 6.7% max grade, but our Garmins had a bit more elevation and max grade. Mileage also differed, as below.

Weather: another gorgeous fall day with a temp swing of almost 20 degrees (low 50s at the start rising to the low 70s) under brilliant sunshine and cloudless deep blue skies. Hardy any wind; so little that its directionality was uncertain.

AMS:   RL swept at 12 mph; everyone else was faster, some much faster.

Mechanicals/Mishaps: none

Report: a nice size turnout!    Website posting stated "Riders of ALL classes welcome" which probably contributed to the numbers attending. The faster A/B riders led us out of the park and the roads to Mallows Bay had light to non-existent vehicular traffic. By the time the sweep reached the bio stop, our numbers had shrunk by 3. The other riders must have skipped the stop and we didn't see them again. The view overlooking Mallows Bay included what appeared to be a guide-led kayaking touring group (almost certain it was a tour since there were a number of doubles, usually not seen on our local waters!)

After refreshments at Nanjemoy Store, the remaining group split up again until we reformed at Friendship Landing park. Diane, Theresa, and Pat C. were adventurous and cycled down the hill to Friendship Landing. Though warned in advance, the hill coming back up might have been a bit more than they bargained for but all recrested to continue onwards. The remainder of the ride was again on roads with little traffic. Catherine and Walt had started at the Livingston Road IHRT parking lot so they returned to their cars via Ripley, Hawthorn, Bumpy Oak, and the trail, totaling at least 50 miles for the day.

Thanks to all who came out for a great day of riding and wonderful weather.

Friday ALL class IHRT ~20 miles

Ron Altemus — Fri, 18 Oct 2024 14:00:00 GMT

Leader: Ron Altemus

Members:   Donaro Gardner, Fran Jezisek, Mark Garrison, Randy Schoch, Oswald Martin, Leesha Saunders, Susan Altemus

Route:   the only ride to do on a Friday morning - Indian Head Rail Trail from Livingston Rd parking lot east to White Plains trailhead. After a conversation filled rest stop, return westward to the start.

Weather:   one of the coolest starts yet as Fall 2024 begins with a temp range of 54>58 degrees, brilliant sunshine and blue skies (as pictured above), and 7+ mph winds out of the NW.

AMS:   11s/12s for most of us

Mechanicals/Mishaps:   none

Report: starting to see some color as the leaves begin to change, which should ramp up over the next few weeks. Other trail users consisted of runners/joggers, walkers, numerous bicyclists, and the rollerblade lady. The latter competed in the Rollerblade/Inline Skate 26 mile marathon last month in Duluth, Minnesota. She came in 4th in her age group and credited her three times a week training sessions on the IHRT as great preparation for the event.

Wildlife sightings include three deer near Middletown and a white heron/common egret "fishing" in the Port Tobacco Creek pond just west of White Plains, as pictured below:

After the ride, five of us had lunch at the Bryans Road Subway where we continued to conversate.

Williamsburg Tour 2024 Day 3

Sherwood — Mon, 14 Oct 2024 13:00:00 GMT

Day 3, return to Richmond. All met at the staging point for the pre-ride briefing and an early start. A few riders stopped at the Spoke & Arts for breakfast while others continued to the regrouping location, Chickahominy State Park. While at the regrouping point one rider repaired their flat tire.

In route towards Charles City, the pace was a little more than casual until we met the wind head on. As we headed northwest with winds coming from the west, passing through the plains was not fun. This was an opportunity to practice your spinning skills, unless you were one of those with an e-bike.

Soon after a regrouping break all were on the pedals again towards our destination in Varina, Portabella Italian Ristorante for supper. Some riders opted to continue on.

No Mechanical issues beyond 1 flat tire or injuries were reported to me.

Thank you for the support of the Ride Leaders, Intersection Traffic Controller, the Ride Sweep, Dani Villiva for her delicious Home baked Brownies, The Altemus' for their support, the participants of this tour, and the joyful fun that was had by all. Without you, this tour would not have been as successful.

Gratefully, Sherwood

Williamsburg Tour 2024 Day 2

Sherwood — Sun, 13 Oct 2024 13:30:00 GMT

Day 2 of the tour was to ride around Surry or visit Jamestowne (Riders choice).

Leaving the hotel to begin our ride to the ferry we were welcomed to a fire at an apartment building. We stopped to check if any help was needed since there was no emergency respondents on site. The response began to arrive and we headed to the ferry. The route took us through the campus of William and Mary to Jamestown Road to the ferry.

Once the ferry docked in Surry we disembarked the craft, regrouped, and began our journey to Chippokes Plantation State Park.

Chippokes is one of the oldest continually farmed plantations in the country. A working farm since 1619, the park offers modern recreational activities and a glimpse of life in a bygone era. Visitors tour the historic area with its antebellum mansion and outbuildings, stroll through formal gardens, and view antique equipment at the Chippokes Farm and Forestry Museum. One of the original houses being restored and a view of an original 1941 Packard from the bygone era also seen in the garage.

The ferry was late costing us valuable time. Time did not permit us to visit Bacon's Castle before lunch. Neither did we have time to see Scott's Fort, All because of time.

After lunch the group headed to the ferry with a good tailwind pushing us.

After disembarking all returned to their places of stay to prepare for dinner at their venue of choice, most ate at Plaza Azteca.

Continue to Williamsburg Tour 2024 Day 3

Williamsburg Tour 2024 Day 1

Sherwood — Sat, 12 Oct 2024 13:30:00 GMT

During the Columbus Day Holiday Weekend of 2024, 24 members of the Oxon Hill Bike & Trail Club joined me for a weekend tour ride to Williamsburg and Surry Virginia. After a pre-ride briefing the tour began on time. The tour began at the Richmond Train Station and rolled out to Virginia's famous Cap to Cap Trail where a group photo was taken at its head. Another short pit stop was taken about 6 miles into the ride at a nearby gas station where riders could get some maintenance supplies (Water/Snacks). A stop at Dorey Park for more photo opportunities followed shortly.

The ride continued at a touring pace with regrouping stops every 10 miles. Once on the pedals again we headed to Charles City for lunch. Some went to Indian Fields Tavern to eat while others ate at Culs Court House Grill.

All were waiting at the regrouping point before the next leg and some briefing for the final section of the ride on the road after a rest stop at Chickahominy Park .

All rode single file on the road to the hotel for reasons of safety. Once arriving at the hotel many were tired and just wanted a shower and dinner. Everyone chose different venues to eat, Fat Tuna was one that many chose.

See Williamsburg Tour 2024 Day 2 for continuation.

Waysons-Twin Beaches-Pindells CC38

Rick Hagen — Fri, 11 Oct 2024 14:00:00 GMT

Leaders: Rick Hagen & Lisa Petersen

Members: Rick Hagen, Lois Lightfoot, Cynthia Nuzzi, Lisa Petersen, Pat Sanders, Pat Walthers

Guest: Debby Gebhardt

Route: We started at the Waysons Corner Park & Ride and headed east on the service road and Route 258, using some quiet back roads, to Route 2. After a short segment on Route 2, we stopped briefly at the 1949 plane crash site on Fairhaven Rd., then took Leitch and Town Point roads to Fairhaven for a view of the cliffs there. We continued up the hill (6.6% grade) and back down Friendship Road to a lunch stop at Chesapeake Market & Deli. After the break we rode through North Beach and Chesapeake Beach to the Chesapeake Beach Railway Trail with views of Fishing Creek at one end. We then took the other branch of the trail through a neighborhood to Route 260. After a short segment on 260 we rode Boyds Turn and Friendship roads to Friendship, then Wilson Road to Jewell and Route 260 again. After carefully crossing Route 4, we cruised through the peaceful backroads of the Pindells and the service road back to the cars at Waysons Corner.

RWGPS: https://ridewithgps.com/routes/48281533

Weather: Sunny but cool, with temps in the high 50s rising to about 65 under cloudless blue skies and winds out of the northwest or west 5-10 mph

AMS: probably close to 13 mph

Mechanicals/Mishaps: none

Report: We had a nice ride today, mostly on quiet roads in southern Anne Arundel and northern Calvert counties. One person forgot her riding shoes and another who lived nearby saved the day by calling her son to bring her extra pair that fit pretty well. We were all wondering if we dressed well enough for today, having forgotten how many layers to wear when it’s in the 50s and sunny. We had a good ride along this route. We stopped at the site of a plane crash in 1949 on Fairhaven Rd., then took Leitch to Fairhaven for a view of the cliffs and photo op. We stopped for lunch at Chesapeake Market & Deli, but the sun was blocked by the trees and we got cold sitting outside, making for a quicker lunch break. The views of the Chesapeake Bay were very nice along the North Beach boardwalk, and the scenery along the Chesapeake Beach Railway Trail was very nice (no herons or eagles this time). We took the rail trail to Richfield Station and up the hill on Route 260 to Boyds Turn Road. We rode along Friendship and Sansbury roads to Wilson to work our way north and west to the Pindells. Crossing Route 4 took longer than usual because of the nearly continuous traffic. We enjoyed the quiet ride through the Pindells and the Route 4 service road back to the cars. It’s amazing how different the scenery along a road is when you ride the opposite direction than the way you normally go.

Wildlife: cormorants, egrets, gulls

Friday IndianHead 20 mile All Class

Randall Schoch — Fri, 11 Oct 2024 14:00:00 GMT

Leaders - Jackie & Randy Schoch

Members - Ron & Susan Altemus, Donaro Gardner, Mark Garrison, Fran Jezisek, Oswald Martin, Esther Steward, and Gene Villiva.

Guests - None

Route - IHRT

Weather - Nice (70's) with a breeze

AMS - Varied per/rider

Mechanicals/Mishaps - None

Report - A very good turnout of members considering several on the ride this morning are planning to go on the trip to Williamsburg for the weekend. The trail was heavily used today and lots of wildlife consisting of deer, squirrels, birds, and a blue heron that was fishing in the pond near the White Plains rest stop. It was enjoyable riding and visiting with all the club riders. We tarried a while at the rest stop where photos were taken. On the return leg there was a noticeable head breeze but not troubling. See yens next week.

Three Notch Trail 22 miles

Ron Altemus — Wed, 09 Oct 2024 14:00:00 GMT

Leader: Ron Altemus

Members: Gene Villiva, Dan Donahue, Susan Altemus, Fran Jezisek, Donaro Gardner

Route: St Mary's County Three Notch Trail starting at the Northern Senior Center in Charlotte Hall and riding south to John Baggett Park. After a rest stop (pictured above), retrace back past the start point to Deborah Lane (in Charles County). Retrace back to the start: approx 22 miles total.

Weather: a cool start with temps in the low 60s rising to just about 70 under cloudless blue skies and winds apparently out of the eastern quadrant as we seemed to have alternating headlines/tailwinds at various times in each direction

AMS: probably close to 11 mph

Mechanicals/Mishaps: none

Report: the Northern Senior Center has a weekly Wednesday 3NT offering and Dan Donahue thought we might try and do a joint ride with them. However, their scheduled called for a 9 am start and since most of us had a longer drive to get there, we opted to begin at 10 am. We encountered Dan and friend Tom near Baptist Church - they turned and rode to Baggett Park with us. The Senior Center ride had split into a long ride group (Dan and Tom) doing the full trail and a much shorter ride (~6 miles) which we never saw. On our return, the Amish market just off the 3NT at Thompson's Corner was open so we made a visit to purchase baked items and fresh vegetables. Of particular delight where huge eggplant for only $1 each.

No wildlife to mention other than kamikaze squirrels. We didn't encounter that many other riders nor walkers/joggers. A shame that more people weren't using the trail on such a beautiful day.

An Interrupted ride

Joan Oppel — Tue, 08 Oct 2024 22:19:11 GMT

Leader: Joan Oppel

Members: Anonymous User, Donaro Gardner, Patricia Sanders, Tom Short and Pat Walthers

Route: https://ridewithgps.com/routes/38243618 About 7/8 of the first half of this ride actually happened and the same 7/8 became the second half of the ride

Weather: Temperatures ranged between about 55 at the start to 65 at the end. Bright sunny day with a little wind and beautiful blue skies.

Mishaps: None but read below

Report: Our route took Mt Pisgah to Ripley, then Poorhouse to Rt 6 and Chapel Point to St Ignatius. All arrived uneventfully to St Ignatius - except for your ride leader. Somewhere on Causeway or just after turning to Chapel Point, something got into my right eye and began to cause irritation, watering and very quickly - pain. I slowed down as I tried to blink the foreign item out. Everyone got ahead of me and I pushed on to St Ignatius. By the time I got there, the pain was really intense. I tried rinsing my own eye out, then Pat Walthers took over, pouring water into my eye, none of this alleviated the pain. Everyone was very patient. We were at mile 15.8 out of 35 and conversations went on about going on, turning back, splitting up. In the end everyone turned around.

I needed to go back and get some kind of care and everyone decided the same so we retraced our route.

Many thanks for eeryone's patience and most especially to Pat Walthers and Patricia Sanders. We did an online search for an urgent care clinic, found one in Fort Washington, they both accompanied me there, stayed with me, took great care of me.

*I have a small corneal abrasion, treatment is antibiotic cream to prevent infection and eye drops with a topical anesthetic (only for 24 hours). "It usually takes a few days to heal."

Tour de Accokeek & Bryans Rd 33 miles

Ron Altemus — Sun, 06 Oct 2024 14:00:00 GMT

Leaders:   Ron Altemus & Janell Saunders

Members:   Janell, Anne Wittenberg, Greg Acs, Bernard Stewart, Joan Oppel, Patricia Sanders, Pat Walthers at the Marshall Hall landing. Observational note - Mt Vernon, on the Virginia shore, is visible over Bernard's right shoulder.

Route:   Usual TdeA routing to Marshall Hall Rd, then a tour of South Hampton>Timber Ridge developments leading back to Marshall Hall Rd. Down the hill to an out and back on Fenwick and the a rest stop at the landing, as pictured above. Return featured an out and back on River, the climb up Barrys Hill, another out and back on Old Marshall Hall Rd before the final leg of Accokeek Rd/Livingston Rd to the firehouse. https://ridewithgps.com/routes/44628163 32.6 miles, 771' elevation change

Weather:   Excellent early fall day with temps starting in the mid 66s, rising to the lower 70s; brilliant blue skies under intense sunlight; 5-7 mph airs out of the southern quadrant.

AMS:   swept in the mid 11s; others might have been marginally faster.

Mechanicals/Mishaps:   one tumble after not being able to unclip at a stop sign. Said rider announced that was our "excitement for the day," adding that they weren't hurt, not even their pride, since all of us have suffered the same mishap at some point in our cycling endeavors.

Report:   The combination of the great weather and congenial ride attendees resulted in a most excellent tour. We basically road together, sometimes closely, other times with a bit of separation, but always in conversational cycling mode.

Not too many wildlife sightings - several deer, some vultures, assorted other miscellaneous birds. Domestic animals were in abundance, particularly on the out and back of Old Marshall Hall down near Chapin Farm: cows, sheep, miniature pony, and large pigs were all observed.

Of interest: 1) near the end of Fenwick, there is a"modernist" house that has been under construction since we began riding down there. There had been signage (now gone) for the architect that had designed the house and a name given to the house. It is now up for sale though unfinished: https://bit.ly/FenwickHouse 2) on River, the former Denison orchard which was subdivided into four lots still has three for sale. But the fourth now has construction underway. They will have a great view of the Potomac.

Northern Calvert Peninsula Explorer - A sport/B express -59 miles

Eric Nielsen — Sat, 05 Oct 2024 13:00:00 GMT

Leader: Eric Nielsen

Members: Linda Bankerd, Luis Dall'Orso

Guests: A. Banyai

Route: https://ridewithgps.com/routes/47349945

Weather: Cloudy, 64F to start. Clear by noon, wind NNE 10-15 along the Chesapeake Bay shoreline. Temperature at finish: mid 70sF.

Mechanicals: None.

Report: Garmin reports 3136 feet climbing on this modestly hilly route into northern Calvert County. We ventured further southeast than the usual ride from Wayson's corner, visiting Breezy Point and Willows, the latter offering commanding views of the Bay. All finished in good spirits. It was Ms. Banyai's first ride with OHBTC.

Most amusing sight: On Mill Branch Road, two goats were observed stretching and relaxing on elevated platforms next to their shelter in the pasture. Lou opined that they were doing yoga. And why wouldn't they?

My Big Fat Greek Ride, CC- 40miles

David Van Ameyden — Sat, 05 Oct 2024 12:30:00 GMT

Leader: Dave VanAmeyden

Members: Catherine Ade and Walt Roscello

Route: https://ridewithgps.com/routes/16374976

Weather: Mid-60s and cloudy at the start, sunny and mid-70s by the end.

Mechanicals/Mishaps: One dropped chain. Usually this ride has ample unplanned events to report.

Report: The early start seemed to have discouraged riders to join up, so start was moved to 8:30AM, but no one else signed up. All three of us rolled out at 8:40AM. The traffic in Rosslyn wasn't nearly as bad as I remember at the June 1st ride, so next time we may go back to 9AM start and advise riders to be careful.

We had a very pleasant day! We had long climbs at first, then had several short climbs that were nicely distributed along the route.

Starting in Arlington, we made our way up to McClean via Military Road, and went south towards Falls Church. We stopped at a gas station at the half-way point and we scouted for better places to stop in the future. We continued south to Springfield, then made our way north, going around Lake Barcroft. We had a great lunch at the Greek Fall Festival at St. Katherine's Orthodox Church.

Fueled by Greek Cuisine, Walt and Catherine then went on a 20-mile excursion, and Dave went home and took a power nap.

Frriday ALL class IHRT ~20 miles

Ron Altemus — Fri, 04 Oct 2024 14:00:00 GMT

Leader:   Ron Altemus

Members: Robin Garnett, Gene Villiva, Susan Altemus, Leesha Saunders, Fran Jezisek, Oswald Martin, Mark Garrison, Donaro Gardner, Diana & Dan Donahue

Route:   the standard Friday main event - Indian Head Rail Trail from Livingston Rd parking lot east to White Plains. After a rest stop, return westward to the ride start.

Weather:   Sunshine and partly cloudy; temps in the low 70s; southerly breezes 5-7 mph

AMS: in the mid 12s

Mechanicals/Mishaps:   none

Report: nice turnout. The trail wasn't very busy with other users and thus very quiet.   After the ride, eight of us went over to St. James Episcopal Church in Indian Head for their fish fry. A most delicious meal including the aforementioned fish, potato salad, coleslaw, hush puppies, and one of Tom's homemade cookies.

On the trail, wildlife sightings included deer, kamikaze squirrels, wild turkeys, and turtles in the Bumpy Oak pond. Of special note was the first sighting of multiple turtles in the beaver pond just west of the Livingston Road parking lot.

Rose Hill>Goose Bay>Sweetman 33 miles

Ron Altemus — Wed, 02 Oct 2024 14:00:00 GMT

Leader:   Ron Altemus

Members:   Oswald Martin, Donaro Gardner

Route:   Via Hawthorne to climb mighty Mt Pisgah, then descend Rose Hill, and use MD-6 and Blossom Point to a rest stop at the Goose Bay Ship's Store. Return via Welcome, Fire Tower, Annapolis Woods to Poorhouse/Bicknell then Sweetman to Chicamuxen back to the start. https://ridewithgps.com/routes/38820055 33.1 miles, 1,094 elevation change.

Weather:   Heavy overcast until after Pisgah Store where it started misting/light rain to the end of the ride; temps arc of 64 at the start, 68 at Goose Bay, and 66 at the end; 5-9 mph air movement out of the east

AMS: 13 mph

Mechanicals/Mishaps:   Oswald had a flat on Chicamuxen just before Lackey High School. Given the weather conditions, it was decided that the RL would finish the ride, get his vehicle, and go back to pick up Oswald. However, just prior to departing the parking lot, Oswald and bike arrived, recipients of a ride from a local good samatarian.

Report: Not that bad a day for bicycling and the weather was fine until the final stretch. We moved along quite nicely - even a few PRs for the ride leader. Traffic was almost nonexistent on some of the roads (Fire Tower to Sweetman in particular) and not too bad on the others. We all agreed it was a good ride.

Marshall Hall & Bryans Road rainout

Ron Altemus — Sun, 29 Sep 2024 14:30:00 GMT

When this ride was posted, weather forecasts said NO RAIN. On the morning of the ride, multiple forecasts (National Weather Service, Apple/Dark Sky, Weather Channel/Weather Underground) were saying light rain that would be gone before 10 am. Driving over in the rain, forecasts continued to say rain would end prior to ride start.

There was a steady light rain when Greg Acs, Joan Oppel, Jackie & Randy Schoch, Dave Van Ameyden, and Anne Wittenberg all showed up at the Accokeek Firehouse hoping to ride. Most of us spent 45 minutes looking at various weather apps, all of which indicated rain would continue until 11:30 or noon, with an indication of some heavier rain before it stopped. Since the forecasts hadn't gotten it right up to that point, we decided at 11 am to cancel.

Credit due to some dedicated club members who like to ride!

Mason Neck CC/C 27 miles

Ron Altemus — Sat, 21 Sep 2024 14:00:00 GMT

Leader:   Ron Altemus

Members:   Gene Villiva and Debby Bowman taking their leisure at Mason Neck State Park visitor center

Route:   Causal tour of Mason Neck - out and back on Belmont Blvd, Gunston Road to Mason Neck trail to High Point Rd and the park visitor center. Retracing to Gunston Road for leisurely wandering through the Hallowing Point and Gunston Manor neighborhoods then retrace to the Mason Neck trail. Visits to Gunston Hall and Pohick Bay park preceded the final ride back to the start.

Weather:   Varying degrees of sunshine versus clouds; temps a repeat of the previous day ranging from 73-79; moderate humidity; winds out of the east.

AMS:   low 11s

Mechanicals/Mishaps: none

Report: just getting in some miles sans major hills at a relaxed pace that allowed for plenty of conversational cycling.

Friday IHRT ALL class ~20 miles

Ron Altemus — Fri, 20 Sep 2024 14:00:00 GMT

Leader:   Ron Altemus

Members: Gene Villiva, Susan Altemus, Fran Jezisek, Randy Schoch, Donaro Gardner, Leesha Saunders, Mark Garrison, Robin Garnett, Jackie Schoch. Not pictured - Dan Donahue who started at White Plains and met us where Mattawoman Creek goes under the trail.

Route: the best Friday ride option - Indian Head Rail Trail, Livingston Rd parking lot to White Plains trailhead and return

Weather:   another "late" summer day (actually, astrologically speaking, the first day of Fall is Sunday, September 22). Bright sunshine with brilliant blue skies; temp range of 73 - 79; a slight hint of humidity; and 3-6 mph air flow out of the north.

AMS:   Ride leader averaged low 12s, others pedaled their own personalize speed.

Mechanicals/Mishaps: none

Report: for as nice a day as it was, the trail wasn't very busy. Long stretches, particularly west of Bensville, were devoid of other users. We did espy fellow club member Bob Moye riding in the opposite direction. First time we've seen Bob this summer and Donaro, as part of his plan to get extra miles, turned and rode with him.

Wildlife sightings consisted of two eagles near the nest just east of the Livingston Rd parking lot, a hawk, common white egret/white heron, and a cardinal representing the bird family. Mammals observed were a couple of deer crossing the trail near the 12 mile marker and several kamikaze squirrels on or alongside the trail proper. With the days still warm, butterflies and reptiles were also present on the trail. Yellow swallowtails and a Monarch were seen along with several 5-line skinks and a good size eastern black rat snake as photographed by Robin:

Friday IHRT 20 miler

Randall Schoch — Fri, 13 Sep 2024 14:00:00 GMT

Leaders - Jackie & Randy Schoch

Members - Donaro Gardner, Ron & Susan Altemus, Gene Villiva, Robin Garnett, Bruce & Gail Black, Mark Garrison, Susan Henn, Oswald Martin, and Leesha Saunders.

Guests - None

Route - IHRT

Weather - Perfect, cool (70's) and very light breeze

AMS - Varied per/rider

Mechanicals/Mishaps - None

Report - A great turnout of our Friday regulars. I was surprised that the trail was not heavily used by others today. We did see some wildlife consisting of the ever-present squirrels, birds, turtles, etc. We took our rest break at the White Plains Area. We visited with other trail users and had a chat with Wes (one of the regular trail riders). We saw David and Jules (the trail maintenance crew) doing their separate tasks. I had a nice chat with Jules. After the ride, 10 of us went to the St. James Episc. Church for their fish dinner. It was a very good dinner and dining with friends is a great way to end a bike ride. See yens next week.

Quiet Nanjemoy

Joan Oppel — Thu, 12 Sep 2024 13:30:00 GMT

Leader: Joan Oppel

Members: Lou Dall'Orso, Denny Miller and Patricia Sanders

Route: https://ridewithgps.com/routes/48198550 From Pisgah Park, we took Bicknell/Sweetman/Chicamuxen to circle back on Smallwood Church. Then circle to Bowie, Poseytown, Greenleek Hill and on to Sandy Point and Riverside to arrive at the Nanjemoy Store. Then Adams Willett and Hancock Run to 6 and to Baptist Church to return on Ironsides and Mason Springs.

Weather: Mid-60's to finishing in the mid-70's, sunny, low humidity - delightful.

Mishaps: None - though mechanical issues were part of the ride (see report)

Report: Another member met us at the start, only to discover that she had forgotten her helmet! So, only four of us rode. We enjoyed the quiet roads, there were stretches of miles where no car passed us or just one or two spread out.

As to mechanical issues: my bike has been making clicking noises for a while, all diagnostic attempts have been unsuccessful to date. As we started to ride and the clicking started, Lou suggested he and I swap front wheels at the rest stop (something not tried yet). We did and neither his bike with my front wheel nor mine with his made any clicking sounds. As we rode and talked about it, I guessed quick release not tight enough, but Lou said quick release not operating correctly. It turned out Lou was right, one of the springs on the quick release had malfunctioned and did not allow the hub to sit exactly right in the dropouts. Solved! And many thanks to Lou!!!

Tour de Accokeek - All class 16

Janell Saunders — Wed, 11 Sep 2024 21:30:00 GMT

Ride Leader: Janell Saunders

Weather: another beautiful evening

Members: Janell Saunders, Ron Altemus, Pat Colvin

It was another evening for a pleasant ride. I thought it would be just Ron and I, but then Pat arrived to join us. We did a modified route, skipping the old neighborhood altogether and heading right out of the parking lot to head to Bryans Road. We then crossed over Marshall Hall road and toured the new neighborhood (Pat had not been there before). We made our downhill run to the boat ramp. There was a corvette tailing me as I sped down before finally passing me. He was at the ramp and said he thought I hit 40mph on the hill! Wheeeeee! Pat was happy to have her ebike for the ride up Barrys Hill (and other climbs) and we returned with no incidents.

I will continue to post this ride as weather and daylight permit, so the time may be earlier.

Mason Neck>Hallowing Point CC/C 28 miles

Ron Altemus — Sun, 08 Sep 2024 14:00:00 GMT

Leader:   Ron Altemus

Members:   Susan Altemus, Denny Miller, Steve Brown, Dave Van Ameyden, Debby Bowman, Patricia Sanders, Mary Scala, Ray Luckenbach

Route:   Starting at Gunston Elementary, an out and back on Belmont Blvd to view the eponymous Bay, then a short bit of Gunston Road to the Mason Neck Trail. We followed the trail to Mason Neck State Park for a rest stop at the visitor's center, as pictured above. Retracing out of the park, another segment of Gunston Road allowed us to we tour Hallowing Point followed by Gnston Manor, both in a clockwise direction. Returning to the trail, brief spur trips to Gunston Hall, Pohick Bay Park, and the Pohick Bay Golf Course completed our ride back to the start.

Weather:   a real hint of autumn as temps ranged from 64-70 degrees, brilliant blue sunshine w/cloudless skies, NW breezes up to 9 mph, and it felt like absolutely NO humidity with dew points in the 40s.

AMS:   rl in the low 11s; others similar, maybe a bit faster or slower

Mechanicals/Mishaps:   none

Report: the weather made this a delightful ride. For a couple of attendees, all new miles as this was their first time visiting Mason Neck. We were the only trail riders, the road into and out of the park had little traffic, and Gunston Road was mostly car-free.

Charlotte Hall to Colton's Point - B 54

Walt Roscello — Sun, 08 Sep 2024 13:30:00 GMT

Leader: Walt Roscello

Members: Catherine Ade

Route: https://ridewithgps.com/routes/48352888

I reversed the route for a new perspective. Down Mechanicsville Rd so we weren't on it as long, UP the steep part on Hurry, but not the steep part on Bushwood nor the uphill south of Rt. 238. A stop at Bushwood Wharf, then down to Colton's Point for another water view. Up 470 and 242 in the reverse of usual, then a loop including Old Chestnut and north on Pin Cushion, then use Busy Corner to get to Laurel Grove, then up to the park and return on the trail.

Weather: 60 at the start to the expected high of 72, almost cloudless blue sky. A light headwind on the first half and a moderate headwind on the second (how does that happen?)

AMS: 14.75

Mechanicals/Mishaps: none

Report: We started the weekend with nothing on the calendar, and I wasn't organized enough to get something ready for Saturday, so Catherine and I traded emails and selected a route, which I then reversed and modified for more water visits.

After a warmup on the trail, with a deer sighting in the first 1/4 mile, we turned on Mechanicsville Rd and went past Chaptico, then up the hill on Hurry and enjoyed that road in reverse, as well as Bushwood. We were mostly chatting and enjoying the day. Once we reached Colton's Point we took a long break on the breakwater, which turned into looking at some mystery bugs which seem to hang onto the rocks in the wet zone. Catherine also spotted that there was a lone Blue Crab in the water just off the shore.

https://photos.app.goo.gl/cc8qmesevoTskaW2A

https://photos.app.goo.gl/JqGKvSHZVpLjz6ma7

We ended up stepping into the museum to inquire about the ferry schedule, as Catherine has the idea to do a ride-island-museum-ride event. Let her know if you're interested. We also looked at their outdoor exhibits and did a little birdwatching.

After another relaxed stop at the Abell store, we continued enjoying the weather while returning to Rt. 234, then up a hill and onto Bayside, which we then circled around to Pin Cushion which was also nice as we had already climbed the hill on 234, thus we didn't have to climb out as we would have on Colton's Point Road.

I chose to use Busy Corner and Morganza Turner to get directly on Laurel Grove, as I like riding that stretch. We took another leisurely stop at Baggett Park (lots to eat and talk about), then straight back on the trail, which already had crunchy leaves on it and tons of squirrels, doing their squirrel thing of being safely off the trail, then dashing in front of us before we pass. Catherine saw one with a whole corncob, not sure if he got it from a feed station or elsewhere.

We finished with a slight twinge of fatigue, but happy with the route and enamored of the weather. We had one last wildlife sighting as there was a grasshopper on my car. We did some planning of potential fall rides, including this one with more mileage.

Friday IHRT ALL class ~20 miles

Ron Altemus — Fri, 06 Sep 2024 14:00:00 GMT

Leader: Ron Altemus

Members: Donaro Gardner, Jackie & Randy Schoch, Mark Garrison, Gene Villiva, Pat Colvin and her eBike, Susan Altemus

Route: the Friday Fav - Indian Head Rail Trail from Livingston Road Parking lot to White Plains trailhead. After a rest stop, return to the start.

Weather: mostly cloudy, temp range upper 60s to low 70s, marginal air movement - direction undetermined, comfortable humidity

AMS: swept at 11.4 so faster for everyone else

Mechanicals/Mishaps: none

Report: nice to have Pat Colvin riding with the club again and joining us for a Friday IHRT excursion. Lots of other trails users, including the mom stroller brigade between Middletown and White Plains. Wildlife sightings were few and far between - common egret (or white heron, depending on your ornithological preferences) and a large turkey crossing the trail. Numerous other birds heard but not seen.

The Labor Day picnic rides included the IHRT in its entirety. Today, only four plus days later, there seemed to be an explosion of fall wildflowers. Between Bensville and White Plains, there was an abundance of tickseed sunflower, as pictured below. Lots of butterflies were present feeding on the nectar of these flowers.

After Pomfret, goldenrod became the predominant yellow wildflower, interspersed with white flowers (to be identified) and Joe Pye Weed. The colors of fall will change quickly as the days shorten and temperatures cool. Riding the IHRT always has new perspectives throughout the year.

Next Friday, September 13, St James Episcopal Church will have a fish fry, 11 am - 6 pm. After the IHRT ride, a number of us are planning to have lunch at the church. $13 per person includes fish, potato salad, cole slaw, drink and one of Tom's famous cookies! A great reason to join us for the ride and lunch afterwards.

Tour de' Accokeek

Sherwood — Wed, 04 Sep 2024 21:30:00 GMT

Thank you Christopher Lawrence, Linda Bankerd, & Pat Colvin (OHBTC Members) for joining me Sherwood Byers, Ride Leader this evening for a casual ride around Accokeek Maryland and a short stop at Marshall Hall. This was a casual paced ride where all could enjoy their experience. No mishaps/mechanical issues were reported to me unless you consider forgetting to turn on the assist on an ebike when climbing Barry's Hill (LMAO) and having to turn around and start the climb over again a mishap/mechanical. All waited and no one was left behind.

Cross Calvert County Ride CC 41

Rick Hagen — Wed, 04 Sep 2024 14:00:00 GMT

Leaders: Lisa Petersen and Rick Hagen

Members: Rick Hagen, Bill Silva, Pat Silva, Lisa Petersen

Guests: none

Route: This ride took us east and west across Calvert County for views of the Chesapeake Bay and the Patuxent River. We began at Route 260 Recreation Area and took country roads to a snack & bathroom stop at Chesapeake Market a third of the way through the ride. We then went through North Beach and into Chesapeake Beach to ride the Chesapeake Beach Railway Trail, then up the hills and west across the county and down to the historic town of Lower Marlboro. We wanted to take Flint Hill Road, but it was still being paved, so we went up Chaneyville Rd to a stop at the Fairview Library. We took Old Solomons Island Road to Friendship, and Wilson and Jewell to Chaney Rd rarely used by cyclists, then returned to the cars.

RWGPS Route: https://ridewithgps.com/routes/48281753

AMS: 12.8 mph

Weather: So nice! Somewhere in the 70s, humidity in the 40s, and variable wind mostly out of the east at 10 mph.

Mishaps: we got a little fresh asphalt stuck to our tires when we started up Flint Hill Rd.

Report: Such a nice day! We had a good ride along Jewell to Leitch and Fairhaven down to Chesapeake Market and a short rest stop. We continued through North Beach and Chesapeake Beach to the Chesapeake Beach rail trail, where we saw elementary school kids on a field trip learning about oysters. The end of the rail trail put us into a neighborhood, which led us to Route 260, then we took Mt. Harmony Road to the highest part of Calvert County at 190 feet elevation. Skinners Turn, Briscoes Turn and Lower Marlboro roads took us down to the Patuxent River at the Lower Marlboro pier and a beautiful view since it was such a nice day. Then we continued to Flint Hill Road, which was being paved the day before, and got our hopes up since the trucks were all gone. We started the climb, but discovered there was too much sticky asphalt bits getting on our tires and bikes, so we turned around and took Chaneyville Rd instead. We stopped briefly at the Fairview Library for water and restrooms, then continued on to Owings and Friendship. Sansbury, Wilson and Jewell roads took us back to Route 260, but instead of the direct route back to the cars, we crossed 260 and took Chaney Rd, rarely used by cyclists. It’s a nice quiet road that parallels 260 past farm fields and led us to Route 4. A short ride on the shoulder of 4 took us down a hill and on a nicely curved exit onto Route 260 and back to the cars. The ride took us 4 hours.

Wildlife: 2 great blue herons, 1 cormorant, 2 deer, 1 snowy egret, seagulls, all along the rail trail

Labor Day Picnic CC 40

Joan Oppel — Mon, 02 Sep 2024 21:30:00 GMT

leader: Joan Oppel

Members: Candace Carlisle, Andrea Clayville, Melissa Coleman, Harold Datz, Rick Hagen, William Loewe, Sheila Loewe, Cathy Miller, Denny Miller, Karen Morgan, Taylor Morgan, Barbara McCann, "Sue" Murray, Sonja Newman, Lisa Petersen, Mary Scala, Bernard Steward, Dana Trevas, Rita Zeidner

Route: A quick loop from Chicamuxen to Bicknell and Sweetman, then a stop at Smallwood State Park. The next leg was straight on Chicamuxen to Riverside and a loop on Sandy Point and Jacksontown to the Nanjemoy Store. Liverpool Point took us to Baptist Church, then Ironsides to cross Rt 6 continuing as Mason Springs. For our return, we stayed on Hawthorne all the way to Blair St, where we got on the IH trail back to the Indian Head Green.

Weather: Hi 60's at ride start, into the low 70's, sunny and best of all -- low humidity!

Report: Our group lost a few riders to the 30 mile group but we sort of picked up the B's and we were off. It was a beautiful day to be out on a bike. Two wildlife rescues - a turtle was moved from the middle of the road to the edge for safety. And, a vulture was spotted at the side of the road in distress with some sort of netting stuck on its beak. A rider knowledgeable about birds got off the bike and started toward it, at which point it was able to take off. Fortuitously, as it headed up, it bumped a twig of a branch, which dislodged the netting. (Birds can die if their beak is caught like that).

Our Smallwood State Park stop was lovely, the Nanjemoy Store was welcoming and we all returned to eat hot dogs and a lot of pickles and chips. (There were still cookies left at the end, but people still around were persuaded to take some home.)

Labor Day + Picnic 30

Jessica Hirschhorn — Mon, 02 Sep 2024 19:07:48 GMT

AND a very generous TIP goes to the Weather Person, who brought us a simply glorious day to ride a bicycle.

BIG Turnout! The 30 mile/ CC crew included: Jessica Hirschhorn (leader), Peggy Alfonso, Robin Butler-LeFrancois, Stephen Cohen, Donato Gardner, Robin Garnett, Mark Garrison, Bethesda Handler and her wife Susan, Lynda Honberg, Ron Honberg, Christopher Lawrence, Joseph McKenzie, Darrell Meyer, Mary Ann Owsley, Deborah Reynolds, Brenda Ruby , David Grum (guest), Esther Steward, Leslie Tierstein, and Gene Villeva.

We started at 9:00 promptly, heading toward the Indian Head Rail Trail for a few miles before we hit the roads, that included Hawthorne, Chicamuxen, Bicknell, a rest stop at Smallwood Park with a lovely breeze from the water, Smallwood Church Road, Masons Spring Road with a second brief stop (and meet up with the 50 mile FAST GANG) at Pisgah Park. We then skedaddled back home via Hawthorne, Strauss, and the IHRT for a bit.

A great PICNIC was had by all, that included yummy hotdogs + all the fixings, Cookies, pickles, chips and ice cold drinks.

Many thanks to Jackie, the Weiner chef, and all the volunteers who made this great day happen.

Labor Day Trail Ride - 26+ miles.

Randall Schoch — Mon, 02 Sep 2024 13:00:00 GMT

Leader - Randy Schoch

Members - Jackie Schoch, Susan & Ron Altemus, Gene Villiva, Pat Colvin, Lisa Petersen and Rick Hagen

Guests - None

Route - IHRT

Weather - Cool and clear (70 degrees). It was a little chilly in the shady areas.

AMS - Varied/per rider

Mechanicals/Mishaps - None

Report - A really good turnout for all the listed rides today. Our trail ride was the smallest number of riders. The trail was heavily used today by walkers, other bike riders, dogs, and kids. Also, lots of wildlife for everyone to enjoy. There were squirrels, birds, turtles, and deer. We took our short rest break at White Plains Rest Area. We were anxious to get back to the picnic at the Indian Head Village Green for hot dogs, etc. and to socialize with all the other riders as they came in. It was a great day with a large turnout of our riders with lots of food to enjoy. Tom P. from St. James Episc. Church even brought us some of his home make cookies.

Labor Day Picnic Ride - B 40mi

Walt Roscello — Mon, 02 Sep 2024 12:30:00 GMT

Excuse any brevity in this report as this is the second time I'm entering it.

Leader: Walt Roscello

Members: Lori Michealson, Andrea Clayville, and Mario Salazar

Guests: none

Route: https://ridewithgps.com/routes/48025430

Down to Smallwood Park, then to Riverside Rd and return up Mason Springs.

Weather: 70 to 80 degrees, light breeze. Probably the best day we've had in months.

Mechanicals/Mishaps: Just a soft tire

Report: From a mixed B/CC group, we ended up with four folks out in front. We saw a lot of wildlife early on: rabbits, deer, buzzards, and a turtle rescue.

When arriving at Smallwood Park, someone asked about the footbridge so when we left, I took the group on a small tour of the camping area and the historic house. The group enjoyed this and when riding the footpath back to the road, we realized both barn doors were open so most rode through the property's barn.

That detour put us behind the CCs, so we arrived after them at the store. When preparing to leave a few minutes after them, a solo rider appeared and said she had lost her group. De'Aunte (I believe) had had a flat and then lost the 50 mile group, so we waited for a quick stop and added her to our group.

We continued to enjoy the good weather at an enjoyable pace, with some taking it easier on the hills. We took a pit stop on Mason Springs to check on Andrea's tire which was low, but not flat. De'Aunte had one of the battery-powered pumps so it only took a few seconds to add 20-30 psi to the tire.

Since we were near the back of the groups, and concerned whether the tire might go down again, we chose to skip the Pisgah Park stop and continue to the picnic. We ended up among some other groups as they exited the park, but then all the groups split at the trail as some chose to go back on the trail, I and some others went up the hill, and De'Aunte went the other way on the trail to get herself back up to 50 miles.

We all made it back safely and enjoyed the picnic. Many thanks to the on-site workers and those who did logistics before and after.

Labor Day Picnic Ride Class A/B 50 Miles

Sherwood — Mon, 02 Sep 2024 12:00:00 GMT

Oxon Hill Bike and Trail Club (OHBTC) held its Annual Picnic Ride on Labor Day. More than 70 riders had registered for the event. Ride Leader Sherwood Byers, Sr. led a contingent of 17 Class A/B riders. After a group photo the ride ride stated at the posted time of 8 AM.

The ride started with a warmup pace and after about 5 miles the ride pace increased to a Class "A" pace where the groups split into the riders natural ride pace. The Average Moving Speed (AMS) varied from 16.7 m/h at the lead to 16 m/h at the mid point to 13.6 m/h at the rear. Many of this class riders skipped the first rest stop and continued on to the Nanjemoy Store, the 2nd rest stop at about 27 miles or about the halfway point of the ride.

Today's ride turned out to be a great success with the weather god's hand delivering us a wonderful day to ride and picnic at the Village Green Community Center in Indian Head Maryland. Other than 1 flat tire being reported, no mechanical issues/injuries were reported to me.

Wayson's Corner > Brook Woods > Nutwell > South County Cafe > McKendree > Pindells, B, 30 miles

Diane Harris — Sun, 01 Sep 2024 13:00:00 GMT

Ride Leader: Diane Harris

Members: Randy and Jackie S, Theresa R, Diane H

Guests: None

Weather: Overcast, with temperatures in the 70s to low 80s, humid. Rain held off until after the ride was completed

Mechanicals/Mishaps: None

Report: This route took us along backroads in Southern Prince George's and Anne Arundel Counties, past farmland, County estates, through wooded areas, along moderately busy roads with wide shoulders, to the rest stop at the South County Cafe. This small restaurant offers indoor and outdoor (picnic tables) seating to enjoy food, baked goods, and a variety of hot and cold drinks. Here, we were joined by Sue H, a fellow club member who lives along the route. She anticipated when we would arrive at the Cafe and was able to join us briefly. She could not be convinced to join us for the remainder of the ride, but maybe next time. The rest of the ride was like the first part and we finished before the rain started. Thanks to Randy, Jackie, and Theresa for joining me on this ride.

Friday IndianHead 20 mile All Class

Randall Schoch — Fri, 30 Aug 2024 13:00:00 GMT

Leaders - Jackie & Randy Schoch

Members - Donaro Gardner, Ron & Susan Altemus, Gene Villiva

Guests - None

Route - IHRT

Weather - Cool (70's), cloudy, drizzly

AMS - Varied per/rider

Mechanical/Mishaps - None

Report - Just 6 of us this morning. It was cool and rainy which probably caused the small turnout of our riders. I was surprised by how many others were on the trail. There were several walkers, joggers, young people working out as well a wildlife consisting of deer (both a 4-point stag and a doe), a blue bird, a black snake, and 2 blue cranes. We had our usual rest stop at White Plains and had a nice visit with a couple of young ladies working out. We all managed to get wet by the time we got back to the parking lot but we still had a good time and glad we rode today. See yens on Monday for our Labor Day Ride.

Nanjemoy & Smallwood Church Circles

Joan Oppel — Thu, 29 Aug 2024 13:00:00 GMT

Leader: Joan Oppel

Members: Donaro Gardner and Jessica Hirschhorn

Weather: Low 80's up to about 90 at ride's end

Mishaps: None

This route hit some real highlights of the quiet Nanjemoy (and beyond) roads and we all thoroughly enjoyed the low traffic. One purpose of the ride was so I could visit the Nanjemoy Store in person to let them know a large group of cyclists would be visiting during the club's Labor Day Hot Dog Ride. The personal visit was much appreciated by the store's owner and employee.

A Monday Morning Ride

Sherwood — Mon, 26 Aug 2024 13:00:00 GMT

On this comfortable Monday morning, Randy and Jackie Schoch, and Linda Bankerd joined me, Sherwood Byers (Ride Leader) on a early morning ride. The weather is predicted to reach the mid 90's by afternoon, so riding early to beat the heat was preferred.

The ride started at the Manokeek Village Shopping Center located in the SSW corner of Prince George's County and continued into Charles County, Maryland. The ride looped through Waldorf, White Plains, 7 miles of the Indian Head Rail Trail, Pomonkey, Bryans Road, and Accokeek Maryland before returning to Manokeek. We were riding at a casual pace with a AMS of 14.5 m/h. About 8 miles from the end of the ride one rider had a flat tire. Thank you to the riders who shared their morning with me on the ride.

Hallowing Point-Broomes Island-JP Park-St Leonard CC 44

Rick Hagen — Sun, 25 Aug 2024 14:00:00 GMT

Ride Leaders: Rick Hagen & Lisa Petersen

Members: Janell Saunders, Stephen Cohen, Steven Perakis, Joan Oppel, Luis Dall'Orso, Walt Roscello, Mark Garrison, Lisa Petersen, Patricia Walthers, Thomas Short, Rick Hagen, Deborah Bowman (not in photo)

Guests: none

Route: https://ridewithgps.com/routes/48052440

We left from Hallowing Point Park, crossed Hwy 231, and used Sixes and Grays roads to get to Broomes Island Road, which took us to the village of the same name. We then retraced our route north to Ross Rd. which took us east to Mackall Road. We rode south on Mackall to our lunch stop at Jefferson Patterson Park. From Jefferson Patterson we took Mackall back north to Parran Rd, which we followed east to Hwy 4. After carefully crossing Hwy 4, Saint Leonard Road took us north through the little town of St. Leonard. Beyond St. Leonard we carefully crossed back to the west side of Hwy 4 onto Broomes Island Road which brought us back to Grays Road, Sixes Road, back across Hwy 231, and to our cars at the park.

Weather: Sunny, temps 80-84, humidity 40-45%, and 12 mph winds out of the southeast.

AMS: Rick had 12.7 mph, but that included a high-speed run to rejoin the group with the rider who flatted.

Mishaps: one rider had a flat, another suffered a dropped chain, and the rider fall described below

Report: This was the first time since the pandemic that the club has done a ride in southern Calvert County. We left from Hallowing Point Park at 10 AM, crossed Hwy 231, and used Sixes and Grays roads to get to Broomes Island Road. One rider had a flat on Grays Road, and Rick stayed with him while he fixed it. The rest of the group continued down to Broomes Island to the first rest stop at Nan's Cove boat landing. They then continued down to Broomes Island, where the flat repair team rejoined them as they began the return ride up Broomes Island Road. We made another stop at Mom and Pops Country Store to pick up snacks/drinks to take with us to our lunch stop at Jefferson Patterson Park seven miles later. At the park we had a nice break at the picnic pavilion and took advantage of the bathrooms and water, and rode a short distance further into the park to see more of what this park offers. There was a lot of activity as crews cleaned up from the Pyrojam event that had happened the previous day.

From Jefferson Patterson Park we worked our way back north and east, carefully crossing Hwy 4 and rolling north through the little town of St. Leonard. We stopped again at the Fastop service station in St. Leonard to regroup. As we were leaving, one of the riders lost his balance while mounting his bike and fell heavily. An off-duty EMT (Liza Ortiz) saw (and heard!) and ran over from across the street to assist. She insisted on loading the rider into her SUV and drove him a 1/4 mile to the firehouse, where the on-duty EMTs checked him out and patched his scrapes. They felt it was unwise for him to continue to ride, so Ms. Ortiz very kindly drove the rider and his bike back to his car. After all the excitement, the remainder of the group continued north out of St. Leonard, carefully crossed back to the west side of Hwy 4 and worked our way back to our starting point, including climbing (a few people walked up) a rather steep hill at the 40-mile mark that various devices measured as 10-16%. We made it back to the cars at 3:30.

EMTs taking care of the injured rider at the St. Leonard Firehouse. Calvert county EMTs and firemen are all volunteers.

Friday IndianHead 20 mile All Class

Randall Schoch — Fri, 23 Aug 2024 13:00:00 GMT

Leader - Jackie Schoch

Members - Ron & Susan Altemus, Donaro Gardner, Dan Donahue, Mark Garrison, Oswald Martin

Guest - Chris (13 years old)

Route - IHRT

Weather - Very good, but chilly with start at 66 degrees

AMS - Varied per/rider

Mechanicals/Mishaps - None

Report - A good turnout of our regular Friday riders especially Ron A. since he has been sick and his cheerful nurse Susan A. This was Ron's long ride since he got sick. It was very happy to see him and Susan today. Dan D started from White Plains and he met us on the trail. There were many walkers and bike riders on the Trail. Jules (the maintenance lady) was touching up the new mile markers that are on the trail. The markers are marked every 1/4 mile. It is a white paint with black numbers on the trail.

We saw a deer, squirrels, 2 turtles and 2 cranes.

We took a rest stop at White Plains rest area.

Hope to see you next week.

Friday IndianHead 20 mile All Class

Randall Schoch — Fri, 23 Aug 2024 13:00:00 GMT

Tour de Accokeek (yoga option) - All class 16

Janell Saunders — Wed, 21 Aug 2024 21:30:00 GMT

Ride Leader: Janell Saunders

Yoga Leader: Dana Trevas

Weather: perfect

Members: Janell Saunders, Dana Trevas, her husband Chris, Carl Hattery

Dana suggested a post yoga session this week, so I modified the route to shorten it a couple miles to allow time for a 30 minute session. All riders were interested in the option so we skipped the first neighborhood wander and headed out of the Firehouse to the right to follow Livingston rd and join the normal route to the Marshall Hall pier rest stop. From there we completed the route as usual and all met up at the Accokeek park for yoga. We were able to use the edge of the basketball court as it wasn't being used at the time. Dana brought extra yoga mats and we had a great session, focusing on stretching the hips, hamstrings, quads and back to release tension and loosen up those areas. The sky was clear and the air mild so it was very relaxing. We finished with plenty of time for me to get my ride back home before dark.

Thankyou Dana!

16 August - Exploring the Enola Low Grade and NorthWest Lancaster Country River Trails - 46 mi

Walt Roscello — Fri, 16 Aug 2024 14:30:00 GMT

Leader: Walt Roscello

Members: Drew Sommers

Route: From the 9 mile point on the Enola trail to the start, and return, and the entirety of the Lancaster River Trail and return

Weather: Mid-80s and sunny

Mechanicals/Mishaps: none

Report: Both of these trails are worth visiting. The Enola Low Grade has more visible history, but the Lancaster River Trail is very shady and peaceful. Both are nearly flat.

We started on the Enola trail and headed East about 1.5 miles to see the Martic Forge trestle and the view into a narrow stream valley. I believe this is the trestle that burned and had to be rebuilt to reconnect the trail. After reaching the next parking area, we retraced since I wanted to have time for both trails. There is another trestle at Safe Harbor which is curved and overlooks a dam on the Susquehanna. This one is built on the original structure and there are historical photo boards for the trestle and the dam. The last 5 miles of the trail (counting down the way we went) are much wider, about 35 feet compared to the 8 feet or so of the other section.

I found this excellent article on the trestles if you're interested: https://unchartedlancaster.com/2022/10/24/phoenix-rising-martic-forge-trestle-reopens-after-devastating-2018-fire/

After the Enola trail, we drove to Columbia for a sit-down lunch, then reconvened at the Columbia trailhead for the river trail. After a brief section along a main road, the trail follows its own path through the woods, and is very shady except when going along cultivated fields, all without being next to a road. However, a nice option is to ride the town street on the other side of the railroad tracks (did I mention there's a railroad the whole way on both trails?) when going though Marietta. The attraction of this trail is nature, but it does give access to a few small towns along the river.

Bonus Reports: Saturday and Sunday

On Saturday, the forecast was 60% for rain most of the day, but it wasn't raining at 7 am so I headed to the Lancaster club's Ice Cream ride. Drew chose to visit with a friend all day instead, based on the forecast. Most of the group took off more quickly, but I did eventually catch some of the early starters who were going more slowly. We did get rained on for about 10 minutes around mile 5, which caused at least five people to decide to return directly from the first stop, the Bird in Hand Bakeshop which is just around the corner from the Camel Farm (still didn't see them) and a good place to stop in. The next stop was Lapp's, where I caught some riders but most skipped the stop (what are they thinking?), which put me near last on the road. Much of this route traverses the OHBike Ice Cream route in the reverse direction. I got another 15 minutes of rain about 3/4 of the way through the ride and considered a shortcut, but by the time I got to the decision point it was clear again and I decided to finish the route. 43 miles total.

Sunday also dawned with some water on the ground but not falling from the air, so Drew and I agreed to do 50 miles since the forecast worsened after noon. The 50 mile route uses the western end of the century route, rather than the 65 and 35 mile routes which use the eastern end. In addition to being less hilly, especially on the westward leg, it was nice to see some new parts of the Lancaster area. I definitely remember the section past the airport to Listrak being less enjoyable when it was at the end of the day and hot, compared to today's cool weather and tailwind. The day was mostly uneventful, although the original hanging mist did turn into more of a sputtering rain as we got further west. Drew did go down when he ran off the footpath on the entrance to the rest stop at a park, with some minor bleeding. The mist lightened and even stopped at times and we rendezvoused at the Mennonite school for a post-ride lunch.

Despite the weather, I had a much richer experience this weekend than past events. The early end to the Saturday ride gave me time to spend in downtown Lititz, which is a worthwhile visit with shops on main street (ended up buying things from an imported cheeses and exotic meats shop) and a beautiful park with a stream originating in hillside springs and lots of ducks in it. In driving around and doing map research, I also spotted a paved trail from Lititz to Ephrata, so I have a target for another trip (in addition to the part of the Enola trail we didn't do).

Friday IndianHead 20 mile All Class

Randall Schoch — Fri, 16 Aug 2024 13:00:00 GMT

Leaders - Jackie & Randy Schoch

Members - Diana & Dan Donahue, Donaro Gardner, Mark Garrison, Oswald Martin, and Leesha Saunders.

Guests - David Zeigler

Route - IHRT

Weather - Excellent

AMS - Varied per/rider

Mechanicals/Mishaps - None

Report - A very good turnout considering there were about 30 of our club members riding in Pa. this weekend. We encountered many others on the trail this morning. Lots of walkers, kids, dogs, joggers, turtles, birds, a small snake, deer, and frogs. We saw David and Jules (the trail maintenance crew) separately doing their jobs. Today was one of those days when you don't want it to end. After our rest break, we returned to the Livingston Road parking lot and went our separate ways. See yens next Friday.

Goose Bay & a Roundabout Return

Joan Oppel — Thu, 15 Aug 2024 13:00:00 GMT

Leader - Joan Oppel

Members - Linda Bankerd, Lois Lightfoot, Alan Kurzweil, Sonya Newman, Patricia Sanders, Pat Walthers Guest - Dion

Route - Chicamuxen, Marbury Run, Bicknell, Pisgah Marbury, the Stuckeys, Poorhouse, Burch, 6, Goose Bay, Mill Swamp, 6, Welcome, Fire Tower, Annapolis Woods to Hilltop, 6 to Mason Springs, then Smallwood Church, to Sweetman, Bicknell, Chicamuxen and back. https://ridewithgps.com/routes/44564234

Weather - Sunny, delightful 72 at start, about 80 at the end, very nice day

Mechanicals/Mishaps - None

Report - A really nice day for a bike ride. Goose Bay was a treat as always, the manager was doing her work on the porch and reiterated that we were welcome. Other than the main roads (Rt 6 and Chicamuxen plus Hawthorne), traffic was very quiet and the ride felt quite peaceful. Everyone liked the "roundabout return".

Tour de Accokeek - All class 16

Janell Saunders — Wed, 14 Aug 2024 21:30:00 GMT

Ride Leader: Janell Saunders

Weather: warm

Riders: Sherwood Byers Jr, Carl Hattery, Lou Dall'Orso, Dennis Miller

Report: I thought it would be 3 of us and when I got to the firehouse, Lou and Denny had signed up as well. I discussed modifying the route as I'm want to do by skipping the first neighborhood and rejoining the route to go to Bryans Road and explore the new neighborhoods along Marshall Hall road. Not everyone heard me (even tho I mentioned it a few times) so one rider did the first section in full before we got to Bryans Road. We were altogether after that till another rider missed a turn. But, all were regrouped at the boat ramp. Heading back, we did another detour after Barrys Hill and went left to the Mayoane area and retraced back to the finish. The mileage was 18 for all but one who did the little extra. I ended up with 25 since I ride to and from the start. Lou had extra as he rode from home as well.

Stay tuned for more Wednesday eve rides (weather permitting)

WC36 Waysons Corner to Backyard Boogie in Bowie

Rick Hagen — Sun, 11 Aug 2024 13:00:00 GMT

B Leader: Diane Harris

CC Leaders: Rick Hagen & Lisa Petersen

Members: Linda Bankerd, Sherwood Byers Sr, Barbara Butcher, Rick Hagen, Diane Harris, Joan Oppel, Steve Perakis, Lisa Petersen, Theresa Rowell

(The CC riders stopping for a photo OP on the way back)

Guests: none

Route: https://ridewithgps.com/routes/47751085

We started at Waysons Corner Park & Ride on Route 4 in southern Anne Arundel County and headed north on Sands Road (no dump trucks on Sundays!) and Patuxent River Road. We then followed the East Coast Greenway along Route 214/Central Ave., up Queen Anne Bridge and Mill Branch roads, along Excalibur, Mitchellville and Collington roads to a bike path that took us north over Route 50. From there it was quiet neighborhood streets to the Melford Town Center and the race tents, vendors and food trucks. The ride back was the same route in reverse.

Weather: Nice! Mostly sunny, temps 75-80, humidity 61-40%, and light winds mostly out of the northwest but variable.

AMS: 12.5 mph for the CC riders

Mishaps/Mechanicals: Steve’s rear brake cable came unhooked from the brake lever and we couldn’t get it to stay back in place with the tools we had, so he cautiously rode back with only his front brakes.

(Lisa and Steve trying to fix his brake problem)

Report: We were so lucky with the weather today! We went to the Melford Town Center in Bowie to watch the Getting It In (GII) club’s annual Backyard Boogie bike race, a circuit race for licensed riders of all ages. We started at the Waysons Corner Park & Ride on Route 4, headed north on Sands and Patuxent River roads (not a single dump truck!). Then we followed the East Coast Greenway for 7 miles up to Bowie. We had some debris from Tropical Storm Debby to deal with, including gravel from driveways that washed down and onto the roads. Diane and the B riders arrived first and hung out with GII people, while Lisa and Rick and the CC riders arrived at about 10:30. The CC riders spent an hour watching the races, while the B riders hung out longer. This race attracted 370 riders from the East Coast, even some from Florida! Riders seemed to stay together in a peloton, perhaps unable to break away and stay away. It’s a little nerve-wracking to see how fast they are going and how closely bunched up they are. We did not offer the prime — we’ll plan that better next year. To leave the race area, we rode the town center streets in the opposite direction from the racers and got to see them pass on the other side of the median several times. The rest of the ride on the way back was uneventful. The CC riders stopped at a veterinarian’s office on Central Avenue for a photo op.

Shady Nanjemoy: 36CC

Jessica Hirschhorn — Sat, 10 Aug 2024 13:00:00 GMT

After more than 2 days of soaking rain from Hurricane Debbie, an enthusiastic group gathered on a sunny Saturday morning, ready to ride 49 fast, 44 CC or 36 CC with Oxon Hill.

Start: Friendship Farms Park

Route: https://ridewithgps.com/routes/47850674

Average speed: 11-ish

37/42 registered riders total

36CC riders were Jessica Hirschhorn (lead from wherever), Linda Blackman, Marc Blackman, Jim Cavanaugh, Mark Garrison, Harry Kidd (thank you for sweeping!) Deborah Reynolds, Janell Saunders, Mary Scala, Andrew Sommers, Robin Sparer, Esther Steward, Dana Trevas

We all enjoyed the mostly shady, nearly car free route. There was no standing water, although there was a fair amount of tree debris on some roads.

One mechanical (broken spoke) and one medical (leg cramps). It was quite humid, and 88 by the time we arrived back.

Many thanks to Diane Harris who staffed the rest stop at the Church.

Water, chips and protein bars were welcomed by all.

Nanjemoy Shady Ride

Joan Oppel — Sat, 10 Aug 2024 13:00:00 GMT

Leaders - Jessica Hirschhorn, Walt Roscello and Joan Oppel

Members - all classes - Linda Bankerd, Riley Bates, Linda Blackman, Marc Blackman, Jim Cavanaugh, Luis Dall'Orso, Margaret Draper-Harris, Mark Garrison, Diane Harris, Liam Healy, Ashira Jones, Ann Kellogg, Marjorie Khattab, Harry Kidd, Alan Kurzweil, Karen Morgan, Taylor Morgan, Michael "Sue" Murray, Sonja Newman, Steve Perakis, Deb Reynolds, Theresa Rowell, Mario Salazar, Janell Saunders, Mary Scala, Tom Short, Terre Simpson, Andrew Summers, Robin Sparer, Esther Steward, Dana Trevas, Dave VanAmeyden, Bryan VanGilder, Pat Walthers

Routes - 44: https://ridewithgps.com/routes/47913686and 49: https://ridewithgps.com/routes/47914313

36 has a separate report

Weather - Sunny - with lots of shade. Lots of humidity - Temperature ranged from 75-78 for about half the ride and then climbed into the 80's, 88 at the end

Mechanicals/Mishaps - One broken spoke - rider made it to the rest stop where Joan duct taped the broken spoke to the one closest to it and opened the brakes to accommodate the wobbly wheel (with additional advice from Alan and Lou)

Report - A nice DRY day after a storm that brought major down pours and flooding - and did leave us with a lot of humidity. The routes got a lot of praise from riders - it really is lovely in Nanjemoy. Long miles of forested road and lots of shade.Very sparse traffic, I think the 44 route had about 15 cars total pass us for all those miles. Long miles of forested road and lots of shade. We did find at least 3 chain-sawed trees that had been down across the road but cleared by the time we got there.

We used the King James picnic tables and bathroom for a rest stop. The club provided water, ice, snack chips and bars. And Walt got a donation from Amrita Foods of energy bars and we put those out as well. The 3 groups met up there and people hung out for quite a while to socialize.

Riders spread out quite a bit and the ride leaders were mostly bringing up the rear. A great time was had by all!!

Old gravestone at King James

North Calvert Loop

Rick Hagen — Tue, 06 Aug 2024 13:00:00 GMT

Leaders: Rick Hagen & Lisa Petersen

Members: Linda Bankerd, Sherwood Byers Sr, Rick Hagen, Harry Kidd, Darrell Meyer, Joan Oppel, Lisa Petersen

Guests: none

Route: https://ridewithgps.com/routes/47871662

Base route was 30 miles, those rode both optional additions did 38 miles.

From the Route 260 Recreation Area, we went south on Route 260 to Jewell Rd and rode the whole length of it. We took Route 2 a short distance to Friendship Road to get to Chesapeake Market for a rest stop. We rode around Holland Point to the bike path through North Beach. We continued south through Chesapeake Beach but turned on Old Bayside Road at Beach Elementary to ride on quiet back roads. Dalrymple and its big hill took us to a rest stop at the 7-11 in Sunderland. The route then continued north on Route 2 to the Owings Post Office, where we got on Old Solomons Island Road up to Friendship. We rode Sansbury, Wilson, and Jewell back to Route 260 and the parking lot.

Weather: Hot! Sunny, temps were 82-90, humidity 80-60%, and a 10 mph breeze out of the south.

AMS: 12.2 mph (sweep)

Mishaps: none.

Report: There was a request to add a few miles to the route to make the drive worth it, so 2 options were suggested: Karyn Drive in Chesapeake Beach would add 3.25 miles, and Pushaw Station Road in Sunderland would add 4.0 miles, both shady and a little hilly. Most riders were interested in either or both. We took off from the parking lot on time, and rode 9 miles past a flock of snowy egrets at Herrington Harbor to our first rest stop at Chesapeake Market. In North Beach, we rode along the boardwalk in the bikes only lane, and only encountered 3 pedestrians. South of Chesapeake Beach, we turned off on quiet roads to Karyn Drive where most riders went into this neighborhood for an additional 3.25 miles, while others waited. We continued on Dalrymple and up the big hill. Some riders reported 8 to 13% grade, so ridewithGPS at 4.9% is clearly wrong. We stopped at the 7-11 in Sunderland and Darrell bought a gallon of cold water to share with everyone, so appreciated on this hot day. After the break, some riders took Pushaw Station Road, a little-used road to nowhere, 2 miles long, while Darrell and Lisa continued on the route. The rest of the ride was uneventful.

Lisa rode 6 miles home from the parking lot to make up for not riding the add-ons.

Animals: deer, flock of snowy egrets

Eagle Harbor Day Celebration

Joan Oppel — Sat, 03 Aug 2024 13:00:00 GMT

Leader - Joan Oppel

Members - Catherine Ade, Linda Bankerd, Barbara Butcher, Sherwood Byers, Ellen Goodwin, Diane Harris, Liam Healy, Marcy Kelley, Harry Kidd, Michael "Sue" Murray, Sam Perry, Walt Roscello, Bernard Steward, Dave Van Ameyden, Steve Wartik

Nonmembers: Melanie Collins and Chris Rossow

Routes - 39: https://ridewithgps.com/routes/47719375 40: https://ridewithgps.com/routes/47812375 The distance difference is all in the first half outbound to Eagle Harbor, return is the same for both routes. Most of this route is on the nice rural roads of eastern and southern Prince George's County.

Weather - Sunny, mid 80's for the first half, low 90's for the second half, humid.

Mechanicals/Mishaps - None

Report - Diane Harris and Walt Roscello helped out as co-leaders. We had a diverse group, about a third riding the shorter distance outbound to Eagle Harbor and the rest the longer route, and different paces within the large group.

Eagle Harbor was really bustling, with some booths set up, including one about Buffalo Soldiers, food trucks, a contingent from the Prince George's sheriff's office to march in the parade, the Gwynn Park H.S. marching band. The shorter ride group arrived about a 1/2 hour before the longer group and introduced ourselves to Mayor Noah Waters . (Eagle Harbor is an incorporated town, with its own mayor and town commissioners.) When all the riders had gathered, Mayor Waters got on the microphone near the community center and introduced us. Then I made short speech on behalf of the club, I mentioned how the Rural Legacy got started and its goal to highlight the rural and special places in Prince George's County. Walt and I then presented the Mayor with the donation from this year's Rural Legacy event. Mayor Waters told us that our donation played a big part in funding this celebration.

It was hot and humid, slowing many riders down on the return, three took a shorter route to the North Keys parking lot. Riders arrived back at North Keys in small groups or ones and twos but all made it back.

Fairhaven, Rose Haven, North Beach visit

Joan Oppel — Tue, 30 Jul 2024 13:00:00 GMT

Leader - Joan Oppel

Member - Don Gardner and Anonymous User (plus 2 club members who arrived a little late and said they were not formally "on the ride")

Route - https://ridewithgps.com/routes/26761408 Somewhat of a "reverse" of a "usual" way on several roads. From Wrighton we took Bay Front to Mckendree, then made our way to Franklin Gibson and then a right on Leitch. That took us over to Fairhaven and the descent on Friendship/261 to the Chesapeake Market. We then climbed most of 5th St, and made our way to Friendship, Sansbury, Wilson, repeat Jewell, McKendree, take Brooks Woods and Greenock. Here we deviated from the return on Southern Maryland Blvd to retrace Wrigton/Plummer.

Weather - Very overcast - Mid 70s to start, barely 80 to end. Very pleasant conditions. One rider remarked that the cloudy conditions were welcome for today.

Mechanicals/Mishaps - None

Report - For a last minute ride, it was very enjoyable and we were all glad to get out on our bikes. Once again, traffic was very light and quiet - and we even experienced some extra polite drivers, who noticeably just followed us at a distance on a couple of the windy roads. No wildlife close ups, saw a couple of distant snowy egrets and heard an osprey as we went through Rose Haven and passed the marshes on the way to North Beach. (No picture, I forgot)

Towpath White's Ferry to Brunswick

Jessica Hirschhorn — Mon, 29 Jul 2024 21:49:19 GMT

18 friends had a great ride on the C&O canal, from White's Ferry to Brunswick.

It is resurfaced with crushed gravel and is as smooth as BUTTAH. Most of us rode bikes with gravel tires and everyone rode well.

RIDERS: Linda Bankerd, Sherwood Byers, Cynthia Cypress, Robine Garnett, Mark Garrison, Rick Hagen (rode from Brunswick then back with us), Pete Hinz (rode from the sunflowers), Jessica Hirschhorn, Lynda Honberg, Ron Honberg, Doug Kay, Harry Kidd, Kathy King, Joe McKenzie (met us at Monocracy Acqueduct) Lisa Peterson (rode from Brunswick) , Dana Trevas, Gene Villiva, and Anne Wittenberg.

Total milage: 39.15

AVERAGE speed : varied. Mine was 11.3

We rode over two beautiful aqueducts (Monocracy and Cacoctin) and the WONDERFUL new bridge at MM 53. No more DOWN, ACROSS the stream, and UP detour! See photo.

We had lunch at Beans in the Belfry, some inside and some outside in the shade. We were such a big group that we all called our orders ahead, which made service much smoother!

We skedaddled back on a slight downhill, and arrived back at White's Ferry as the temp reached 95 (and we felt it).

Here's the group at Monocracy Aqueduct:

The new BRIDGE!

Walking our bikes over Monocracy Aqueduct:

Beans in the Belfry:

And my Towpath Tan:

Lower Marlboro Excursion CC 35

Rick Hagen — Fri, 26 Jul 2024 13:00:00 GMT

Leaders: Rick Hagen & Lisa Petersen

Members: Rick Hagen, Joan Oppel, Lisa Petersen

Guests: none

Route: https://ridewithgps.com/routes/47260406

From the parking lot at the Route 260 Recreation Area, we went north on Fishers Station into southern Anne Arundel County and quickly came south on McKendree (ridewithGPS lies - the hill is 10% grade). We took local roads over to the Patuxent side of Calvert County and made a short side trip to the Huntingtown NRMA where there is a portolet and shade. We went back to Lower Marlboro Road to the historic town of the same name and to the pier with a nice view of the Patuxent River. We took Flint Hill Road (ridewithGPS lies again, 10% grade), and continued on to Route 260. We used back roads to Friendship, then Sansbury, Wilson and Jewell roads to return to the cars.

Weather: Nice! Sunny, temps in mid-70s, humidity 40-50%, and a 10 mph breeze out of the northeast.

AMS: 11.6 mph

Mishaps: none, but everyone helped adjust Lisa’s handlebars to a more comfortable position.

Report: We were so lucky with the weather today! This route in southern Anne Arundel and northern Calvert counties is a hilly one, mostly on quiet roads, which was good since we had lots of talking to do. The ride was generally uneventful, except Lisa spotted tobacco growing in someone’s large garden on Mill Branch Road, not something you see much anymore even in Calvert County, so we stopped to look. No eagles or herons on the Patuxent River at Lower Marlboro this time. The construction on Flint Hill Road seems done except for the final paving. We were not able to get water at the Fairview Library as it’s closed on Friday mornings, but we still had water left since the weather was cool for this time of year. It took us 3.5 hours to do the ride, 3.0 hours moving. Maybe we got caught up on all our talking.

Animals: sheep, goats, horses, baby rabbit, 1 turtle

Friday IndianHead 20 mile All Class

Randall Schoch — Fri, 26 Jul 2024 13:00:00 GMT

Leaders - Jackie & Randy Schoch

Members - Donaro Gardner, Robin Garnett, Mark Garrison, Walt Roscello,

Leesha Saunders, and Gene Villiva.

Route - IHRT

Weather - Great weather and cool temperatures.

AMS - Varied per/rider.

Mechanicals/Mishaps - None

Report - A good turnout of our regulars considering that there was another club ride scheduled this morning. We saw many other trail users today including walkers, joggers, other bikers, kids in strollers, and wildlife including turtles, birds, deer, frogs, and the ever-present squirrels. We enjoyed chatting with the riders to and from the White Plains Rest Area. It is great to ride on days like this with good friends. After the ride, we went our separate ways. See yens next Friday.

Nanjemoy Redux

Joan Oppel — Tue, 23 Jul 2024 13:00:00 GMT

Leader - Joan Oppel

Member - Don Gardner, Diane Harris and Anonymous User

Route - https://ridewithgps.com/routes/47681631 Today we went to Nanjemoy via Chicamuxen, Bicknell-Pisgah Marbury and Mason Springs/Ironsides. Then Hancock Run and Adam Willett, Liverpool Point - passing the Nanjemoy Store and going all the way to the end of Liverpool Point. Then back to the store, Jacksontown, Poseytown, Bowie to Smallwood Church and return.

Weather - Mid 70s to start, rising to mid 80s to end. Compared to a lot of recent days - rather pleasant.

Mechanicals/Mishaps - None

Report - An uneventful ride, the usually "busier" roads were surprisingly quiet (Mason Springs, Ironsides). The quiet roads were especially quiet! We all enjoyed the visit to the rocky beach on the Potomac at the end of Liverpool Point, where we checked out the view and the shells. We determined that we were across from Aquia Creek in Virginia. It was a delightful ride.

Loop de Loop de DM (No V)

Jessica Hirschhorn — Sat, 20 Jul 2024 19:10:50 GMT

What a wonderful day to circumnavigate our great city! Cool with cloud cover and little wind. A few drops of rain greeted us on our last half mile.

Riders: Jessica Hirschhorn, Linda Blackman, Marc Blackman, Mark Garrison, Mary Sattazahn, and Andrew Sommers.

We started at 9 at the Bethesda Pool, and Loop de Looped using the following trails: Capital Crescent, Rock Creek Trail, Detour around Ohio Drive construction, The Wharf, Douglass Bridge, Anacostia River Trail, NW Branch Trail, Rachael Carson Greenway (With a great mid ride stop at Vigilante Coffee in Hyattsville), Sligo Creek Trail and Parkway, Beach Drive to Wise, and home.

43 miles.

Average speed 11 mph

No mechanicals, one episode of leg cramps (cured with Pickle juice). We all stayed together and had a grand time.

Waysons Corner, Brooks Woods, Nutwell, South County Cafe, McKendree, Pindells, CC 30 m

Rick Hagen — Fri, 19 Jul 2024 13:00:00 GMT

Leaders: Rick Hagen & Lisa Petersen

Members: GloJean Gladden, Rick Hagen, Diane Harris, Lisa Petersen, Deborah Reynolds

Guests: none

Route: https://ridewithgps.com/routes/46951571 From the Waysons Corner Park & Ride, we headed east to Greenock Road/Route 259, then south on Brooks Woods to Bayfront Rd/Route 258. North on Route 2 to Nutwell that takes us to Nutwell Sudley Rd south and back to Bayside/Route 258. From there we took Swamp Circle Rd to Deale-Churchton Rd and the South County Cafe. Then up the hill to Tracys Landing to Route 2, south to Jewell Rd just to McKendree and north to Bayfront Rd again. West on Bayfront to Fishers Station, cross Route 4, and enter the Pindells. We took Upper Pindell and Pindell past Jug Bay to the Route 4 Service Road to get back to the cars.

Weather: Pleasant compared to the heat we’ve had recently, temps 75-82, 40% humidity, and wind out of the east 10 mph.

AMS: 13.4 mph

Mishaps: none.

Report: Our small group had an enjoyable ride in southern Anne Arundel County. We zigzagged eastward to the South County Cafe where most of us bought bakery treats. Afterwards, we took the slow climb up to Traceys Landing and south on noisy Route 2 to Jewell Road. On quiet backroads again, we zigzagged our way westward to Route 4. We carefully crossed Route 4, two lanes at a time. We wandered through the shady & quiet Pindells, past Jug Bay to the service road back to the cars. Our group stayed together even on the hills, and we finished the ride before noon.

Wildlife: 2 deer

Friday IndianHead 20 mile All Class

Randall Schoch — Fri, 19 Jul 2024 13:00:00 GMT

Leader - Randy Schoch

Members - Donaro Gardner, Mark Garrison, Sharon Laws, Oswald Martin, Leesha Saunders, Gene Villiva, and Walt Roscello.

Guests - None

Route - IHRT

Weather - Great, 70's, almost no breeze

AMS - Varied per/rider

Mechanicals/Mishaps - None

Report - A nice turnout of our regular Friday riders except for Jackie. She is with her family on the coast of N. J. for a "deep sea" fishing trip. Because it was such a beautiful day, there were plenty of trail users this morning. There were deer, squirrels, turtles, birds, dogs walking their masters, youngsters in carriages, walkers, joggers, bikers, skaters, and of course the ever-present trail Maintenance crew looking after the trail. We had an easy ride to the White Plains Rest Area where we took our break. On the way back to the parking lot, we noticed all the blossoms on the Bumpy Oak Lake/Pond. It was worth a stop to take in the beauty of the flowers. This is a great ride and I look forward to it every Friday.

To the Edge of Nanjemoy

Joan Oppel — Tue, 16 Jul 2024 12:00:00 GMT

Leader - Joan Oppel

Member - Diane Harris

Route - https://ridewithgps.com/routes/47569226 First thing, climb Mt Pisgah, then Poorhouse and Burch to Rt 6, then 2 1/2 miles on Rt 6 until turning off for Welcome, Annapolis Woods, to take Hilltop back to 6. Another 3 miles on 6 to Bowie, Baptist Church and finally the Nanjemoy Community Center. The finish is simple - Ironsides, becomes Mason Springs, all the way to Chicamuxen.

Weather - Hot - on the bike the temperature stayed in the 80s for about 2 hours, then in the low 90's until about 20 minutes from the end. So considering riding time was a little under 3 hours, the temperature was tolerable.

Mechanicals/Mishaps - None

Report - A third rider had signed up but did not notice the start time so Diane and I set off on what turned out to be a nice ride. Mt Pisgah is always a good opening. Ripley and Poorhouse were quiet. Traffic on 6 was fairly light for that stretch of 6 (only one jerky driver), and then we stopped to admire the longhorn cattle on Baptist Church. The diversion on Fire Tower and Annapolis Woods to add miles was pleasant. We had many stretches of light traffic where we could chat. The Nanjemoy Community Center was as welcoming as ever - what a great rest stop place, cold water in the fountain and air conditioning, nice chairs, clean bathroom....perfect.

Cumberstone & Galesville

Joan Oppel — Sun, 14 Jul 2024 12:30:00 GMT

Leader - Joan Oppel with Ellen Goodwin

Members - Linda Blackman, Suzanne Brown, Donaro Gardner, Harry Kidd, Steve Perakis, Janet Shipko, Tom Short

Route - Waysons Corner to Harwood, Cumberstone, Galesville & Brookswood. The first 6 miles were on Sands Road, which was mostly quiet (for Sands), then up Harwood to left on Rt 2, and on to Mill Swamp. Then Muddy Creek (adding the lovely Lansdale) to Cumberstone and Bayfields. On to Galesville and the Sudley, Nutwell Sudley, Nutwell, Brooks Woods, Greenock, Wrighton return - https://ridewithgps.com/routes/39920721

Weather - Hot - on the bike the temperature stayed in the 80s until we left the rest stop in Galesville. Then it started climbing into the 90s and was 97 for the last half hour of the ride.

Mechanicals/Mishaps - None

Report - We all set out as a group, though Tom Short said he was definitely going to cut it short. Within a couple of miles, Tom, Steve and Suzanne were off the front. We never saw Tom again*, we caught glimpses of Steve and Suzanne near Cumberstone and Galesville. The remaining 6 of us - had a great ride! Yes, it was hot, but we had more shade than not, we stopped to regroup a few times. In fact, I offered the group the opportunity to skip the out/back on Bayfiends Road (off Cumberstone) and they didn't accept the offer!

We had a nice rest stop in Galesville - went to the (nice & clean) portapotty at the community park half mile before the end of the road, stopped at the Pirate's Cove Bar, where the staff could not be nicer. I asked to buy water, they said they would fill our bottles, I had a tip in hand when the bartender returned my full bottle, it was firmly rejected. We then proceeded to the lovely little park by the water. New benches and picnic table have been installed, GREAT place for a rest stop snack.

Less shade it seemed on the return but we made it back without any issues.

*Tom did email later that he skipped 7 miles and got back safely.

CC 40 Group -- Watermelon Ride

Ellen Goodwin — Mon, 08 Jul 2024 23:03:30 GMT

Members: Joan Oppel, Pat Sanders, Darrell Meyers, Dave Van Aymaden, Alan Kurweil, Carol Torgan, Leslie Tierstein, Mary Scala, Don Gardner, Erin Counts, Jose Fuster, Eric Shuping, Andrew Sommers, Greg Acs, Esther Steward, Anne Wittenburg, Michael Murray, Sally Coella, Mark Garrison, Karen Rosales, Carol Dreher, Mary Ann Owsley, Cathy Miller

Leaders: Ellen Goodwin swept the ride and Joan assisted by staying in the middle of the group (at least until she helped with fixing a flat).

Report: The large group of CC riders quickly split up into faster groups and slower groups. The weather was very warm and humid in the beginning, and continued to grow warmer as the ride wore on. Every one seemed to enjoy the front porch at Goose Bay, as there was shade, a breeze and cold water to be found there. Several of us had a very hard time leaving the porch. The cold watermelon at the end was a welcome treat!! Everyone appreciated Jackie Schoch's expert and hard work at icing and slicing the melon! Thank you Jackie!!

Incidents/Mishaps: One rider had a flat about two miles before reaching the rest stop at Goose Bay. Joan, the master flat fixer, stayed back with the rider to help with the flat tire. Otherwise, no other known issues.

AMS: about 12.4 at the back of the group.

Watermelon ride pictures

Joan Oppel — Mon, 08 Jul 2024 14:00:00 GMT

OTET Tour 2024 Days 1 thru 5

Sherwood — Sun, 07 Jul 2024 13:30:00 GMT

On day 1, Seven Oxon Hill Club members (Deborah Bowman, Gene Villiva, Robin Garnett, Deborah Reynolds, Linda Bankerd, Ron Altemus) and Three guests (Kevin Brahaney, Terry Marquard, and Brian Teeters) joined Sherwood Byers (Ride Leader on a from Cleveland to Columbus, Ohio then to return on a very nice Sunday the morning starting from Lake Erie (Edgewater Beach House). Kevin Brahaney (Guest) who was very instrumental in supporting me with important planning information and data had met Ron Altemus and Gene Villiva last year on a bike ride in North Carolina. They had learned that Kevin was an Ohio resident who lived near the OTET trail and was very familiar with it. I was encouraged to speak to him since I was planning to ride to Lake Erie via the trail.

Kevin briefed us some about the trail and pointed out to the poison Hemlock (Poison Hemlock can easily be mistaken as wild carrot when young but the difference is it grows 8 to 10 feet tall, it has some different nick names such as fools parsley, deadly hemlock, spotted hemlock, and spotted parsley, it is the plant that is said to have killed Socrates) and led us from the Edgewater Beach House onto the trail and he and two of his riding friends rode with our group as guests. The group rode mostly together before the pace had changed to fit each riders comfort level. There were many regrouping points along the way to Akron. After the midpoint to Akron we had stopped for lunch.

Once lunch was finished, we continued to Akron. Kevin and his friends rode with us a few more mile before turning back to Cleveland. They had wanted to do a metric century. It had been a long day of riding and we were anxious to get to our hotel to shower and have dinner. Luigi's was the choice to eat as many of the other restaurants were closed.

Day 2 of this tour it began with another group photo and then on on the pedals as scheduled. We were to meet Kevin and his friends along the way to Massillon as they wanted to ride with us once more.

Day 3, Beryl was beginning his threat on our day. Everyone is checking the weather to evaluate the day before the ride start. Well, we beat Beryl! Dodging the rain, the ride day began. There were rolling hills, covered bridges, and trails (Gravel and Paved).

We managed to avoid the remnants of Hurricane Beryl on day 4. We were affected only by a few showers. At lunch time the winds were fierce and we thought we could not continue, but by the time we had eaten it was relatively clear and we were able to continue our ride to Mount Vernon unscathed. Dinner was had at a local diner featuring old school artifacts and varieties of candies from yesteryear. Some of us chose Whits Frozen Custard for dessert. On the next morning all had breakfast before departure to Columbus. This day was all trail and the weather could not have been better. During lunch in the township of Sunbury, the ladies had lunch at one venue while the men chose another. Everyone was happy to complete the first half of the tour and was looking forward to the the next day, the rest day. Two riders elected to take a shuttle back to end their tour.

OTET Tour 2024 Days 6 thru 11

Sherwood — Sun, 07 Jul 2024 13:30:00 GMT

On the rest day, some chose to rest, to do laundry, or tour Columbus. Georges Seurat's Sunday On La Grande Jatte - 1884 portrait was recreated as topiary. A nearby library featured a grand Lego display. We were lucky enough to see Bat Man and the "Bat Mobile" passing by.

Our return to Independence started the next morning.

Again it was an all trail day where there was a Subway Sandwich Shop in Centerburg with a gazebo to rest and eat. Leaving the lunch stop we came upon a mural depicting the town's past.

On Sunday from Mt. Vernon to Millersburg, just on the trail after leaving the Comfort Inn a short stop was had for a photo which seemed to be a popular fishing location where you could see fish in the water. We knew this was going to be a long day without many facilities, so we stopped at a store in Danville at mile 15 where we purchased deli sandwiches, drinks, and desserts to eat later. At the end of the trail at mile 27 in Glenmont we picnicked and then it was onto state road 520 where the state actually posts regulatory signs to drivers to maintain a minimum distance of 3 feet from cyclist(s). At Killbuck it was back on the trail until we reached our destination in Millersburg. Dinner was at Bags Grill, then fresh home made cookies provided by our personal Baker, Dani Villiva whose cookies are to die for.

Bob's Watermelon Ride - 25-mile Class C/CC

Randall Schoch — Sun, 07 Jul 2024 13:00:00 GMT

Leader - Randy Schoch

Members - Janell Saunders, Mary Scala, Beth Merrick, Ed Reardon, Glo-Jean Gladden, Harry Kidd, Sue Henn, Dana Trevas, Cynthia Reynolds-Temple, Kurt Temple

Route - The Mt. Pisgah IH Century 25 miler

Weather - Very Hot approx. 100 degrees.

AMS - Varied per/rider

Mechanicals/Mishaps - None

Report - We started from the Indian Head Village Green with about 10 riders at 9am and it was getting hot. As we began our climb up the Mighty Mount Pisgah, two riders turned back. Being Sunday, the traffic wasn't too heavy as we rode the wide shoulder of Hawthorne Road up Mt. Pisgah. All the riders made the right turn on Ripley and again on Poorhouse. At the nearby Pisgah store, we kept straight on Bicknell all the way to Rt. 224/Chicamuxen Rd. Then turned left and made our way to Smallwood State Park for a rest break by the water side as we watched several fishermen ply their trade. After the rest break we made our way out of the park and returned to the IHRT to finish the 25+ ride for ice cold watermelon at the picnic area of the Village Green served by Jackie Schoch. Other than the very warm temperature, it was a very nice, pleasant ride with absolutely no problems whatsoever.

Watermelon Ride

Diane Harris — Sun, 07 Jul 2024 13:00:00 GMT

Leader: Diane Harris

Members: Eric N, Phillip M, Mario S, Terre S, Diane H

Guests: None

Route: IH 49 Goose Bay

Weather: Sunny, hot! Humid!!

AMS: Ride leader 16.3

Mechanicals/Mishaps: None

Report: In spite of the heat and humidity, the five of us were a good match, taking turns at the front so that no one got overly fatigued. This was a good route, starting with a 5 mile warmup on the Indian Head Rail Trail, before making the right turn to climb the less steep part of Bumpy Oak Rd. Once at the top, the ride to the rest stop at Goose Bay was mostly flat with the exception of the climb up Poor house Rd. At the Goose Bay Marina and Campground, we took advantage of the covered porch, bought drinks and snacks and used the restrooms before getting back on the road. Two other riders joined us but it wasn't long before they increased their pace, leaving the 5 of us behind. We stopped once more at the Pisgah store, where Eric opted to skip the stop to join other riders going a more casual pace. I was happy when the ride was over and I got to enjoy the reward of cold watermelon provided by Jackie and Randy!

Friday IHRT ALL class ~20 miles

Ron Altemus — Fri, 05 Jul 2024 13:00:00 GMT

Leader:   Ron Altemus

Members:   Susan & Ron Altemus, Mark Garrison, Jackie Schoch, Gene Villiva, Leesha Saunders, Oswald Martin, Larry Poole, Donaro Gardner, Randy Schoch

Route:   Indian Head Rail Trail, east from Livingston Rd parking lot to White Plains trailhead and return

Weather:   Temps rising from 80 to 85; plenty of sunshine; minimal air movement out of the SSW; and very high humidity. Fortunately we were finished before the NWS heat advisory went into effect.

AMS:   ride leader swept at 12 mph exactly

Mechanicals/Mishaps:   none

Report: as mentioned above, a very humid ride leaving all of us damp from exertion. A fair number of other users, mostly walkers but also cyclists. Not much in the way of wildlife - a deer, a rabbit, a lizard, turtles, and an eagle near the nest close to Livingston Rd.

Of special note: the Bianchi has returned to the IHRT and other club rides!

Scenic Montgomery County

Joan Oppel — Thu, 04 Jul 2024 13:00:00 GMT

Leader: Joan Oppel

Members: Alan Kurzweil, Carol Torgan, Ellen Goodwin, LInda Blackman, Harold Datz and Rita Zeidner

Route: https://ridewithgps.com/routes/45332011

35 miles in and around the Ag Reserve from Riley's Lock. Climbing begins quickly but the route is very rural and scenic - going up Monevideo, along the historic section of Sugarland to White Ground and Old Bucklodge. A short section on Bucklodge then up and down Moore. We went across Peach Tree to Cattail, but then climbed Jonesville to Jerusalem Church and into Poolesville for a rest stop at the always welcoming K2. Whites Ferry to Edwards Ferry to Mt Nebo to River Road, Hughes to another section of Sugarland and Montevideo again.

Weather: Hot and humid. Good choice to start at 9 am

Mechanicals/Mishaps: none

Report: The riders split quickly into two groups with two faster riders off the front, only to be seen again at the rest stop. The rest of us stayed more or less together, regrouping frequently. About 5 miles from the end, two riders chose to head straight back on River Road, rather than take the quieter Hughes, Sugarland and Montevideo. And then about 2 miles from the end, two more riders took another shortcut while the ride leader continued on the "official" route to finish. Two deer crossed our path (without incident) - as well as one domestic cat who, as if she owned the road, crossed slowly right in front of a rider. (Well, it is possible that cats rule the world.)

NK32 Celestial

Harry Kidd — Tue, 02 Jul 2024 13:30:00 GMT

Member: Luis Dall'Orso

Leader: Harry Kidd

Mechanicals: No problems

Weather: It was a nice sunny day. The temperature rose from the 70s to the low 80s, and the wind was not noticeable.

Report: Luis and I had a nice ride with a rest stop at the Moreland store. We spent some time exchanging sea stories about our time in the Navy.

Three Notch Trail ALL class 22 miles

Ron Altemus — Mon, 01 Jul 2024 14:00:00 GMT

Leader:   Ron Altemus

Members:   Randy Schoch, Lisa Petersen, Jackie Schoch, Susan Altemus, Rick Hagen, Gene Villiva

Route:   Three Notch Trail south from Northern Senior Center to John Baggett Park southern trailhead. Return to Deborah Lane northern trailhead and the retrace back to the start.

Weather: first day of July was pretty awesome. Chilly start with temps in the upper 60s feeling even colder from a sharp 12-15 mph wind out of the north. Plenty of sunshine and puffy clouds and low humidity.

AMS:   ride leader mostly swept in the mid 11s. Everyone else was probably double that speed.

Mechanicals/Mishaps: none

Report: the great weather made this a most pleasant ride. Outbound, with the aforementioned trailwind, allowed to almost fly down to Baggett Park. Going back, what was now a headwind was really only noticeable on the few stretches without any trees to act as a buffer.

A Sunday night thunderstorm with wind had littered parts of the trail with small branches and leaves. One larger limb was encountered and Lisa and Rick, in the lead, dismounted and had the path cleared by the time those in the rear reached that location. On our return, we did see some St. Mary's County park personal doing clean up on the trail.

No wildlife sightings, a fact mentioned by several riders who are use to seeing many different birds and animals on our local Indian Head Rail Trail. However, the 3NT does have domesticated farm animals - we espied different breeds of horses, some donkey, and chickens. Thankfully, we didn't have to share the trail with any of them.

Rick took a few pictures of today's riders in action:

Goose Bay 40

Ellen Goodwin — Sat, 29 Jun 2024 13:00:00 GMT

Members: Catherine Ade, Tom Short, Joan Oppel, Ray Luckenbach, Len Wilkinson, Chris Fairhall, Steve Perakis, Linda Bankerd

Leader: Ellen Goodwin

Mechanicals: Linda had had a slow leak in her rear tire within the first mile or so. She turned back to the parking lot and ended up resolving the leak but did her own 40 mile ride on some different roads, having gotten a late start.

Weather: At the start the clouds looked dark and ominous but those were disippated within the first hour or so. It was hot and dry, about a high of 93.

REport: WE had a terrific ride on a hot day starting from Pisgah Park. It stayed mostly cloudy for the first half of the ride, with the sun coming out in the second half. We arrived at Goose Bay and enjoyed relaxing and cold water there. After Goose Bay, both Tom and Catherine took a shortcut back to the start on Fire tower Road to accommodate other plans they had for later in the day. The remaining group stayed together for the most part to the next rest stop at Nanjemoy Store, where we enjoyed another break under the shady cover there. We arrived back at Pisgah Park very hot and drenched from the heat but everyone seemed to have fun. I was grateful for the company and very thankful for the good turnout!

Friday ALL class IHRT ~20 miles

Ron Altemus — Fri, 28 Jun 2024 13:00:00 GMT

Leader:   Ron Altemus

Members:   Robin Garnett, Sue Henn, Randy Schoch, Susan Altemus, Gene Villiva, Fran Jezisek, Leesha Saunders, Denny Miller, Jackie Schoch, Mark Garrison

Route:   Indian Head Rail Trail, east from Livingston Rd parking lot to White Plains trailhead for a rest stop and the return.

Weather:   most agreeable - temp range of 72-75; partly cloudy with white clouds and brilliant blue skies; low humidity; ~10 mph air movement out of the northeast making for a wonderful tailwind on the return.

AMS: probably upper 11s to mid 12s for most riders

Mechanicals/Mishaps:   one eBike battery not charged the evening before leading to some range anxiety, included pedaling w/o e-assist. Fortunately, there was still a few miles of range left by the time we got back to the start.

Report: welcome relief from the heat meant a very enjoyable ride. Sue Henn joined us - haven't seen her in a while and she promises to ride with us again soon. As noted above, the AMS for the group was respectable and we finished well before any heat built in. Numerous other trail users, whether they be walkers, jogs, or other cyclists, all taking advantage of the nice weather.

Reported wildlife sightings included an eagle on the nest near the Livingston Rd, a crane flying overhead, a bright blue bluebird, a luminous green snake slithering quickly across the trail amidst numerous bicycles, and turtles basking on logs at Bumpy Oak Pond and Port Tobacco Creek pond.

Speaking of ponds and the water contained therein - the IHRT is showing signs of drought. The aforementioned PTC pond's levee failed earlier in the year. Charles County Parks is hopeful of relocating beavers to that area in effort to build a dam and/or restore the levee. It was looking pretty dry as was Mattawoman Creek where it crossed under the trail west of Pomfret Rd. Both are pictured below:

Lower Marlboro Excursion CC 35

Rick Hagen — Tue, 25 Jun 2024 13:30:00 GMT

Leaders: Rick Hagen & Lisa Petersen

Members: Anonymous User, Rick Hagen, Lisa Petersen

Guests: none

Route: https://ridewithgps.com/routes/47260406

From the parking lot at the Route 260 Recreation Area, we went north on Fishers Station into southern Anne Arundel County and quickly came south on McKendree (ridewith GPS lies - the hill is 10% grade). We took local roads over to the Patuxent side of Calvert County and made a short side trip to the Huntingtown NRMA where there is a portolet and shade. We went back to Lower Marlboro Road to the historic town of the same name and to the pier with a nice view of the Patuxent River. We took Flint Hill Road (ridewith GPS lies again, 10% grade), filled our waterbottles at the Fairview Library. and continued on to Route 260. We used back roads to Friendship, then Sansbury, Wilson and Jewell roads to return to the hot cars.

Weather: Sunny, temps 83-88, less than 50% humidity, and a little breeze from varying directions.

AMS: 12.5 mph

Mishaps: none.

Report: This route in southern Anne Arundel and northern Calvert counties was a hilly one, perhaps done better on a cooler day. We had no problems with traffic, saw 1 other bike rider, and no wildlife. About halfway through the ride at the Huntingtown NRMA we were starting to feel a little cooked. Luckily it was mostly downhill to Lower Marlboro from there and we recovered; the cold water at Fairview Library also helped. The construction at Flint Hill Road is still paused so we took it. At mile 29, Rick rode home to prepare for an appointment, and Lisa and Anonymous User finished the route, feeling cooked again at the end in the no-shade parking lot. It was nice to get in the car and turn the AC on. We started the ride around 9:45 and finished at 12:55.

Friday IndianHead 20 mile All Class

Randall Schoch — Fri, 21 Jun 2024 13:00:00 GMT

Leaders - Jackie & Randy Schoch

Members - RL Randy, Gene Villiva, Mark Garrison, RL Jackie, Dani Villiva, Leesha Saunders, and Susan Altemus. Not pictured: Ron Altemus, photog.

Route - IHRT

Weather - Very warm, clear, with a light breeze.

AMS - Varied per/rider.

Mechanicals/Mishaps - None

Report - A good turnout of our regular Friday riders considering the very hot weather. It was good to have Dani with us again after her long recuperation from her serious accident. There were a lot of trail users this morning. There were bikers, walkers, dogs, kids, and a few joggers. We saw wildlife consisting of an eagle, deer, turtles including babies, three turkeys, an owl in a tree, and two snakes, photographed by Ron.

Eastern hog-nosed snake. Its defensive posture is to flatten its head to look like a cobra. If that doesn't work, it rolls over, plays dead, and emits a foul odor!

The snake actually flattened its head considerably as it moved off the trail but the photog failed to get a picture.

Eastern rat snake, sometimes just called a black snake but not to be confused with the black racer snake. If you have problems with mice, get yourself one of these snakes!

We saw Jules operating a backhoe and James the trail ranger. We didn't stay long at the White Planes trail head for our break because it was starting to get very hot, so we started back on our return leg. It was a good ride, and we were back to the parking lot by 11:30. See yens next Friday.

Calvert County Crossing Ride CC 36

Rick Hagen — Thu, 20 Jun 2024 13:30:00 GMT

Leaders: Rick Hagen & Lisa Petersen

Members: Rick Hagen, Eric Nielsen, Lisa Petersen

Guests: none

Route: https://ridewithgps.com/routes/47178436

We began at Northern Middle School and headed east on Chaneyville and Fowler Road toward Route 2. We followed Old Route 2 north to Friendship, then west on Sansbury to Wilson Road. Then we took Jewell and Fairhaven roads to Leitch and Town Point to Fairhaven again. Up Fairhaven to Friendship Road and down to Chesapeake Market for a snack stop. Along the Bay through North Beach on the bike path, then rode all of the Chesapeake Beach Railway Trail (where the breeze kept biting bugs at bay). We wandered through Richfield Station to Route 260, then up the hill to Mt Harmony Road and Mt Harmony Lane to Route 2, and used Skinners Turn Road to cross Route 4 toward Lower Marlboro. After a view of the Patuxent River in Lower Marlboro, we found Flint Hill Road open and used it to return to the cars.

Weather: Sunny, temps 79-87, 70-50% humidity, and a little breeze from the south.

AMS: 13.4 in second half of the ride, probably closer to 14 in the first half

Mishaps: none.

Report: This ride was originally scheduled to start at 9:30 in case there were traffic issues for people coming from Northern Virginia, but the 3 riders today live where there is no traffic, so we changed the start time to 9 to finish before it got too hot. With a small group we stayed together and pushed the pace, and even had good luck with traffic lights and road crossings.

Wildlife: eagle, great blue heron, too many smashed Eastern Box turtles

Juneteenth ride: Drayden School>Piney Point/St Georges Island

Ron Altemus — Tue, 18 Jun 2024 13:00:00 GMT

Leader:   Ron Altemus

Members:   Larry Poole, Linda Bankerd, Harry Kidd, Sherwood Byers, Sr., Esther Stewart, Robin Garnett. Not pictured: Gene Villiva (see below)

Route: https://ridewithgps.com/routes/43148060 32.3 mi, 500' elevation gain From the Weis market in Callaway, we rode south on Piney Point Rd and then used Happyland, Saint Georges Church, Flat Iron, and Drayden to Cherryfield Road to visit Drayden School. Retracing back to Drayden, we returned to Piney Point Rd, a couple of miles below were we turned off, and rode down to Lighthouse Rd which took us to the eponymous lighthouse. After a rest stop, retraced to Piney Point Rd and continued south, touring St Georges Island, first via an out and back on Thomas, and then Piney Point Rd to its terminus. Final return was riding back on Piney Point Rd to our start point.

Weather:   clear skies, temp range 76 - 84, 5-10 mph air out of the southern quadrant

AMS:   swept in the low 12s; most others in the low to mid 13s

Mechanicals/Mishaps:   from the start, Gene's front wheel was dragging. Repeated attempts to reseat the wheel were to no avail so he aborted about 3 miles into the route. A visit to the bike shop resulted in some retightening of screws to cure all issues.

Report: due to weather forecasts of very hot weather, the ride start was moved back to 9 am, which proved to be a good decision as our ride never got too warm. The foray over to Drayden Schoolhouse featured a fair amount of shade with minimal vehicular track. Because of Gene's mechanical issue, the group separated so we did not visit the schoolhouse en masse.   Harry is pictured below at the schoolhouse:

We all met up at the Piney Point lighthouse for our rest stop and from that point, basically rode as a group, though there were frequent stops for photo ops. Harry captured Robin acting as lighthouse keeper ringing the bell;

then on our return a picture of the Seafarers International Union Paul Hall Center for Maritime Training and Education off Piney Point Road.

All of Harry's photos can be viewed online in his Flickr album: https://flic.kr/s/aHBqjBwbG3

The faster riders made good time heading back on Piney Point Rd, especially since the air movement was now a delightful tail wind.

This ride was a follow-up to one Dan Donahue had lead back in early May. As Diana and he would be traveling during Juneteenth, your local neighborhood ride leader/faithful correspondent was recruited to lead. It is a long way down to Callaway, but we will make this an annual Juneteenth club ride. Join us in 2025!

YorkTour 2024

Sherwood — Sat, 15 Jun 2024 14:00:00 GMT

What a beautiful weekend in June (Fathers Day Weekend), the weather was gorgeous. There were 27 members of the Oxon Hill Bike and Trail Club (OHBTC) join me, Sherwood Byers, Sr., Ride Leader for a tour to York, PA. Alan Kurzweil and Diane Harris also joined me to Co - Lead this tour.

After a short briefing, the tour began on time. We had a couple of short re-groupings due to some short traffic lights and to make sure all were together at the Torre C. Brown Trail Head. Once all were accounted for, the tour began. It is approximately 9 miles to Monkton Station, our next re-grouping point.

Continuing on to the Mason/Dixon line our next regrouping point riders made many stop along the way taking pictures and viewing the scenery. The incline to the Mason/Dixon Line was a gradual feel although the elevation would show differently. Once all were accounted for we continued to New Freedom for lunch where the ride became more pleasant as the grade was a gradual decent into York. The group mostly broke up as many ate at different venues. Onward to Hanover Junction the next regrouping point, again the riders rode at their pace as they viewed the scenery and took more photos.

Because of mechanical matters (Flat Tires) the group split by the time all were to meet at the York Civil Engineering School, the next regrouping point. the flat tire issue was remedied all continued to the Hotels and rested before dinner.

On Day 2 all were ready, a group photo was taken and on the pedals on time to enjoy another great day of riding.

The only "Mishaps/Mechanical issues reported were 3 flat tires.

Note: While this Ride Report is being written , your comments are welcomed. Please post them, they only make the tours better.

More to come.

Friday ALL class IHRT ~20 miles

Ron Altemus — Fri, 14 Jun 2024 14:00:00 GMT

Leader:   Ron Altemus

Members:   Randy Schoch, Gene Villiva, Mark Garrison, Susan Altemus, Fran Jezisek, Donaro Gardner, Leesha Saunders

Route:   Indian Head Rail Trail - Livingston Rd parking lot eastward to White Plains trailhead and return

Weather:   decent with a temp range of only 76-84 under mostly sunny skies. Humidity slowly building in but we completed the ride in about 2 hours before it got really sticky. Some wind movement and in the shady portions of the trail, it provided a bit of cooling.

AMS:   swept in the low 12s. Everyone else faster.

Mechanicals/Mishaps:    none

Report: maybe the forecast of temps approaching 90 in the afternoon kept other trail users away. Seemed like we saw a reasonable number of walkers/joggers but not that many cyclists. A wild turkey was spotted alongside the trail but not much else to report other than the usual brown something birds.

Dragon chasers

Joan Oppel — Thu, 13 Jun 2024 13:30:00 GMT

Leader: Joan Oppel

Members: Donaro Gardner, Pat Walthers

Route: https://ridewithgps.com/routes/47084723 This route searched out some hills to climb in 38 miles - and all put together the elevation gain totaled 1660 feet, including Bel Alton Newtown the easier but longer way Starting at the LIHRT, we went up Chicamuxen, Bicknell, Pisgah Marbury, the Stuckeys and Poorhouse. At Rt 6 we took a left and then right to Howard Rd, winding to Shirley Blvd, back to 6, up Chapel Point, then Bel Alton Newtown, Glen Albin. Quick stop at the Dash Inn, then to Quailwood, Hawthorne, Bumpy Oak and the trail.

Weather: Hot in the sun, mid 70's to start, and into the high 80's at the end - as registered on the Garmin sitting out in the sun. That may not have been the official recorded temperatre at 1 pm but that's what it felt like on the bike. Riding into a shady section was a noticeable (brief) cool down.

Mechanicals: None

Report: An enjoyable ride with some much appreciated shade where the temperature drop was noticeable and welcome. We added a quick tour of the neighborhood east of Rt 6, Howard Rd, Ann Harbor, Shirley Blvd. We stopped in the middle of one of those streets and a homeowner came out to see if we needed any help - he said he had every type of tool if anything needed fixing. Very chatty and friendly.

We had a nice stop at St Ignatius, taking advantage of the ice machine!

Returning from La Plata on Quailwood, I mentioned that I did not yet have a ride picture and Pat Walthers suggested we take a picture with Nessie. So I finally got to see the dragon up close that I've been admiring for years from across the street.

I am terrible at selfie pictures - but here are Don, me and the dragon.

Perfect Day for Goose Bay

Joan Oppel — Tue, 11 Jun 2024 13:30:00 GMT

Leader: Joan Oppel

Members: Ron Altemus, Robin Garnett, Donaro Gardner, Esther Steward, Pat Walthers

Route: https://ridewithgps.com/routes/45229547 Ride start at Bryans Road shopping center so down Livingston to access Mt Pisgah, over to Poorhouse and to Goose Bay via 6, Blossom Point. Then along Mill Swamp, 6, Fire Tower/Annapolis Woods, the Stuckeys, Pisgah Marbury, Hawthorne to Lower Wharf, Chapmans Landing-210-Hungerford-the shopping center

Weather: Perfect - one rider showed high 60's in her car when arriving at start, about 75 at end, breezy, sunny - DElightful.

Mechanicals: None

Report: Another in a string of superb days for biking on rural roads. Though - we did climb Mt Pisgah with the accompanying Hawthorne traffic. But that was necessary in order to include the climb. After that, traffic was quiet on the rural roads with the exception of an unusual amount of cars on Chapmans Landing (3) and the now usual (not the 20teens any more) traffic on Poorhouse.

We had a lovely long rest stop on the porch at Goose Bay, the woman who runs the store came out to tell us to be careful of crazy drivers - she was quite animated, in a stand-up comedian kind of way.

The shade and breeze gave us a reat treat today -

Nanjemoy & Tayloes Neck 40 mi CC/C

Ron Altemus — Sun, 09 Jun 2024 14:00:00 GMT

Leader:   Ron Altemus

Members:   Randy & Jackie Schoch, Leesha Saunders, Pat Walthers, Joan Oppel, Darrell Meyer, Tom Short, Patricia Sanders, Donaro Gardner, and Walt Roscello

Route:   https://ridewithgps.com/routes/47000538 39.7 miles, 1248' elevation change. From Friendship Farm, we traveled on Baptist Church, Bowie, Gilroy, MD-6, Jacksontown, Liverpool Point, Beaverdam, and MD-6 again to a quick "bio break" at King James Church. Continuing on MD-6, Holly Springs and Riverside brought us to the eastern terminus of MD-6, which we followed up to Tayloes Neck Rd. Venturing onto the neck, we visited Bluff Point, the eponymous Tayloes Neck, and Walters Landing, all out and backs. Returning to MD-6 (yet again), another brief bio break at King James before Ironsides returned us to Friendship Farm.

Weather:   another great day for bicycling. Temps started in the mid 70s, ended in the mid 80s under partly cloudy skies for the most part until mostly cloudy after the second stop at King James. Humidity/dew point remained low with southwesterly airs in the 10-12 mph range.

AMS:   swept at 11.6. Riders off the front probably were a1-1.5 mph better.

Mechanicals/Mishaps:   the ride leader arrived at Friendship Farm and discovered he was sans cycling shoes (having cleared out the van to transport supplies to the Rural Legacy picnic). In great despair, he announced his plight and Rabbi Randy offered his winter shoes. Though size 11 1/2, the did fit the RL's size 12 feet. A real ride saver! Bottom line - I could never walk a mile in Randy's shoes, but cycling 40 miles in them wasn't difficult.

Report: the majority of today's riders had volunteered with the Rural Legacy on Saturday and hadn't been able to ride. Today's leisurely tour allowed for some pedal turning and exploration of roads less traveled.

Leaving Friendship Farm, we quickly had faster riders out in front, a medium sized contingent of "regular" paced riders, and a few at the rear. Tom Short, one of the faster/fastest missed the turn at Gilroy; the two immediately behind him hear the middle group calling and turned back onto the proscribed route. We didn't see Tom for the rest of the ride but since he rides in the Nanjemoy area quite regularly, assume he had an enjoyable solo ride. (His car was gone when we returned to Friendship Farm.)

It was interesting going north to south on Jackstown, as it seems we rarely ride it in that direction. Also, no stop at the Nanjemoy store (too early in the ride) and we bypassed Adams Willett/Hancock Run, which is always a fav of your faithful correspondent. Riding Holly Springs, east to west, was another instance of opposite the usual direction, and it seemed like there was more land under cultivation than had been noticed when riding west to east.

The out and back on Tayloes Neck was a total of almost 12 miles. Basically flat with very little vehicular traffic, we first wandered down Bluff Point Road to the Tayloes Neck Tract, part of Maryland's Forest Service. Not much to see other than lots of trees (well, it is a forest! ). On the map below*, there is a P designation at the end of Bluff Point Road. One can't see Little Creek, pictured on the map from the road.

We returned to Tayloes Neck Rd and followed it to the end which is a private residence that owns the actual neck. There are just a few waterfront properties on both Bluff Point and Tayloes Neck roads.

Our final out and back was to Walters Landing and Friendship Acres. The latter sits on Nanjemoy Creek where it much narrower as it flows out of its watershed west of MD-6. There is one undeveloped lot that has a large number of young magnolia trees which this observer has rarely encountered growing wild. There are no views of Nanjemoy Creek until one returns to Walters Landing and heads north, were one finds a sandy beach that can be used as a boat launch for 4-wheel drive vehicles. During the winter months when there is no vegetation on the trees, Friendship Farm landing can be seen on the far side of Nanjemoy Creek. At that point, we would be about 1/2 mile from the ride start, though no easy return since is is separated by the creek, quite wide at that point.

The view from the end of Walters Landing Road. Friendship Farm landing is obscured by the trees on the left:

Your friendly neighborhood ride leader on Walters Landing Road*:

The final return had us stop again at King James church. They were between services and we had a nice conversation with members of the congregation. At that time, weather apps were saying a 50% chance of rain in the greater Nanjemoy area but it never happened. A good route with good company and good weather totals out as a good day.

* photo credits - Joan Oppel

Friday IndianHead 20 mile All Class

Randall Schoch — Fri, 07 Jun 2024 14:00:00 GMT

Leaders - Jackie & Randy Schoch

Members - RL Jackie, Fran Jezisek, Susan Altemus, Gene Villiva, Oswald Martin, Denny Miller, Leesha Saunders, and RL Randy. Not pictured: Donaro Gardner and Ron Altemus, photog.

Route - IHRT

Weather - Wonderful in the 70's with a light breeze.

AMS - Varied per/rider.

Mechanicals/Mishaps - None

Report - A good turnout of our regulars and Jackie is feeling well enough to join us. Lots of trail users this morning to include other bikers, walkers, dogs walking their masters, and kids in strollers. Also, we saw lots of wildlife to include turtles, birds, squirrels, deer, a crane, a long green snake, and a goose family with 5 little ones. It was one of those days that you would wish would never end. We saw member Bob Moye who we hadn't seen for a while. A few of the riders went over to the shopping center and got some chicken from a food truck. After a brief rest stop at White Plains, we rode the return leg and went our separate ways. Next week should be good weather too. See yens then!

Waysons Corner, Brooks Woods, Nutwell, South County Cafe, McKendree, Pindells, CC 30 mi

Rick Hagen — Tue, 04 Jun 2024 13:30:00 GMT

Leaders: Rick Hagen & Lisa Petersen

Members: Rick Hagen, Darrell Meyer, Lisa Petersen, Tom Short, Drew Sommers

Guests: none

Route: https://ridewithgps.com/routes/46951571

From the Waysons Corner Park & Ride, we headed east to Greenock Road/Route 259, then south on Brooks Woods to Bayfront Rd/Route 258. North on Route 2 to Nutwell that takes us to Nutwell Sudley Rd south and back to Bayside/Route 258. From there we took Swamp Circle Rd to Deale-Churchton Rd and the South County Cafe. We went off route in Deale looking for views of the Bay. Then up the hill to Tracys Landing to Route 2, south to Jewell Rd just to McKendree and north to Bayfront Rd again. West on Bayfront to Fishers Station, cross Route 4, and enter the Pindells. We took Upper Pindell and Pindell past Jug Bay to the Route 4 Service Road to get back to the cars.

Weather: Sunny, temps 80-85, 47% humidity, and little to no wind.

AMS: 14.3 AMS before lunch, 12.5 after

Mishaps: none.

Report: Our small group had an enjoyable ride in southern Anne Arundel County. Lisa set a brisk pace as we zigzagged eastward to the South County Cafe, arriving while breakfast was still being served. No mishaps with the picnic table umbrella this time. Afterwards, we wandered on some sleepy back streets in Deale looking for views of the Bay and mostly saw houses that have views of the Bay. Then we took the slow climb up to Traceys Landing and south on noisy Route 2 to Jewell Road. On quiet backroads again, we zigzagged our way westward to Route 4. We carefully crossed Route 4, two lanes at a time, mindful of last weekend’s tragic death of a cyclist in Frederick County. We wandered through the Pindells, shady and quiet, past Jug Bay to the service road back to the cars. Very nice, and we got a taste of summer weather to come.

Mason Neck with extras

Joan Oppel — Sat, 01 Jun 2024 13:30:00 GMT

Leader: Joan Oppel

Members: Darrell Myers and Mary Scala

Route: https://ridewithgps.com/routes/46919670

Weather: Perfect -low 60's to start rising into the 70's

Mechanicals: None

Report: Another perfect riding day! Bright sun, deep blue sky, a few clouds for interest, low wind, temperatures from 70-80 (as recorded on the bike handlebars). The three of us mostly rode together, doing the popular Mason Neck to Mason Neck Park to Hallowing Point to Gunston Hall to Pohick Bay. First we went down Belmont Road etc to the gates of George Mason Center - so we could practice climbing back up. Then along the bike trail into Mason Neck State Park.

There we took a long stop overlooking the water, saw two eagles, osprey in their nest and lots of tree swallows. The male is the colorful iridescent blue.

At the viitors' center, we indulged in - bird watching, and bike watching, and the old sport of rocking chair.

Some bike riding occurred as well - near George Mason's house on his estate from the 1700's

The Spherical Sundial on River Road at Hallowing Point (T Jefferson had one.)

It was a stunning day -

Acookeek Starbucks Ride

Sonja Newman — Sat, 01 Jun 2024 13:30:00 GMT

I enjoyed a scenic back ride with my personal coach/trainer/racer Chaundr Little and a guest rider, Vanessa ?. Also a professional racer.

A wonderful day biking under clear skies and warm sunshine. Since this quickly turned into a personal training session, the goal was to focus on spinning.

No mechanical issues and little to no traffic!!!

Enjoy it immensely!!

Route: https://ridewithgps.com/routes/26805271

Great Falls via C&O Canal

Sherwood — Sat, 01 Jun 2024 13:00:00 GMT

Robin Garnet, Rick Hagen, Alan Kurzweil, Denny Miller, Lisa Petersen, Janet Shipko, Thomas Short, Catherine Ade, Ron Altemus, Linda Bankerd, Sue Gunter, all Oxon Hill Bike and Trail Club (OHBTC) members joined me, Sherwood Byers, Sr., Ride Leader on a great ride to Great Falls.

The weather was gorgeous. It was the perfect day for a tour. Once on the pedals after the briefing of the ride and a group photo, the ride went at a touring pace with regrouping stops along the route. Regrouping at Washington Harbor a photo was taken before our next regrouping at Fletcher's Cove. this is the point where we exited the Capital Crescent Trail to ride the Chesapeake and Ohio Canal (C&O). The Chesapeake and Ohio Canal, abbreviated as the C&O Canal and occasionally called "The Grand Old Ditch", operated from 1831 to 1924 along the Potomac River between Washington, DC and Cumberland Maryland.

Trail is 184.5 miles with 74 locks and a maximum depth 6.004'. Our ride was only 11 miles or roughly 5% of the trails maximum distance.

Great Falls is a series of rapids and waterfalls on the Potomac River 14 miles upstream from Washington, DC., on the border of Montgomery County, Maryland and Fairfax County, Virginia.

The ride was not without its share of challenges. Besides the trail being what some trails are "Bumpy" a major undertaking of a repair at mile 11 there was a three quarter mile detour to make a major repair to the trail structure. The detour was soft to very muddy surface in some spots of mulch. For some of the riders this was not an easy undertaking. But, this was good. It allowed those who have not gone on fully unsupported tours to get the knowledge and feel of the unknown.

Once we arrived at Great falls and the visiting the views of the falls and rapids, there were requests of another route back (Many did not want to revisit the detour) and a possible visit to Glen Echo Park, a once very popular Washington, DC area amusement park.

One rider decided to turn around at the falls overlook and return via the canal path while the rest of the group continued after the overlook visit to the visitors center. While at the visitors center some got food from the vendors before the return. Most of the group decided to return via MacArthur Boulevard. There were some that returned via the path due to not wanting to climb the very long hill out of Great Falls to MacArthur Boulevard. Later during the return the group did reunite where we all made a rest stop at Glen Echo. From there the group split only to come together again and all returned together. There were no mishaps reported to me. The AMS was a modest touring pace.

Thank you to all who toured with me . It was a truly great day of riding.

Sherwood, Ride Leader

My Big Fat Greek Ride (40 mi CC/B)

David Van Ameyden — Sat, 01 Jun 2024 12:30:00 GMT

Leader: Dave VanAmeyden

Members: Walt Roscello, Liam Healy, and Leslie Tierstein

Guests: Three members from Potomac Pedalers

Route: The ride started in Arlington at Thomas Jefferson Rec Center and stayed within the beltway by going up through through Virginia Square, then over to McLean, Langley, and down through Falls Church and Springfield to go back up to Arlington. The highlight was the Greek Festival at St. Katherine's Greek Orthodox Church only three miles from the end. There were over 70 cues on the route!

Weather: Sunny, mid 60s at the start and low 80s at the end.

AMS: About 12mph

Mechanicals/Mishaps: Past rides were often plagued with mishaps; from a bent chainring to a frozen freewheel. This time it was the leader's turn! Right at the start was malfunctioning speedometer. But wait, he had a GPS gizmo! Unfortunately, it was a brand new unit and he struggled to figure it out on the fly. The good news the riders stayed together and no one got lost this time.

Report: This was a moderately challenging ride with the steep hills, many turns, and heavy traffic. However, this is a rare route within the beltway, and half the riders rode to the start. Leslie pealed off not far from the start to explore parts of Arlington.

The rest of the group stayed more or less together, waiting after stoplights to regroup. The group was able to figure our some of the RwGPS quirks, like Military Rd was missing. Crossing Chain Bridge Road south of Vienna was tricky - it's been re-routed a couple of time and may have to be again. The traffic has been getting heavier; so the next time the ride may start a half-hour earlier.

Leslie arrived at the Greek Festival about 15 minutes before the rest of the group and we all took part in sampling the Greek cuisine. The local riders rode home from there without further incident.

Friday ALL class IHRT ~20 mi

Ron Altemus — Fri, 31 May 2024 14:00:00 GMT

Leader:   Ron Altemus

Members: Randy & Jackie Schoch, Leesha Saunders, Robin Garnett, Larry Poole, Mark Garrison, Donaro Gardner, Darrell Meyer

Route:   Indian Head Rail Trail - Livingston Rd parking lot east to White Plains trailhead and return

Weather:   Excellent - bright sunshine resulting in deep blue skies and verdant green fauna with temps starting in the mid 60s and rising to the low 70s w/absolutely no humidity and extremely clear air. Winds were forecast to be 10-12 mph out of the NW but it seemed they varied from 2 -10 mph from all cardinal points of the compass.

AMS:   swept in the mid 11s so figure everyone else was a bit faster

Mechanicals/Mishaps:   Jackie forgot her battery. An e-bike does not perform as well sans battery. Fortunately, Randy provided a tow so that Jackie could do the entire ride in style, as pictured below:

Report: the fantastic weather made for a most enjoyable ride. There weren't a large number of other trail users enjoying the trail, though. Wildlife sightings included a bald eagle on the nest, great blue heron, same red-tailed hawk near Bumpy Oak pond as seen two weeks ago, and turtles.

Merkle and Magruders

Joan Oppel — Thu, 30 May 2024 13:30:00 GMT

Leader: Joan Oppel

Members: Chantal Briere, Lou Dall'Orso, Don Gardner, Sue Gunter, Cindy Nuzzi, Patricia Sanders, Tom Short, Bob Thompson, Pat Walthers

Route: https://ridewithgps.com/routes/46884508 Today we took a departure from North Keys one of the "old" ways - right on North Keys to Brandywine Rd and a quick right on Indian Head, over to Cherry Tree. We wound our way to the shoulder of 301 - to the other Indian Head and then Van Brady, Molly Berry and Candy Hill to Nottingham and Merkle. Then back to Nottingham/Tanyard, Baden Naylor (the hard way) - Nelson Perrie to a left on Bald Eagle School. On Croom there was an option to go up/down Whites Landing, then on Croom to Magruders. Return on Baden Westwood and then 2 1/2 not so pleasant miles on Brandywine to Gibbons Church.

Weather: Perfect -low 60's to start rising into the 70's

Mechanicals: Tom Short had a flat tire on the short stretch of Brandywine Road.

Report: The group split pretty quickly. Most of the riders off the front and a smaller group a few minutes behind. Indian Head/Cherry Tree outbound was a nice change. A couple of rangers were at Merkle and let us use the visitor center bathroom and enjoy some time with Benjy the terrapin - who swims in an aquarium sitting on top of a solid wood chest built by one of the staff - with funding help from Oxon Hill Rural Legacy donations.

Regrouping at Merkle and Magruders gave us an opportunity to socialize.

We don't often ride the short steep hills on Croom in the direction from White's Landing to Magruders so that was fun. Magruders is always a pleasant interlude. Brandywine/381 has just become very busy with the dump trucks heading back and forth between the various - I think - power plants. We only used 2 1/2 miles today but used to ride miles on it.

Back at the parking lot, Don Gardner told us Tom Short was still on Brandywine Road with a flat tire that he couldn't fix. We all probably passed him but no one saw him until Don Gardner happened to notice him off the road in shadows. Don reported to us at the parking lot, so we called Tom a few times, finally reached him and Bob Thompson took his own bike out of his car and went back to get Tom. Several us hung out and waited for the rescuer and rescuee.

All in all a very nice ride.

The Badens, Bald Eagle, The Pavilion

Joan Oppel — Tue, 28 May 2024 13:30:00 GMT

Leader: Joan Oppel

Members: Anonymous user, Lou Dall'Orso, Don Gardner, Sue Gunter, Rick Hagen, Jessica Hirschhorn, Lisa Peterson, Patricia Sanders, Mary Scala and Janet Shipko

Route: https://ridewithgps.com/routes/46857801 We took a long way around from North Keys to get to Merkle, then went down to the Pavilion on Croom Airport Road to check things out for the Rural Legacy. And then took another long way around to get back to North Keys.

Weather: Temperature started in the mid-70's, ended in the low 80's. But still not high humidity.

Mechanicals: None

Report: Our group quickly broke up into segments. For the first half, Rick kindly swept. We all regrouped at the stops - so it was nice to have that social time. We have been riding this beautiful section of Prince Georges County a lot lately - and today traffic seemed especially quiet for most of the route.

Great ride!

Photo credits to Rick Hagen

Mason Neck>Hallowing Point CC/C 27 mi

Ron Altemus — Sun, 26 May 2024 14:00:00 GMT

Leader: Ron Altemus

Members:   Mark Garrison, Janell Saunders, Joan Oppel, Patricia Sanders. Not pictured: Butch Counts & Ron Altemus, photog.

Route:   From Gunston Elementary, an out an back on Belmont Blvd to a view of the aforementioned bay (pictured above), then Mason Neck Trail to Mason Neck State Park with a short jag on Springfield. Following a rest stop at the park visitor center, retrace to Gunston Rd for neighborhood tours of Hallowing Point and Gunston Manor.    Final return back onto the trail and side excursions into Gunston Hall, Pohick Bay Regional Park, and Pohick Bay golf course. https://ridewithgps.com/routes/40798783 27.6 miles, 738' elevation change.

Weather:   Very nice with partly cloudy skies, temps starting in the mid 70s rising to the low 80s, humidity/dew point okay, and negligible air movement (2-3 mph) out of the south.

AMS:   really varied by rider. Leader ended at just 11 mph with a few less miles, as noted below.

Mechanicals/Mishaps:   Two! #1 - when Dave Van Ameyden arrived at the ride start, he discovered that one of his tires had a large exposed area in the center of the tread. He had to abort and head home to do some tire shopping. #2 - After the jag on Springfield, as Patricia came onto Gunston Road, she flatted. This action occurred with a very loud bang that sounded like a rifle report (the ride leader was still on Springfield, heard the bang, and thought someone was indeed shooting a gun). Fortunately, Patricia didn't go down but needed to carry her bike to the trail so we could begin fixing the flat. First off, a long strand of wire was found seemingly wrapped around the fork and wheel spokes. It was removed and examination began of the tube and tire and a bit more focus on the wheel. It was realized the the aforementioned strand was actually part of the wheel rim and had completely separated, causing the flat. In the picture below, the bright metal is where the strand of rim came off. The yellow arrows point to the separation points.

The ride leader returned to the starting point to retrieve his vehicle, fortunately only 3 miles away via the trail, and then sagged Patricia back to her car. A trip to the bike shop was now part of her afternoon activities.

Report: Far and away, Patricia's rim separation was the big event of the day. But additionally, the Washington Women Outdoors club had also scheduled a Mason Neck ride for the same date, time, and starting location, with 19 members signed up. Since they were so large, they were slow to start and our smaller group rode out first. We saw them at multiple points, usually going in the opposite direction since their routing was slightly different then ours.

Joan acted as interim ride leader for the trip to Mason Neck Park where bald eagles and a pileated woodpecker were observed. Retracing out of the park on High Point Road, Butch split from the group to head home. Your faithful correspondent (aka your friendly neighborhood ride leader) was able to rejoin the group in Hallowing Point on Chapman. Our visit to Gunston Hall resulted in the obligatory group picture, taken by Joan, but she is represented by her bicycle held by yours truly.

For some of today's riders, great fun. For others, disappointment. All in all, life!

Rustic Roads & a History Lesson

Joan Oppel — Sat, 25 May 2024 13:00:00 GMT

Leader: Joan Oppel

Members: Harold Datz, Sue Gunter, Jessica Hirschhorn, Janet Shipko, Pat Walthers, Rita Zeidner

Route: https://ridewithgps.com/routes/45332011 -- 35 miles and nearly 2200 feet of climbing.

Leaving from Riley's Lock, we climbed River to climb Montevideo, then Sugarland to White Ground, Old Bucklodge, Bucklodge to Moore's Road. Peachtree to Cattail Lane/Jonesville/Jerusalem Church/Jerusalem (a very back way into Poolesville) and finally to a rest stop at the cyclist friendly K2 Cafe. Backtrack to Whites Ferry then Edwards Ferry to Offutt and Mt Nebo - downhill - to River, then Hughes to another part of Sugarland and return on Montevideo. 35 miles and nearly 2200 feet of climbing. Many of these roads are designated Rustic Roads by Montgomery County

Weather: Warm to hot - sunny, about 75 at start and 85 at end, and hotter in the sun.

Report: This route uses many quiet rural roads through planted fields and horse pastures, orchards and spread out houses and even an active polo field. Today the traffic was very sparse and we frequently had roads to ourselves for quite some distance. I should note that some of these roads have been recently resurfaced and some have not been resurfaced in decades.

Jessica had recently become aware that there was an historic Rosenwald school at the Poolesville Beauty Spot (official town sign) aka the recycling depot. Our route passed by it at the corner of Jonesville and Jerusalem and we went in.

Quick summary: Julius Rosenwald, president of Sears, teamed up with Booker T Washington in 1917 to build better schools for black children (mostly in the south) who had greatly inferior buildings than white children. Rosenwald set up a $70M fund for the project. Each community had to add material and/or labor to the seed money and the result was far sturdier, larger schools (also workshops and teacher housing) with heat and plumbing and large windows. Over 5,000 were built by 1938.

This particular school has added structures attached since its function is no longer as a school - but the windows gave it away.

We had a nice rest stop at the K2 Cafe in Poolesville, which has installed a water bottle filling station for cyclists. Our group stayed mostly together and it was a delightful scenic ride.

Friday IndianHead 20 mile All Class

Randall Schoch — Fri, 24 May 2024 14:00:00 GMT

Leader - Randy & Jackie Schoch

Members - Mark Garrison, RL Jackie, Susan Altemus, Donaro Gardner, Leesha Saunders, Denny Miller, and RL Randy. not pictured: Vernon Daly and Ron Altemus, photog.

Route - IHRT

Weather - What a great day with perfect weather. Sunny in the 70's with a light breeze.

AMS - Varied per/rider.

Mechanicals/Mishaps - None

Report - As you can see from this good turnout of riders that Jackie was with us this morning. She is recovering slowly from her medical problems. We saw quite a few other trail users and dogs and several other bicycle riders on this sunny morning. There was a lot of wildlife active today including the ever-present squirrels, birds singing for us, a snake, a young turtle crossing the trail, two eagles, and Jackie and I stopped to watch and encourage a mother turtle laying he eggs on the north side of the trail near the 6-mile marker. We all took a short break at the White Plains rest stop. Jackie stopped to take a break and rest on a bench near the Middleton Road crossing and we picked her up on the return leg. We all look forward to many more mornings like this one. Come and join us.

TwinShields>PollingHouseRd>SouthCountyCafe CC 33

Rick Hagen — Wed, 22 May 2024 14:00:00 GMT

Leaders: Rick Hagen & Lisa Petersen

Members: Linda Bankerd, Sue Gunter, Rick Hagen, Jessica Hirschhorn, Darrell Meyer, Joan Oppel, Lisa Petersen

Guests: none

Route: https://ridewithgps.com/routes/46674045 From the little-known Route 260 Recreation area in northern Calvert County, we took Fishers Station, Little and Brooks Woods to Route 408 aka Mt Zion Marlboro Rd. Then Ed Prout, Sands, Bayard and Polling House roads to Route 2 and the difficult left turn onto Owensville Sudley Road. Stopped at the South County Rec Center. Continued south on the Sudley roads to Bayfront Road aka Route 258, which brought us to Deale, Swamp Circle Road and the South County Cafe. Then up up up the hills on Deale Road aka Route 256 to Route 2, south to Jewell Rd and Calvert County, which takes us to Route 260 and Shields Dr. and the parking lot.

Weather: Seemed warm. Sunny, temps in the low 80s, 58% humidity, and light winds out of the south.

AMS: guessing 12 mph

Mishaps: the picnic table umbrella at the South County Cafe decided unilaterally to break, bend, somersault, and push Jessica’s bike over, causing her alarms (accident! accident!) to go off. Sue’s bike was also dumped over, along with her helmet, causing the release button of the clasp to break. Fortunately, she was able to hook the clasp securely as usual, but she will need a new clasp to be able unhook it.

Report: We left promptly from the Route 260 Recreation area in northern Calvert County, passed the turtle pond on Route 4 and headed north on back roads into Anne Arundel County. Traffic wasn’t bad on Mt Zion Marlboro Rd aka Route 408 and we enjoyed Ed Prout Rd. Sue helped an eastern box turtle across Polling House Road, and we made a short stop at the South County Rec Center, except for Sue who was off the front. The route in ridewithgps did not have a cue to stop at the Rec Center or the South County Cafe, so she flew right by both. When the rest of the group arrived at the cafe, Sue was 2 miles beyond, and a phone call brought her back to us and food. Ride leaders will insert cues for stops to hopefully prevent this on future rides. Lunch was good, but see the mishaps. We went slowly up the hills from Deale on full stomachs, then south on Route 2 to Jewell Road, which brought us to Route 260 and the parking lot at around 1:45 pm. It’s amazing how different old familiar roads can look when you ride them the other direction. We enjoyed this ride!

Wildlife: 1 turtle in the pond, Eastern Box turtle, Cooper’s hawk

Delightful ride to Eagle Harbor

Joan Oppel — Tue, 21 May 2024 13:30:00 GMT

Leader: Joan Oppel

Members: Donaro Gardner, Patricia Sanders, Mary Scala, Pat Walthers

Route: https://ridewithgps.com/routes/46748844 From North Keys we followed a good portion of the Rural Legacy route to Eagle Harbor - Molly Berry, Baden Naylor, Bald Eagle, Baden Westwood, Croom, Covington, part of Woodville, Dr Bowen and all the roads and streets leading into and around Eagle Harbor.

Rest Stop at Cedar Haven Fishing Area on the Patuxent near Eagle Harbor

Report: It was warm - temperatures in the high 70's to low 80's with low humidity and a slight breeze, all combined for a delightful day to bike.

Traffic was surprisingly light, except on Croom. We stretched our legs on all the short hills the route provided. And we chose to return for two short stretches on Rt 381/Aquasco/Brandywine Road. We used to ride its shoulder all the time for long distances but all the truck traffic in the past 5 years (I think due to the several GenOn facilities added) has made for less than pleasant biking. Today was not too bad, 3/4 mile from Baden Westwood to the left on Cedarville and then 1 1/2 miles from Ashbox to Gibbon Church. (However, we will definitely not send the Rural Legacy that way.) Enjoyable day on the bike, good company, shady rest stop, and no serious road issues discovered prior to the Rural Legacy.

And another turtle rescue

(

Strawberry Festival ride class C

Dan Donahue — Sun, 19 May 2024 16:00:00 GMT

Riders: Club Members: Peggy Alfonso, Caresse Bullock, Andrea Clayville, Jessica Hirschhorn, Diana Donahue, Darrell Meyer, Lori Michaelson, Joan Oppel, Mary Ann Owsley, Janet Shipko

Guest: Tom Gestner

Weather: Overcast, with occasional glimpses of sun near the end. Cool temps (60s to low 70s)

Incidents: None

Ave. speed: 12.1 mph

Distance: 29.9 mi.

This was a terrific ride to and from Christ Church Chaptico’s annual Strawberry Festival. We had beautiful scenery. Some of the back country roads didn’t even have a motorized vehicle pass us (Pincushion Rd. and Sunnyside Rd.) There was a brief mystery concerning a “lost rider.” The debate was whether she was way ahead of us or had missed the turn and was somewhere off the route. Fortunately, it turned out to be the first scenario. Lori really should have been riding the B ride, she’s so fast. Speaking of Lori, she deserves credit for rescuing a Luna moth that had crash landed on the Three Notch Trail. We had the opportunity to drop an Amish buggy pulling a trailer with 2kayaks but lost the chance when we stopped to group up.

Everybody seemed to have a great time, both on the ride and at the Strawberry Festival. Some riders expressed interest in a future “destination ride.” Our ride group even had the chance to bring back strawberries and shortcake from the festival. Their ride leader provided transportation for these goodies on his strawberry delivery pedaling machine.

Strawberry Ride - B 46

Walt Roscello — Sun, 19 May 2024 15:00:00 GMT

Leader: Walt Roscello

Members: Mario Salazar, Theresa Rowell, Diane Harris, Linda Bankerd, Liam Healy, Lou Dall'Orso

Route: https://ridewithgps.com/routes/46624096

Down through Morganza a different way, then reverse along Dr. Johnson Road and a fairly typical route through Avenue and back to Chaptico, then the neighborhoods west of Mechanicsville Rd on the way back.

Weather: 65-70 with overcast varying between thin and darker. Winds were light which was a nice change from the last three weeks.

AMS: 14.8

Mechanicals/Mishaps: Theresa dropped a chain on a short uphill, then within 1/2 mile got a flat. With all of us there we used two pumps, a CO2 cartridge, and then got to try Mario's new battery-powered pump. It was a deep cut but I gave her a boot and she had no further trouble.

Wildlife: A typical selection of small animals: a turtle, some squirrels, a snake, plus a possible hawk overhead on the way through the fields

Report: We pretty much stayed together for the first 25 miles. We started on a still-wet Three Notch Trail and then went down "the rest of" Kavanaugh and on the hidden path to ride through the neighborhood. Shortly after that is when Theresa got her flat. After taking care of that we continued along Chaptico Road and Dr Johnson in the reverse of the usual way. It was nice to find that the hill on Dr Johnson is uniform and not that bad going this way. We made the run down to 7th District park as usual and then on to Paul Ellis Landing, where we stopped to admire the water and boathouses. It was an interesting contrast from Colton's Point last week where the view over the water is much longer.

After that stop Mario took off ahead to get back earlier. Lou also got separated when he went all the way down to Bushwood Wharf. We made it to the strawberry festival as the 30 mi group was preparing to leave - I could have timed the start better. Four of us had a snack while Linda and Lou left to continue riding. Our group left at a slightly more relaxed pace after eating and were happy to quickly turn in to Country Lakes after seeing the traffic on Mechanicsville Road. We had a nice route through the neighborhood which removes most of the hills and traffic from Mechanicsville Road, which we returned to and rode into Mechanicsville and then back to the school.

It was a lovely day for a ride and, even with the flat, everything went smoothly and the group worked well together.

Friday IHRT all class ~20 miles

Ron Altemus — Fri, 17 May 2024 14:00:00 GMT

Leader:   Ron Altemus

Members: Susan Altemus, Mark Garrison, Gene Villiva, Steve Forman, Darrell Meyer, Donaro Gardner, Robin Garnett

Route: where else to ride on a Friday morning than the Indian Head Rail Trail, Livingston Rd parking lot eastward to the White Plains trail head, and after a rest stop/break, return.

Weather:   overcast, temps in the mid 60s, some air movement out of the east.

AMS:   swept in the mid 11s so everyone else would have been faster.

Mechanicals/Mishaps:   none

Report: a nice turnout given the less than ideal mid May weather. We welcomed back a couple of members (Mark & Steve) who hadn't ridden with the Friday group for a number of months. This Friday was "Bike-to-Work" day and Robin visited the "pit stop" at Indian Head prior to our trail ride. Walt Roscello rode over to it from home and then caught us on the IHRT enroute to White Plains as he was heading back. We also saw club members George Martin and David Schnirel on the trail. Otherwise, there was a decent number of other trail users, mostly walkers/joggers, out enjoying the IHRT.

Wildlife sightings included a red tailed hawk which swept across the trail right in front of some of us just before the Bumpy Oak pond on our return. This happened too fast to be captured by a camera.

Darrell had the opportunity to take photos of a black snake

and a Great Blue Heron, mirrored in water alongside the trail.

Goose Bay Excursion

Joan Oppel — Thu, 16 May 2024 13:30:00 GMT

Members: Ron Altemus, Lou Dall'Orso, Donaro Gardner, Sue Gunter, Patricia Sanders, Mary Scala, Janet Shipko, Pat Walthers

Route: https://ridewithgps.com/routes/46698249 Leaving from Livingston Road, we headed up Mt Pisgah/Hawthorne to Ripley and Poorhouse and Rt 6. Goose Bay was the rest stop, then back via Fire Tower and Annapolis Woods. But then we turned left on Mason Springs to do a roundabout return via quiet Smallwood Church and Chickamuxen.

Weather: Just beautiful! Mostly mid-70's, sunny, some wind but nothing extreme.

Mechanicals: None

Report: Some traffic issues delayed riders and we started a little late, and quickly became two groups - a couple of riders off the front, a couple in the middle and a few at the rear, kindly accompanying the ride leader recovering from a bad cold. A ride to Goose Bay is always a good ride. The climb up Mt Pisgah/Hawthorne on the shoulder was accompanied by a fair amount of traffic. Once on Ripley ~mile 5 and until turning on Chickamuxen ~mile 32, traffic was light.

It was a lovely day, sunshine and low humidity and winds in our favor (mostly) and good company. A relaxing rest stop on the porch at Goose Bay was a treat.

Wildlife: Two turtle rescues were accomplished!

Southern Anne Arundel County (CC 30)

Rick Hagen — Mon, 13 May 2024 14:00:00 GMT

Leaders: Rick Hagen & Lisa Petersen

Members: Pat Silva, Bill Silva, Lisa Petersen, Andrea Clayville, Rick Hagen, Eric Nielsen (not shown - photographer Darrell Meyer)

Guests: none

Route: We started in the parking lot of the Route 260 Recreation area, a little-used and a little-hard-to-find Calvert County park. Went west on Route 260, north on Route 4, then onto quiet Fishers Station Rd. A short ride on Route 258 aka Bayfront Rd. to Little Rd., then south on Brooks Woods Rd. back to 258/Bayfront. We went south on Route 2, and carefully turned left onto Old Solomons Island Rd. to get to Fairhaven Rd. From Fairhaven we took Franklin Gibson to Leitch, down & around Tacaro Farm, then on Town Point Rd. to the cliffs at Fairhaven. Up Fairhaven and down Friendship Rd. to the lunch stop at Chesapeake Market & Deli. We took the scenic route around Holland Point to North Beach, then on the newly-repaired bike lane along the boardwalk. Up some neighborhood streets in Chesapeake Beach to Route 260, then right onto Boyds Turn Rd. We went west on Friendship Rd. to Sansbury, then north on Wilson Rd over the newly repaired bridge, to Jewell, and west some more back to the parking lot. https://ridewithgps.com/routes/46592249 30 miles, 1425 ft elevation gain.

Weather: Couldn’t have been better. Sunny, temps in the 60s, low humidity, and light winds out of the southwest.

AMS: 13.4 mph

Mechanicals: none

Report: This was Rick & Lisa’s first time leading a ride. The park we chose for a start is convenient to get to, but the entrance, the first right after the first mansion on the right, is not marked and easily missed. It has a portolet but no water. After introductions & some discussion about the ride, we left promptly at 10:05. The whole ride was new to Andrea, and some of it was unfamiliar to Darrell. Eric, who lives near the route, rode his new fixie to the start.

The loop north on Fishers Station, Little and Brooks Woods went smoothly. We very carefully turned left from Route 2 to Old Solomons Island Rd. about a mile south of Traceys Landing Post Office. On Fairhaven Rd. we stopped just before the turn onto Franklin Gibson to see a memorial stone for a World War II veteran pilot who crashed there in 1949. The brush has been cleared around the field, making the monument visible to passersby for the first time in 10 years or more. We went down scenic Leitch Rd. and stopped to gawk at the beautiful Tacaro Farm, a large property now used for events and weddings. To Rick & Lisa’s amazement, there was no standing water on Town Point Rd. after months of there being an inch or so that put a damper on the nice downhill & momentum going up the hill after crossing the creek. We stopped in Fairhaven for a group photo with the Fairhaven Cliffs in the background. We went up Fairhaven Rd. to Friendship Rd. and had a nice descent down Mailbox Hill to Chesapeake Market & Deli.

Although we called it a lunch stop, most of us had snacks. Bill, Pat and Darrell left early, concerned about their afternoon commitments, riding up Mailbox Hill back to the route and parking lot. The rest of us continued along the shore to North Beach. Here we decided to ride the newly-repaired bike lane that runs along the boardwalk. Very nice, and we encountered only 1 pedestrian. From here it’s all uphill, through Chesapeake Beach neighborhoods and up Route 260 on the nice wide shoulder. We turned right on Boyds Turn Rd., then westward through the little village of Friendship to Sansbury Rd. Wilson Road is very nice but had a problem - a raised lip on both leading and trailing edges of the bridge over Hall Creek at the bottom of the hill that was jarring to hit going 20 mph (and caused a cyclist in the End Hunger ride last month to crash and need an airlift out) but has now been fixed with new asphalt the whole width of the bridge. At the north end of Wilson, we said goodbye to Eric, as he was going directly home from there. Rick, Lisa and Andrea arrived back at the parking lot at 1 pm, and found Bill, Pat and Darrell, bikes on cars ready to go, still talking. Nice ride today!

Wildlife sightings: Eastern Box turtle, blue heron, black rat snake, ducks, geese, squirrels

May ride from Mechanicsville - B 52

Walt Roscello — Sat, 11 May 2024 14:00:00 GMT

Leader: Walt Roscello with Catherine Ade

Members: Tom Short, Sue Gunter, Linda Bankerd, Liam Healy

Route: From Mechanicsville School down to Colton's point and return

https://ridewithgps.com/routes/46573940

Weather: Near ideal, 60-65 degrees with scattered clouds. A somewhat stronger wind than expected but not too bad and sometimes it was working with us.

AMS: 14.6

Mechanicals/Mishaps: none

Report: Not much to report except that it was a beautiful day and the view from Colton's point was very enjoyable. A good time was had by all.

https://photos.app.goo.gl/5QtQiXisvqF1eQ268

May ride from Mechanicsville - CC 35

Janell Saunders — Sat, 11 May 2024 14:00:00 GMT

Leader: Janell Saunders

Members: Paul Hamilton, Sonya Newman, Pat Walthers, Denny Miller, Sarah Clement, Sherwood Byers.

Route: A loop from Mechanicsville School down to 7th District Park and returning through Chaptico

Weather: Very springlike, mid 60s, light wind and puffy clouds.

AMS: 11 - 12

Mechanicals/Mishaps: none

Report: A lovely day for a bikeride. Back to cooler temps had us in a couple layers at first. We started out with the B group, some splitting at Laurel Grove bypassing the park. We all re-grouped at 7th District park, with the hill up up up into the park surprising a few. After the break, the B's went their way and we went ours. I managed a few pictures along the way. After the ride, I went back to the Chaptico market for their famous chicken and icecream. Happens the B group were there for a rest stop so stopped for a chat as well.

photos at https://flic.kr/s/aHBqjBpXZA

Old Drayden School>Piney Point>St. George Island CC 33 miles

Ron Altemus — Sat, 11 May 2024 13:30:00 GMT

Leader: Dan Donahue (and reporter!)

Members:   Ron Altemus, Rick Hagen and Lisa Petersen

Route:   Back country roads to a historic African-American schoolhouse, then via Piney Point Rd to the eponymous Piney Pt. Lighthouse for a rest stop. Next a tour of St. George Island before returning on Piney Point Rd to the start. https://ridewithgps.com/routes/43148060 32.3 mi, 500' elevation gain.

Weather: Low humidity, sunny day, but it did require windbreakers and cycling tights, with starting temps in the high 50s, reaching the low 60s by ride's end.

AMS:   12.1

Mechanicals/Mishaps: none

Report:   this was a trip that averaged 12.1 mph, but it doesn’t give the full picture. At times, we did 14 mph. At other times, we were down to 8 mph, looking at lots of osprey along the water and admiring other unique Southern MD scenery and wildlife. This was also a very social ride where, at a turnaround on St. George Island, we met a couple who were also cycling, and we spent what seemed like 15 min. chatting with them.

The purpose of the ride was to expose people to some of the unique St. Mary’s County history that spanned the Revolutionary War, War of 1812, Civil War, and WWII. This included touching bases at the Drayden one-room African-American schoolhouse and Piney Point Lighthouse and Museum, which was our rest stop.




	<- We also toured both sides of St. George Island (seen from Piney Point), taking in the watermen culture of the county.

This ride also gave me a great opportunity to regale people with all of the history of the area that I’ve acquired over the years. Everybody seemed to have a great time.

Friday IndianHead 20 mile All Class

Randall Schoch — Fri, 10 May 2024 14:00:00 GMT

Leader - Randy Schoch (Jackie is still recovering)

Members - Randy (RL), Tom Belote, Donaro Gardner, Darrell Meyer, Leesha Saunders, Dennis Miller, and Gene Villiva. Not pictured - Ron Altemus, photog.

Route - IHRT

Weather - Not nice - cool 50's, breezy, and sprinkles of rain.

AMS - Varied per/rider

Mechanicals/Mishaps - None

Report - The weather was definitely questionable, but we went anyway. We got cold and damp by the time we got to the rest stop at White Plains. We didn't stay very long to head back to the parking lot. It would have been a great ride if the weather would have cooperated? Not too many other trail users today except for the birds and squirrels. Spring weather should be warming up soon. See yens next week.

Smallwood Church>Durham Church>Bensville ~37 miles

Ron Altemus — Tue, 07 May 2024 14:00:00 GMT

Leader:   Ron Altemus

Members:   Donaro Gardner, Robin Garnett, Esther Stewart, Anon UserOne, and Anon UserTwo

Route:   Advertised as Chicamuxen to Marbury Run, Bicknell to Sweetman, Chicamuxen (again) to Smallwood Church, then Ironsides, Durham Church and MD-6 to a rest stop at Scott's Store in Welcome. Continuing on MD-6 eastwards to Poorhouse, then Ripley, Hawthorn, Marshall Corner and Bensville Rd to the IHRT and back to the ride to the start. Weather resulted in a slight variation for the slower group as detailed below. https://ridewithgps.com/routes/46525006 37 miles, 1397' elevation gain.

Weather:   Forecast leading up to the morning of the ride had been iffy but after consulting four (4) sources, all were in agreement to low rain chances until mid afternoon at the earliest. Partly sunny skies with temps in the upper 60s and negligible air movement were the conditions for the first half of the ride as we headed in a mostly southeast direction. But after turning back to the northwest on Poorhouse, the sun disappeared as the clouds thickened. Traveling on Hawthorne, ominous gray skies were apparent to the north and by the time we reached the Craik/Stethem schools, it had started to rain. The rain didn't last much more than 15 minutes, and by the time riders reached the Pomfret/IHRt interesection, via whatever their routing, the rain ceased and temps had risen to the low 70s.

AMS:   swept in the low 12s. Faster riders were undoubtedly faster.

Mechanicals/Mishaps:   none

Report: As noted above, forecasts had indicated high chances of rain but the turnout was still respectable after "Ride is a Go" notice was given.   Our outbound traverse was uneventful other than a turtle rescue (the first of several) on Chicamuxen. Traffic was light, and Smallwood Church was its usual delight, even if we did see five (5) cars as we rode on it. Durham Church was particularly shady, and after the rains of Monday night, very humid. A small fast group waited for the slower riders at each major turn and we arrived together at Scott's Store for a rest stop.

Our journey east had us remaining on MD-6 all the way to Poorhouse. One rider opted to do Mill Swamp/Blossom Point (maybe the pull of Goose Bay was being heavily exerted) while the rest of us climbed the incline with Mill Swamp on our right. Unfortunately, going in an eastward direction does not offer the best scenic viewing opportunity of the swamp since one is focused on the climb itself and the view is over the right shoulder. On the rare occasions that we have gone west on MD-6 at this point, the view of Mill Swamp is much better.

Poorhouse and Ripley also had light traffic while Hawthorne wasn't too bad, just noisy. By the time we turned onto Marshall Corner, our two faster riders were well ahead, and the rider who added some miles was just catching up to the slower group. When it started to rain, several of us decided to take Preston/Pomfret to the IHRT so as not to be riding in the rain on the more heavily trafficked Marshall Corner Rd - vehicularly speaking, a good move. The rain stopped when we reached the trail, losing only a few miles so a still respectable 34 for the day. Actually, it was warm enough that even without rain gear, it was pleasant riding in the rain (or at least your faithful correspondent and favorite local neighborhood ride leader thought so...).

Friday ALL Class IHRT ~20 miles

Ron Altemus — Fri, 03 May 2024 14:00:00 GMT

Leader:   Ron Altemus

Members:   Leesha Saunders, Fran Jezisek, Susan Altemus, Oswald Martin, Barry Green (guest), Darrell Meyers, Vernon Daly, Donaro Gardner, Randy Schoch

Route: standard bill of fare for Friday mornings - Indian Head Rail Trail, Livingston Rd parking lot to White Plains trailhead and return

Weather:   delightful - plenty of sunshine with partly cloudy skies, temps ranging from 70 to 73;, low humidity, and, 7-8 mph air flow form the east

AMS:   swept at 12 mph. Everyone else would have been a bit higher

Mechanicals/Mishaps:   none

Report:   A very nice turnout, with returning member Vernon Daly joining us, along with guest for the day, Barry Green, who might reinstate his lapsed membership. Additionally, George Martin, Bob Moye, and David Schnirel were also riding the trail, though not technically part of our group.

A large group (6) moved quickly to White Plains while four of us enjoyed a slightly more leisurely pace to the rest stop. Lots of conversation during an extended break and then a much quicker return, aided by an easterly tailwind. Total ride time for all of us was under two hours - the Friday rides have gotten a bit faster with the inclusion of some e-Bike users.

Probably the usual number of other trail users but for the most part, the trail didn't seem very crowded. Wildlife sightings included sunning turtles, a snake, the ubiquitous kamikaze squirrels, and numerous birds including a pileated woodpecker.

To La Plata with some Hills

Joan Oppel — Thu, 02 May 2024 13:30:00 GMT

Leader: Joan Oppel

Members: Lou Dall'Orso, Donaro Gardner, Sue Gunter, Patricia Sanders, Janet Shipko, Tom Short, Pat Walters and Anonymous User

Route: Today we used the Bryans Road ride start so went out Livingston to Bumpy Oak and then straight on to Rt 6, the Causeway and Chapel Point. A nice stop at St Ignatius and then on for 6 miles on Bel Alton, including the nice 3/4 mile uphilll after crossing the little creek bridge. Then Springhill Newton, Glen Albin, the La Plata Dash-In. On to Rt 6, Valley, Hawthorne, Bumpy Oak again. The IHRT took us back to Hawthorne, then Chapmans Landing and Hungerford.

https://ridewithgps.com/routes/46459308

Weather: Very sunny, temperatures in 80s and 90s - but with low humidity.

Mechanicals & Mishaps: One rider arriving at St Ignatiius was unable to unclip one foot. Luckily it was the foot that usually remains clipped in. We helped her remove her shoe so she was able to get off the bike. It turned out one cleat bolt had been lost. Because this has happened several times in the past, your ride leader carries spare SPD cleat bolts. And we had the cleat reinstalled quickly. There was a later chain issue dealt with quickly by the rider, who remarked that the chain was properly reseated in a minute but the hand cleaning took much longer.

Report: We got started a little late to a traffic issue and we quickly split into two groups. The shade, the cool bathroom, the water at St Ignatius were welcome, especially to deal with the shoe fix. The slow group regrouped to accommodate different paces. An enjoyable ride, and at least one or two people offered the comment that they were glad to do some hill practice.

A Rural Showcase Ride

Joan Oppel — Sun, 28 Apr 2024 14:00:00 GMT

Leader: Joan Oppel

Members: Linda Bankerd, Paul Hamilton, Harry Kidd, Mario Salazer, Randy Schoch, Janet Shipko, Randy Sim, Dave Van Ameyden, Pat Walthers

Route: 36 miles with some climbing. A scenic route from North Keys park, tracing part of the upcoming Rural Legacy route. We took Molly Berry to Baden Naylor, then up to Brooks Wood, around Tanyard and Nottingham, Fenno and a stop at Merkle. Then off to Croom Road, a stop at Mt Calvert, then Duvall to the Patuxent River Park Pavillion. We returned on Duley Station, Van Brady, Molly Berry, North Keys https://ridewithgps.com/routes/46406291

Weather: Stunning day, in the high 70's but low humidity, deep blue sky
Mechanicals/Mishaps: None

Report: A 20 degree change in temperature from the past few days - 70's and bright sun throughout the ride. Low traffic (except for the mile and a half stretch on Croom Road between St Thomas and Mt Calvert) and every tree and flower and field looked bright and beautiful. We were somewhat separated as we rode but regrouped at Merkle, Mt Calvert and the Pavillion and at various corners along the way. A wonderful day to be riding.

Did I mention it was a stunning day in the country ---

And yes, buttercups are an invasive plant but they make beautiful scenery.

Friday IndianHead 20 mile All Class

Randall Schoch — Fri, 26 Apr 2024 14:00:00 GMT

Leader - Randy Schoch (Jackie is in the hospital)

Members - Donaro Gardner, Leesha Saunders, and Linda Bankerd.

Guests - None

Route - IHRT

Weather - Not bad, cool in the 60's, light breeze.

AMS - Varied per/rider

Mechanicals/Mishaps - None

Report - Leesha forgot her cycling shoes and had to abort. Some of our regular riders are away so the three of us carried on. There were plenty of other trail users today. Several bikers, dog walkers, kids enjoying the morning, wildlife (turtles, birds, geese, deer, squirrels, etc.). We didn't stay long at the White Plains rest area so it was a quick trip. Donaro and Linda kept on riding to get in a few more miles in order build up their yearly totals. Next week the weather promises to be warmer.

April 23 - Nanjemoy Calls! - B-34 miles

Tom Short — Tue, 23 Apr 2024 21:28:26 GMT

Leader: Tom Short

Members: Anonymous User

Route: Beautiful route designed by Ron Altemus. Likely to become a club favorite.

Weather: Perfect

AMS: The goal was a 14.0 AMS. We chose a comfortable pace for the both of us (Anonymous User is a stronger rider than me) and finished close to the AMS goal.

Mechanicals/Mishaps: None

Report: We stopped at King James Church to shed some unneeded bicycle clothing due to the welcome heat. We also took a rest stop at the Nanjemoy Store but bypassed the Smallwood Park stop as it was located relatively close to ride's end at Pisgah Park. Bypassing that stop resulted in our mileage being 34 miles rather than the 36 miles route mileage.

Nanjemoy calls! - Poseytown>Hancock Run>Smallwood Park (CC/C 36)

Ron Altemus — Tue, 23 Apr 2024 14:00:00 GMT

Leaders: Ron Altemus

Members:   Donaro Gardner, Janell Saunders, Joan Oppel, Tom Short (B - RL), Steve Palincsar, Janet Shipko, Linda Bankerd, Norm Lisy, Pat Walthers, Patricia Sanders. Not pictured: Anon User

Route:   Scenic tour of the back roads in Nanjemoy. From Pisgah Park, Mason Springs to Rt 6, then Bowie, Poseytown (with wisteria in full bloom!) and MD-6 to a bio break at King James Church.. After the break, Hancock Run to Adams Willet and a rest stop at Nanjemoy Store. Continuing via Jacksontown, Sandy Point, Riverside, and Chicamuxen to Smallwood Park for a another bio break. Final return via Chicamuxen, Marbury Run, Bicknell, Pisgah Marbury, and Mason Springs back to the park. https://ridewithgps.com/routes/44716810 35.7 miles, 1457' elevation gain.

Weather:   excellent. Temp range of 58 > 72 under blue skies w/plenty of sunshine; winds of 7-9 mph out of the southern quadrant, occasional gusts up to 14 mph

AMS: CC/C leader swept in the upper 11s

Mechanicals/Mishaps:   your friendly neighborhood ride leader (aka your faithful correspondent) left his phone and car keys on a picnic table at the Nanjemoy store while affecting a clothing update. Fortunately, after returning to the store from a mile or so outbound on Jacksontown, both were retrieved as Ms. Debby Ruiz had seen them and were holding them at the front counter.

Report: thanks to Tom Short for leading a B class add-on to this ride. It was nice to be able to offer the option of faster cycling to those so inclined. (See Tom's report for full details.)

For the CC/C version, we cycled in continually rotating groups, the only constant being the ride leader sweeping. Only routing was to take advantage of an encounter from Thursday, on the ride Joan led from Accokeek. When the group pulled in to the Pisgah store for a snack, a woman came out of the store and walked directly over to Joan and said, "Do you ever ride in Nanjemoy?" After receiving a "yes" response, she proceeded to say that the wisteria was in full bloom, especially on Poseytown. Indeed, that was the case as Joan's wisteria wishes were fulfilled.

Bowie Road also provided a nice view of a number of cows, Outstanding in Their Field. Thanks to Janell for capturing this scenic.

For those in the rear, the ride from King James' Church to the Nanjemoy store, and then onwards via Jacksontown/Sandy Point was ridden without any vehicular traffic in either direction. One of the great reasons for riding in the Nanjemoy area.

Roadside Memorial on Riverside Rd Photo credit: Steve Palincsar

Our rest stops at the store and Smallwood Park were unhurried as all enjoyed both conversating and the great weather. A very good ride!

All Class 25C with Jessica and Joan

Jessica Hirschhorn — Sat, 20 Apr 2024 19:50:31 GMT

6 hearty riders started out under cloudy skies. We had a delightful C ride and stayed together. The clouds lifted and the temp rose as we rode. The azaleas and wisteria were in full bloom. We passed Steve & Co. fixing a flat with Catherine and Harry, but there appeared to be too many cooks at that point so we wished them luck and moved on. We had a short stop at the Pisgah Store.

Riders: Jessica Hirschhorn, Joan Oppel, Esther Steward, Norm LIsy, Leslie Tierstein, Linda Blackman

Distance 25.8. 584' climbing

Average speed 11.5

Start the Season IHRT ~27 miles

Ron Altemus — Sat, 20 Apr 2024 14:00:00 GMT

Leader:   Ron Altemus

Riders:   Robin Garnett, Susan Altemus, Fran Jezisek, Ken Notis (guest), Randy Schoch, Leesha Saunders, Gene Villiva

Route:   Indian Head Rail Trail, Village Green trailhead east to White Plains and return. 27 miles, 377' elevation change

Weather: cloudy throughout as the sun struggled to break through as we finished; temp range of 57 - 63 degrees, 6-7 mph breezes out of the western quadrant. Much much better than our Friday IHRT ride!

AMS:   Swept at 11.6 mph; others would have been a bit faster

Mechanicals/Mishaps: none

Report:   We picked up a couple of extra riders at the start: Robin opting for the friendly, social ride of the trail, while guest Ken had never ridden the IHRT and wanted the full experience that the trail offers. Until we reached Bumpy Oak Road, we were interspersed with the CC groups but once they turned, we had the trail to ourselves until approaching Bensville. There, we encountered a large group of JROTC students hiking the trail. We saw them both coming and going as they had options for up to 7+ miles of walking on the trail. Otherwise, the usual assortment of runners, walkers, and other cyclists.

A bald eagle was spotted at the nest just east of the Livingston Rd parking lot, both outbound and on our return. That was the only wildlife sighting today. Our Friday rides only total 20 miles so it was nice to do the entire trail today. No one complained that it was too long a ride, probably because a nice break at White Plains provided ample recovery time.

4/20 - Start the Season Ride - C 42

Walt Roscello — Sat, 20 Apr 2024 13:30:00 GMT

Leader: Walt Roscello

Members: See Steve's overview post; there was some shuffling among classes as people checked in

Route: https://ridewithgps.com/routes/46095854

Weather: High 50s at the start with overcast. The clouds started to thin halfway through the ride and by the post-ride, it was almost 70 and partly sunny.

AMS: around 13.0 at the back

Mechanicals/Mishaps: Right away on leaving the start, Pat S's chain was skipping. She couldn't see what was causing it so elected to not head further away from her car.

Report: We had an uneventful, pleasant 42 mile ride. Leaving at the back, I got interspersed with the trail ride, and various stops to check on other class riders meant that I stayed there. The B 42 riders proved that it doesn't matter if you're riding faster if you make more stops, so we got combined somewhat at the portolet exiting the trail at Bumpy Oak, and up the hill. After the stop to check on Steve's flat, I was with the last few CC riders on Poorhouse and to the rest stop.

The Goose Bay Marina was pleasant as always, and now that I've found they sell their sodas for $1, that is a typical treat that will be more appreciated later in the summer. Our last four riders waited longer to see if Steve, Catherine, and Harry would roll in, then headed out well after the main group. We had a nice relaxed ride with some conversation and warmer temps for the rest of the way back.

It is becoming more common to see non-club riders out on the road when we ride; there were at least three that crossed our paths or passed us in the second half of the ride. I also noticed a number of Virginia and DC plates on cars with bike racks at the IH Green, after all our riders were accounted for, so it appears our trail has become a destination for a wider geographic range of riders.

Start the Season Right Overview

Stephen Palincsar — Sat, 20 Apr 2024 13:30:00 GMT

After high winds forced a postponement last week, today the weather cooperated spectacularly. The Post’s Capital Weather Gang said “Sunshine dominates the day. The main downside will be an increasingly gusty breeze. But with highs mainly reaching the mid-60s to around 70, it shouldn’t be much problem. Winds are out of the northwest around 15 mph and gusting to 30 mph during the afternoon.” We definitely got the sunshine, and it did hit 70, but those gusty winds didn’t materialize. What we had instead was a cool, cloudy morning that turned into a lovely day at noon, with only the gentlest of breezes.

47 riders were checked in: 4 in the A group, 16 in the B group, 17 in the CC group, 3 in the C group and 6 IHRT Trail Riders.

We never did find an A ride leader. Co-leading the B group were Catherine Ade and Diane Harris, who’d stepped in to replace Sherwood; Walt Roscello lead the CC group, while Jessica Hirschhorn led the C group and Ron Altemus led the Trail Riders.

Riders **(and Leaders*)**

A Group
Alex Batkhan
Barb Haley
Liam Healy
Larry Malone

B Group
Catherine Ade*
John Arrington
Linda Bankerd
Chantal Briere
Sherwood Byers
Luis Dall’Orso
Diane Harris*
Peter Klosky
Rob Marston
Karen Marston
Eric Nielsen
Ken Notis
Mario Salazar
Tom Short
Bob Thompson

C Group
Linda Blackman
Robin Garnett
Jessica Hirschhorn*
Leslie Tierstein

CC Group
Harold Datz
GloJean Gladden
Ellen Goodwin
Jenny Haddon
Harry Kidd
Lois Lightfoot
Norm Lisy
David Mahl
Clare Neal
Cynthia Nuzzi
Joan Oppel
Steve Palincsar
Walt Roscello*
Patricia Sanders
Esther Steward
Patricia Walthers
Rita Zeidner

IHRT Trail Riders
Susan Altemus
Ron Altemus*
Fran Jezisek
Leesha Saunders
Randy Schoch
Gene Villiva

Mishaps & Mechanicals (as far as I know, the only one)

I was riding with the B group when I flatted on Ripley Rd. B Ride leader CatherineAde and Harry Kidd stopped with me.

My back tire was covered with mud and I wasn’t sure the little piece of glass I did find was actually the cause of the flat, but after all the excitement of my cassette falling off the hub onto the road along with some spacers and end caps (surprise, I didn’t know it could do that) and being sure that further examination of the tire wasn’t going to do anything but waste time, I replaced the tube and hoped for the best.

I almost made it to the turn on Blossom Point when my back tire went flat again. And that was that.

Harry rode back to Indian Head to get his car, while Catherine stayed with me. I was very glad of the company. While we waited by the side of Port Tobacco Road, we had interesting conversations with a couple of riders out training on their own, one a fitness trainer who lived just down the road from where we’d stopped, and the other a member of the Marine Band from Oregon.

When I got home, sitting out in the brilliant sunshine with a tire that had finally dried off, I still couldn’t see what had caused the flat. It had to be a sharp embedded in the tread because both tubes had identical punctures in the identical location. I even knew approximately where it had to be in the tire, because I always line up the valve stem with the label on the tire. But I just couldn’t find it.

I finally had to turn the tire inside out and fold it across the width of the tire. Slowly moving down the tire, eventually I spotted the point of a glass shard sticking up. Folding the tire in half also loosened the glass in the tire, and it easily came out of the tread.

Friday ALL class IHRT ~20 mi

Ron Altemus — Fri, 19 Apr 2024 14:00:00 GMT

Leader:   Ron Altemus

Members:   Susan Altemus, Randy Schoch, Gene Villiva, Denny Miller, Leesha Saunders, and Donaro Gardner

Route:   Indian Head rail trail, Livingston Rd parking lot east to White Plains trailhead and return

Weather:   Brrr! Not what one expects nor wants in mid-April: cloudy, overcast skies; temp range 52-55; 6-8 mph air out of the Northeast.

AMS:   swept in the mid 11s

Mechanicals/Mishaps:   none

Report: a good 20 degrees cooler than Thursday and a few of us didn't make the correct clothing choices. It felt cold, even though the temperatures were in the 50s.

Not too many other trail users either walking or biking but evidently most stayed home warming themselves around the fireplace. An eagle was visible on the nest just east of the parking lot; lots of birds singing and flitting about but otherwise no memorable wildlife sightings.

Last Minute Accokeek Ride

Joan Oppel — Thu, 18 Apr 2024 15:00:00 GMT

Leader: Joan Oppel

Members: Chantal Briere, Bob Thompson, Donaro Gardner, Patricia Sanders and Steve Palincsar

Route: 35 miles - https://ridewithgps.com/routes/46262241

Weather: 70 and sunny at start, ending in high 70's. More sun than predicted, breezy.

Mechanicals Mishaps: none

Report: My first ride lead in over six weeks since I was forced off the bike with a (non-serious) injury in a car-to-car accident. And, only my third ride since starting riding again.

It was a lovely day, lots and lots of wisteria growing along the roads, providing lovely color and smell. Chantal and Bob had a time commitment and took off on their own after several miles. Patricia, Don, Steve and I rode together, chatting along the way. It was a slow ride day for me, but a delightful one with a strong sense of "happy to be back on the bike". A big thank you for being a part of my recovery.

We stopped on Marbury Run to look at the spot where we've seen locals pull up in their cars to fill jugs of water. There's supposed to be a pipe down there with "pure" water (not something I personally would trust).

The wooden steps down to the little stream that runs into Marbury Run are now blocked by a huge fallen tree.

Pig Point, Pindell to South County Cafe (CC, 32)

Stephen Palincsar — Tue, 16 Apr 2024 14:45:00 GMT

Pig Point

Lunch at South County Cafe

Leader: Steve Palincsar

Members: Chantal Briere, Bob Thompson, Ron Altemus, Rick Hagen, Lisa Petersen and (not shown) Anonymous User

Guests: none

Route: https://ridewithgps.com/routes/46226304

Weather: The Capital Weather Gang gave today 10 out of 10, and they didn't make a mistake. 66 or 67 degrees when we started, 79 when we finished. Sunny skies, not a cloud to be seen, and breezy. An absolutely gorgeous Spring day.

AMS: 13.2

Mechanicals/Mishaps: none

Report: A terrific but quite unusual ride today. Rick and Lisa, who live near Huntingtown, rode to the ride start and rode with us for most of the way back before turning off on MD-2 to ride home. Chantal and Bob planned to ride with us until we reached South County, but at the last minute decided to stay for lunch before riding off to return on their own.

We were six when we left the Park & Ride and six when we ride down to Pig Point at the end of Wrighton Rd, but were seven when Ron, who was running late, joined us on the way back.

It was billed as a ride to South County Cafe for lunch, and although we took the long way to get there (Pindell, Upper Pindell, So MD Blvd, Greenock, Brooks Woods, Nutwell, Franklin Gibson up the hill, Deale Rd swooping down the hill) everyone stayed for a very enjoyable lunch.

Rick and Lisa joined us for a apres-lunch meandering tour of Masons Beach (surprisingly, not wowed, same old what they're used to living down there) then headed south on MD-2 while Ron, Anonymous User and I rode the rest of the way on Bay Front and So MD Blvd.

What a great way to spend a day! Great riding in the company of friends, and a nice lunch at a friendly place the welcomes cyclists.

Laurel Grove, Leonardtown & Sandgates (CC, 42)

Stephen Palincsar — Sun, 14 Apr 2024 14:30:00 GMT

Leader: Steve Palincsar

Members: Harry Kidd, Ron Altemus, Lou Dall'Orso, Walt Roscello, Randy Schoch

Guests: none

Route: https://ridewithgps.com/routes/31192765 as planned, but after we got to the Leonardtown Wharf I proposed a shortened version that all of us save for Walt took, that eliminated the southernmost loop, backtracking on Hollywood Rd to Bradford's Market, bringing the total down to 35.7. Walt did the southern loop but skipped the stretch on Sotterley and Vista Roads and got back a little before the main group.

Weather: Sunny, not a cloud in the sky. Around 67 (instead of the predicted 62) at the start, rising to 80 by early afternoon, well exceeding the predictions. And windy. Not quite as windy as yesterday, but not a slacker either, with winds from the south of around 22 mph with gusts up to 36 mph.

AMS: 13.0

Mechanicals/Mishaps: none

Report:

We fought the wind all the way down to Leonardtown. Once we left the Wharf we had the wind at our backs, so much so that we were cruising along Hollywood and Sotterley Roads over 25 mph without having to pedal more than the occasional stroke once in a while. That changed when we made the turn onto Vista, riding directly into the wind.

The crosswinds on Three Notch Rd weren't bad and we flew along there, then made the turn onto South Sandgates, downhill with the wind at our backs. This stretch is always a bit of a roller coaster, with twists and turns and a steady descent down to the Patuxent, but today it was made much more thrilling by the occasional unruly gust of cross-wind off the Patuxent that would push you from the shoulder into the center of the road.

We stopped at Sea Breeze, briefly sharing the parking lot with a large group of motorcyclists, but were disappointed to find the portolets padlocked. Sandgates Restaurant came to the rescue.

Even though we were riding into the wind, the climb back up North Sandgates didn't seem as windy as it had been earlier in the route, and once we made the turn onto 236 the remaining distance flew by.

It was a beautiful day, but a challenging ride, not nearly as hard as the last time we were on these roads on a windy day last year, and not nearly as hard as riding yesterday would have been, any lingering doubt about having postponed the Start the Season ride having been blown clean away.

Update: I forgot to mention, our search for miniature donkeys on Old Hollywood Rd was unsuccessful. I'm afraid they don't live at Wit & Folly Farm anymore. A disappointment: they were incredibly cute.

Friday IndianHead 20 mile All Class

Randall Schoch — Fri, 12 Apr 2024 14:00:00 GMT

Leader - Randy Schoch (Jackie has been ill so she could not ride)

Members - Ron Altemus, Donaro Gardner, and Gene Villiva

Guests - None

Route - IHRT

Weather - Awful at the beginning, rain and breeze right before the ride start. But began to clear up a little by 10am. Cool and wet.

AMS - Varied per/rider.

Mechanicals/Mishaps - None

Report - Because of the rain leading up to the ride start, several riders that signed up had dropped off. Gene came to the parking lot earlier but felt a mist in the air so he decided to cancel also. Shortly after Gene left the weather cleared up for Ron, Donaro, and I. We did the ride with very few other trail users. Only one other bicycle rider on the trail was Wes who is a regular trail rider. We saw turtles sunning themselves on logs, a small turtle crossing the trail, a snake, a couple of bald eagles, and several dogs walking their humans. The trail maintenance crew was on the job cleaning up the branches, leaves, gum balls, etc. littering the trail. The ride turned out OK considering the rain and storm we had the night before.

Port Tobacco, Locust Grove & Pisgah Marbury (CC, 34)

Stephen Palincsar — Tue, 09 Apr 2024 14:45:00 GMT

Leader: Steve Palincsar

Members: Donaro Gardner, Ron Altemus, Harry Kidd, Tom Shoret, Lou Dall'Orso, Linda Bankerd, Chantal Briere, Patricia Sanders

Guests: none

Route: https://ridewithgps.com/routes/39997093 33.6 mi, 1200' elevation gain

Weather: Partly cloudy, around 67 at the start rising to 80 degrees. The forecast called for 2-3 mph winds, but that was nonsense: wind was easily 8-10 mph.

AMS: 13.6

Mechanicals/Mishaps: none

Report: It was delightful riding in summer jerseys and shorts. The route has some thrilling descents (Rose Hill, Rt 6 from La Plata down to Valley, Pisgah Marbury from the culvert up to Bicknell) and some good hills (Bumpy Oak, Locust Grove, Glen Albin, Valley and Hawthorne up to Marshall Corner, Pisgah Marbury down to the culvert).

We had several chances to really stretch our legs and the average shows it, but when we weren't flying downhill or doing our best on the climbs we relaxed, regrouped, took our time at the rest stops (Port Tobacco River Park, the Dash-In in La Plata and the Pisgah Store) and kept up our hydration in the astonishing warmth.

What a wonderful start to Spring riding!

Gilbert Run, Allens Fresh (CC 37)

Stephen Palincsar — Sun, 07 Apr 2024 14:30:00 GMT

Leader: Steve Palincsar

Members: Janell Saunders, Catherine Ade, Linda Bankerd, Pat Walthers

Route: https://ridewithgps.com/routes/39929626 37 mi, 1575'elevation gain.

Weather: Sunny skies with fluffy white clouds; 53 at the start rising to 64 by the end of the ride, but the thing we noticed the most was the wind: 9 mph winds from the northwest with gusts up to 15 mph.

AMS: 12.1

Mechanicals/Mishaps: none

Report: What a beautiful day! After the chilly, very windy, uncertain weather of the past couple of days, today was a relief. A very picturesque ride on a pretty day, but considerably more difficult than a mere reading of the elevation gain would have indicated thanks to the ever-present wind.

For all but a few miles we were riding across the wind -- which can be a tricky proposition if it's gusty, but today it was continuous, no pushing and shoving, just a steady headwind vector and enough breeze to make it seem much cooler than it actually was.

The route goes up Dubois and down Old Sycamore, then up Bowling and Trinity Church to Gilbert Run Park. We had a rest stop at the Lakeside Pavilion.

There's a zip line in the playground now, and we heard delighted shrieks as we passed by in both directions.

After the break we climbed back up Rt 6 and went down Penns Hill. I'd warned of cars coming up Penns Hill running wide on the turn, but today a motorist tried to pass on the curve only to discover a car coming up. A few sharp words were exchanged, I'm told, but no harm was done. Otherwise, it was a thrilling descent.

It was so much fun going up Dubois amd coming down Old Sycamore I thought it would also be fun climbing Old Sycamore and going down Dubois. I fear some without e-assist might not have enjoyed the ascent as much as I hoped they would, and we all found the descent on Dubois a bit trickier than the climb due to potholes in the pavement. All clearly outlined with white paint, but sometimes there wasn't much of a clear lane, and when you're hitting close to 30 mph finding a 6" wide clear spot between the potholes brings back distant echoes of Luke Skywaker and the Death Star.

But those are mere quibbles. We all had a great time outdoors in lovely weather on a very scenic ride.

Friday IHRT All class ~20 miles

Ron Altemus — Fri, 05 Apr 2024 14:00:00 GMT

Leader: Ron Altemus

Members:   Leesha Saunders, Randy Schoch, Robin Garnett, Gene Villiva. Not pictured: Donaro Gardner and Carolyn Graves

Route:   The Friday standard: Indian Head Rail Trail heading east from the Livingston Road parking lot to White Plains trailhead. After a short rest stop, return westward back to the ride start.

Weather: Partly cloudy skies giving way to mostly cloudy as the ride progressed; temp range of 47-52 degrees; 8-12 mph COLD air out of the western quadrant. In the sun, protected from the wind, it was quite pleasant. Otherwise, it felt way too cold for early April.

AMS: ride leader swept at 12.3 mph so everyone else was as fast or faster.

Mechanicals/Mishaps:   none

Report: As mentioned previously, this was a chilly ride. We didn't see too many other cyclists and just a fair number of walkers. Water levels were up, especially in Mattawoman Creek. Wildlife sightings were limited to a bald eagle near the nest just east of the Livingston Road parking lot and plenty of turtles in the various trail side ponds.

Donaro and Carolyn were delayed a bit to the ride start and we didn't see them we were headed back from White Plains. Glad to see Carolyn out riding and hope she'll be joining us again as the weather warms.

Across the Northwest Wind (CC,30)

Stephen Palincsar — Thu, 04 Apr 2024 18:38:35 GMT

Leader: Steve Palincsar

Members: Anonymous User

Guests: none

Route: https://ridewithgps.com/routes/19259827 -- at least, that was the plan, but when we saw the sky at Merkle and felt the fine almost misty raindrops we decided to go to Plan B, in this case Fenno back to Nottingham, Croom to Candy Hill and Martin to North Keys back to the park for a total of 23.8 mi and 1149' elevation gain.

Weather: There sure was some. As forecast, 48 degrees rising to 55, with 7-10 mph winds gusting up to 16 mph and a 15% chance of rain. Not quite how it turned out, though.

AMS: 12.5

Mechanicals/Mishaps: A loose fender mounting screw, quickly fixed because we stopped to check what that rattling was just in time before the screw fell out.

Report: At 10, sunny and 56 in the parking lot, according to my Garmin, with a variable breeze that went from almost zero at the car to a stiff breeze riding against it doing a half-mile loop around the park.

By 10:30 the breeze picked up, and by the time we got to Merkle the sun was hidden by ominous dark clouds and we even got some fine misty rain.

The Capital Weather Gang had said "The morning is almost mild but the afternoon is a little wild. Showers pop with downpours and ice chunks to drop," and "chilly afternoon showers could produce some graupel." According to the Merriam-Webster dictionary, "The meaning of GRAUPEL is granular snow pellets —called also soft hail. Did you know?"

No I didn't, but I thought it wise to cut the ride short and experience the graupel, whatever it was, in the car and at home rather than on the road, so Anonymous and I went left out of Merkle and took Nottingham, Croom and Candy Hill back to Molly Berry, went left to Martin (getting back on the route) back to North Keys Park without any further rain, mist, graupel or anything else.

Three Covered Bridges & Mt St Marys (CC, 39)

Stephen Palincsar — Sun, 31 Mar 2024 14:30:00 GMT

Leader: Steve Palincsar

Members: Janet Shipko, Catherine Ade, Harry Kidd, Walt Roscello and Randy Sim

Guests: none

Route: https://ridewithgps.com/routes/40762819 39 mi, 1890' elevation gain, basically the traditional 3 Covered Bridges route with a long loop to the northeast that visits Mt St Marys College while enjoying the scenery and the wonderful rollers on the way to the College.

Weather: Most of the time, heavily overcast, temperature around 53 at the start rising to 65 by the end of the ride (once the clouds lifted and the sun came out, which began when we were riding through Thurmont). 5-10 mph winds.

AMS: 12.6

Mechanicals/Mishaps: Immediately out of Utica Park Randy's bike wouldn't upshift properly - not a problem that could be solved on the road, so he turned back.

Report: When we pulled into Utica Park, the parking area we usually use was filled with cars and people, with soccer games or practice going on. Down by the pavilion that lot was filled with cars too: cars with bikes with fat knobby tires. We'd happened on the last day of Dirty Kitten Gravel's Cat Camp. OHBike member Sabine Hentrich was among the group, having spent four arduous days of riding and training in the Catoctins.

Our route intersected with theirs at Loy Station Park, and we had a chance to observe their colorful team kit and helmets with cat ears. I wish I'd photographed them instead of taking pictures of the bridge and the playground.

Leaving Loys Station Park we continued on, stopping to regroup and take pictures at the Fourpoints Bridge on Keysville Rd.

Harry continued on his own when we went into Mt St Mary's College. The McGowan Center was closed (who'd have thought they'd close the student center on Easter Sunday at a Catholic college, eh?) but we four had a nice break, albeit without restroom stop, there anyway. We had the restroom stop at Roddy Bridge Park a few miles later,

then stopped at the High's in Thurmont for snacks. We stopped at the Utica Bridge for another photo op (and, to tell the truth, we were getting a bit tired at this point) before tackling the final half-mile climb back to Utica Park.

Brooks Woods, Leitch & North Beach (CC, 36)

Stephen Palincsar — Sat, 30 Mar 2024 14:30:00 GMT

Leader: Steve Palincsar

Members: Tom Short, Patricia Sanders, Rick Hagen, Lisa Petersen, Ron Altemus, Linda Bankerd

Guests: none

Route: https://ridewithgps.com/routes/42130944 36 mi, 1750' elevation gain

Weather: The forecast was overcast skies, the low 50s at the start rising to the low 60s by mid-afternoon and 10 mph winds. The ground truth was a bit different: 55 and sunny at the start, windy when you were riding into the wind but quite comfortable, until we arrived at the Chesapeake Market. Sometime during lunch the clouds closed in and the temperature dropped enough we were cold until we climbed 5th St and got thoroughly warmed up. By 2:30 it started looking as though it was going to rain (as they said on the radio) although it did not do so.

AMS: 13.3

Mechanicals/Mishaps: none

Report: We were met in the parking lot by Harold Datz and Rita Z who were doing our ride with bonus miles on their own. They left before we did, but we met them at the Chesapeake Market; they left there before us, too, but we met them in the parking lot at the end of the ride.

It was a lovely day for cycling, and we met three, perhaps four organized rides and a few cyclists out on their own including several we met at the Market. North Beach is a very popular cycling destination, and we were on several of the region's premier cycling roads so this was no surprise, but as usual it was very gratifying to see.

At Chesapeake Market, Ron informed me that Lisa scored a turtle rescue, perhaps the first of the season. We had a leisurely lunch at the Market, so enjoying the day and each other's company we didn't notice the sky clouding over and the temperature dropping until it was time to leave. We felt quite cold until we started climbing, but by the time we reached Boyd's Turn we'd gained 215' and had warmed up and were comfortable once more.

This route is a bit unusual, putting us on roads we seldom if ever use (well, except for Rick and Lisa, who live down here and ride these roads all the time) riding in directions we seldom go.

Friday IHRT All Class - 20 Mile

Randall Schoch — Fri, 29 Mar 2024 14:00:00 GMT

Leader - Jackie Schoch (Randy teaching)

Members - Ron Altemus, Gene Villiva, Linda Bankerd, Donaro Gardner, and Oswald Martin.

Guests - None

Route - IHRT

Weather - Partly cloudy, 49 degrees, (but felt like 46),

AMS - Varied per/rider

Mechanicals/Mishaps - None

Report - We saw more walkers than bikers, Gene saw two eagles. High water and running all along the path.

Mill Swamp, Goose Bay & Bumpy Oak (CC, 34)

Stephen Palincsar — Tue, 26 Mar 2024 14:30:00 GMT

Leader: Steve Palincsar

Members: Ron Altemus, Pat Walthers, Anonymous User

Guests: none

Route: https://ridewithgps.com/routes/40649260

Weather: The forecast was 40s at the start rising to low 50s, but that was way off: it was almost 60 by the time we finished. It was cloudy with lots of warm sun, with a light breeze of 6-7 mph that to us felt like a lot more. In all, a very nice day for riding.

AMS: 12.1

Mechanicals/Mishaps: none

Report: It's always fun riding to Goose Bay, and we enjoy exploring all the different ways you can get there and back. Today, we took Bicknell to Poorhouse, down Annapolis Woods and Fire Tower to MD-6, then up Mill Swamp. After a very pleasant break at Goose Bay we went up Blossom Point and took 6 to Burch, then Poorhouse to Ripley, Ripley to Hawthorne, Hawthorne to Bumpy Oak and the IHRT back.

An interesting factoid: Randoplan predicted we would arrive at Goose Bay at 12:04. We arrived at 12:02. Randoplan is an excellent planning tool, and gives you a whole lot more than just a weather forecast. Read my article on Randoplan in the March newsletter for more about it.

The most important wildlife sighting was the two whitetail deer that ran across Brentland Rd right in front of us on the way back from Goose Bay. Here the old adage proved its value: if you see on deer crossing the road in front of you, expect more. Today, just one more and far enough ahead of us as to present no risk.

Woodburn Hill, Wicomico Shores & Baptist Church (CC 33)

Stephen Palincsar — Sun, 24 Mar 2024 15:00:00 GMT

"Eagles!"

Wicomico River at Wicomico Shores Landing

Leader: Steve Palincsar

Members: Janell Saunders, Ron Altemus, Janet Shipko, Dave VanAmayden

Route: https://ridewithgps.com/routes/45896776

Weather: Sunny and clear with a brisk 15 mph wind with gusts up to 20 mph. 40 at the start (which felt like the mid-30s) rising to 50 (which barely felt like 40, except for when we were sitting out of the wind at Chaptico).

AMS: 12.3

Mechanicals/Mishaps: none

Report: Let's hope today was Winter's curtain call. The sun was plenty warm, but oh that wind.

We rode down Woodburn Hill Rd hoping to see eagles (you often do in the Spring, thanks to Amish Meat on Westham Ln) and our hopes were fulfilled. We were all alone on Woodburn Hill Rd, except for a number of curious horses and sheep, and of course the eagles. After a while they flew overhead to check us out.

We fought a headwind backtracking on Woodburn Hill, and continued fighting it on Dixie Lyon. There were only a few cars on Thompson Corner, but traffic picked up quite a bit on Budd's Creek. It was quit pretty at Wicomico Shores Landing, but there was no sheltering from the wind that brought us the engine sounds from Potomac Speedway.

With the wind at our back we fairly flew down to Chaptico. It was only six miles from our previous stop, but we rested there out of the wind, basking in the sun, talking about ice cream and cold days until it was time to leave. Baptist Church was almost empty, as was the Three Notch Trail. We were happy to arrive back at Northern Senior Center feeling as though we'd ridden far more than 33.5 miles, and climbed more than the 931 feet recorded by my Garmin.

This is a very pretty route, and on a mild day would have been a fine introduction to Spring.

Friday ALL Class IHRT ~20 miles

Ron Altemus — Fri, 22 Mar 2024 14:00:00 GMT

Leader:   Ron Altemus

Members:   Gene Villiva and Leesha Saunders

Route:   Indian Head Rail Trail, round trip from Livingston Rd parking lot eastbound to White Plains trailhead.

Weather:   chilly with temps only in the mid 40s; a bit of sun at the start giving way to cloudy conditions; 8+ mph air out of the eastern quadrant

AMS:   varied by rider but mostly in the 11s

Mechanicals/Mishaps:   a brief period of balky shifting outbound that seemed to cure itself on the return

Report:   a small contingent, not surprising given the weather conditions. We basically rode as a moderately spaced out trio with the usual amount of lively conversation. Other trail users included walkers and cyclists though not in large numbers.

Wildlife sightings included an eagle on the nest just east of the Livingston Road parking lot, a bluebird, a Great Blue Heron, and lots of unidentifiable brown something birds. We also saw a cow closer to Livingston Road than the Bumpy Oak farm where is should normally be grazing.

Cherry Blossom Tour 2024

Sherwood — Thu, 21 Mar 2024 13:00:00 GMT

On a cold and windy Thursday morning, Linda Bankerd, Janet Shipko, Jessica Hirschhorn, Sue Gunter, Esther Stewart, Althea Johnson, Robin Garnett, and Anonymous User joined Sherwood Byers and Steve Palincsar, Ride Leaders for the Oxon Hill Bike and Trail Club (OHBTC) annual Cherry Blossom Tour.

All meeting at Daingerfield Island Sailing Marina, and a short pre-ride briefing the tour started on time. The decision to do this tour during the week instead of the weekend to avoid the chaos of the traffic and crowds proved to be of great benefit. The weather conditions also helped.

We continued our ride to Hains Point where the ride was pleasant and virtually free of pedestrian and motor vehicle traffic. We took a group photo just west of the point and then continued on to the Tidal Basin

for some final memory photos before the cherry trees are cut down for the reconstruction of the Tidal Basin Wall.

After a tour around Haines Point and the Tidal Basin a brief respite was taken at the Franklin D. Roosevelt Memorial the group began its trek up the Capital Crescent Trail (CCT) to Kenwood for the tour to continue of its viewing of cherry blossoms. No one seemed to want ice cream today so we just continued past Sarah's Ice Cream and into the Kenwood community. Climbing a slight incline toward the incline the blossoms started to come into view. All met at the circle where we all rode through the neighborhood viewing the trees in there glorious showing of blosoms. After the viewing we all returned to the circle to regroup and continue to Bethesda for a rest stop.

During our time at the rest stop it was starting to get late and approaching rush hour we all decided to return utilizing the CCT which allowed us to save time without being involved in the Rock Creek Parkway "Mad Rush".

Flickr photo album here.

Tour de Accokeek & Bryans Road (CC, 33 mi)

Stephen Palincsar — Sun, 17 Mar 2024 15:00:00 GMT

Ride leader: Steve Palincsar

Members: Donaro Gardner, Pat Walthers, Walt Roscello, Patricia Sanders

Route: https://ridewithgps.com/routes/44628163 As ridden, 30.6 mi, 962' elevation gain. We skipped the development-that-never-was on Fenwick.

Weather: 53 at the start, 73 by the time we finished. Initial gloomy, dark clouds gave way to a bright, sunny day that turned out 10 degrees warmer than forecast.

AMS: 11.3 Sometimes you just don't feel all that much like hurrying.

Ride report: An unexpectedly nice day for this expanded version of our Wednesday night classic.

Deale, Shadyside Churchtown Tour (CC, 39)

Stephen Palincsar — Sat, 16 Mar 2024 14:30:00 GMT

Leader: Steve Palincsar

Members: Janet Shipko, Catherine Ade, Ron Altemus, Jessica Hirschhorn, Janell Saunders, Tom Short, Sherwood Byers, Linda Bankerd, Sue Gunter

Guests: Jim Belcher

Route: https://ridewithgps.com/routes/6397811 37.4 mi, 456' elevation gain according to my Garmin, less mileage and more elevation than RWGPS shows

Weather: Sunny, 51 at the start rising to around 59 by afternoon, and breezy: 8-10 mph but it seemed much windier than that along the shores of the Chesapeake Bay.

AMS: 12.1

Mechanicals/Mishaps: none

Report: A crisp spring day with a brilliant blue sky and strong breezes almost everywhere we turned -- and turn we did, over a hundred times -- as we explored one waterside neighborhood after another, winding through picturesque lanes then riding as a cohesive group along the Shadyside Rd and Deale Churchtown Rd, the main arteries that tie these communities together.

We stopped twice at Christophers Fine Foods and twice at South County Cafe and also had a rest stop at Shadyside Park near the far end of the peninsula and a photo op on the Bay shore at Franklin Manor. There's a lot of variety, large upscale homes with yachts moored just across the road, modest bungalows on narrow lanes that could almost be driveways, and almost everything in between.

The 12.1 mph AMS conceals as much as it reveals. We had a total elapsed time of 4 hrs 41 minutes and a total riding time of 3 hrs 5 minutes, 1 hr 35 min stopped, including easily a half-hour at South County Cafe at the very end of the ride. The speed while riding varied from close to 15 mph traveling from one neighborhood to the next, to less than 10 mph cruising through the neighborhoods seeing the sights.

The ride is designed to easily be shortened, and two of the group decided to head straight back after visiting the far reaches of the Shadyside Peninsula, and several more who skipped the Cafe stop a half mile from the end.

It was great fun, and a lovely day to be out enjoying the scenery, touring in a way that can only be done by bicycle.

Friday IHRT All Class - 20 Mile

Randall Schoch — Fri, 15 Mar 2024 14:00:00 GMT

Leader - Jackie Schoch (Randy is still subbing Tai Chi)

Members - front row: Gene Villiva, RL Jackie, Donaro Gardner. Back row: Leesha Saunders, Ron and Susan Altemus.

Route - IHRT

AMS - Varied per/rider

Mechanicals/Mishaps - None

Report - We only saw turtles and one black snake (I helped a small turtle across the trail). There other walkers with dogs and bike riders. We saw new member Pam Montgomery on the trail.

Durham Church, Smallwood Church, Creeds Mill (CC, 36)

Stephen Palincsar — Tue, 12 Mar 2024 14:30:00 GMT

Leader: Steve Palincsar

Members: (L to R) Donaro Gardner, Rita Z, Patricia Sanders, Harold Datz, Oswald Martin, Janet Shipko, Pat Walthers, Anonymous User

Guests: none

Route: https://ridewithgps.com/routes/43783609 36.5 mi, 1672' elevation gain.

Weather: Sunny, breezy (8-13 mph with gusts up to 22 mph), 53 at the start, predicted to rise to 68 but it actually 75.

AMS: 12.7

Mechanicals/Mishaps: Harold flatted on some debris on the shoulder of Chicamuxen Rd just at Lackey HS. Others were luckier and avoided it. One rider missed the turn from Ironsides onto Baptist Church (one of many who've made that same mistake over the years) but we waited and he caught up.

Report: A terrific day for March, and fabulous to be riding in weather over 70 degrees, although dressing for the day was a challenge, with a greater than 20 degree difference in temperature between ride start and ride end. The start was a bit delayed because Anonymous User ran into heavy traffic, but that gave time for Harold and Rita, who decided to join us at the very last minute, to get ready.

It was a breezy ride up Chicamuxen, Bicknell and Pisgah Marbury to the Stuckeys and Poorhouse, south on Annapolis Woods, west on 6 and up Durham Church. We regrouped (a convenient excuse for clothing adjustments, one of the percs of being a ride leader) on Pisgah Marbury, Annapolis Woods, Durham Church and Baptist Church but after the rest stop at the Nanjemoy Community Center (an SRO crowd today watching a presentation, we never did find out what the subject was) we evened out the pace.

We stopped at Smallwood Park for a photo op and a rest (this ride was fairly long and challenging for this early in the season) then went down to the shores of the Mattawoman Creek before riding the final miles back to Livingston Rd.

Friday IHRT All Class - 20 Mile

Randall Schoch — Fri, 08 Mar 2024 15:00:00 GMT

Leader - Jackie Schoch (Ron called in sick and Randy was subbing Tai Chi).

Members - Donaro Gardner, Robin Garnett, Oswald Martin, Leesha Saunders, and Gene Villiva.

Guests - None

Route - IHRT

Weather - Chilly in the 50's

AMS - Varied per/rider

Mechanicals/Mishaps - None

Report - Some of the riders didn't realize that the start time was moved from 10:30 to 10am. We started about 10:15am. There were a lot of walkers being led by their dogs. Only saw a few other bike riders. It was good to see Pam Montgomery riding her bike. We saw 6 young turtles sunning on a log. Jackie went to St. James for their Fish Fry lunch box to take home for Randy and Jackie.

Goose Bay, Pisgah Marbury (CC, 37)

Stephen Palincsar — Sun, 03 Mar 2024 15:30:00 GMT

Leader: Steve Palincsar

Members: Randy & Jackie Schoch, Patricia Walthers, Tom Short, Oswald Martin, Lisa Petersen, Rick Hagen, Ron Altemus, Donaro Gardner, Paul Hamilton, Lou Dall'Orso and Darrell Meyer

Guests: none

Route: https://ridewithgps.com/routes/44986801 36.9 mi, 1299' elevation gain.

Weather: As predicted, 53 at the start rising to 61, partly cloudy with 55% cloud cover at the start, gradually improving throughout the day with 2mph gentle breezes. What actually happened: bright warm sun, blue sky with some clouds and almost 60 by the time we got going, but with 8 mph winds. By noon it clouded over completely and without the warmth of the sun it felt more like 53 than the 60 the Garmins were claiming. By the time we got back to the ride start, the clouds parted, the sun came out and the temperature rose to 65.

AMS: 13.2 at the front, high 12s at the back.

Mechanicals/Mishaps: none

Report: The parking lot was almost full at 10, but we moved cars to make some room and by 10:30 some of the early users had left so we eventually all fit. We were a large group, and fairly well strung out so we regrouped often. The store was closed at Goose Bay: they're still on winter hours, closed Sundays, and to be fair, Spring is much more advanced in Alexandria than it is in Welcome. It has been raining a lot in the past few days, and low-lying areas are all thoroughly saturated, with frogs peeping.

Goose Bay was a lot of fun, as always. By the time we were ready to leave the clouds had blocked the sun and the wind picked up, so the return felt colder than the ride out to Goose Bay. A few riders left the group and went back on their own, and a few made an unscheduled stop for provisions at the Pisgah Store before we continued on to Pisgah Park for a second rest stop and returned on Pisgah Marbury and Chicamuxen.

Spring is almost here, and I think it's time to put the snow shovels back in the shed and get the bikes ready for the road.

Friday IHRT All Class - 20 Mile

Randall Schoch — Fri, 01 Mar 2024 15:30:00 GMT

Leader - Jackie Schoch (Randy was teaching Tai Chi at the Y)

Members - Donaro Gardner, RL Jackie, Oswald Martin, Pam Montgomery, Darnell Meyer, and Gene Villiva. (Not pictured: Ron Altemus, photog)

Route - IHRT

Weather - Nice in the 50's

AMS - Varied per/rider

Mechanicals/Mishaps - Pam (a new rider) had a lesson on changing gears and proper seating. This is when I miss Calvin.

Report - We didn't see many animals but the frogs were singing so spring is near. A few walkers and other bike riders.

Remember that next Friday is a fish fry at St. James'.

Port Tobacco, Locust Grove & Pisgah Marbury (CC, 34)

Stephen Palincsar — Tue, 27 Feb 2024 15:30:00 GMT

Leader: Steve Palincsar

Members: Anonymous User, Janet Shipko, Tom Short, Joan Oppel, Lou Dall'Orso, Donaro Gardner

Route: https://ridewithgps.com/routes/39997093 34 miles, 1234' elevation gain as planned on a route that went up Bumpy Oak and down Rose Hill, then took Chapel Point to a brief stop at Port Tobacco River Park, then up Locust Grove, across 301 onto Springhill Newtown, left on Glen Albin to Oak and a rest stop at the Dash In in La Plata. After shortening the ride to beat the inbound rain, 28 miles and 1023' elevation gain.

Weather: Sunny and windy at the start, making a 59 degree temperature feel quite a bit chillier than that. As we made our way to La Plata, just as predicted, it clouded over and the wind grew in force. The rain coming in from the west, predicted to arrive between 1:30 - 2:00 pm actually started at 1:15, the first drops falling as we went through the traffic light at Chicamuxen Rd. By the time Joan and Janet, who had taken a slightly longer route back that went to Pisgah and then down Mason Springs arrived at 1:30, just as the occasional drops turned into steady light rain.

AMS: 12.8

Mechanicals/Mishaps: none

Report: The plan was to take 6, go up Valley, left on Hawthorne to Ripley, then wend our way to Pisgah, Pisghah Marbury and Chicamuxen back. Incipient rain forced a change: most of the group skipped the turn on Ripley and took Hawthorne straight back, while Joan and Janet did their own abbreviated version that went to Pisgah and came straight back on Mason Springs. We arrived just as the rain began, Joan and Janet arriving 15 minutes later. It was good to get out and ride, and as always a pleasant route even in its abbreviated form. Thanks to all who braved an uncertain forecast.

I arrived early, having taken the thru bridge and missing the traffic jam caused by the car on fire in the local lanes, giving me the time to ride up and down the IHRT and photograph this pond while I waited. It was a busy day for emergency services in La Plata, too: we saw several fire engines, a couple of ambulances and a police car heading south on MD-6 while we were at the Dash-In. Joan said the same thing happened the last time we had a ride stop there a couple of weeks ago.

Mason Neck & Hallowing Point

Joan Oppel — Sun, 25 Feb 2024 15:30:00 GMT

Leader: Joan Oppel

Members: Catherine Ade, Darrell Meyer, Steve Palincsar, Janet Shipko, Dave Van Ameyden, Genen Villiva
Two of the original riders shortened the route, one returning from the park to the cars and another heading straight back after Gunston Manor.

Route: https://ridewithgps.com/routes/32603318 The standard exploration of the Mason Neck area and Hallowing Point

Weather: Sunny, temperature at the start about 37 and increasing to 43. Around mid-ride, we experienced some wind, 8 mph according to the weather widget on my Garmin.

Mechanicals/Mishaps: none

Report: Some cancellations brought the group size down to 7 at the start. We stayed together, enjoying the sunshine, and following the leader on a few route variations. Those include following the route first down Belmont Landing, where most flew down the hill toward the GMU center, for the opportunity to climb right back up the double digit grade. Next alteration was to take the dirt section of Belmont Landing to rejoin pavement. The rest stop at Mason Neck Visitor's Center was very nice in the sunshine behind the center overlooking Belmont Bay. An eagle graced us with a near shore overhead flight.

From there on to Hallowing Point, where the leader inadvertently reversed the cue sheet exploration at the end of the peninsula but everyone followed the leader and no rider losses ensued. We circled Gunston Manor, then on to Gunston Hall where we gathered behind the visitor center to view the Gunston Mansion. The house dates to 1759.

Next stop Pohick Bay, where we again diverted from the route to go all the way to water's edge and immediately climb back out on another double digit hill.

It was a fun ride, and a nice winter outing.

Gunston Hall - 1759 (photos by Steve P)

Mason Neck Park with Belmont Bay background

Mallows Bay, Liverpool Point (CC, 33)

Stephen Palincsar — Tue, 20 Feb 2024 15:30:00 GMT

Leader: Steve Palincsar

Members: Joan Oppel, Lisa Petersen, Rick Hagen, Ron Altemus

Route: https://ridewithgps.com/routes/45601885 32.6 mi, 1310' elevation gain

Weather: Sunny with light high clouds, 40 at the start rising to 47 by early afternoon. 5 mph winds made today feel quite a bit warmer than yesterday. In all, a beautiful day for late February.

AMS: 11.8

Mechanicals/Mishaps: none

Report: It was a bit chilly as we left Pisgah Park and headed south on Mason Springs. We turned right on MD-6, then left on Bowie, only to encounter almost all the traffic we were to see, car after car overtaking us in a hurry to one can only wonder where. We took Poseytown to MD-6, then turned on Greenleek Hill and then Sandy Point, making our way to Riverside and a rest stop at Mallows Bay.

After the break we rode down to the end of Liverpool Point Road, making our way past muddy puddles at the end of the road and coming down to the Potomac Shore.

It felt like being kids again, riding our bikes down to the river to look for shark's teeth. What fun!

Leaving Liverpool Point, we took Jackson Point to MD-6, turned on Chicamuxen and followed it for around six miles to a leisurely stop at Smallwood Park, then took Sweden Point to Mason Spring back to Pisgah Park. What a great way to spend a February Tuesday!

Goose Bay Presidents' Day Excursion (CC, 34)

Stephen Palincsar — Mon, 19 Feb 2024 23:02:49 GMT

Leader: Steve Palincsar

Members: Catherine Ade, Mackenzie Love

Guests: none

Route: https://ridewithgps.com/routes/40426586 33.7 mi, 1253' elevation gain.

Weather: Sunny, windy, 43 (felt like the high 30s) when we started, rising to around 48 (felt like around 42 or 43) when we finished.

AMS: 12.8

Mechanicals/Mishaps: none

Report: A pleasant ride to one of our favorite destinations, and a delightful time eating lunch in the sun and away from the wind at Goose Bay.

Friday IHRT All Class - 20 Mile

Randall Schoch — Fri, 16 Feb 2024 15:30:00 GMT

Leaders - Jackie & Randy Schoch

Members - Donaro Gardner, RLs J&R, Darrell Meyer, and Gene Villiva. Not pictured - Ron Altemus, photog.

Route - IHRT

Weather - Overcast, cold, and breezy

AMS - Varied per/rider

Report - Because of the weather, just our normal Friday trail riders. Not many others on the trail (parking lots pretty empty). There were a few dogs walking their humans. We also saw geese and a crane. We had a tail wind pushing us to the White Plains rest stop and we didn't stay long at the rest stop because of the cold. So, we headed back quickly and we all arrived at the parking lot about the same time. Remember, next Friday is the Fish Fry at St. James's Episcopal Church for lunch after the ride.

Merkle & Jug Bay Circles

Joan Oppel — Thu, 15 Feb 2024 15:30:00 GMT

Leader - Joan Oppel

Members - Steve Palincsar, Janet Shipko

Route - 34 miles up and down familiar roads and circling Merkle and Jug Bay - https://ridewithgps.com/routes/29091959

Weather - Sunnier than expected, about 37 at the start, rising to 42, also more wind than expected

Mechanicals/Mishaps - None

Report - A scenic ride, up Van Brady to start, including Mt Calvert and Duley Station to a break at Jug Bay. Then St Thomas Church and Fenno to circle Merkle, on to Nottingham, Tanyard and Brooks Church with a short stretch on Croom to Candy Hill and Molly Berry to finish on North Keys. HIghlights included a number of short hills, new pavement on Croom Airport, Brooks Church and Nottingham and familiar lovely low traffic roads.

Steve took this picture of the pond near the Merkle portapotty. For the record, Steve always takes some version of this picture at Merkle, this one includes the geese who are frequent visitors.

South County Bayside Tour

Stephen Palincsar — Sat, 10 Feb 2024 15:30:00 GMT

Leader: Steve Palincsar

Members: Catherine Ade, Walt Roscello

Guests: none

Route: https://ridewithgps.com/routes/45533084

Weather: Overcast, mid-50s at the start. It was supposedly going to rise to the high 50s/low 60s by noon or so, but that didn't happen. If anything, it got colder the closer we got to the Bay, and it didn't really start warming up until we were on our way back on Bay Front.

AMS: 12.4 with an asterisk (half the ride was pootling around on the back streets of Deale at less than 10 mph)

Mechanicals/Mishaps: none

Report: We were five until last-minute cancellations left just Catherine, Walt and me. If we'd have had yesterday's weather this would have been a glorious, beautiful ride and a report filled with scenic photos, because the back roads of Deale Beach, Mason Beach and Mimosa Cove (the first time I've ever visited it, too) are beyond charming. But instead, it was a gray day and for me a chilly one.

Brunch at South County Cafe was a treat, as usual; this time we sat out on the porch, another first for me.

We stopped at the 7-Eleven before heading back for the return on Bay Front -- long the traditional rest stop for Deale rides dating back for decades -- but were disappointed to see they've reconfigured the store and eliminated the public rest room. The Subway in that same shopping center still has one, but the Highs on the other side of the traffic circle is the better bet for a convenience store rest stop on rides where you don't have the time to stop and enjoy the South County Cafe.

I'd planned a return that left Bay Front at Brooks Woods and came back to it on Little, but at the 7-Eleven Walt showed us a radar map showing rain immediately to the south. It looked like a race back to the car to beat the rain so Catherine and I stayed on Bay Front. We were a bit surprised to see Walt turning on Brooks Woods to take the alternate loop we skipped. He was only a few seconds behind when we returned to the cars. And as it turned out, the rain never materialized. It still hasn't.

Friday IHRT ALL Class ~20 miles

Ron Altemus — Fri, 09 Feb 2024 15:30:00 GMT

Leader:   Ron Altemus

Members:   Gene Villiva, Maryjane Obichere, Darrell Meyer, Jackie & Randy Schoch

Route:    Indian Head Rail Trail - Livingston Rd parking lot east to White Plains trailhead and return.

Weather:   decent enough for February w/temps in the upper 40s rising to the mid 50s, plenty of sunshine with resultant blue skies, and 6-7 mph air movement from the SW

AMS:   varied by individual but probably everyone in the 11s or higher

Mechanicals/Mishaps:   none

Report:   A welcome to new member Maryjane who joined the club after guesting on the previous Friday IHRT ride. She, along with Darrell, got in some additional miles by continuing west towards Indian Head proper before returning to the start.

No wildlife sightings and not too many other cyclists or runners/joggers/walkers. We did encounter two women on roller blades, going in opposite directions, near the Bumpy Oak pond.

La Plata by way of some hills

Joan Oppel — Tue, 06 Feb 2024 15:30:00 GMT

Leader - Joan Oppel

Members - Anonymous, Steve Palincsar, Patricia Sanders, Pat Walthers

Route - https://ridewithgps.com/routes/45519075 A few hills and a recorded 1550 feet of climbing in 35 miles.

Weather - Very sunny, about 37 at start, rising to 43 a little more than halfway into the ride, steady from there. The most impactful weather feature was the wind, noticeably breezy at around 8-10 mph, and with a distinct cold edge.

Mechanicals/Mishaps - Chain drop

Report - Within about 3 miles, our group of 5 split into two segments. Two riders decided they would tackle hills another day and went off to ride the rail trail and some surrounding neighborhoods in the Indian Head area. The remaining three of us continued on to climb up Chapel Point to St Ignatius (where we took advantage of the indoor bathroom), then to cross 301 and ascend the Beast of Bel Alton. Before we reached La Plata, we climbed up Glen Albin to Oak St. We descended Mt Mitchell (not Mt Pisgah as stated in ride listing) and took the long way around Marshall Corner to the rail trail crossing at Pomfret. Having jumped on the trail, two opted to head straight for Livingston while your ride leader went up Bumpy Oak to make a sharp turn on Livingston to get back to the trail parking lot. An enjoyable day was had by all.

Starbucks Espresso (with Chapman's Landing, IHRT, Bumpy Oak), B (other class riders invited), c33 miles, Diane Harris

Diane Harris — Sun, 04 Feb 2024 17:00:00 GMT

Leader- Diane Harris

Members - Stewart S, Lou D, Ken M, Theresa R, Liam H, Sam P, Larry M, Sherwood B

Guests - Winfred D, Lonnie B

Route - Starbucks Espresso (Chapman's Landing, IHRT, Bumpy Oak)

Weather - Sunny, mild, temperature in the low 50s

Mechanicals/Mishaps - None

AMS - Ride leader 14.0

Report- The nice February weather brought riders out to join me on this modified Starbucks Espresso route. A variation from the usual, this route has us first crossing MD 210 (Indian Head Hwy), avoiding Berry Rd with its accompanying traffic. Backroads took us from Accokeek to Bryans Rd, to the first climb, a short steep section of Chapman's Landing Rd. The beauty of this is it's a very lightly traveled road that parallels Indian Head Hwy, taking us to a more rural part of Charles County. Our first stop was at the Pisgah store, past the artful display of colorfully painted bicycles in the yard and bordering the driveway of a house along the way. Once back on the bikes, we rode to the IHRT, where we stopped briefly for a porta-potty break. We enjoyed the flat IHRT, knowing this easy segment of the ride would come to an abrupt end with the climb up Bumpy Oak Rd, the most challenging climb of this route. Once that climb was behind us, we enjoyed the remaining few miles back to the parking lot, which included short sections on the wide shoulder of Indian Head Hwy as well as roads paralleling it. Totally enjoyed this route and the company of those who joined me on a very nice February afternoon.

Montgomery County Hills (with a touch of Frederick)

Joan Oppel — Sun, 04 Feb 2024 15:30:00 GMT

Leader - Joan Oppel

Members - Linda Blackman, Carol Dreher, Susan Golonka, Lynda Honberg, Bill Loewe, Sheila Loewe, Ray Luckenbach, Janet Shipko, Pat Walthers

Route - https://ridewithgps.com/routes/45201256 Ride start is from the Adventure Playground at South Germantown Recreation Park.

Weather - About 42 at start, sunny all day, no discernible wind, ending temperature about 50. A sweet February day.

Mechanicals/Mishaps - None

Report - General consensus ride report - everyone liked the route, it's pretty and scenic and mostly low traffic. The route includes 2400 feet of climbing in 34.6 miles.

The weather was outstanding. The mood was social. And three people got lost, in two different places. Despite the ride leader stopping at turns to wait for riders behind, two riders who were quite far out in front missed a key turn before the rest stop. One of them called her husband who had already arrived at the rest stop and was directed to an alternate route to reach the rest stop. They were significantly delayed but some riders waited to make sure they arrived. Later in the ride, another rider missed a turn and two of us turned back to find her, and because the ride leader had a late afternoon activity to attend, at that point, one of the riders waited for our lost one. All got back safely and thoroughly enjoyed the day.

Friday IHRT All Class - 20 Mile

Randall Schoch — Fri, 02 Feb 2024 15:30:00 GMT

Leaders - Jackie & Randy Schoch

Riders: RLs Jackie & Randy, Gene Villiva, Maryjane Obichere (guest), and Diane Harris. Not pictured - Ron Altemus (photog)

Route - IHRT

Weather - Cloudy, cold, and breezy (40's)

AMS - Varied per/rider.

Mechanicals/Mishaps - None

Report - Every one was on early so we started on time. Not many others on the trail this morning. We did see wildlife consisting of squirrels, birds, about six deer crossing the path in front of us all together, and a pair of wood ducks. There were several walkers, children, and dogs on the trail. We had a slight tail wind pushing us to the White Plains rest stop. We didn't stop for long because of the chill in the air and now we had a head wind to fight against on the way back. All made it back to the parking lot but Diane and Maryjane rode on to get in some more miles. We all went our separate ways after the ride. Next Friday, St. James Church will be having a fish fry so several of us might partake of some fish next week?

43 Reverse Great Pumpkin from Vint Hill

Rita Zeidner — Thu, 01 Feb 2024 15:30:00 GMT

Leader: Rita Zeidner with moral and spiritual support provided by Harold Datz

Members: Anonymous

Route: https://ridewithgps.com/routes/38138830

Weather: Perfect for February - mid-50s

AMS: 13ish mph

Mechanicals/Mishaps: None

Report: A nice, flattish, quiet ride for a winter day. We switched up the last 10 miles of the route to show Anonymous a pot belly pig farm. That change would bring us back to go a mile short of the promised 43.3 miles. We couldn't have that, so we circled environs to end the ride with 43.97. Some people-- particularly those coming from Alexandria - worry about (clutch your pearls) possible heavy traffic on I-66. The days of the awful construction projects are over. It was a smooth, fast ride from Falls Church that took us less time to get to Vint Hill than it takes us to get to the normal ride starts. You should try it sometime!

P.S. Vint Hill is a very good place to start. When I lead, I park in the community center parking lot, though for larger groups, you might try a different nearby parking lot. The folks at the community center allow us to use the rest rooms and on occasion, I've even used the shower. There is also good food (and beer) nearby.

Fire Tower>Mill Swamp ~31 miles

Ron Altemus — Sat, 27 Jan 2024 15:30:00 GMT

Leader:   Ron Altemus

Members:   Sherwood Byers, Sr., Joan Oppel, Walt Roscello, Janell Saunders, Steve Perakis, Linda Bankerd, Tom Short, Sue Gunter, Pat Walthers. Not pictured: Patricia Sanders, Rita Zeidner & Harold Datx

Route:   https://ridewithgps.com/routes/41603248 31.4 mi, 1000' elevation gain. Chicamuxen, Bicknell and Pisgah Marbury to Poorhouse, Annapolis Woods and Fire Tower for a rest stop at Scott's Store. Next down MD-6 to Mill Swamp, up Blossom Point to MD-6, Burch and Poorhouse to a second rest stop at Pisgah Park. Final return on Bicknell, Chicamuxen, Hawthorne and Livingston Rd.

Weather:   if Friday (1/26) hadn't set records for January high temperatures, we all would have been saying what great weather. Temp range of 55-58 (w/maybe a bit of 60 in the sun on Fire Tower), mostly sunny giving way to cloudy, and 7ish mph winds out of the northern quadrant.

AMS:   ride leader swept at 11.9; others were much faster

Mechanicals/Mishaps:   none

Report: a nice turnout as club members, with an eye on the forecast, realized this would be another good day for bicycling in Southern Maryland. From the onset, we splintered into any number of groups as all classes of riders were participating. One rider had time constraints so peeled off before Scott's; two others planned additional miles so weren't present for the group photo (above).

Traffic for the most part was light though for the sweep group, coming back on Hawthorne, we had a large number of vehicles pass us after the light had changed on Chicamuxen.

Friday IHRT All class ~20 miles

Ron Altemus — Sat, 27 Jan 2024 02:27:33 GMT

Leader:   Ron Altemus

Members:   Dan Donahue, Jackie Schoch, Oswald Martin, Gene Villiva, Donaro Gardner

Route:   Friday Fav - Indian Head Rail Trail, Livingston Rd parking lot east to White Plains trailhead for a rest stop and then return

Weather:   Mostly sunny with swaths of clouds occasionally obscuring the sun, winds out of the SW 8-9 mph, and temps starting at 70 rising to mid 70s by ride's end

AMS:   immaterial - varied by rider

Mechanicals/Mishaps: none

Report:   Quite the weather for the end of January with highs later in the day reaching a record 80 degrees at National Airport. It was a great day to be out riding and anyone who wasn't sure missed a fantastic opportunity. Several in attendance were a tad overdressed, possibly not believing that it would be so warm. By rides end, most of the other trail users, be they walkers, runners, or cyclists, were clothed in shorts and tee shirts.

For a couple of members, this was their first ride of 2024. Understandable, given the weather we had prior in the month. Most everyone rode some additional miles, especially Donaro and Oswald who started/ended at Bensville park and totaled over 40 miles for the day.

Interestingly, turtles were observed basking in the Port Tobacco Creek pond just before White Plains (pictured below on the long logs running horizonally). Per Smithsonian Magazine, it seems that turtles don't go completely dormant during the winter, but instead continually monitor conditions such that light and warmth produce immediate results, hence they stir and find a convenient perch for basking. Also of note: the low water levels in the pond is because the earthen embankment where the pond drains has been breached, probably due to natural conditions, much like a levee failing.

Friday IHRT All class ~20 miles

Ron Altemus — Fri, 12 Jan 2024 15:30:00 GMT

Leader:   Ron Altemus

Members:   Darrell Meyer, Donaro Gardner, Sherwood Byers, Sr, Jackie Schoch

Route:   Indian Head Rail Trail (IHRT) - Livingston Road parking lot east to White Plains trailhead for a rest stop and then return eastward to the start

Weather:   Sunny and bright to start with temperature about 43 degrees but by the time we reached White Plains, it had become mostly cloudy. Wind was out of the east initially around 6-7 mph so a head wind outbound, tailwind on the return. A few of us retraced to Hawthorne and the short ride back east alerted us to the winds increasing to 10 mph.

AMS:   varied significantly by rider

Mechanicals/Mishaps:   none

Report:   Another fairly pleasant day for mid-January though we encountered only one other cyclist and just a few walkers/runners, most of which were between Middletown and White Plains.

Unlike Thursday's 3NT ride where the trail was covered in small branches, gum balls, pine cones, and other debris, the IHRT was it's usual spotless self. All of the rain for the past couple of weeks had caused Mattowoman Creek to overflow its banks. There were stretches alongside of the trail approaching Bumpy Oak where water was pooling, either from the creek or runoff from the surrounding hills.

We encountered Parks staffer Juliana near MM 4 as she was clearing culverts to make sure the next couple of forecasted storms don't impact the trail with flooding waters. She had earlier in the day breached the beaver pond west of the parking lot to insure water wouldn't engulf the trail. Given prior history of such man-made breaches, the beavers will have it repaired quickly though water levels will have dropped to a lower level protecting the trail.

In talking with Juliana, we made sure to extend our appreciations to Charles County Parks, in general, and her in particular, for keeping the trail so nicely maintained. The refrain on Thursday's 3NT ride had been "we aren't on the IHRT anymore, Toto!"

Three Notch Trail ALL class 22 miles

Ron Altemus — Thu, 11 Jan 2024 15:30:00 GMT

Leader: Ron Altemus

Members: Jackie & Randy Schoch

Route: From the Northern Senior Center, we took the 3NT north into Charles County and Deborah Lane before turning and riding south to John Baggett Park. After a short rest stop, we returned on the trail back to our start.

Weather: A very nice day for the 11th of January featuring cloudless blue skies with plenty of sunshine; temps starting in the low 40s and maybe reaching 50 by ride's end; air movement from the SW quadrant, 5 mph early and closer to 10 mph by the finish.

AMS: maybe 11ish(?)

Mechanicals/Mishaps: none

Report: We only saw three, maybe four, other bicyclists today, with a fair number of walkers, mostly near the start or Baggett Park. Perhaps perceived temperatures were too low for many riders or it could be that they knew of the trail conditions. The Tuesday storm's high winds had littered the trail with countless small branches, gum balls, and other debris. Unlike Charles County and the Indian Head Rail Trail, St Mary's County does not have designated staff for 3NT trail maintenance. We spoke with a Parks employee at Baggett Park who said he had alerted higher-ups to the need of having the trail blown off but they are short staffed and said employee is the only one covering most of the parks in that part of the County. Thus, we spent most of the ride zigging and zagging to avoid the clutter on the trail but it did make for an interesting though slower ride.

Starbucks Express Modified (CC)

Stephen Palincsar — Sun, 07 Jan 2024 17:00:00 GMT

Leader: Steve Palincsar

Members: Ron Altemus, Joan Oppel

Route: https://ridewithgps.com/routes/45312277 At least, that's what it was meant to be, and I assume it was for Ron and Joan. Me, I got around 2.5 mi and had a flat. For the rest of my story, see "Mishaps/Mechanicals". And see below for the Ride Report addendum for the riders who completed the route.

Weather: Sunny, mid-40s -- at least, when it was sunny. When clouds covered the sun,m as was the case on the way to the ride start, it dropped into the high 30s, with much binging and bonging and flashing of the SNOW ALERT on my dashboard. The wind wasn't much until it was, but that was when I got back home.

AMS: unknown

Mechanicals/Mishaps: A piece of glass in the front tire, and as we turned onto Bunker Hill the bike didn't feel right. A tenth later the reason was obvious. I have tires and rims that in combination are very difficult to mount and dismount. The temperature today made things worse. Unbelievably worse. With me, Ron and Joan working the problem together, it took us about an hour to get the tire off, replace the tube and remount the tire. Remounting was incredibly hard work, so much so that we resorted to tools other than the Bead Jack to mount the tire. When we finally got the tire on and started inflating the tube, it wouldn't hold air.

At that point I decided enough was enough,we weren't going through that again even though I had yet another tube. It was time for Plan B, which consisted of Ron going 2 1/2 miles back to Starbucks and coming back with his van.

Before I could fully articulate this plan, a Good Samaritan in the form of a woman driving a pickup truck came by. On the way back to Starbucks, she told me she and all her family live along Berry Rd and Bunker Hill. I for one am certainly glad of that fact.

Report addendum from the riders who completed the route - Ron and Joan continued on Bunker Hill Road, and after the frustration of the tire debacle, it was good to be pedaling again. It soon became warm enough for clothing adjustments, with temperatures in the high 40s. We actually had a pleasant ride, even though on some busy roads. Traffic was definitely heavier on this Sunday than during the week. Following Diane's roue, there was a nice stretch of nearly 7 miles on the rail trail, where we took advantage of both a portapotty break and a scenic snack break at the big marsh near Bumpy Oak. The west 14 mph wind hit us on Hawthorne, but Chapman's Landing proved as sheltered as always. We made the decision to alter the return (eliminating the shoulder of 210 for 2+ miles) to Manokeek by crossing 210 at Bryans Road and taking the back way on the west side of 210: Mathews, Gospel Unionor, Livingston, Pine Lane, Manning, cross 210 at Livingston, take Dusty Lane, cross Berry, to approach Manokeek from the north. That added about 2 miles. We had a good ride, were glad to get out.

Steve's report from home continued: It was more comfortable and warmer at home, and that might have helped, because it only took me a half hour to remove the tire and replace the tube with a new one. Patching the tube with the glass puncture wasn't too bad, either: easily found, easily patched.

But things were different when I looked at the tube we installed on the road as such a cost in labor. The tube wouldn't hold air at all initially. The more holes I patched, the more holes I found. In the end, it took six patches for that tube to hold air once more.

Report: I love the idea of piggyback rides. We had such fun with them back before the Pandemic! I thought piggybacking with Diane's B ride would be a great place to start doing it again.

In practice, it didn't quite work out that way. Ron and Joan were a few seconds behind the B group getting mounted up and moving. By the time we reached Berry Rd, the B group was out of sight.

It's been some years since I rode east on Berry Rd, and I'd forgotten what the traffic between the shopping center and Bunker Hill Rd was like. I'd pretty much decided this would be a one-and-done before we made the turn, and then my tire went flat. And now I'm sure.

I hope Ron and Joan had a good ride for the remainder of the route. Perhaps they can edit this and tell us what adventures befell them after we parted ways.

Starbucks Express, B, 26 miles, Diane Harris

Diane Harris — Sun, 07 Jan 2024 17:00:00 GMT

Leader: Diane Harris

Members: Theresa R, Sherwood B, Linda B, Alan K

Guests: None

Route: Starbucks Express-Manokeek Village Shopping Center to the Indian Head Rail Trail by way of roads in Waldorf, then back to the start via Chapman's Landing and other roads including short sections of Indian Head Hwy and roads that parallel Indian Head Hwy.

Weather: Sunny, cool, comfortable for a January Day. By ride start, the roads had dried from the previous day's and night's rain.

AMS: 13.6 (ride leader)

Mechanicals/Mishaps: None

Report: This is the same route as last week's Sunday ride and I enjoyed it, and the company, just as much as I did last week. From the shopping center we take Berry Rd to the turn onto Bunker Hill. This section can have a lot of vehicle traffic but there is a wide shoulder that takes us to our first turn. We use more roads with wide shoulders until we get to Middletown Rd, a 2 lane stretch where (for me) taking the lane is the safest way to get us to the turn onto the Indian Head Rail Trail. It's Winter and the trees are bare which allows you to see clearly what's behind the tree line. After recent heavy rains, I saw how much water there was. A lot!! I'd never seen that much water along the trail. Once off the trail, we had a short climb up Hawthorne to Indian Head Hwy, crossing to take the rollers of Chapman's Landing a prettier option to Indian Head Hwy. The rest of the ride had us alternating stretches of the Hwy with parallel roads until we returned to the shopping center. One of the best parts of this ride was the post ride fellowship with drinks and snacks at the nearby coffee shop.

Friday IHRT All class ~20 miles

Ron Altemus — Fri, 05 Jan 2024 18:00:00 GMT

Leader:   Ron Altemus

Members:   Sherwood Byers, Sr., Donaro Gardner, Darrell Meyer, Denny Miller, Gene Villiva

Route: Indian Head Rail Trail from Livingston Rd parking lot east to White Plains and return

Weather: sunshine and blue skies with high altitude thin cloud puffs, 4-5 mph SW breezes with temps starting in the upper 30s and maybe reaching 40-41 degrees

AMS:   varied by rider; your faithful correspondent swept in the low 11s

Mechanicals/Mishaps:   none

Report: start time was changed to 1 pm in hopes of some solar warming, which at least brought the temps into the upper 30s instead of near freezing. Thankfully, all riders where in full polar bear/freezing saddles cycling attire and coupled with the sunshine, it didn't seem too terribly cold.

Only a few fellow cyclists, some runners, and a couple of young ladies on roller skates to share the trail with during our ride. Wildlife was evidently hunkered down staying warm as there were no sightings to report.

New Year's Day DC Monuments Ride

Joan Oppel — Mon, 01 Jan 2024 15:30:00 GMT

Leader - Joan Oppel

Members - Esther Steward, Robin Garnett, Janet Shipko, Patricia Sanders, Catherine Ade, Gene Villiva, Steve Palincsar, Paul Hamilton, Lisa Peterson, Rick Hagen, Norm Lisy, Chris Moriarity, Linda Bankerd, Sherwood Byers, Ron Altemus, Alan Kurzweil, Carol Torgan

Route - from Washington Sailing Marina,

Weather - Cloudy, 36 at start with scattered rain drops not amounting to actual rain but reappearing periodically during the ride, 38 at end (temperature readings from my Garmin)

Mechanicals/Mishaps - None

Report - Seventeen of us left the marina in a long line, met another rider at the Jefferson Memorial (who remained with us in DC) and another who joined us for the coffee shop stop. Rain drops visited us periodically during the ride but no actual precipitation.

We visited the Tidal Basin side of the Jefferson Memorial, viewed the Martin Luther King Memorial from inside (without bikes), then the Lincoln and the WWII and on to a warm stop at a coffee shop just outside the White House. By the time we left the coffee shop several riders had left us. Thirteen hardy riders continued on to the end.

Brief stop at the White House, then down 15th St cycle track to the Pennsylvania Ave cycle track-which we didn't need today because Pennsylvania Ave was closed all the way to the Capitol for a fitness walk!

Around the Peace Monument at the Capitol, up the nice long hill on Constitution, waving at the Supreme Court, into the Capitol Plaza from First St, waving to the Library of Congress and then stopping at the Botanical Gardens.

We then returned across the Mall and most of the group chose to do the Hains Point Loop (traditional NY Day gathering of cyclists from all over the DMV). Potomac Pedalers members Catherine Kitchell and Butch Counts had a hot drink and snacks station, including hot chocolate that most of us enjoyed. We were chilled but glad to get out and know that we had ridden all year.

More pictures: Lisa Peterson (in pink jacket) and Rick Hagen had a 360 degree camera mounted on a 4 foot pole on the back of Lisa's bike, taking pictures as we rode.

Loop de Loop de DC! New Year's Eve Adventure

Jessica Hirschhorn — Sun, 31 Dec 2023 22:06:56 GMT

Riders were Linda Bankerd, Linda Blackman, Marc Blackman, Denise Calloway, Andrea Clayville, Lisa Friedman, Jenny Haddon, Rick Hagen, Nicole Heckman, Sabine Hentrich, Jessica Hirschhorn, Cynthia Nuzzi, Lisa Petersen, Lynn Schoenfelder, Janet Shipko, Leslie Tierstein, Kurt VanGelder and Cameron Waggoner. 18 in total.

ROUTE: https://ridewithgps.com/routes/42647025 40 miles circumnavigating the DMV. Trails included Capitol Crescent Trail, Rock Creek Trail, Douglass Bridge, Anacostia River Trail, Rachel Carson Greenway, Sligo Creek Trail, and Beach Drive. Keeping this large group together was a challenge, worse after our lunch stop at the MD Meadworks (which everyone enjoyed!) In Sligo Creek Trail, and in the transition from the trail to Beach Drive (using local streets and some admittedly confusing turns) was a challenge. We lost a cyclist who needed to rest and got behind the sweep (me) unbeknownst. She missed an important turn despite having RWGPS running, but used Google Maps/Bike mode to get back to start, where I was waiting for her.

Milage 40.6

Mechanicals: 2 dropped chains, and 1 loss of DI2 battery life, necessitating spousal pickup of cyclist.

PHOTOS: https://www.flickr.com/photos/96852862@N07/shares/3u34088j0p

We all enjoyed this Adventure despite its occasional challenges.

Looking forward to leading it again with a smaller group.

New Year's Eve Starbucks Express, B, 27 miles, Diane Harris

Diane Harris — Sun, 31 Dec 2023 17:00:00 GMT

Leader - Diane Harris

Members - Liam H, Sherwood B, Theresa R, Sam P, Lori M, Alan K

Route - From the Manokeek Shopping Center, Accokeek MD

Weather - Sunny, temperature in the 40s, occasionally breezy

AMS - Ride leader ended with 14.5

Mechanicals/Mishaps - None

Report - It's been a while since I've led a ride for the club and today was a perfect reintroduction for me. Nice route, nice weather, good company. Thanks to all who joined me.

A Simple Smallwood Excursion (C/CC, 21)

Stephen Palincsar — Sun, 31 Dec 2023 16:00:00 GMT

The group at Smallwood Park

Leader: Steve Palincsar

Members: Mary Scala, Catherine Ade, Patricia Sanders, Joan Oppel, Donaro Gardner, Ron Altemus, Janell Saunders and Pat Walthers

Guests: none

Route: https://ridewithgps.com/routes/45236419

Weather: What a lovely day for December 31! Sunny, low 40s at the start rising to the high 40s by early afternoon.

AMS: 11.0

Mechanicals/Mishaps: none

Report: We welcomed out the old year with a ride that welcomed back Pat Walthers, who had been rehabbing from a knee replacement. It was a fairly easy, very simple route that Pat picked out, up Hawthorne and Mighty Mount Pisgah, Ripley to Poorhouse, Poorhouse to Bicknell to Chicamuxen and a stop at Smallwood Park. Return was Chicamuxen with the usual diversion on Marbury Run Rd back to Livingston Rd. We all had fun, and at the end Pat felt tired but good, and happy to be with friends again. We were equally happy to be with her again, and just in time to see the old year out.

Happy 2024, everyone! See you next year.

Tour de Accokeek & Bryans Road - 33 miles

Ron Altemus — Sat, 30 Dec 2023 15:30:00 GMT

Leader: Ron Altemus

Members/Guest: Donaro Gardner, Darrell Meyer, guest Claudia Guidi, Steve palincsar

Route: https://ridewithgps.com/routes/44628163 32.6 miles, 771' elevation change. Regular Tour routing to Bryan's Road then meanderings through South Hampton and Timber Ridge subdivisions back to Marshall Hall Road. Descent of Marshall Hall Road to an exploration on Fenwick prior to a rest stop at Marshall Hall Landing. Return featured out and back on River Rd, Barry Hill Road, a short excursion on Old Marshall Hall Road and return to the firehouse.

Weather: overcast throughout with temps in a narrow range of the mid 40s and 8 mph breezes out of the SW

AMS: swept 11ish

Mechanicals/Mishaps: none

Report: Penultimate ride of 2023 featured views of the Bryans Road area that several participants had never seen nor ridden. We toured as a group throughout the ride, at times side-by-side conversation was quite prevalent. More homes continue to be built in the subdivisions off of Marshall Hall Road: quite amazing that there are so many back there.

Guest Claudia enjoyed her introduction to this part of Southern Maryland. Hopefully, she'll be joining the club to experience additional favorite club routes.

The out and back on Fenwick offered a couple of photo ops:

View across the Potomac to Mason Neck's Hallowing Point neighborhood:

An interesting Christmas display, photo courtesy of Steve Palincsar:

Friday IHRT ALL class ~20 mi.

Ron Altemus — Fri, 29 Dec 2023 15:30:00 GMT

Leader: Ron Altemus

Members: Gene Villiva, Jackie & Randy Schoch, Darrell Meyer, Sherwood Byers, Sr. Not pictured: Donaro Gardner

Route:   Indian Head Rail Trail, Livingston Rd parking lot to White Plains for a rest stop, then return to the start.

Weather:   temp range from u mid 40s to lower 50s, SW winds 6-7 mph, mostly cloudy. Still pleasant for this time of year.

AMS:   varied by rider

Mechanicals/Mishaps: none

Report:   A good number of walkers/joggers using the trail but not too many other cyclists. Given the rains of Tuesday/Wednesday, the Mattawoman Creek was swollen and overflowing its normal streambed between Pomfret and Livingston. Numerous sections of land along the trail where underwater, which is good as this area had been extremely dry.

This was the last Friday IHRT ride of 2023. Not to fear though, as we'll be backing riding again come the first Friday of 2024. Hope to see you out there with us.

Ft Hunt Christmas Lights ~12 miles

Ron Altemus — Fri, 29 Dec 2023 02:14:42 GMT

Leader:   Ron Altemus & Joan Oppel

Members: Janet Shipko & Gene Villiva

Route:   meanderings through several neighborhoods of the Greater Fort Hunt Metropolitan Statistical Area (https://ridewithgps.com/routes/45176143 12.2 miles, 273' elevation change)

Weather: relatively balmy for the end of December with temps in the low 50s, minimal air movement, and dark skies

AMS: slow

Mechanicals/Mishaps:   our guest rider, Claudia Guidi, attempted to ride from her Arlington home to the ride start. She got lost and arrived very late and when she tried to call the ride leader (your faithful correspondent), he had his phone set to not ring for unknown callers. So she ended up missing the ride.

Report:   The weather was the big story - no one got cold on this ride. We saw plenty of nicely decorated homes and a few that were completely over the top. The house on Collingwood Rd, winner of a national competition several years ago but dark last year as the owner recovered from injuries and illnesses, was lit up again this year. Not as grandiose as in year's past, but still very brilliant.

Creek Drive

Culpepper Rd

Collingwood Rd

(apologies for a photo that does no justice to this nice lighting display)

Crowley Rd

Goose Bay on a (warm) Winter Day

Joan Oppel — Thu, 28 Dec 2023 14:30:00 GMT

Leader - Joan Oppel

Members - Linda Bankerd, Sherwood Byers, Harold Datz, Susan Golonka, Steve Palincsar, Patricia Sanders, Janet Shipko, Rita Zeidner, Randy Schoch and Jackie Schoch

Route - from Bryans Roiad Shopping Center - https://ridewithgps.com/routes/45229547

Weather - Cloudy, mid-40s to start, ending in 50s

Mechanicals/Mishaps - Sherwood had a flat which he reported he quickly fixed.

Report - Great day for a ride after a rainy couple of days. It never felt really cold, though cloudy skies kept the temperature down somewhat. Low traffic for most of the route and the quiet roads were appreciated. The Goose Bay store was closed but the porch was a comfy place for a rest stop, as usual. The group separated out a couple miles from the beginning, couple of people off the front, couple of people off the back, but we regrouped periodically and the core 7 stayed more or less together. Very enjoyable ride.

Laurel Grove, Cobrums Wharf & Chaptico (CC, 41)

Stephen Palincsar — Sun, 24 Dec 2023 15:30:00 GMT

A unique take on Three Wise Men and their camels, or maybe Shepherds and their Sheep, featuring harvest figures with skeletons as the wiseguys and antlered duck decoys as whatever it is they're portraying. Seen on Hurry Rd. photo by Janell Saunders

Leader: Steve Palincsar

Members: Ron Altemus, Ken Meredith, Janell Saunders

Guests: none

Route: https://ridewithgps.com/routes/39343336 -- at least, that was the original intention, based on weather that didn't happen. What we did instead was shorten the ride by six miles, skipping the out and back to Cobrums Wharf and instead retracing back on Colton Point Rd to Hurry after leaving the rest stop at 7th District Park. We also decided to return on the Three Notch Trail instead of Old Village Rd.

Weather: The Capital Weather Gang said "A couple of showers could linger into the morning, but they’re out of here quick if so. Otherwise, a mix of clouds and sun with highs in a 50 to 55 range most spots. Winds blow from the south around 5 to 10 mph." Not quite. We had rain on the way down to St Marys County, clearing at 10:00, but genuine rain at 11 (happily we were at Baggett Park under the roof when it came) and then scattered drizzle on the way down Colton Point Rd before the break at 7th District Park and on Hurry Rd on the way to Chaptico. High 40s at the start, maybe 50 for the high, but damp due to the rain.

AMS: 11.8

Mechanicals/Mishaps: none

Report: We had some light patchy drizzle in a couple of places. There was some actual, genuine rain while we were at Baggett Park (just white noise coming from the roof for about ten minutes, as far as we were concerned) but we were comfortably out of it, and it was over by the time we were ready to roll. It was Dec 24th and we had a nice ride with friends. It could have been a White Christmas; thank goodness it wasn't. Snow today would have made me very sad indeed.

Merry Christmas to all, and to all a good night!

Friday IHRT All Class - 20 Mile

Randall Schoch — Fri, 22 Dec 2023 15:30:00 GMT

Leaders - Jackie & Randy Schoch

Members - Makenzie Villiva, Gene Villiva, ride leaders Jackie & Randy, Janell Saunders, Sherwood Byers Sr. (not pictured - Darrell Meyer, photog)

Route - IHRT

Weather - Sunny but cold (40's)

AMS - Varied per/rider

Mechanicals/Mishaps - None

Report - A good turn out of regulars considering the cold temperatures. Gene's daughter-in-law Makenzie joined us. Makenzie is an experienced rider and has ridden with Gene and our club previously. There weren't many other trail users today. Squirrels were active (probably stocking up for winter), a deer was spotted, we heard a hawk calling out, and quite a few ducks were swimming on the pond near White Plains. We had a nice visit at the White Plains Rest Area but we kept it short because no one wanted to get to chilled before heading back to the parking lot. After the ride we all went our separate ways. See yens next week.

Magruders, Merkle, Nelson Perrie Times Two (CC, 35)

Stephen Palincsar — Thu, 21 Dec 2023 15:30:00 GMT

Geese at the Merkle Wildlife Sanctuary

Leader: Steve Palincsar

Members: Patricia Sanders, Denny Miller, Anonymous User

Guests: none

Route: https://ridewithgps.com/routes/45162320 or rather, that's what we planned. But when we got to Brooks Church and took a short but much needed break, Denny said he was cutting the ride short. Patricia went back with him, staying on Baden Naylor to Croom, then Candy Hill to Molly Berry and North Keys back to the Park, while Anon. and I took Tanyard and Nottaingham to Fenno and a rest stop at Merkle. We'd discussed a shortcut earlier, backtracking on Fenno to Nottingham then continuing on Candy Hill, and after the break that idea seemed very tempting and we went that way for a total of 30.5 mi.

Weather: Overcast, pallid sky, temperature 44-47 degrees, 12 mph wind. There was no warmth in the sunlight, and the wind stole away what warmth there was in the air, leaving a dim and chilly day.

AMS: 11.5

Mechanicals/Mishaps: none

Report: I think this was Denny's second road ride (he'd been riding the IHRT on Fridays) and it was a tough one. My Garmin recorded 1,937' of elevation gain as our route crossed over Nelson Perrie twice, once coming and once going; went down to the Patuxent at Magruders Landing and climbed back; then rode the rollers north on Croom between Magruders and Bald Eagle School; finally crossing Rock Creek on Baden Naylor. It was a route perhaps better suited to a mild June day than a wan and chilly late December one. Even so, it still was fun riding, and our abbreviated route was fully satisfying.

I was pleased to note the road work appears complete on Nelson Perrie. The chewed-up pavement on the climbs has been replaced by smooth new pavement and the shoulders in the work zone have been widened. Our revised route didn't get close to the work zone on Molly Berry, but we did see detour signs on Candy Hill at Molly Berry, so it's likely the bridge work has started on time. Here's hoping it's completed on time, too.

Montivideo, Catail to K2 (CC, 33)

Stephen Palincsar — Sat, 16 Dec 2023 15:30:00 GMT

Photos by Sabine Hentrich, Sarah Clement and Steve Palincsar

Leader: Steve Palincsar

Members: Ron Altemus, Linda Bankerd, Sherwood Byers, Sarah Clement, Carol Dreher, Rick Hagen, Sabine Hentrich, Ray Luckenbach, Joan Oppel, Lisa Petersen, Janell Saunders and Tom Short.

Guests: Denise Cohen

Route: https://ridewithgps.com/routes/42067181

Weather: Sunny, 7 mph winds, a chilly feeling 48 at the start rising to 58 by noon: a thoroughly beautiful day for the middle of December.

AMS: 12.0

Mechanicals/Mishaps: Linda came with a brand new pair of shoes with brand new cleats. She'd tried them on at home and they were fine, but she didn't try to cleat in to her pedals until she was in the parking lot at Rileys Lock, which is when she discovered that her cleats, some kind of Look clones, looked fine but simply wouldn't click into her pedals. The moral is obvious.

Report: We started out with a big group, but by the time we climbed River Rd to Montivideo and climbed the hill on Montivideo past the bridge we were pretty well spread out. We all came together at K2 and enjoyed a lesisurely, delicious lunch. Everyone enjoyed the scenery and the route, although some enjoyed the elevation gain (almost 1900 feet, fairly hilly by Southern Maryland standards) more than others. I'm confident I wasn't the only one trying to remember why it was we only ride in the Montgomery County Ag Reserve once or twice a year.

That is, until the drive home. The trip down River Rd wasn't at all bad, but once within sight of the I-495 entrance it was clear traffic on the outer loop was at a dead standstill, and there were cars trying to enter backed up all the way to the traffic light on River Rd.

I saw traffic on the inner loop was moving so I went that way. Although traffic was heavy, at least it was moving... until the lane split before the Wilson Bridge. From that point on it was a slow crawl until I got past the wreckage in the middle of the bridge. 2 hrs to home, enough time to get from Lancaster PA to the MD Welcome Center on I95. Which is why we only ride here once or twice a year.

Friday IHRT All class ~20 miles

Ron Altemus — Fri, 15 Dec 2023 15:30:00 GMT

Leader:   Ron Altemus

Members: Jackie & Randy Schoch, Gene Villiva, Darrell Meyer, Donaro Gardner

Route:   the Friday fav - Indian Head Rail Trail, Livingston Rd parking lot east to White Plains and return

Weather: Brilliant blue skies due to plenty of low angle sunlight; temp range of 45-56; 5-7 mph air movement out of the WSW

AMS:   as usual for a Friday ride, varied by participant

Mechanicals/Mishaps: none

Report:   we moved the start time to 10:30 in hopes of some warmer temps and were well rewarded. We'll keep the 10:30 am start through the end of February 2024 at least.

As per the last several weeks, not a lot of other trail users, but we certainly enjoyed ourselves. Minimal wildlife sightings, also.

U.S. Botanic Garden "Season's Greenings"

Ron Altemus — Sat, 09 Dec 2023 15:30:00 GMT

Leader: Ron Altemus

Members: Darrell Meyer, TRL, Gene Villiva, David Van Ameyden

Route:   Mount Vernon Trail to the 14th Street Bridge to cross into the District, SW Ohio Drive around the Tidal Basin onto Raoul Wallenberg Pl and then Jefferson Dr to reach the Botanic Garden. Return basically followed the same routing, except using Madison Dr for travel on the Mall. 22 miles 414' elevation change.

Weather: pleasant as temps ranged from mid/upper 40s to mid 50s with mostly sunny skies and breezes out of the south

AMS:   low 11s(?)

Mechanicals/Mishaps:   none

Report:   A "destination ride" in that we were cycling to view the holiday exhibits at the Botanic Garden, both outside and inside. We encountered a large number of users on the MV trail given that it was a weekend, but vehicular traffic on the Mall was sparse. Within the past two weeks, protected bike lanes on SW Ohio Drive were completed and they made coming off of the bridge and onto Raoul Wallenberg Pl very easy (and safe).

The Botanic Garden outside display featured model locomotives and boxcars chugging over trestles and past models of pollinators such as giant bees, butterflies and flowers, and scenes that include a lemur pollinating a flower. Inside, the conservatory is full of models of the Capitol, Lincoln Memorial, Library of Congress and other Washington landmarks made from plant material, as well as almost 2,000 colorful poinsettias.

A portion of the outside display

David and Gene taking photos

U.S. Botanic Garden model

Library of Congress model

Birthday ride for Catherine Ade

Catherine Ade — Sat, 09 Dec 2023 15:00:00 GMT

Leader: Catherine Ade

Members: Steve Palincsar, Janet Shipko, Harry Kidd, Linda Bankerd, Sherwood Byers, Tom Short, Joan Oppel, Lisa Petersen, Rick Hagen, Walt Roscello

Guests: David Wendland, Mackenzie Love

Route: https://ridewithgps.com/routes/44840964

Weather: Partly to mostly cloudy with 7 mph winds. Temperature 42 degrees when we started, rising to a high of 56 by 2 pm.

AMS: 13.2

Mechanicals/Mishaps: Steve has been having an on-off problem with the 1x drivetrain on his Alchemy throwing the chain about every thousand miles or so. Today, the Alchemy threw the chain twice. He says he’s looking into a chain keeper, if he can find one that fits the bike.

Report:

We left the parking lot as one large group, with Sherwood leading the B riders out in front. The first dropped chain occurred within a half mile of the start but was quickly remedied by a few CC riders hanging out at the back of the pack. By this point we had divided into two distinct groups, with the B group well off the front at this point. The first half of the ride was beautiful and uneventful, providing the perfect opportunity to introduce our guests to some of the great roads southern Maryland has to offer. We stopped briefly to allow Steve to fix his fender mount before blasting down the hill towards South County Café.

At the café the B group was waiting outside, taking advantage of the unexpectedly mild weather for mid-December. We noticed one of our guests had not made it to the restaurant. They eventually arrived at the end of our lunch stop, clocking in several bonus miles resulting from a wrong turn that leas them to follow an unrelated group of cyclists.

At this point we formed three groups: one consisting of the faster B riders and two CC groups that left the restaurant at different times. Our guest took a few minutes to use the facilities and recover from the bonus miles before heading out with the later CC group. We meandered through the Franklin Manor neighborhood, stopping for a few minutes to walk out onto the pier that extends out into the Chesapeake Bay. Our guests had never been here before, and we took the opportunity to take some pictures of the shore in addition to some gratuitous Chesapeake Bay selfies.

The route back to the parking lot had us taking some terrific back roads. Steve’s chain dropped once again, which was fixed within a few minutes. On these winding, rolling back roads our guest’s bonus miles caught up with them, and they needed to slow down take it easy for the last 10 miles.

Thank you to everyone who came out to celebrate my birthday and helped me lead my first ride!

Friday IHRT All Class - 20 Mile

Randall Schoch — Fri, 08 Dec 2023 15:00:00 GMT

Leader - Randy Schoch

Members - Darrell Meyer, RL Randy, Ron Altemus, Janell Saunders, Gene Villiva, Donaro Gardner. Not pictured -Dan Donahue, who met us at White Plains

Route - IHRT

Weather - Cool and breezy (40's)

AMS - Varied per/rider

Mechanicals/Mishaps - None

Report - Several regulars plus Darrell and Janell. Jackie hasn't been feeling great this week so she went to lunch today with "the girls". Janell had use or lose leave and decided a bike ride was an excellent way to deal with that. Not many trail users this morning and very little wild life. Donaro is getting very close to his year end millage goal (I think he said 6K). We all enjoyed the an easy pace with lots of "comradery". We didn't stay long at the White Plains Rest Stop and headed back to the lot and on to our daily activities. A good ride and anticipating lots more through the winter season.

It's always fun to ride in Nanjemoy

Joan Oppel — Tue, 05 Dec 2023 15:00:00 GMT

Leader: Joan Oppel

Members: Particia Sanders, Steve Palincsar (photorapher), Donaro Gardner

Route: https://ridewithgps.com/routes/45106315 39 mi, miles from Livingston Road trail parking lot. Straight out Chicmuxen to Riverside, then Sandy Point and Jacksontown to Liverpool Point. We made a stop at the Nanjemoy Store, then took Adams Willett to Hancock Run to Rt 6. Poseytown and Bowie led us back to Rt 6, Mason Springs, Pisgah Marbury to Bicknell and Marbury Run, then back to Chicamuxen.

Weather: Sunny, temperature at start 43, rising to 46, then settling to 44 for the final 15 miles.

Mechanicals/Mishaps: none

Report: It was chilly at the start but we were all dressed for the weather. Once again, there was a notable lack of traffic until we were returning on Chicamuxen around 1:30. It's fun to ride in a scenic area and be able to chat with riding companions. On Rt 6, Don and I marveled at a bald eagle that flew next to us and just above our heads for a few feet and then flew low across the road just in front of us.

We stopped at the Nanjemoy Volunteer Fire Department but no one was there. Steve pulled in to the Nanjemoy Community Center. The rest of us followed him but spent our time in the parking lot examining the new "portable" Charles County library station. (The last time we were here, a bookmobile with 2 employees was in attendance.)

At the sign on Poseytown Road that tells the history of the historic 19th century Poseytown community that thrived here. The nearby cemetery contains graves associated with the community.

There is always a lot to see and explore in the Nanjemoy area.

Holidays @ Mt Aventine & Smallwood 22 miles

Ron Altemus — Sat, 02 Dec 2023 16:00:00 GMT

Leaders: Ron Altemus& Joan Oppel

Members:   Denny Miller, Walt Roscello, Joan Oppel, Darrell Meyer, Chapman family descendant, Janell Saunders, Harry Kidd, Steve Palincsar, Steve Perakis on the front steps of Mt Aventine

Route: from Indian Head Village Green, we used Strauss, Lower Wharf, MD-210, and Chapman's Landing to journey to Mt Aventine. Retracing to Lower Wharf, Hawthorne and Chicamuxen took us over to Smallwood Park. Final leg retraced on Chicamuxen/Hawthorne to the IHRT and then back to the start.

Weather:   another "not as advertised" kind of day - dense fog finally lifting to full overcast, temp range of only 50-52, slight breezes from some direction.

AMS:   low 11s

Mechanicals/Mishaps:   Darrell incurred two (2) punctures riding across a field at Smallwood's Retreat. As he was using tubeless tires, the sealant worked and he was able to complete the ride without any problem.

Report:   the aforementioned dense fog was exceptionally bad on the drive down to the Village Green. Just south of Bryan's Road on MD-210, visibility was practically nothing. Though it hadn't lifted by the time we started riding, we encountered little traffic on Strauss, and the crossover of 210 to Chapman's was accomplished without incident.

The open house at Mt Aventine was graced with the presence of a descendant of the Chapman family. His great grandfather was the last family member to own the property. We were able to tour the house, parts of which reflect the various years of construction and previous owners. In 1954, a Hungarian princess purchased the property and the kitchen was outfitted with metal cabinets and a GE "Automatic Dishwasher." Other areas of the house retained their colonial charm. Refreshments included coffee and hot chocolate, fruit, muffins, and plenty of cookies.

The fog had mostly lifted by the time we headed over to Smallwood's Retreat and our travels were uneventful. The "Colonial Christmas" events included a Revolutionary War encampment with demonstrations, candle and wreath making opportunities, caroling, and tours of the house. We were treated to hot (really hot) apple cider and more cookies.

Darrell participates in the candle making process

Walt and Janell receive instruction in flintlock muskets (Harry in the background)

Steve Palincsar ponders getting a shave 18th Century style

Steve Perakis visits the grave site of General Smallwood

When entering Smallwood Park, we noticed signage indicating that the Mattawoman Art Center was also hosting a holiday celebration. A number of us added a visit there to our itinerary while Harry led those with time constraints back to the Village Green. The Art Center had a juried exhibit of local middle school artists, all showing artistic talent. And of course there were more cookies and apple cider.

It was most enjoyable having a ride that was planned for extended stops to enjoy and participate in the festivities being offered. Everyone had a good time.

Friday IHRT ALL class ~20 miles

Ron Altemus — Fri, 01 Dec 2023 15:00:00 GMT

Leader: Ron Altemus

Members: Robin Garnett, Donaro Gardner, Darrell Meyer, Randy & Jackie Schoch, Gene Villiva

Route:   Friday's fav - Indian Head Rail Trail from Livingston Rd parking lot east to White Plains trail head and return

Weather: mostly overcast with sun weakly breaking through at times but not adding any solar warming so temp range of mid 40s to low 50s; some breeze out of the south

AMS:   varied by rider

Mechanicals/Mishaps: none

Report:   Darrell joined us after being off the bike for a while. He was looking for a relaxing. flat ride with enjoyable company and our Friday outing fit all requirements. We were the only cyclists on the IHRT today; there were less than a dozen other users encountered over the length of the trail. Trees are even more devoid of leaves than last week and a couple more wasp nests were seen though it really depends on which direction you are riding to notice them.

Morning weather forecasts had predicted rain in the early afteroon so our plan was to not tarry at White Plains for an extended rest stop. Upon arrival at the trailhead, we consulted our favorite weather apps via cell phones and the all indicated rain as early as noon. Our return moved along smartly, and we were just finishing at Livingston Road when it did start raining. Donaro would have been the only one who got wet as he rode extra miles to the Village Green and back.

Tour de Accokeek/Bryans Rd 33 miles

Ron Altemus — Sat, 25 Nov 2023 15:00:00 GMT

Leader:   Ron Altemus

Members:   Denny Miller, Janell Saunders, Patricia Sanders at the end of Fenwick with the Potomac River and Hallowing Point in the background.

Route:   Regular Tour de Accokeek route to Mathews then a tour of Bryans Road neighborhoods (South Hampton, Bryans Village, and Timber Ridge). Descent of Marshall Hall Rd to an out and back on Fenwick continuing to a rest stop at Marshall Hall boat launch. Return included an out and back on River, the climb up Barrys Hill, another out and back on Old Marshall Hall Rd skirting Moyaone Reserve concluding with Accokeek Rd/Livingston Rd to the firehouse.

Weather:   temp range of 38 to 43; plenty of sunshine; 6-7 mph breezes out of the northern quadrant

AMS:   low 11s

Mechanicals/Mishaps:   none

Report:   with the coldest start temperature since mid February, there were a few cancellations prior to the ride. Those that did show up had to spend a bit of time figuring out what would be the appropriate attire to combat the chilly temps. Fortunately, once we got moving heading south, we had a tailwind and it didn't feel quite as cold as in the parking lot at the firehouse.

The neighborhoods that have sprung up in the Bryans Road area continue to grow with new roads and townhouses increasing the size of the developments. Probably next year, we'll be able to offer an extended extended version route to include these new roads.

As always when doing this route, the views and scenery change with the seasons. Pomonkey Creek was visible from several different locations on Fenwick, and Crosswake House, near the end of Fenwich, was also easily viewed. Two large pigs were present on a farm off of Marshall Hall Rd near Moyaone Reserve while sheep and goats grazed further down the road.

Today's ride was Denny's longest and we all gave him a bit of support when needed. A most pleasant ride with a congenial group.

Friday IndianHead 20 mile All Class

Randall Schoch — Fri, 24 Nov 2023 15:00:00 GMT

Leaders - Jackie & Randy Schoch

Members - Ron Altemus, RL Randy, Donaro Gardner, Susan Altemus, and Gene Villiva.

Route - IHRT

Weather - Cold (40's), sunny, and very breezy.

AMS - Varied per/rider.

Mechanicals/Mishaps - None

Report - It was a cold and breezy morning so not a very large turnout of riders. Jackie was not feeling well so she didn't come. Not many others on the trail except for the squirrels. There were several dogs walking their masters. A King Fisher Bird was spotted. With the leaves off the trees, we saw several hornets' nests. Ron took photos of the nests pictured below:

Near the Port Tobacco Creek pond

Between MM 11 and Middletown Rd (squirrel nest in center; wasp nest to right)

We had a nice visit at the White Plains Rest Area. The rest rooms at the rest area are closed for the winter but the port a' let's are still available at the regular places. We were glad to finish the ride and get our vehicles warmed up. See you next Friday.

Columbia Island to the National Arboretum (CC, 20)

Stephen Palincsar — Thu, 23 Nov 2023 15:00:00 GMT

Leader: Steve Palincsar

Members: Catherine Ade, Ray Luckenbach

Guests: none

Route: https://ridewithgps.com/routes/41622486

Weather: Sunny, 15 mph wind with gusts up to 20, temperatures in the 50s that felt significantly colder until around noon.

AMS: 10.6

Mechanicals/Mishaps: none

Report: A windy ride through a largely empty District of Columbia. We encountered some kind of DC Turkey Troy on the way to the Capitol, and there were some people and cars out, but not many. There was only one coffee vendor open at Union Market, and Eastern Market was closed for the holiday. We had a nice ride, as expected: the National Arboretum is always a nice place to ride.

Goose Bay, Pisgah Marbury (CC, 37)

Stephen Palincsar — Sun, 19 Nov 2023 15:30:00 GMT

Rest stop at Goose Bay

Leader: Steve Palincsar

Members: Sarah Clement, Janell Saunders, Donaro Gardner, Ken Meredith, Sabine Hentrich, Ron Altemus, Harry Kidd, Patricia Sanders, Tom Short, Linda Bankerd

Guests: One registered for the ride but didn't show up

Route: https://ridewithgps.com/routes/44986801 37 miles, 1327' elevation gain

Weather: A cool, sunny and windy day. Temperatures ranged from 49-50 at the start (and much colder feeling in the shade at Livingston Rd) to 59-60 by early afternoon. As nice as the sun and the temperature were, it was the wind that really caught your attention. The National Weather Service forecast called for 7-8 mph winds, but Weather Underground actually recorded 12-15 mph winds with gusts up to 22, and that's what it felt like: very much like yesterday but a little cooler and not quite as windy. Still, it was a very pleasant day for a ride.

AMS: 12.8

Mechanicals/Mishaps: Today we had two.

Arriving at the Goose Bay rest stop, Linda Bankerd had a rear shift cable failure. It's bee several years since we've seen these, and I'd grown complacement and thought perhaps Shimano had solved this problem. Alas, no -- and today's frame design with internal cables has made things worse than they used to be: the expedient repair of using the broken shift cable to hold the rear derailleur on a middle sprocket is no longer possible, since you no longer have access to the broken cable.

So Linda had to struggle on, stuck in a high gear and having to walk all the hills. Tom Short stayed with her and sent the rest of the group on, planning to revise the route to return on Bicknell as the flattest of all the possible ways to return.

On Poorhouse just before we reached the Pisgah Store, Sabine

Fixing a Flat at Pisgah Park

mentioned she heard a strange ticking sound coming from my tires. We were less than a mile from the rest stop at Pisgah Park, so rather than stop by the side of the road trying to see if anything looked odd, I elected to keep on riding.

I checked my tires as soon as we arrived at Pisgh Park, and found a chunk of glass sticking out of my front tire. As flat fixes go, this was a relatively easy one: remove the wheel, remove the tube, replace the tube,pump up the tire, replace the wheel and you're good to go. And I had company, too: although most of the group chose to stop at the Pisgah Store rather than at Pisgah Park, Sabine and Ron were with me.

In practice it's seldom as simple as it sounds. My tires on my rims make for a fiendishly difficult remove and reinstall, and Ron and Sabine got to see the fight for the final foot of bead and the deployment of the Ultimate Weapon, the Kool Stop Bead Jack.

Actually, this time it went rather well. It was a lot worse before I learned to use a Schwalbe tire lever and an old leather toe strap to anchor one side of the bead. Although my pump wasn't playing nicely with my replacement tube, Ron had his pump and it worked very nicely. I was glad for the help and the company.

Report: It's always fun riding to Goose Bay. The terrain is great no matter which way you go, the folks at the store are always welcoming,

Sabine's photos of the Goose Bay Marina

and it's a nice place to gather and socialize. It was a lot of fun to have so many folks turn out for a Sunday ride, and I think everyone had a good time, once you make allowances for the broken shift cable and the flat tire.

Aviation Yacht Club, Manor & Old Chaptico Wharf (CC 42)

Stephen Palincsar — Sat, 18 Nov 2023 15:00:00 GMT

Leader: Steve Palincsar

Members: Ron Altemus, Joan Oppel, Janet Shipko, Dave Van Amayden, Don Haller, Bill Silva

Guests: none

Route: https://ridewithgps.com/routes/32953101 42 mi, 1534' elevation gain

Weather: Sunny, 58-59 degrees all day and windy: 15-16 mph sustained winds with gusts up to 25 mph.

AMS: 12.7

Mechanicals/Mishaps: none

Report: It sure was windy today. The wind made it feel colder than the actual temperature, even though the sun was warm when we were sheltered from the wind. The riding was harder if it had been calm, but it wasn't the brutal, exhausting wind we had on that ride to Leonardtown a few weeks ago. This was Don and Bill's first visit to the area, and they seemed to enjoy it. We don't ride Mechanicsville Rd too often so the smooth fresh-looking blacktop on the road and the shoulders was a pleasant surprise. I think of Bob Howell, who originally designed this ride, every time we ride down to Wicomico Shores Landing and Old Chaptico Wharf. Thanks, Bob; I wish you'd have been riding with us today.

Friday IHRT Ride

Gene Villiva — Fri, 17 Nov 2023 15:00:00 GMT

Leader: Gene Villiva/Ron Altemus

Members: Ron Altemus, Susan Altemus, Donaro Gardner, Leesha Saunders

Route: IHRT

Usual Friday Morning Ride, 19.62 miles. Leisurly ride ,with wind from the south about 10 miles per hour. Partly cloudy skies with occasional sun. Leaves were littering the trail. Leesha decided to go back at the 6.8 mile point because of pain from a previous dance injury. One wildlife sighting. Donaro pointed out a black snake on the trail.

Mount Calvert & Patuxent River Park (CC, 37)

Stephen Palincsar — Thu, 16 Nov 2023 15:00:00 GMT

Leader: Steve Palincsar

Members: Walt Roscello, Ron Altemus, Patricia Sanders, Harry Kidd, Joan Oppel and Anonymous User

Guests: none

Route: https://ridewithgps.com/routes/42241189 36.5 mi, 1828' elevation gain

Weather: The Capitol Weather Gang gave it a 9/10 today and I agree; a thoroughly lovely day, only by a bit of chill at the start keeping it from a full 10. The National Weather Service forecast predicted 55 at the start rising to 67 degrees with light winds. The 55 was spot on, but by 2 pm it was actually 71. Clear skies, bright sun, a splendid day to be out riding.

AMS: 12.1

Mechanicals/Mishaps: none

Report: We had a friendly, chatty group today. It was great seeing Patricia Sanders again and she seemed to be recovering very well recovering from her crash earlier this year.

Turning off Martin onto Molly Berry, we saw a sign warning of the closure of Molly Berry December 11, an update from the earlier projected 11/27 date. What the sign didn't say (and what we should be aware of) is that Molly Berry Rd will be closed between Croom Rd and Van Brady Rd from Dec 11 for the reconstruction of a bridge over Mattaponi Creek, which will take approximately 12 months. [Official notice] There are quite a few routes we won't be able to use for most of next year.

We rode down Mount Calvert Rd across some very rough washboard and visited the historic site, then rode back up to Duvall and down Croom Airport to a rest stop at the Pavilion at Patuxent River Park.

After the break we rode up the wonderful smooth new pavement on Croom Airport, then took Duley Station to Bellefield, where Joan filled us in on the Washington Post story about the runaway zebras owned by Jerry Lee Holly, former owner of historic Bellefields.

After that unscheduled break we continued on to Van Brady, Molly Berry and up North Keys, then turned onto Cross Road Trail and took it to Cherry Tree Crossing, Old Indian Head and North Keys back to the park.

We could hardly have hoped for a more enjoyable experience or a nicer day in mid-November.

Slow dash to the Dash In

Joan Oppel — Mon, 13 Nov 2023 15:00:00 GMT

Leader: Joan Oppel

Members: Ron Altemus, Steve Palincsar, Harold Datz and Rita Zeidner

Route: We headed down Bumpy Oak and Rose Hill, over to Chapel Hill and took Locust Grove to cross 301. Springhill Newton and Glen Albin brought us into La Plata and the Dash In, then Quailwood and Hawthorne to Marshall Corner. We took the Indian Head trail from Pomfret all the way back to Hawthorne for the quiet and then Lower Wharf and Chapman's Landing. https://ridewithgps.com/routes/26630265

Weather: Bright sun, low wind, 45 degrees in the Bryans Road parking lot but felt chillier, ending at 55. Once we started riding, the bright sun made for a quick warm up.

Mechanicals/Mishaps: none

Report: Monday turned out to be a great day for a ride. Some of us shed layers over the course of the route as the sun warmed everything. The route worked out well, a little climbing, a little descending, mostly quiet roads with a few busy ones. Our group was very social today with lots of chatting. Tomorrow has significant winds so this was an ideal choice for early in this week.

And here's the guy who takes a lot of photographs - but is rarely in the pictures:

Hancock Run, Maryland Point & Smallwood (CC, 51)

Stephen Palincsar — Sat, 11 Nov 2023 14:30:00 GMT

Leader: Steve Palincsar

Members: Joan Oppel, Steve Perakis, Ellen Goodwin, Sabine Hentrich, Rick Hagen, Lisa Petersen, Paul Hamilton, Walt Roscello and Ron Altemus

Guests: none

Route: https://ridewithgps.com/routes/42828112 51 miles, 2166' elevation gain for the main group; around 45 miles for Joan, Ellen and Ron, who modified the route to shorten it.

Weather: Sunny, 40 at the start rising to the high 50s through the course of the day, with 3-6 mph winds from the north.

AMS: 13.1

Mechanicals/Mishaps: None

Report: It was an interesting drive getting to Friendship Farm Park: fog, quite dense at times, in all the low-lying areas on Indian Head Highway, followed by a spectacular autumn leaf display on Mason Spring between Pisgah Park and MD-6.

It felt quite cold to me at the start, cold enough to trigger a small winter asthma attack until I started breathing through my balaclava, and an excellent opportunity to take out my winter gear and re-learn exactly how it all works. I haven't adapted to the cold yet, set to late-late summer; a few more rides like this and I'll be adapted and temperatures like today's will feel balmy.

But that's me. Others in the group seemed just fine with summer riding gloves while I started out with warmest winter gloves, and there was a mix of headgear ranging from nothing to ear bands to wool caps to wool cap plus balaclava. One of the secrets to late season riding is finding out what works for you. Everybody's different: when it's 60 degrees I wear summer gloves with light weight glove liners, while others will be happy with just summer gloves and still others will be wearing lobster mitts.

Joan, Ellen and Ron were riding a route modified to shave off a half dozen miles, and their first shortcut came at mile 3.5 so most of the time we were two independent groups, one of three and one of seven. We met briefly at the first rest stop at King James Church, Joan's group leaving as mine was arriving.

We saw them again on MD-6 just before we reached the end of the road. I couldn't quite make out what Joan said as she passed, but it sounded like "disappointing." When we arrived at the end it was indeed a disappointment. There was a barricade up around 100 yards from the

end of the road, bracketed with "No Trespassing" signs. I poked my camera above the barrier and took a picture of the Forbidden Zone. It was sad for those of us who remember being able to ride all the way down to the end with its view of the Potomac and the Osprey nest.

We went on down Riverside, up Holly Springs, back down Maryland Point, and then onto Smith Point which was just spectacular. The trees made a lovely display, reds and oranges interspersed with splashes of green and the narrowness of the road, trees all around us and above us, making it feel as though we were riding on a narrow track through the forest.

We found Joan's group taking a break on Smith Point and joined them, staying after they departed, then rode the rollers on Riverside through Purse State Park to the second official rest stop at the Nanjemoy Store. Once again, we lingered at the store after Joan's group left but caught up with them and passed them on Jacksontown. We turned on Sandy Point and then on Riverside, continuing on MD-224 as it turned onto Chicamuxen.

On the descent down to Reeder Run we passed a police car and a passenger car in the ditch that had a blown out tire, then continued on to Smallwood Park.

Sabine got separated when we made the turn into the Park and her GPS directed her onto old Sweden Point Road down to the barrier, where her GPS lost the plot entirely. Eventually she made her way back to Smallwood Church and from there back to the park on her own, arriving a few minutes before the rest of us.

We don't usually have spectacular autumn leaf displays in the DMV, certainly nothing like the Berkshires or the Shenandoah Valley, but what we saw today on the ride and on Mason Springs on the way to the ride was exceptional. It was a beautiful day, and a great ride.

Milltown, Magruders, Whites Landing & Merkle (CC, 36)

Stephen Palincsar — Thu, 09 Nov 2023 14:30:00 GMT

Ride Leader: Steve Palincsar

Members: Sarah Clement

Route: https://ridewithgps.com/routes/41441592 35.1 miles according to my Garmin, and we know how they lie; 2183' elevation gain.

Weather: Partly sunny, breezy, high 50s at the start rising to the low 70s by early afternoon. Another lovely day for cycling, with almost nobody doing it.

AMS: 12.3

Mishaps & mechanicals: none

Ride Report

Interesting riding up and down Milltown Landing, Magruders Landing and Whites Landing and Croom from Milltown Landing on down to Tanyard, which is where those 2183' of climbing come from.

A quiet ride, just me and Sarah. We saw very little traffic on the route, although the Belway and MD-5 had lots of (pre-holiday?) traffic. There's a notice out that Molly Berry will be closed on or about Nov 27. I'm guessing it's for repaving, although the section between Croom and North Keys certainly doesn't need it.

Many would say this was a perfect day for riding. I can't help but wonder why it was just the two of us.

Quiet, scenic Nanjemoy

Joan Oppel — Tue, 07 Nov 2023 14:30:00 GMT

Leader: Joan Oppel

Members: Ron Altemus, Randy Schoch, Jackie Schoch, Don Gardner, Steve Palincsar

Route: Starting at the Livingston Road parking lot, we beelined for 9 miles along Chicamuxen to Riverside, then 5 more miles to a right on Liverpool Point Rd. Down to the river, u-turn, then to Adams Willett, Hancock Run and Rt 6. Return on Poseytown, Bowie, 6 again, Masons Spring, Pisgah Marbury, Chicamuxen and back to the parking lot. https://ridewithgps.com/routes/44919458

Weather: Overcast and cloudy early, with the sky opening to some sunshine and then some clouds as the day went on. Temperature: 64 at start, 73 by mid-ride.

Mechanicals/Mishaps: none

Report: Once again - Nanjemoy delivered a delightful ride. It was pretty warm from the start and got warmer. Many trees were still holding their fall colors and providing a cheerful show. Shout out to the oaks and sweet gums. From Riverside we turned right on Liverpool Point, which trails off to dirt for a couple hundred feet and then a trail, leading to a small beach on the river (Potomac). We walked down the trail to see what we could see - a lovely expanse of water, shore view south to Douglas Point and Clifton Beach, across to Virginia (south of Quantico base). And cat fisherman on the beach.

Jackie provided another insight when she described how she and her siblings came down to Liverpool Point beach with their grandmother to deliver lumber to be loaded on barges from the beach to be sold elsewhere.

So little traffic once on Riverside, one hand counts all the cars that passed us along Riverside, Liverpool Point, Adams Willett and Hancock Run to Rt 6. Nice rest stop at the Nanjemoy Community Center.

Catfishing in the Potomac while looking south from Liverpool Point Road's end, toward Douglas Point, which we often pass riding along Riverside Road

Don, Randy, Jackie, Joan and Ron - Photographer: Steve P.

Elk Run, Razor HIll & Remington (CC, 45)

Stephen Palincsar — Sun, 05 Nov 2023 15:00:00 GMT

Photo Op on the Bridge at Kellys Ford

Leader: Steve Palincsar

Members: Sarah Clement, Janell Saunders, Tom Short

Guests: Gregory Harris

Route: https://ridewithgps.com/routes/41097032

Weather: Sunny, 62 at 10:00 rising to the low 70s by mid-afternoon, with 10-12 mph winds; a day fully worthy of an 8/10 rating by the Capital Weather Gang and a lovely day for cycling.

AMS: 13.1

Mechanicals/Mishaps: A dropped chain that wedged itself between the bottom bracket shall and the crank spider made for a slow recovery resulting in nothing worse than lost time and greasy fingers. Two of the riders had a close encounter with a free-roaming pit bull on Cemetery Rd but escaped unscathed.

Report: Eight registered, but by the time we left the parking lot at HM Pearson Elementary School in Catlett VA there were but five of us, the rest having canceled in the morning.

It's been several years since I led a ride from this ride start -- I stopped when the road construction on I-66 made the drive there slow torture -- but I'm happy to report things have greatly improved.

The road work on I-66 is done, and VA-28 between the Prince William Parkway and Nokesville has been widened to four lanes so travel time is even better than it was in the 1990s. I'm also happy to report the park a quarter mile down Bastable Mill has portolets that Greg, a local resident, believes to be year-round now. Fauquier County seems to have retained its rural charm, and I think we'll be back from time to time.

Mason Neck State Park>Hallowing Point CC/C 28 miles

Ron Altemus — Sun, 05 Nov 2023 15:00:00 GMT

Leader: Ron Altemus

Members: Cindy Halliday, Joan Oppel, Jill Thompson Riese

Route:   From Gunston Elementary, an out and back on Belmont Blvd for a scenic view of Belmont Bay, then the Mason Neck trail/Springfield spur to a rest stop at the State Park visitors center. Departing the park, east on Gunston Road to tour Hallowing Point followed by Gunston Estates. Brief jogs into Gunston Hall, Pohick Bay Park, and Pohick Bay golf course completed our route.

Weather:   Another fabulous day - plenty of sunshine, temps climbing from the upper 50s to probably 70, and marginal air movement from some direction or other.

AMS:   leisurely mid 11s

Mechanicals/Mishaps:   none

Report: another initial club ride for a new member as Cindy just joined and rode this route for the first time. She was surprised at the rural nature of Mason Neck and the large sections of property under government control which precludes further development. Welcome Cindy - we hope to see you on more club rides.

With Jill on her eDomane and Cindy riding an etrike, the decision was made to include two additional descents/climbs to the usual route. At the overlook of Belmont Bay, we continued down the hill on Old Spring to the George Mason conference center. Though the gate was locked, we got a bit of hill work in retracing our route back to Belmont Blvd. Then at Pohick Bay Park, we added the descent down to the bay. The return back up the hill saw a steady 11% (with a flash of 12) grade, most of the reason why we don't usually go down there.

A most enjoyable conversational cycling ride today.

Woodburn Hill & Old Sycamore(CC 34)

Stephen Palincsar — Sat, 04 Nov 2023 14:30:00 GMT

Photo op at the end of pavement on Woodburn Hill Road

Leader: Steve Palincsar

Members: Ron Altemus, Dan Donahue, Rick Hagen, Don Haller, Sabine Hentrich, Harry Kidd, Joan Oppel, Lisa Petersen, Walt Roscello, Bill Silva

Guests: none

Route: https://ridewithgps.com/routes/44893538 A new variation on the traditional "Hidden Amish" route, featuring an excursion down Woodburn Hill Road (with a rest stop at the Clover Hill Dairy) and a rest stop at Gilbert Run Park.

Weather: A lovely day, well worthy of the 8/10 the Capital Weather Gang gave it. Sunny, around 50 when we started rising to the mid-60s by early afternoon, and if my car is to be believed, 72 by 2 pm (it sure didn't feel like any 72, so I'm sticking with the official forecasts).

AMS: 13.0 at the front, around 12.5 at the back of the pack.

Mechanicals/Mishaps: none

Report: After leaving Northern Senior Center, carefully avoiding the horse droppings on the Three Notch Trail, we made our way west on Lockes Crossing Road up the hill to the intersection with Briscoe Anderson Lane and searched for the location of the elusive Country View Bakery -- which isn't where Google Maps says it is.

There are three gravel roads visible at that corner. I went down the road to the right, where we'd been told on the Century by motorists exiting there that it was "Back there, just down the road." What I found was a farmhouse and a couple of yapping free-range dogs that convinced me to turn right around.

Ron [correction, Walt] went past the misplaced eyedrop (see map above) to an Amish butcher shop who told him the bakery was all the way down Briscoe Anderson about where the X marks the spot (take that, Google!).

Harry and I tried riding down Briscoe Anderson a hundred feet or so, but all we saw was a couple of farm houses complete with laundry and a goat. When we learned it was "a five minute drive" down that road I decided enough, let's ride on. I'm removing that bakery from the Century route.

No bakery here, boss

Not here, either

We turned on Thompson Corner, and in 0.1 mi on Woodburn Hill. We rode down to the end of the pavement past farms, fields and herds of cows, took the obligatory "Kilroy Was Here" photo, then came back, this time stopping for a break at the Clover Hill Dairy. It's a very nice stop with a friendly shopkeeper, inexpensive snacks and an indoor rest room, a good place to stop even if you don't want any of the locally made cheeses.

Ron riding past the cows that gave the milk that made the cheese sold at the Clover Hill Dairy.

Returning to Thompson Corner, we turned on Dixie Lyon and rode North Ryceville, Ryceville, Trinity Church and down Old Sycamore to Budd's Creek. Old Sycamore is scenic, with pretty barns and a fast downhill with coarse pavement and some harsh cracks that can give your steering a sharp jolt.

We turned on Budds Creek and then on Steins Store which becomes Newport Church, and once again onto Bowling for three miles through scenic farmland. A turn onto Trinity Church, another on MD-6, and we were entering Gilbert Run Park for a rest stop at the lake. After the break we took MD-6 to Keech, turned on Oaks and took it to the Three Notch Trail back to Northern Senior Center.

It's a very pretty route with some roads that are a lot of fun to ride - a perfect introduction to this part of Southern Maryland for the five riders in the group who'd never been here before, and a nice change for those of us who have been here many times before, but always starting from Oak Ridge Park.

Friday IHRT All class ~20 miles

Ron Altemus — Fri, 03 Nov 2023 14:00:00 GMT

Leader: Ron Altemus

Members:   Gene Villiva, Randy Schoch, Oswald Martin, Jackie Schoch, Denny Miller, Fran Jezisek, Susan Altemus (not pictured - Donaro Gardner)

Route:   the usual Friday bill of fare - Indian Head Rail Trail from Livingston Rd parking lot to White Plains trailhead and return

Weather:   Plenty of sunshine with crisp mid 40s temps rising to just about 50 by ride end. Enough wind out of the southern quadrant to make it feel even chillier at times.

AMS:   varies by rider but as a group, a bit faster than in the past due to an increase in the eBike contingent.

Mechanicals/Mishaps:   none

Report:   New member Denny Miller's first ride with the club and we're hoping he'll be joining us again in the very near future. Additionally, as noted above, more eBike riders, pictured below:

Not many other trail users today. In fact, we didn't see anyone else riding, running, or walking until we got close to White Plains. Maybe too cold for mere mortals. Wildlife was also almost non-existent other than a dead green snake near the 8 MM while only one eagle was observed on the nest near Livingston Road.

St Peters Church, Mt Pleasant, Gallant Green (CC, 32)

Stephen Palincsar — Thu, 02 Nov 2023 15:00:00 GMT

Selfie at the Sausage sign at the Moreland Market

Leader: Steve Palincsar

Members: Sarah Clement

Guests: none

Route: https://ridewithgps.com/routes/30725852 A short, flat ride to Malcolm, 32 miles and 960' elevation gain.

Weather: Sunny, breezy (12 mph wind) cold. Low 40s at the start rising to the low 50s by early afternoon.

AMS: 13.0

Mechanicals/Mishaps: none

Report: Today was a dress rehearsal for winter riding, both literally and figuratively. It was time to break out the winter clothing and figure out once again how to put it all on and re-learn what to wear at what temperature. It's hard to believe that only last Saturday it was 86 degrees, and this week we plunged straight into winter without bothering to pass through autumn. Of course, by January we're going to think a sunny day with 50 degree temperatures is balmy, but today we were still working through it and missing shorts and short sleeve jerseys. Still, it was a nice, scenic ride.

Fort Hunt Halloween ALL class ~22 miles

Ron Altemus — Tue, 31 Oct 2023 13:30:00 GMT

Leader: Ron Altemus

Members: Joan Oppel, Esther Steward, Steve Palincsar, Robin Garnett, Patricia Sanders at the Pet Cemetery in Riverside Gardens

Route:   Meander through neighborhoods in the Fort Hunt area of Fairfax County, including Stratford Landing, Riverside Gardens, Candlewood, Hollin Hall, and Waynewood.

Weather:   a tad brisk with temps at ride start in the mid 40s but with more sun than forecast, rising to low 50s by the end. WInd, out of the NW, was also stronger than forecast.

AMS:   under 10 mph...

Mechanicals/Mishaps:   none

Report: The bloom must be off Halloween decorations in the greater Fort Hunt Metropolitan Statistical Area as several "must sees" of years past had little to no displays. As previously mentioned, the day was sunny and fall colors included many vibrant oranges, reds, and yellows.

A few pictures :

Must be Grateful Dead fans given the "Skulls and Roses" vibe.

Nicely done Grim Reaper along with the ubiquitous cemetery populated with the sandworm from "Beetlejuice"

A personal favorite

Flickr album of Steve's photos is here: https://www.flickr.com/photos/97916047@N00/albums/72177720312355831

Pindell, South County & Polling House (CC, 39)

Stephen Palincsar — Sun, 29 Oct 2023 13:30:00 GMT

Leader: Steve Palincsar

Members: Tom Short, Paul Hamilton, Harry Kidd, Sabine Hentrich, Dave Van Amayden

Guests: none

Route: https://ridewithgps.com/routes/44840964 This approach to Deale is getting to be one of my favorites.

Weather: Another astonishing day for late October. Partly sunny, partly overcast skies with a few "Devil is beating his wife" sun showers for the first ten miles. Mid-60s at the start: jacket, vest and armw armer temps, but once we reached South County Cafe at 11:30 the sky cleared and it warmed up, eventually to around 85.

AMS: 12.3

Mechanicals/Mishaps: none

Chesapeake Bay at Franklin Manor

Report: It was a beautiful day in South County: moderate temperatures, plenty of autumn leaf color, great roads to ride and even company at the Cafe when a Potomac Pedalers ride from Allen Pond Park rolled in as we were thinking about leaving. Tom Short was riding his new e-bike, making three in a group of six, and Sabine was riding here for the second time.

Friday IHRT ALL Class ~20 miles

Ron Altemus — Fri, 27 Oct 2023 14:00:00 GMT

Leader: Ron Altemus

Members:   Susan Altemus, Fran Jezisek, Jackie Schoch, Robin Garnett, Oswald Martin, Randy Schoch, Mark Garrison. Not pictured: Diana & Dan Donahue

Route:   for those pictured above, IHRT from Livingston Rd parking lot to White Plains & return. Diana & Dan started at White Plains, met us near Bumpy Oak, and returned back to their start.

Weather:   unseasonably warm with temps starting in the upper 60s, rising to the mid 70s due to mostly sunny skies and air out of the south.

AMS:   varied by rider

Mechanicals/Mishaps:   none

Report: Big event of the day was Jackie back with on her trike for the ride, having received the okay to resume riding since she'd "only" be sitting down to pedal. As she noted on her Facebook page "after aortic valve replacement and a pacemaker put in and almost a month rest I finally got to go on a bike ride. I rode slow. Getting stronger every day and after the ride I feel great."

The nice weather brought numerous other trail users out today. At different points on the trail, there was good fall color. Turtles were basking on logs in the Port Tobacco creek pond at White Plains. Other reptilian sightings included a box turtle and a brown snake at different points on the trail. The eagle nest just east of the Livingston Rd parking lot had 3-4 eagles present, as pictured below:

IHRT to the Circles of Smallwood (CC, 35)

Stephen Palincsar — Tue, 24 Oct 2023 20:54:02 GMT

Leader: Steve Palincsar

Members: Randy Schoch

Guests: none

Route: https://ridewithgps.com/routes/44821292

Weather: Clear, sunny skies, 10 mph wind. Around 53 when we started, almost 70 by 2 pm.

AMS: 12.0

Mechanicals/Mishaps: none

Report: This was a nice route. Today was the first time this year I've ridden down the hill on Bumpy Oak, and the first time in several years that I've ridden Hampshire Circle [fur] and Dorchester Circle [fish]. It was Randy's first time in that area (call it "Westlake" for want of a better name). Also my first time in years riding on Berry Rd -- dramatically improved from what it was several years ago, with nice debris-free, smooth shoulders. But the big surprise was Manning Rd E, which used to be end-to-end potholes. That's all gone now, with smooth new pavement the order of the day.

We had fun; you would have too, had you been there.

Leonardtown Wharf and Steer Horn Neck (CC, 57/45)

Stephen Palincsar — Sun, 22 Oct 2023 13:00:00 GMT

Leader: Steve Palincsar

Members: Catherine Ade, Randy Schoch, Dave Van Amayden

Route: https://ridewithgps.com/routes/44756436 Today's ride was set up as an event with two routes, the one shown above (57 miles, starting at Mechanicsville Elementary School) and a shorter version beginning at John Baggett Park (47 miles, the same route but for the distance on the Three Notch Trail and Old Village Rd between Mechanicsville ES and Baggett Park). As it happened, no one elected to start from Baggett Park.

Everyone planned to ride the 57 mi route, which did a loop from the Shell Station northeast on Sotterley Rd, an out-and-back eastward on Steer Horn Neck, passing Sotterley Plantation and returning on Vista Rd to Three Notch Highway. That was the plan. But, as they say, "Everyone has a plan until..."

Weather: 50 at the start rising to 59 under mostly clear to clear skies and windy: 9 mph at the start rising to 17 mph, with gusts up to 17 mph at 9 am rising to 31 mph by mid-afternoon.

AMS: 11.7

Mechanicals/Mishaps: none

Report: Weather was the biggest story today, and there was plenty of it. I left Alexandria just after dawn in heavy overcast and drizzle that became serious rain as I crossed the Potomac. The rain stopped and the sky cleared just north of the St Marys County line, as predicted. The wind was as predicted too.

The wind was at our backs as we headed south, and the trip through the Loveville Mennonite area down to Leonardtown was a delight. So too was the stop at the Leonardtown Wharf. But once we left Leonardtown and started riding across the wind on Hollywood Rd we began to notice just how strong and gusty the wind actually was.

By the time we reached the rest stop at the Shell Station on Three Notch Highway, 27 miles into the route, we were ready to shorten the ride. The plan was to continue on Sotterley, skip the out-and-back on Steer Horn Neck and return to Three Notch Highway on Vista.

The Shell Station is at a crossroads and there was plenty of traffic passing when we left the rest stop. Randy got separated from the group when we left, but we didn't know it.

A few tenths down the road we stopped so Catherine could close her seat bag, and we discovered that Randy was missing. We went back to look for him, but no sight of him. We eventually reached him by phone and learned he'd made a wrong turn leaving the rest stop and then recovered by heading up Three Notch Highway. He was now well ahead of us.

We decided to shorten the route even further by cutting off the loop to Sotterley (the shortcut is shown in green in the route above) and continued on, hoping to catch up with him. From this point on we were riding into what surely seemed like the predicted 30 mph wind.

After yesterday's winds the Post ran an article that said "the windiest day of Washington's Autumn blew in on Saturday." I was out riding in Nanjemoy on Saturday. Today was worse. Much worse.

When we reached Mechanicsville Elementary School we were tired and very, very glad we'd made that ten mile cut in the route. Randy's truck had already left. We finished with 45.8 miles, 1598' of elevation gain and an average speed of 11.7.

Friday IHRT 20 miler

Randall Schoch — Fri, 20 Oct 2023 14:00:00 GMT

Leader - Randy Schoch

Members - Gene Villiva, Susan Altemus, RL Randy, Oswald Martin, Mark Garrison, Donaro Gardner, and Leesha Saunders. Not pictured - Ron Altemus, photog.

Weather - Partly sunny, cool (60's), and breezy.

AMS - Varied per/rider.

Mechanicals/Mishaps - None.

Report - An average turnout of some of our Friday regulars. Susan was riding her new and beautiful E-bike. Ron confided that he now has to work keeping up with Susan.

There were a lot of other trail users this morning. It is great to see so many others using the trail. We also saw member Bob Moye getting his morning work out. With so many others using the trail, we didn't see very much wild life. I want to encourage any of our members that are free on Friday mornings to come and join us most every Friday (weather permitting). See yens soon.

Nottingham, Merkle & Patuxent River Park

Stephen Palincsar — Thu, 19 Oct 2023 14:00:00 GMT

Leader: Steve Palincsar

Members: Pat Walthers, Janet Shipko

Guests: none

Route: https://ridewithgps.com/routes/44754918

Weather: Sunny with clear skies, just a few thin clouds, and breezy: 8-10 mph winds with gusts up to 18. High 50s at 10 rising to high 60s by early afternoon. If you were used to these temperatures you'd say this was perfect cycling weather. We were just getting used to them, so it was windbreakers and tights all day for us.

AMS: 12.9

Mechanicals/Mishaps: none

Report: When we were last here a month ago (Sept 21) they were repaving Nottingham Rd. Today's route was all about experiencing all that freshly repaved smoothness. We went down Martin, left on Molly Berry and took Candy Hill to Croom, Croom over to Brooks Church and Tanyard to the start of Nottingham; then followed it all the way to its and at Croom. We then went left on Croom and left on Candy Hill, and left again taking Nottingham a second time to Fenno.

Fenno to Merkle and a rest stop, and the usual route on St Thomas Church to Croom, right on Mount Calvert, no dogs today (whew!), right on Duvall to a freshly repaved Croom Airport -- well, at least from Park Entrance Rd to Croom, but that's OK because from Park Entrance Rd down to the Pavilion was in fine shape and didn't need repaving.

After our break at the Pavilion we enjoyed being able to ride Croom Airport without a single bump, patch or pothole. Here's a hearty Thank You for that! From that point on, a fairly standard return on Duley Station with a bit of Bellefield, Cheltenham to Old Indian, down Van Brady to Molly Berry, North Keys back to the park.

We finished a couple of minutes after 2, having ridden 37.6 miles and climbed 1,986 feet.

King James>Nanjemoy store>Smallwood Park CC/C 36 mi

Ron Altemus — Tue, 17 Oct 2023 14:00:00 GMT

Leader: Ron Altemus

Members: Joan Oppel, Randy Schoch, Pat Walthers, Harry Kidd

Route:   starting at Pisgah Park, we traversed Mason Springs, Bowie, Baptist Church, Ironsides, and MD-6 took us to a bio stop at King James Church. Continuing via Hancock Run, Adams Willett, and Liverpool Point to a rest stop at the Nanjemoy store. Next let utilized Jacksontown, Sandy Point, Riverside, and Chicamuxen to another bio stop at Smallwood Park. Final return featured Marbury Run, Pisgah Marbury, and Mason Springs back to the park.   https://ridewithgps.com/routes/44716810 35.7 miles, 1457' elevation gain.

Weather:   cloudy/overcast to start, becoming mostly cloudy with some sun/blue skies at Smallwood Park; temp range 54-63; 7-9 mph air movement from the NW

AMS:   swept in the low 11s; riders at the front slightly faster

Mechanicals/Mishaps: none

Report: the route was developed to afford plenty of cycling on less vehicular trafficked roads and that was truly the case. Bowie, Baptist Church, Hancock Run, Adams Willett, Liverpool Point, Jacksontown, Sandy Point, and Pisgah Marbury were almost vehicle free. The other roads had very little traffic, too.

The big fun part of the ride was being greeted by four turkeys (two Toms, two hens) as we came up to the Nanjemoy store. They took a serious liking to Joan and stayed close to her side during our rest stop at the store. The Toms were in full display; the hens showing them almost complete indifference. They live at the house just east of the store and their appearance is evidently not uncommon as we were told they would hang around until the owner came to shoo them back home.

No Rain on Sunday

Joan Oppel — Sun, 15 Oct 2023 14:00:00 GMT

Leader: Joan Oppel

Riders: Ron Altemus, Dave Van Ameyden, Linda Bankerd, Harold Datz, Walt Roscello, Randy Schoch, Pat Walthers, Rita Zeidner

Route: https://ridewithgps.com/routes/44740215 From the firehouse at Accokeek to Pomfret, to a nice stretch on the trail, to a climb up Mt Pisgah, then to Pisgah (off route to Pisgah Park) and from there to Bicknell and eventually Hawthorne and Lower Wharf to Chapman's Landing. Climb up Barry's HIll and end at the firehouse.

Weather: Slightly chilly at ride start and everyone wore a jacket. Wind from the north at 12-14 mph. Ride leader's Garmin had a steady temperature of 55 throughout the ride. Ron's device said 61 near the end.

Mechanicals/Mishaps: None

Report: A mix of sun and clouds today, a number of miles with the wind at our backs, a number of miles on tree-sheltered roads - as well as several segments where we got familiar wih the wind. The oficial rest stop was at the Pisgah Store but everyone preferred Pisgah Park so off route went. Walt split off to do 5 additional miles and the rest of us cruised back to the firehouse.

Friday IHRT 20 miler

Randall Schoch — Fri, 13 Oct 2023 14:00:00 GMT

Leader - Randy Schoch

Members - Mark Garrison, Susan Altemus, Donaro Gardner, Leesha Saunders, Oswald Martin, and RL Randy . (not pictured: Ron Altemus, photog)

Route - IHRT

Weather - Wonderful, sunny 60's, with light breeze.

AMS - Varied per/rider

Mechanicals/Mishaps - Mark had a tangled chain before the start.

Report - A good turnout of our regulars. Ron, Mark, and I managed to straighten out Mark's chain before the ride start and he had no more trouble for the rest of the ride. There were quite a few other trail users this morning. Even though the temp. was a little chilly at the start we saw several dogs walking their masters, kids in strollers, bikers, and walkers. A nice brisk ride and a short rest break at the White Plains Rest Area. We had a tail breeze on the return leg back to the parking lot. Jackie is recuperating from her heart surgery and not able to ride for awhile.

Revisiting Bryans Road

Joan Oppel — Tue, 10 Oct 2023 14:00:00 GMT

Leader: Joan Oppel

Riders: Lisa Petersen, Rick Hagen, Janet Shipko, Pat Walthers

Route: https://ridewithgps.com/routes/44690756 We headed to La Plata by way of Rose Hill, Chapel Point, Fairground, Springtown Newton and Glen Albin. Return was on Quailwood, Hawthorne, Marshall Corner, Pomfret, IHRT, more Hawthorne and Chapman's Landing.

Weather: Absolutely beautiful. Sunny 56 at start and felt just a little bit chilly. Sunny 65 at the end.

Mechanicals/Mishaps: None

Report: A thoroughly enjoyable ride. Sun, beautiful cloud formations, mostly quiet roads (though some busy spots to connect the quiet). Chapel Point has been repaved (lots of that going on in many counties - infratructure funding?) but not the hill leading to St. Ignatius. Some of us climbed that for the first time.

My Big Fat Greek Ride

David Van Ameyden — Mon, 09 Oct 2023 00:49:15 GMT

Leader: Dave VanAmeyden

Members: Mark Garrison, Tamika Walker, and Justine Kayle

Guests: Alex Batkhan and Christine Buzzell from PPTC

Route: Started in Arlington, went north through Rossyln, up to McLean, then south through Falls Church and Springfield, then northeast around Lake Barcroft and back to Arlington, stopping 3 miles from end at St. Katherine's Greek Orthodox Church for their bi-annual festival.

Weather: Chilly at the start in the 50's then warmed up to the low 70's by mid-day.

AMS: Leader and one other rider went 11, others went 13-15+.

Mechanicals/Mishaps: None!

Report: Was expecting a bigger turnout, given the closeness of the start to where many members live and the good weather. At least four riders rode from their homes. Three riders said they were "B" class and waited for the others to catch up at cue points until the half-way point, then they took off. Two riders took a slower pace and ended just before 2PM.

Williamsburg 3 Day Tour 2023

Sherwood — Sat, 07 Oct 2023 13:30:00 GMT

On a raining and windy fall Saturday morning at the Richmond Virginia Train Station, Oxon Hill Bike and Trail Club (OHBTC) members Alan Kurzweil, Janet Shipko, Linda Bankerd, Sherwood Byers, Sr. (Ride Leader), Ron Altemus (Taking Photograph), Alec and Makenzie Villiva, and Gene Villiva, joined me on a tour to Williamsburg and Surrey Virginia via Virginia's Capital Trail and the Jamestown - Scotland ferry.

After a short briefing, all were on the pedals to the trail head for a group photo. The rain was beginning to be steady and all knew we would be wet. All was okay as the temperature was warming a bit. Riding to Varina the regrouping point and the only stop for a while where you could make any purchases. Continuing on, a stop was made at the next trail head parking lot where there was a pear tree and some were gathered. I had already know about the tree and wanted some (They are very delicious). Not wanting to spend a lot of time there because the rain was coming down pretty good and knowing the predicted weather and change of our heading, riding conditions would change about the time we would stop for lunch and the Indian Fields restaurant. After Lunch the weather was as forecast, the sun was coming out and the breeze was on on our backs making the ride even more pleasurable.

Continuing on our trek to Williamsburg we crossed the Chickahominy Riverfront Park to regroup and rest. With only about 12 miles to our hotels we had to move off the trail to roads where there were bike lanes and an easy ride. Some of us after a short rest met in the hotel breakfast room to eat before retiring.

On Day 2, Sunday there were varying plans by all. Some relaxed in Williamsburg, some toured by their self, and some rode the ferry for the tour and lunch in Surrey. But, for those who toured Surrey enjoyed the ride to the ferry then riding to Chippokes State Park to tour the history of the past. After the tour we went to Meats of Virginia for a delicious lunch before returning to the ferry. After returning to our rooms and freshening ourselves all met the Plaza Azteca for a group dinner.

More To Come...

Friday ALL Class IHRT ~20 miles

Ron Altemus — Fri, 06 Oct 2023 14:00:00 GMT

Leader: Ron Altemus

Members: Gene Villiva, Robin Garnett, Susan Altemus, Fran Jezisek, Randy Schoch. Not pictured: Donaro Gardner, Mark Garrison

Route: Indian Head Rail Trail, Livingston Rd parking lot to White Plains and return

Weather: mostly overcast with temps hovering in the low 70s and air movement out of the south

AMS: varies by rider but most probably in the upper 11s

Mechanicals/Mishaps: none

Report: not as big a turnout as usual since some club members are recuperating. Only a fair number of other trail users, though we did see Bob Moye (always going in the opposite direction). Rutting season has commenced so deer sightings are more common; otherwise, not much wildlife observed except a box turtle next to the trail.

Tour de Accokeek/Bryans Road Extended Plus CC/C 33 mi

Ron Altemus — Tue, 03 Oct 2023 13:30:00 GMT

Leader:   Ron Altemus

Members:   Pat Walthers, Randy Schoch, Rick Hagen, Steve Palincsar, Joan Oppel, Lisa Petersen, Jane & Jim Hundall, Gene Villiva. Not pictured: Anonymous User

Route:   Regular Tour de Accokeek routing to Bryan's Road and then exploration of the South Hampton and Timber Ridge subdivisions prior to the hair raising descent of Marshall Hall Road. An out and back on Fenwick including the subdivision that never was built on Amber prior to a rest stop at Marshall Hall Landing. Return featured an second out and back on River Rd (with another subdivision never built on Chester), before resuming the standard TdeA with the ascent of Barry's Hill. After summiting, a short excursion left on Old Marshall Hall Road skirting Moyaone Reserve before retracing and returning to the start.

https://ridewithgps.com/routes/44628163 33 miles 771' elevation change.

Weather: a very nice early September day transplanted to early October. Sunshine, blue skies, temps rising from the mid 70s to mid 80s, some air movement out of the northern quadrant.

AMS: swept in the mid 11s

Mechanicals/Mishaps: Pat took a slow motion tumble into the grass - fortunately, only her pride was seriously hurt.

Report: A nice turnout to visit some additional neighborhoods in the Bryans Road area along the Tour de Accokeek route. Lisa and Rick were newcomers to the TdeA area while several other long time club members had never ventured down Fenwick and River. The subdivisions being built on the "top side" are in stark contrast to the two on the river plain that never progressed beyond paved roads.

Large segments of the ride were mostly vehicle free allowing for casual conversational cycling which is always enjoyable. Wildlife sightings were minimal except for a number of black vultures overhead on Mathews.

Queen Anne Bridge, South County (CC, 33)

Stephen Palincsar — Sun, 01 Oct 2023 14:30:00 GMT

Leader: Steve Palincsar

Members: Catherine Ade, Rick Hagen, Joan Oppel, Lisa Petersen, Tom Short and Patricia Walthers.

Guests: Joining us at the first rest stop and riding with us until we reached their driveway were members Sue Henn and Eric Nielsen.

Route: https://ridewithgps.com/routes/44607553 32.8 miles, 1434' elevation gain

Weather: Sunny without a cloud in the sky. Mid-70s at the start rising to 82, with a 7 mph breeze from the NE that grew to 13 mph by the time we finished.

AMS: 13.3

Mechanicals/Mishaps: As one would expect on a first ride on a brand new bike, Pat had a few issues getting her shifting and power assist levels working, but other than that the ride was incident free.

Report: This was meant as a recovery ride for those on yesterday's Charles & St Marys Century and a return to riding for Pat, on her new Orbea Gain that she's been awaiting for 17 months. Rick and Lisa did the 50, while Joan Catherine and I did the 75 (Tom had signed up but canceled).

It was a beautiful day and we saw several groups of riders on Sands and on Sudley and Owensville Sudley -- not surprising, since these are fabulous cycling roads. We were delighted to have Sue and Eric join us at the rest stop at South County Rec Center. They rode with us to the South County Cafe where we stopped for lunch, then stayed with us until we reached their driveway.

Although we were mostly on familiar roads we've ridden many times this year, this route (based on one of Debby Bowman's Waysons in Winter routes) took us in the opposite direction to our usual and as a result everything looked quite different.

It was great riding with Pat again, even if just for a brief interval before she goes on the sidelines again, recovering from upcoming knee surgery.

OR50 Charles & St. Mary's Half Century

Harry Kidd — Sat, 30 Sep 2023 13:00:00 GMT

Leader: Not Designated.

Members: Holly Carr, Walt Roscello, Jannell Saunders, Harry Kidd

Route: OR50 Charles & St Marys Half Century

Weather: Cloudy and with some sun near the ride end.

Mechanicals/Mishaps: None

Report: The four of us decide to ride together. We met at Oak Ridge Park at 9:00 a.m. There were no problems during the ride. We all had a nice break at the Chaptico Store and finished the ride at 1:30 p.m. It was a pleasure to find Rita’s Truck open and a couple of us a nice dessert to celebrate the ride finish.

2023 Charles & St Marys Self-Supported Century

Stephen Palincsar — Sat, 30 Sep 2023 12:00:00 GMT

Farm on Dr Johnson Rd

Leader: We didn't have leaders on this ride, no more than we had SAG support or staffed rest stops. What we did have was four routes -- 50, 62, 75 and 100 -- with stores, parks and portolets identified. Our expectation was that riders would form their own groups to ride with, and that in an area so abundantly furnished with support in the form of stores, parks and portolets no formal staffed rest stops would be required.

Except for a couple of small glitches (we never did find that Amish bakery just off Lockes Crossing Rd, and a couple of riders doing the metric didn't realize the gas station at Rt 5 and Hills Club doesn't have a rest room, but they found one on Old Village that did) things went to plan as far as I know.

Members: Members checked in at the 8:00 start included: Catherine Ade, Linda Bankerd, Cecilla Grillo, Rick Hagen, Renee McCullough, Joan Oppel, Lisa Petersen and Bill Silva. A group of four (Holly Carr, Harry Kidd, Walt Roscello and Janell Saunders) started at 9:00 and did the 50 mile route. Their report is here.

Guests: 12 non-members registered for the ride and 6 were checked in. There was at least one non-member who hadn't registered and couldn't be checked in.

Besides great publicity thanks to Jessica Hirschhorn, one reason for the large number of guest registrations was that Pax Velo's St Marys Century scheduled for the week before had been canceled due to rain, and they sent a notice to their registrants letting them know our Century was available.

Route: The event link in RWGPS is here: https://ridewithgps.com/events/231176-2023-charles-st-marys-self-supported-cen with 50, 63, 75 and 100 mile routes.

Weather: It was an overcast day, with 15 mph winds and temperatures ranging from a chilly-feeling 65 at 8:00 to a high of 76 degrees at 4:00 pm.

Mechanicals/Mishaps: Aside from a couple of chain drops, I'm not aware of any. One of our riders found a lost bicycle light on Dr Johnson Rd but I didn't hear of anyone losing one, and there was another ride in the area.

Report: We all started together a few minutes after 8:00 and we stayed together for the first couple of miles. All the routes turn right out of Oak Ridge Park, go down the hill on Oaks Rd and turn right onto Keech, and then right on MD-6... and that was my last view of the paceline.

Catherine, Joan and I rode together. We saw Linda and her riding companion at the Chaptico Store and also at the store in Avenue, and we caught a glimpse of a couple of the Century riders, heads down intent on their ride there, turning from Abell onto Oakley Rd. We had an excellent, uneventful ride.

Friday IHRT 20 miler

Randall Schoch — Fri, 29 Sep 2023 14:00:00 GMT

Leaders - Jackie & Randy Schoch

Members - RL Randy, Gene Villiva, Belinda Acre, Ron Altemus, Robin Garnett, and Mark Garrison. Photog: RL Jackie

Route - IHRT

Weather - A crisp fall morning (60's)

AMS - Varied per/rider.

Mechanicals/Mishaps - None

Report - A nice group of our regular riders. Maybe because of the chill in the air, we didn't see much wildlife (just one crane). There were other trail users including bikes, joggers, skaters, dogs, etc. but not very many. A good day for a ride. See yuens next week.

Visiting Goose Bay

Joan Oppel — Wed, 27 Sep 2023 13:30:00 GMT

Leader: Joan Oppel

Members/Guests: Ron Altemus, Steve Palincsar. Guest: Angela Hayes

Route: From Livingston Road Indian Head Parking Lot to Goose Bay and then winding around to return via Annapolis Woods, Hilltop, Rt 6 Smallwood, Chicamuxen, Sweetman, back to Chcamuxen https://ridewithgps.com/routes/44564234

Weather: Coudy at start at about 59 degrees, hovering around 59-62 througout the ride, some sun and mixed clouds.

Mechanicals/Mishaps: None

Report: Enjoyable route, roads were pretty quiet except for the section of Poorhouse between Stuckey Lane and Ripley, which seems to bring out impatient drivers. After the Ripley/Annapolis Woods intersection, drivers are calmer. Our guest, Angela decided to try out an Oxon Hill ride and said she had a good time. As usual, the rest stop at Goose Bay was welcoming and comfortable. Two items of note: interesting cloud formations accompanied us (adds extra visuals to a ride) and some logging going on along the Goose Bay entry road.

Friday IHRT all class ~20 mi

Ron Altemus — Fri, 22 Sep 2023 14:00:00 GMT

Leader: Ron Altemus

Members: Randy Schoch, Lester jackson, Jr., Fran Jezisek, Susan Altemus, Robin Garnett, Leesha Saunders, Belinda Acre, Gene Villiva. Not pictured: Donaro Gardner & Dan Donahue

Route: the Friday usual - Indian Head Rail Trail, Livingston Rd parking lot east to White Plains for a rest stop and then return westward

Weather: bright overcast, temp range 65-69, NE winds about 10 mph

AMS: varies by rider for this casual/leisurely ride

Mechanicals/Mishaps: none

Report: another nice turnout, possibly because riders wanted to do some pedaling prior to a forecast wet weekend. Surprisingly, not a lot of other bicyclers on the trail, though a number of walkers/joggers, including the mom group. And very little in the way of wildlife sightings. Maybe they were hunkering down prior to the incoming rain.

Tour de Accokeek

Janell Saunders — Wed, 20 Sep 2023 21:15:00 GMT

Ride Leader: Janell Saunders

Members: Tim Murphy

Just Tim and I today, so we did the modified route, skipping the old neighborhoods and adding the new development in Bryans Road, which is still being grown. So, may have some additional streets to explore in the future.

At the rest stop at the Marshall Hall boat ramp, we watched a couple of bald eagles perched in a high tree near the old Marshall Hall itself, hearing a bit of their chatter. Noted quite a number of turkey vultures enjoying the thermals as well.

Heading back and working up Barrys Hill, we decided to skip the ice cream today due to the shorter daylight. I may have to start posting this ride at 5pm as time goes on until the time change in November.

Durham Church, Adams Willet, Nanjemoy (CC, 39)

Stephen Palincsar — Tue, 19 Sep 2023 14:00:00 GMT

Just Anonymous User and me today on a route that took Pisgah Marbury and Mason Springs, MD-6 to Durham Church, Ironsides, Hancock Run and Adams Willett to a rest stop at the Nanjemoy Community Center. Weather was lovely, a pretty early fall day with temperatures ranging from 67 to 77 with clear blue skies and an 8-9 mph breeze. Basically it was just about everything you could possibly want on a bike ride except for riders.

Mason Neck/Hallowing Point CC/C ~26 mi

Ron Altemus — Sat, 16 Sep 2023 13:30:00 GMT

Leader: Ron Altemus

Members: RL Ron, Mary Scala, Althea Johnston, Pat Walters

(selfie photog - Mary Scala)

Route: From Gunston Elementary, an out and back on Belmont Blvd for a scenic view of Belmont Bay, then the Mason Neck trail to a rest stop at the State Park visitors center. Departing the park, east on Gunston Road to tour Hallowing Point followed by Gunston Estates. A brief jog into Gunston Hall and a return via the trail to our start. As detailed below, we didn't do the Pohick Bay Park and golf course short spurs.

Weather: Oustanding - it really can't get any better. Nothing but sunshine and bright blue skies with crisp humidity free air. Temps starting in the mid 60s rising maybe to the mid 70s w/winds in the 5-8 mph out of the NW. Pictured below - Belmont Bay looking quite nice as viewed from the Mason Neck State Park visitors center:

AMS: a very leisurely/casual 11 mph

Mechanicals/Mishaps: none

Report: the first ride for Pat Walthers in quite a while and it was great having her on the bike with us again. She's eagerly anticipating the delivery sometime this week of her new Orbea eBike and she'll once received, again become a mainstay for many of our CC club rides. Great to have you with us, Pat!

Steve Forman rode with us from the start down to the entrance to Mason Neck and then, desiring a speedier pace, decided to try and find the PPTC riders. The rest of us arrived at the park in two pairings but from then on, we rode as a group to tour the Hallowing Point and Gunston Estates neighborhoods. The hill back up from the Mason Neck park was a bit taxing for Pat and once crested, she opted to return directly to the start. Others had gone into Gunston Hall but once collected, we all decided to skip the final two spurs and try and catch Pat on the trail. That we were unable to do only meeting her back at the cars. Apparently, a quick recovery after the hill.

Today's ride was a late posting as your faithful correspondent/ride leader wanted a nice ride and thought maybe other club members might wish the same. Many thanks to those that came out to make a most enjoyable ride.

Historic Bridges of Frederick County (CC, 50)

Stephen Palincsar — Sat, 16 Sep 2023 13:15:00 GMT

The Rocky Ridge Big Slide

Leader: Steve Palincsar

Members: Holly Carr, Melissa Coleman, Catherine Ade

Route: https://ridewithgps.com/routes/44242317 50.3 mi, 3016' elevation gain.

Weather: It doesn't get any better than this: sunny skies, high 50s/low 60s at the start (how strange to be wearing tights again!) rising to around 80 when we finished. Humidity ranging from 60% at 9 to 30% at 3 pm. Winds were supposedly going to be light, but at times they were anything but. In any event, full marks for weather.

AMS: 12.6

Mechanicals/Mishaps: none

Report: A fabulous day for a bike ride, and Frederick County was looking fine today. After our first rest stop (and at least three of the historic bridges on our route plus a giant empty space where the Stevens Rd bridge used to be) we stopped at the Rocky Ridge Big Slide. Catherine and Holly took rides down the slide and were quite surprised at how fast

Wheeee....!

you're going on the way down and when you go off the slide into the sand pit at the end of the ride.

I made several changes to the route this year: some detours forced by bridges being closed, one to visit the Texas Longhorns at Sunhaven Farm

Texas Longhorns at Sunhaven Farm

and a big change at the end just because I couldn't remember ever having been on Links Bridge and Ramsburg. After riding Ramsburg, I think I know why that is: there's 184' elevation gain in 1.9 mi (scale that to a century and you end up with around 9600' elevation gain). It sure was pretty, though.

Friday IndianHead 20 mile All Class

Randall Schoch — Fri, 15 Sep 2023 14:00:00 GMT

Leader - Randy Schoch

Members - Belinda Acre, Mark Garrison (hidden by Belinda - sorry!), Donaro Gardner, Leesha Saunders, Oswald Martin, Susan Altemus, Fran Jezisek, and RL Randy. (not pictured: Ron Altemus, photog)

Route - IHRT

Weather - Perfect, sunny, 70's with light breeze.

AMS - Varied per/rider.

Mechanicals/Mishaps - None

Report - A good turnout of our regular Friday riders on this wonderful morning. Jackie had to miss today because she is doing a craft (stained glass) show at Anne Marie's Garden in Solomon's Island. Ron took the photo for our report. There were quite a few others out for trail use this morning. Lots of kids, dogs, a couple of deer, chirping birds, walkers, bikers, and a young girl on a skateboard who lost control of the skateboard causing it to propel towards me at a high rate of speed. Luckily it missed me. We had a rather long rest break at the White Plains stop. During the break Susan and Fran were telling me about their new E-bikes that they ordered. We will probably see them on their E-bikes next week. Ron posted a ride for tomorrow and we have our bike club meeting on Monday. See yens Monday on zoom.

Mount Calvert & Patuxent River Park (CC, 37)

Stephen Palincsar — Thu, 14 Sep 2023 14:00:00 GMT

Leader: Steve Palincsar

Members: Traci C, Rick Hagen, Lisa Petersen

Guests: none

Route: https://ridewithgps.com/routes/42241189 -- at least, that was the plan. The plan did not survive contact with MD-5 traffic, specifically the six car crash with overturned trucks that closed MD-5 southbound for hours.

Weather: The Capital Weather Gang gave it 10 out of 10. Sunny, 70s, 10 mph breeze, humidity between 40-60%. If people weren't riding today, it definitely wasn't because of the weather.

AMS: 13.2

Mechanicals/Mishaps: None, aside from that 6-car crash.

Report: It was an excellent ride: lovely scenery, perfect weather, a nice albeit small group.

Although I'd left early enough for a planned arrival at 9:30,I hadn't planned on MD-5 being closed at Surratts Rd. I didn't actually arrive until just after 10:30, and a doctors appointment in Arlington at 4pm meant cuts were called for.

On learning of the delays due to road work on Cherry Tree Crossing, we agreed to skip the final leg on Cross Road Trail and Cherry Tree Crossing. We ended up with 29 miles and 1470' elevation gain.

It's good to visit Mount Calvert every so often.

Tour de Accokeek

Janell Saunders — Wed, 13 Sep 2023 21:15:00 GMT

Ride Leader: Janell Saunders

Members: none

Just me today probably because it was a late posting, but hoped somebody might come out.

I did my own version again, but in reverse. So went down to Moyaone to check out the cattle, then back down Barrys Hill and up Marshall Hall after the rest stop at the boat ramp.

Enjoyed the nice fallish temps and water views.

St Ignatius, Bel Alton Newtown & Quailwood (CC, 39)

Stephen Palincsar — Tue, 12 Sep 2023 20:12:51 GMT

St Ignatius Church

Leader: Steve Palincsar

Members: Ron Altemus

Guests: none

Route: https://ridewithgps.com/routes/43250731 39.8 mi, 1537' elevation.

Weather: Sunny, quite humid, high 70s at the start rising to mid-80s by early afternoon.

AMS: 12.7

Mechanicals/Mishaps: none

Report: Just Ron and me on a pleasant, scenic ride down Rose Hill and up Chapel Point, interrupted by road mending (they're patching large segments, not repaving the whole thing) on Chapel Point, good in that we had only one car pass us from the start of the road work until we reached St Ignatius Church.

Crossing 301 we took Bel Alton Newtown down the Beast and up the other side, then went left on Springhill Newtown and north on Glen Albin to a second stop at the Dash In. After lunch we made our way on back streets to Hawthorne, then took Quailwood back to Rt 6, stopping briefly at the Satellite Government building before turning on Burch and Poorhouse. We took Ripley (once again, the Garmin failed to recognize Ripley as a turn) to Hawthorne, then descended Mighty Mount Pisgah. Ron wanted to make an even 40 miles, so we went past Livingston, turning on the IHRT instead.

A nice day and a nice ride, although not quite the start of fall weather the forecasts implied. I guess that's coming on Thursday.

Goose Bay, Durham Church & Smallwood Park (CC, 40)

Stephen Palincsar — Sat, 09 Sep 2023 12:30:00 GMT

Rest stop at Goose Bay

Leader: Steve Palincsar

Members: Catherine Ade, Dave VanAmayden, Walt Roscello, Ron Altemus

Guests: None

Route: https://ridewithgps.com/routes/32979737 39.9 mi, 1668' elevation gain, 6.9% max grade. Total riding time was 2:57 while time stopped was 1:05. We took our time enjoying ourselves at the rest stops at Goose Bay and Smallwood Park, but maintained a fairly brisk moving average even though we were basically chilling almost the whole time.

Weather: Weather was definitely the big story today. Today's ride was but 40 miles and our start was at 8:30 because when I posted this ride, the forecast had a roughly 20% chance of rain and thunderstorms before 1 pm, jumping up to at least the 30-something % range at one and thereafter. An early start and a 40 mile route would let us get back before 1 pm.

The forecast this morning was 68-76% cloud cover, temperatures ranging from 73-83 degrees, light winds 3-6% and a chance of precipitation of around 27%.

The temperature range was about right, possibly it was a bit warmer than predicted. But the cloud cover was way off: instead of mostly cloudy skies we had brilliant blue skies with light, thin cloud cover -- in all, a simply beautiful morning.

We finished at 1 instead of the predicted 12:45, having ridden faster and taken a whole lot longer than expected at the rest stops, happy to have had such a nice ride. As we were putting our bikes in our cars it clouded up with gray clouds.

On Indian Head Highway after the ride it got up to 91. As Dave, Catherine and I were heading north on Indian Head Highway, Walt, who had ridden from home, ran into a small downpour 3 miles from his house.

Ron left a few minutes later, having been last to finish loading. He drove through downpours at Bryan's Road and again on Mt Vernon Hwy after exiting the Wilson Bridge. Here in Alexandria City, it's been rumbling and grumbling for the past hour and a half with heavy overcast and gray skies, with the weather icon on my computer showing a thunderstorm, but we've not had any actual rain.

AMS: 13.4

Mechanicals/Mishaps: None

Report: Walt rode from home, planning to meet us at Goose Bay. We were about 10 minutes late leaving Bryans Road, and arrived at Goose Bay about 10 minutes after him - not that it mattered.

We had a great ride and enjoyed ourselves. We could hardly have planned it better, having perfectly nice weather the whole time we were riding, with clouds and rain, both threatened and actual.

The goal was to squeeze a ride in and have a good time and we met that goal with flying colors.

Friday ALL class IHRT ~20 miles

Ron Altemus — Fri, 08 Sep 2023 14:00:00 GMT

Leader:   Ron Altemus

Members:   Gene Villiva, Susan Altemus, Leesha Saunders, Carlos Hazera, Donaro Gardner, Mark Garrison

Route:   Indian Head Rail Trail, starting at Livingston Rd parking lot and heading east to White Plains trailhead w/return

Weather:   temps rising from the low 80s to mid 80s under mostly sunny skies, very little wind out of the NE, not too bad on the humidity

AMS:   varied by rider between 10-13 mph

Mechanicals/Mishaps:   none

Report:   A smaller group than usual as some are traveling and others might have had enough of the worst September hot spell on record in the DMV. Probably because of the heat (though it wasn't that bad), we didn't see a lot of other trail users and minimal wildlife limited to a green snake and possibly a wolf spider.

Other club members espied on the trail included Bob Moye, getting in his daily 40 mile ride, and Amy Werking. Amy had hoped to ride with the club but was delayed so rode solo and we only encountered her upon our return to Livingston Road.

Not only has the heat been an issue of late, but most of the region has seen significantly less rainfall than usual. Trees are stressed and the small ponds scattered along the pond are showing much lower water levels. The pond closest to White Plains (which I noted today for the first time had signage stating it was "Port Tobacco Creek") is exceptionally low with tree trunks and waterlogged logs now visible, as pictured below.

Merkle, Nelson Perrie & Baden (CC, 30)

Stephen Palincsar — Thu, 07 Sep 2023 13:00:00 GMT

Leader: Steve Palincsar

Members: Rick Hagen, Lisa Petersen, Harry Kidd, Tracie C

Guests: none

Route: https://ridewithgps.com/routes/28519091 30 mi, 1235' elevation

Weather: Hopefully, it was the last day of the last heatwave of summer, a day the Capital Weather Gang gave a 1 out of 10 and called "a scorcher". Another Post article said today was "the final day of widespread record highs in the Washington-Baltimore region, and the late-season heat wave solidified its place in the record books. No heat wave this late into September has been this hot."

It was 80 when we started, around 92 with a heat index of 102 when we finished, with sunny skies, 5-7 mph winds and an ample sufficiency of humidity. But that didn't make for a miserable, hot and sweaty day. (OK, well maybe yes with the sweaty, but mostly not hot and definitely not miserable.)

AMS: 12.9

Mechanicals/Mishaps: none

Report: Shade rules!

Today Harry and I were joined by Rick and Lisa from Owings Mills, down near where we used to have the picnics at Fresh Meadows Farm, and Tracie C, making one of her rare mid-week appearances.

The route was relatively short compared to our usual Thursday Brandywine fare at this time of year and absolutely shady for almost all its length, with rest stops at the Merkle Sanctuary and at the Baden store (it is well known that there's nothing better on a steamy summer day with a 102 degree heat index than an ice cold Coca Cola).

Lisa had brought a 90s Trek with what looked like a 39/53 double and a 12-23 7 speed cassette, and she decided the 7.9% max grade on Nelson Perrie would be a bit much given her gearing, so she and Rick went right on Baden Naylor while we went left on Nelson Perrie.

We met at the Baden store and relaxed in the shade before facing the three miles in the open on Brandywine Road and the final stretch, once more back in the shade on Gibbons Church.

THE PICNIC- Labor Day on the Green

Joan Oppel — Mon, 04 Sep 2023 16:00:00 GMT

THE PICNIC: was excellent - Wally and Jane Huie did a fantastic job. Wally cooked a LOT of hot dogs. Jessica Hirschhorn and Ron Altemus did the shopping so we had abundant sodas, chips, pickles, cookies. Club member Dani Villiva made amazing cookies and sent them to the ride with Gene Viliva. Ron also made a major stop at the storage locker to retrieve various needed items. Also, major thanks to Diane Harris, who, along with Jessica, volunteered to hang out all day helping to set up the picnic food and serving items.

It was quite pleasant under the trees on the Green and riders ate and mingled and just seemed to enjoy relaxing and the company.

Labor Day Fun CC 44

Joan Oppel — Mon, 04 Sep 2023 15:00:00 GMT

Leader: Joan Oppel

Members: The CC 44 group started off with about 16 or 17 people but the group quickly separated into slow, slower, faster sections. And some switched groups before the first rest stop and at the first rest stop. Here is a probably incomplete list of my group of riders: Linda Blackman, Robin Butler-LeFrancois, Cathy Miller, Steve Palincsar, Janet Shipko, Cynthia Cypress, Rhonda Hearns-Stewart, Mika, Justine Kavie, Rita Zeidner, Harold Datz, Paul Hamilton, Leslie Tierstein, Margaret McBride.

Route: https://ridewithgps.com/routes/44076464

Weather: At the 8:30 start, temp about 75 at the start, 92 in the shade at the end. Humidity not too bad for a hot day, we created a self-breeze when riding and since we only stopped in shade, we managed to keep comfortable.

Mechanicals/Mishaps: None

Report: I was "leading from the rear" all day, keeping track of all the slower riders. After climbing Mt Pisgah, the two off the back said they would change to the CC 33 at Smallwood and were fine together. Janet Shipko kept company with me at the rear for the entire ride. Then at the Pisgah Store, a group of six was waiting and we joined up with them for the rest of the route. Riverside was delightful today, it's such a pleasure to have the Nanjemoy Store be so welcoming. We regrouped many times to keep together. It was a great group

Once we got to the Indian Head trail we came across a rider from the 33 group sick with the heat - and with two other 33 riders ministering to her. A HUGE thank you to Beth Merricks and Ed Reardon for staying with her, for calling Harry Kidd to come and get her. (For the record, she recovered.)

It was quite pleasant under the trees on the Green and riders ate and mingled and just seemed to enjoy relaxing and the company.

Labor Day 33 CC

Ellen Goodwin — Mon, 04 Sep 2023 13:00:00 GMT

Riders: The CC 33 group started out with Peggy Alfonso, Beth Baynes, Myrtle Bowen, Sarah Clement, Melissa Coleman, Steve Forman, Mark Garrison, Susan Henn, Jane Hudnall, Jim Hudnall, Harry Kidd, Beth Merricks, Mary Ann Owsley, Sam Perry, Ed Reardon, Janell Saunders, Desiree Smith, Esther Steward, Leslie Tierstein, Len Wilkinson, Ray Luckenbach, Lisa Troshinski, Gil and Tina Dutchover, Melissa Coleman, Randy Sim (apologies to any one I missed--it was a big group!).

Leader: Ellen Goodwin with a special shout out to Harry Kidd who swept the group!

Ride: Our big group assembled for a 9am start, even though it was getting warm already in the parking lot. Thanks to everyone who agreed to wait to honor the 9:00am start-time to accommodate last minute comers, even though it would have made sense to trek out earlier in light of the heat. AS is typical for the CC class, the group quickly separated into a slower group, a faster group, and the in-between group, with Harry Kidd generously sweeping the rear. The first stretch of the ride into SMallwood park was lovely, mostly shady, gently rolling, with the sun kindly agreeing to stay behind some clouds. But that would change after the first rest stop, when the heat quickly started to build. After the first rest stop, our group acquired some new members, as many who had started out on the CC 44 decided to stay with the 33 group instead.

For the second rest stop in Pisgah Park, as the leader pulled in to the stop, a group was leaving, having decided to skip Pisgah Park in favor of a stop at the Pisgah store, just 3 quarters of a mile up the road. And that turned out to be a good call, as there was no water available at Pisgah Park. So, a few of us who had pulled into Pisgah Park ventured up the road to the Pisgah Store to find a whole bunch of people resting on the shady porch there. The store made a wonderful break from the heat and folks enjoyed visiting there. We also encountered several B riders and riders from the CC 44 group there.

The picnic was lovely and Extra special thanks go to the picnic leaders who set up a generous spread for the riders to enjoy!!

Mechanicals: The only mechanical of which the leader is aware was my own. My front derailleur came loose from the frame on about mile 10, knocking me out of using the big chainring for the remainder of the ride. Never had that issue before!! Off to the bike shop, I go. Thanks to Luis Dall'Orso and Steve Palincsar for helping me figure that one out!

Many thanks to every one for coming out for such a lovely day of riding. I met many new riders, and was glad for the chance to catch up with long standing club members that I don't often see.

Labor Day Picnic IHRT 27 miles

Ron Altemus — Mon, 04 Sep 2023 13:00:00 GMT

Leader: Ron Altemus

Members:   Robin Garnett, Gene Villiva, Gail Black, Susan Altemus, Bruce Black, Desiree Smith, Donaro Gardner, Myrtle Bowen. Not pictured - Jay Lewis who was a bit late to the ride start.

Route:   the Indian Head Rail Trail in its entirety - Indian Head Village Green to White Plains trailhead and return. 27 miles, not much in the way of elevation change (374 feet!).

Weather:   temps starting in the mid 70s, rising to the mid 80s. We had mostly overcast skies outbound which, along with the many shaded stretches of the IHRT, kept the heat at bay. The overcast cleared as we started back but there was either a westerly breeze or we were just moving fast enough to stay comfortable on the return ride. Humidity wasn't too bad either.

AMS:   varied by rider but most were probably in the low 11s.

Mechanicals/Mishaps:   none

Report:   a very leisurely ride with lots of conversation. Newcomer Myrtle got to experience the IHRT from end to end. Lots of other trail users including some riders that were really moving. Very little in terms of wildlife sightings other than a turtle crossing, probably because of either the numbers using the trail or the increasing heat.

Since we had the shortest ride, we were the first group back to the Village Green for the picnic. Plenty of hot dogs thanks to Wally & Jane Huie, along with various snacks and cookies, courtesy of Jessica Hirschhorn, including homemade cookies by Dani Villiva. Thankfully plenty of ice cold beverages were available to aid in cooling down hot hard working club members.

4 September - Labor Day Picnic B 44

Walt Roscello — Mon, 04 Sep 2023 12:37:00 GMT

Leader: Walt Roscello

Members: see narrative

Route: A loop to Pisgah via Ripley Rd, then down into Nanjemoy to the store and a fairly direct return up Masons Springs back to Indian Head. I noticed in the metrics that this is fairly flat, only 35 ft/mi, which probably helped on a hot day.

https://ridewithgps.com/routes/44076464

Weather: As predicted. Over 75 by the start time, but holding to about 90 at the end. There seemed to be some wind from the Southwest, which probably contributed to the early "enthusiasm" going up Pisgah Hill. Wasn't too bad, depending on acclimatization.

AMS: About 15 mph. My auto-stop was jittery at one of the stops, but all the rolling segments were over 15 mph.

Mechanicals/Mishaps: One rider broke a spoke about 9 miles in and took the most direct route back to the start after the Smallwood stop.

Steffanie did a quick U-turn to escort a turtle the rest of the way across the road along Bowie Rd.

Report: I started with almost no group - 6-8 riders had left the start area 30 minutes early to beat the heat, and many of the remainder said they were going to hang back with the CCs to take it easy. However, after starting out with the CC group and reaching the bottom of Rt. 225, it became clear that about a half-dozen riders were willing to keep the effort higher on the run into Mt Pisgah and on to the top. This group stayed close to each other to the first rest stop, where we lost one to the broken spoke but gained two others who we either caught on the road (making up for a late start) or who came in between groups.

By the way, one of my favorite road segments is the two miles between Ripley Rd and Mason Springs, with just enough gentle slopes to help you get speed on the downs to try and maintain on the ups.

The group was now eight, some from the B signup and some from the CCs. They included Steve Palinscar, Catherine Ade, "Sue" Murray, Steffanie Riess, Sue Gunther, myself, and two others. (Sorry to those I don't know on sight.)

We had an uneventful run down Chicamuxen and Riverside to the second stop, only spreading out by a few minutes. Riverside was a nice place to be on a day that was getting hotter. After a longer break for more food at the Nanjemoy Store, we left as a group to traverse Baptist Church, Bowie, and Mason Springs to the Pisgah Park, where we found the CC 33 group. Again, despite some riders being faster than others we were only separated by a few minutes at the rest stop.

With only about 8 miles to go, we all silently agreed to leave the last stop without much delay, and a few headed out early. All also bypassed the Pisgah store in favor of the club's picnic which was only about 30 minutes away at that point. Steve and Catherine had been riding off the front for a while, so I'm curious what assist setting he had opted for!

We kept track of everyone, no one suffered heat-related difficulties, there were no seriously questionable passes, the scenery was enjoyable, there was reasonable shade and we made it back in good time to enjoy the picnic, so this qualifies as a mostly uneventful and enjoyable day out.

Final note of thanks to those who planned and supplied the picnic (most of whom also stayed back) - it was a great selection of food and great to sit down with everyone outside the ride. I think that some of our new riders were past paid event participants who decided to come and join us in our more casual format.

Labor Day MULTI-Class Picnic Ride Overview

Stephen Palincsar — Mon, 04 Sep 2023 12:30:00 GMT

Mattawoman Creek at Smallwood Park

Over 100 registered and around 78 were checked in (or seen in person even though they hadn't been checked in) at this year's Labor Day Picnic ride. A partly cloudy day that started out at 8:30 with 70 degrees quickly rose into the 90s and by 2:30 over 100 was observed on Indian Head Highway on the way home.

Caveat: not everyone who registered for a particular group actually rode with that group: some set out early as an impromptu group while others may have set out with a group other than the one they registered for. I, for example, although registered with the CC 44 group actually rode with Walt's B group, as did Sue Gunter, even though she'd registered for the IHRT Trail ride and some changed groups mid-way through the ride.

Also, some riders undoubtedly came but didn't get checked in and were missed when I edited the registration data for this report. So take the following with a grain of salt; if you rode today, you probably need it anyway.

A/B 55

Sherwood Byers led the A/B 55 group. Based on registrations, the group consisted of Linda Bankerd,, Holly Carr, Laura Clauser, Luis Dall'Orso, Joel Drubin, Deborah Gebhardt, Lan Gordon, Jenny Haddon, Barbara McCann, Lawrence McCarthy, Clare Neal, Eric Nielsen, David Richmond, Theresa Rowell, Andy Schuller, George Valenzuela and Leon Wells.

B 44

Walt Roscello led the B 44 group, which according to registration data consisted of Catherine Ade, Rhonda Hearns-Stewart, Justine Kavle, Michael “Sue” Murray, Steffanie Riess and Tamika Walker.

CC 44

Joan Oppel led the CC 44 ride. According to registration data, the group was made up of Linda Blackman, Marc Blackman, Robin Butler-LeFrancois, Andrea Clayville, Cynthia Cypress, Harold Datz, Paul Hamilton, Robin Hershey, Ray Luckenbach, Margaret McBride, Cathy Miller, Cynthia Nuzzi, Joan Oppel, Stephen Palincsar, Deborah Reynolds, Janet Shipko, Janet Shipko, Randolph sim and Rita Zeidner,

C/CC 33

Ellen Goodwin led the C/CC 33 ride. In her group, according to registration data, were Peggy Alfonso, Beth Baynes, Myrtle Bowen, Sarah Clement, Melissa Coleman, Stephen Forman, Mark Garrison, Sheila Harron, Susan Henn, Jane Hudnall, Jim Hudnall, Harry Kidd, William Loewe, Beth Merricks, Mary Ann Owsley, Samuel Perry, Ed Reardon, Janell Saunders, Desiree Smith, Esther Steward, Leslie Tierstein and Leon Wilkinson.

IHRT Trail Ride

Ron Altemus led the IHRT Trail ride. Joining him were Susan Altemus, Bruce Black, Gail Black, Donaro Gardner, Robin Garnett, Jay Lewis and Gene Villiva.

Thanks to all the ride leaders. Without them the rides would not have happened. Be sure to read their individual ride reports. And special thanks to everyone responsible for the picnic.

Deale, Rose Haven & Chesapeake Beach Railroad Trail (CC, 54)

Stephen Palincsar — Sun, 03 Sep 2023 12:30:00 GMT

Clockwise from upper left: the group at the Chesapeake Railroad Trail; selfie on the Railroad Trail; sign on the door of the Chesapeake Market; Sabine and Candace; the Railroad Trail earlier this year; lunch at Chesapeake market. Photos by Candace, Joan, Sabine and me.

Leader: Steve Palincsar

Members: Sabine Hentrich, Ellen Goodwin, Candace Carlisle, Joan Oppel, Dave VanAmayden

Route: https://ridewithgps.com/routes/44095606 54 mi, 2450' elevation gain

Weather: Sunny with very little cloud cover and a 5-6 mph breeze. High 60s - low 70s at the start, rising to 80 by 11 and over 90 by 2 pm.

AMS: 12.7

Mechanicals/Mishaps: None

Report: We started in the shade in the high 60s on Plummer Lane and the Pindells, everyone carefully avoiding the mess of potholes on Lower Pindell, enthusiastically careening down Nutwell and Nutwell Sudley.

After a rest stop at the Highs in Deale we took a leisurely tour through Masons Beach before moving on to the hilly part of the ride. We climbed out of Deale up to Franklin Gibson, dropping down 100' crossing Trott's Branch and immediately gaining it back (with a 10% grade) before going down Leitch onto Fairhaven. We rode alongside the Chesapeake, climbing past Fairhaven Cliffs up to Friendship and then descended back down to Bay level for lunch at the Chesapeake Market.

Up till now we'd been mostly in the shade with occasional open stretches and temps in the 70s, but after lunch it got a lot warmer and the route became a lot more open. We rode through North Beach and into Chesapeake Beach, taking the Railroad Trail to the dead end/observation point for a hasty photo op, then continued up the Railroad Trail through Richfield Station, down Harrison Blvd and up 260 to Boyds Turn. Now it had reached 90 degrees and we were really starting to feel the heat.

We took a short water stop at the Dash In on Old Solomons, then followed Sansbury/Wilson/Jewel/McKendree to Bay Front, then taking Southern Maryland Boulevard back to the Park & Ride.

The route and the weather had met and exceeded expectations, leaving us spent but happy, both that we'd done the ride and that it was at last over.

As we were getting ready to leave, Joan cheerfully noted that "Tomorrow's route is only 44 miles." With hot dogs.

Celestial, Eagle Harbor & Pinefield (CC, 46)

Stephen Palincsar — Sat, 02 Sep 2023 13:00:00 GMT

Cedar Haven Fishing Area

Riders at Cedar Haven rest stop

Leader: Steve Palincsar

Members: Catherine Ade, Joan Oppel, Janet Shipko, Dave VanAmayden, Walt Roscello

Route: https://ridewithgps.com/routes/44230149 46.9 mi, 1756' elevation gain

Weather: Sunny, 67 at the start (much cooler feeling in the shade for the first 10 miles or so) rising to the mid-80s by 2 pm. 3-6 mph breeze with very few clouds.

AMS: 13.9

Mechanicals/Mishaps: none

Ride Report: Almost from the beginning we broke into two groups, the fast group only a minute ahead when we reached Moreland Market. We followed the Rural Legacy route from Moreland to Eagle Harbor, adding a little extra down along the Potomac shore.

We took a break at the Cedar Haven Fishing Area and Joan and Janet decided to skip the planned stop at Hardesty Haven Cafe and shorten the route by skipping the Pinefield meander.

Catherine, Dave, Walt and I did stop at Hardesty Haven and had lunch. Once you negotiate the climbs on Dr Bowen and the dip just before Mudd Rd, the final 20 miles are relatively flat, with only 600' elevation gain. We made short work of them, meandering through Pinefield at first but upping the pace on Pinewood and outright hammering on Cedarville, Brandywine and Gibbons Church.

A pretty day and a fun ride: a good start to the Labor Day weekend.

Friday ALL class IHRT ~20 miles

Ron Altemus — Fri, 01 Sep 2023 14:00:00 GMT

Leader:   Ron Altemus

Members:   Donaro Gardner, Mark Garrison, Walt Roscello, Gene Villiva, Susan Altemus, Fran Jezisek, Belinda Acre, Leesha Saunders

Route:   Indian Head Rail Trail, Livingston Rd parking lot east to White Plains and return

Weather:   a great start to September with temps in the 70s, plenty of sunshine and resultant blue skies, low humidity from 9-10 mph winds out of the northern quadrant which made it seem like we had a headwind in both directions

AMS:   always varies by rider on these Friday excursions

Mechanicals/Mishaps:   none

Report: back to a 10 am start, which all riders remembered. A good number of other trail users, including the mothers with kids on scooters that are slowly learning to stay to the right. Deer crossing the path occurred at several points, all without incident. The water level in the pond just shy of White Plains appears to be lower than usual, exposing several previous unobserved tree trunks. These were covered by a large number of basking turtles.

Walt rode from La Plata, accompanied us to White Plains and back down to Bennsville before heading on his way home. On the return back to Bennsville, just before MM 12, he stopped to read one of the trail's signs. Your faithful correspondent joined him and we both commented that we didn't recall seeing this particular sign before but maybe we just weren't paying attention. The sign tells the history of the rail trail. At the lower right, there is a picture of the trail's opening dedication back in 2009. A careful examination of the photo reveals several OHBTC members present. Pictured below - Walt at the sign and the sign itself.

Milltown, Magruders & Merkle (CC, 45)

Stephen Palincsar — Sun, 27 Aug 2023 13:00:00 GMT

Rest stop at Magruders Landing

Leader: Steve Palincsar

Members: Rita Z, Harold Datz, Walt Roscello, Joan Oppel, Bernard Steward, Karen Morgan, Taylor Morgan, Janell Saunders, Catherine Ade

Guests: none

Route: https://ridewithgps.com/routes/42606058 44.5 miles per RWGPS, 43.6 according to the Garmin, with 2516' (or 2783, as Ride With GPS says) elevation gain. A lot of shade, several out-and-backs from Croom down to the Patuxent and typical Rural Legacy scenery make this an unusual and interesting route.

Weather: Mostly cloudy, high 70s at the start quickly rising to the low 80s was the forecast. Towards the early afternoon the skies started clearing up a bit, although there remained high cloud cover, and the temperature rose well above the low 80s. By 2 pm it was almost 90 degrees and sunny.

AMS: 13.3

Mechanicals/Mishaps: A chain was derailed after being roughly handled by an inquisitive goat.

What, me?

Report: A fabulous day for a bike ride and a wonderful group to do it with. We rode down Martin and Molly Berry to Baden Naylor, then climbed over Nelson Perrie to Bald Eagle School, went up Westwood and left on Baden Westwood to Croom. Passing Magruders Ferry we continued on to Milltown Landing and rode down towards the Patuxent, the first of our "Gee, I wonder where that road goes" explorations.

Climbing back up and going right on Croom, we took the familiar turn on Magruders and took a break by the Clyde Watson boat launch ramp.

Video view at the rest stop

After the break we climbed up to Croom and rode the rollers south to Whites Landing. Down through the woods, turn around and ride back up; head south on Croom and right on River Airport, down to the level of the Patuxent (this time Janell and Karen stayed up at Croom level, taking a break in the shade) and climb back up again: great fun on scenic roads we'd never even know about were it not for wondering "Gee, what's down there?"

We made a quick left on Croom and right on Bald Eagle School, back to Nelson Perrie so this time we could go down it, then down Baden Naylor, across Rock Creek and back up the other side, right on Brooks Church, across Croom onto Tanyard down to the British bivouac area by the Patuxent, left on Nottingham, then Fenno to a lunch and water stop at the Merkle Sanctuary.

Leaving Merkle we went right on Fenno, descending almost 100' in the shade, crossing Mattaponi Creek and then climbing up St Thomas Church to Croom, where Janell decided to take a shortcut back going left to Molly Berry while the rest of us went right and then left on Duley Station to Cheltenham, Old Indian and Van Brady.

On Van Brady we met a parade of goats gone walkabout out on their own. Taylor stopped to film them and one goat found her and her bicycle very interesting. We continued down Van Brady, turning on Molly Berry.

After a screaming descent down Van Brady, Taylor, Catherine and I had gotten well ahead of the group. With a fresh battery, changed back at St Thomas Church, I motor-paced Taylor and Catherine back to North Keys Park, in rocket mode [highest assist level] all the way.

It was a terrific ride and a great group. Although we ride here often on Thursday mornings and host the Rural Legacy here in June, we don't ride in Brandywine too often on weekends. Perhaps we should do so more often.

Animals & Bridges

Joan Oppel — Sat, 26 Aug 2023 13:00:00 GMT

Leader: Joan Oppel

Members: Steve Palincsar, Janet Shipko, Harry Kidd, John Lynn

Route: https://ridewithgps.com/routes/44188295 We started from Utica District Park and spent much of our ride on roads with very little traffic.

Weather: Lots of sun, starting temperature about 77, but my Garmin showed 95 about two-thirds through the ride - that's in full sun. Some light breeze 7-8 mph.

Mechanicals/Mishaps: None

Report: Steve, Janet, Harry and I* rode mostly together, stopping for several photo opportunities. The roads were lightly traveled by car traffic for the most part, making the ride even more enjoyable.

The original route rest stop was at mile 28. So one of the participants revised the route to include a bathroom stop at Trout's market in Woodsboro at mile 9. Getting there involved climbing up Gravel Hill Road where there was a steady 14% grade for nearly a tenth of a mile. No one walked but heavy breathing was heard.

We stopped to admire the amazing spread of horns on the longhorn cattle on Legore Road. We stopped again to chat with the emus on Forest & Stream Road. And again at the student center at Mt St Mary's (welcome shade, water and bathrooms). And then we breifly stopped for photos at all three covered bridges on the way back. We did NOT observe the "road closed" barriers on Stevens Rd between the two halves of Wilhide Road, instead walking around them to continue our route (Stevens Road is closed at the bridge after Wilhide).

A very enjoyable, scenic ride*John mentioned at the start that he had somewhere to be and took off.

How do they hold up their heads?

Scofflaws

Friday IndianHead 20 mile All Class

Randall Schoch — Fri, 25 Aug 2023 13:00:00 GMT

Leaders - Jackie & Randy Schoch

Members - RL Randy, Gene Villiva, Sue Gunter, , Mark Garrison, RL Jackie, Marc Llacuna, Belinda Acre, Leesha Saunders. Not pictured: Susan Altemus, Ron Altemus (photog)

Route - IHRT

Weather - Perfect, sunny 70's with light breeze.

AMS - Varied per/rider.

Mechanicals/Mishaps - None

Report - A good turnout of mostly regulars. It was a great day considering the dire weather report of rain and wind predicted. Sue G. was back riding after her hip replacement with her doctor's permission. Marc L. decided to give our Friday morning trail ride a try and he seemed to enjoy the ride and the company of fellow riders. Gene reported that Dani is improving so he is able to come and get in a ride. There were quite a few other trail users this morning including a baby deer, a young deer, an adult deer, and a yellow finch. Jackie and I are going on a two-week vacation to Washington state to visit my sister and her family. We will be back mid-September and we hope to see yuens on the trail and/or road.

What a nice day!

Joan Oppel — Tue, 22 Aug 2023 13:00:00 GMT

Leader: Joan Oppel

Members: Ron Altemus, Holly Carr, Lou Dall'Orso, Janet Shipko

Route: https://ridewithgps.com/routes/26630265 - from Bryans Road Shopping Center to a Rose Hill descent, taking Locust Grove, Springhill-Newton and Glen Albin. A rest stop at the Dash In, Quailwood, Hawthorne, Marshall Corner. Finishing with a big loop to Pomfret, the IHRT, back to Hawthorne and Chapman's Landing

Weather: A gorgeous day, low humidity. Temperature 72 at the start, ending with 78 on shady Chapman's Landing

Mechanicals/Mishaps: None

Report: A perfect summer day, not too hot, not too humid, fair skies, a little wind. Our group stayed together for the most part, though on the return, two went straight up sun-beaten 210 and the other three of us turned as indicated for the shade and quiet of Chapman's Landing.

Thanks to eveyone for great company - Joan

Tour de Accokeek Extended (& Bryans Road) CC/C 28-32 miles

Ron Altemus — Sun, 20 Aug 2023 14:00:00 GMT

Leaders: Janell Saunders & Ron Altemus

Members:   Bernard Stewart, Rita Zeidner, RL Ron, Norm Lisy, Jackie Schoch, Debbie Bowman, Harold Datz. Not pictured: Sarah Clement, RL Janell (photographer)

Route:   advertised as Tour de Accokeek Extended, which featured out and backs on Fenwick, River, and Old Marshall Hall. We included a 1 3/4 mile ride through some of the new developments off Marshall Hall Rd in the Bryans Road area.

Weather: another great August day - plenty of sunshine and blue skies, temps starting in the mid 70s and rising to the low 80s, minimal humidity, and 6-8 mph airs out of the SW.

AMS:   swept at just about 12 mph; maybe a tad faster for some of the other riders.

Mechanicals/Mishaps:   none except an errant direction, as detailed below.

Report:   a nice turnout for this ride offered to those that hadn't ventured to Lancaster, PA, for the Covered Bridges weekend, which included Steve Palincsar's Lapps Ice Cream ride on Saturday (though Rita and Harold did that one and then returned home to do this Sunday ride).

When your friendly neighborhood ride leader saw that Janell had registered, he asked her to co-lead and take us through some of the Bryans Road neighborhoods she occasionally adds to the regular Wednesday Tour de Accokeek. It was interesting to see how much housing, both single family and town homes, were going up in the area southeast of the old Safeway. After weaving our way through streets unfamiliar to many of us, we came back to Marshall Hall Road at the intersection of the entrance into the Timber Ridge development. For Janell, muscle memory kicked in and she said "See you next at Marshall Hall landing" while the route, after the downhill, was suppose to take a left onto Fenwick. Most riders rode past the turn and were too far ahead to catch up with; the two that did turn rode almost a mile before the sweep was able to catch up and at that point, we U-turned and headed to the landing.

Most of us, after a brief rest stop, resumed following the route doing the out and back on River and then on to do the same on Fenwick. Since Janell and Debbie had already done a good portion of Fenwick, they opted to just return to the start via Barrys Hill. The majority of the group arrived back at the firehouse in time to meet up with the others and most went on to B&J's for ice cream.

Lapp's Ice Cream & 2 Covered Bridges (A/B/CC, 44 mi)

Stephen Palincsar — Sat, 19 Aug 2023 14:00:00 GMT

Farm behind Lapp's Ice Cream

Leader: Steve Palincsar

Members: Barbara Butcher, Joan Oppel, Sara Sennett, Walt Roscello, Douglas Brown, Suzanne Brown, Taylor Morgan, Stuart Morgan, Karen Morgan, Harold Datz, Rita Zeidner, Greg Acs, Anne Wittenberg, Kathy King, Linda Bankerd, Lois Lightfoot, Linda Blackman, Janet Shipko, Susan Golonka, Edward Miller, Cathy Miller, Harry Kidd, Sherwood Byers, Ellen Goodwin, Jessica Hirschhorn

Guests: none

Route: https://ridewithgps.com/routes/40622031

Weather: Sunny with not a cloud in the sky. Around 80 at the start rising to close to 90 and windy.

AMS: Around 13.5 at the front of the group, perhaps 11-12 at the back.

Mechanicals/Mishaps: A dropped chain that wedged itself between the chainring bolts and the bottom bracket shell.

Report: We actually had three routes. Jessica offered a 33 mile version https://ridewithgps.com/routes/44099460 and had several takers, and Joan came up with a 47 mile version https://ridewithgps.com/routes/44110386 that added a 4 mile detour to see a camel farm (they used to say, "walk a mile for a camel," why not ride four to see one?) and most of the group took that option.

In the lead group, we rode right past the camel farm without even noticing it until a couple of miles later. (I hope someone stopped and took a photo and sends me a link.)

With two 40-something routes and a wide range of speeds, on the road the groups separated into several. We had several leaders, too: Harry Kidd sweeping, Ellen Goodwin riding mid-pack and for at least part of the ride me in the lead group along with Sherwood.

We all met up at Leola Community Park (where we must have given quite a fright to the woman who had rented the pavilion for the day and was surprised to find it filled with cyclists and their bicycles; she asked what was happening and =poof= we vanished) at the Sheetz and finally at the Lapp Valley Farm with its deservedly famous ice cream.

As in years past, it was a lovely ride through beautiful scenery with fine weather (although it could have been a bit less windy) and we all had a wonderful time.

It's roughly 2 3/4 - 3 hrs drive from metro DC to Lancaster, too far for most of us to drive up on Sunday, do the Covered Bridge Classic and then drive home. This ride began as a practical matter: if you have to drive up the day before, why not drive up in the morning and have a ride in Lancaster County the day before? And if it's posted on the ride schedule, you can ride with fellow club members.

With the new distributed ride start format and four routes (35, 50, 66 and 100 miles) in the Covered Bridge Classic, it's now unusual to see other club members on the road during the ride other than at rest stops. This year, other than Sabine whom I was riding with, I only saw four others. I was very glad we'd had the chance to all get together the day before.

Photos by Harry Kidd

Lapp's Ice Cream Ride 2023

Sherwood — Sat, 19 Aug 2023 14:00:00 GMT

On this Bright, Sunny, and somewhat breezy Saturday in Ronk's Pennsylvania, several (27 of 31 registered) of Oxon Hill Bike and Trail (OHBTC) members joined together with Steve Palincsar, Jessica Hirshorn, and Sherwood Byers, Sr. (Ride Leaders) for a wonderful joy filled day of riding around Lancaster's region.

The ride began at the Strausburg Train Museum after a short delay due to traffic concerns. After a short briefing concerning safety and the route the ride began it's tour. This train is prepping for one of its daily tours.

The roads along the tour were in great shape, the vista's were surreal, and the farmers were out harvesting their yields as we rode along. The first rest stop (Leola Community Park) at about 15 miles into the ride offered us a little comfort before moving on.

As we were riding along and to the next rest stop (Sheetz), one rider had a "Chain-Drop" while pulling a climb which he promptly repaired while many waited. All were resting at Sheetz the second rest stop were eager to get to the keynote of the ride, "Lapp's Ice Cream". What many may not have known is that they would earn it. "Summitville Road" would quickly get their attention. After that attention getting segment, the rider was rewarded with a nice descent leading to the long awaited prize. !!!LAPP'S ICE CREAM!!!

After eating the delicious dessert we continued to complete our ride. Many gathered at the hotel later in the evening to eat dinner and socialize a bit before retiring for the night.

No injuries or "Camel Sightings"(LOL) were reported to me. Only 1 mechanical reported (Dropped Chain).

The Oxon Hill Bike and Trail Club and I would like to give special thanks to Doug Brown for his very much needed assistance with the handling of traffic at the busy intersections and potential dangerous blind left turns during the ride.

Friday ALL Class IHRT ~20 miles

Ron Altemus — Fri, 18 Aug 2023 21:24:58 GMT

Leader:   Ron Altemus

Members:   Leesha Saunders, Carlos Hazera, Donaro Gardner, Diana and Dan Donahue, Gene Villiva, Mark Garrison, Randy Schoch, Oswald Martin, Jackie Schoch,

Route:   Indian Head Rail Trail, Livingston Road parking lot to White Plains r/t

Weather: a hint of September in mid-August with temps only in the mid 70s under blue skies with low humidity and SW breezes under 10 mph

AMS:   varied by rider but we were a fast group today so figure everyone was in the low 12s at least

Mechanicals/Mishaps: none

Report:   the weather made for a most excellent Friday IHRT ride. It was such nice riding conditions that most of use got extra miles on the return by riding down to MM 2 to view Mattawoman Creek. No wildlife sightings to report nor many other trail users for whatever reason.

Big news of the day:

The blue loo has been moved about 50 yards west of the parking lot to a graveled section where railroad ties remain from the original rail line. Parks staff and Outback Rentals have determined that a food truck was emptying their day's end food waste into the portolet causing a smelly and unsightly mess. The relocation will make it difficult for the food truck to continue to dump wastes into the portolet.

Southern Exposure: Mt Pisgah>Goose Bay>Smallwood Park (39.5 mi CC/C)

Ron Altemus — Tue, 15 Aug 2023 13:00:00 GMT

Leader: Ron Altemus

Members: (l-r) Esther Stewart, Joan Oppel, Steve Palincsar, Randy & Jackie Schoch (not pictured: Harold Datz and Rita Zeidner)

Route: Began with an ascent of mighty Mt Pisgah, then Ripley, Poorhouse/Burch, MD-6 to Blossom Point and on to a rest stop at Goose Bay (pictured above). Departing Goose Bay up MD-6 to Welcome and then Fire Tower/Annapolis Woods to Poorhouse (east bound) and Mason Springs to a second rest stop at Pisgah Park. Final return leg used Mason Springs to Smallwood Church, Chicamuxen/Marbury Run, Hawthorne and a short stretch of the IHRT.    https://ridewithgps.com/routes/44000543 39.5 miles, 1478' elevation change.

Weather:   partly to mostly sunny, temps rising from 78 to 88 degrees, ~6 mph airs out of the SW. Though humid, not too bad with the occasional breeze and long sections of shady routing.

AMS:   swept in the low 11s

Mechanicals/Mishaps:   Rita succumbed to a 2" fastening screw less than 2 miles from the start while on Hawthorne.. Given the heat/humidity, and lack of shade, she and Harold opted out of the ride. A picture does tell the story:

Report: Other than Rita's unfortunate flatting, not a bad ride. The ascent of mighty Mt Pisgah went well - seemed like it wasn't really that mighty, at least today. Ripley continued to show signs of havoc wreaked by a storm almost two weeks ago as utility crews were still working on replacing poles and wires.

Goose Bay, as usual, was a nice rest stop. A glance at the Apple weather app indicated 50% chance of rain would be encountered on our traverse up to Welcome. Never materialized. From Welcome onwards, very little vehicular traffic. Joan shortened her ride by heading back after Pisgah Park, while the rest of us broke into a fast (electric) group and the rearguard sweep.

Shady Nanjemoy C 26

Ron Altemus — Sat, 12 Aug 2023 13:00:00 GMT

Riders:   Marian Robinson, Desiree Smith, Valerie Beverly, Ron Altemus, Mark Garrison, Agnes Cheung. Not pictured: Steve Pipkin

Route:   https://ridewithgps.com/routes/40335858 26.2 miles, 1,010' elevation. From Friendship Farm Park, Ironsides to Baptist Church, then Bowie/Gilroy/Chicamuxen to Riverside and a rest stop at Nanjemoy Store. Retracing to Riverside, then utilizing Smith Point, Maryland Point, and MD-6 E to a second rest stop at King James Church. Final leg continued east on MD-6 to Ironsides and back to our start.

Weather: sunny blue skies, temps starting in the mid 70s rising to the mid 80s w/some humidity but not overbearing, winds of no real concern.

AMS:   swept in the mid 10s; slightly faster for the lead group

Mechanicals/Mishaps:   3-4 loose smallish dogs on Smith Point Rd chased/ran along side of us, but other than making quite a racket, no other interaction.

Report: an introduction to the joys of riding in the greater Nanjemoy area for a number of our C riders today, all of whom appreciated the shady route. We split into two groups on Baptist Church before Bowie, reuniting at the Nanjemoy Store and later at King James Church. Steve transferred to our shorter, more leisurely paced ride at the store.

Many thanks to Steve Palincsar for manning the rest stop at King James Church - the leftover snacks from the Rural Legacy, along with ICE water, were much appreciated by all riders.

Shady Nanjemoy All-Class Ride Photos

Stephen Palincsar — Sat, 12 Aug 2023 13:00:00 GMT

Friendship Farm Park as riders are beginning to arrive

C 26

CC 36

CC 44

Fast 49

Shady CC 44

Joan Oppel — Sat, 12 Aug 2023 13:00:00 GMT

HUGE SHOUT OUT TO STEVE PALINCSAR FOR SETTING UP A FULL REST STOP AT KING JAMES: water bottles on ice, snack bars and bags of potato chips (bars and chips left over from Rural Legacy)

Leader: Joan Oppel

Members: Linda Blackman, Holly Carr, Karen Morgan, Stuart Morgan, Paul Hamilton, Mary Scala, Ellen Goodwin, Janell Saunders, Lois Lightfoot, Dave Van Ameyden, Len Wilkinson, Ray Luckenbach, Janet Shipko, Greg Acs, Anne Wittenberg, Norm Lisy, John Pescatore, Valerie Beverly

Route: https://ridewithgps.com/routes/40515871 Shady roads, few cars

Weather: Warm 70's at the start in the sun, nice enough in the shade once on our bikes, mid 80's at end, hardly any wind.

Mechanicals/Mishaps: None

Report: Shady the ride was named - and shade we delivered for most of the route. The CC group was large and split into several segments. The ride "leader" remained at the back with a lively group. At the Nanjemoy store, all groups met up briefly, and we had a comfortable stop at the picnic tables in the - shade at the side of the store. Riders once again split into groups and once again all met up at King James church, where we had a good long stop at the picnic tables in the -shade! More shade and few cars for the final 14 miles, including deeply shady Hancock Run.

Shady Fast A/B

Sherwood — Sat, 12 Aug 2023 13:00:00 GMT

Today's Weather: Hot, Humid, and "SHADY" Hence the ride.

Eight riders rode with me Sherwood Byers, Sr., Ride Leader on this Oxon Hill Bike and Trail Class "All Class Ride" through the shades of Nanjemoy Maryland. Nanjemoy an area on the southwest tip of Charles County Maryland with the Potomac River as its border surrounding most of it and very shady and with quiet roads made this ride very enjoyable making the drive worth the time it takes to get there. After photos and a short briefing the ride began. The scenery was surreal as we rode along pacing about 20 mph. The hills began to separate the A's and the B's. At the front the AMS was about 19, and the rear about15. No mechanical/other issues were brought to my attention. All riders returned safely and enjoyed the ride. Thank you all for riding along with me. Sherwood

Friday IndianHead 20 mile All Class

Randall Schoch — Fri, 11 Aug 2023 13:00:00 GMT

Leaders - Jackie & Randy Schoch

Members (l-r) RL Randy, Susan Altemus, RL Jackie, Belinda Acre, Gene Villiva, Leesha Saunders, Fran Jezisek, Robin Garnett, Oswald Martin, and Carlos Hazera. Not pictured - Dan & Diana Donahue, Donaro Gardner, and photog Ron Altemus

Route - IHRT

Weather - Cloudy and then sunny, warm & humid 80's

AMS - Varied per/rider.

Mechanicals/Mishaps - None

Report - A large turnout of Friday riders this morning. And a large number of other trail users too. Probably because of so many people on the trail, we didn't see much wildlife. It was a great ride and an enjoyable rest stop at White Plains. Jackie did manage to assist a turtle across the trail so it wouldn't get hit by other riders. Jackie and I had a nice visit with a senior couple on folding e-bikes. Hope to see everyone next Friday.

Tour de Accokeek

Tim Murphy — Wed, 09 Aug 2023 21:30:00 GMT

Leader: Tim Murphy

Members: Jackie Schoch, Janell Saunders, Dana Trevas

Guests: None

Route: Tour de Accokeek ( Modified)

Weather: was a little hot at the start, but ride as a lot of shade that made for a much cooler ride.

AMS: 12+mph

Mechanicals/Mishaps: None

Report: We did a modified tour de Accokeek and the bottom of Marshall Hall Road is nice as it has been paved. If you don't know then you need to check it out. Then we went to B & J's for some ice cream on a hot summer evening.

Mason Neck>Hallowing Point CC/C 28 mi

Ron Altemus — Sun, 06 Aug 2023 13:30:00 GMT

Leader:   Ron Altemus

Members (& Guest): Paul Hamilton, Gene Villiva, Althea Johnston, Janell Saunders, guest Barbara Klestzick, Mary Scala

Route: https://ridewithgps.com/routes/40798783   27.6 miles, 738' elevation change. Mason Neck exploratory utilizing Belmont Blvd, Mason Neck trail (with short spur on Springfield, and High Point Rd to rest stop at the State Park. Onwards via Gunston Road to a tour of Hallowing Point, returning to tour Gunston Manon, and then jaunts off of the trail to visit Gunston Hall, Pohick Bay Park, and the golf course.

Weather:   mostly cloudy, temps ranging from mid 70s to mid 80s, 6-7 mph air movement from the southeast

AMS:   in the low 11s, probably...

Mechanicals/Mishaps:   none

Report: exactly as advertised - a leisurely exploration of the Mason Neck area and the neighborhoods of Hallowing Point and Gunston Manor. We rode as a group almost the entire route with just a few short stops to regroup. While there was a lot of vehicular traffic outbound, especially on Gunston Road, our return had much less traffic to contend with while actually on the roads.

As always, the ride on High Point Rd to the Mason Neck State Park visitor's center, and return, was a highlight, traveling through a tunnel of green formed by the tree canopy overhead. On the final leg of our return, a brief stop at George Mason's Gunston Hall afforded another photo op, as pictured below:

Lower Marlboro-North Beach Bay Country Metric (CC, 62)

Stephen Palincsar — Sun, 06 Aug 2023 12:30:00 GMT

Leader: Steve Palincsar

Members: Lou Dall'Orso, Walt Roscello, Joan Oppel, Ellen Goodwin, Holly Carr, Janet Shipko, Harold Datz, Rita Z and Catherine Ade

Guests: none

Route: https://ridewithgps.com/routes/43602519 61.7 mi, 3310' elevation gain (per RWGPS - the Garmins were all over the map today, from 3100 to over 4000 feet of elevation gain) and a max grade of just under 9%.

Weather: Partly cloudy, hot and humid -- 70s at the start, rising to a steamy, swampy 90 by mid-afternoon. Given the humidity, the "feels like" temp must have been close to 100 degrees. The two things that saved us were shade, of which there was plenty, and a refreshing breeze.

AMS: 13.9

Mechanicals/Mishaps: none

Report: This was the first time since the Pandemic that we've been to Lower Marlboro and ridden the roads most closely associated with the Fresh Meadows Farm summer picnic rides. (Wait, Lower Marlboro? Yes, on the east bank of the Patuxent, between Whites Landing and Magruders Landing. There's not much there other than a boat launch and the Harbor Master's House, ca. 1670.)

For some in the group today, it was their first time on Dalrymple, Christiana Parran and Old Bayside, roads that truly are among the Crown Jewels of the Western Shore. Although there are no major hills, the riding here isn't easy: a series of relentless, challenging rollers that just keep coming, one after another.

The route began in a familiar way: Plummer Lane and Pindell south, Upper Pindell to Southern Maryland Bouldevard back north to Wrighton, cross over Rt 4 at Lothian with an optional quick portolet stop at Lothian Service and a right on Greenock, right on Brooks Woods. We've done that several times this year. A right turn on Bay Front and a left on McKendree and we're back to familiar ground: Jewel, Wilson, Sansbury, the Rt 4 Rotary, then down Old Solomons to the Dash In for a rest stop.

Usually we retrace after the rest stop back to Friendship and head down to Fairhaven, but today we crossed 260 and kept going, across Rt 2, across W Mt Harmony, then left on Jennifer and across Rt 2 past the entirely rebuilt and brand spanking new Northern High School and left onto Flint Hill.

All too soon Flint Hill merges into Chaneyville, past the view of the Patuxent opposite Short Point and up the hill to Lower Marlboro. Make the left onto Lower Marlboro Rd and now the rollers begin in earnest. Mill Branch, Huntingtown, past the road to Fresh Meadows Farm and at last the rest stop at Bowen's Grocery. The rollers continue all the way to Chesapeake Beach. It's flat from there to North Beach

where we stopped at the pier for a break.

You're at sea level at North Beach, and no matter which way you go, you're going up. Today we went up 5th Street to Boyd's Turn, then took Old Solomons to Rt 2, then left on Jewell (I think only the 2nd time this year) and right on McKendree -- the easy way, this time -- to Bay Front, Southern Maryland Blvd and back to Waysons.

We all arrived tired and hot, but happy.

Friday ALL class IHRT

Ron Altemus — Fri, 04 Aug 2023 13:30:00 GMT

Leader: Ron Altemus

Members: Belinda Acre, Robin Garnett, Susan Altemus, Gene Villiva, Mark Garrison, Randy Schoch, Fran Jezisek, Jackie Schoch

Route:   the standard Friday ride - Indian Head Rail Trail from the Livingston Rd parking lot east to White Plains trailhead and return

Weather: cool and damp with drizzle delaying our start by almost 1/2 hour, temps starting in the mid 60s and climbing only to the low 70s as skies remained overcast, with wind movement of about 6-7 mph at times out of southern compass points.

AMS:   varied by rider

Mechanicals/Mishaps: none

Report: all weather forecasts consulted at 7 am had at most a 15% chance of precipitation, but we drove down to the start point encountering heavy mist and/or drizzle on MD-210. Various phone weather apps were saying the precip would depart shortly after 9 am so most of those that had shown up, as pictured above, bidded their time and the rain did depart.

The trail slowly dried off as we headed eastward and we began encountering other trail users. Plenty of deer, including three fawns, were seen at various points on the trail, feeding on the wet vegetation. Other sightings included golden finches, bluebirds, and a trail side box turtle.

By the time we got back to the starting point, the skies were lightening and the day was becoming warm. Everyone was in agreement that we made a good decision in waiting a bit and thus getting in an enjoyable ride.

Holly Springs>Jacksontown 36 mi CC/C

Ron Altemus — Sun, 30 Jul 2023 13:30:00 GMT

Leader: Ron Altemus

Members: Tracie Cebrzynski, Janell Saunders, Sarah Clement, Norm Lisy, Randy & Jackie Schoch

Route: FF 36 Holly Springs>Jacksontown 35.7 mi; 1378' elevation change ( https://ridewithgps.com/routes/43845372) Starting at Friendship Farm Park, we took Baptist Church over to a water refill stop at the Nanjemoy Community Center. Then Beaverdam/Liverpool Point to Adams Willet/Hancock Run to a bio stop at King James Church. Continuing, all the way west on MD-6 to Riverside, followed by Holly Springs, Maryland Point, Smith Point back to Riverside and on to the Nanjemoy Store for a lunch break. Final leg/return utilized Jacksontown, Greenleek Hill, MD-6, Poseytown, Bowie, and Baptist Church back to the park.

Weather:   a significant change from the past several days of heat and humidity! Temps started in the mid 70s, only rising to the mid 80s under plenty of sunshine and blue skies. 6-10 mph breezes out of the northern quadrant, along with very low humidity made for an especially nice cycling experience.

AMS:   swept in the mid 11s; marginally faster for those in the lead.

Mechanicals/Mishaps:   none

Report:   we piggybacked on Steve Palincsar's Shady Nanjemoy metric century, meeting them as they arrived at Friendship Farm park for a bio break. The two groups basically stayed together, including the lunch stop at Nanjemoy store, before finally separating as Steve's group went left off of Jacksontown onto Sandy Point while we went right on to Greenleek Hill.

Our early start, coupled with it being a Sunday, meant even less vehicular traffic in the Nanjemoy area than one might expect. Long stretches of road, too numerous to mention, were totally vehicle free. And as Steve advertised, plenty of shade.

Tracie captured a few of the riders illustrating the shady, car free cycling environment. Definitely a good day for bicycling!

Shady Nanjemoy Metric (CC, 62)

Stephen Palincsar — Sun, 30 Jul 2023 12:00:00 GMT

Mattawoman Creek at Smallwood Park

Leader: Steve Palincsar

Members: Harry Kidd, Joan Oppel, Ellen Goodwin, Catherine Ade

Guests: none

Route: https://ridewithgps.com/routes/43356971 62.9 (counting the detour), 2434' elevation gain.

Weather: A lovely break from the heat and humidity. Temps started in the mid 70s, rising to the mid 80s under plenty of sunshine and blue skies. 6-10 mph breezes with very low humidity

AMS: 13.8

Mechanicals/Mishaps:

Our only mishap was a tree down on Pisgah Marbury Rd, forcing us to detour on Bicknell. Otherwise, no issues at all.

Report: We rolled out at 8 and soon encountered our only problem of the day, a tree down on Pisgah Marbury Rd. We backtracked and took Bicknell to route around it. In a little more than an hour we arrived at Friendship Farm Park, where we met Ron's group.

Both groups together at Friendship Farm Park

Leaving Friendship Farm Park we took Baptist Church to MD-6 where we made a water stop at the Nanjemoy Community Center. Although this was only six miles or so for Ron's group, some of my group were already down a bottle; and it never hurts to know about the water spigot at the Community Center since there's really only there and the Nanjemoy Store where you can get water out here.

We rode together as one group on quiet shady roads, stopping at King James Church, then going around Maryland Point, up Holly Springs and down Maryland Point Rd to Smith Point, the rollers on Riverside and a stop for lunch at the Nanjemoy Store.

We left the store and went right on Jacksontown, where the groups diverged, Ron's heading east towards MD-6 while my group took Sandy Point to Riverside, continuing on Chicamuxen to a final stop at Smallwood Park

before heading back to Pisgah and taking Mason Springs and Hawthorne back to the IHRT.

It was a lovely day, a wonderful route and a most enjoyable ride, the best part being riding with both groups together.

Candy Hill, Nottingham & Patuxent River Park (CC, 30)

Stephen Palincsar — Sat, 29 Jul 2023 12:30:00 GMT

Mattaponi Creek as seen from Fenno Rd

Ride leader: Steve Palincsar

Members: Holly Carr, Lou Dall'Orso

Guests: None

Weather: another steamy summer heat wave day, with heat index expected to exceed 105 degrees. At 8:30, it was no more than 80, rising to around 90 by 11 o'clock.

Route: https://ridewithgps.com/routes/43834747 30 mi, 1600' elevation gain.

Mishaps & mechanicals: none

AMS: 14.5

Ride report: I'd conflated tomorrow's 8:00 am start with today's and arrived at the park at 7:30. When no one had arrived by 8 I assumed there had been an urgent, dire heat warning and everyone had canceled, and set out alone. I met Lou and Holly on Crooom Airport, they on their way down to the rest stop at the Pavilion, I on my way back up the hill after leaving the Pavilion. I turned around and joined them, and we rode together from that point on.

We each had set a brisk pace to that point, and continued that way until the end. Between the early start and roads chosen for shade, it was quite pleasant riding in spite of the heat and humidity.

Friday IndianHead 20 mile All Class

Randall Schoch — Fri, 28 Jul 2023 13:00:00 GMT

Leaders - Jackie & Randy Schoch

Members - Robin Garnett, Susan Altemus, Randy , Fran Jezisek, Jackie, Donaro Gardner, and Leesha Saunders. Not pictured: Mark Garrison - late arrival, and Ron Altemus, photog)

Route - IHRT

Weather - Very hot and humid.

AMS - Varied per/rider

Mechanicals/Mishaps - None

Report - A pretty good turnout of our regulars considering a weather alert day. We started early because of the very hot temperatures so we could finish the ride before overheating. Not very many other trail users today but we did see member Bob Moye. We rode easily the whole ride and enjoyed the wildlife that was on the trail including deer, turtles, birds, and squirrels. After the ride, Jackie and I grabbed hoagies at Subway and went home to cool off. See you next week.

Marlton, McDonalds, Merkle & Martin (CC, 34)

Stephen Palincsar — Thu, 27 Jul 2023 13:00:00 GMT

Leader: Steve Palincsar

Members: Joan Oppel, Holly Carr, Sonja Newman

Guests: none

Route: https://ridewithgps.com/routes/26633444 33.6 mi, 1526' elevation gain.

Weather:

...HEAT ADVISORY REMAINS IN EFFECT...HEAT INDEX VALUES AROUND 105. DANGEROUSLY HOT CONDITIONS WITH HEAT INDEX VALUES AROUND 110 EXPECTED FOR THE WASHINGTON AND BALTIMORE METROPOLITAN AREAS, SOUTHERN MARYLAND, AND PORTIONS OF NORTHERN VIRGINIA...

Sunny, hot and humid, with temperatures between 86 and 90 for most of the ride, with winds ranging from 10-16 mph with gusts up to 20 mph.

So how was it? Actually, quite pleasant. There was a lot of shade, and the breeze really helped you feel cool. You'd be in the open long enough to notice you were perspiring and it was starting to feel hot, and then you rode into the shade, sometimes screaming downhill at almost 30 mph into a headwind, and it felt magnificent -- cool, almost cold. Repeat for 30 miles. The last stretch on Martin, by then it was 90 and there wasn't any shade, so it was starting to feel pretty warm by the time we got back to North Keys Park.

AMS: 13

Mechanicals/Mishaps: none

Report: A few unfamiliar scenes in the seldom-visited neighborhoodnorth of 301 between Rosaryville and Frank Tippett roads and the more-or-less familiar route through Marlton run backwards, ending up at the MacDonalds on 301 at Fairhaven, made for a bit of variety; but it was very nice to get back to the deep shade on Van Brady, Mattaponi, St Thomas Church and Fenno on the way to our main rest stop at Merkle. The shade continued on Candy Hill, at least until we crossed Croom.

Sonja mentioned she was thinking that a bit of variety, not yet another trip up North Keys back to the park might be nice, but after getting her wish and finishing by going up Martin, she had reconsidered and saw North Keys in a much more favorable light.

It was a very enjoyable ride on a very inauspicious day, and we survived and thrived. Still, I'll be happy if the heatwave breaks before Sunday's metric.

Durham Church, Smallwood Church, Creeds Mill (CC, 36)

Stephen Palincsar — Tue, 25 Jul 2023 13:00:00 GMT

Leader: Steve Palincsar

Members: Bob Howell, Randy Schoch, Jackie Schoch, Sonja Newman, Alan Kurzweil, Sam Perry

Guests: none

Route: https://ridewithgps.com/routes/43783609 36.5 mi, 1551' elevation gain. This was an exceptionally pretty and exceptionally shady route, so in spite of the temperature and our area's legendary cloying humidity we had a pleasant, comfortable time.

Weather: Partly cloudy, humid, high 70s at the start rising to the high 80s when we were done. There was a gentle breeze, but the shade and the wind of our passage were more important by far for maintaining our comfort level.

AMS: 13.3

Mechanicals/Mishaps: none

Report: It was wonderful to see Sam Perry and Bob Howell again. It's been far too long.

Pindell, Deale & Polling House (CC, 37)

Stephen Palincsar — Sun, 23 Jul 2023 12:30:00 GMT

Leader: Steve Palincsar

Members: Joan Oppel, Walt Roscello

Guests: none

Route: https://ridewithgps.com/routes/43279100 37 mi, 1400' elevation

Weather: Sunny, partly cloudy, hot (high 70s in the shade when we started, high 80s when we finished) but not too humid. A bit more sun and so a bit hotter than yesterday, but still quite pleasant for July in the DMV.

AMS: 12.8

Mechanicals/Mishaps: none

Report: A pleasant ride. We were basically in the shade all the way to Deale. We had a nice rest stop at South County Cafe, then toured the back streets of Masons Beach before tackling Sudley, Nutwell Sudley and Owensville Sudley. We stopped for a nice break at the South County Rec Center (pickleball sure is noisy when played indoors!) before going down Polling House to Sands back to Waysons.

Leonardtown, Fairgrounds & Sandgates (CC, 36/55)

Stephen Palincsar — Sat, 22 Jul 2023 13:30:00 GMT

Leader: Steve Palincsar

Members: Joan Oppel, Catherine Ade, Sonja Newman, Jackie & Randy Schoch, Harry Kidd, Ellen Goodwin, Tom Short, Janell Saunders, Holly Carr, Len Wilkinson, Ray Luckenbach, Dave VanAmayden, Ron Altemus, Lou Dall'Orso, Linda Bankerd. We were also joined for part of the ride by Dan and Diana Donahue.

Guests: None

Route: https://ridewithgps.com/routes/42976156 54.6 mi, 2216' elevation gain. I also made a 36 mile route that started at Baggett Park, the longer route's first rest stop, where a few of the riders started.

Weather: Partly to mostly sunny with low humidity and a nice breeze; high 70s at the start rising to the high 80s. Capital Weather Gang gave it 8/10; I thought it was just about a perfect day for a 55 mile bike ride.

AMS: 14.1. Moving Time 03:52:23, Stopped Time 02:12:4

Mechanicals/Mishaps: Ellen had a bad day today. We'd no sooner crossed Three Notch Highway and got onto Morganza Turner Rd than she had a flat tire right next to the -- well, I'm not quite sure what that is.

The repair was complicated by a spare tube with a stem too short for the rim, making pumping impossible. I know she's not the first to have been in that fix. However, with Joan Oppel helping, no flat stands a chance.

Unfortunately before she made it as far as Baggett Park where the rest of the group was waiting, Ellen was stung by an insect. By the time we arrived at Social on Fenwick in Leonardtown, she was getting a reaction that needed antihistamines and made for a challenging second half of the ride.

Ride report: I'm not usually one for parties, but if there's one thing I do love, it's a bike ride. And what better way to celebrate a birthday than to invite all your friends to come on a bike ride?

We left Mechanicsville Elementary on Old Village Rd and went across Rt 5 on Old Flora Corner, taking Flora Corner to Rt 6 south, walking across Three Notch Highway (since the slip lanes and "improvements" to the intersection make it impossible for cyclists to ride across) onto Morganza Turner.

We took Morganza Turner south to Laurel Grove and took that to Baggett Park, where we had a rest stop, joined up with riders doing the shorter route, and waited for Joan and Ellen to fix the flat tire.

Leaving the park, we rode through the Loveville Mennonite area on Bishop, Friendship School and Jones Rds to Macintosh, Hollywood and into downtown Leonardtown.

Here we are at Social on Fenwick, having arrived fortuitously at the very moment that the folks sitting at all the tables outside decided they were done with lunch. Either that, or they saw us coming and ran.

That's me at the bottom right with the birthday muffin the restaurant staff presented me with, complete with flaming marshmallow instead of burning birthday candle, and a lovely birthday card signed by all the riders.

Social at Fenwick turned out to be a lovely place with good food and very pleasant outdoor seating for a large, unannounced group of cyclists on their way through Southern Maryland.

Credit for discovering Social at Fenwick goes to Catherine Ade, who after our Piney Point Lighthouse Metric said wouldn't it be fun to have a ride that stopped for lunch in Leonardtown, and found Social through internet research and map reconnaissance. It turned out to be a perfect choice.

After lunch we headed south on Rt 5 and took Fairgrounds to Rt 4, then Brown Rd to Hickory Hill and a rest stop at Bradford's Neighborhood Market, the newly revitalized and reopened former McKay's even better as a rest stop than it was before McKay's closed.

We then took Macintosh all the way up to Clover Hill and crossed Three Notch Highway onto Sandgates, past the locked portolets at the dock and up to Three Notch Highway, crossing onto Loveville and taking Kavanaugh and Laurel Grove up to the Three Notch Trail.

By now, the clouds had mostly cleared and the sun was out. But Sandgates was shaded, as was Laurel Grove. The Three Notch Trail was so shaded this late in the afternoon it was hard to see the poles, and it made for a very cool and relaxed finish to the ride.

To all who came, thank you for having made it such a wonderful day for me. I hope you enjoyed it as much as I did.

Friday IHRT ALL class ~20 miles

Ron Altemus — Fri, 21 Jul 2023 13:30:00 GMT

Leader:   Ron Altemus

Members:   Belinda Acre, Sherwood Byers, Sr., Jackie Schoch, Robin Garnett, Linda Bankerd, Randy Schoch, Mark Garrison, Fran Jezisek, Susan Altemus, Donaro Gardner

Route: Friday's fav - Indian Head Rail Trail from Livingston Rd parking lot east to White Plains trail head and return

Weather:   cloudy skies giving way to mostly sunny, temps rising from low 70s to upper 70s, some air movement, and relatively low humidity all combining to produce most pleasant riding conditions

AMS:   varied by riders - probably 14+ on the high end to 10 mph for the slowest

Mechanicals/Mishaps:   none

Report:   my thinking is that Sherwood and Linda didn't get enough trail riding in New York on the Empire State Trail ride so they joined us today for the IHRT ride. Otherwise, the usual suspects participating.

Lots of wildlife sightings including multiple deer, blue herons, wild turkeys but no snakes nor turtles. Didn't seem like there were a lot of other trail users. Another fine Friday on the IHRT.

North Keys and Hills

Joan Oppel — Thu, 20 Jul 2023 13:00:00 GMT

Leader: Joan Oppel

Members: Lou Dall'Orso, Sonya Newman, Steve Palincsar, Janet Shipko, Rita Zeidner and Harold Datz

Route: 35 miles from North Keys park https://ridewithgps.com/routes/27242958

Weather: Pleasant - slightly cooler than the past couple of days, just under 80 at the start, a little breeze.

Mechanicals/Mishaps: None

Report: The route is designed to climb many hills. We went up Baden Naylor toward Molly Berry, then Nelson Perrie, then went down AND up Magruders Ferry, White's Landing, and River Airport, Croom to Tanyard, Merkle and up St Thomas Church, Molly Berry and North Keys to the park. And, except for the bits and pieces of Croom Road, traffic was very light. It was a fun ride.

Joan

Pictures by Steve

Magruders

Bottom of the hill on River Airport

Watermelon Ride Class C/CC

Dan Donahue — Sun, 16 Jul 2023 22:00:00 GMT

Members: Stephen Pipkin, Diana Donahue, Noreen Dahl, Debbie Lane

Guest: None

Mechanicals: None

Weather: Steamy & overcast

The Bob's Watermelon ride 25 mi. C/CC route had 15 members sign up prior to the event. 4, previously named, showed up for the ride, but 2 switched to Randy's IHRT ride before departure. The "mutineers," Debbie & Noreen, started a subtle dynamic that resulted in the remainder of the riders jumping ship to Randy's trail ride before we reached the Rt. 225 crossing. So, technically, the C/CC ride distance was about 1 1/4 mi. Could this ride distance have set the record for the shortest ride in the 52 year history of OHBTC? Note: I chose to skip taking the stance of Capt. Bligh and, instead of hounding the mutineers, I joined the trail ride.

Unlike the other Watermelon rides on Sunday, the abbreviated C/CC ride did not get any rain. Although such a short ride didn't allow much social interaction, it turned out later that Diana, Debbie, Noreen and Stephen had some very interesting cycling stories. Noreen and Debbie inspired me to consider leading a multi-day ride on the GAP for 20 or so club members during the Fall foliage season.

Wildlife seen on the trail included a black snake, turtle, 4 deer and the usual array of birds and squirrels. Oops, the majority of conversations and wildlife sightings occurred during Randy's ride, so officially I can't claim them in my ride report.

Wet Watermelon Ride 40 & 49 mile route - Yes, It Happened

Joan Oppel — Sun, 16 Jul 2023 13:00:00 GMT

Leaders: Joan Oppel, (report author), Ellen Goodwin, Diane Harris, Dan Donahue, Randy Schoch

Members: We know that the following 40/49 group riders were checked in and started with the group but because it rained, hard at times, starting about 10:00, splits occurred

Linda Blackman, Marc Blackman, Holly Carr, Ken Fugate, Ellen Goodwin, Paul Hamilton, Diane Harris, Kristen Hull, Victoria Hutter, Rob Klein, Steve Palincsar, Steve Perakis, Janet Shipko, Rita Zeidner, Harold Datz, Leslie Tierstein

Route: There were three different routes and a trail ride.
Weather: Very cloudy at start, humid, but according to the weather report we had a chance of doing the ride without rain (30% rain chance). Sprinkles started when riders were somewhere along Poorhouse or Route 6, about 15-16 miles in.

Mechanicals/Mishaps: Two flat tires on Bumpy Oak - there was glass on the Indian Head trail and two riders acquired some. Not raining yet, thankfully. One rider had eye issues and got a ride back from a good Samaritan just after leaving Goose Bay.

Report: 82 riders registered - 24 arrived at the start. The 40 and 49 route riders started together. The two flats at mile 6.5 caused a split in the groups, with riders now spread out quite a bit.

Two A/B class riders skipped Goose Bay due to the rain as well as two more from the CC 40 group. It poured hard for 7 or 8 miles on some of the group.

A crew of 13 eventually gathered on the Goose Bay porch - with bikes out of the rain and with the company of the marina owner. Most of us were soaked by the time we arrived.

The Goose Bay marina owner kindly allowed us to use his personal bathroom inside the store, rather than sending us out into the pouring rain to the regular bathrooms.

After about 45 minutes, the rain became just a steady drip and 11 riders took off into it, rain continued for another 10 miles until just becoming mist and then stopping completely. Since it was "just misting" we stopped for a picture at the bike graveyard on Bicknell Rd.

About 13 of us completed the 40 mile route, wet and very happy we got to ride today. And - at the end, Jackie Schoch had waited on the porch of the pavilion with - sliced watermelon!! Sonya Newman was there as well with pastries and fruit salad. What a great unexpected treat for them to hang out so long to wait for us.

The following riders checked in for the 25 mile or trail ride:

Dan Donahue, Diana Donahue, Noreen Dahl, Sheila Harron, Debra Lane, Steve Pipkin, Randy Schoch.

Thank you to all who rode and served watermelon!

Joan

Smallwood Church, Friendship Landing & Hancock Run (CC, 39)

Stephen Palincsar — Sat, 15 Jul 2023 13:00:00 GMT

Leader: Steve Palincsar

Members: Steve Perakis, Joan Oppel, Sonja Young

Guests: none

Route: https://ridewithgps.com/routes/33263481 39 mi, 1500' elevation gain and lots and lots of shade.

Weather: Another hot and humid summer day. 77 - 79 at the start rising to 88 or 89 at the finish. Humidity was 84% at the start, falling to around 65% by early afternoon, leading to "feels like" temps ranging from 85 to 99 degrees. 4-8 mph wind, with substantial cloud cover for most of the day.

AMS: 12.7

Mechanicals/Mishaps: We'd just turned onto Smallwood Church Rd, maybe 5 miles into the ride, when we noticed that Steve's back wheel had a distinct wobble. He said it must have happened very recently because it was fine only a few miles before; I said it sounds like a broken spoke, and after checking he confirmed the diagnosis. Since he'd ridden to the ride start he thought it prudent to head home.

Report: A pleasant, shady ride on scenic back roads, proving once again that provided you're acclimated and hydrated, riding on shady roads in DMV summer conditions (usually described as "sweltering" with "air so thick you could cut it with a butter knife and spread it like cream cheese") can be comfortable and fun.

Friday Indian Head 20 mile All Class

Randall Schoch — Fri, 14 Jul 2023 13:30:00 GMT

Leaders - Jackie & Randy Schoch

Members - Belinda Acre, Mark Garrison, Walt Roscello, Leesha Saunders, and Donaro Gardner.

Guests - None

Route - IHRT

Weather - Nice day but it got very warm (90's) and humid.

AMS - Varied per/rider.

Mechanicals/Mishaps - None

Report - Not many of our regulars today. Several of the Friday riders were on the New York Trail Ride with Sherwood this week. We started a little early (9:30) to try to beat the high temperatures and it did work. There were many trail users on this early part of the day. Also, we saw wildlife such as 2 deer, 2 cranes, several turtles, etc. It was a nice ride with no problems. We visited with other rides at the White Plains Rest Area. On the return leg it did get quite hot and muggy. Jackie and I went to the Lunch Box in Bryans Road for lunch. See you next Sunday for Bob's Annual Watermelon Ride.

Merkle, Mount Calvert & Jug Bay (CC, 40)

Stephen Palincsar — Thu, 13 Jul 2023 13:00:00 GMT

A break in the shade at Jug Bay

Leader: Steve Palincsar

Members: Janet Shipko, Sonja Newman, Jackie & Randy Schoch, Holly Carr, Joan Oppel, Lou Dall'Orso

Guests: none

Route: https://ridewithgps.com/routes/43598491 39.5 mi, 2117' elevation gain. This has to be one of the shadiest routes in the club library when ridden at 9 am in mid-July. Much of the time you're riding in a tree tunnel, and almost without exception the roads that aren't entirely in the shade are mostly in the shade; even better, you're riding on the side of the road with the most shade.

Weather: Sunny, hot and humid -- around 80 when we set out at 9, around 90 when we got back at 1 -- with a nice breeze. Marry that with a shady route featuring fast downhills and you end up with a challenging but very pleasant ride, cool and pleasant provided you're well hydrated.

AMS: 13.0

Mechanicals/Mishaps: none

Report: A great ride on a fine day with a fabulous group. Shade is the answer.

Locust Grove to Mount Carmel (CC, 36)

Stephen Palincsar — Tue, 11 Jul 2023 13:00:00 GMT

Herding Cats at Port Tobacco River Park

Leader: Steve Palincsar

Members: Lou Dall'Orso, Alan Kurzweil, Harold Datz, Rita Z, Jim Hudnall, Jane Hudnall, Esther Stewart, Randy Schoch, Jackie Schoch, Sonya Newman, Janet Shipko

Guests: none

Route: https://ridewithgps.com/routes/34282729 35.7 mi, 1215' elevation gain according to my Garmin

Weather: Sunny, hot and humid: it's July in the DMV. Around 80 when we started rising to around 90 when we finished, but remarkably it didn't feel all that uncomfortable. This is a very shady route, and we were on the right side of the road to get the maximum benefit of the shade; also, there was a nice breeze to help us keep cool.

AMS: 13.9

Mechanicals/Mishaps: A dropped chain, easily remedied

Report: What a grand day! We took the Indian Head Rail Trail to Pomfret, then went south on Pomfret to Preston Lane and Marshall Corner Rd. Crossing Hawthorne, we went down Rose Hill and took 6 & Causeway to get onto Chapel Point Rd, stopping in a mile at Port Tobacco River Park. Following the break we went up Locust Grove to Stagecoach, crossed 301 (for some reason, it's always much easier to cross 301 here than at Chapel Point Rd) and took St Marys to Glen Albin down to Springhill Newtown.

We'd been pretty much together on the way to the Park, but once we started up Locust Grove the group began to spread out quite a bit. The Dynamic Duo were way off the front, of course, with Janet and me together behind and what looked like a large gap between us and the rest of the group.

We kept going on 6 and 488, but once we hit the shade on Radio Station we stopped for perhaps a minute and got the group together for the stretch on Rosewick. When we've done this route in the past, this is where everybody stretches out and hammers, but this time construction cones blocked off the right lane and we were a bit more circumspect than on other occasions.

The pace picked up on Washington and especially once we crossed 301 (at a light, one of the benefits of this route) onto the rollers on Mitchell. We all parked in the shade around back at the Mt Carmel Monastery, as it was quite hot out in the sun now.

After a short break we left and continued down Mitchell to Hawthorne, turning right and climbing up to Marshall Corner and Bumpy Oak. Going down Bumpy Oak was a wonderful thrill ride, and the Indian Head Rail Trail made for a great finish.

The old Pilgrimage to Mount Carmel route hasn't been doable for the past few years due to increased traffic on Turkey Hill, a twisty, windy road with lots of curves and short hills with bad sight lines everywhere. We even gave up riding there for a couple of years. Coming to the Monastery from the suburbs of La Plata, as we did today, seems to be a pleasant and entertaining alternative.

We had a great time today. Some of that was the route, some that it was a great group.

Empire State Hudson Valley Tour

Sherwood — Sun, 09 Jul 2023 13:30:00 GMT

Linda Bankerd, Robin Garnett, Janell Saunders, Gene Villiva, Leslie Tierstein, Sherwood Byers (Ride Leader), and Ron Altemus, joined me, on this day 1 of the tour.

All met were ready and eager to get started after the group photo at the staging point in Dobbs Ferry ready for the trek to Brewster. It was a good ride from Dobbs Ferry to Brewster although some hiccups occurred with the weather. There were after lunch, 22 miles into the ride torrential downpours with a 2 to 4 feet of flooding in an underpass just as we passed through Carmal (Washed out). There we had to walk our loaded bike through 100' tunnel (Except Janell. She rode her bike through), 1 rider took a ride to the hotel after lunch and another took an Uber before the flood to the hotel. Otherwise the trail is excellent. On part of the Maybrook Trail near the end, it was closed and appears to have been closed for quite a while. We were lucky enough to be able to reroute and continue to the hotel. No mishaps or mechanical issues reported today.

Day 2 of this tour, like yesterday, had its own version of floods and wash outs. There was a section of trail washed out in the middle of no man's land on the Dutchess trail with no bypass route. We took a chance and went down the railroad tracks before punting. After getting around the washed out section of the trail, we ran into another obstacle(Fallen Tree) where we pulled out branches and passed the bikes through to the other side. There were many snakes on the trail and in the railroad tracks. With all of the impediments that we encountered, they did not stop us from continuing our ride over the "Walkway Over The Hudson Bridge", one of the highlights of the tour.

Day 3 has been the tale of 3 days. The weather was much improved over the last 2 days of riding. Temperatures were in the 90's with no rain. After lunch 2 riders opted to SAG to the hotel due to the heat, and one other rider returned home. The Empire Trail routes you through Bard College and up a very intense climb then on to Tivoli for lunch where we had pizza. No mishaps or mechanical issues were reported today. Between Tivoli and Hudson there was a lot of riding on roads. The temperature was rising and beginning to wear on us. We stopped and rested on the steps of a church. Then after a rest a welcomed sight was in our view, Stewart's, the local everything store. This is where another long climb met us before arriving into Hudson. After arriving at the hotel we took showers before going to Camilla's for dinner.

Day 4, all were eating breakfast when I arrived. Janell and Gene had found the link that was posted by New York regarding trail closures. I reviewed the link and noted for further review. Ron and I reviewed and edited the return route to insert the detour around the washed out trail section that we passed through on the way to New Paltz. After everyone was ready a group photo was taken in front of the hotel and continued to the Albany Hudson Electric Trail. The route takes you around the Hudson municipal district then onto the trail. This is a well maintained trail and an easy ride. Stopping for a break at Stewart's before lunch in about another 12 - 15 miles was a welcomed stop. Then onto the next stop for lunch we came upon a bike shop and we decided to stop and peruse the establishment and made some purchases. It appeared that this would be a good weather day. As we rode along we came into an area where there was much storm damage and the utility crews were doing their diligence with the downed trees and wires. It started to sprinkle while we were at Jimmies Lakeside Grill on Lake Nassau which again became a behemoth of a rain storm (so much for the "good weather day"). Jimmies only provides outdoor seating. Shea, the establishments owner, invited us into the kitchen area where we ate. Her generosity allowed us to stay dry. The storm passed and we were able to continue our tour to Troy. But around about mile 36 another storm came and we had to take shelter again for about an hour. With about 12 miles to go and crossing the Dunn Memorial Bridge the ride to Troy took us along the Mohawk Hudson Bike/Hike Trail, a very nice and well maintained trail. Crossing the Green Island Bridge, we all safely arrived at our destination.

Day 5 Layover Day/Laundry Day. Another rider who did the first 4 days to Troy returned and left the tour.

Day 6, BY FAR, the best day of riding/touring to date. No storms, no rain, no floods, no obstacles, lots of sun, etc. We started out at 7 AM to work with the weather/rain gods and everything just fell into place. After a short rest stop at Dunkin Donuts we continued to Jimmy's Lakeside Cafe for a short hello, a thank you and photo op with the owner (Shea) we continued to Bagel Time for lunch. With only 16 miles left short stops were taken for photos. It was a wonderful ride and the kind of day we all had been waiting for.

Day 7 had its challenges. This portion of the route between Hudson and New Paltz which is mainly on roads is the most difficult section to ride. There were many, many long climbs starting after the first mile of departure from the hotel. The respite at Stewart's, which is a family owned and operated chain of convenience stores in New York and Vermont, known for its ice cream, after the the long climb into Kingston, was a welcomed relief. There were road closures due to fallen trees which did not affect us as we were able to get through. There were threats of storms later in the day which never appeared. The sun was out and the heat was turned up to high. Once we were able to return to trail usage there was lots of shade. The temperature dropped about 10 degrees. When we rode along the section of caves, it was like going into a refrigerator. in that section the temperature was in the 50's. Yes, the last road leading to the hotel was a long climb. On another note, Maryland could learn a bit about bridge building from New York. Crossing the Kingston - Rhinecliff Bridge which is almost 2 miles long and only 2 car traffic lanes had 2 bike lanes and a pedestrian walkway. The bridge carries a lot of vehicular traffic which feeds the 4 lane Route 199 in both directions.

Day 8, another "Washout"! Rain and storms were predicted all day along with tornado warnings throughout Dutchess County (Stormville, NY), where all of the previous washouts had occurred. This is where we would riding, so with safety in mind, and group brainstorming for the correct decision, this day of riding was cancelled. Suddenly, all were scrambling to weave through the net of bad weather conditions and the necessity to stay on schedule.

No vehicle rentals were available. Thank you to Ron Altemus and Susan for ferrying the group to the next staging point.

Day 9, the end of tour. Today's ride, the last day of the Empire State Hudson Valley Tour, could not have ended on a better day. No rain, no storms, no floods, no tornado warnings. Plenty of sun, heat & humidity. Just a good day to ride.

Before leaving the hotel to start the ride a final group photo was taken. Then about 2 minutes after leaving the hotel parking lot and on the route, some of the riders witnessed a car crash happening right in front of their eyes. It happened in the opposite direction and we continued on.

The 3 mile ride to the trail was hilly. Once on the trail now off the road all settled into their personal ride pace. Nothing eventful to see. The wildest animals were rabbits. We stopped about 12 miles into the ride to regroup and rest a minute. Then we continued to the Trail-side Cafe for lunch. After lunch, the ride pace was casual and pleasant. There was a fire fighters memorial set up on the trail which I photographed. A cairn about a foot in height was started at the memorial and I placed another stone on it to keep it going.

Their were no injuries, mishaps, or mechanical issues reported to me during this adventurous tour. You can't control the weather. All in all, the Empire State Trail is very nice and maintained well.

I especially thank Ron and Susan Altemus, Gene and Dani Villiva for their support as SAG providers to the group and Dani's delicious homemade cookies and zucchini bread.

I also thank all of the riders who joined me on this touring adventure.

Sherwood

Chesapeake Beach, North Beach & Masons Beach (CC, 52)

Stephen Palincsar — Sat, 08 Jul 2023 13:00:00 GMT

North Beach Pier

Leader: Steve Palincsar

Members: Catherine Ade, Walt Roscello

Guests: none

Route: https://ridewithgps.com/routes/40852359 51.2 mi, 2237' elevation gain.

Weather: Sunny, hot and humid with a 5 mph breeze and a late afternoon chance of a thunderstorm that didn't happen. It was about 80 when we started and almost 90 when we finished, but thanks to the breeze and a fair amount of shade on the route plus evaporative cooling working overtime all day, it didn't feel bad at all until the turn from Sands onto MD-408: that was like entering the tropical plant Conservatory at the Botanical Gardens.

AMS: 13.6

Mechanicals/Mishaps: None

Report: Hot and definitely sweaty, but not at all unpleasant weather, thanks to the breeze and the shade; and an excellent route featuring several of the region's crown jewels (Plummers Ln, McKendree, Fairhaven, Leitch, Franklin Gibson, the back streets of Masons Beach, Sudley and Owensville Sudley, Harwood and Sands) and a small but congenial group.

Our number grew by one as we left North Beach, a rider from one of the other groups we saw out today: at first going in the same direction at more or less the same speed up Leitch and down Franklin Gibson, but then as we came down Deale Rd and made a turn to explore the back roads of Masons Beach with its 1920s Bayside cottages he followed us until he was well and truly lost. We learned he'd been riding with a Baltimore Bicycle Club group -- supposedly going at 12-14 mph -- but had been dropped and he thought he'd follow us, since it seemed our routes were the same.

He joined us at the break at South County Cafe and seemed to find it as nice as we did, contrasting it with a larger PPTC group he'd seen stopping at a gas station (the 7-Eleven or the Highs, most likely). He'd started from Southern High School and our route went to Harwood. He was heading for the school as we turned down Harwood Road.

At the bottom of the descent we discovered a new, wider bridge and a new wider road at the crossing of Stocketts Run, a big improvement. I guess either it must have been longer than I thought since we'd been this way, or they work on a different timetable in Anne Arundel County than they did replacing the bridges on Fenno and Mattaponi Roads: those took a couple of years to replace.

As we got within a couple of miles of Waysons we saw some dark clouds forming overhead and I heard thunder as we turned into the parking lot. I guess the rain jackets did their job as lucky charms -- even extending to the drive home.

The deluge we thought would hit as soon as we got onto MD-4 didn't happen either. Instead, it waited until after I got home and was out walking in the neighborhood: heavy rain, gutters overflowing, ankle deep puddles everywhere, but the sun shining so bright I needed sunglasses.

Friday IHRT ALL class ~20 miles

Ron Altemus — Fri, 07 Jul 2023 13:30:00 GMT

Leader:   Ron Altemus

Members:   Gene Villiva, Mark Garrison, Oswald Martin, Sonja Newman, Randy & Jackie Schoch, Belinda Acre, Susan Altemus, Fran Jezisek, Leesah Saunders

Route:   Indian Head Rail trail, Livingston Rd parking lot to White Plains trailhead r/t

Weather:   partly cloudy, minimal wind out of the ENE, temp range 81 - 85, and very humid

AMS:   varies by rider

Mechanicals/Mishaps:   none

Report:   our initial "summer hours" ride of the year, in this case, a 9:30 am start. We didn't have any rain/thunderstorms but on the drive home, the radio was full of weather warnings, including flash flooding.

Since it's summer vacation, Sonja joined us for her first Friday IHRT ride. She took advantage of the Bensville and Bumpy Oak crossings to get in some hill work on the return leg. Given the humidity, very impressive.

The "Jackie's Turtle Rescue" operation was busy today as she made sure three (30 of the shelled reptiles made it safely across the trail. A larger snapper was spotted but not "rescued" - common sense triumphing over valor. Other wildlife sightings included snakes and many birds, including a turkey vulture that rode directly overhead of your faithful correspondent straight down the trail near Middleton.

Smallwood Church, Durham Church & Goose Bay (CC, 39)

Stephen Palincsar — Tue, 04 Jul 2023 13:00:00 GMT

Rest stops at Smallwood Park and Goose Bay

Leader: Steve Palincsar

Members: Janet Shipko, Ron Altemus, Michael Murray, Ellen Goodwin, Holly Carr, Janell Saunders, Sonja Newman, Harry Kidd, Randy and Jackie Schoch, Sherwood Byers, Linda Bankerd, Joan Oppel, Dave Van Amayden, Alan Kurzweil, Jim and Jane Hudnall, Walt Roscello

Guests: Sheena Washington

Route: https://ridewithgps.com/routes/41885270 38.4 miles and 1587' elevation gain, according to my Garmin, with a maximum grade of 7.2%, which more or less agreed with RWGPS, except for the usual missing half mile discrepancy.

Weather: Sunny, hot and humid: in other words, a typical pleasant July day. The National Weather Service had predicted 79 degrees at the start rising to 88 by 1 pm with 5-6 mph winds, a light breeze which most of the time helped it feel fairly cool and comfortable. This was aided by considerable shade on the route

AMS: 13.2

Mechanicals/Mishaps: No mechanicals, but one near mishap on Bicknell, as one rider pulled out to pass right into the path of a speeding truck overtaking the group. Heavy braking accompanied by tire squealing and angry horn blowing and serious fright in the group, but fortunately nothing worse.

Report: A lovely Fourth of July day brought forth a record crowd including several members we haven't seen in a long time and a guest from Upper Marlboro, Sheena Washington, on her first ride with Oxon HIll. The route was shady for the most part, and happily the temperature was only in the 80s rather than the 90s and 100s we've seen on some July 4th rides. We had rest stops at Smallwood Park and at the Goose Bay Marina, and as promised everyone got back at around 1 pm leaving plenty of time for more traditional July 4 festivities. Happy Independence Day to one and all.

Mason Neck>Hallowing Point 28 mi CC/C

Ron Altemus — Mon, 03 Jul 2023 13:30:00 GMT

Leader:   Ron Altemus

Members:   Steve Palincsar, Alan Kurzweil, Janet Shipko, Jessica Hirschhorn, the RL, Steve Forman, Ken Fugate

Route:   Out and back on Belmont Blvd, Mason Neck Trail with a section on Springfield, resume on the trail to Mason Neck State Park visitor Center. Leaving the park, Gunston Road to a clockwise tour of Hallowing Point, followed by excursions to Gunston Manor, Gunston Hall, Pohick Bay Park, and Pohick Bay golf course

Weather:   a decided improvement from the past few days. Temps started in the low 80s and rose to the high 80s with marginal air movement out of the south. Mostly cloudy skies gave way to partly cloudy with actual blue sky visible sans smoke/ash from the Canadian wildfires. Most importantly, though humid, nowhere's near the oppressiveness of the weekend.

AMS:   swept in the low 11s; others were probably a bit faster though we regroups at times thus keeping speeds down.

Mechanicals/Mishaps:   none

Report:   while all attendees had ridden on Mason Neck previously, there were still a few things new to make it interesting. At the end of Belmont Blvd, there is a nice scenic of Belmont Bay with the Potomac River beyond Sandy Point. Most riders opted to go down Old Spring Rd with its short but steep descent to the gated entrance to the George Mason University Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter School for Peace and Conflict Resolution. Of course, they then had a short but steep uphill to rejoin the route. Several of us opted to traverse the gravel of Belmont Landing while the majority retraced the original route back to Gunston Road.

After a short stretch heading east on Gunston Road, we utilized the Mason Neck trail most of the way to the entrance to Mason Neck State Park. A short spur on Springfield Dr offered additional views of the homes on the neck. Returning to the trail, at the end of Springfield Dr, we followed High Point Rd down to the visitor's center. The road has a complete canopy of trees making for a very shaded and cool ride. A rest stop at the visitor's center offered a vast panoramic of Belmont Bay as captured below by Steve Palincsar:

Retracing our route back to where High Point Road intersects with Gunston Road, we headed east to Hallowing Point. We traveled through the neighborhood in a clockwise direction which had us heading west on River Road with the Potomac River on our left, providing a different perspective from the usual easterly routing.

Exiting the Hallowing Point neighborhood back onto Gunston Road, we next did a quick tour of Gunston Manor, again in a clockwise direction. There was enough humidity in the air to unfortunately obscure the upriver view of George Washington's Mount Vernon. Back to Gunston Road followed by the Mason Neck trail to a quick visit to George Mason's Gunston Hall. Final short excursions, in order, where into Pohick Bay Regional Park (where Steve F, Jessica, and Janet got in some hill work by descending all the way to the water's edge) and lastly, Pohick Bay golf course, where we were unable to play through.

A pleasant causal, leisurely ride through an interesting part of Fairfax County.

Friday IHRT ~20 miles ALL class

Ron Altemus — Fri, 30 Jun 2023 14:00:00 GMT

Leader: Ron Altemus

Members: Robin Garnett, Jackie Schoch, Fran Jezisek, Randy Schoch, Gene Villiva, Susan Altemus, Mark Garrison

Route:   where else to ride on a Friday morning but the Indian Head Rail Trail - Livingston Rd east to White Plains trail head and return

Weather: Code Orange air quality due to smoke from Canadian wildfires so filtered sunshine, temp range from 78-82, southerly breezes around 6-7 mph

AMS:   on the IHRT it always varies by rider

Mechanicals/Mishaps:   none

Report: with air quality not the best, most of us opted to ride with a mask on as evidenced above. Possibly the alert kept down the number of other users as the trail didn't seem that busy. Though wildlife is affected by the poor air, we still saw lots of deer, a garter snake on the trail proper, plenty of turtles - box alongside the trail while painted or slider in the various ponds, and numerous birds flitting about.

Tour de Accokeeek

Janell Saunders — Wed, 28 Jun 2023 21:30:00 GMT

Members: Carl Hattery, Janell Saunders

Weather: hazy but comfortable

Report: It was just Carl and I this evening, probably due to the hazy air conditions. The air wasn't too bad and we couldn't smell it as I have in the past. We skipped the old neighborhood maze and did the new neighborhoods off Marshall Corner Rd. Heading down the hill to the pier, we dodged glass on the shoulder, but the new pavement is still silky. At the pier, we could just make out Mt. Vernon across the river. Heading back we went to BJs after the ride for ice cream and parted ways there. As I was heading back on my bike I had one more new experience, I got stung on my back by something, probably a wasp! So, there's that!

Juneteenth ride to Drayden African-American schoolhouse

Dan Donahue — Mon, 19 Jun 2023 13:30:00 GMT

Members: Diana Donahue, Lori Michaelson

Guests: None

Weather: Breezy, warm and becoming humid, hazy with occasional sun

Route: https://ridewithgps.com/routes/43148060

AMS: 15.1 for fast part, 13 for slower part

Mechanicals/mishaps: none

Report: The all-around consensus is that this was a beautiful, scenic route. Wide paved shoulders where there was traffic and low-volume traffic on back country roads. The historic scenic category included a visit to the Drayden African-American one room schoolhouse, a rest stop at the historic Piney Point lighthouse museum and park, and a tour of St. George Island that included both the south and north shores. Wildlife seen on the island included many ospreys, a blue heron, and a terrapin. This was mostly a flat trip with one hill climb, and a lot of travel through rural sections and shoreline, with multiple views of the Potomac River and St. George’s Creek. It also included one short bridge crossing. This was an enthusiastically received ride, and there was much sentiment for repeating it. My plans are to conduct this ride annually in honor of Juneteenth.

I was unable to add pictures to this post

York Tour 2023

Sherwood — Sat, 17 Jun 2023 14:00:00 GMT

On a bright and sunny Saturday morning 16 riders (From Left To Right, Janell Saunders, Alan Kurzweil, Ron Altemus, Sarah Clement,Diane Harris Mark Garrison,Theresa Rowell, Gene Villiva, Linda Bankerd, Deborah Bowman, Leon Wells, Sherwood Byers, Robin Butler -La-Francois, Randy Schoche, Suzanne Brown and Jackie Schoche taking photo, all OHBTC members), Oxon Hill Bike and Trail Club (OHBTC) President,and Gene Villiva) met at the Grand Lodge of Ancient and Free Masons to ride with me Sherwood Byers, Sr. Tour Ride Leader for a tour ride from Cockeysville, Maryland to York Pennsylvania.

(Monkton Station)

After a preride briefing and a group photo all were on the pedals to the first planned regrouping point at Monkton Station. Other planned regrouping stops were the Mason/Dixon Line, New Freedom, the halfway point where we ate lunch at different venues, Hanover Junction, the York University of Civil Engineering, and then to the hotels where we lodged.

(New Freedom)

While in New Freedom there was a historical event depicting the history of New Freedoms past. With some time listening to the role players speaking and reenactments of the past and some photos, our tour continued toward the next regrouping point, Hanover Junction about 8 miles from New Freedom. Once all had arrived at Hanover Junction I had reminded all that I wanted all to meet at the York College of Civil Engineering so that the group could ride together once we arrived in York. We would then be riding on a somewhat busy road and the need for safety was of the utmost importance.

(Hanover Junction)

Heading to our final ride destination, there was about a 3 mile trek to the hotel, the group stayed knitted together and waiting as all passed through the intersections all the way to the hotel. A post briefing was given mostly to determine when, where, and time to meet and eat. Some decided to have Bar-B-Que while others ate at the diner. All met in the lobby before going to eat after freshening up after the day 1 of the tour.

(Lyndon Diner)

Day 2, the day to return to Cockeysville, a group photo was taken before embarking on the journey.

From Left To Right: Gene Villiva, Robin Butler-LaFrancois (Back Row), Sarah Clement, Alan Kurzweil (Back Row), Janell Saunders, Sherwood Byers, Linda Bankerd (Back Row), Suzanne Brown, Jackie Scoche (Front Row), Ron Altemeus (Back Row) Diane Harris, Theresa Rowell, Deborah Bowman (Back Row), Randy Schoche (Front Row), Mark Garrison, and Leon Wells (Taking Photo).

Ready to ride, all gathered for the photo and off we went. Navigating around the lot to the main road again we rode our bikes tightly together for the reason of safety.

The ride to New Freedom was casual so not to arrive for lunch too early before the venues opened. A quick stop at the York College of Civil Engineering (Short Briefing), Hanover Junction, Lunch in New Freedom, Monkton Station before returning to the ride start. There were a few incidents reported (Brake problem, Cycling incident, & Flat tire).

All in all, it was thoroughly an enjoyable weekend to tour with friends thanks in part to perfect summer-like weather.

Three Keeches Charles & St Marys Metric (CC, 62.3)

Stephen Palincsar — Sat, 17 Jun 2023 13:00:00 GMT

Leader: Steve Palincsar
Members: Catherine Ade, Walt Roscello, Joan Oppel, Steve Perakis and Patricia Sanders
Guests: none

Route: https://ridewithgps.com/routes/43066910

Weather: Sunny, 66 at the start rising to 82 degrees by early afternoon; windy.

AMS: 13.1

Mechanicals/Mishaps: none

Report: It'ss 66 as we start: arm warmer and vest weather. Leaving Oak Ridge Park the route turns right and immediately descends. It's cold. At the bottom of the hill, we turn right on Keech into the shade and now it feels five or ten degrees colder than in the park.

In a couple of miles we reached MD-6. Emerging into the sun we turn left and climb 100 feet, enough to shake off the chill, then turn right on Dubois and begin a series of climbs and descents, first on Dubois and then Old Sycamore, that bring us from 170' down to 7' on Budds Creek, farms and barns whizzing by but you can't look away from the road to watch because rough pavement and hard bumps are waiting for the inattentive.

A turn from Budds Creek onto Newport Church and another turn on Bowling put us into the heart of the Amish area, but at this time of day we see no buggies or other traffic until we reach Trinity Church and MD-6 as we make our way to the first rest stop at the lake pavilion in Gilbert Run Park.

Leaving Gilbert Run Park we turn left on 6 and then we're back on Keech again. If we went left on Oaks this might make a nice 20 mile ride, except it's far too hilly for anyone wanting to do a 20 mile ride; we go right and take Oaks across MD-5, turn on Triangle Dr and again on Golden Beach to All Faith Church. All Faith Church is hard: a long hundred foot drop until you cross Killpeck Creek, and then a steep 120' climb at almost 8% until you get to MD-6.

We turn left on MD-6E and then right on Flora Corner, cross Rt 5 onto Old Flora Corner and turn on Old Village Rd. We haven't been here much since they opened this section of the Three Notch Trail, but now we're riding old roads heading for an old rest stop.

We stop for lunch at the WaWa and then turn on Harpers Corner, taking it all the way to Three Notch Highway, past Captain Leonard's onto Morganza Turner and on the Three Notch Trail long enough to take us to Laurel Grove Rd.

We take Laurel Grove all the way back to Morganza Turner, cross MD-5 again and turn on Dr Johnson. Naturally, we stop for the obligatory photo op at the base of the tractor at Lyon Family Farm before turning on Chaptico Rd, passing the Clydesdale ranch (note: ice cream coming soon, they say) coming to a rest stop at the Chaptico Store.

Leaving the store we head west on Budds Creek to Mechanicsville and turn left on Yowaiski Mill, climbing for a couple of miles, then turn on Asher and again on Cox -- the long ups and downs explain why we don't ride here very often, says Walt -- before turning back onto Mechanicsville and then once more onto the Three Notch Trail.

We pass Mechanicsville Elementary School, cross Thompson Corner, carefully negotiating our way around piles of horse droppings and turn left onto MD-6. The wind, which has been gradually increasing all day, is now blowing at 20 mph and we're riding right into it. A turn onto Roundhill brings some relief, and when the road rejoins 6 there's Dubois and the fast downhill back to Keech yet again. Keech is out of the wind and the sun, and now the shade is welcome. A final climb back to Oak Ridge Park and we're done; a great ride.

Pindell, Deale & Polling House (CC, 37)

Stephen Palincsar — Thu, 15 Jun 2023 19:13:01 GMT

South County Rec Center -- Open door with handicap button [small black square] on right wall

Leader: Steve Palincsar

Members: Patricia Sanders, Harry Kidd

Guests: none

Route: https://ridewithgps.com/routes/43279100 37.1 mi, 1346' elevation gain.

Weather: Another stellar day: bright cloudless sky, pleasant breeze, high 60s at the start rising to around 80 by noon.

AMS: 13.0

Mechanicals/Mishaps: None

Ride Report: We'd ridden so much lately in Brandywine I thought it might be fun to ride today in an area where we almost never ride during the week.

Starting from Waysons Corner Park & Ride the route makes its way to Greenock and Brooks Woods by way of Plummer Lane, Pindell and Upper Pindell, heads north on MD-2 to Old Ridge Path Lane, descending Nutwell (quite a thrill ride) to Nutwell Sudley, then climbs Franklin Gibson up to MD--256 and then screams down into Deale in time for lunch (or, in this case, breakfast for Harry) at the South County Cafe.

Deale MD (Photo by Harry Kidd)

Although the ride was scheduled to leave at 9:30 everyone arrived early, so we left a few minutes after 9. It was cool in the shade, with only a few open stretches warmed by the sun until we reached Deale.

It's bad form to do serious climbing right after a heavy meal, and there are some pretty serious rollers on the next leg on Sudley and Owensville Sudley. Before tackling the return we toured Masons Beach, cruising down Flood Ave (I wonder why they named it that...) and Chesapeake Ave on narrow streets barely wide enough for one car, the Bay right there, with us winding among 1920s Bay-front vacation cottages.

Once our South County Cafe fare had settled, we made our way on Swamp Circle through wetlands and flat farmland to the shade of Sudley and Owensville Sudley and a delightful roller coaster of ups and downs.

Half a mile from the intersection of MD-2 sits the South County Recreation Center. It's open pretty much all day, 7 days a week and features A/C, clean rest rooms and a delightful water cooler. You've probably ridden past it hundreds of times.

You may even have tried unsuccessfully to get inside and given up in despair, as I did last month, because you didn't know the secret: to open the door you need to press the handicap access button on the wall to the right of the door. You can see it in the photo at the top of this article, the small black rectangle diagonally below the large black one on the wall to the right of the door.

South County Rec Center (Photo by Harry Kidd)

If your route goes down Polling House as this one does, going to the Harwood gas station and then doubling back to Polling House breaks up the flow of the ride and feels clunky. Stopping at South County Rec is a pleasant intermission between the shaded climbing of the Sudleys and the more open descent on Polling House and final rolling stretches on Bayard and Sands.

Horses on Polling House (Photo by Harry Kidd)

The wind had picked up by the time we reached Bayard, and I was happy to draft Harry until he stopped to take photos.

Patricia and I turned onto Sands, and before long Harry was right back with us. After the ride he said he'd hitched a tow by grabbing onto a passing truck's right side rear view mirror. When I was young, kids used to do that with trolley cars.

Today's ride confirmed that a midweek ride from Waysons can work very nicely indeed, and gave us a chance to recuperate from the Rural Legacy.

Tour de Accokeek

Janell Saunders — Wed, 14 Jun 2023 21:30:00 GMT

Members: Jackie and Randy Schoch, Tim Murphy, Carl Hattery

Route: a modified version of the normal tour

Weather: breezy to start, comfortable

AMS: nah

Mechanicals/Mishaps: none

Report: With a couple newbies to the new route, we did the tour in the usual direction, skipping the maze of turns in the Accokeek neighborhood and headed down to my neighborhood in Bryans Road. We continued to Marshall Hall Rd, and again, instead of turning down towards the pier, we crossed and headed down into the new neighborhoods that have sprung up along Marshall Hall Rd. since we can now connect to them. We did the turns through those neighborhoods, coming out again to Marshall Hall Rd and enjoyed the downhill to the pier and the new blacktop. We returned heading up Barrys Hill, (wouldnt it be nice if it got new blacktop as well?) but turned left onto Old Marshall Hall and road down past the farm and pigs (aka Moose Manor Farm). Randy did a bit of a drive by near the hogs and I don't think they liked it. We continued down to say hello to the cows and calves along the Moyaone Reserve road. We returned and headed straight to BJs for icecream which was delicious. We missed Carl at BJs but had enough for all of us.

St. Ignagius, Bel Alton Newtown & Quailwood (CC, 39)

Stephen Palincsar — Tue, 13 Jun 2023 13:00:00 GMT

Leader: Steve Palincsar

Members: Harry Kidd, Patricia Sanders

Guests: none

Route: https://ridewithgps.com/routes/43250731 39.4 mi, 1549' elevation gain. A scenic, shady route with several exciting downhill runs and a few memorable climbs as well.

Weather: Simply delightful. Sunny, breezy, high 60s when we started, rising to the high 70s, perhaps even 80 by the time we finished.

AMS: 13.2

Mechanicals/Mishaps: A dropped chain at the start, easily remedied.

Report: What a lovely day! Today's route took us up Bumpy Oak and down Rose Hill to Port Tobacco, then along Chapel Point Rd. past Chapel Point Park (to be closed to vehicle traffic on or about June 15th - July 15th for construction at the park entrance) and up that dreaded little 140' climb with its 8.5% maximum grade to a rest stop at St. Ignatius Church.

Leaving the Church, we crossed 301 and followed Bel Alton Newtown, screaming down the infamous Beast of Bel Alton and then climbing back up the other side, turning on Springhill Newtown and Glen Albin to a rest stop at the Dash In.

Making our way on back streets to Hawthorne we crossed back over 301 and took Quailwood to Rt 6 (lovely downhill), stopping at the top of the long climb at the Port Tobacco Rec Center for a short break where Patricia's bike computer unaccountably gained 9 miles as we chatted in the shade, then passing the eponymous Saloon with its sign commemorating the Legend of the Blue Dog before turning on Burch and then on Poorhouse (another great downhill) Ripley and finally Hawthorne (and the descent of Mighty Mount Pisgah).

A thoroughly enjoyable ride on a delightful day just made for cycling. And yet, we were but three. Is everyone still exhausted from the Rural Legacy, or perhaps holding out for a still-better day?

Pindell, Fairhaven & the Chesapeake Beach Railroad Trail (CC, 44)

Stephen Palincsar — Sat, 03 Jun 2023 13:30:00 GMT

Pond west of the Bay at Fairhaven Cliffs

Leader: Steve Palincsar

Members: none

Guests: none

Route: https://ridewithgps.com/routes/39448576 - with a few changes when the fancy struck, such as going down Leitch and visiting the Trestle on the Chesapeake Beach Railroad Trail, ending up with 45.9 miles instead of the planned 44.2

Weather: A beautiful sunny day, low 70s at the start rising to the low 80s by early afternoon.

AMS: 13.1

Mechanicals/Mishaps: none

Report: Where was everybody? It wasn't just this ride. Normally when you ride to North Beach and Chesapeake Beach on a beautiful weekend day like today, you see at least one big ride with dozens of riders. Today, two tandems, two men from Annapolis who rode from Harwood School on a 60 miler, one man climbing Leitch and three riders seen in the distance on Friendship Rd.

Besides being able to freely change the route as the whim takes you, the other advantage of riding solo is you can stop and take pictures whenever you like. For example, these flowers against the gray building on Brooks Woods caught my eye, so I stopped to take their picture.

On Brooks Woods Rd

When I came to the curve on Fairhaven Rd with the pond on the right and the Bay on the left, I stopped, looked around and took some pictures.

Bird Houses by the Bay

Climbing Fairhaven and descending the hill on Friendship the route comes to the Chesapeake Market and Deli, where I stopped for lunch and met the two riders from the Annapolis club. They'd started at Southern High School and had ridden past Northern High School on their 60 mile route. But they didn't know about the Chesapeake Beach Railroad Trail.

Views from the start of the Railroad Trail

All that's left of the original railroad trestle leading to Chesapeake Beach. You can also see remains of the railroad trestle crossing the Patuxent at Mount Calvert.

A beautiful, if lonely ride on a grand day for a bike ride. If you missed out, no worries: this won't be the last time we ride to Chesapeake Beach this summer. One of these times, we'll even stop at the museum.

Friday IHRT ALL class ~20 miles

Ron Altemus — Fri, 02 Jun 2023 14:00:00 GMT

Leader: Ron Altemus

Members: Mark Garrison, Oswald Martin, Robin Garnett, Gene Villiva, Belinda Acre, Jackie Schoch, Fran Jezisek, Leesha Saunders, Randy Schoch, Susan Altemus. Not pictured: Donaro Gardner

Route: the regular Friday routing - Indian Head Rail Trail from the Livingston Rd parking lot east to White Plains trailhead. After a rest stop, return in a westerly direction to the ride start.

Weather:   lots of sun though filtered with a high milky haze from wildfires in eastern Canada; temp range of 74=3 - 84; breeze out of the NE

AMS: varied by rider

Mechanicals/Mishaps:   none

Report:   another great day to enjoy riding the IHRT as evidenced by the large turnout. Plenty of other trails users including fellow cyclists, some runners/joggers, and many walkers.

A number of wildlife sightings including: deer dashing across the trail; snakes slithering from one side of the trail to the other; numerous birds - bluebirds, great blue heron, red wing blackbirds; and, turtles, either sunning/basking in one of the ponds adjoining the trail or actually crossing the asphalt.

Robin "captured" two of the turtles - a box turtle on the trail near MM 4 and a large painted turtle in the Bumpy Oak pond.

Tour de Accokeek - All class 16

Janell Saunders — Thu, 01 Jun 2023 21:30:00 GMT

Members: Jackie and myself

Route: a modified version of the normal tour

Weather: comfortable but a little muggy

AMS: nah

Mechanicals/Mishaps: none

Report: This time, we did the tour in the usual direction, but skipped the maze of turns in the Accokeek neighborhood and headed down to my neighborhood in Bryans Road. We continued to Marshall Hall Rd, but instead of turning down towards the pier, we crossed and headed down into the new neighborhoods that have sprung up along Marshall Hall Rd. since we can now connect to them. We did the turns through those neighborhoods, coming out again to Marshall Hall Rd and enjoyed the downhill to the pier. We returned heading up Barrys Hill, but turned left onto Old Marshall Hall and road down past the farm and pigs (aka Moose Manor Farm) and down to say hello to the cows along the Moyaone Reserve road. We returned and headed straight to BJs for icecream which was delicious. Biked back to the firestation where Jackie and I parted ways.

Young, Celestial and Eagle Harbor (CC, 39 mi)

Stephen Palincsar — Thu, 01 Jun 2023 14:00:00 GMT

Lunch stop at Hardesty Haven Cafe

Leader: Steve Palincsar

Members: Patricia Sanders, Janet Shipko, Tom Short and Anonymous Users One and Two

Guests: none

Route: https://ridewithgps.com/routes/41291511 As recorded, 38.6 mi with 1456' elevation gain

Weather: Partly cloudy, 67 at the start rising to a predicted 78 that actually was closer to 82, with a light 8 mph breeze.

AMS: 14.0

Mechanicals/Mishaps: none

Report: The traditional June first heatwave held off for a day, so we had a very pleasant day for a bike ride. We took the usual Martin to Molly Berry, Baden Naylor-Baden Westwood to Horsehead route to Morelands, then Young down to Celestial, Wilkerson to Woodville and Dr Bowen, a quick turn on Aquasco and down to Eagle Harbor. Today we didn't stop at Cedar Haven Fishing Area, instead passing on through and climbing back up out of Eagle Harbor to a rest stop at Hardesty Haven Cafe.

After lunch the group broke up into three sections, but after we took Aquasco to Croom and Covington, went right on Horsehead and made our way to Aquasco/Brandywine, the three groups coalesced back into one, and we were all together again by the time we rolled back into the park.

A lovely day for a bike ride. And unofficial summer is here!

Friday IndianHead 20 mile All Class

Randall Schoch — Fri, 26 May 2023 14:00:00 GMT

Leaders - Jackie and Randy Schoch

Members - Jackie, Fran Jezisek, Belinda Acre, Ron Altemus, Randy, Leesha Saunders, Mark Garrison, Gene & Dani Villiva, Donaro Gardner. Not pictured - photog Susan Altemus

Route - IHRT

Weather - Clear, sunny, cool (60's), breezy.

AMS - Varied per/rider

Mechanicals/Mishaps - None

Report - A good turnout of our regular Friday riders. We saw a snapping turtle laying eggs on the side of trail, a large crane, a snake, turtles, eagle, goslings, blue birds and many more birds. A lot of other trail users considering how nice the morning was. There were a walkers and dogs. It was a fairly fast ride to our rest stop at White Plains. None of us tarried too long at the rest stop and then we headed back. It was a nice ride but a little cool and breezy. Jackie and I went to the Lunch Box to eat. Ron, Susan, and Fran went to the storage locker to check out what was going to be needed for the Rural Legacy Ride next month.

Leonardtown Wharf to the Piney Point Light (CC, 67)

Stephen Palincsar — Sat, 20 May 2023 13:00:00 GMT

Leader: Steve Palincsar

Members: Walt Roscello, Janet Shipko, Harry Kidd and Catherine Ade

Guests: none

Route: https://ridewithgps.com/routes/42821148 66.2 mi with 2,418' of climbing, according to my Garmin. Once again, the Garmin recorded 0.5 mi less than what RWGPS says (where do those missing tenths go, I wonder?) but over 300' more climbing. 2,418' sounds like a big number, but when you're riding it, aside from a few real (but not cripplingly real) hills this course feels as though it's mostly flat-ish.

Weather: Foggy, low 60s at the start, eventually clearing up and warming up to the mid-70s and finally by late afternoon to 82.

AMS: 13.6 but that number doesn't begin to convey the essence of the ride. Total duration of 7 hrs 24 min with 4 hrs 52 min moving time and 2 hrs 31 min stopped time starts to come close.

We stopped at the Leonardtown Wharf, Russel Store in Valley Lee and the Piney Point Lighthouse, then had lunch at JW Dent's in Tall Timbers (excellent, highly recommended - we had a great time there).

After lunch we stopped at Cecil's Old Mill -- now much more a store than the museum-with-stuff-for-sale it had been the last time we had a ride stop there -- and finally at the Bradford Neighborhood Market (formerly McKay's).

The last time we stopped at McKays, just before the store changed hands, it was sad; shelves were bare and you couldn't even get a soda. But today we saw, Bradford's is back in all its glory, even better than McKay's at its best. This once was, and now is a gain, a magnificent rest stop.

Mechanicals/Mishaps: None. Everything worked perfectly.

Report: I checked five weather forecasts this morning, four using Randoplan with its different data sources and Weather Underground's web site. Three of the five said no rain, two said there was a chance of rain, greater in the morning and gradually going down to single digits. Most said it would be overcast. Nobody predicted fog.

And yet, fog is what we had on the drive down to Baggett Park, thick enough to have to run the windshield wipers. There was still fog when we set out, enough to wet my glasses but not enough for me to put on a rain jacket. Moisture on the glasses stopped by the time we turned on Baptist Church, and by the time we arrived at the Leonardtown Wharf Park, it was just overcast.

It's been a few years since I've been to the Leonardtown Wharf. Back then they had water fountains, some nice restrooms and a great view of McIntosh Run and the upper reaches of Breton Bay. Today we were a bit early for the Frogtown Ice Cream parlor, but a craft fair was in full swing.

Leaving the Wharf the route avoids climbing back up the steep descent we'd just done, turning instead on Camalier and going up the east side of the promontory past some very elegant homes and lovely water views before swooping down Fenwick to MD-5. MD-5 descends and then at the split with MD-4 climbs up to Medleys Neck Rd. When I first rode this section of MD-5 the shoulder was half its current width and was full of debris and potholes, but now it's lovely: twice as wide, smooth and completely free of debris.

We rode down Medleys Neck Rd, mostly descending but with one or two hills, all very rural feeling, down to Russell Store, a small country store with bar attached. I was there once when the bar was filled with motorcyclists (and some interesting comments were made about our lycra outfits) but today we had the store entirely to ourselves.

It was still overcast when we visited Piney Point Lighthouse, but started clearing up as we reached JW Dent. We ordered lunch and moved our bikes around the side to the outdoor seating area, and by the time we finished lunch (excellent, and we had a great time) the sun was out, sky was clear and blue and the temperature was racing past the predicted high of 74.

When we turned onto Flat Iron Rd I was pleased to see how much the road had been improved since I was last on it. Back then what shoulder there was was quite narrow, and it was a bit difficult when there was a lot of traffic. Now most of the road has a nice shoulder, not as wide as MD-5 climbing up to Medleys Neck but still quite usable, with less than a mile still with the old narrow configuration.

Crossing MD-5 onto Indian Bridge Rd I was happy to see that nothing had been done about the once-threatened revamp of the intersection to remove the traffic light and make it impossible for us to ride straight across. Let us hope those plans have been forgotten and abandoned.

Indian Bridge was quite pleasant and even MD-4 was fine. Brown Rd was a shady treat (very welcome, now that it was approaching 80) and as already mentioned, Bradford Market was delightful.

Leaving Bradford's we took McIntosh to Clover Hill and crossed Three Notch Highway onto Sandgates. Climbing back up from the Patuxent on North Sandgates, we turned onto Three Notch Highway for half a mile, then crossed onto Loveville and took Kavanaugh and Laurel Grove back to Baggett Park.

It was almost 5 when we arrived at the Park, a bit tired but very happy we'd done the ride. We discussed the possibility of having a metric-length ride at least once every month from now to the end of the season. It would be a great way to prepare for a September or October century. I'm game if you are.

Friday IHRT ALL class ~20 miles

Ron Altemus — Fri, 19 May 2023 14:00:00 GMT

Leader:   Ron Altemus

Members:   Robin Garnett, Jackie Schoch, Belinda Acre, Oswald Martin, Randy Schoch, Donaro Gardner, Rodney Palmer, Celeste Conyers, Larry Poole, Mark Garrison (not pictured: Susan Altemus and Fran Jezisek)

Route:   where else to ride on a Friday morning but the Indian Head Rail Trail, Livingston Rd parking lot to White Plains and return

Weather:   overcast to start w/temps in the mid 60 and wind movement out of the east. By ride's end, had warmed to the low 70s under partly cloudy skies.

AMS:   varied by rider

Mechanicals/Mishaps:   none while riding but it is hard for one battery to power two eTrikes. We can all be a bit forgetful at times.

Report:   Somewhat unusual as we had a fast group (led by Belinda and Celeste), an intermediate group, and pairings of more leisurely riders. For various reasons, only most of the first two groups made it to White Plains, while the others turned back at Bensville. Wildlife sightings consisted mainly of turtles in the various ponds along the trail.

Nevertheless, a pleasant morning ride on the IHRT.

Jug Bay, Mount Calvert & Merkle (CC, 37)

Stephen Palincsar — Thu, 18 May 2023 14:00:00 GMT

Jackie, Randy, Janet and Donaro at Selby's Landing

Leader: Steve Palincsar

Members: Jackie & Randy Schoch, Janet Shipko, Donaro Gardner and Anonymous Users One, Two and Three

Guests: none

Route: https://ridewithgps.com/routes/32610771 36.3 miles according to my Garmin, with 1621' elevation gain.

Weather: The Post Capital Gang gave it a 10 out of 10, and deservedly. Sunny, cloudless skies, light breeze, around 60 at the start rising eventually to around 70 when we were done.

AMS: 12.9 mph

Mechanicals/Mishaps: Coming into the Merkle Sanctuary, Anonymous User Two felt his tire going soft. He managed the removal and replacement of the tire and installation of a new tube entirely without tools.

Anonymous Users Two and Three fixing a flat at the Merkle Sanctuary

Randy supplied a foot pump (seen here and below) and with the help of Anonymous User Three pumping, the flat was fixed with no drama and seemingly little effort. Here's the pump. It's amazing the stuff you can

carry on an e-assisted recumbent trike.

Report: What a beautiful day for a bike ride! A bright sunny day, chilly enough to need jackets, tights and arm warmers at the start. We rode in three groups: Anon. Two and Three out in front, Anon. One on her Ibis gravel bike, Janet, Donaro and I in the middle and Randy and Jackie on their trikes bringing up the rear a couple of minutes behind.

Turning right out of North Keys Park we rode down to Brandywine, took a quick right onto Old Indian Head down to Cherry Tree Crossing, turned on Prince William for a short tour of Cheltenham then took Cherry Tree and Cross Road Trail to 301, Old Indian and Cheltenham to Duley Station and Croom to Croom Airport down to the Pavilion at Patuxent River Park and our first rest stop.

Leaving the Pavilion we rode down to Selby's Landing before climbing Croom Airport to Duvall and right on Mt. Calvert down to the Patuxent. We passed through the Dog Zone on the way down and back, but no dog was seen, even though we were ready for it.

After climbing Mount Calvert Rd we turned on Croom and then on St Thomas Church, descending 212 feet over the next three miles, passing fields with horses amidst the buttercups, down to Mattaponi Creek, then gaining back 100 feet in just a half-mile of climbing (9.3% max grade) before turning left into the Merkle Sanctuary and our second rest stop.

After fixing the flat Anon. Two and Three took off, followed closely behind by the rest of the group. Heading south on Fenno towards Nottingham I noticed they've fixed some (but only some) of the roughest pavement on the way down to Nottingham. It was actually getting warm by the time we turned onto Candy Hill, crossing Croom and turning left on North Keys and by the time we arrived at the park it was almost hot.

A fabulous day to be riding, an excellent (if shy) group, and great roads in one of the nicest areas in Southern Maryland made for a grand ride.

Mother's Day 35!

Jessica Hirschhorn — Sun, 14 May 2023 13:30:00 GMT

Well I certainly could not have dialed in a more glorious day for a bike ride.

The 35 milers were: Sarah Clement, Sara Cortes (WWO), Marc Blackman, Nancy Katz (WWO), Cathy Miller (WWO) -- sweep and co-leader, Mary Ann Owsley (WWO), Janell Saunders, Esther Steward, Laura Vaughn (WWO) and myself. The WWO were a special contingent joining us from Washington Women Outdoors.

We started on the beautiful Three Notch Trail, with a brief bathroom break and photo op at Baggett Park, a second stop at 7TH District Park, and a final stop at the Chaptico Market, where some enjoyed ice cream.

The corn is just popping through the soil, the iconic grey barns were many, and the wheat is growing up. We passed some alpaca farms and some horses.

It was a wonderful day for all.

May Metric ALL class - Three Notch Trail 22 mi

Ron Altemus — Sun, 14 May 2023 13:30:00 GMT

Leader:   Ron Altemus

Members:   Diana Donahue, Susan Altemus, Belinda Acre, Randy & Jackie Schoch, Carl Hattery (terrible backlighting!)

Route:   Three Notch Trail south from Mechanicsville Elementary to Baggett Park, then retrace north to Deborah Lane, w/final retrace back to the starting point.

Weather:   perfect cycling weather - lots of sunshine under clear blue skies; temps starting in the low 70s and only rising to the mid 70s; absolutely no humidity; w/winds that mostly seemed to be out of the eastern quadrant but really only noticeable on the stretch between Locke's Crossing and New Market Road.

AMS:   while averages will vary amongst the riders, this was a very leisurely ride such that the leader sweep at about 10 mph.

Mechanicals/Mishaps: none bike related but unfortunately, Diana's phone fell into one of the portolets at ride start.

Report:   for whatever reason, the Three Notch Trail seemed to be almost supernatural today in terms of visual beauty and enjoyable riding. We basically rode together for the entire ride, though Diana left us once we came back to the start point on the north bound leg.

Lots of other trails users, the majority of which were also cyclists enjoying the incredible weather. Nothing to report in terms of wildlife sightings but we did see the horses (and maybe a donkey) on the farm near Morganza Turner Rd, a cat just sitting on the trail (sighted going in both directions) near Bohle Rd, and goats on the corner farm at Lockes Crossing Rd.

Mother's Day CC 46

Joan Oppel — Sun, 14 May 2023 13:00:00 GMT

Leader: Joan Oppel

Members: Ellen Goodwin, Holly Carr, Harry Kidd, Tracie Cebrzynski, Linda Blackman, Sonya Newman, Beth Handler, Janet Shipko

Route: An enjoyable spin around the peninsula between St Clements Bay and Whites Neck Creek - both of which we visited.

Weather: Stunning sunny day, 70s with a little wind from the northeast, then the north and no humidity.

Mechanicals/Mishaps: None

Report: Right from the start we broke into two segments, but re-grouped at the 7th District Park. From there the group hung more or less together, sometimes separated by a tenth of a mile or so. We had a long stop at the Chaptico market and then the last 8 miles flew by. Many thanks to Harry Kidd for sweeping! A notable and unusual sighting: a World War 1 howitzer in the yard of a house that faces St Clements Bay. No indication of why it's there.

14 May - May Metric B 46

Walt Roscello — Sun, 14 May 2023 13:00:00 GMT

Leader: Walt Roscello

Members: Bob Howell, Tom Short, Lori Michaelson, and road find Lou (sorry I don't know your last name)

Route: a 46 mile route down Morganza Turner as it turns into Colton Point, then some scenic meandering around the Abell-Avenue area, and a return via Bushwood, Hurry, and then Baptist Church roads.

Weather: Just about perfect - just a slight chill when stopped, pleasantly warm when riding. About 60 at the start and 75 at the end. We did have stronger than expected winds, generally from the north.

AMS: 14.5 for the leader, not sure how accurate that is

Mechanicals/Mishaps: Lou was having such a good time with us that he missed the turn for the 60 mile group. And Lori fell over while stopped which led to a bike alignment checkout.

Report: We ended up intermixed with the A-60 group at Mechanicsville when they stopped for a dropped light or similar. Somehow the hills worked out that Lori and I ended up at the front of the group, along with Lou. As the three of us cruised past Laurel Grove Rd the rest of the A's turned off but Lou didn't hear their calls. He decided to ride with us the rest of the day instead.

The trip down to the 7th district park was uneventful, except that Lori fell over on the hill going in, before I got there. Not sure if it was hill related or not. That led to some bike maintenance and searching for dropped items but didn't interrupt the planned stop.

The CC's caught us at the park and again at the first out-and-back. We B's were a more talkative bunch when stopped so the CC's were ahead of us through Abell and down to the stop at Paul Ellis landing. From there we were in the front again, and into the wind a bit. We spread out but generally only a half-mile apart or so, as we had more enjoyable and uneventful miles to the Chaptico market.

After a long stop for much eating, we got started again up the hill to Baptist Church and spread out again, rendezvousing at the end point.

Animals seen: squirrels, going every which way to cross the road as we approached; a single deer paralleling us though a wheat field, which disappeared into a forest break and then appeared in the next field, and then angle across the road in front of us; chickens, goats, and at least one cow, penned in yards; opossum, raptors, and other animals, all on the side of the road unfortunately.

Friday Indian Head 20 mile All Class

Randall Schoch — Fri, 12 May 2023 14:00:00 GMT

Leader - Jackie Schoch

Members - Susan Altemus, Belinda Acre, Ron Altemus, Leesha Saunders, Mark Garrison, Gene Villiva, Donaro Gardner, Lester Jackson, Carlos "Ernie" Hazera, Celeste Conyers, and Rodney Palmer.

Guests - None

Route - IHRT

Weather - Beautiful day in the 70's

AMS - Varied per/rider

Mechanicals - None

Report - A very good turnout of riders on a great day for a bike ride. Mark and Carlos were first time riders. Lots of wildlife sightings today which included 4 snakes, a box turtle, lots of snapping turtles in Bumpy Oak Lake, a hawk, and birds everywhere. There were many other bike riders out today. A nice rest stop at the White Plains area and the bath room facilities are open. A good return to the parking lot and everyone went their own way. Ron and Susan were heading to Colonial Beach to cut grass at their beach house. Rabbi Randy was on rabbi duty today and had to miss a great day of riding.

Candy, Moreland, Mudd & Magruders (CC, 40)

Stephen Palincsar — Thu, 11 May 2023 14:00:00 GMT

Rest stop at Moreland Market

This will be a rather abbreviated format; I wrote a long one that vanished into the aether when I hit "Post" and I'm not doing that again.

We had a large group, 14 including Cathy Miller, Lou Dall'Orso, Oswald Martin, Juan Stevens, Donaro Gardner, Joni Forman, Mary Scala, Patricia Sanders, Randy Schoch, Anonymous User and Guest Brian Mills. The route, 40 mi and 1727' elevation gain, found here was a mix of some of the flattest and some of the hilliest terrain in the Brandywine area, but that didn't faze any of the group. We averaged 13.8 mph, and had but one mechanical, a dropped chain right at the start, quickly resolved thanks to Lou Dall'Orso. Special thanks to Rabbi Randy who rode sweep.

Tour de Accokeek - modified

Janell Saunders — Wed, 10 May 2023 21:30:00 GMT

Leader: Janell Saunders

Members: Jackie Schock, Sheryl Romeo, Matthew Schwaller

Weather: Couldnt decide if I'd need a jacket or not.

Report: I managed to talk the group into doing my reverse modified route. So, we bypassed the Accokeek neighborhood tour and did the route down Old Marshall Hall to the turnaround in Moyaone. Back to go down Barrys Hill and to the Marshall Hall Pier. NOTE: Most of Marshall Hall is completely repaved now including shoulders which, I swear makes you go faster! Sweet! Then back up the hill and to the neighborhood tour in the Timber Ridge developments. We also crossed the jersey barriers on Farrugut Rd to continue, again, on new and wider pavement to the intersection across from Food Lion. Then on past my house (up the southbound side of 210) and back to the Firehouse. A nice change of pace, but some missed the downhill on Marshall Hall road. But, we still have Barrys Hill in which going downhill is an exercise in maneuvering!

Friendship Landing, Holly Springs & Smith Point (CC, 48)

Stephen Palincsar — Sun, 07 May 2023 13:30:00 GMT

Leader: Steve Palincsar

Members: Joan Oppel

Guests: none

Route: https://ridewithgps.com/routes/42804088 47.6 mi, 1989' elevation gain.

Weather: Overcast and 59 at the start, partially clearing as the morning wore on and eventually rising to 73 degrees.

AMS: 12.8

Mechanicals/Mishaps: none

Report: I'd originally posted a 48 mile ride in Frederick County, but with a weather forecast of a 50% chance of rain in the second half of the ride and a forecast of no rain in Nanjemoy until 5 pm, a change seemed wise. It was just Joan and me today, joined for a few miles by Alan Kurzweil who was riding a longer variation based on our route. Nanjemoy is a great place to ride, and today was no exception.

Laurel Grove & Newtowne Neck (CC, 52)

Stephen Palincsar — Sat, 06 May 2023 14:00:00 GMT

On the Beach at Newtowne Neck State Park

Photo Op With Tractor, Dr Johnson Rd

Leader: Steve Palincsar

Members: Lou Dall'Orso, Harold Datz, Rita Z, Joan Oppel, Ellen Goodwin, Patricia Sanders, Tracie C, Sonja Newman, Janet Shipko and Walt Roscello

Guests: none

Route: https://ridewithgps.com/routes/38571587 51.3 mi recorded by Garmin, 51.9 according to RWGPS (I wonder where the 0.6 went) with 1531' elevation gain and max grade of 9.3% on Society Hill.

Weather: In a word, glorious. Sunny, 65 at the start rising to 75 and breezy with at least 10 mph winds.

AMS: 13.3

Mechanicals/Mishaps: None

Report: A marvelous day for a bike ride. Sun, breezy, warm(ish) with bright blue skies and clear air in which everything sparkled and gleamed. We started out together on the Three Notch Trail heading towards Baggett Park and somehow we managed to lose Lou when we turned on Laurel Grove to head towards the Mennonite area.

Besides the woods, the fields and Mennonite farmers plowing with teams of horses the area along Bishop, Friendship School and Maypole offer three challenging crossings of Burnt Mill Creek and Miski Run, each dropping down 75' and rising right back up again in 0.2 mi at 7-10% grades.

Maypole takes you down to MD-5. Across it becomes Newtowne Neck. We stopped for a break at the Dash-In, then continued south on Newtowne Neck, turning on Bull Rd and Society Hill to drop down to Breton Bay. After a short tour along the shore we climbed back up and continued on to Newtowne Neck State Park.

Purchased by the State of Maryland in 2009, the land that now comprises Newtowne Neck State Park was owned for centuries by the Maryland Province of the Society of Jesus, popularly known as the Roman Catholic Jesuit Order. It sits on a peninsula that is surrounded by Breton Bay, St. Clements Bay, and the Potomac River.

After riding 0.4 on a well graded gravel access road -- without potholes, but paved with a fairly coarse grade of gravel, making for a pretty bumpy ride -- we were ready for a break. The park is no longer as deserted and unknown as it was back when it was first opened, so several in the group decided to stay with the bikes while the rest went down to the beach.

Unlike our visit last year, this time we didn't linger at the historic Catholic church or the old cemetery, but kept right on going. After turning left on Bayside, we explored the St Clements Shore community along Lady Baltimore Avenue and visited the Community Park. The park has playground equipment, two ball fields and a portolet.

We continued on Bayside, fields stretching down to St Clements Bay on the left and woods on the right until we came to Big Chestnut Rd. Making a right turn we immediately climbed 100' and emerged from the trees onto a flat plateau with plowed fields on all sides, almost like climbing up a terrace. The road eventually leads into Budds Creek Rd.

Making the turn we rode past more farmland, then turned onto Pincushion, took it to Sunnyside, turned on Colton Point Rd past Chopticon High School and turned on Dr Johson Rd.

After the obligatory photo op at the farm tractor up on blocks we continued on to Chaptico Rd and MD-5. Skipping the stop at Hill's Store we took what is probably the most scenic section on Rt 5 past farms and barns to the Three Notch Trail and returned to Mechanicsville Elementary School.

This is a very scenic and varied route, and we typically only come here once or twice a year. Although this year we didn't see young Mennonite men on bicycles towing trailers loaded with kayaks climbing Maypole Rd as we did last year, we did have the fun of introducing several members who had never been down here to the area.

Friday ALL class IHRT ~20 miles

Ron Altemus — Fri, 05 May 2023 14:00:00 GMT

Leader: Ron Altemus

Members: Randy Schoch, Belinda Acre, Susan Altemus, Fran Jezisek, jackie Schoch; not pictured - Leesha Saunders (riding to Indian Head Trailhead and back)

Route:   the usual Indian Head Rail Trail ride - Livingston Road parking lot to White Plains trailhead and return

Weather: great day for bicycling. Very blue skies with brilliant sunshine and some puffy white clouds; temps starting in the low 60s, climbing to the mid 60s by ride's end; 5-6 mph breezes out of the NW.

AMS:   varied by rider

Mechanicals/Mishaps:   none

Report:   the cooler than normal temps for the first part of May must have caused some riders to resume hibernating, but as mentioned above, it was a glorious day. The combination of blue sky, pure white clouds, and exceptional strong shades of spring green made for a visual feast to the eyes.

We weren't much of a cohesive group today, some of us riding solo, others in pairs, with fraternizing at White Plains. Not a large number of other trails users while wildlife sightings reported included abundant turtles sunning themselves in all of the various ponds and birds represented by a great blue heron, cardinals, a blue jay, red winged blackbirds, and numerous others only heard, not seen.

Of interest - at the small shelter midway between Pomfret and Bensville, a set of car keys were found. We left them on the side of the trail, hoping that the owner would retrace their route and discover them there. Jackie came upon the person who had lost the keys and told them where they were on the trail. However, while at White Plains, another rider showed up, asking us if we had lost our keys. He had picked them up off the trail! We took the keys from him and made a dash back to the shelter in hopes of finding the owner, checking the Middletown parking lot enroute to see if the owner was waiting at their car. Unfortunately, we couldn't locate the owner on the trail nor at the Bensville Park parking lot. A call was made to the Charles County Sheriffs department and a deputy arrived to collect the keys with the hope of returning them to the rightful owner.

Magruders Landing & Jug Bay (CC, 37)

Stephen Palincsar — Thu, 04 May 2023 14:00:00 GMT

Leader: Steve Palincsar

Members: Lou Dall'Orso, Lois Lightfoot, Joan Oppel, Anonymous User, Randy and Jackie Schoch, Donaro Gardner, Janet Shipko and Patricia Sanders

Guests: none

Route: https://ridewithgps.com/routes/42445289 36.8 mi, 2323' climbing

Weather: 53 when we started, rising to a very chilly-feeling 63 thanks to mostly cloudy skies -- some silver-bellied clouds, many dark gray with occasional strips of blue sky in between the ranks of clouds -- and a brisk north wind (well, north except for when we were riding south on Croom near the end, when it changed directions in accordance with the First Law of Bicycle Thermodynamics, which says It's Always a Headwind).

AMS: 12.6

Mechanicals/Mishaps: None

Report: Another overcast, chilly-feeling, windy day today, as it was yesterday and the day before and the day before that. Not a problem: we haven't put the winter clothes away yet, and by winter standards the weather was just fine. Yes balaclavas and ear coverings, for some even past the first rest stop, but no booties and lobster mitts. Towards the end of the ride I even unzipped my windbreaker a few centimeters!

In our group were a couple of riders, Janet Shipko and Lois Lightfoot, who were new to the Brandywine area. They remarked on the quiet, traffic-free roads (Croom excepted, of course) and the rural scenery, which was lovely today. If rolling green fields filled with buttercups with barns in the distance are your thing, St Thomas Church was the place to be.

Randy and Jackie were there on their e-assist recumbent trikes, growing increasingly confident riding them on the roads as well as on the Indian Head Rail Trail. And of course, out in front, riding at their own pace and adding bonus miles were Lou and Anonymous User. In fact, Lou rode to the ride start, making the ride close to 100km for the day.

But the big story today was the wind: strong, gusty and seemingly always in our faces. It wasn't exactly uncomfortable although it did feel colder, but it certainly made the going harder and noticeably decreased e-bike battery range.

Our route gave us a chance to preview many of the roads that will be on the Rural Legacy ride on June 10. There will be routes ranging from 22 to 65 miles, with supported rest stops. You can find out more about the Rural Legacy here: https://ohbike1.wildapricot.org/event-5125992

Thursday Tour de Accokeek

Janell Saunders — Thu, 27 Apr 2023 21:30:00 GMT

Leader: Janell Saunders

Members: None

Weather: A bit overcast but thoroughly comfortable

Report: No takers for tonights ride so I did my reverse version again. However, I skipped the Accokeek tour part and went down Old Marshall Hall to see the giant pigs napping in their wallow. At Moyaone, the cows were grazing and cast curious glances at me. Back and down Barrys Hill and down to the boat ramp. Marshall Hall road is being repaved with silky smooth blacktop and when you're on it, it feels like buttah. But still some work to do where the pavements is milled. A short break at the water to take it in and back up Marshall Hall road. After the uphill, a turn right into the Timber Ridge neighborhood to recover on more smooth roads and I found a way to bypass the rest of Marshall Hall road by turning up Farragut, through the jersey barriers and onward. It takes you past more new housing and out to the intersection at the Food Lion/Weis store. I headed home from there with 18 miles.

Mount Calvert & Patuxent River Park (CC,35)

Stephen Palincsar — Thu, 27 Apr 2023 14:00:00 GMT

At Mount Calvert Manor

Leader: Steve Palincsar

Members: Donaro Gardner, Joan Oppel, Patricia Sanders, Tracie C, Janet Shipko

Guests: none

Route: https://ridewithgps.com/routes/30824046 According to my Garmin, we covered 34.8 mi with 1747' of climbing.

Weather: Sunny, breezy, 60 at the start rising to 70 - 72 by early afternoon. A thoroughly lovely spring day, with unusually good visibility.

AMS: 12.8

Mechanicals/Mishaps: None

Report: Before we left North Keys Park we made plans if we were chased by the notorious dog on Mount Calvert Road. We'd ride in a tight group, forming up on Mt Calvert Rd before entering his territory. If he came out, Joan would call Animal Control and stay on the scene until they arrived. Tracie would film the dog. She and Donaro were armed with pepper spray, while I would use my pump as a club if needed.

On the way down Martin we noted that the patching I had reported on the last time we came this way was free of holes, but wasn't very smooth. A road mending crew was patching a section at the start of the hill as we rode by. Candy Hill to Croom was uneventful, and we were a little sad there wre no friendly animals in view on Mattaponi, unlike our last visit here.

We regrouped as per plan on Mount Calvert, and slowly our convoy entered the danger zone on high alert. No dog to be seen. We were both glad and sad: no one wanted the confrontation, but with the Rural Legacy ride only weeks away the potential problem remains unsolved.

At Mount Calvert we saw a boat filled with what appeared to be tourists out on the Patuxent sailing past the remnants of the Chesapeake Beach Railway trestle, easily seen today because the air was so clear and free of haze.

We stopped on the way back at McClure Rd and read the now badly faded historical marker, almost as forgotten as the town it commemorates.

CHARLES TOWN

Near this place the first courthouse in Prince George's County was erected in 1698, which served as the center of county government until 1721, when the county seat was moved to Upper Marlborough. The village of Charles Town was built on a tract of land called "Mount Calvert Manor" granted in 1658 to Philip Calvert, 5th Governor of Maryland. Of the original village only the manor house Mount Calvert remains.

This marker erected by Gov. William Smallwood Chapter, United States Daughters of 1812 October 1972.

The trip down Duvall and Croom Airport to the Patuxent River Park Pavilion was a thrilling roller coaster as always. We ate lunch at the Pavilion and made clothing adjustments, then climbed up Croom Airport to Croom. Taking Duley Station to Cheltenham and Old Indian we turned onto Van Brady and rode down to Molly Berry.

On the way up North Keys we turned onto Cross Road Trail. There are some thrilling descents and challenging climbs in the nearly three miles to Cherry Tree Crossing, and this was the first time on it for several in the group. Today everyone enjoyed it.

Cherry Tree Crossing took us to Old Indian and it occurred to me, back when we used to start the Brandywine rides at the firehouse we used to come this way very often: stay straight on Tower when Old Indian turns left and you're at the old firehouse; but it seemed to me that it has been a very long time -- since before the pandemic -- since I've seen Old Indian from this vantage point.

When we arrived at North Keys Park everyone was very happy with how the day had been and with the route. The riding in the Brandywine area really is lovely. We're here most Thursday mornings; the starting time and place are the same, but we vary the routes so as to see as much of the PG County Rural Tier as we can. We'd be delighted to have you join us.

Start the Season Right CC/B Ride 41 miles

Ellen Goodwin — Sun, 23 Apr 2023 22:55:58 GMT

Members : Linda Bankerd, Lynn Schoenfelder,, Catherine Ade, Reid Detchon, Sheila Harron, Jessica Hirschhorn, Lynda Honberg, Victoria Hutter, Harry Kidd, Rob Klein, William Loewe, Cathy Miller, Edward Miller, Catherine Nelson, Stephen Palincsar, Steffanie Riess, Janet Shipko, Bernard Steward

Leaders: Ellen Goodwin (CC), Walt Roscello (B)

Report: At the start of the ride, we decided to start the Bs together with the CCs because there were only a small handful of B riders. So Walt lead the B paced riders and Ellen stayed in the rear of the CC riders. This was a glorious ride and it was a perfect way to start the season. The group quickly split up into a few faster groups and a slower group. The riders regrouped at Goose Bay for a leisurely rest and snacks. As others reported, we had a downed tree on mile 4 across the Indian Head bike trail which we had to climb over cyclocross style. Steve and two other riders modified the route to add some miles, but were able to intersect with the other riders at Goose Bay. It was a lovely, lovely ride.

Mechanicals or Problems: None other than a downed tree on the Indian Head Trail

"Start the Season Right" Trail ride - 27 miles

Ron Altemus — Sun, 23 Apr 2023 13:30:00 GMT

Leader:   Ron Altemus

Members:   Jackie Schoch, Diana Donahue, Oswald Martin, guest Cecilia Lorenzo, Gil Dutchover, Randy Schoch, Susan Altemus, Belinda Acre, Dan Donahue

Route:   Indian Head Rail Trail, starting at the Village Green riding east to the White Plains trailhead, and after a pleasant rest stop, retracing back. 27 miles total.

Weather:   temps starting in the mid 50s, rising to the low 60s with plenty of sunshine and air movement out of the western quadrant.

AMS:   as usual with most trail rides, varied by individual.

Mechanicals/Mishaps:   none

Report:   just another most excellent day on the IHRT. Jackie and Randy were supposed to lead a 25 mile C road ride but the only rider that showed up opted for the IHRT. Since they were somewhat ailing due to pollen, they decided the gentle elevation gain of the IHRT wouldn't further aggravate their conditions.

Our guest Cecilia had never ridden the IHRT and she loved it. She commented repeatedly about what a great trail it was, how relaxing to ride, and thoroughly enjoyed it.

Saturday night's storms brought down a sole tree on the trail, after Livingston Road and before mile marker 4. Being a Sunday, the Parks crew weren't on call to quickly remove it. We formed a "trike brigade," both outbound/inbound to help get everyone's steed of choice over the obstruction. A big "Thank You" to Oswald and Gil who patiently waited both ways for everyone to come along so they could provide assistance.

Start The Season 2023

Sherwood — Sun, 23 Apr 2023 13:30:00 GMT

On this bright and sunny Sunday morning 2 Class "A" (Sherwood Byers, Sr.,Ride Leader) and Lou Dallorso and 3 Class "B" (Sue Gunter, Liam Healy, and Linda Bankerd) riders who left their registered group to ride 54 miles.

The ride started on time taking a moment for a group photo. Once on the IHRT, Indian Head Rail Trail, the Charles County premier bike and pedestrian trail. a slight mechanical was reported (Power Meter) not connected (LOL). After this brief disruption, I had to play catch up, only to arrive at another disruption (Fallen Tree) blocking the trail and having to carry our bikes and helping others get their bikes through the branches to gain access to the other side. Again I found myself having to play catch up. For a moment the thought was beginning to cross my mind that this was going to be a long day. The disruptions did subside and the ride continued without anymore distractions.

It was more of a social pace and I decided to lead from the middle so to keep an eye on all in my group. All met at the rest stop (Goose Bay Marina) where some changes were made (Riders moving to different groups). At that time all who remained in the group and those who joined the group wanted to maintain a social brisk pace.

No other rest stops were taken and continued to the ride start. I was pleased to find Bicknell Road was repaved and very smooth, only to be routed onto Sweetman where it had not been repaved, but that's cycling.

All in All, this was a nice Sunday ride.

Thank you to all who joined this group for a great Sunday morning club event.

Start the Season Right Overview

Stephen Palincsar — Sun, 23 Apr 2023 13:30:00 GMT

44 riders registered; 34 were checked in. Of the 34, 3 were non-members.

Here are the riders grouped by the rides they registered for. Ride leaders are identified with a *.

A riders
Sherwood Byers*
Luis Dall'Orso
Karen Hass

B and CC riders

B riders
Linda Bankerd
Sue D Gunter
Lynn Schoenfelder

CC riders
Catherine Ade
Reid Detchon
Ellen Goodwin*
Sheila Harron
Jessica Hirschhorn
Lynda Honberg
Victoria Hutter
Harry Kidd
Rob Klein
William Loewe
Cathy Miller
Edward Miller
Catherine Nelson
Stephen Palincsar
Steffanie Riess
Walt Roscello
Janet Shipko
Bernard Steward

C riders
Cecilia Lorenzo
Jackie Schoch
Randy Schoch*

IHRT Trail Riders
Belinda Acre
Ron Altemus*
Susan Altemus
Dan Donahue
Diana Donahue
Gilbert Dutchover
Oswald Martin

At Indian Head and during the ride, a number of changes were made. As Sherwood points out in his ride report, several of the B riders rode with him on the 54 mile route; Ron Altemus notes that the entire C group joined his IHRT Trail ride. Also, two of the CC group, Catherine Ade and Janet Shipko, joined me on a revised 55 mile version of the 54 mile A route that added rest stops at Friendship Farm Park and Pisgah Park, riding together at a CC pace.

Special thanks go out to those who helped us over the fallen tree on the Indian Head Rail Trail. Lou Dall’Orso and Janell Saunders (who was out on a trail ride of her own and not actually part of the Start the Season Right ride) helped me and a number of other riders across: portaging an e-bike, even a relatively light one like mine, over the branches of a fallen tree isn’t any fun at all.

Friday IHRT ALL Class ride ~20 miles

Ron Altemus — Fri, 21 Apr 2023 14:00:00 GMT

Leader:   Belinda Acre

Members: Gene Villiva, Barry Green, Debbie Bowman, Dan Donahue, Belinda (not pictured - photog Dani Villiva)

Route:   Indian Head Rail Trail, Livingston Road parking lot east to White Plains trailhead and return

Weather:    a nice summer day! Plenty of sunshine w/temps rising from the upper 60s to the low 80s. Weather was quite decent--if you were moving.

AMS:   varied by rider

Mechanicals/Mishaps:   none

Report:   both sets of the regular Friday leaders were ill so Belinda graciously answered the call to lead for the day. She reports the following items of interest and wildlife sightings:    "Gene and I did spot a head in the eagles' nest on the way out. And we saw a turkey (not in the eagle's nest). Fish in the stream that flows under the small bridge at the eagle's nest. At least three kayaks in the Bumpy Oak pond. And that goose continues to sit by the side of the trail at the pond. It is suspected that there may be a nest in the area. Turtles were scarce."

Dr Mudd, Gallant Green & Covington (CC,36)

Stephen Palincsar — Thu, 20 Apr 2023 14:00:00 GMT

Rest stop at the Moreland Market

Leader: Steve Palincsar

Members: Patricia Sanders, Janet Shipko, Lynn Schoenfelder, Walt Roscello, Donaro Gardner, Oswald Martin

Route: https://ridewithgps.com/routes/40319578 36.3 mi, 1108' elevation gain.

Weather: An absolutely lovely day: sunny, 65 at the start, around 80 when we finished. It was breezy enough to make it feel cool even out in the sun without cover, enough to be really felt while riding into it, but not enough to rise to the level of complaint. Call it 10 mph, understanding that all the forecasting services have their own figures, each different.

AMS: 14.1

Mechanicals/Mishaps: none

Report: A flat ride for the Brandywine area. We made our way to Cedarville, St Peters Church and Poplar Hill to Dr Mudd Rd, passing the Mudd House (learning in passing that Dr Mudd was not well known in today's group) en route to a rest stop at the Moreland Market. It had been chilly when we set out, but at Moreland the gloves, vests and arm warmers came off as the temperature went past 70.

Gallant Green brought us to Truman Manor and Celestial (and the steepest hill of the day, at 7%) and we made our way on Wilkerson to Woodville and Dr Bowen and a lunch stop at Hardesty Haven Cafe, where we sat at the tables in the shade and said hello to Alan Kurzweil, out on his own 40-something ride. (Four stars to the portolet at Hardesty Haven)

A few miles on Aquasco Rd (not so bad today with the sun not too intense yet and a gentle breeze to help cool us) brought us to Croom / Covington. Covington has been resurfaced, matching the earlier work on Croom, and it's all smooth pavement now to the Five Points. Once you turn on Horsehead, say goodbye to smooth pavement: it's cracks and bumps all the way to Aquasco.

Some in the group were tiring by the time we reached Baden, but the thought of North Keys Park just a few miles ahead seemed to have invigorated the tiring, and they quickly passed out of our sight at the back of the ride.

Fast times on flat roads - one reason why rides to Dr Mudd and Gallant Green are such perennial favorites. It certainly wasn't all flat, not with Truman Manor, Celestial and Croom/Covington on the bill of fare, but flat compared to the usual Brandywine routes seemed to be just what people wanted today.

Fast times, flat roads and fabulous weather: an unbeatable combination. Let's hope the fabulous weather continues, but don't count on the flat roads. We ration those out.

Loopy Smallwoods & Pisgahs

Joan Oppel — Tue, 18 Apr 2023 13:30:00 GMT

Leader: Joan Oppel

Members: Harry Kidd, Linda Blackman, Chantal Briere, Bob Thompson, Steve Palincsar, Patricia Sanders, Rita Zeidner, Harold Datz

Guests: None

Route: https://ridewithgps.com/routes/42281578

Weather: Breezy and about 59 at ride start, 70 at the end. Lots of sun - and wind.

Mechanicals/Mishaps: None

Report: Another beautiful day for a ride, a fun route that visits some favorite roads. By starting at Bryans Road Shopping Center, we got to return on Chapman's Landing. It felt cool at the start and about half the riders had leg coverings while the other half sported shorts. The wind offered some brief stiff gusts, but also some tailwinds. The ride included a quick stop at the Mattawoman Creek launch in Smallwood Park and a full rest stop at Pisgah Park. One rider missed a turn and eventually retraced to the start.

Deale, Rose Haven & Chesapeake Beach (CC, 51)

Stephen Palincsar — Sun, 16 Apr 2023 14:00:00 GMT

Leader: Steve Palincsar

Members: Alan Kurzweil, Lynn Schoenfeld, Linda Bankerd, Janet Shipko, Catherine Ade and Anonymous User. At Deale we met Sue Henn, who saw us riding by her house and joined us for a bit on the roads around Deale.

Guests: none

Route: https://ridewithgps.com/routes/42535155 51 miles, 2230' elevation gain.

Weather: A lovely summery day, 70 at the start and about 82 at the finish, but thanks to shade, cloud cover and a nice breeze, especially along the Chesapeake Bay at Rose Haven and North Beach, it never felt oppressively warm. It even felt distinctly cool, almost on the verge of chilly, along the Bay, perhaps one reason why historically the Chesapeake Bay has been a summer haven for Washingtonians.

AMS: 13.6

Mechanicals/Mishaps: Anonymous User had a flat at the rest stop in Deale, a puncture caused by a small (about 1cm) piece of metal rod about the thickness of a coat hanger. Fortunately, Anon. is a very skilled bike mechanic, and solved the problem with little fuss.

Report: What a fantastic day! The ride quickly sorted itself out into a fast group featuring the Usual Suspects: Alan, Anonymous User and Linda, and the touring group of Janet, Lynn, Catherine and me. This time we took the Rt 4 Service Road, Plummer, Pindell and Upper Pindell to Southern Maryland Blvd back to Wrighton and MD-258 over Rt 4.

The touring group took a bio break at Lothian (I didn't cue it this time, but really, who needs a cue for this) then continued on Greenock and Brooks Woods, up 2 to Old Ridge Path Ln and Nutwell, then down Nutwell Sudley to Bay Front, around the roundabout and into Highs, where we linked up with Sue and the Usuals.

After the rest stop we toured the back streets of Masons Beach, enjoying seeing the 1920s cottages along the Bay while we gradually warmed up for the heavy work, climbing Deale and going left on Franklin Gibson (and watch that left turn, the sightlines are crap and there's fast traffic coming at you). Once you cross Trott's Branch it's a tough climb, the toughest of the day, up Franklin Gibson, but the payoff is a delightful descent past Tocaro Farm on Leitch.

Turning onto Town Point and Fairhaven we passed the bay and climbed up to Friendship, then descended to Rose Haven, where we once again joined the Usual Suspects at the Chesapeake Market where we had lunch.

We lost the Usuals after Rose Haven when we stopped in North Beach at The Bakist, formerly known as Sweet Sue's (new owner, things look much the same but the brownies are definitely better-tasting) then proceeded through Chesapeake Beach to the Chesapeake Railway Trail (skipping the scenic out and back to the railway trestle) through the neighborhood, down Harrison Blvd and up 260 to Boyds Turn back to Friendship.

There had been some talk back at Rose Haven of skipping mile and a half out-and-back on Old Solomons Island Rd to the rest stop at the Dash In, and perhaps the Usuals might have skipped it, but the touring group didn't.

I was down to the last 29% on my battery at Dash In so I swapped in my spare battery and continued on the final 10 mile stretch refreshed and recharged. Janet and Lynn left the Dash In as I was removing my drive pack and exchanging batteries, but Catherine and I chased up Old Solomons, catching a break in the traffic at the roundabout on Rt 2, and we caught up as we turned onto Wilson.

Wilson is a treat for momentum riders: you can really fly down the 75' descent -- just watch out for the bump crossing the bridge! -- and it's an easy 5% grade on the 80' back up, your momentum taking you halfway up before you really have to work for it.

A short stretch on Jewell to the left turn onto McKendree (watch out for oncoming traffic) and a delightful roller coaster, ever so much better in this direction than the usual way, to Bay Front.

The long gradual climbs on Bay Front are often dispiriting and tedious -- you're so close to the end, why does it feel so slow? -- but today I was chasing Catherine, and with a full charge in my battery and Rocket Mode just a touch away on the controller, Bay Front flew by. The final roller coaster on Southern Maryland Boulevard was over all too soon, a happy end to a wonderful day of riding.

Friday Indian Head 20 mile All Class

Randall Schoch — Fri, 14 Apr 2023 14:00:00 GMT

Leaders - Jackie & Randy Schoch

Members (l-r)- Belinda Acre, Randy, Gene Villiva, Sue Henn, Fran Jezisek, Leesha Saunders, Susan Altemus, Norm Lisy, Oswald Martin, and guest Mimi Murphy. Photog - Ron Altemus

Route - IHRT

Weather - Perfect, sunny, 80's with very light breeze.

AMS - Varied per/rider.

Mechanicals/Mishaps - None

Report - A good turnout of our regular Friday riders. It was a beautiful spring day and couldn't be better for cycling. Lots of people and dogs on the trail today. Jackie saw a baby snapping turtle trying to cross the trail so she stopped to help it across the trail so it could safely make the other side of the trail. Jackie also spotted a mother goose sitting on her nest atop the beaver's hut at the Bumpy Oak Pond. We also saw James (the trail marshal) and Jules (trail maintainer). At the White Plains rest stop, we visited with Dan Donahue and John Riconda. Bob Moye was riding the trail today. After our return ride to the parking lot, Sue, Jackie, and I went to the Lunch Box in Bryan's Road for a bite to eat. A great day and a great ride.

Magruders Landing & Jug Bay (CC,37)

Stephen Palincsar — Thu, 13 Apr 2023 14:00:00 GMT

Jug Bay, Mount Calvert visible at left. View from the observation tower.

Leader: Steve Palincsar

Members: Anonymous User

Guests: none

Route: https://ridewithgps.com/routes/42445289 37 miles, 2315' elevation gain (but according to my Garmin, we seem to have lost 0.3 mi and over 100' of climbing, no idea where they went)

Weather: Sunny, , 10 mph breeze, 70 at the start rising to just under 90 by the time we were done. For now, Spring has had its day and Summer's come to town, even brought its own theme music.

AMS: 12.9

Mechanicals/Mishaps: None.

Report: A lovely morning in the parking lot, just Anon. and me (either everyone was scared away by the weather -- too much pleasantness is bad for the health, they say -- or they're busy doing their 1040s). As we set out down Martin we found a road mending crew repaving that spot on the first big downhill with all the potholes -- well, not any more, when you hit that spot, just let 'er roll and here comes 40.

At the Magruders stop we walked down to the boat launch and took pictures of the Patuxent.

The Croom Rollers were exciting and delightful today, a whole other world from the last time Anon. came this way during the Winter, with gusty side winds on the Rollers between Magruders Landing and Tanyard trying to push us off the road. Today, allons-y. I think Anon. hit 38 crossing Spice Creek.

Turning on Fenno, we passed the entrance to Merkle (even watching the GPS the urge to turn was very strong) and continued zooming down through the woods, crossing the two bridges and then climbing that first step on St Thomas Church -- only a hundred foot climb and an 8% grade, but for some reason it feel so much harder than the climb out of Magruders, and that's a 12.5% grade -- passing pastures with horses and in one, a donkey, then came to the stop sign at Croom and found another road mending crew, resurfacing Croom Rd.

They were "single-tracking" on Croom and we had a nice long wait while a line of dozens of cars passed, then got as far as Moore's Store where we stopped again and rehydrated and filled bottles, then waited again until the flagger let us go.

We no sooner arrived at the Jug Bay Visitors Center when a busload of tourists came in behind us. Anon. and I went up the elevator to the top of the observation platform (a few exciting bouncy movements as we slowly edged our way up and then back down, but it works just as the instructions said it would, and as Anon. said, they must check the elevator to make sure it keeps working and it's safe, right?

As we were climbing back up Park Entrance Rd and Croom Airport I debated detouring around the road work on Duley Station but when the flagger let us go onto Croom he told us to ride on the freshly repaved side, perhaps the first wheels to touch this new pavement.

It was a great ride with lots of beautiful scenery, a few semi-tough climbs and some thrilling downhills and the sort of wonderful wide-ranging conversation that used to make late nights in the college dorm so special: choice of colleges, handlebars, student loans, auto-tune, the Brandenburg Concerto No. 5 and the culture of Machismo; even Tristram Shandy, Bletchley Park and soccer.

Sometimes the perfect ride is all about the terrain and the weather; sometimes it's about the bike; and sometimes, like today, it's about friends getting together, just riding along (JRA) and enjoying the day. Today, even waiting for the flaggers was fun.

Tour de Accokeek

Janell Saunders — Wed, 12 Apr 2023 21:30:00 GMT

Leader: Janell Saunders

Members: Sherwood Byers

Weather: A very warm 80ish afternoon

Report: Since it was just Sherwood and I, I talked him into a modified reverse route. We did the first half as usual through the neighborhood of Accokeek, but turned right on Livingston to head to Farmington and Old Marshall Hall road. We continued past Barrys Hill to see the giant porkers at the farm, then on down to turn around at Moyane Reserve. Then back to and down Barrys Hill (dodging potholes), and a right to the boat ramp. Folks were out enjoying the weather and jetskis. We headed back up Marshall Hall road and after the hill, turned right on Tree View Dr into the new neighborhoods that have sprouted in the past couple years. We wound our way around enjoying the very smooth roads and quiet streets. We made our way to the adjoining neighborhood, finally emerging back on Marshall Hall Rd from Cannon Park Road. We turned left past the Food Lion and traversed the shoulder on 210S (going north) to my neighborhood where I dropped off and Sherwood continued back to the firestation lot. We had about 21 miles for that ride. A very nice ride on some previously untravelled roads.

Smallwood Church, Durham Church & Goose Bay (CC, 39)

Stephen Palincsar — Tue, 11 Apr 2023 14:00:00 GMT

The group at Smallwood Park

Leader: Steve Palincsar

Members: Lou Dall'Orso, Alan Kurzweil, Tracie C, Joan Oppel and Sam Perry

Guests: none

Route: https://ridewithgps.com/routes/41885270 39 miles, 1677' elevation gain

Weather: A spectacularly beautiful day. When summer comes crashing down later this week, this will be the day you will remember and miss. 66 degrees at the start rising to 80, it says, although it never felt quite that warm because of the 9-11 mph breeze. Clear blue skies, not humid, just a few clouds - simply delightful.

AMS: 12.6, except of course for the Boys in Front, who managed to do around 44 miles and still showed up at the rest stops almost at the same time as everyone else, left the rest stops with everyone else, and always made us feel as though we were all on the ride together.

Mechanicals/Mishaps: None.

Report: There's not much left to say because I've about run out of superlatives. The store at Goose Bay is open and the old familiar rest room is still under construction. Smallwood Church is fun no matter which direction you ride it in, and going down Durham Church continues to thrill and inspire. We had two rest stops, Smallwood Park at mile 10 and Goose Bay at mile 25, with an optional stop at Pisgah that we skipped, taking Stuckey Lane and Stuckey Rd to bypass the store.

Hains Point to Lake Artemesia

Jessica Hirschhorn — Sun, 09 Apr 2023 21:26:01 GMT

What a glorious day for an Easter/Passover/Ramadan or, in my case, Whatever Celebration!

Riders: Jessica Hirschhorn, Linda Blackman, Marc. Blackman, & Kathy King

Weather sunny, low wind, temp 50-60. Just lovely.

We started out at Hains Point, and proceeded passing The Wharf, Audi Stadium and Nats Stadium before crossing the stunning new Frederick Douglass Bridge. This leads right to the Anacostia River Trail which we followed up to Lake Artemesia, with a stop to see the early awakening of Kenilworth Aquatic Gardens. We had a nice rest stop by Lake Artemesia, then headed back. We loved the Douglass Bridge so much we decided to re-trace to get it from another angle.

The only snafu were the HORDES of folks at The Wharf and near the Tidal Basin, forcing us to essentially walk our bikes for the few final blocks.

34.75 miles

Average speed 10.9 MPH.

Chicamuxen, Mallows Bay & Friendship Farm (CC, 38)

Stephen Palincsar — Sun, 09 Apr 2023 14:30:00 GMT

Riding on Riverside Rd

Leader: Steve Palincsar

Members: Catherine Ade, Harry Kidd, Alan Kurzweil

Guests: none

Route: https://ridewithgps.com/routes/42430719 38 mi, 1732' elevation gain (according to my Garmin)

Weather: A gorgeous day. Sunny, with not a cloud in the sky. High 40s/low 50s at the start rising to around 62 by early afternoon, with a gentle breeze that was quite evident when we were riding directly into it and that kept temperatures feeling moderate. As soon as we stopped at the end, the tights and long sleeve jerseys had to come off quickly because without the breeze they sure felt hot.

Mallows Bay

Welcome to Nanjemoy!

AMS: 13.0

Mechanicals/Mishaps: none

Report: It was a beautiful morning for all but the one rider who woke up to find a nail in their car tire, forcing a cancellation.

Although the roads in Nanjemoy were mostly empty as usual, closer to Pisgah the traffic there was seemed to have a higher than normal number of obnoxious jerks keen on horn blowing, shouting insults and passing closely, often all at the same time. It's hard to understand, except perhaps, filled to overflowing with the spirit of Easter they just had to share the good news? (e.g., "Christ died for our sins, and now it's your turn.")

For the first leg of our trip we took Mason Springs to Smallwood Church, then Chicamuxen to Riverside and down the gravel road to a rest stop at Mallows Bay. After the break we took Riverside to Liverpool Point and made a quick stop at the Nanjemoy Country Store, where Catherine rid her bottles of the pond life she discovered growing in the water there and refilled with fresh. We went on to Adams Willet and Hancock Run, then took 6 back to Ironsides and a second stop at Friendship Farm Park.

Backtracking on Friendship Landing we turned on Ironsides, dropping 100 feet over half a mile, then crossing the bridge and climbing back 110' (max grade just over 9%) to Durham Church. We regrouped there, then went down Durham Church Rd to MD-6, heading east to Annapolis Woods, where we left Alan who continued on to Poorhouse for eight bonus miles.

I had considered riding to Pisgah Park before the ride start to get some additional miles, but thought better of the idea. But when we got to Stuckey Lane the urge to add miles was irresistible and Catherine and I took Stuckey Lane to Stuckey Rd and Mason Springs to Pisgah Marbury, returning on Bicknell to Pisgah before ending at the Park, adding five additional miles.

Photos by Harry Kidd

Colton Point & Chaptico (CC, 46)

Stephen Palincsar — Sat, 08 Apr 2023 14:30:00 GMT

Photo Op at Paul Ellis Landing

Leader: Steve Palincsar

Members: Patricia Sanders, Janet Shipko

Guests: none

Route: https://ridewithgps.com/routes/41310557 46 mi, 1422' elevation

Weather: At the start it was mostly cloudy, becoming completely overcast / cloudy-bright by early afternoon. High 40s at the start, rising to perhaps the mid-50s but the northwest wind made it feel colder, especially when we were riding into it.

AMS: 12.8

Mechanicals/Mishaps: A dropped chain, quickly fixed.

Report: It was tough deciding what to wear today. At the ride start it felt colder than the forecast, so on with the winter clothing except for the heavy gloves. It warmed up a bit as we got to the rest stop at 7th District Park (mile 15, at noon) but by the time we made the turn onto Maddox Rd at mile 31 the layers shed at the first rest stop went back on.

We took the Three Notch Trail to Morganza Turner, continuing on Colton Point Rd to a stop at 7th District Park, then took Sugar Hole to Oakley to Avenue, MD, taking an out-and-back down Paul Ellis Rd to Paul Ellis Landing on Whites Neck Creek, where we stopped to take in the view.

We continued down to Colton Point with a brief jaunt down Charles Hall to Beach Rd, passing the Potomac River Museum in sight of St Clements Island, then headed back to Avenue and a rest stop at Murphy's Town & Country store.

From there we continued on to Maddox Rd, taking a brief stop to put layers back on, then went up Bushwood to Hurry and hurried down to our final rest stop at the Chaptico store. Chaptico Rd to Baptist Church, then left on the Three Notch Trail and we were back at the school.

Although there was heavy traffic on the way down to St Marys County, traffic in the 7th District was mostly light, marred only by a coal-rolling pickup that smoked us on Chaptico Rd and a driver who decided to pass me on the left in spite of the double yellow, the flashing warning lights and my left turn signal exactly at the turn from Baptist Church onto the Three Notch Trail. Thanks for warning, Patricia!

And on the subject of warnings, the construction at Mechanicsville Elementary will be going on for the rest of the year. That low wall by the new water tank (or is it a missile silo?) might look like the perfect place to lean your bike while you're getting ready, but although it looks like firm dry sand that stuff at the base of the wall might well have been imported from Ukraine in the Rasputitsa. It's the consistency of modeling clay and it sticks to your tires and your shoes and it won't come off unless you scrape it off with a plastic knife.

CC Apple Blossom Ride Out of Boyce, Va.

Rita Zeidner — Sat, 08 Apr 2023 14:00:00 GMT

Hurray For a Really Fun Ride

Every once in a while multiple factors align to make a ride particularly enjoyable. This was one of those times.

Harold Datz, Ray Luckenbach, Len Wilkinson, David VanAmeyden and Steve Brown. Yes, those are apple blossoms in the background. These were white, but they also come in pink. Question: Do pink blossoms turn into red apples and white blossoms become, hmm, green apples?

Six enthusiastic riders (plus me, the ride leader) made the lengthy drive out to Boyce, despite what seemed to be less than ideal conditions. The forecast was for a cloudy and unseasonably cool day – in the low 50s. And I knew the blossoms needed at least another week to peak. I warned early signer-uppers of the conditions days in advance and polled them several times to see if people really planned to show up. Indeed several took their names off the list. But a good time was had by all who made the longer-than-usual trip out. Weather was pleasant, albeit a bit chilly at the start. There was little wind. And enough blossoms had popped to give folks a sense of what this uniquely beautiful section of the Shenandoah Valley is like in springtime. (It'll probably be better next week when the blossoms likely will peak.)

The gang in front of old-timie former gas station in White Post, Va.

One of the great things about this ride was that the group was, more or less, evenly matched. We mostly stuck together for the entire ride. (My ride description included my pace and made clear that this would not be a no-drop ride. I know some think this is uninclusive; but rides are rated for a reason.) We did have one fastie who dropped us after the first mile and was never seen again. And one rider arrived at the start about a half hour late. He caught up to us on Mile 43. (As punishment for his tardiness, I have not included him in the list of ride participants.)

This, BTW, was the most recent in a series of rides I’m leading that are a bit longer and hillier than the usual Oxon Hill fare. To find some hills, we usually head out to Virginia. Weather permitting, I plan to lead my last apple blossom ride of the season out of Berryville, Va. on April 16. Check the calendar for details.

P.S.: A special thanks to the folks who respected my request that they take their names off the ride sign-up sheet, or notify me, if/when they changed their minds and decided not to participate in the ride. No problem if you change your mind. But it's not fun for a ride leader to arrive and be surprised by an empty parking lot.

Ride leader: Rita Zeidner

Participants: (this was a ride jointly posted with OH and Potomac Pedalers): Steve Brown, Harold Datz, Ray Luckenbach, Lori Michaelson, David VanAmeyden and Len Wilkinson

Weather: low 50s and cloudy, but pleasant

Route stats: 49 miles with 2700 feet of climbing.

Pace: a bit over 12 mph

Mechanical: No issues, but RWGPS didn’t properly reflect the first turn and those who dared to ride in front of the ride leader missed the turn. Sorry, not sorry. (Actually, I am a little sorry.)

We were a little early for peach blossoms. They hadn't progressed much in the last 10 days.

Steve in front of the white post in White Post.

Lori dons an Easter bonnet and wishes she were in the Easter parade.

Friday IHRT ALL class ~20 miles

Ron Altemus — Fri, 07 Apr 2023 14:00:00 GMT

Leader:   Ron Altemus

Members:   Janet Shipko, Randy Schoch, Gene Villiva, Susan Altemus, Donaro Gardner

Route:   the Friday perennial - Indian Head Rail Trail from Livingston Road parking lot to White Plains trailhead and return.

Weather:   some light rain outbound, otherwise cloudy/overcast. Temps in the low 50s with not much in the way of wind

AMS:   varied by rider.

Mechanicals/Mishaps:   none noted nor reported

Report: awoke on Friday morning to rain predicted on the radio but the various online forecasts were all over the place. Some had it raining already while others gave only a slight chance of precip. An email was sent out saying the ride was on (full disclosure - your faithful correspondent and significant other were going on to Colonial Beach, so since it was on the way, why cancel!), and though some said they were cancelling, others said they wanted the miles.   At ride start, it wasn't raining but we did encounter a few stretches of very light rain, just enough to get one slightly damp and also get the trail wet enough to throw up rooster tails.

A storm must have hit in the Indian Head area on Thursday night (Don said it wasn't there during his 4/6 afternoon ride) as we came upon a fallen oak just past the 5 mile marker before Bumpy Oak Rd. Too big for us to move, so we called it in to Charles County Parks.

We saw a few walkers or joggers; the tandem couple that rides out of Indian Head were the only other cyclists on the trail. Small birds flitting about were the only signs of wildlife.

The rain, such as it was, stopped when we got to White Plains. Janet decided to ride the entire trail, moved at a faster rate of speed, and arrived back at Livingston Road just as the final riders were returning. Unsurprisingly, everyone was glad they rode and got "the miles."

Tour de Accokeek

Tim Murphy — Wed, 05 Apr 2023 21:30:00 GMT

Leader: Tim Murphy

Members: Matt S., Sheryl R.

Route: Tour de Accokeek

Weather: It doesn't get much better than this, although maybe a little hot for mid April as it was 80+ degrees outside.

AMS: 13.9mph

Mechanicals/Mishaps: None

Report: The first Tour de Accokeek of 2023. It was a great day for a bike ride. You should have been here. Holy Head Winds and some cross winds, and no tail winds - Murphy's Law. After the ride we went to B & J's for food and ice cream.

Chapel Point, Springhill Newtown & Quailwood (CC, 39)

Stephen Palincsar — Tue, 04 Apr 2023 14:00:00 GMT

Leader: Steve Palincsar

Members: Sonja Newman, Donaro Gardner, Anonymous User, Alan Kurzweil, Harry Kidd, Rita Zeidner, Harold Datz, Patricia Sanders, Joan Oppel, Jessica Hirschhorn and Lou Dall'Orso

Guests: none

Route: https://ridewithgps.com/routes/42388733 39 miles, 1482' elevation gain

Weather: A beautiful day: cloudless blue sky, gentle breeze, 65 degrees at the start rising to 82 by early afternoon.

AMS: All over the place: 13.7 in the middle, 14.6 near the front but behind Lou and Alan, probably in the high 12s at the end.

Mechanicals/Mishaps: No mechanicals, but a few missed turns including one that added a few miles.

Report: It was a beautiful day, but for me a very disappointing ride. Instead of a group, today we were a collection of individuals riding on their own, sometimes following their own route, out of sight and spread out over miles. As a result, several riders missed turns, in one case resulting in a miles-long detour all the way down Springhill Newtown and all the way back on Rt 6. It wasn't quite "Every man for himself and the Devil take the hindmost," but uncomfortably close. There were even complaints about the route. At least no one broke down and no one was injured, that's something.

Hume, Little Washington, Orlean (CC, 45)

Rita Zeidner — Mon, 03 Apr 2023 01:31:16 GMT

Leader: Rita Zeidner

Members: Harold Datz and Roscoe Williamson

Route: https://ridewithgps.com/routes/42374094

Pace: 11.2 mph

Another fabulous route in my ongoing series to get folks to (re)discover the world class riding that exists beyond PG, Calvert and Charles counties. These rides always go at a gentle, CC pace. This time we started in Hume, Va., about 50 miles west of Falls Church. The route was a loop, but had two optional out and backs. The first spur went to Little Washington, and then continues onto a quiet road where we tend to turn around when the gravel starts. The second is about 3 miles from the end, where we give the option of adding 6 miles round trip to visit the Orlean store.

Roscoe was a good sport and put up with me grilling him the night before to make sure he was up to the ride. ( I didn't know him and since he was the only signer-upper besides my Intrepid Husband, I thought it was important to make sure he had some experience with a ride this long and hilly (>3,200 feet of climbing) and with some pitches exceeding 10 percent.) I needn't have bothered. He has a shiny new Trek ebike and did fine. In fact, while he planned to keep his ride to about 30 miles by skipping the 10-mile out and back to Little Washington, we convinced him to hang with us and ride the longer route. We were glad he did and we hope he enjoyed it. Still getting used to his new bike and concerned about how his juice was holding up, he skipped the optional out and back to the Orlean Store. So he finished his day with about 40 miles and over 3,000 feet of climbing. Harold and I ended up with just over 45 miles.

We continue to be amazed at how absolutely gorgeous and quiet it is out there. If you're up for a challenge and interested in exploring some beautiful (and hilly) places, join us on our next ride. We've got one scheduled for April 8!

Harold and Roscoe outside the Inn at Little Washington. I hear it's about $450/night, so we opted not to stay there.

South Polling House, Galesville & Polling House (CC, 34)

Stephen Palincsar — Sun, 02 Apr 2023 14:00:00 GMT

West River at Galesville

Leader: Steve Palincsar

Members: Janet Shipko

Guests: none

Route: https://ridewithgps.com/routes/41526134

Weather: Crystal clear cloudless sky, brilliant sun and windy: around 15 mph at the start with gusts at least 10 mph more, steadily decreasing during the day as the temperature increased from the low 40s (feeling like the high 30s) to the mid-50s (that still felt at best around 50).

AMS: 12.0

Mechanicals/Mishaps: A dropped chain, quickly remedied.

Report: A beautiful, sunny day but moderately strong winds made for few cyclists. It was just Janet and me on our ride, and although on a weekend ride in this area you typically see several rides each six to a dozen or more strong, on this Sunday we saw only two small groups of four.

Still, although making it feel colder and making the riding a bit harder, the wind wasn't especially challenging today: nothing like the ride on Croom Rd earilier this year when sudden sharp gusts threated to push riders off the road, or one of several Eastern Shore century with scores of miles head on into an unrelenting, dispiriting headwind.

Although I've been on South Polling House quite a few times, never before on a Sunday morning. It's always been a quiet road with little traffic, but not today. Instead, there was a steady stream of traffic from Bayard heading to Polling House, seemingly all day long. I have no explanation. If this was the Sunday rush to Palm Sunday church services, it should have ended long before we passed South Polling House on the return from Galesville.

Cumberstone Road was lovely as always, and the lunch stop at Elizabeth Dixon Park in Galesville was a treat. The yacht club had a race of a sail training class in progress, and it was fun to watch as we had lunch on the water.

In all, a lovely ride.

Friday IndianHead 20 mile All Class

Randall Schoch — Fri, 31 Mar 2023 14:00:00 GMT

Leaders - Jackie and Randy Schoch

Members - Belinda Acre, Dani & Gene Villiva, Donaro Gardner, Ron & Susan Altemus, Fran Jeziswek, and Robin Garnett.

Guests - None

Weather - Clear, blue skies, sunny, but cool breeze.

AMS - Varied per/rider.

Mechanicals/Mishaps - None.

Report - We had a good turnout of our club riders but not many others using the trail today. The parking lots were not even half full. Not much wildlife except for geese and birds. We saw David and Jules (trail maintenance) on the job and there was a Park Ranger on Bumpy Oak Pond paddling around on a kayak. The breeze helped push us to the White Plains rest stop. Looks like the inside rest rooms are open for the season. We didn't want to get cold, so we didn't stay long at the rest stop. On the return trip, we were going against the cold breeze. After the ride, several of us went to St. James Epis. Church Hall in Indianhead for the Friday Lent fish dinner. It was great, as usual. See you next Friday.

River Airport, Merkle & Marlton (CC,38)

Stephen Palincsar — Thu, 30 Mar 2023 14:30:00 GMT

The group at the end of River Airport Road

Leader: Steve Palincsar

Members: Janet Shipko, Donaro Gardner, Jessica Hirschhorn, Harry Kidd, Joan Oppel

Guests: none

Route: https://ridewithgps.com/routes/8572742 38 mi, 1883' elevation gain per RWGPS (2177' recorded by my Garmin)

Weather: Sunny, clear blue skies, 39 at the start rising to 51 by the end of the ride, and breezy: 9 mph wind with gusts up to 16 mph -- a brisk but beautiful day, and perfect riding weather if you had the right clothing.

AMS: 11.7

Mechanicals/Mishaps: none

Report: After a small hiccup at the start when one of the riders realized they'd left their car unlocked with the keys in the car door -- we waited just past the turn onto Martin while they went back -- We took Martin to Molly Berry, over Nelson Perrie and left on Bald Eagle School to Croom, then went down River Airport to the end of pavement. This was the first time down River Airport this year, and probably only the second time since the Pandemic began.

After a photo op we climbed back to Croom, then descended 150' down to the bridge across Spice Creek, then climbed 133' back up to Tanyard (9.5% maximum grade) and around the curve onto Nottingham, stopping to read the historical marker about the American fleet headquartered at Nottingham during the War of 1812 -- the marker about the British bivouac seems to have gone missing -- and continued on Fenno to a rest stop at the Merkle Sanctuary.

After the break we headed down Fenno to St Thomas Church and turned left on Mattaponi, where we stopped at a farm with ponies, a donkey, sheep and one or more goats. The animals were very friendly and seemed as interested in us as we were in them, and we really enjoyed seeing them.

We made our way up Van Brady, stopping to take off a layer (and note, we were about 22 miles into the ride at that point) then continued on to Old Indian Head Rd, which we followed to 301 and then turned down Trumps Hill Rd, turning on Heathermore to wind our way through Marlton, past the golf course and out Wallace Lane to Duley Station.

Although the route has a rest stop cued at Moore's Store, the group decided no rest stop was needed so we continued on down the long hill on Croom, past the sadly derelict Nottingham Store and turned right on Candy Hill, then right again on Molly Berry, finally taking North Keys back to the park.

It was a delightful day and a beautiful ride. A little less wind, a little more warmth, and it would have been a perfect day. Even so, we all had a fabulous time. The Prince Georges County Rural Tier is a fabulous place to ride. If you're not familiar with it, don't miss the Rural Legacy ride this June, where we'll showcase some of the best roads in the area. Registration for the Rural Legacy is open now.

Photos by Steve Palincsar, Jessica Hirschhorn and Joan Oppel

Apple Blossom Preview, 48 Boyce

Rita Zeidner — Thu, 30 Mar 2023 01:16:58 GMT

Members: Harold Datz, Karen Hass, Rita Zeidner

Route: https://ridewithgps.com/routes/42356190

Weather: Chilly but bright and sunny

Wonderful ride that we plan on leading with a larger group on April 8.

We were surprised that the apple blossoms were several weeks off from popping. Peach blossoms were further along.

Join us on April 8!

Harold Datz and Karen Hass. Peach blossoms in the background. The apple blossoms weren't yet in bloom.

Locust Grove to Poorhouse (CC, 34)

Stephen Palincsar — Tue, 28 Mar 2023 14:00:00 GMT

Leader: Steve Palincsar

Members: Sue Gunter, Alan Kurzweil, Harry Kidd, Donaro Gardner, Janet Shipko

Guests: none

Route: https://ridewithgps.com/routes/41621728 34 mi, 1222' elevation gain (according to my Garmin)

Weather: Sunny, windy, low 40s at the start rising to the high 50s at the start.

AMS: 13.1

Mechanicals/Mishaps: none

Report: It was a challenge to figure out what to wear today. It was windy and cold at the ride start, winter clothing weather, but the forecast was for almost 60 and the sun was warm if you were out of the wind.

After climbing Bumpy Oak and descending Rose Hill, we started warming up. A layer came off at the Port Tobacco River Park rest stop, and it felt quite comfortable at the rest stop in La Plata.

Wind chill on the descent from La Plata down Rt 6 gave way to overheating on the climb up 6 to Poorhouse. Off came the final layer just before we turned directly into the wind on Poorhouse and the descent to Mill Run felt quite brisk, but the 90 foot climb back up to the Ripley / Annapolis Woods crossing and the rising temperature made things feel quite pleasant when we arrived at the final stop at Pisgah Park.

Road construction crews were repaving Bicknell across from the Pisgah Store, and when we turned onto Bicknell from Pisgah Marbury we had smooth new pavement all the way down to Marbury Run Rd -- quite a change from the milled surface we struggled with last week.

As we arrived back at the Livingston Rd parking lot, we met Darryl Lowery on the IHRT doing a solo half century. Pre-Pandemic, Darryl was a regular on the Tuesday Southern Exposure rides, but since the Pandemic he's been riding on his own - and I imagine he's not the only one. It's a lot more fun riding with friends than riding solo, and we had a terrific time today.

Cherry Blossom Tour 2023

Sherwood — Sun, 26 Mar 2023 13:30:00 GMT

On a "Breezy and Beautiful" Sunday, twenty-one members and guests joined Ride Leaders Sherwood Byers and Steve Palincsar on a tour of the Washington and Kenwood Cherry Blossoms. The ride began with a briefing of the ride and "On The Pedals" on time. Once on the Mt. Vernon Trail you quickly learned that people were bursting at the seams to get outside, the trail was literally that crowded. You really needed to "Pack Your Patience". Having plenty of regrouping points proved to be beneficial. Arriving at Gravelly Point, a regrouping stop, you began to really feel the pressure of the crowd and nearly impossible to ride. Patience was definitely your friend.

All accounted for, we proceeded to the Jefferson Memorial the next regrouping point the group was confronted with even a larger crowd of people. After a few minutes and a group photo our trek continued to Hains Point for a loop around to view the "Cherry Blossoms" only to be confronted with an over abundance of auto traffic where it made it impossible to do the whole loop.

At the point of no continuance we decided to do an "About-Face" and continue the route to Kenwood to view its cherry blossom display. At every turn, the traffic was deplorable continuing to test your riding skills. En route to Kenwood the group stopped at Sarah's Ice Cream which all seemed to enjoy. The stop at Sarah's Ice Cream relaxed our nerves for a little while only to be elevated again when arriving in Kenwood. Although the cherry blossoms were gorgeous, this ride was becoming the "Perfect Storm" ! Your patience was really being tested over and over again and again (Poor city planning).

Continuing to return to the ride start, things eased a bit until we started approaching the downtown area. Havoc began to rear its ugly face again. There was a "Dropped Chain" matter to deal with, the only reported mechanical. Within the last mile of the tour, a crash was reported to me involving one of the riders on our tour. These were the only incidents reported to me. I am very thankful for Steve's support and advice. The riders were great to ride with and I thoroughly enjoyed their camaraderie. This was a tasking tour, but I enjoyed it. Thank you to all who participated in the OHBTC 2023 Cherry Blossom Tour. The cherry blossoms were beautiful, we caught them at their peak blossom. How Lucky!

Route: https://ridewithgps.com/routes/42140486

Sherwood

Loopy Smallwoods & Pisgahs & Road Paving

Joan Oppel — Tue, 21 Mar 2023 14:00:00 GMT

Leader: Joan Oppel

Members: Lou Dall'Orso, Don Gardner, Alan Kurzweil, Steve Palincsar, Jackie Schoch, Tom Short

Route: https://ridewithgps.com/routes/42281578 This route made a lot of loops to go around, back and forth on some of our favorite roads. And it was fun to revisit Bryans Road Shopping Center to start a ride.

Weather: A little chilly to start, about 44 degrees, quickly warming to 50 and above by the time we arrived at Smallwood State park. Ending temperature was around 62 - bright sun all day.

Mechanicals/Mishaps: None

Report: The group quickly broke into two off the front, four behind and one who was late but arrived at Pisgah Park while we were still there. It turned out to be a fun route with low traffic. Our notable encounters were with the road repair crew on Bicknell (twice, as we used the same section out and back). The road surface had been milled, but since they were only working on paving one lane at a time, they just waved us over to the empty milled lane and told us to ride through. That was interesting as the large heavy duty road machines were working at the same time. That didn't interfere with our ride - and no complaints were heard, but it was - different.

Great day for a ride, we headed west, south, east, north all within the first 12 miles, then a larger loop and over to Pisgah Park around mile 22, then more twists and turns to return to Bryans Road Shopping Center on Chapman's Landing Road.

(Forgot to take picture)

Friday IHRT All Class ~20 miles

Ron Altemus — Fri, 17 Mar 2023 14:00:00 GMT

Leader:   Ron Altemus

Members:   Celeste Conyers, Donaro Gardner, Rodney Palmer, Dani & Gene Villiva, Belinda Acre, Susan Altemus, Jackie & Randy Schoch

Route:   where else to ride on a Friday? The Indian Head Rail Trail, of course! Livingston Rd parking lot east to White Plains trailhead and return.

Weather:   overcast, temps remaining in the mid 50s, 11-12 mph breezes out of the southern quadrant, and some "spitting" rain for the midpoint of the ride

AMS:   varied by rider

Report:   after almost a month of no regular Friday IHRT rides, it was nice to finally have the weather cooperate such that the ride wasn't cancelled. Even so, we still had some unexpected rain around 11 am which fortunately never amounted to much.

It was nice to have Belinda, Celeste, and Rodney join us for their first club ride of 2023. Upon seeing the Schochs' trikes, Celeste had to try out Jackie's to see what it felt like, commenting that it was comfortable but then one had to get up out of the seat.

Though there weren't that many other trail users, even with the overcast skies we did have some wildlife experiences. Lots of bird calls and spring peepers/tree frogs sounding their mating calls along the trail. Several riders saw bald eagles, either flying overhead or at the Bumpy Oak pond. Dani stopped and was able to get a picture of two eagles in a tree on the other side of the pond.

Join us next week for more fun and exciting adventures on the Indian Head Rail Trail!

Three Unions and a Windsor

Rita Zeidner — Thu, 16 Mar 2023 22:28:07 GMT

Gently rolling hills! Wide vistas! Frolicking alpacas! A road that follows a gentle creek for miles - downhill. A decisive win for Union soldiers (abolitionists). Unusual breeds of cows (see photo below)! Those are some of the benefits of leaving this club’s usual haunts and venturing in a different direction.

This 40ish-mile ride, in Frederick and Carroll counties, typifies why heading west and/or north the Beltway is so worthwhile.

This was the latest in a series of rides Harold and I are inviting OH club members to join — where we revisit territory that was, at one time, popular with club members. All of these rides start an hour to 85 minutes from our home in Falls Church. That’s about the same length of time it takes us to drive to, say, North Keys. But the riding west and north is, we believe, world class.

So far, demand for our rides has not been great. But we’ll keep at it. In fact, on April 1 and 8 we will be leading rides that showcase apple blossoms. We are pleased that so many people already have signed up - at least for April 8, which was posted earlier. Join us for one or both.

So, about this ride. No one signed up, so we left around 11:30, because it was chilly out there. No incidents. A pace of 11.5 mph. Big fun.

Roads so quiet there was little danger of being hit by a car, even when stopping in the middle of the road

Unusual belted Galloway cattle

Bright-Sun-Low Wind = Good Ride!

Joan Oppel — Thu, 16 Mar 2023 14:00:00 GMT

Leader: Joan Oppel

1720's house (Mt Calvert) overlooking the Patuxent River, with two cyclists and a 21st century dunce.

Members: Lou Dall'Orso, Harry Kidd, Steve Palincsar, Patricia Sanders

Route: https://ridewithgps.com/routes/42241189 - a quick long loop to Mattaponi and St Thomas Church, then over to Mt Calvert and a stop to admire the view. Actual rest stop at the Patuxent River Park pavilion. And then return on Duley Station via Bellefields - another 1700's house - to Van Brady, Molly Berry, North Keys. And 4 riders did the additional 5 1/2 mile extension on Cross Roads Trail.

View over the Patuxent from Mt Calvert.

Weather: Beautiful! Around 50 in the parking lot (with a little wind making it feel colder) and reaching 60+ at the end. Lots of sun.

Mechanicals/Mishaps: One dropped chain, quickly recovered.

Report: A beautiful day for a bike ride! We enjoyed bright sun, light winds (~7 mph) and low traffic (except for the brief stretches on Croom, of course). Trees, fields, horses, barns - everything looked bright and cheerful today. The visit to Mt Calvert was a treat.

Rest stop, focus on food:

Brooks Woods, Leitch & North Beach (CC, 36)

Stephen Palincsar — Sun, 12 Mar 2023 15:00:00 GMT

Leader: Steve Palincsar

Members: Catherine Ade, Joan Oppel, Patricia Sanders

Guests: none

Route: https://ridewithgps.com/routes/42130944

Weather: Overcast, almost complete cloud cover, 39 at the start and barely warming up at all during the day. When we left, the chance of rain at 3 pm was around 8%, but by the time we finished the ride the chance of rain and snow had increased to 100% and the rain actually begain as I was on the entrance ramp to Rt 2 on the way home.

AMS: 12.6

Mechanicals/Mishaps: I dropped the chain on 5th St about halfway to Boyd's Turn. It was wedged tightly between the inside of the chainring and the bottom bracket shell. I opened the Wippermann Connex link and broke the chain and threaded it around the top of the bottom bracket shell to free it and reinstalled the link. Two thumbs up for Wippermann links: they're reusable for the life of the chain and you can open and close them without tools. Very highly recommended.

Report: It's a confusing time, for sure. It's meteorological spring but according to the calendar it's still winter, and on top of that today was the first day of Daylight Savings Time. The actual weather resolved the ambiguity in favor of a return to winter in spite of the daffodils blooming and the Dogwoods and Bradford Pears flowering. Two registrants canceled while I was driving to the ride start, I'm guessing either because they had an updated weather forecast or forgot to spring forward at 2am. We were left with a congenial group of four Polar Bears whose names have appeared time and again in this year's ride reports.

The route featured some very seldom ridden miles on Old Solomons Island Rd between Bay Front and Fairhaven and the section of Franklin Gibson south of Leitch, giving us the chance to ride down Leitch and up Fairhaven without having to do the tough climb on Franklin Gibson south of Trott's Branch.

We had an enjoyable rest stop at the Chesapeake Market and Deli, then took a meandering back streets route from 9th St to 5th St, then 5th to Boyds Turn back to Friendship. At Friendship, instead of the usual crossing of Rt 2 at the roundabout, then Sansbury, Wilson and Jewell to a left on McKendree, we went right on Old Solomons to Rt 2, then left on Jewell and a right on McKendree. Unfamiliar views of quiet, unfamiliar roads made for a nice change, even though the "standard" routes are all excellent.

From McKendree the route goes left on Bay Front and right on Southern Maryland Boulevard heading northwest to the Park & Ride. As we finished the ride I stopped at the Sunoco station just before the entrance to the Park & Ride and inspected the portolet located there, and am happy to report it earned a four star rating for cleanliness, fragrance, freedom from obnoxious graffiti and an ample supply of toilet tissue, standing in stark contrast to the always deplorable and sometimes loathesome facility located at the Carroll station (formerly the BP).

Goose Bay, Pisgah Marbury (CC, 34)

Stephen Palincsar — Tue, 07 Mar 2023 15:00:00 GMT

Leader: Steve Palincsar

Members: Joan Oppel, Patricia Sanders, Ron Altemus, Lou Dall'Orso, Esther Steward, Donaro Gardner

Guests: none

Route: https://ridewithgps.com/routes/31234938 34 mi, 1273' elevation gain The route takes the IHRT to Bumpy Oak south to Hawthorne, then west on Hawthorne to Ripley. Ripley to Poorhouse to Burch, then 6 to Blossom Point down to Brentland and the Goose Bay Marina. Return on Mill Swamp, 6 to Fire Tower, Annapolis Woods, Poorhouse to Pisgah, then Mason Springs north to Pisgah Marbury, Bicknell and Chicamuxen.

Weather: Heavy overcast and a chilly 45 degrees at the start with small breaks in the cloud cover through which shafts of very warm sunlight shone down. As the morning neared noon the wind, initially 11 mph and at our backs, grew stronger and gustier, blowing the cloud cover away. By 1 pm the sky was clear and almost free of clouds and the winds had grown to 14 mph with gusts up to 30 and the temperature rose above 55.

AMS: 11.9 min the middle, mid-12s in the lead group and probably 11.5 in the trailing group.

Mechanicals/Mishaps: none

Report: It felt like winter but it didn't seem too windy when we started, but only because the wind was at our backs until we reached Goose Bay. Although the store was closed and work rebuilding the rest room was still in progress, we enjoyed the break.

The flag at Ship's Store tells the story.

The return leg was partly directly into the wind and partly across it. We fought the cross wind up Fire Tower and stiff head winds on Poorhouse. The lead group decided to skip the stop at the Pisgah Store, taking Stuckey Lane and Stuckey Road instead, and Ron, Esther and I made a brief stop there before continuing into the wind on Pisgah Marbury, Bicknell and Chicamuxen.

It was a harder ride than usual, but winter eventually gave way to spring, and at length we returned to the Livingston Road IHRT parking lot happy we'd been able to ride and overcome the wind.

Morganza Turner & Parsons Mill (CC, 34)

Stephen Palincsar — Sun, 05 Mar 2023 16:00:00 GMT

Shishka Bob at Keeping it Local, MD-5 in Morganza

Leader: Steve Palincsar

Members: Janell Saunders, Sarah Clement

Guests: none

Route: https://ridewithgps.com/routes/42014888 At least, that's what was planned, but things didn't work out quite as expected. I ended up riding the Three Notch Trail to Baggett Park with Sarah and Janell, then joined Ken Meredith as he rode from the park to the north end of the trail and back to Northern Senior Center. I then rode down to Rt 5 and the Trail, where I met Sarah and Janell returning from their journey into the Loveville Mennonite Community. The three of us then rode back to Mechanicsville Elementary together.

Weather: A beautiful spring day. Sunny, breezy (8-10 mph winds with gusts 15-21 mph) 54 degrees at 11, rising to a very warm feeling 62 by early afternoon.

AMS: 10.7 for me, anybody's guess for Janell and Sarah

Mechanicals/Mishaps: Things went pear-shaped as soon as I removed the bike from my car and installed the motor and battery. When I'd checked the battery status at home, it was at 100%. An hour later, as soon as I mounted the motor and battery the bike read 20% charge. I removed the motor and battery and installed the compartment cover. The bike is sort of rideable that way on flat terrain, but there was simply no way I was going to be able to the planned route, not with a 90 foot, 9% grade climb on Friendship School in the Mennonite area.

Report: It was a fabulous day for riding. Where were all the bicyclists? Only three of us showed up for the ride, and there weren't more than three or four others besides Ken and me riding on the Three Notch Trail.

Plenty of buggies out, including two riding on the trail. We always see evidence of their passing, but this is the first time I've actually seen them in the act. I also saw a three-row open top carriage with what could have been six nuns or six Amish or Mennonites on Old Village Road.

Janell and Sarah had a great time, with plenty of wind and almost no traffic of any kind, and took a break at the Old St Josephs Cemetery at Busy Corner. I wish I could have ridden with them. Next time.

Janell's Report: Sarah and I really enjoyed the ride, even with the climbs. Sarah was happy to have her ebike today with the climbs, I was just working on my breathing. The roads were quiet, the area very peaceful and calm. The wind did pick up a bit as we got on Busy corner and Doc Johnson, but it was such a beautiful day to be on the bike, who cares?!

I too wondered where everyone was, maybe doing their own thing or something else, but miss having our larger group rides. I hope we have a good turnout for our future all-class rides.

May Metric is scheduled for May 14 (Mothers Day May Metric) from Mechanicsville Elementary, bring your moms and daughters to experience this area, you won't regret it!

Mason Springs, Gilroy to King James Church (CC, 37)

Stephen Palincsar — Tue, 28 Feb 2023 15:00:00 GMT

Rest stop at King James Church

Leader: Steve Palincsar

Members: Tom Short, Sam Perry, Mary Scala, Jessica Hirschhorn, Luis Dall'Orso, Donaro Gardner, Tracie C, Bob Howell, Joan Oppel, Patricia Sanders, Alan Kurzweil

Guests: none

Route: https://ridewithgps.com/routes/38214969 36.7 mi, 1416' elevation gain

Weather: Overcast and 47 when we left, gradually clearing and warming as the morning went one until by early afternoon it was 59 degrees and sunny. 2-5 mph winds with gusts ranging from 7-17 mph. It was almost like living George Winston's Winter Into Spring, except with wind sounds instead of piano.

AMS: 13.5 in the middle of the group; over 14 at the front, maybe 12 at the back.

Mechanicals/Mishaps: none

Report: A cold-feeling start that had everyone confused and uncertain as to what to wear soon gave way to sunshine and spring weather as we rode up Chicamuxen and Sweetman onto Bicknell past the Graveyard of Bicycles onto Mason Spring, MD-6 and Gilroy.

The route continued on Bowie and Baptist Church until quiet tree-lined back roads led to MD-6 and the rest stop at King James Church. It's not every day you see an outhouse with electric lighting; it and the picnic tables make for a nice peaceful place for a roadside stop.

Had this been a weekend ride, we would have almost certainly continued on Hancock Run (it's barely a tenth of a mile from the church) Adams Willet, Liverpool Point and Riverside, but this was a midweek ride in late winter so instead we backtracked on 6 to Ironsides and took it (100' down over six tenths of a mile, 100' back up once you cross the bridge, but only a quarter mile to do it in, with an 8% grade) to the wonderful descent on Durham Church.

Once safely down Durham Church the group split up into several segments of different speeds heading east on 6 and north on Annapolis Woods and Ripley past what seems to be a nearly complete solar power farm to Hawthorne and down the western face of Mighty Mount Pisgah back to Livingston Road and the parking lot.

Everyone loved it out there today. It was a glorious day, trembling on the threshold of a leap into spring. It was also great seeing so many friends we haven't seen since last year joining us again. If you haven't been out since last year or even since the Pandemic began, come join us, we're hoping to get the band back together again and we'd love to see you.

Tour d.Accokeek

Joan Oppel — Sun, 26 Feb 2023 15:30:00 GMT

Ride leader: Joan Oppel

Members: Ron Altemus

Route: https://ridewithgps.com/routes/26920630

Weather: Chllier than advertiased at start, cloudy until the final 30 minutes

Report: This ride was posted on very late notice so just Ron and I rode. It was 39 at the start and remained chilly and very cloudy until we headed up Barry's Hill near the end. An enjoyable short and mostly flat ride, we added exploration of paved roads (Amber Rd, Fenwick Shores Rd, Grove Ct) off of fenwick where lots are obviously owned by a developer but with no development in sight.

As always on this version of exploring Accokeek, we passed by a large section of the Moyaone Reserve - no trespassing signs everywhere mean we've never explored its roads. The Reserve has an interesting story, this one is told by the reserve itself: https://www.moyaone.org/about/history/

Patuxent River Park, Mattaponi and Merkle (CC,32)

Stephen Palincsar — Thu, 23 Feb 2023 15:30:00 GMT

View from the rest stop at the Merkle Sanctuary

Leader: Steve Palincsar

Members: Luis Dall'Orso, Alan Kurzweil, Harry Kidd, Donaro Gardner, Bob Howell, Tom Short and Anonymous User.

Guests: none

Route: https://ridewithgps.com/routes/39425230 33.5 mi, 1730' elevation gain with rest stops at the Patuxent River Park Pavilion and at the Merkle Sanctuary.

Weather: A trailer for spring, featuring scenes from March, April and May all in the space of a few hours.

It was overcast at 10:30 and breezy: 6-7 mph wind, but gusts of 16-17 mph and that didn't change throughout the day. The forecast now claims it was 61 at the start, but I don't believe it. My car read in the low 50s and we all were wearing clothes suitable for the 50s.

There was one brief moment before we set out when there was a break in the clouds and the sun blazed through only to disappear seconds later. The big breakthrough came at the first rest stop at the Pavilion at Patuxent River Park. At around 11:45 it was still overcast, possibly as high as 60, but by noon the sky cleared and in the sun it was easily ten degrees warmer than in the shade of the pavilion.

I didn't trust it, and kept my windbreaker on but had to stop and remove it before we got to the turn where Duvall merges with Croom Airport. By the time we go to Merkle it was in the mid-70s, and six or seven miles later it was almost 80.

And meanwhile, half the country (even LA) was hard hit by blizzards today, and the Post says Saturday there may be some snow flurries.

AMS: 13.5

Mechanicals/Mishaps: Alan had a flat tire six or seven miles into the ride, which he quickly fixed.

Report: Although it started off with overcast skies and much colder temperatures than predicted, the weather came through with a magnificent foretaste of spring, ending on sunny skies and temperatures almost at the eighty degree mark.

The promise of spring-like weather awakened a number of riders who'd been hibernating through the winter (when they weren't walking laps around an indoor track or spinning on fancy trainers in their garages). It was delightful to see Bob Howell, Harry Kidd and Tom Short again. I've really missed them, and I hope this emergence continues through until genuine springtime arrives.

The route was a Rural Legacy "greatest hits," keeping the distance reasonable for riders who hadn't been on the road this winter, which seemed to work well except for Alan and Anonymous, who decided to extend the route to 40 miles by taking a long return after the Merkle stop. We also had the opportunity to check for the presence of annoying dogs on Mt Carmel Rd and I am happy to report that none were seen in spite of outrageous provocations. It's looking more and more likely that the dog removed by Animal Control earlier this month was the one we were concerned about.


View from the Pavilion location ca 1927

Harry Kidd photos

Fire Tower, Durham Church & Adams Willett (CC, 36)

Stephen Palincsar — Tue, 21 Feb 2023 15:30:00 GMT

Rest stop at the Nanjemoy Store

Leader: Steve Palincsar

Members: Alan Kurzweil, Lou Dall'Orso, Sue Gunter, Holly Carr, Donaro Gardner and Anonymous User

Guests: none

Route: https://ridewithgps.com/routes/31049176 36.1 mi, 1366' elevation gain according to RWGPS, 1464 according to Garmin.

Weather: Bright sun and an ever-changing sky going from partly cloudy to clear cloudless skies back to partly cloudy again, and by the time we finished the ride we had mostly cloudy skies with a dazzling palate ranging from bright white clouds to varying shades and shapes of gray and even some dark gray clouds that might have looked like rain, were it not for the intense brightness of the sun and the blue of the sky between the clouds. It was 55 when we started, warming all the way up to 65 by the time we finished a little after 2 pm.

But the big weather story today, at least according to radio weather forecasts, was the wind. Said to have been 4 mph at 10:30 rising to 11 mph by 2, with gusts starting at 11 mph and rising to 26 mph. Some said wind advisories warning of gusts up to 40 mph had been issued.

The wind story was serious enough that a couple of riders canceled because of the wind warnings, but the ground truth was somewhat different. Yes, we had some wind, and it wasn't constant: from time to time it got a bit stronger or slackened off. Perhaps due to topography, vegetation and pure dumb luck, our route had few open spaces with lots of narrow tree-lined back roads, and when we noticed the wind it was mainly a headwind urging us to ride harder, or a tailwind pushing us faster. But no gusting side winds. The route certainly wasn't designed or chosen with wind direction in mind, but as they say, sometimes it's better to be lucky than to be good.

And lucky we certainly were: it was a simply fabulous, beautiful, brisk day just made for vigorous riding.

AMS: 13.9 at the front, one or two tenths slower at the back.

Mechanicals/Mishaps: none

Report: Can this really be February? It looked and felt like March or April. It was a great day to be out riding, and a great group to do it with.

The scenery was beautiful: slanting light putting everything in high relief with bright sun and dark shadows, and bare winter woods with bright splashes of green everywhere.

For us, the route had a good bit of climbing: Pisgah Marbury, Durham Church, Ironside up to Friendship Landing, Hancock Run and finally, Mason Springs at the end of the ride. The wind and the climbs pushed us to ride harder and faster, making it much more a "thrill ride" rather than a "scenic leisurely cruise," although it certain was scenic. But we enjoyed the ride, enjoyed the rest stops, and had a great time. Days like this are a great reward for persisting through the winter.

Chapel Point, Radio Station & Rosewick (CC, 35

Stephen Palincsar — Mon, 20 Feb 2023 15:00:00 GMT

Rest stop at St Ignatius, butterfly garden in the background along with distant view of the Port Tobacco River. In the summer these bushes teem with butterflies.

Leader: Steve Palincsar

Members: Patricia Sanders, Steve Perakis, Donaro Gardner, Karen Morgan, Ken Meredith, Sue Gunter, Janell Saunders

Guests: none

Route: https://ridewithgps.com/routes/42017860 35.4 mi, 1211' elevation gain

Weather: Nearly 100% overcast; bright but with no warmth to the sun at all. Temperature was 54 degrees at the start, rising to a supposed 62 degrees, but between the wan sun and the wind (8 mph with gusts up to 17) it felt like the low 50s the whole time.

AMS: 13.9

Mechanicals/Mishaps: none

Report: It wasn't much of a day for pretty scenery, although we passed plenty on Chapel Point Road on the way to St Ignatius and later on Bel Alton Newtown Rd, and it never felt anything like the 62 degrees it allegedly was. It was windy and chilly, and a good day for riding hard to stay warmed up, and for regrouping whenever we got spread out too far and especially when the group was split by traffic lights.

We started with the climb up Bumpy Oak from the Indian Head Rail Trail to Marshall Corner Road, a good way to dispel the early (for me, anyway) morning chill, then flew down Rose Hill. We made short work of the 134 foot climb (8.6% maximum grade) from Chapel Point Park up to St Ignatius, then had a rest stop. No butterflies today at the famous butterfly garden; we have to keep reminding ourselves, it's still winter.

Crossing 301 onto Bel Alton Newtown, we screamed down the famous "Beast" with the wind at our backs, me hitting 39.3 mph at the bottom of the 93' drop. Once across Clark Run, the climb out gains back the all that elevation and over 30' more, although at 8.9% it's less steep and you have twice the distance to climb it in. Still, on this route you don't get to say all the hard climbing is over once you make it up to St. Ignatius.

It's flat and smooth sailing with wide shoulders heading north on , 488 and Radio Station, and when you push hard, you really fly along. Rosewick and Washington were into the wind and slower, and then we were at 301. Janell suggested turning left on 301 to enter the Shell Station rather than turning left from Hawthorne, a splendid idea.

After the break at the Dash In we took Hawthorne to Marshall Corner, then most of us turned on Bumpy Oak and took it down to the IHRT and the trail back with one or two taking Hawthorne all the way down Mighty Mount Pisgah back to the ride start.

What a great way to spend the Holiday!

Aviation Yacht Club, Manor & Chaptico (CC 36)

Stephen Palincsar — Sun, 19 Feb 2023 16:00:00 GMT

Leader: Steve Palincsar

Members: Ron Altemus, Joan Oppel, Linda Bankerd, Ken Meredith, Mary Scala, Karen Morgan, Patricia Sanders, Cathy Miller, Edward Miller, Janet Shipko, Janell Saunders

Guests: none

Route: https://ridewithgps.com/routes/42003948

Weather: Bright sun, partly cloudy. 49 degrees at the start rising to 59-60 by mid-afternoon, but 10 mph winds with gusts up to 22 mph made it feel much colder than that when we started.

AMS: 13.0

Mechanicals/Mishaps: none

Report: The big story today was the wind. It was dead-on headwind while we were on Thompson Corner Rd. When we turned onto Dixie Lyon we had a reprieve -- as well as some lovely bucolic scenery on this quiet farm road in the heart of the Amish countryside -- but once back on Thompson Corner we fought it all the way down to Budd's Creek. It was a side wind there and on Aviation Yacht Club, and once again we found shelter from the wind at the stop at Wicomico Shores Landing.

Wicomico Shores Landing

and once more with seagulls:

Side winds buffeted us on Budd's Creek, and we turned into the wind once more on Maddox. Either Manor was sheltered from the wind or the distracting hills kept us from noticing, but Hurry was a delight: downhill to Chaptico, fairly flying with the wind at our backs.

We stayed for a while at Chaptico, enjoying the sun and the company and then rode on Baptist Church and the Three Notch Trail with a tail wind all the way back to Northern Senior Center.

In all, a spectacular day for riding, simply astonishing for the 19th of February.

Tour de Accokeek (extended) CC 28 mi

Stephen Palincsar — Sat, 18 Feb 2023 18:00:00 GMT

Rest stop at Marshall Hall

Leader: Steve Palincsar

Members: Steve Perakis, Ron Altemus, Joan Oppel, Patricia Sanders

Guests: none

Route: https://ridewithgps.com/routes/26920630 with a couple of additions to Fenwick, a now fairly common side trip down McRea to catch a glimpse of the Potomac and a much longer journey of exploration along Amber Rd into a development in the woods that never happened. There's a similar road that leads to nowhere, Chester, off River Rd.

Weather: sunny, cloudless blue skies, windy with temperatures that started at around 40 (feeling like the high 30s due to the wind) and rose to a comfortable 47 by the time we finished.

AMS: 10.7

Mechanicals/Mishaps: none

Report: It was too cold to ride this morning, slowly recovering from overnight temperatures in the 20s and a wind that cut through you like a saw, but with a forecast of 40 at 1pm and 47 and sunny expected at 4 it would be an afternoon too good to miss.

The Tour d'Accokeek is a 16 mile ride we do during the season on Wednesday evenings, and years ago, on Sunday afternoons: through quiet suburban streets near the Firehouse, then down the Service Road parallel to Indian Head Highway; onto Livingston Road, across the County line and on the 210 shoulder to Bryans Road past Mister Tire, the Car Wash and the Food Lion to Marshall Hall Road. You go by some developments and down the Big Downhill, abruptly dropping from 193 feet to 50 feet as you hit 33 or 34 mph and then pass the ruins of Marshall Hall down to a rest stop on the Potomac River.

That is, before we started messing with it, exploring the side roads finding where they went and seeing what was down there.

First we added Fenwick. About a hundred yards past the big downhill you make a left turn and leave the wide highway for a narrow, winding, wooded lane with a series of short hills that takes you past an expansive view of the Potomac River with Hallowing Point on the Virginia side, finally going down to a turnaround. Down and back it's about 5 miles.

At least, it usually is. We do often take a little jog to the left on McCrea for another view of the Potomac and Crosswake House with its big lawn out back and the Adirondack Chairs set out for viewing the river, and we did so today too.

But today Ron wanted to explore and led us down a side road the map calls Amber Rd (it's signed Grove Ct) onto Westview Pl into a development that never happened: no houses, just the road and the trees, and at the end of the road a large turnaround.

We continued on to Marshall Hall, taking a break with a view of the Potomac and the ruins of the Marshall Hall mansion. Afterwards we turned down River Rd, the second addition to the original route. Besides the trees, the old Denison nursery, soon to be a development, a large pond and a few wooded lanes leading down to the Potomac, there's Chester Ave, another road to a development that never happened. Down a side road there's a large turnaround with circular black tire marks showing someone's been doing donuts out where none can see.

Back on the traditional route, we climb Barrys Hill ("End of County Maintenance" -- what County Maintenance?) and at the top turn left on Old Marshall Hall, the third extension to the usual route. This takes us past the edges of the Moyaone Reserve and Piscataway Park, past private gravel roads leading down to Bryan Point Road and the National Colonial Farm. We stop just past Old Bill's Way opposite Chapin's Farm,

then turn around and head back towards Marshall Hall Rd. From here we're back on the regular route.

Today, we've extended the 16 mile route to 29.9 miles, according to the Garmin. It's been a wonderful afternoon.

Mt Pisgah>Welcome>Smallwood Church 35 mi CC/C

Ron Altemus — Wed, 15 Feb 2023 15:00:00 GMT

Leader:   Ron Altemus

Members:   5 cancellations for various reasons

Route:   posted as https://ridewithgps.com/routes/41975840 35.1 miles, 1,283 elevation change.

Actually rode 40.4 miles, 1,181 elevation change, as shown below:

Weather: unexpected rain which did end about 10 a.m. so start temps were in the upper 40s under leaden skies. The day improved immensely, with skies clearing to mostly sunny, 66 degrees, and 12-14 mph breezes out of the southern quadrant.

AMS: led/swept at 12.3 mph

Mechanicals/Mishaps: none

Report: all forecasts pointed to no rain by 1o am so the ride start time was not changed. When it became clear that there would be no other riders, I decided to go ahead and do the ride solo. A minor variation to start had me heading east on the IHRT to Hawthorne to avoid Livingston Rd traffic. However, after turning left on Hawthorne, within 100 yards or so, it seemed like it was raining. I turned around and very quickly left the rain so rode up the trail to the Village Green, looping back via Mattingly and Jennifer to the IHRT, all w/o any precip. By the time I got back to Livingston Road (necessitated as Hawthorne's westbound shoulder was closed), the skies were clearing and temps were in the mid 50s.

As expected, after the challenging ascent of mighty Mount Pisgah, the summit was devoid of snow pack. I followed the posted route on Ripley but opted not to do the Poorhouse/Burch6/MD-6 routing to Welcome, instead using Annapolis Woods and Fire Tower. The rest of the ride followed the original course: as always, very low vehicular traffic on many of the roads, particularly the aforementioned deviation but also Mason Springs and Smallwood Church.

Perhaps rescheduling to an 11 a.m. ride start might have lessened the number of cancellations. Whatever, your faithful correspondent had a most enjoyable ride.

Kent Island: The Octopus Ride!

Jessica Hirschhorn — Tue, 14 Feb 2023 20:56:35 GMT

We had a simply glorious Valentine's Day Ride on Kent Island! The temps were idyllic (51 to start, 61 to end, with blue skies, and no wind!) and the route, with its octuple out-and-backs was enjoyed by all.

Riders were: Ron Altemus, Andrea Clayville, Sue Gunter, Karen Hass, Elihue Henderson, Jessica Hirschhorn, and Barbara Klieforth

Average speed 12.2

Distance 34.4 miles

Pindell, Deale & Polling House (CC, 37)

Stephen Palincsar — Mon, 13 Feb 2023 15:00:00 GMT

After Lunch at South County Cafe

Leader: Steve Palincsar

Members: Janet Shipko, Patricia Sanders, Anonymous User

Guests: none

Route: https://ridewithgps.com/routes/40451465

Weather: Brilliant sunshine with a few high clouds, low 40s at the start rising to the high 50s by early afternoon, but windy: officially 9mph but with nearly continuous gusts up to 19 mph. We all struggled with what to wear, since the wind made it feel like 40 when we started, but we knew it would get close to 60 after lunch.

AMS: 13.2

Mechanicals/Mishaps: About 14 miles into the ride I felt my right cleat wasn't engaging properly. Fearing a loose cleat screw, I stopped at the corner of Old Ridge Path Lane and Nutwell Rd, where I could lean on a stone wall, and had Anonymous check my cleat. Happily, it turned out to be a stone lodged in the cleat, easily pried out with the screwdriver on my multi-tool.

Report: Brilliant sunshine, a breezy but beautiful day, a congenial group and a picturesque route filled with narrow winding tree-lined roads with views of farms made for a great ride today.

The usual weekend crowds at South County Cafe were gone, and sheltered from the wind, we had a pleasant lunch at a picnic table outside. Once we left South County, we turned into the wind. For the next ten miles we had an unplanned Seagull Century training session that only ended when we turned from Bayard onto Sands with the wind behind us for the last couple of miles.

Based on today's experience it appears that Monday mornings are a great time to ride from Waysons Corner.

Mount Calvert & Patuxent River Park (CC,31)

Stephen Palincsar — Sat, 11 Feb 2023 15:30:00 GMT

Mount Calvert

Leader: Steve Palincsar

Members: Sue Gunter, Steve Perakis, Linda Blackman, Marc Blackman

Guests: none

Route: https://ridewithgps.com/routes/41046071 A scenic visit to Mount Calvert and Patuxent River Park, 31 miles with 1418' of climbing (1597' according to my Garmin).

Weather: Partly cloudy, 44-50 degrees, 8 mph wind from the north with gusts up to 15, making the "feels like" temperature 40-49.

AMS: 12.1

Mechanicals/Mishaps: About six miles into the ride Marc found his DI2 battery was flat and he was no longer able to shift. He rode back to North Keys Park and then drove down to the Patuxent River Park Visitors Center while we continued with the ride.

Report:

As always, North Keys Park proved to be the coldest, windiest place in the entire area. Once we got going the wind was noisy but didn't really impede our progress at all. We lost Marc when his DI2 stopped shifting so only four of us rode down Mount Calvert Rd, spotting several horses and alpacas. We were briefly joined by a curious and friendly-seeming white farm dog just before Duvall Rd, but the notorious pit bull that has been discussed a few times in ride reports and on the groups.io mailing list was nowhere in evidence.

Mount Calvert was beautiful as always, and we took a few pictures

Linda photographing us, and vice versa

before climbing back up the hill to Duvall and riding down to the Pavilion at Patuxent River Park for our break.

When we arrived, we found an orienteering event in full progress. Speaking to one of the participants we learned orienteering is the sport of navigation in unfamiliar terrain using a map and compass. (You can learn more about orienteering at the Orienteering USA web site)

We rode down to Selby's Landing for a closer look at the Patuxent River,

then stopped at the Columbia Air Center Outdoor Exhibit Area before climbing Croom Airport Rd, making our way on Duley Station to a thrilling descent of Van Brady and the final leg back to the park.

It was a beautiful day for a ride considering it's only the 11th of February, and we had a wonderful time. The roads were very quiet and mostly free of traffic, and everyone we saw seemed to be enjoying the sunshine.

We often ride in this area on weekdays, and before the Pandemic we had a regular Best of Brandywine ride on Thursday mornings from North Keys Park. The Prince George's County's Rural Tier is the counterpart to the Montgomery County Ag Reserve, with many more parks and stores we can use for rest stops, and it's much closer, too.

Friday IndianHead 20 mile All Class

Randall Schoch — Fri, 10 Feb 2023 18:00:00 GMT

Leader - Randy Schoch

Members - Ron & Susan Altemus, Fran Jezisek, Dan & Diana Donahue, Donaro Gardner, Robin Garnett, Barry Gordon, Lester Jackson, Jr, and Leesha Saunders.

Guests - Dawn Page

(l-r) Leesha, Robin, Lester, Barry, Dawn, Dan, Susan, Donaro, Fran, Randy

Weather - Very good, mid - 60's with a light breeze.

AMS - Varied per/rider

Mechanicals/Mishaps - None

Report - A great turnout and excellent weather for a mid-winter ride. Lots of other trail users today with other bikers, walkers, and joggers. At this time in the afternoon, there isn't much wildlife around. Everyone enjoyed the ride to the White Plains rest area. We noticed the "porta lets" haven't been cleaned for a while. We didn't stay long at the rest stop before we started back. It was good to see Dan and Diana again. This was Barry's first club ride since retiring. Lester didn't bring Joan today. We will try again next Friday. We are enjoying this very easy winter with many chances to ride. See you then!

Magruders & Eagle Harbor

Joan Oppel — Thu, 09 Feb 2023 14:30:00 GMT

Leader: Joan Oppel

Riders: Holly Carr, Jessica Hirschhorn, Harold Datz, Rita Zeidner and Steve Palincsar

Route: 41 miles - https://ridewithgps.com/routes/41960092 -This route was designed to include some parts of the Rural Legacy route but with the ride start at North Keys park. 85% of the climbing was in the first 26 miles:

Molly Berry, Nelson Perrie, Bald Eagle, Baden Westwood, Magruders Ferry, Croom to Rt 381, Covington. Then a respite on iowa Woodville, up Dr Bowen and a circuit of Eagle Harbor. By the time we turned on Rt 381 after climbing out of Eagle Harbor, we had completed all but a couple hundred feet of the 2000 feet of the climbing total.

Weather: Low 50's to 60 and mostly cloudy, winds around 11 mph and mostly tailwinds!

Mechanicals: None

Report: A spring day in Winter. Cloudy and 50 as we started but temperatures climbed to 60 and extra clothing was eliminated bit by bit. We had a brief rest stop at Magruders and a much longer one overlooking the Patuxent at Cedar Haven Fishing Area in Eagle Harbor. After Eagle Harbor, with 85% of the climbing done, we zigzagged off and on Rt 381 Brandywine Road to avoid the truck traffic and enjoyed a tailwind much of the rest of the ride.

Tayloes Neck>Jacksontown 36 miles CC/C

Ron Altemus — Wed, 08 Feb 2023 15:30:00 GMT

Leader: Ron Altemus

Members: Tracie Cebrzynski, Joan Oppel, Donaro Gardner, Alan Kurzweil, Jackie Schoch

Route: https://ridewithgps.com/routes/41935812 35.8 miles, 1,215' elevation change.   From Friendship Farm (pictured above), we headed south on Ironsides/MD-6 to Tayloes Neck Rd for explorations of Bluff Point and Walters Landing/Friendship Acres. Returning to MD-6, we had a quick bio break at King James Church and then Hancock Run/Adams Willett took us to a rest stop at the Nanjemoy Sore. Final leg included Jacksontown, Poseyrtown, Bowie, and Baptist Church back to the start.

Weather:   Great weather for early February. Plenty of sunshine/blue skies with only a few high level clouds, temps starting in the mid 50s and rising to the mid 60s by ride's end, minor air movement out of the western quadrant.

AMS:   swept around 11 mph. Since we basically stayed together except for the sprint back from Poseytown, others were probably just a little faster. Leisurely cycling it was.

Mechanicals/Mishaps:   none

Report:   Tayloes Neck juts out into where Nanjemoy Creek widens as it heads to the Potomac River, in this case making a peninsula. From the bluff at Friendship Farm, one can look east towards Tayloes Neck, as pictured below.

We cycled over 16 miles by road to end up being only about 1 mile from where we started out. Walters Landing ends at the water's edge and we could look back across Nanjemoy Creek and pick out the landing at Friendship Farm. In the picture below, the landing is on the far shore between Tracie and Joan.

On a wooded lot in Friendship Acres on Tayloes Neck, we noticed a horticulture rarity - Southern Magnolia saplings. Usually one sees magnolias in suburban areas, either as trees that can grow to 60-80 feet in height or smaller ones that have been recently planted. Seeing them in the "wild" is unusual and we were at a lost as to why there were so many on this one lot.

Only other item of interest was our foray on Hancock Run, a little more exciting than normal. Just after turning onto it from MD-6, we had two vehicles approach us where the road is its narrowest. Everyone was able to pass in opposite directions without any problem, but the descent toward the eponymous run/creek was challenging. A pick-up truck was perpendicular to the road, blocking almost 3/4s of the road as two workers were attempting to connect a trailer to the truck. Things didn't seem to be going too well - sounded like a bit of foul language in Spanish. Fortunately, again we all made it pass the truck without incident. No more vehicles were encountered on either Hancock Run or Adams Willett. Given the roads we traversed today, vehicular traffic was at a minimum, including our short stretches on MD-6.

Kent Island: The Octopus Ride

Jessica Hirschhorn — Tue, 07 Feb 2023 21:04:44 GMT

Despite cooler than forecast temps, and some headwinds (balanced on the dash home by tailwinds) we had a great ride today.

Present: Catherine Ade, Linda Bankerd, Sherwood Byers, Andrea Clayville, Robin Garnett, Sue Gunter, Jessica Hirschhorn, Aaron Klapow, Barbara Klieforth, Robyn McRey, Stephen Palincsar, and Esther Steward.

Miles 34.15

Average speed 11.8

We started with an out and back to see the Shetland ponies, who immediately ran out to greet us, but ran back to their barn before we could ply them with apple and carrot pieces.

Other out and backs included a little private beach with a great view of the Bay Bridge, a wedding venue with a lovely dock and beach, a community fishing pier, and a lunch stop at the southernmost end of the island, with a bait shop, crabbing marina, and lighthouse.

I am looking forward to repeating this route next Tuesday, February 14.

Valley & Quailwood

Joan Oppel — Tue, 07 Feb 2023 15:00:00 GMT

Leader: Joan Oppel

Riders: Donaro Gardner, Duane Petrow

Route: 37 miles - https://ridewithgps.com/routes/3495131

Weather: High 30's to mid-40's, mix of clouds and sun

Mechanicals: None

Report: A nice winter day for a ride, just a little chilly to start in the high 30's, mix of clouds and sun, warming up to a pleasant mid-40's.

A simple route with less traffic than expected - out Livingston and Pomfret to Hawthorne. Turn on Valley and up Chapel Point to cross 301, Fairground etc into La Plata. Return Quailwood, Hawthorne, Bumpy Oak, IH trail back to Hawthorne, Lower Wharf, Chapman's Landing.

Good company, and a couple of nature (of the wildlife type) stops to show off the resident IH trail eagles - obligingly at the nest - and beavers.

Tuesday in La Plata

Tour de Accokeek (extended) CC 28

Stephen Palincsar — Sun, 05 Feb 2023 17:00:00 GMT

Leader: Steve Palincsar

Members: Ron Altemus, Linda Bankerd, Janell Saunders, Ken Meredith, Sarah Clement

Guests: none

Route: https://ridewithgps.com/routes/26920630 This is the extended version of the Tour de Accokeek, nearly doubled in length by adding out-and-back branches on: Fenwick before the break at Marshall Hall; Riverside after Marshall Hall; and finally Old Marshall Hall Rd after the climb up Barrys Hill. These roads are all low-traffic, mostly wooded and quite rural in feel. The nature of the route encourages frequent regroup stops at the turnaround points.

Weather: Mostly cloudy, bright sun, 46 to almost 60 but with winds from the south ranging from 11-26 mph it never felt warm even when riding with the wind at our backs.

AMS: 12.6

Mechanicals/Mishaps: none

Report: It was a sunny, windy day, and we started out covered in full winter gear, but at the turnaround at Marshall Hall it had warmed up a bit and we adjusted clothing to suit. It had been a fun ride to to the end of Fenwick, and Linda's first time down there.

Leaving Marshall Hall we turned onto River and saw that the Denison Nursery property is for sale, platted for four large homes and provided with a dock for boat access to the Potomac.

The trip up Barrys Hill was uneventful but still steep and bumpy at the top. After we turned left on Old Marshall Hall we saw a large pig in an enclosure, definitely very domesticated and not at all like the feral hogs reportedly to be seen in those parts.

Janell had ridden to the ride start and left the group when we turned on Accokeek Rd W, accompanied by Ron, who was heading back to the tomato vendor on the 210 service road.

Another excellent winter ride, with pretty scenery, very bearable temperatures, especially compared to the day before, and a convivial group to ride with. Sounds like a perfect winter sport to me!

Mason Neck 22 mi CC/C

Ron Altemus — Thu, 02 Feb 2023 18:00:00 GMT

Leader: Ron Altemus

Members: Steve Palincsar & Gene Villiva

Route:   Mason Neck trail to High Point Rd into Mason Neck State Park for a rest stop at the Visitor's Center (as pictured above). Retrace back to Gunston Rd to head east to tour Hallowing Point and Gunston Estates neighborhoods before rejoining the trail. Final leg included a visit to Gunston Manor.

Weather:   mostly high overcast so the sun was almost visible and it added a small amount of solar warmth. Temps stayed in the upper 30s while breezes were only 4-5 mph out of the SW.

AMS: just about 11 mph

Mechanicals/Mishaps:   none

Report:   given the forecast for the rest of the week, today seemed like it was the only opportunity for a leisurely bicycle ride. Evidently, the three of us were the only ones so inclined, as we did not see any other cyclists on Mason Neck. The State Park was also very quiet - no one at the visitor center and just a car or two passing us on High Point Rd.

We went back to touring Hallowing Point and Gunston Manor in a counter-clockwise direction after the last two rides going the opposite. The change in direction once again gave different perspectives to the river and homes. Of particular note is a house that burned on River Drive in Gunston Estates which was readily viewable today while the past couple of times, it was missed by some riders.

All in all, a pleasant leisurely winter ride.

Columbia Island Capital Crescent Coffee Run (CC, 26)

Stephen Palincsar — Mon, 30 Jan 2023 17:00:00 GMT

Leader: Steve Palincsar

Members: Ken Fugate, Steve Forman, Anonymous User

Guests: none

Route: https://ridewithgps.com/routes/41818500

Weather: Sunny, 55-59 degrees, breezy

AMS: 12.0

Mechanicals/Mishaps: None

Report: A beautiful sunny day in late January, almost 60 degrees and a breeze that far exceeded the predicted 2-5 mph made for a great riding day.

Today's ride was something very different from the usual Oxon Hill rides, starting at the Columbia Island Marina and taking the Mount Vernon Trail across Memorial Bridge and along the Georgetown waterfront to the Capital Crescent Trail. We rode to Bethesda at a brisk pace, around 14 mph (no risk of losing riders when there are no turns) where we stopped at Paul's restaurant for a coffee break. They had no coffee so we settled for pastries instead.

Steve F decided to return straight back on the Crescent Trail, so only Ken, Anonymous and I took the hilly neighborhood tour through Pacific Heights across Sangamore and down to MacArthur Blvd and into the District, where we stopped for another break at Black Coffee, where they did indeed have coffee, and talked of cycling clothing and chamois creams.

After the break we went down Reservoir to Fletchers Cove and back to the CCT. Passing the Lincoln Memorial we took the path on the south side of the Reflecting Pool up to the Washington Monument, then followed the new cycletrack along Raoul Wallenberg Pl to the Jefferson Memorial and across the 14th St Bridge back to Columbia Island Marina.

44 Sublime Miles: Hume to Little Washington (VA)

Rita Zeidner — Mon, 30 Jan 2023 15:00:00 GMT

Leader: Rita Zeidner
Members: Harold
Guests: Ricki
Route: https://ridewithgps.com/routes/39951907
AMS: 11ish (Hey, it's a hilly route)

Report: This is a fantastic route made better by starting at the Ruritan Park in Hume, which makes riding the distance to Little Washington quite reasonable.

Think Hume is too far? It's a 70-minute drive from my home in downtown Falls Church. That's exactly how long it takes me to drive to the Livingston IHRT Parking Lot. From Hume the biking is no less than world class.

This ride has about twice as much climbing (+3,000 feet in 44 miles) as a typical Oxon Hill route, so be prepared. But it is absolutely gorgeous.

There are two nice places to stop: Little Washington, where we stopped twice -- before and after the 2-mile out and back. In Little Washington there is a very nice, newish cafe that is pricey -- but not as pricey as the famous adjacent inn. One of us got a mediocre muffin for $4.50. We also stopped at the bike friendly Skyward Cafe in Flint Hill (closed Wednesdays.) (Not to be confused with Vint Hill, which is about 40 miles away.)

A word to that one person who tends to complain whenever there is perceived literal or figurative bump in the road, which no one else is bothered by. You know who you are.): This route is quiet with very little traffic, except for 2-3 miles on Rt. 522. I don't think it's ever a problem -- and traffic was particularly light on this particular day. But it's a thoroughfare with a narrow shoulder. Now you know.

Smallwood Church, Durham Church & Goose Bay (CC, 34)

Stephen Palincsar — Sun, 29 Jan 2023 15:00:00 GMT

Leader: Steve Palincsar

Members: Harold Datz, Rita Zeidner, Steve Perakis, Ron Altemus, Joan Oppel, Patricia Sanders, Holly Carr, Alan Kurzweil and Catherine Ade

Guests: none

Route: This was going to be a 10:30 39 mile ride that stopped at Smallwood Park before taking Smallwood Church to Ironsides, down Durham Church, Rt 6 to Mill Swamp and a stop at Goose Bay. A threatening forecast led me to move the start time to 10:00 and to shorten the ride to 34 miles by skipping Pisgah Marbury and the Smallwood Park rest stop. The plan worked fine until noon. The route we rode was: https://ridewithgps.com/routes/41343492

Weather: Mostly cloudy, 8-10 mph winds, 45-48 degrees until noon, at which point it started raining. The forecasts have now been revised to indicate a 100% chance of rain from noon until 2pm, up from the 10-20% prediction earlier this morning.

AMS: 13.4

Mechanicals/Mishaps: none

Report: The route change, an earlier start time and an optimistic weather forecast brought out 10 riders. We set out under heavy overcast but bright skies, spreading out over a wide range until we regrouped at Smallwood Church and Mason Springs.

Going down Durham Church was its usual roller coaster thrill ride, the 120' rise afterwards on Rt 6 taking away some of the glow. Holly had decided back on Smallwood Church to cut the ride short and left us at Fire Tower.

It was around noon when we regrouped at Mill Swamp and the first rain drops fell. Harold, Rita and Patricia decided to turn back, but they were only occasional drops as Steve, Catherine, Ron, Joan and I continued on to Goose Bay. Rain began in earnest as we arrived at the Marina.

The store wasn't open, and after a short break for snacks and the rest room (still relocated due to construction) we put on our rain gear and continued on. The rain didn't last long, petering out before we reached Pisgah and stopping entirely by the time we got back to Livingston Road.

The forecast had indicated a 1:40 arrival time, but we beat that by 40 minutes, arriving almost exactly at 1 pm, a bit damp and a bit cold, but not enough to have prevented us from having a good time.

Old Chaptico Wharf to Country Lakes (CC 35)

Stephen Palincsar — Sat, 28 Jan 2023 15:30:00 GMT

The Group at Northern Senior Center

Leader: Steve Palincsar

Members: Steve Perakis, Lois Lightfoot, Patricia Walthers, Joan Oppel, Sarah Clement, Holly Carr, Gilbert Dutchover, Randy and Jackie Schock, Patricia Sanders and Mary Scala

Guests: none

Route: https://ridewithgps.com/routes/41846910

Weather: The Post's Capital Weather Gang called it, "A Saturday to get out doors" and they were right. Partly cloudy to clear skies, 46 to 57 degrees with 7 mph winds gusting up to 14 and clear brilliant sunlight made for an absolutely beautiful day.

AMS: 12.8

Mechanicals/Mishaps: New cleats that needed adjustment at the start of the ride and a recalcitrant RWGPS phone app that eventually required a phone reset to behave correctly, but otherwise everthing worked great!

Report: The bright sun and clear skies made everything beautiful today. The Three Notch Trail was its usual lovely self, and we had it all to ourselves.

We rode Baptist Church a number of times last year, but always from Chaptico to the Three Notch Trail; this time we went the other way, and just south of Hayden Run we were reminded why we usually go the other way: the 94 foot climb in 0.2 mi with an 8% maximum grade made sure that when we arrived at our first rest stop at the Chaptico Store 2 miles later we'd be thoroughly warmed up. We regrouped, ate snacks, removed layers and then went on to our featured stop at Old Chaptico Wharf on the Wicomico River.

Views of the Wicomico River

Astonishingly, we had the park entirely to ourselves; on every previous visit there were boaters launching and picnickers enjoying the day. We went out on the dock and took photos and had lunch.

On the dock

We headed back to Chaptico on Maddox Rd and went up Mechanicsville to Yowaiski Mill for the exploring-unknown-roads portion of the ride.

The unknown turned out to be quiet roads with very wide shoulders, moderately rolling hills and pleasant but bland scenery. Staying on Mechanicsville instead provides more interesting scenery, but also a much more difficult hill just around the bend from Yowaiski and a lot more traffic with much narrower shoulders. This definitely won't be the last time we ride these roads.

Turning from Cox back onto Mechanicsville, we continued to the Three Notch Trail and turned on Locke's Crossing, riding past farms and a couple of Amish buggies before taking Thompson Corner back to the Three Notch Trail and the final leg back to Northern Senior Center.

It was a thoroughly enjoyable day, and it felt as though spring was just around the corner. I can hardly wait.

Friday IndianHead 20 mile All Class

Randall Schoch — Fri, 27 Jan 2023 18:00:00 GMT

Leaders - Jackie & Randy Schoch

Members - Ron Altemus, Donaro Gardner, Leesha Saunders, and Gene Villiva.

Guests - None

Route - IHRT

Weather - Cloudy, cool (low 40's) and breezy.

Mechanicals/Mishaps - Gene had trouble with fender rubbing.

Report - Our regulars came out on this not so nice afternoon. Gene had to abort because of his fender rubbing. His bike had fallen over and apparently damaged the fender. There were very few other trail users today. We saw a few walkers, two dogs with their owner in tow, and one other cyclist. We saw three deer and one Blue Heron and not much else. After a very short stay at the White Plains rest stop, we all headed back to the parking lot so as not to get too chilled by not moving. Not a bad day considering it is the middle of winter. Ron and Donaro wanted to get their miles in by the end of the month. Looking for spring.

Celestial, Young & Pinefield (CC, 35)

Stephen Palincsar — Thu, 26 Jan 2023 15:30:00 GMT

At the Moreland Market

Leader: Steve Palincsar

Members: Anonymous User, Holly Carr, Donaro Gardner

Guests: none

Route: https://ridewithgps.com/routes/41857565 35.1 mi, 1189' elevation gain

Weather: high 40s, perhaps even 51 but due to the wind it felt much more like 40 degrees. and those "gusts up to 26" were gusting most of the time.

The sky was "partly to mostly cloudy," but the "mostly" part was heavy dark clouds that almost completely covered the sky and the "partly" parts were rare but spectacular: brilliant seams in the heavy, dark cloud banks as bright as white-hot molten steel, blazing shafts of sunlight slanting down from between dark clouds and the isolated small patch of brilliant blue. If you were lucky enough to be in the spotlight of one of those shafts of sunlight the sun felt deliciously warm, but in the shadow under the clouds it felt cold.

AMS: 13.1

Mechanicals/Mishaps: none

Report: Looking at the hill profile of this route on RWGPS you'd think that this would be an easy ride: nearly all flat, almost 50 degrees with gentle breezes. It would have been, too, if the weather had been anything like that.

Instead, it was colder in the parking lot at North Keys Park than we've seen there this winter. That 11 mph breeze was a continuous 26 mph buffeting wind. We fought it all the way the Moreland Market, and then to Pinefield. We took a long tour through the development with the wind at our backs, -- here's Holly at the corner of Spruce and Holly Ave --

and a half a mile later we found an intersection where the Garmin said turn right and the Wahoo said turn left.

A conference and a quick look at a map and we were back on course, and few turns later on St Peters Church passing Cedarville State Forest; turning on Ash Box at the Cedarville Deli; then back into the wind on Brandywine and finally galloping down Gibbons Church back to the park.

They say there's no bad weather, only bad clothing, and pretty much that was the case today. Dressed for the weather, we had fun playing in the wind.

Back to Nanjemoy

Joan Oppel — Tue, 24 Jan 2023 15:30:00 GMT

Leader: Joan Oppel

Riders: Ron Altemus, Susan Golonka, Jessica Hirschhorn, Cathy Miller, Karen Morgan, Mary Scala, Alan Kurzweil, Harold Datz, Rita Zeidner

Route: 40 miles - https://ridewithgps.com/routes/41845250

We went to Nanjemoy and this was a route with a lot of long stretches without turns - Chixcamuxen to Riverside, then to Liverpool Point. We stopped at the Nanjemoy Community Center - where they were happy to see us again. We went to Ironsides by way of Poseytown, Bowie and Baptist Church. And then all of Ironsides and Mason Springs. Our return took a big loop up Hawthorne to connect to Chapmans Landing, then back on Hungerford, Metropolitan Church and Livingston.

Weather: Mid to high 40's, mostly sunny

Mechanicals: None

Report: Nanjemoy did not disappoint - lovely as usual. And lots of quiet roads (except for the usual busy sections). It was fun to enjoy the long stretches with no turns. Our group became a few groups but everyone enjoyed the route and the weather.

We also celebrated a birthday - but the video of our raucous celebratory song did not win any awards so is not included here.

Upper Pindell to South County (CC, 34)

Stephen Palincsar — Sat, 21 Jan 2023 15:30:00 GMT

Lunch at South County Cafe

Leader: Steve Palincsar

Members: Linda Bankerd, Janell Saunders, Robert Corradi

Guests: none

Route: https://ridewithgps.com/routes/31833858

Weather: Usually the forecast is pretty accurate, but not today. It's that they got the temperature wrong -- 42 at the start, 44 by early afternoon -- but they predicted "partly to mostly cloudy," cloud cover 54% - 60%. What we got instead was 100% cloud cover, and what a difference it made.

Yesterday with temperatures in the 40s the sun made it feel warm and cozy whenever you could get out of the wind. Today, the lack of sun -- just bright enough to need sunglasses but dark and gloomy with them on -- made the low 40s feel like the 30s.

The wind, they said, would be 6-8 mph with gusts up to 14; they were right about the 14, but continuous.

Unlike the past few days' rides that seemed like spring was almost here, today was gloomy winter, making what on a gentler day would have been a fairly short, easy ride much more challenging.

AMS: 12.5

Mechanicals/Mishaps: none

Report: Weather Underground's forecast called for clearing skies by 10:00, but the only clearing was a small sliver of blue on the eastern horizon, gone in minutes. The sky remained a dispirited, gloomy gray.

The route included a couple of surprises, roads we almost never ride. The Rt 4 service road to Plummer Lane to Pindell to Lower Pindell -- we do that a dozen times a year or more. One road flows into the next like the notes in a familiar melody. But not today. Today when we came to the T intersection on Pindell, instead of going right on Lower Pindell we turned left onto Upper Pindell, taking it Southern Maryland Boulevard.

A few miles later in the ride, crossing Rt 4 at the roundabout we took Walke and Old Solomons Island down to the Dash In for a rest stop, once again a very familiar melody: this is how we go North Beach. After the break you come back up Old Solomons and go right on Friendship, taking it all the way down to Chesapeake Market, or else you go left on Fairhaven down to the Bay, around the pond and right on Town Point to Leitch.

But not today. Today we went straight across Friendship, staying on Old Solomons Island, on a lovely section we've only ridden a couple of times before, that takes you to Rt 4. A half mile on Rt 4 and we turned on Fairhaven, down past Franklin Gibson to Town Point and Leitch, then climbing back up to Franklin Gibson.

We stopped at the top of the hill for a moment and I reminded everyone of the twisty descent down to Trott's Branch and the 80 foot wall lying in wait out of sight just past the bridge.

The map says you get a quarter mile to climb it, but on the ground it looks more like a tenth. You're really flying when you cross Trott's Branch, having lost 130' on a half mile descent. You come around the corner and there's that little hum. You're going so fast you're certain you can get up it in your big ring.

Then suddenly the grade steepens and you slow down. Oh oh -- you need to make a front shift and it's almost too late. You're out of gears, the grade has risen to over 9%, effort is spiking, RPMs have slowed, the chain won't drop and in a flash you realize you're going to stall and you can't get your cleat out.

Many's the time that little wall has had its pound of flesh, and today was no exception.

Once over the wall it's a short distance to Deale Rd. Make the right turn and it's a screaming mile descent down to sea level. On a tandem I've done over 50 there but today the Garmin only recorded 31.6.

At South County Cafe we decided to have lunch inside instead of sitting outside at one of the picnic tables as we usually do. It's the first time I can recall doing so, but it was much nicer inside!

Leaving the cafe we made our way to West Bay Front, taking it to Brooks Woods. We turned on Brooks Woods, but then, another surprise, took Little back to Bay Front. Another mile and a half on Bay Front and we turned on Southern Maryland Boulevard, riding the rollers back to Waysons.

Friday IHRT ~20 ALL class

Ron Altemus — Fri, 20 Jan 2023 18:00:00 GMT

Leader:   Ron Altemus

Members: Donaro Gardner, Randy Schoch

Route:   Indian Head Rail Trail, Livingston Rd parking lot to White Plains r/t

Weather:   temps hovering at 50 degrees under mostly cloudy skies with 13 mph NW winds with gusts up to 20-25 mph

AMS:   12 mph

Mechanicals/Mishaps:   none

Report:   Outbound heading east with a nice tail wind made for a pleasant ride. On our return, we had a several stretches into fierce gusty winds, such that my cyclometer was showing negative mph.   If the sun had been able to break through the one big cloud over top of us, it would have been quite warm.

A few fellow cyclists, some walkers, and one woman rollerblading. Outbound, we saw her near the Hudnall bench heading west. By the time we were ready to leave White Plains, she was returning to her car. We asked if she had run up a sail to have the wind push her along so quickly. She replied a sail wasn't necessary!

Across the Northwest Wind (CC,30)

Stephen Palincsar — Fri, 20 Jan 2023 15:30:00 GMT

Leader: Steve Palincsar

Members: Holly Carr, Sarah Clement, Joan Oppel, Catherine Ade

Guests: none

Route: https://ridewithgps.com/routes/19259827

Weather: You bet there was! Capital Weather Gang this morning gave the day a 5/10, saying "Strong wind, plus off-and-on sunshine, make dressing appropriately a challenge. Upper 40s to low 50s are above average, but wind chills are about 10 degrees lower, at best." They were spot on: 46-50 degrees, 14-15 mph winds with gusts up to 28 mph from the west-northwest; overcast skies, lots of clouds, dark at the bottom, white at the top with blue sky and bright warm sun peeping out the edges unless a mass of clouds covered the sun, when it went dim and dark; relentless, gusty wind that made it seem much colder than the 50s.

AMS: 12.2

Mechanicals/Mishaps: none

Report: Back in 2017 we noticed that on windy days in Brandywine the wind always seemed to be from the northwest, and there were many roads with trees and brush, often with sunken roadways and high berms, that did largely protecting riders from side winds. Instead of the strong shove from a wind ranging free across fields of stubble, side winds were broken up into noisy froth without any real direction. Routes that turned often and seldom spend more than a mile or two going into the wind may have been challenging for a short time, but never turned into lengthy, soul-sapping never-ending dispiriting slogs.

The last time we rode out here on a really windy day (Nov. 14, Milltown, Magruders, Whites Landing and Merkle) we didn't make any special accommodations for the wind and as a result we faced sharp, frightening cross winds on Baden Naylor and hard buffeting on Croom Rd for miles at a time, and that with gusts only 18-22 mph.

This time, the forecast was clear: it was going to be a seriously windy day, and potentially cold into the bargain. So we played it smart and followed a route that stayed off Croom except for a well-protected half-mile near Candy Hill and a quarter mile between St Thomas Church and Duley Station and avoided Baden Naylor except for a short stretch between Croom and Brooks Church. The rest of the time we were on those well-protected roads already mentioned.

We started out in full winter gear and, except for a few zippers pulled slightly down and a glove change or two, stayed that way all day even when the thermometer said it was in the 50s. In spite of the wind we were comfortable, cozy and protected inside our windproof cocoons.

There were a few places that were hard, such as Fenno to St Thomas Church, up hill and into the wind until we got to Croom and the historic church, but you gain 300' over 2.9 miles, 100 of those feet in the first three tenths of a mile (7.3% maximum grade, according to RWGPS) as soon as the road name changes from Fenno to St Thomas Church, so it was always going to be hard; the wind just made it a little bit more so.

It turned out to be a very enjoyable day, and everyone had a great time.

Locust Grove, Glen Albin & Quailwood (CC, 36)

Stephen Palincsar — Wed, 18 Jan 2023 15:30:00 GMT

Leader: Steve Palincsar

Members: Sarah Clement, Catherine Ade, Alan Kurzweil, Luis Dall'Orso, Holly Carr

Guests: none

Route: https://ridewithgps.com/routes/41779164 A fairly straightforward route to La Plata: IHRT to Bumpy Oak, south to Hawthorne, continuing down Rose Hill to Chapel Point Rd and Port Tobacco, rest stop at Port Tobacco River Park to make clothing adjustments (the first of several as the day warmed). Up Locust Grove to Old Stagecoach, across 301 and continue on Springhill Newtown, up Glen Albin, right on Oak to the Dash In at Rt 6. After the break, surprises: instead of the usual left on 6, we continued on N Oak past the Port Tobacco Players theatre, taking Kent and Cecil to Washington Ave and Hawthorne. After crossing 301, we went left on Quailwood (delightful southbound) back to 6. Stay on 6 past Social Services and Poorhouse to a right on Burch, left on Poorhouse, left on Mason Springs to a rest stop at Pisgah Park. The last stretch straight north on Mason Springs to Chicamuxen, Hawthorne, Livingston back to the parking lot.

Weather: What a lovely springtime day! 53 degrees at the start, 59-61 by early afternoon. Clear blue skies, contrails the only clouds visible on the drive south, joined by very high thin clouds later in the morning, and 7-8 mph breezes with gusts up to 17, most noticeable after we left La Plata and ride directly into the wind.

AMS: 14.2

Mechanicals/Mishaps: none

Report: We started on the Indian Head Rail Trail with the wind at our back, a bit chilly at the start, but by the time we climbed Bumpy Oak we were warming up. We stopped at Port Tobacco River Park, ostensibly a portolet stop but today it was mostly conversation and clothing adjustments. A lovely climb up Locust Grove, a gorgeous stretch through farmland on Springhill Newtown, three sawtooth climbs on Glen Albin and we were at the Dash In for lunch and more conversation.

We're still feeling our way along on the Kent/Cecil/Washington route to Hawthorne, having only done it a couple of times before, but once across 301 and down the road a mile, we turned on Quailwood and gleefully swooped south back to Rt 6.

Going this way we usually turn on Valley to Hawthorne and climb up to Marshall Corner amid all the traffic noise and roadside debris, but today we kept on going, passing by Valley and Rose Hill, continuing on 6. You start to climb in earnest when you pass Mary Drive and continue climbing for 3200', gaining 136' of elevation at an average grade of 4.3% and a maximum grade of 5.9% and then it levels out as you pass Poorhouse and turn on Burch, a lovely farm road just 0.8 mi long that takes you to Poorhouse.

It's about a half mile and 90' down, cross Mill Run and it's another half mile and 90' back up before it more or less levels out for a couple of miles to the turn on Mason Spring and another mile and a half to the last rest stop at Pisgah Park and time for snacks and still more conversation.

The final half dozen miles on Mason Spring, Chicamuxen, Hawthorne and Livingston back to the parking lot flew by, and then still more conversation as we all packed up and reluctantly left, a gorgeous day, a great route and a congenial, happy group of riders having made for a memorable ride.

Tour de Accokeek (extended) 28 mi CC/C

Ron Altemus — Sun, 15 Jan 2023 18:00:00 GMT

Leader:   Ron Altemus

Members:   (l-r) Steve Palincsar, Rita Zeidner, Harold Datz, Joan Oppel

Route:   https://ridewithgps.com/routes/26920630 28.2 miles, 577' elevation change. Regular Tour de Accokeek with out and backs on Fenwick, River, and Old Marshall Hall Rds

Weather: crystal clear blue skies meaning plenty of sunshine so though temps stayed just about 40 degrees, it felt warmer due to solar heating. NW winds of 12-14 mph, most noticeable on the stretch of Marshall Hall Road between Fenwick and the landing.

AMS: swept close to 11 mph

Mechanicals/Mishaps: none

Report:   As noted above, the weather seemed nicer than the data might have suggested. The "back" roads had light vehicular traffic, particularly Fenwick, so conversational cycling (CC) was the order of the day.

With the leaves down off the trees, we were afforded a rare view of Pomonkey Creek to the east of Fenwick.

Another pleasant January cycling day.

Friday IndianHead 20 mile All Class

Randall Schoch — Fri, 13 Jan 2023 18:00:00 GMT

Leaders - Jackie & Randy Schoch

Members - Ron Altemus and Donaro Gardner

Guests - None

Route - IHRT

Weather - Cold (40's) and Windy

AMS - Varied per/rider.

Mechanicals/Mishaps - None

Report - Not a great day to ride and several of those who signed up cancelled. So, just the 4 of us and not too many other trail users. There were a few walkers and several dogs. In fact, there were two aggressive dogs on the trail near the White Plains rest area. The dog's owner had trouble controlling them and they did try to attack all of us. Thankfully they were on leashes which saved us from harm. We saw no other wildlife today. There was a jogger wearing shorts, a short-sleeved shirt and no hat. He made me cold just looking at him. We saw only one other bicycle rider. We were glad to get back to the parking lot. Hope next Friday is better.

Nelson Perrie, Merkle & Patuxent River Park (CC,32)

Stephen Palincsar — Thu, 12 Jan 2023 15:30:00 GMT

Leader: Steve Palincsar

Members: Joan Oppel and Patricia Sanders

Guests: none

Route: https://ridewithgps.com/routes/34340460 -- at least, that's what we set out to do; 31.8 miles, 1468' elevation gain. But leaving the rest stop at Patuxent River Park, the group decided we were having so much fun why not extend it, and instead of taking Croom down the hill to Molly Berry we turned on Duley Station and took it to Cheltenham, Old Indian and down Van Brady to Molly Berry, adding 3.8 mi for a total of 35.6 (and a Garmin-recorded elevation gain of 2143').

Weather: 46-52 degrees with 5-6 mph winds. The forecast was for partly to mostly cloudy skies, but what we encountered was complete cloud cover at the start with a barely visible sun gradually clearing with the sun visible and patches of blue sky slowly becoming overcast again, until by the end of the ride the sky was gray. As we drove home we didn't get more than 3 miles before it began to rain, and by the time we turned on MD-5 we had heavy rain.

AMS: 12.0

Mechanicals/Mishaps: In last September's OHB Newsletter, Cynthia Nuzzi wrote about being chased by a vicious pit bull on Mount Calvert Road that came from the apartment complex by the turn for Duvall Road. (link) Today that very same vicious pit bull chased Patricia Sanders. Fortunately no physical harm was done.

Report: Today was another rewarding riding day for hardy winter riders -- as Henry V said, "We few, we happy few." Today's route featured some good climbs to warm us up: Molly Berry, Nelson Perrie, Croom from the Spice Creek bridge up to Tanyard, Duvall and Croom Airport; and some thrilling descents: Martin, Nelson Perrie, Duvall and Van Brady.

It had rained in the night or early morning and some roads looked damp, and the air felt damp and chilly when we started out. We had our first clothing adjustment stop at Nelson Perrie and Bald Eagle School, and our second at Tanyard at Croom.

We made short work of the stop at Merkle - visit the portolet, take a couple of pictures and onward. We stayed longer at the Pavilion at Patuxent River Park, long enough to eat and talk about that dog on Mount Calvert Road. Patricia and Joan seemed about ready to abandon Mount Calvert and Duvall to that dog; I don't agree. I'm just not sure what to do about it. Cynthia reported the incident to Animal Control and got no satisfaction, and the dog is still roaming free.

Of course, this is not a new problem: dogs have seen passing cyclists as prey since cycling began. In the late nineteenth century in France, René Galand created the Velo-Dog as a defense for cyclists against dog attacks.

I've never actually seen a cyclist use something like this, although I was once on a bike ride where one of the riders fired a blank from a starter's pistol at a chasing dog, shocking both the dog and the other riders.

Of course, most cyclists are familiar with Halt! Dog Repellent Capsaicin spray.

Doctor Google says this about Halt!:

Halt! Products use Capsaicin, a naturally occurring extract of peppers, which, when sprayed in a dog's face, causes only temporary, but extreme discomfort for the dog. Think of it as attitude re-adjustment.

I remember well the last time I used it, sometime in 1970s. I had my bike between me and a menacing, lunging Doberman, and got a good shot in; sprayed him right in the face, right up his nostrils. He hardly blinked.

I was so intent on the dog, I wasn't paying attention to the wind direction, but when the wind carried the back-blast back to me, I not only had extreme discomfort, I also had an attitude adjustment: I thought I was having a heart attack and dying.

That's all I remember of the incident. I guess the dog must have lost interest - either from the Halt! or from his amusement watching me gasp, flail, choke and struggle for breath.

Smallwood Church & Valley

Joan Oppel — Tue, 10 Jan 2023 14:30:00 GMT

Leader: Joan Oppel

Riders: Ron Altemus, Lou Dall'Orso, Alan Kurzweil, Donaro Gardner, Steve Palincsar, Patricia Sanders, Rita Zeidner,

Route: 35 miles - https://ridewithgps.com/routes/40905481

Weather: High 30's into the low to mid-40's

Mechanicals: None

Report: Another excellent winter ride. Even though we've ridden many of these roads lately, they always deliver a very nice ride. The 1.5 mile stretch on Route 6 from Poorhouse to Valley had some thicker traffic but the rest of the time, traffic was relatively light.

I forgot to take a picture (once again). I think it's because I don't feel like taking my gloves off to do so. At the end of the ride - everyone was happy they got out to ride. So we'll just picture a group of satisfied cyclists.

Mason Neck CC/C 28 miles

Ron Altemus — Sun, 08 Jan 2023 16:00:00 GMT

Leader: Ron Altemus

Members: Steve Palincsar, Mary Scala, Pat Walthers, Joan Oppel, Cathy Miller w/Belmont Bay in the background

Route:   https://ridewithgps.com/routes/40798783 27.6 miles, 738' elevation change. Mason Neck explorations with an out and back on Belmont Blvd and then Mason Neck trail to Mason Neck State Park for a rest stop at the visitor's center. Retracing and exiting the park heading east to a clockwise tour of Hallowing Point and another clockwise tour of Gunston Manor. Returning to the Mason Neck Trail, short jags to Gunston Hall, Pohick Bay Park, and Pohick Bay Golf Course.

Weather:   mostly cloudy giving way to full overcast, temps hovering near 40 degrees, 4-7 mph breezes out of the southeast.

AMS:   swept in the mid 10s

Mechanicals/Mishaps: Pat's bike was making a noise when the front brake was applied but we couldn't figure out the cause. It didn't seem to affect her riding - just annoying since she couldn't pinpoint the problem.

Report: a last minute "special request" to ride on Mason Neck had a good showing of club members. Pat's first ride in a couple of months but she was her usual self. Cathy is participating in a "Frozen Saddles" scavenger hunt: today's directive was to find something related to a 70's decade so what better than Gunston Hall, home of George Mason. Mason was the primary author of Virginia's Declaration of Rights. It was adopted by the Virginia Constitutional Convention on June 12, 1776. Thomas Jefferson drew upon itfor the opening paragraphs of the Declaration of Independence.   Widely copied by the other colonies, it became the basis of the Constitution's Bill of Rights.

While on the trail heading towards the Mason Neck park entrance a motorist heading in the other direction honked and waved at us. They turned around and we learned it was Sarah Clement, Janell Saunders, and friend Mina returning from a hike. Eager to show off her new vehicle, Sarah drove back to the park where we met up with them for our rest stop.

Sarah's new Ford Bronco behind Mina with Flash the mini-Schnauzer, Janell, Sarah with Cassie the Golden Retriever, Joan, Cathy, Pat, Mary, and Steve.

Traversing the neighborhoods of both Hallowing Point and Gunston Manor in a seldom taken clockwise direction provides completely different perspectives and interesting river views, especially with leaves down on the trees. Almost no vehicular traffic in either neighborhood, and only a couple of busy stretches of cars on Gunston Road.

Another most pleasant early January ride.

Mallows Bay & Hancock Run (CC, 33)

Stephen Palincsar — Sat, 07 Jan 2023 16:00:00 GMT

Mallows Bay

Leader: Steve Palincsar

Members: Ron Altemus, Steve Perakis, seen here at Mallows Bay Park

Guests: none

Route: https://ridewithgps.com/routes/33413908 33 miles, 1170' of elevation gain according to RWGPS (my Garmin saw 1300'), starting from Friendship Farm Park.

Weather: Mid-40s when we started, around 51 when we finished. Clear skies with almost unlimited visibility, 4-5 mph winds, 20-30% cloud cover. An extraordinarily beautiful day, and very comfortable riding.

AMS: 11.7

Mechanicals/Mishaps: None

Ride report: It was a beautiful day in Nanjemoy. The sun was warm and bright and the roads were virtually empty of cars -perhaps a dozen in the 33 miles we rode. It was just the three of us and a group of three cyclists going the other way on Riverside, alone amidst the brown-orange of dead leaves, the stark outlines of trees interspersed with splashes of bright green pine, fir and broadleaf evergreens, and everywhere a forest of slanting shadows across the roads.

We varied the pace, sometimes working hard going up the rollers and flying down the other side, other times coasting along with little effort, chatting and enjoying the scenery with no thought to moving averages or ride statistics, just out having fun on a gorgeous winter day.

Friday IHRT ALL class ~20 miles

Ron Altemus — Fri, 06 Jan 2023 18:00:00 GMT

Leader: Ron Altemus

Members: Susan Altemus, Donaro Gardner, Robin Garnett, Fran Jezisek, Steve Palincsar, Leesha Saunders, Jackie & Randy Schoch

Route:   Charles County's finest - Indian Head Rail Trail, Livingston Rd parking lot to White Plains trailhead r/t

Weather: actually not too bad for early January - partly to mostly cloudy with temps just about 50 but with the sun in and out and WNW 10-11 mph air movement, at various points it felt warmer or colder than the actual thermometer reading.

AMS:   varied by rider, mostly probably in the 12 mph range

Mechanicals/Mishaps: none

Report:   just a pleasant and enjoyable bike ride. More trail users at the White Plains end than the middle or western sections. No wildlife to mention.

Goose Bay on a (warm) Winter Day

Joan Oppel — Thu, 05 Jan 2023 14:30:00 GMT

Leader: Joan Oppel

Riders: Alan Kurzweil, Donaro Gardner, Holly Carr, Lois Lightfoot, Patricia Sanders, Janet Shipko, Rita Zeidner, Harold Datz

Route: Up and around - then up and around again, then additional up and around for 38 miles. A great route with lots of twists and turns on a lot of our favorite roads.

https://ridewithgps.com/routes/26799449

Weather: Temperatures in the low 60's - lots of sun.

Mechanicals: None

Report: Just a terrific sunny warm-for-winter day. Nine of us took off together, one went fast off the front and the others stayed together, enjoying a nice rest stop on the comfortable Goose Bay porch. Another rider took off after we got to Fire Tower. The rest of us stayed together enjoying the company, the weather and the low traffic route.

BATHROOM NOTE: the bathroom we usually use at Goose Bay is under reconstruction. The owner in the office directed me to another one to the left of the office, then left again - behind the trailer that says Wildwood. Nice and has an electric heater.

Joan

Pisgah & Nanjemoy

Joan Oppel — Tue, 03 Jan 2023 15:00:00 GMT

Leaders: Joan Oppel

Riders: Alan Kurzweil, Sam Perry, Linda Bankerd, Sue Gunter, Donaro Gardner, Holly Carr, David Mann

Route: From Pisgah Park, out Masons Springs and Ironsides, Hancock Run/Adams Willett to Nanjemoy store. Then Riverside, Chicamuxen, Bowie, 6 and return on Masons Springs

https://ridewithgps.com/routes/41516844

Weather: Cloudy, temperature in high 50's, a little wind.

Mechanicals: Don had a flat tire on Adams Willett - a large tack about a half inch long. Only Holly and I were with him so we stopped to help and texted the others to go on. The tire was difficult to remove - and the tube change took longer than expected.

Report: The temperature made for a good riding day - for January especially. Very quiet roads, a little elevation here and there - a very nice route thanks to Ron A. Two riders added extra miles at the end and everybody reported an enjoyable ride.

Three Notch Trail, Busy Corner & Flora Corner (CC 34)

Stephen Palincsar — Mon, 02 Jan 2023 15:30:00 GMT

Riders from Ron and Steve's rides at John Baggett Park

Leader: Steve Palincsar

Members: Walt Roscello, Kennard Dixon, Lou Dall'Orso, Steve Perakis, Linda Bankerd, Diane Harris, Theresa Rowell and Sue Gunter

Guests: none

Route: https://ridewithgps.com/routes/41687889

Weather: Glorious! Early spring on the second of January. Sunny skies, 3-5 mph winds with gusts up to 8 (or so they claimed). 54 degrees at the start, rising to the low 60s by early afternoon and over 65 on the drive home.

AMS: 13.1

Mechanicals/Mishaps: Linda had a flat tire very early in the ride, quickly fixed. Much later in the day, as we were riding down Woodburn Hill Rd, a narrow farm road with soft dirt shoulders, we crossed paths with a large garbage truck. Even though the driver slowed down and steered his right side wheels onto the shoulder, there was barely room to get by. Ken tried to ride onto the shoulder to get around the truck, but his front wheel sank into the soft mud and he went down. He was unhurt but his bike suffered some damage to the front brake, which no longer worked.

Report: It was a fantastic, glorious early spring day and everyone we met seemed to be filled with joy. We rode together with Ron's group down to Baggett Park on the Three Notch Trail, parting on Laurel Grove taking a big figure-8 on Laurel Grove, Kavanaugh and Loveville to Busy Corner and Rt 5, then heading north on Morganza Turner to the crossing at Three Notch Highway where we walked across and had a break at the Korner Karryout.

We continued north with the wind at our backs flying up the rollers on Rt 6 then turned on Flora Corner and headed across the wind to Rt 5, Old Flora Corner and Village Rd to Mechanicsville where we picked up the Three Notch Trail once gain.

We stayed on the trail until Locke's Crossing, taking it to Woodburn Hill Rd. through Amish farmland, skipping the planned stop at the Clover Hill Dairy, until we ran out of pavement. We saw a few eagles, but nothing

Theresa on Woodburn Hill Rd

like the crowds of them we've seen along this road in the springtime. We backtracked to Thompson Corner and turned back onto the Three Notch Trail, all but Lou who went down to Rt 5 to ride home. He didn't hear our shouts that he'd left his car at Northern Senior Center and rode a few bonus miles before remembering he'd driven to the ride start, turned around and rejoined us.

You couldn't have wished for a nicer day or a nicer ride on this, the second day of January, 2023.

Three Notch Trail ALL class 22 mi

Ron Altemus — Mon, 02 Jan 2023 15:30:00 GMT

Leader: Ron Altemus

Members:   Sarah Clement, Jane & Jim Hudnall, Joan & Lester Jackson, Dani & Gene Villia (see Steve's ride report for the entire group photo)

Route:   Three Notch Trail in its entirety, starting at the Northern Senior Center and riding south to John Baggett Park for a rest stop. Retracing north to Deborah Drive before u-turning and back to the start.

Weather:   as Steve aptly described it "Glorious! Early spring on the second of January. Sunny skies, 3-5 mph winds with gusts up to 8 (or so they claimed). 54 degrees at the start, rising to the low 60s by early afternoon and over 65 on the drive home."

AMS: swept at 11 mph

Mechanicals/Mishaps: none

Report:   it was just like old times (or at least, pre-pandemic times!). Different classes starting off together with routes diverging, allowing riders of various speeds to have an opportunity to pick and choose a ride suiting their comfort level.   Both groups visited at Baggett Park prior to Steve's group heading out for extra miles. Though Joan and Lester had turned back prior to the park, the rest of us did the full 3NT trail - a first for two members of our group. Lunch afterwards at Popeye's allowed the socializing to continue. A really great ride, great day, especially considering it was January 2.

New Year's Day DC Tour

Joan Oppel — Sun, 01 Jan 2023 15:30:00 GMT

Leaders: Joan Oppel

Riders: Steve Palincsar, Robin Garnett, Diane Harris, Theresa Rowell, Janell Saunders, Steve Forman, Ron Altemus, Ray Luckenbach, Cathy Miller, Ed Miller, Steve Perakis, Esther Steward, Leslie Tierstein, Len Wilkinson, Steve Brown, Linda Bankerd, Sherwood Byers, Cynthia Cypress, Leesha Saunders

Route: https://ridewithgps.com/routes/29113315 - But we subtracted and added.

Weather: A sunny bright day, average temperature in the high 50's, mid-60's at ride's end

Mechanicals/Mishaps: One rider took a brief tumble, none the worse.

Report: It was a gorgeous day for a ride! Riders from all speed classes took off together and stayed together through all of DC until we all went to Hains Point and then went our separate ways.

Highlights: Gravelly Point, the Jeffersonl, the Martin Luther King, the Lincoln memorials. At the coffee shop near the White House, everyone enjoyed the outside tables.

When we got to Pennsylvania Avenue for the approach to the Capitol, we found that DC police had closed the road to traffic - a lovely gift (because the mayor held a 5k run). Instead of the usual roundabout route to the top of Capitol Hill, everyone chose the shortcut that included a quarter mile climb.

We stopped at the Botanical Garden to see the amazing train display, focused on miniature recreations of ecosystems from around the world. Then on to Hains Point for a lap around the perimeter. A terrific start to 2023 with good companions. Joan

Tidal Basin:

Under the watchful eye of MLK:

Botanical Garden display:

Gravelly Point:

Friday IHRT - All class - 20+ Miles

Randall Schoch — Fri, 30 Dec 2022 18:00:00 GMT

Leaders - Jackie & Randy Schoch

Members - (l-r) Donaro Gardner, Dani Villiva, Fran Jezisek, Gene Villiva, Susan Altemus, Robin Garnett, Jackie & Randy. (not pictured - photog Ron Altemus)

Route - IHRT

Weather - Clear in the 60's, low breeze.

AMS - Varied per/rider.

Mechanicals/Mishaps - None.

Report - A great turnout of riders for the last IHRT Friday ride of 2022. Other club members on the trail today other than those listed were Bob Moye, Jim & Jane Hudnall, Steve Palincsar, and Pete Ulrich. There were many trail users today including walkers, kids on trainer bikes with parents in-tow, many bikers, several e-bikes, and a young man on a "hover board". We saw no wildlife which was no surprise with all the people on the trail.

It was a pleasant ride to the White Plains rest stop where we chatted with our group of bikers and other bikers who were taking a break. The return trip was a little breezy but no problem. As soon as the sun set, the Temp's started to drop. What a wonderful way to end our Friday rides for 2022. See you next Friday to begin 2023.

Rally for Whites Ferry

Joan Oppel — Thu, 29 Dec 2022 15:00:00 GMT

Leaders: Joan Oppel and Jessica Hirschhorn

Riders: Lynn Schoenfelder, Kurt VanGelder, Reid Detchon, Steve Palincsar, Lynda Honberg, Ron Honberg, Sara Sennett, Karen Berlage (Guest). Rita Zeidner was at the start but did not ride due to a mechanical.

Route: 36 miles - https://ridewithgps.com/routes/41652906

Weather: A sunny bright day, temperature about 34-36 at ride start. Winds were very light and the thermometer was up to about 48 for the last hour of riding.

Mechanicals/Mishaps: As noted above, one member was not able to start the ride due to a broken (in 2 pieces) rear derailleur, discovered in the parking lot. Also, one person took a fall but managed to fall into the mud and leaves on the wide shoulder of one of the rural roads and emerged shaken but unscathed (bike also).

Report: The most surprising thing for all of us, suburban/urban dwellers all - was the the very VERY surprising amount of actual ice on the roads out there. In a few places, it was (no exaggeration) 2-4 inches thick, and covering so much of the road surface that walking was the only option. Three of the walking sections were 10-12 feet long or so but one was half a block! Other patches of ice in our direction were easily avoided by switching lanes but they were still notable. The ice must be from heavy run-off from the surrounding fields.....??? (There were no ice sections any where near a water main - too rural.)

Not many rides start at Whites Ferry, and it's a 2 mile climb up from the river, with varying grades but requiring a good bit of work. After that there's a one mile climb, followed by just a lot of different grade hills. Total elevation for 36 miles - 2200 or so.

It was a gorgeous winter day, sun glinting on the fields, quiet low traffic roads - and good company!

The reason for this ride was to join the afternoon rally to support the opening of Whites Ferry. The ferry crosses the Potomac River to connect Virginia near Leesburg with Poolesville in Maryland - and many other locales on both sides of the river. It saves drivers a lot of miles (12 miles to the nearest bridge) and time (crossing is about 10-15 minutes) but it has been closed for over two years in a dispute over the private property landing site in Virginia. Residents of both states want it opened but negotiations have failed so far.

Estimated crowd attending the rally - 200-300 people, including a few cyclists. Many cyclists have used the ferry to connect a two state route across the Potomac (the fare was about a dollar).

Joan and Jessica

(The group was so focused on navigating the ice safely that we forgot to take pictures.)

Mason Neck explorations 28 mi CC/C

Ron Altemus — Wed, 28 Dec 2022 15:30:00 GMT

Leader: Ron Altemus

Members:   Lois Lightfoot & Joan Oppel (w/frozen Kanes Creek behind them at Mason Neck State Park)

Route: https://ridewithgps.com/routes/40798783 27.6 miles, 738' elevation change. Out and back on Belmont Blvd for a view of Belmont Bay, then Mason Neck trail to the state park. Leaving the park, east on Gunston Road to tour the Hallowing Point and Gunston Manor neighborhoods in reverse (clockwise instead of the usual counter-clockwise). Final leg included short spurs to Gunston Hall and Pohick Bay Regional Park.

Weather:   lots of sunshine w/gentle SW breezes resulting in start temps in the mid 30s rising to the upper 40s by ride end.

AMS: just about 11 mph

Mechanicals/Mishaps: none

Report:   Brilliant sunshine and blue skies providing great views of Belmont Bay, the Potomac River, and Pohick Bay along with glimpses into the forests which would be blocked by leaves in warmer seasons.

At the end of the spur to view Belmont Bay, we pondered the texture of the water, thinking we were seeing ice flows on the far shoreline, sheet ice in a large segment of the bay, and open water beyond. Arriving at Mason Neck State Park, our guesses were confirmed.

While departing the park, we discussed the sightings of Tundra Swans reported at the Great Marsh. When we reached the parking lot for the Joseph Gartlen trail, we decided to venture down it to see if swans were viewable. Though they can't really be seen in the picture below, the observation deck overlooking the Great Marsh features a spotting scope which brought a large number of swans into focus on the far side of the marsh.

A most enjoyable late December ride so kudos to Joan for suggesting this excursion.

Ft Hunt Christmas Lights 12 mi ALL class

Ron Altemus — Wed, 21 Dec 2022 22:30:00 GMT

Leaders: Joan Oppel & Ron Altemus

Members:   Cynthia Cypress, Fran Jezisek, Jake Altemus, Jessica Hirschhorn, Susan Altemus

Route: a circuitous meander through the Waynewood, Potomac Valley, Stratford Landing, and Riverside Gardens neighborhoods of the Greater Fort Hunt Metropolitan Statistical Area.

Weather:   dark overcast skies, temps falling from close to 40 to mid/low 30s, negligible air movement.

AMS:   8 mph - slower than Santa's sleigh

Mechanicals/Mishaps: a slo-mo tumble into a grassy area for one rider exacerbated by the foot coming out of the shoe which remained on the pedal. Cold fingers (though not quite frozen) made it difficult to get all accoutrements back together into correct working condition.

Report:   Without a doubt, the coldest temps for this annual event in the past 4-5 years. The relative lack of wind made it doable, though.

Consensus was more houses were decorating with lights and inflatables than last year. We kept moving, trying to stay warm, so there were only a few stops and no picture taking (didn't want to take off the several layers of gloves/mittens and expose bare flesh to the cold).

Chapel Point, Fairgrounds & Pomfret (CC, 33mi)

Stephen Palincsar — Wed, 21 Dec 2022 16:00:00 GMT

Leader: Steve Palincsar

Members: Catherine Ade

Guests: none

Route: https://ridewithgps.com/routes/41622215 32.5 mi, 1131' elevation gain

Weather: Sunny, clear, light winds 3-5 mph; 38 degrees at the start rising to a high of 44 degrees.

AMS: 13.9

Mechanicals/Mishaps: none

Report: Light winds and sunny skies made temperatures in the high 30s and low 40s relatively pleasant and the bright sun made everything beautiful. It was an uneventful, pleasant ride on the Indian Head Rail Trail, then up Bumpy Oak and down Rose Hill to Port Tobacco.

What was meant to be a brief stop planned for Port Tobacco Park turned into a lengthy wait for the one portolet to become free, so we skipped the usual scenery stop at St Ignatius and went straight on across 301.

At the end of Fairgrounds we and the County Police cruiser passing us in the left lane stopped to wait for a mother cat to get all her kittens safely across the road before we turned onto 301 and entered La Plata.

After a break at the Dash In we flew down Rt 6 and climbed Valley and Hawthorne to Marshall Corner, Pomfret and the IHRT, ending with 32.4 miles after a very satisfying first official winter ride.

Fire Tower, Mill Swamp (CC, 31)

Stephen Palincsar — Sat, 17 Dec 2022 16:00:00 GMT

Leader: Steve Palincsar

Members: Ron Altemus, Aaron Klapow, Holly Carr, Sarah Clement, Joan Oppel and Donaro Gardner

Guests: Or maybe more like a hook-up, Robert Corradi, who happened to be riding by on the IHRT on a solo 40-something ride from Upper Marlboro and joined us for the ride.

Route: https://ridewithgps.com/routes/41603248

Weather: Clear, 45-46 degrees with 6-8 mph winds with gusts up to 16 mph.

AMS: 12.9

Mechanicals/Mishaps: Aaron's bike was repeatedly throwing the chain off the small rear sprocket. A quarter turn on the high gear adjustment screw took care of that.

Report: It was a lovely day for riding, much nicer feeling than the predictions had led one to believe. It was good to see Sarah and Holly, don't get to see them very often, and we were joined for the first time by Aaron.

As we were getting ready to ride, Robert rode by on the IHRT and was recognized by someone in the group. We got to chatting and taking note of his Salsa Cutthroat, an "ultra-endurance" gravel bike "inspired by the Tour Divide" which he plans to ride when he retires. Robert joined us for the entire ride and had a good time, as did we all.

Today's route was a variation on one of the first routes I led this year, slightly extended by adding a rest stop at Pisgah Park rather than at the Pisgah store. While we were having a break at the park, Ron and Joan rode a lap around the path in the park and suggested we take a long cut on the way back, going down Sweetman to Chicamuxen and back onto Marbury Run at Gray Bros. store, which we (or almost all of us) did.

It was a very social and enjoyable ride. At the end, Aaron said "You should charge for this." Happily, rides like this come free with your membership.

Friday IndianHead 20 mile All Class

Randall Schoch — Fri, 16 Dec 2022 18:00:00 GMT

Leader - Randy Schoch (Jackie is sick)

Members - Ron & Susan Altemus, Robin Garnett, Donaro Gardner, Tracie Cebrzynski, Don Haller, .

Guests - Mike McMahon, and Richard Marvine

Route - IHRT

Weather - Sunny & Cloudy, breezy and chilly (40's)

AMS - Varied per/rider

Mechanicals/Mishaps - None

Report - A good turnout of our riders considering a brisk December day. Very few other trail users and we saw almost no wildlife at all. We had a pleasant ride to the White Plains rest stop.

Because of the cool temps and cold breeze, we didn't stay long. On our return, we had a head wild which made us work a little. But not a bad ride considering. I think the 1pm start during the winter is a good idea (thanks Ron for suggesting it).

Fort Washington Tantallon Tour

Stephen Palincsar — Wed, 14 Dec 2022 18:00:00 GMT

Fort Washington Lighthouse

Leader: Steve Palincsar

Members: Catherine Ade

Guests: none

Route: https://ridewithgps.com/routes/41595228 24.6 miles, 1385' elevation gain.

Weather: Cloudy, light winds, 40-42 degrees

AMS: 11.9

Mechanicals/Mishaps: none

Report: Past the road construction and once again, down Farmington across 210 and left on Livingston, but this time we went up Taylor.

Even my Garmin thought Taylor was a hill. 1.2 miles of climbing, 285' gained and 100' lost, with a maximum grade of 14.5%. But, we had some low traffic suburban scenery and still more road construction to look at while climbing, instead of cars on Livingston with no shoulder. It's a worthwhile trade, if you can manage Taylor, that is.

Across 210 on Old Fort we rode through woods until we turned on Fort Washington Rd, entered the park and rode down to the lighthouse - or, as close as we could get without leaving the pavement - and back up to the Visitors Center, which although closed, offered a place to park our bikes while we looked at the Potomac and the old fort.

Leaving Fort Washington we went through Tantallon and back up to Old Fort, across 210, down Gallahan, up Chatsworth and back to the firehouse with plenty of daylight to spare.

"I didn't think we'd be so slow, but I couldn't have gone any faster," said Catherine.

Late notice Tuesday ride

Joan Oppel — Tue, 13 Dec 2022 16:00:00 GMT

Route: https://ridewithgps.com/routes/40905481

Weather: Low wind, sunny, around 36-37 degrees throughout ride

Mechanicals/Mishaps: none

Report: Patricia Sanders and I were the only riders (though the ride was admittedly listed rather late the day before). We enjoyed the route, experienced very low traffic except for the Rt 6 and Hawthorne stretches. It was great to be on our bikes, and enjoying the sun.

Dixie Lyon, Aviation Yacht Club & Flora Corner (CC, 34)

Stephen Palincsar — Sat, 10 Dec 2022 16:00:00 GMT

Wicomico Shores Landing

Leader: Steve Palincsar

Members: Ron Altemus, Steve Perakis and Kennard Dixon

Guests: none

Route: https://ridewithgps.com/routes/31138425 33.6 mi, 1300' elevation gain.

Weather: Cloudy with a few moments of breakthrough sunshine early on, settling down to heavy clouds. 39 degrees at the start, rising to no more than 44 degrees. 5 mph wind with gusts up to 8, although when we were riding directly into the wind from Chaptico to MD-6 it seemed and sounded much stronger.

AMS: 12.3

Mechanicals/Mishaps: Somewhere along Thompson Corner Rd between 8-9 miles into the ride, Steve Perakis' rear derailleur failed, losing the ability to tension the chain. He turned back hoping to ride back to the ride start, but was rescued by a passing motorist. Ken Dixon arrived a few minutes after 11, as we were about to set out, having given up hope of his arriving. He said "Go ahead, I'll catch up with you," but he never did. We didn't see him pass us, but when we got back to Northern Senior Center his car was gone. What happened remains a mystery.

Report: It was a chilly, overcast day with a sky bright enough for me to need to wear sunglasses, but not bright enough to provide any warmth. According to the weather report the wind wasn't that strong, but it was loud. We saw several horse-drawn carriages and buggies -- indeed, were passed by one on Ryceville -- and on the first section of the Three Notch Trail and along Dixie Lyon there was considerable evidence of their passing.

After Steve Perakis turned back, Ron and I continued the ride, stopping at Wicomico Shores Landing and at the convenience store at Hills Club and MD-5S, formerly but no longer called Burchmart, unchanged inside and still lacking rest rooms and hot drinks.

When we reached the Three Notch Trail at Oaks Road, Ron headed north on the trail in search of some additional mileage while I headed straight back to Northern Senior Center. On the way home, it occasionally rained lightly.

For a ride on an unpromising day ten days into December, it was excellent, and we had a great time.

Friday IHRT ALL class ride ~20 miles

Ron Altemus — Fri, 09 Dec 2022 18:00:00 GMT

Leader:   Ron Altemus

Members:   Randy Schoch, Fran Jezisek, Donaro Gardner, Susan Altemus

Route:   Indian Head Rail Trail - Livingston Road parking lot to White Plains trailhead and return

Weather:   temperature staying at 50 degrees under blue skies/sunshine, 5-6 mph breezes mainly out of the north

AMS:   mid 11s

Mechanicals/Mishaps:   none

Report:   few other trail users (counted 5 cyclists, a tad more walkers) w/very little in the way of wildlife. With the sun setting at its earliest time for the year on Saturday, the lighting was very yellowish with long shadows. An enjoyable ride for mid December.

After the ride, Susan, Fran, and your faithful correspondent went to the Kris Kringle Craft show at the Charles County Fairgrounds where Jackie Schoch was displaying and selling her stained glass art. After visiting with her and sampling the other vendors, we were treated to the arrival of Santa Claus via fire truck. A fun time!

T0 NOTE: the Friday IHRT trail leaders have decided to go with a 1 p.m. start for the rest of 2022 and continue same through the end of February 2023. The later start time allows for slightly warmer temps.

Even Madder Mattawoman (CC, 31mi)

Stephen Palincsar — Fri, 09 Dec 2022 15:00:00 GMT

Mattawoman Creek at the foot of Mattingly Ave

Leader: Steve Palincsar

Members: Catherine Ade

Guests: none

Route: https://ridewithgps.com/routes/41547327, slightly shortened due to time constraints by coming down Bumpy Oak rather than Pomfret, for a total of 28.6 mi

Weather: Sunny, clear cloudless skies, 45-50 degrees, winds 6 mph with gusts up to 11.

AMS: 13.3

Mechanicals/Mishaps: none

Report: I had to get home for a PT appointment, and Catherine had to get to work so the 1 pm start for the IHRT ride didn't work. I'd posted this ride for Wednesday but had to cancel it because of rain, so it seemed like a perfect alternative, with the added bonus that if all went to schedule we'd get to say hello to Ron and the IHRT riders. It was a lovely ride, with beautiful views of the Mattawoman Creek at Mattingly Ave in Indian Head, at the end of Mattawoman Creek Rd (where the old footbridge to the Navy base was years ago) at Smallwood Park and along the IHRT.

We must have spent too much time admiring the views, because when we reached Marshall Corner Rd we were about 10 minutes behind time so I shortened the route by coming down Bumpy Oak instead of taking Marshall Corner to Pomfret.

In the end, it worked out perfectly, the shortened distance was perfectly satisfying, and we did get to say hi to Ron and Randy too. And I made it to PT on time.

Cross Road, Croom Airport Down Van Brady (CC,32)

Stephen Palincsar — Thu, 08 Dec 2022 15:00:00 GMT

Photo op on Duvall

Mattaponi Creek, Molly Berry & Van Brady

Leader: Steve Palincsar

Members: Joan Oppel, Patricia Sanders, Catherine Ade, Lou Dall'Orso, Alan Kurzweil

Guests: none

Route: https://ridewithgps.com/routes/40403354

Weather: Low 50s, a few minutes of sun at the start only to quickly turn mostly cloudy, but a wonderful welcome treat after the past few dismal days of rain.

AMS: 12.2 at the front, maybe high 11s at the rear.

Mechanicals/Mishaps: While crossing the closed gate leading to the Pavilion, Patricia missed her footing and took a tumble, but no harm was done. A couple of dogs came out into the road on Mt Calvert and barked at us; we shouted back and then rode away from them. Otherwise, everyone's gear functioned flawlessly.

Report: Were it not for a chilly, rainy week preceding it, we might not have thought today's weather was special or delightful, but after days of cold, rain, mist, fog and drizzle with forecasts that started with 16% of rain but worsened throughout the day and canceled rides, today was simply grand. Dry, not too windy, no need for the full winter gear with heavy gloves, insulated booties, balaclavas with face coverings to breathe through; a thoroughly pleasant day for December.

Alan went off the front and off the route in search of bonus miles, as he often does, while the rest formed into a lead group and a trailing group, regrouping at Old Indian Head and Cherry Tree Crossing (where we actually saw a train consisting of an engine and one car on the tracks) and St Thomas Church and Croom, then all coming together at the rest stop at the Patuxent River Park Pavilion.

After climbing Duvall all but Alan stopped to regroup and take a photo. We were so engaged in conversation at the Pavilion I'd forgotten all about "photos prove it happened" and besides, I don't think anyone has ever stopped just there for a group photo.

We skipped the optional rest stop at Moore's store -- not surprising, that was put in when I made this route last August, and we definitely needed it then -- and continued on Duley Station and Cheltenham to the wonderful downhill on Van Brady.

As we were waiting on the bridge at Molly Berry I realized I'd ridden past Mattaponi Creek [not to be confused with the Mattawoman Creek, as I originally did] paralleling Van Brady hundreds, perhaps thousands of times, but had always been so engaged in riding that I'd never given it more than a passing glance and never realized it goes all the way to the Patuxent just below Jug Bay.

Just under 32 miles was a perfect distance for today, and with decent weather, nice scenery, interesting roads and a friendly group it was a very enjoyable ride.

Farmington, Miller Farms to Piscataway (CC 25mi )

Stephen Palincsar — Mon, 05 Dec 2022 15:00:00 GMT

Leader: Steve Palincsar

Members: Catherine Ade

Guests: none

Route: https://ridewithgps.com/routes/41548425

Weather: Sunny, mostly cloudy; 39 at the start, rising to the mid-to-high 40s by noon. In truth, it didn't feel as though it was getting warmer at all until noon, thanks to the wind of our passage.

AMS: 12.4

Mechanicals/Mishaps: none

Report: Only two of us showed interest in riding today, even though they're forecasting rain all week, but we both had time constraints: I had a physical therapy appointment and Catherine had to be in Bethesda at 2:00 pm for work. Randoplan said we'd finish at 12:48 and Google Maps said Accokeek to Bethesda is 1 hr, so that left 12 minutes to pack the car and change clothes -- no problem; plenty of time, let's ride!

The route is a return to territory we used to ride often, on the May Metric, and on midweek rides, but access across MD-5 has been cut off road work on the Rt 5 interchange and we haven't been here at all this year. So it was a trip down Memory Lane: down Farmington -- how pretty it is, and how steep it looked driving up it before the ride! Across 210, and how narrow Farmington is, and how disturbing the snorting of a large diesel truck right behind you that can't get by.

Livingston is as narrow as I remember, and there's as much traffic, but the potholes are gone so it's much safer now. No traffic at all, and easy grades through The Preserve up to Danville, which still has a rural feel; and then onto South Springfield, also rural and then the plunge down to Burch Branch and the steep climb up to the stop sign at Floral Park. We used to do this in May on the metric. We must have been a lot younger then.

We took Floral Park down to Windbrook and climbed up to Piscataway Rd. It's a long steady mile-long climb gaining 200' of elevation with a maximum gradeof 5.2% and an average grade of 3.4%. There's a good shoulder and what might even be a bike lane in spots; but when get to Piscataway Rd you have 2.2 mi of traffic and narrow shoulders before you arrive at Miller Farms.

We used to use the restroom inside the store back when; but now there's a sign on the building outside labeled "Public restroom" and an arrow pointing towards a portolet in the field just beyond.

Leaving Miller Farms it's just 0.3 mi to the turn on Tippet and an entry into different world, from the modern development on Piscataway to a narrow country road that could be the setting for a period Christmas movie. Down Thrift Hill and Floral Park, the old potholes in the patches on the potholes long gone and replaced with new pavement that's still in fine shape, and then across the highway and into the historic village of Piscataway (established 1640 and on the National Register of Historic Places) on foot past a barrier of orange safety barrels and through the gap in the guard rail onto Livingston Rd.

At the 4-way intersection we turned left past Accokeek Academy and up the 200' 1.3 mile long hill on Berry Rd (how many Oxon Hill rides used to start there and come up this way in years gone by) and onto Accokeek Rd, past Deakins Pond nursery, through the zig zag intersection with Bealle Hill Rd, past Moe's Crabs and the Dunkin Donuts, across 210 and back to the Firehouse at 12:45 -- within 3 minutes of when Randoplan said we'd be back!

It was a cold day but a pretty one, and a short ride but a hard and interesting one. I'd lead this route again, and I'm going to find ways to add some of these roads back into the repertory despite the barrier at Rt 5.

South Polling House, Galesville & Polling House (CC, 34)

Stephen Palincsar — Sun, 04 Dec 2022 15:30:00 GMT

Rest stop at Galesville. At left, looking towards Shadyside; at right towards West River Sailing Club.

Leader: Steve Palincsar

Members: Lois Lightfoot, Joan Oppel, Steve Perakis

Guests: none

Route: https://ridewithgps.com/routes/41526134

Weather: Partly cloudy at the start, clearing as the day wore on; 41-46 degrees, but because of the wind (5 mph with 10 mph gusts) it felt more like the high 30s rising to the low 40s until the final four miles or so.

AMS: 12.0

Mechanicals/Mishaps: none

Report: It's still autumn for another 2 1/2 weeks according to the calendar, but it was as good as a winter ride today. It was a good chance to test out new winter gear and to figure out what would work for a cold weather ride.

We weren't the only ones out riding: we saw a group of four from District Cycling Collective (a DC-based cycling meetup group) riding out of Bowie at the Harwood rest stop, and towards the end of the ride at Owensville and Owensville Sudley, a fast group who didn't tell us their name but did offer us refills of cold water (which we didn't need, having plenty of same ourselves).

There was something unusual about our ride to Galesville today besides the start at Waysons. We came north on Sands to Bayard and stayed on Bayard, passing the turn for Polling House, until we came to South Polling House. I've been just that way only once before, when a flash flood swept away a bridge on Polling House forcing a detour. It was very pleasant: Bayard was scenic andentirely free of traffic, and the climb on South Polling House was wonderful.

After the break at Harwood we took MD-2 to Mill Swamp, pretty as always, then took Muddy Creek to the now-standard half-mile on Lansdale (which looks as though it's an old alignment of Muddy Creek before it was widened and made into a main thoroughfare) and then turned onto Cumberstone, taking it down to the end of pavement before turning around and climbing right back up.

After turning onto MD-256 heading towards Galesville I stopped to use the portolet at the new Hot Sox Field at Wilson Park.

When we were here last this summer, it was just a building site but now there are bleachers and stands, after a two million dollar makeover described in this Capital Gazette article.

Elizabeth Dixon Park on the West River makes a lovely rest stop, with benches right on the edge of land. It's right behind the West River Sailing Club, with the prows of sailing craft overlooking the picnic area and views across the River of the Shadyside Peninsula, which we'd visited back in October https://ohbike1.wildapricot.org/reports/12956375.

Leaving the Park we took the now-standard Benning Road past the former Galesville Rosenwald School, now the Community Center, then went up Owensville Rd to Owensville Sudley and down Polling House to Bayard and Sands back to Waysons Corner, arriving as it was finally starting to warm up.

It was a very enjoyable ride, just the right length for a wintery day like this.

Friday IHRT All class ride ~20 mi

Ron Altemus — Fri, 02 Dec 2022 18:00:00 GMT

Leader: Ron Altemus

Members: Leesha Saunders, Dan Donohue, Robin Garnett, Donaro Gardner (not pictured: Jane & Jim Hudnall)

Route: the usual Friday ride - Indian Head Rail Trail from Livingston Road parking lot east to White Plains and return

Weather: partly cloudy, temps in the upper 40s to 50 degrees, 8 mph breezes out of the SW

AMS: a shade under 12 mph

Mechanicals/Mishaps: none

Report: forecasts called for a 38 degree 10 a.m. start, so the ride was rescheduled to 1 p.m. which worked out quite nicely weather wise. The ride would be Jane & Jim's return to the Friday routine but food pantry demands meant they were late in getting to the ride start, so we set off without them. Dan was looping from White Plains and met us in the Bumpy Oak pond area; Jane & Jim didn't catch us until we were headed back from White Plains. Your faithful correspondent retraced with them to White Plains, while the others three continued west. With the exception of Dan, we all got back to our start close enough in time to enjoy a birthday celebration for one of our riders (being a gentleman, I won't name names).

A small number of other trail users were sighted, probably evenly split between foot traffic and cyclists. Deer were much more abundant - Jane & Jim saw a small herd in the Bensville area while a single female bounded across the path in front of us before we reached Middletown.

Ironsides>Riverside>Gilroy 30 mi CC/C

Ron Altemus — Tue, 29 Nov 2022 15:30:00 GMT

Leader: Ron Altemus

Members:   Harold Datz, Rita Zeidner, Donaro Gardner, Esther Stewart, Robin Garnett, and not pictured, Alan Kurzweil

Route:   https://ridewithgps.com/routes/41516844 From Pisgah Park, south on Mason Springs/Ironsides to MD-6, Hancock Run/Adams Willet to Liverpool Point and a rest stop at the Nanjemoy store (as pictured above). Return via Riverside north to Chickamuxen/Gilroy to Bowie and final leg on Mason Springs. 30 miles, approx 1200' elevation change.

Weather: ended up very decent as overcast gave way to high haze w/sunshine, temps rising from the mid 40s to low 50s, and only marginal airflow out of the SW

AMS: swept at 11 mph

Mechanicals/Mishaps: none

Report:   a nice quiet day (vehicle traffic wise) for a leisurely ride through some of the Nanjemoy area. Alan accrued extra miles with a long cut while the rest of us rode in pairs at varying paces. For Esther and Robin, an introduction to some of the less traveled roads in SW Charles County.

Tour de Accokeek (extended) CC 28 mi

Stephen Palincsar — Mon, 28 Nov 2022 17:30:00 GMT

Rest stop at Marshall Hall

Leader: Steve Palincsar

Members: Harold Datz, Rita Z, Robin Garnett, Catherine Ade, Sherwood Byers, Jim Hudnall, Jane Hudnall, Donaro Gardner

Guests: none

Route: https://ridewithgps.com/routes/26920630 28 miles and 577' elevation gain. of which you really only notice the 137' climb up Barry's HIll [however, you definitely do notice every one of those 137 feet]

Weather: 53 degrees, 12 mph wind gusting up to 21; partly cloudy when we set out but by the time we got to Marshall Hall dark clouds had rolled in and it would be generous to call it simply overcast.

AMS: 12.2 near the front, perhaps 1 or 2 mph slower at the back

Mechanicals/Mishaps: None on the ride, but when I went to start my car to go home after the ride, it wouldn't turn over. Cranking had been sluggish coming out to Accokeek, but now there was only enough power to run the radio.

Jim and Jane had jumper cables (Jane says they've had a lot of experience jumping stalled cars while working at the food pantry) and Sherwood had a capacitance-based charging system, so rescue was at hand twice over. Jumpers in place, my car started immediately, and it's now at the dealer.

Ride report: With a Tues. morning doctor's appointment, rain predicted for Wednesday and 45-55 mph wind gusts on tap for Thursday, riding options this week were basically Monday or not until the weekend.

Catherine had to work all last weekend and had Monday morning work meetings, but she wrote and asked, "How about a ride Monday after noon?" which I thought was a marvelous idea. We weren't the only ones who thought so.

It was sunny and windy when we set out. The first 8 miles on this route are the standard Tour de Accokeek route, winding along through the back streets and 210 Service Road, onto Livingston Rd, onto Gospel Union and Carroll, onto the 210 shoulder and a quick jog on Matthews Rd and a right onto Marshall Hall Rd.

About 8 miles in, after cautiously descending 140 feet of downhill into the wind we regrouped and turned onto Fenwick, following a series of rollers and turns through the woods past views of the Potomac to a U-turn at the end of the road and a return back to Marshall Hall Rd. This 5 mile diversion always reminds me of the roads I used to ride in the Hudson Valley in New York back in the 70s.

Turning back onto Marshall Hall Rd, we hastened down to the end of the road and a rest stop at the Potomac River, where I took the obligatory "Kilroy" photo under darkening skies.

After the break we went down to the end of River Rd, exploring the development that almost never was on Chester Ave (the discarded furniture Ron and I saw abandoned on Roseberry Ct last week was still there, stacked neatly by the side of the road) before returning to River Rd and hastening on to Marshall Hall and the climb up Barry's Hill.

There's not much to say about that, other than the pavement is awful and the hill feels steeper than the 5.9% RWGPS says it is.

Once we all got to Old Marshall Hall Rd we turned left, passing feral pigs loose on the road on the left and land that's part of Piscataway Park on the right, riding all the way down to Chapin Farm to see the cows and sheep? goats? in their separate fields. We stopped just short of the plunge down to Old Landing Rd, well before the end of pavement, then turned around and headed back to the old familiar return to the Firehouse.

It was great to see Jim and Jane Hudnall out on a ride with the club again. It's been a long tough year full of injuries and lengthy rehabs for them, but they seemed back in fine form today. And good to see Harold and Rita, back after several weeks off the bike.

I know from personal experience how difficult it can be to start riding again after a long layoff at this time of the year, with temperatures getting lower and lower. If you keep riding as the season advances you gradually adjust to the cold, a bit like boiling a frog in reverse, but starting again after weeks of increasing cold is a bit like a plunge into ice water.

As we were all getting ready to leave, Sherwood wished us all a happy Holiday Season. I echo his wishes to you all, but I hope to see you on the road before then.

Pindell, Deale & Polling House (CC, 37)

Stephen Palincsar — Sat, 26 Nov 2022 20:18:25 GMT

Leader: Steve Palincsar

Members: Sarah Clement, Ron Altemus, Ken Meredith, Susan Golonka, Kathleen Bailey, Patricia Sanders, Steve Perakis and Lois Lightfoot

Guests: none

Route: https://ridewithgps.com/routes/40451465 36.5 miles, 1683' elevation gain (0.3 mi less distance and 100' more elevation, per my Garmin, than RWGPS)

Weather: Another beautiful day, quite spectacular for late November. Clear skies, warm sun, 47 degrees at the start, 58 at the finish, BUT 5-7 mph winds with 10-14 mph gusts made it seem more like 44 degrees at the start.

AMS: 13.1

Mechanicals/Mishaps: none

Report: After going around making introductions while waiting for Steve Perakis, we finally left a little after 10 without him. We saw him at mile 7 on Southern Maryland Blvd heading in the opposite direction and I expected him to turn around and latch on, but he kept going the other way -- eventually getting lost in a maze of back roads with confusing or missing road signs, probably in the Pindells.

We briefly stopped at Lothian for a rest room break, then made our way on Greenock and Brooks Woods to Rt 2, up to Old Ridge Path and Nutwell, one of my favorite roads. Some of the GPS units got a bit confused about which way to turn at Nutwell Sudley, quickly sorted out. Several in the group briefly pulling off the road to let a convoy of pickup trucks past, and then we crossed Bay Front and climbed Franklin Gibson up to Deale Rd, where Steve Perakis joined the group on the fast descent into Deale, stopping for lunch at South County Cafe.

At South County we saw several other cyclists there, and then were briefly joined by a couple who had been members of Oxon Hill in the 70s. We chatted with them, encouraging them to rejoin the club and start riding again now that their grandchildren had grown and moved to Florida.

It was warm and cozy in the sun at South County, without a trace of wind where we were sitting. Once we'd started riding we noticed the wind, which had been at our backs, was now a gusty, buffeting crosswind on Swamp Circle and a headwind when we turned onto Sudley.

We briefly stopped at the service station in Harwood, then backtracked and turned onto Polling House. We fought the wind and the hills on Polling House, Bayard and Sands and arrived back at Waysons Corner happy at having had such a great ride with such a terrific group on such a lovely day.

Friday IHRT All class - afternoon edition

Ron Altemus — Fri, 25 Nov 2022 18:00:00 GMT

Leader: Ron Altemus

Members:   Randy Schoch, Fran Jezisek, Jackie Schoch, Robin Garnett, Susan Altemus, Steve Palincsar, Catherine Ade, Carl Hattery

Route: Indian Head Rail Trail from Livingston Road parking lot to White Plains trailhead and return

Weather:   Mostly cloudy giving way to partly cloudy w/late winter sunshine; temps staying in the upper 50s; westerly winds of 7-8 mph outbound increasing to 12-13 mph as a headwind on our return

AMS:   varied by rider(s) but mostly in the mid- to upper 11s

Mechanicals/Mishaps:   none

Report:   a rainy morning necessitated rescheduling to a 1 pm ride start but almost everyone still came out to ride, plus two additional members signed up. As noted above, the westerly air flow made for a nice tailwind to White Plains but the return was more than a bit of a slog. Nonetheless, wildlife sightings included large numbers of blackbirds, several bluejays, a large woodpecker, and turkeys (all named "Lucky"). The low sun angle made for a different lighting hue than what we normally have for the usual morning ride.

It was nice having Carl join us as he took advantage of the holiday weekend while Catherine was a first timer for these Friday excursions. Not a large number of other trail users - guess they were off looking for Black Friday bargains. (There was a traffic jam trying to get into the outlet stores at National Harbor!)

Item to note: the indoor facilities at White Plains are now locked for the winter. All portolets remain in place, thankfully.

Durham Church, Baptist Church to Nanjemoy (CC, 33)

Stephen Palincsar — Wed, 23 Nov 2022 15:30:00 GMT

Leader: Steve Palincsar

Members: Mario Salazar, Janell Saunders, Ken Meredith, Harry Kidd, Catherine Ade, Luis Dall'Orso, Steve Perakis

Guests: none

Route: https://ridewithgps.com/routes/41469084

Weather: Clear, cloudless sky, 53 degrees at the start rising to 61, 3-4 mph winds with gusts up to 10 mph.

AMS: 13.9

Mechanicals/Mishaps: none

Report: We went down Poorhouse to Annapolis Woods, onto 6, climbing up Durham Church Rd past the church and onto Ironsides and down Friendship Landing Rd to a rest stop at Friendship Farm Park. Some in the group recognized the park from this August's Shady Ride all-class ride.

Leaving Friendship Farm we took Ironsides to Baptist Church, then Poseytown to 6. We went north on Rt 6 to Greenleek Hill, then turned onto Sandy Point. A tenth of a mile from the intersection with Riverside an impatient motorist aggressively blew her horn at us. We caught up with her at the stop sign and words were exchanged and expletives were deleted.

We continued on Riverside to Liverpool Point, where a couple of riders stopped at the store. The rest of us continued on, turned right on Beaver Dam (to see the section of the road we almost never go on) and then left on 6 to a rest stop at the Nanjemoy Community Center. I'd checked their web site the day before and found no mention of the closing, but closed they were. This didn't seem to faze anyone, and we had a nice stop there anyway.

After the break we backtracked on 6 and took Baptist Church to Bowie back to Rt 6 and Mason Springs, taking the rolling hills on Mason Springs back to Pisgah Park.

After a series of not-so-nice days, it turned out to be a lovely day for a ride, and a very pleasant group: the recipe for a terrific ride.

Tour de Accokeek (extended) 28 miles CC/C

Ron Altemus — Sat, 19 Nov 2022 18:00:00 GMT

Leader:   Ron Altemus

Member: Steve Palincsar

Route:   regular Tour de Accokeek route with side trips on Fenwick, River, and a left on Old Marshall Hall. 28.2 miles; approx 600' elevation gain

Weather:   plenty of sunshine and resultant blue skies; temps ranged from 46 at ride start to maybe close to 50 mid-ride and back to 46 with lengthening shadows at the conclusion of our excursion; winds of 7-8 mph out of the SW.

AMS: a tad under 12 mph

Mechanicals/Mishaps:   none

Report:   After the blustery and chilly previous two days, this afternoon ride was almost balmy, and it far exceeded my expectations. Surprisingly, the left turn jog on Old Marshall Hall was the busiest section we encountered with vehicular traffic. Otherwise, on the majority of the back roads, we were able to pleasantly converse without any problems.

Since the days are growing shorter, afternoon rides have a completely different lighting scheme due to the sun angle. Our short trip down River Road, in a SSW direction, was right into blinding sunlight. The view at Marshall Hall Landing to the NW, however, was quite nice with the Virginia shore bathed in golden hues. Mt Vernon can be seen just over Steve's left shoulder in the picture below.

Friday IHRT All class ~20 miles

Ron Altemus — Fri, 18 Nov 2022 15:00:00 GMT

Leader:   Ron Altemus

Member: Donaro Gardner

Route: Indian Head Rail Trail, Livingston Rd parking lot to White Plains trailhead and return

Weather: clear skies; temp range of 40-45; 7 mph breezes mainly out of the western quadrant. Properly attired and it wasn't bad at all.

AMS:   12 mph

Mechanicals/Mishaps:   none

Report:   lower temperatures reduces the number of riders to cold weather stalwarts Donaro and your faithful correspondent. Perhaps not a big surprise but we were the only cyclists using the trail today. A number of walkers/joggers for the Bensville>White Plains portion of the trail including the Friday moms group. We saw only one trail user on the western section of the trail. Wildlife sightings consisted mainly of birds, including several blue jays both heard and seen. One white tailed deer bounded away from us just west of the Bumpy Oak pond.

Milltown, Magruders, Whites Landing & Merkle (CC,36)

Stephen Palincsar — Thu, 17 Nov 2022 15:30:00 GMT

Leader: Steve Palincsar

Members: Catherine Ade, Joan Oppel, Patricia Sanders, Donaro Gardner

Guests: none

Route: https://ridewithgps.com/routes/41441592 35 miles of hills, 2281' elevation gain according to my Garmin, basically going down to the Patuxent and back up again in a series of scenic out-and-backs on very seldom ridden roads as we headed north on Croom, with rest stops at Magruders and Merkle. And under normal circumstances, the route would be the big story -- but not this time. This time it was the weather that took center stage.

Weather: Clear skies, beautiful warm golden slanting rays of late season sunshine, 43-44 degrees all day or so they said, except for one thing: the wind. 11-14 mph from the west-northwest, with gusts 18-22 mph. And those gusts made it feel like the high 30s.

AMS: 11.8, according to my Garmin.

Mechanicals/Mishaps: None. Mechanically, everything was perfect.

Report: It's amazing: the previous ride report from last Saturday featured riders in shorts and short sleeves on a balmy, almost summery 70 degree day; five days later, on another brilliant day we had a winter ride.

Actually, the timing was perfect for me, a chance to test and evaluate my winter clothing in preparation for the coming cold-weather season. I'd bought a new pair of Pearl Izumi AmFib shoe covers, having discovered I couldn't put on the old ones I'd been using for the past couple of decades, and they'd arrived the night before, and I had a milk carton full of various articles of clothing alternatives.

We had a good initial test getting ready in the parking lot. As everyone has learned by now, North Keys Park is about the coldest and windiest (or so we thought at the time) places in all Brandywine. If you can survive here, it can only be better once you get moving.

All went pretty much to plan heading down North Keys and up Molly Berry to Candy Hill. The short distance on Croom to Baden Naylor was fine, but it wasn't just the hill going up to Molly Berry that raised heart rates: sharp cross-winds the downhill on Baden Naylor heading to the bridge gave some riders a real shock.

The climb over Nelson Perrie was a treat, as was Bald Eagle School over to Baden Westwood. The mile on Croom was fine -- no traffic and a gentle rolling downhill -- but I'd forgotten all about that big initial dip once you turn on Milltown Landing. In 0.3 mi you drop down 40' and then immediately climb up 50' and then roll on down through farms to the end of pavement, turn around and climb back up -- and just when you think you're done climbing, there's that big dip again, down 50' and back up 40' to Croom.

It's only half a mile from there to the turn for Magruders, and the usual delightful screaming run down (mind the rough patches!) and then back up again past the "Custom Farming" sign that somehow always seems to read "Custom Framing" and cautiously down to the gravel road into Magruders Landing. We couldn't see the Patxent at Milltown Landing, but there were great views here, and we had an enjoyable time at the rest stop.

Note to Catherine: the opposite side of the Patuxent from Magruders is halfway between Lower Marlboro to the north and Kings Landing Park to the south; basically, it's wetlands with only Scaggs Road and a small handful of buildings.

Climbing out of Magruders we had a two mile stretch on Croom heading north to Whites Landing. A continuous series of rollers but now the side winds seemed even stronger and more prominent, especially on the fast downhills.

It was a relief to turn our backs to the wind heading down Whites Landing Road. We didn't get very far before we came upon some large pieces of a downed tree branch blocking the road. There was a small open gap on our side of the road, just barely enough for a cyclist, but I thought it best to move the branch and clear the road before we had to thread our way through the gap climbing back out. I wasn't half done before a car came up the road.

When the trees are leafed out it feels as though you're riding through a dense forest with a gorge and a stream on your right. Now with the leaves down, we had clear views of the Patuxent but lost the sense of being enclosed in a dense forest.

I think the climb back on Whites Landing is always fun. The descent seems pretty steep and you expect a hard climb back out, but it's actually much easier than anticipated.

The turn into the wind on Croom wasn't fun. Hard buffeting all the way down to Spice Creek, with just a bit of respite on the long climb up to Tanyard. Cross wind riding like this calls for a lot of effort and skill that goes well beyond the normal.

Tanyard was beautiful, beams of golden sunlight coming through the trees, and Fenno was pleasant, shielded from the worst of the wind. We had a nice rest stop at Merkle, and then came back to Nottingham.

I laid out the route, Fenno, Nottingham to Croom, left onto Molly Berry because I recalled we hadn't come west on Nottingham on any rides this year. I remembered why once we'd made the turn.

From Fenno to Croom, the track where a cyclist usually rides was all alligatored, cracked and broken, with patches on patches and holes in between. And the wind! There was one spot where a sudden gust almost blew us sideways off the road.

At last, we turned on Croom and left the rough pavement behind. We turned on Molly Berry straight into the wind, gusts coming almost continuously one after the other. It was a relief to turn on North Keys, the trees blocking much of the wind.

I felt a real sense of accomplishment when we finally arrived at the park. It seemed as though we'd ridden far longer than the 35.1 miles shown on the Garmin, and I had trouble believing we'd only averaged 11.8 mph. Surely with so much hard pedaling, so many screaming descents and so much wind noise we must have gone faster than that!

In spite of the weather, I think we all had a lot of fun. It was cold and windy out, but since we'd made our own heat and our clothing had protected us from the wind, we were fine (although a lizard trying this ride would surely have perished). I think it's going to be a great winter season.

Flora Corner, Laurel Grove & Woodburn Hill (CC, 37)

Stephen Palincsar — Sat, 12 Nov 2022 15:30:00 GMT

Group photo at Lyon Farm on Dr Johnson Road

Leader: Steve Palincsar

Members: Sue Gunter, Janell Saunders, Lois Lightfoot, Linda Bankerd, Ron Altemus and Stephen Perakis

Guests: none

Route: https://ridewithgps.com/routes/31504866 37 miles, 1270' of elevation gain.

Weather: Amazing. We knew it was going to be sunny with light breezes, but the forecast called for the low 60s at the start rising to the mid or upper 60s; instead, it was almost 70 when we rolled out (although, chilly in the shadows and riding into the wind) ultimately rising to 72. Simply amazing for mid-November, and a delight to ride in.

AMS: 13.2 in the middle. There were a couple of faster riders off the front from time to time and one or two trailing behind. We kept together by stopping to regroup a few times, which provided an excuse to chat.

Mechanicals/Mishaps: Janell lost a cleat screw, but fortunately she was carrying spares so no harm done.

At the turn from Lockes Crossing onto Thompson Corner heading towards Woodburn Hill a couple of the faster riders turned the wrong way and got so far ahead they couldn't hear our shouts or see us back at the turn, a mistake that earned them a couple of bonus miles.

Ron had a near miss on Old Flora Corner when a FedEx truck ran a stop sign exiting a development and nearly ran him down. Ron says he never takes it for granted that cars will actually stop at stop signs, and his caution this time saved him from a serious mishap.

Report: This one's a real "roads seldom traveled" route: Rt 6 east to Flora Corner, crossing Rt 5 and continuing on Old Flora Corner and Old Village Road to a rest stop at the WaWa at Rt 5 and Three Notch Highway; after the break turning from Rt 5 onto Harpers Corner and Bohle to the Three Notch Trail. The route takes Laurel Grove to Morganza Turner instead of turning on Kavanaugh; this was the first time ever for some in the group to ride that stretch of Laurel Grove.

After the traditional photo op at Lyons Farm on Dr Johnson Rd we turned left on Chaptico Rd and came to a farm with Clydesdales. We stopped to gaze and take photos.

There were no surprises at Chaptico (other than "What? You had apples and wouldn't share with the Clydesdales?!" ) just a pleasant rest stop, followed by a trip north on Mechanicsville, a road we've crossed often but not ridden on this year, a mile on the Three Notch Trail and a left turn onto Lockes Crossing, another road we hadn't been on this year.

We took Thompson Corner to Woodburn Hill and rode into the heart of Amish Country, passing farms, an Amish school and the Clover Hill Dairy, going to the end of pavement.

A couple of riders stopped at Clover Hill on the way back and purchased cheese -- sharp, delicious and very reasonably priced -- and reported the store at the Dairy made an excellent rest stop. Perhaps next time. Because there certainly will be a next time.

Cross Road to Marlton & Candy Hill (CC,33)

Stephen Palincsar — Thu, 10 Nov 2022 16:00:00 GMT

Leader: Steve Palincsar

Members: Catherine Ade, Luis Dall'Orso

Guests: none

Route: https://ridewithgps.com/routes/41394711 RWGPS says 32.8 mi and 1627' elevation gain. The Garmin registered 31.9 (no idea where the missing mile went) anbd 1680' elevation gain.

Weather: Clear blue sky, breezy, 58 at the start (and definitely chilly in the shadows) rising to 68 by early afternoon.

AMS: 13.5

Mechanicals/Mishaps: None

Report: At one point there were five riders registered, but one had to cancel and the other couldn't come, leaving three. It's a shame because it was a terrific day for a ride. It is, after all, early November and sunny skies and temperatures in the 60s are an unexpected treat.

It was a day for roads seldom followed and directions seldom followed, with an extra helping of elevation gain to add character. We took Old Indian to Cherry Tree Crossing, then turned right on Cross Road Trail.

After a bit of initial meandering we went down 100' on wretched rough pavement and patching, slipping across the double yellow into the recently repaved and much smoother opposite lane from time to time, crossed Mattaponi Creek and climbed right back up 100' at times reaching 8% grade, then gradually lost it again over the span of the next mile until we sharply pitched up at the tee into North Keys.

Heading down to Molly Berry, we turned left and made our way up Van Brady to Old Indian, following it all the way to 301; a bit on the shoulder and we turned into the McDonalds, where Catherine told us she'd read about the new McRibbit,

"Available at select locations while supplies last" (I hear they're jumping off the shelves, so act fast.)

and I tried to describe the Halloween pumpkins I'd found browsing.

Leaving Fast Food Paradise, we took 301 to Trumps Hill, turning onto Heathermore, making our way through the labrynth that is Marlton to Wallace Lane and onto Duley Station to Croom. Passing farms on St Thomas Church and forests and swamps on Fenno, crossing the two bridges and climbing back up another 100 feet (7.7% maximum grade) to Merkle.

We stayed a while at the Sanctuary chatting and eating lunch (it was 1 pm, but we'd started at 11) then left Merkle, turning left on Fenno and a sharp right onto Candy Hill. Once we arrived at Molly Berry we turned left and then right on Martin, passing the R&D Cross Farm and Garden store and immediately afterwards being passed by three large trucks, soft-pedaling to let them get by before we reached the 75' rise (7.6% max grade). After the last climb of the day it was an easy mile back to North Keys Park.

In the end, we'd somehow managed to lose a mile, but gained a great day for riding.

Mason Neck trail ride ~15 miles

Ron Altemus — Sun, 06 Nov 2022 15:30:00 GMT

Leader:   Ron Altemus

Members:   Fran Jezisek, Mary Scala, Susan Altemus, Erica Barry

Route:   Mason Neck trail from Pohick Bay Golf Course to Mason Neck State Park visitor center. Return, via trail, featured short spurs to view George Mason's Gunston Hall and Pohick Bay Park.

Weather:   mostly cloudy to overcast, temps staying in the low 70s w/humidity; winds of 8-10 mph supposedly out of the southern quadrant through we had a few stretches where it seemed the air did a 180.

AMS:   a very leisurely 9 mph

Mechanicals/Mishaps: none

Report:   though rain was present at riders' homes prior to departing, RandoPlan's forecast of only 12% chance of precipitation held. The Mason Neck trail follows Gunston Road until High Point Road, which leads down to the state park. The trail then parallels High Point Road and the plan was to continue on the trail. However, a heavy covering of leaves made it quite difficult to determine the sides of the paved trail. So at the Elizabeth Hartwell NWR, we exited the trail and rode on High Point Road down to the park. Erica likened the road as an oversized IHRT - there was very little vehicular traffic so her description is somewhat apt.

Returning via High Point Road to the Mason Neck Trail, we rode into Gunston Hall. Fran and Erica had never been there so we whetted their appetites for a return visit while not staying too long.

Most of us went on to lunch at the local IHOP, where we learned that being in a certain demographic meant pancakes included with specific orders. It was remarked that "pancakes are always good!"

Nelson Perrie, Merkle & Patuxent River Park (CC,32)

Stephen Palincsar — Sun, 06 Nov 2022 14:00:00 GMT

Rest stop at Patuxent River Park

Leader: Steve Palincsar

Members: Catherine Ade, Lou Dall'Orso, Stephen Perakis and Mario Salazar. Alan Kurzweil decided on a delayed start to avoid possible rain and rode the route alone about a half hour behind us.

Route: https://ridewithgps.com/routes/34340460 31.6 miles, 1468' elevation gain (1785 per my Garmin)

Weather: Hot and humid (I never expected to say that about a November ride!) with lots of overcast, a brief spell of bright sunshine when the clouds parted as we started down Mount Calvert Road, and several minutes of light drizzle while we were on Croom and Tanyard and at the Merkle Sanctuary. 67 degrees at the start rising to 75 by late morning. 6-8 mph winds with gusts 16-20 mph

AMS: 13.7

Mechanicals/Mishaps: As we started down Martin Rd Stephen Perakis notice a loos brake block rubbing on his tire. Fortunately, he had a tool with him and quickly corrected the problem

Report: I canceled my planned ride in Frederick County because there was a > 30% chance of rain, substituting in its place a shorter, much closer route in Brandywine. Although overcast skies and gusty winds were predicted, the chance of rain was quite low, 0-5%. A couple of riders canceled, probably because of the weather, and I encountered rain driving through Clinton.

We started with gray skies and gusting winds that became light drizzle as we were speeding down Croom across Spice Creek and heavier drizzle on the climb afterwards, stopping on Tanyard and briefly starting up again at the Merkle rest stop 13 miles into the ride. The forecast showed 5% chance of rain at that point. The rain lasted long enough for me to put on my rain jacket, only to remove it at the exit to the Sanctuary on Fenno.

The skies cleared and my mental juke box started playing "Here Comes the Sun" once we turned onto Mount Calvert. The sun stayed with us while we were at the Pavilion at Patuxent River Park, disappearing behind clouds again on the final windy stretch on Croom, Molly Berry and North Keys.

Wet damp roads and cloudy skies didn't dampen our enthusiam or slow us down. We set a brisk CC pace, Lou and Mario sprinting ahead and stopping to wait for directions (no burdensome cue sheets or GPSs for them) at each turn, which helped keep us together in spite of their greater speed.

It's always fun showing the Rural Legacy area to riders new to the area. Lou, Stephen and I are old hands, but Catherine and Mario are newcomers to Brandywine, and this was Mario's first time. The Rural Tier is so unexpectedly rustic, considering how close it is to DC, and the area;s scenic, bucolic surroundings and quiet country roads with lots of entertaining geography: twists and turns, varying views and ups and downs that are fun to ride.

Although today's ride was a second choice route, it was first rate fun. Thanks to all who came.

Smallwood Church, Durham Church & Goose Bay (CC, 39)

Stephen Palincsar — Sat, 05 Nov 2022 14:00:00 GMT

Leader: Steve Palincsar

Members: Steve Perakis, Pat Sanders, Janell Saunders, Joan Oppel, Lou Dall'Orso, Kennard Dixon, Lois Lightfoot, Joni Forman, Pat Sanders, Ron Altemus and Mary Scala

Guests: None

Route: https://ridewithgps.com/routes/41343492 A 39 mile scenic tour along wooded back roads stopping at Smallwood Park and Goose Bay, with regrouping stops at Durham Church and Pisgah.

Weather: Unexpected and almost incredible: bright sun, 50% cloud cover, 67 at the start and over 80 by early afternoon. The only flaw was the wind: from the south, between 6 and 12 mph with gusts up to 20 mph. It certainly felt like 20 mph riding into it for much of the first half the ride, but we were glad of it as a tailwind in the second half.

AMS: 13.5 for the front group, somewhere around 12 in the trailing group. Regrouping and rest stops kept the ride feeling together even though the two halves of the ride were often a few minutes apart.

Mechanicals/Mishaps: none

Report: The woods are lovely / Dark and deep... Today's route was all about the woods: Pisgah Marbury, the road into Smallwood Park, Smallwood Church and especially Durham Church. Woods along Mill Swamp and Brentland on the way to and from the Goose Bay rest stop, too; and then along Fire Tower, Annapolis Woods and Poorhouse.

It's well past peak autumn leaf season with many leaves now on the ground, but the overall impression was a still-beautiful, if subdued palette of greens, yellows and browns. None of the intense reds and highly saturated yellows and oranges of the Catoctins and especially the Berkshires in Southern Maryland this year, but today the woods were but lovely and fragrant nonetheless.

It was a rare treat to be riding in shorts and short sleeve jerseys in November, very welcome but almost strange. A brisk wind kept us from feeling hot and several in the group kept their wind vests and jackets on even after it had reached the high 70s.

We flew along Poorhouse at almost 18mph with a strong wind at our backs, stopping to regroup at Mason Spring across from the store. Janell bought some water for the ride from the IHRT back home (for a 50 mile day) and Pat and Ron (who assured us the Pisgah Store was certain to sell the winning Powerball ticket) went in and bought lottery tickets.

Even Mason Springs was lovely on the final stretch back. When we arrived at the Indian Head Rail Trail parking lot several in the group felt so good they were reluctant to stop, and added extra miles on the Rail Trail.

Friday IndianHead 20 mile All Class

Randall Schoch — Fri, 04 Nov 2022 14:00:00 GMT

Leaders - Jackie & Randy Schoch

Members - Ron & Susan Altemus, Robin Garnett, Fran Jezisek, Oswald Martin, and Donaro Gardner

Route - IHRT

Weather - A beautiful Friday for November - high 60's to low 70's

AMS - Varied per/rider

Mechanicals/Mishaps - None

Report - A good turnout of our regular Friday morning riders. Jackie was riding her trike again this morning. There were lots of trail users today with lots of kids and dogs. We didn't see much wildlife this morning except for a crane in a pond near the Bumpy Oak Lake. We greeted David as he was blowing leaves off the trail and James was on the job as trail monitor. Jackie and I visited with Paul on his trike near the rest stop. We had a very easy and pleasant ride to the White Plains rest stop and return trip to the parking lot. We had planned to have lunch at the Lunch Box in Bryans Road, but it was closed? I hope this is not a permanent shut down.

Cheltenham, Merkle & Bald Eagle School (31 mi)

Stephen Palincsar — Thu, 03 Nov 2022 14:30:00 GMT

Leader: Steve Palincsar

Members: Ron Altemus, Joan Oppel, Alan Kurzweil, Tracie C

Guests: None

Route: https://ridewithgps.com/routes/41344110 as planned, but by popuar acclaim we modified the ending, returning on Baden Naylor and Molly Berry instead of on Brandywine. Although meant to add extra miles, it added only 1 mi, but did not disappoint when it came to extra elevation. In fact, Tracie and I were so inspired by the climb on Molly Berry we added the climb on Martin as well. 1568' of elevation gain, according to my Garmibn

Weather: Does it get any better than this? 59 when we started, high 60s or even 70 when we finished. Clear blue skies (just a few thin high clouds on the eastern horizon), bright warm sun and what they say was light winds but didn't seem so light when we were riding into them, especially in the shade. But the overall effect was about as close to perfection as you could hope for in November -- truly a lovely day.

AMS: 11.8

Mechanicals/Mishaps: none

Report: Who wouldn't want to ride on a day as lovely as this? Ron, Joan, Allen Tracie and I set out against a wind that felt like it was twice the 4 mph called for in the forecast, North Keys to Old Indian. Immediately after the turn onto Cherry Tree Crossing we turned on Prince William and followed Cheltenham to within sight of the 301 crossing. It's been a while since I've been this way and I was surprised to see a traffic light at the 301/Dyson crossing.

After our tour of the Cheltanham neighborhood, we continued down to Cross Road Trail to 301, then turned on Old Indian Head and again on Van Brady. Down Van Brady past a rusty, derelict pickup decorated with pumpkins and pastoral autumnal scenes on Molly Berry and back up Croom to an unplanned stop at Murphy's Store, then down past farms on St Thomas Church, forest on Fenno and the second climb of the day up to the entrance to the Merkle Wildlife Sanctuary. After a pleasant break (photo above) and minus a layer, we went around Nottingham and Tanyard, flew down Croom and climbed back up the other side.

By now, Ron and Alan were eager for more miles, debating alternate ways to extend the ride. They stayed on Bald Eagle to Baden Westwood while Tracie and I went up Westwood, then nearing Baden they and Joan decided they'd seen enough of Brandywine Rd the previous week and elected to follow Baden Naylor and Molly Berry back. Tracie and I went along.

It has been three years since I went up Molly Berry, and it was the first time today for Tracie. I was pleasantly surprised at how well it went, so well I decided that it was also time to climb Martin westbound again. Tracie followed me, while the rest of the group went up North Keys.

Both groups arrived at the Park having gained 1.1 miles over the originally planned route. I think were it not for time constraints, I'd have been happy to do another five or ten miles.

Ft Hunt Halloween Ride 14/21 miles ALL class

Ron Altemus — Sun, 30 Oct 2022 17:00:00 GMT

Leaders: Ron Altemus & Joan Oppel (long route); Susan Altemus (short route)

Members:   Linda Bankerd, Erika Barry, Harold Datz, Robin Garnett, Althea Johnston, Kathy King, Steve Palincsar, Deb Reynolds, Leesha Saunders, Mary Scala, Esther Steward, Jill Thompson-Riese, Rita Zeidner

Guests: Betsy Baynes

Route: a leisurely meander through Greater Ft Hunt Metropolitan Statistical Area neighbors: Stratford Landing, Riverside Gardens, Williamsburg Manor North, Hollin Hall, and Waynewood

Weather: gorgeous sunshine and blue skies accentuated by vivid reds, oranges, yellows, and greens in the trees making for a wonderful Fall day; temps starting in the upper 50s quickly climbing into the low 60s; negligible air movement.

AMS:   lucky if we averaged 9 mph moving...

Mechanicals/Mishaps:   none

Report:   after fretting for the 10 days prior to the ride over weather forecasts predicting the possibility of rain on Halloween proper, your overly concerned ride leaders decided to reschedule to Sunday afternoon. As noted above, the weather couldn't have been better and almost all decorations were in place with only a few exceptions.

We traveled as a group since there were about 130 cues for the route. Traversing the route at such a leisurely pace, as noted above, allowed for considerable conversation between frightful sights.

A number of houses featured the Home Depot "Halloween collection:" the original 12' skeletons, supplanted by the 12' inferno skeletons, and this year's new offerings - a 10' ripped werewolf, Freddy Krueger, and an 8' flying witch.

Lots of inflatables, too, some whimsical, a few trying to be scary, and several attempting to be the biggest ever. Those pictures and others, including carved pumpkins which weren't on display for our ride, are posted online: https://flic.kr/s/aHBqjAddkg

Colton Point & Chaptico (CC, 46)

Stephen Palincsar — Sat, 29 Oct 2022 14:30:00 GMT

Leader: Steve Palincsar

Members: Holly Carr, Lou Dall'Orso, Joan Oppel, Patricia Sanders, Pat Walthers, Ron Altemus, Catherine Ade

Guests: none

Route: https://ridewithgps.com/routes/41310557 46 miles, 1350' elevation gain.

Weather: Partly cloudy, 55-60 degrees with 10 mph wind from the northeast with gusts up to 14 mph.

AMS: 13.4 mph in the middle, between Holly, Lou and Catherine in the lead and Joan, Ron, Pat and Patricia riding behind.

Mechanicals/Mishaps: none

Report: The sun was so warm in the car on the way down I felt sure I was overdressed and needed to remove the base layer, but as soon as I stepped out of the car the stiff wind drove me to quickly put on a balaclava, wind jacket and gilet. The shade on the Three Notch Trail added crispness to the cross-wind.

The wind was behind us on Morganza Turner and we fairly flew down to the first rest stop at Seventh District Park. There were two games going on when we arrived, with scores of cars and parents watching their children play. It was warmer now, and the top layers came off.

Leaving the park we took Sugar Hole to Oakley, passing Murphy's Store and heading down to Paul Ellis Landing on Whites Neck Creek.

We stopped there for a photo op, then continued on towards Colton Point, turning on Charles Hall and Bayside for a view of Dukeharts Creek

before heading to the St Clements Island Museum. We briefly stopped at the Museum to view St Clements Island, then briefly stopped on the other side of the museum for a bio-break, finally riding back to Avenue for a lunch stop at Murphy's Town & Country.

Leaving Murphy's we rode almost directly into the wind, stopping to regroup at Chaptico, then heading up Baptist Church and the Three Notch Trail back to Mechanicsville Elementary.

It was a pleasant ride, although the wind made it far more challenging than usual. As expected, the leaf color was moderate with lots of green, and still a week or two away from peak.

Friday IHRT ALL class ~20 miles

Ron Altemus — Fri, 28 Oct 2022 14:00:00 GMT

Leader:   Ron Altemus

Members:   Robin Garnett, Randy Schoch, Oswald Martin, Gene Villiva, Belinda Acre, Jackie Schoch, Fran Jezisek, Susan Altemus, Dani Villiva, Donaro Gardner

Route:   the Friday fav - Indian Head Rail Trail from Livingston Road parking lot east to White Plains trailhead and return

Weather: mostly overcast with occasional peeks of sunshine, temps staying in the low to mid 50s, air movement of 8-9 mph that seemed to be from multiple compass points

AMS:   varied by rider. Ride leader came in a tad over 11

Mechanicals/Mishaps:   none

Report:   another congenial group with good conversations in both directions. Mix of other trails users, mostly skewing to walkers including the mothers group again this week. Very few wildlife sightings - mostly birds including vultures, crows, a hawk, and a bluebird.

A large number of woolly bear caterpillars were observed on the trail. Folklore says that the wider the rusty band, the milder the winter. The viewer will have to determine what constitutes "wide."

These caterpillars are the larva of the Isabella tiger moth. Per Wikipedia: "The banded woolly bear larva emerges from the egg in the fall and overwinters in its caterpillar form, when it literally freezes solid. First its heart stops beating, then its gut freezes, then its blood, followed by the rest of the body. It survives being frozen by producing a cryoprotectant in its tissues. In the spring it thaws."

Young, Celestial & Eagle Harbor (CC, 39)

Stephen Palincsar — Thu, 27 Oct 2022 14:30:00 GMT

Lunch stop at Hardesty Haven Cafe

Leader: Steve Palincsar

Members: Ron Altemus, Harry Kidd

Guests: None

Route: https://ridewithgps.com/routes/41291511 38.4 miles,1552' elevation per my Garmin (1391 according to RWGPS)

Weather: Sunny, windy, clear blue sky. 58 degrees at the start rising to 64, but 9-10 mph wind with gusts up to 17 made it feel much chillier in the shade, especially at the start.

AMS: 12.7

Mechanicals/Mishaps: None

Report: The wind made it feel rather chilly in the Park as we were getting ready to ride and we were pretty well bundled up, but by the time we got to Horsehead Rd at mile 6 we'd warmed up and the first layer came off, and by the time we got to Moreland Market it was warm in the sun. A brisk breeze kept the apparent temperature in check all the way back to the park.

Halloween decorations at the Hardesty Haven Cafe made for a spooky lunch stop. It's good to have this store back as a rest stop, although not heading towards the Cedar Haven Fishing Area for a stop down at Eagle Harbor did feel rather strange.

There were many trucks out on Horsehead today, both coming and going. I never noticed it before today, but after being passed by a dump truck I was struck by how much either the truck's exhaust or the smell coming from its brakes smelled like an electrical fire -- a rather disquieting thought when riding an e-assist bike.

Adams Willet, Smith Point & Sandy Point (CC, 42)

Stephen Palincsar — Wed, 26 Oct 2022 14:30:00 GMT

Leader: Steve Palincsar

Members: Catherine Ade, Donaro Gardner

Guests: none

Route: https://ridewithgps.com/routes/41290141 41.9 mi, 1762' elevation gain per the Garmin.

Weather: We drove through some light rain en route to the ride start, but it stopped well short of Pisgah. It was in the low 60s all day, with constantly changing weather: heavily overcast at times, briefly clearing then clouding over again, a cycle repeated all day long. It wasn't very windy, just 4-5 mph.

AMS: 13.5 mph

Mechanicals/Mishaps: none

Ride report: An unpromising looking day that turned out to be a very nice ride. No matter whether it's bright sunny skies or gloomy overcast, Nanjemoy never disappoints.

Cooksey, Gilbert Run & Quailwood (CC, 42)

Stephen Palincsar — Sun, 23 Oct 2022 14:00:00 GMT

Leader: Steve Palincsar

Members: Ron Altemus, Joan Oppel, Lois Lightfoot, Pat Walthers, Joni Forman

Guests: None

Route: https://ridewithgps.com/routes/33506326 -- at least, that's what was planned. However, as Robert Burns wrote in To a Mouse, “The best laid schemes o' mice an' men / Gang aft a-gley” and only the first 10 miles followed the route.

Weather: As forecast, overcast, 54-63 degrees, 8 mph winds and a very low chance (between 0 an 8%) of precipitation. That's not how it turned out. We had a few minutes of almost clear skies at the start which became light mist, then light rain with overcast skies. The rain petered out eventually, the wind continued, and after a couple of hours the skies cleared a bit. Temperatures were as predicted.

AMS: 12.8

Mechanicals/Mishaps: None

Report:

McDonough High School currently has a major construction project going on at the north side of the school, with several portolets thoughtfully provided for our benefit, greatly increasing the value of the school as a weekend ride start.

As we got ready to leave the school the overcast skies cleared and it noticeably got warmer. Even though there was no trace of rain in the sky and the forecast showed a very low chance of rain, several of us brought rain gear just in case or as a good luck charm.

We headed down Rose Hill and turned onto Chapel Point Rd. We briefly stopped at Port Tobacco River Park, and as we approached the turn onto Locust Grove we felt the first little wet spots on our faces. As we made the turn those little wet spots became mist, almost fog, but as we moved the effect was actual light rain.

We stopped at the turn onto Old Stagecoach and donned rain gear. When we arrived at the rest stop in La Plata several of the riders consulted the weather oracles and learned that there was rain in the direction we were heading. It was still an open question as to whether it would get worse or die away for a while, but one thing was clear: if we headed east we were committed for the full 42 with no way to shorten the ride if the weather turned worse.

We decided to forego the journey into the Amish country and pick up the route after the second visit to La Plata. If the rain continued, we'd stop at McDonough High School, but if it moderated we'd keep going on Hawthorne, turn on Ripley and follow Poorhouse to Pisgah with a stop at Pisgah Park. After the stop, we'd decide what to do from there.

Pat, who'd suggested Ripley decided to turn back and return to the school while the rest of us carried on with the plan. By the time we reached Ripley the rain had stopped, and we had a nice rest stop at Pisgah Park.

We took Mason Springs to Bicknell, turning on Sweetman with the thought of visiting Smallwood Park, when Joan realized she had a time constraint so we skipped the Park and continued on Chicamuxen to the IHRT and climbed Bumpy Oak back to the school.

We finished with 35.9 miles, with several of the riders heading down the road at the north side of the school to round out their miles.

Trip details as recorded by my Garmin here: https://ridewithgps.com/trips/106322181. It wasn't what we'd planned, but it was a perfectly nice route, one we'd certainly do again, and we had a good time in spite of the weather.

Patuxent Oasis for the Arts (CC, 43)

Stephen Palincsar — Sat, 22 Oct 2022 14:30:00 GMT

Oasis for the Arts

Leader: Steve Palincsar

Members: Lou Dall'Orso, Walt Roscello, Linda Bankerd, Harry Kidd, Janell Saunders, Gerard Iacouzze

Guests: None

Route: https://ridewithgps.com/routes/41245076 42.5 miles, 2626' elevation and a maximum grade of 10.5% on the climb out of Magruders.

Weather: A perfect fall day. 48 rising to 56, bright sun, partly cloudy. Wind 7-10 mph with gusts up to 17 mph.

AMS: 13.0

Mechanicals/Mishaps: None

Report:

We went over Nelson Perrie to Bald Eagle School to Baden Naylor, down Magruders Ferry Road

to a rest stop at Magruders Landing, then rode the Croom Rollers north to Tanyard and stopped at the Patuxent Riverkeepers and the Patuxent Oasis for the Arts festival.

After a lengthy visit including juggling lessons, we headed out down Nottingham and Fenno past Merkle, up St Thomas Church to Croom and down Croom Airport (passing skeletons running rampant)

to a rest stop at Jug Bay.

Leaving Jug Bay we took Duvall to Mt Calvert back to Croom, turning down Duley Station to Cheltenham and down Van Brady back to Molly Berry and North Keys back to the park.

Friday IndianHead 20 mile All Class

Randall Schoch — Fri, 21 Oct 2022 14:00:00 GMT

Leaders - Jackie & Randy Schoch

Members - Belinda Acre, George Martin, Dani & Gene Villiva, Donaro Gardner, Ron & Susan Altemus, Fran Jezisek, and Leesha Saunders. (also pictured: Steve Palincsar & Catherine Ade who were going to ride to St. Ignatius)

Guests - None

Route - IHRT

Weather - Sunny, clear, cool (60's), very light breeze.

AMS - Varied per/rider

Mechanicals/Mishaps - None

Report - A good turnout of our regular Friday crew but not a lot of other trail users this morning. We saw very little of the wildlife probably because of the cool temperatures. Uneventful ride to the rest stop although we did see David blowing the leaves off the trail. It was nice to sit in the sun and warm up at the White Plains Rest Area and chat with everyone. On the way back, we saw Jules on the job of trail maintenance and James doing his trail monitoring. After the ride, we went our separate ways. Next week is supposed to be a little warmer.

Jackie was on her first Friday ride with her new trike and was smiling for the whole ride.

Deale, Franklin Manor & Shadyside (CC, 40)

Stephen Palincsar — Sun, 16 Oct 2022 14:30:00 GMT

Leader: steve Palincsar

Members: Ron Altemus, Joni Forman, Janell Saunders, Mary Scala and Joe McKenzie

Guests: none

Route: https://ridewithgps.com/routes/41205742 39.3 miles, 347' elevation gain and around 140 cues on a route that meandered through neighborhoods on the water in Deale, Franklin Park and Shadyside.

Weather: A truly beautiful day. Partly cloudy with gentle breezes and warm sunshine; 61 when we started, 68 when we finished. You couldn't imagine a nicer day for cruising through waterside neighborhoods

AMS: 11.7, an average made up of 14-17 mph stretches along Deale Churchtown, Franklin Manor and Shadyside Rds and many more slow stretches winding through neighborhoods at 6-8 mph.

Mechanicals/Mishaps: Janell lost a flashing tail light that fell out on Deale Churchtown Road.

Report: I was delighted to find Shadyside Elementary School has two portolets at the rear of the parking lot: a regular size handicapped model and a smaller, child-sized regular one with all facilities lowered down to be easily reachable by elementary school children.

We started off on the back streets of Masons Beach and we didn't get a mile down the road before we missed an unmarked turn and confused the GPSs, but it didn't really matter what route you took through the maze, there's only one through road and eventually you find it.

A quick run down Deale Churchtown, through the traffic circle and right on Deale Beach Rd and before long we turned on Flood Ave, winding through streets barely wide enough for one car along the Bay shore.

Back out to the main road, and in another mile or two we turned into Franklin Manor. On our tour of the "petals" along Battee Circle we stopped for a photo op, the group posing (see above) and then some views of the Bay off Battee Point.

Continuing along Chesapeake Drive we stopped at the park, initially for a bio break but then decided to have our lunch stop here instead of at Christophers Fine Foods.

We went through several distinctly different neighborhoods on the Shadyside Peninsula, seeing several places with elaborate Halloween decorations.

On our tour of Idlewilde I learned that streets with green street signs are public roads, but streets with blue street signs are private. On Shadyside, there are many roads with blue street signs and no other indication that they're private roads, and no real way to distinguish them while mapping a route.

After touring four neighborhoods on Shadyside we stopped for another break at Christophers, then went to Chalk Point to see the yachts anchored off shore, then took Plantation Drive and Swamp Circle back to Deale.

A fabulous day, and a ride very different from our usual tours - a bit like Kent Island, only without crossing the Bay Bridge.

One thing several of us noticed: how very strange it felt driving to Deale. We ride there often, and once you get off Rt 4 it's all roads we ride on and seldom if ever drive.

On the way back after the ride, traffic was stopped on Bay Front with cars backed up beyond where you could see. Many were turning around. I did too and came back on Brooks Woods -- the only time I've ever driven it in a car. How weird - who knew there were so many sharp turns!

Historic Bridges of Frederick County (CC, 44)

Stephen Palincsar — Sat, 15 Oct 2022 14:00:00 GMT

Pat, Catherine, Carol, Harry and Ron at the Rocky Ridge Big Slide

Leader: Steve Palincsar

Members: Patricia Walthers, Catherine Ade, Ron Altemus, Harry Kidd, Randy Sim and Carol Dreher

Guests: none

Route: https://ridewithgps.com/routes/32933609 44 miles, 2000' elevation gain according to RWGPS, but my Garmin 830 (which has the sophisticated barometric altimeter) registered almost 2700' and one of the riders' Wahoo registered over 2800'. Some in the group found the terrain more challenging than they'd anticipated.

Weather: It was 54 when we started, 73 when we finished. Sunny skies and a brisk wind, 8-12 mph with gusts 18-24 mph. In all, a beautiful day, perhaps the last one we'll see this fall with highs in the 70s, and a grand day for a bike ride in spite of the wind.

AMS: 11.8

Mechanicals/Mishaps: None in our group, although we did assist a local rider whose Sidi shoe lost the buckle to the main fastener. It's a good thing riders carried tape.

Report: Today's route meandered through some beautiful farm country in the foothills of the Catoctin Mountains and crossed many of the historic bridges in the county. We saw many other cyclists including locals riding alone or in small groups, and at least one club ride of ten or more riders -- not surprising, since this is one of the favorite riding areas in Greater Washington DC and many clubs in the area have rides here.

Although the ride features the three famous covered bridges and the equally famous stone arch Legore Bridge, much of the route meandered on quiet back roads visiting century-old truss bridges, well away from the traditional "Three Covered Bridges" route.

The Monocacy River seem from the Mumma Ford Bridge, the only metal truss bridge on the route with a "cheese grater" metal deck. Several of us walked across it, providing the opportunity to take some photos.

We stopped at Loy's Station Park twice, once at mile 10 and then again at mile 27.

Leaving Loy's Station the first time we backtracked to Old Mill to cross the Old Mill Rd Bridge, then headed east to visit the Rocky Ridge Big Slide at Mount Tabor Park.

We then went south to cross the LeGore Bridge, Ron's GPS recording 10% on the climb on LeGore Road, rather than the 3.2% RWGPS shows, then headed northeast on Hiney Rd -- which we couldn't decide was either a gravel road or chipseal with lots of chips and almost no seal -- Haughs Church (how do you say that?) and Detour Rd to a regrouping / clothing adjustment (one of many clothing adjustments, as temperatures rose) at Double Pipe Creek Park in Detour before climbing the hill on Keysville and following Forest and Stream Club Road (it takes two road signs to fit that name) back to Loy's Station.

After the lunch stop at Loy's Station Randy and Carol headed straight back to Utica Park while the rest of us worked our way towards Thurmont on Frushour, Hoovers Mill, Seiss and Apples Church to the Roddy Covered Bridge and then to the rest stop at the High's in Thurmont and then back to Utica Park.

Despite the regrouping, unplanned stops for clothing changes, the shoe-taping rescue and the extra time spent at Loy's Station and Thurmont, we arrived only 10 minutes later than predicted by Randoplan in the weather forecast. Sadly, that didn't spare us stop and go traffic on US-15 and I-270, but at least the sun wasn't in our eyes all the way home.

Friday IHRT ALL class ~20 miles

Ron Altemus — Fri, 14 Oct 2022 14:00:00 GMT

Leader:   Ron Altemus

Members: (l-r) Robin Garnett, Steve Palincsar, Fran Jezisek, Randy & Jackie Schoch, Gene & Dani Villiva, Belinda Acre, Susan Altemus. Not pictured: Donaro Gardner (getting some extra miles)

Route:   Indian Head rail Trail - Livingston Rd parking lot east to White Plains trailhead and return

Weather:   another nice fall day w/temps starting in the mid 50s, rising to the mid 60s; plenty of sunshine and blue skies with 4-5 mph airs out of the SW

AMS:   varied per rider but mostly around 12 mph

Mechanicals/Mishaps:   none

Report: a delightful morning for bicycling on the IHRT. Not too many other users, the majority of which seemed to be walkers. We saw some late season reptiles - turtles sunning on logs in the ponds and marshes and one 2' green snake on the trail near MM 2 (west of the parking lot).

Fall colors are starting to show. Robin captured Mattawoman Creek transitioning from the greens of summer to more earthy tones:

Bumpy Oak pond was the proverbial "mill pond" smooth, providing mirror like images in both directions:

Locust Grove and Mount Carmel (CC, 34 mi)

Stephen Palincsar — Tue, 11 Oct 2022 14:00:00 GMT

Rest stop at Mount Carmel Monastery

Leader: Steve Palincsar

Members: Joan Oppel, Pat Walthers, Donaro Gardner and Tracie C.

Guests: None

Route: https://ridewithgps.com/routes/40232584 The Indian Head Rail Trail to Pomfret, Pomfret to Marshall Corner and down Rose Hill to Chapel Point Rd and a rest stop at Port Tobacco River Park before climbing Locust Grove and crossing 301. Once across we took Springhill Newtown to its end, then looped around La Plata on Rt 6, Radio Station, Rosewick and Washington, crossing back over 301 on Mitchell past CSM to the Mount Carmel Monastery. After the break the route went down MItchell to Hawthorne, up to Marshall Corner, down Bumpy Oak and back on the IHRT. 34 miles, 1077' elevation gain.

Weather: A lovely day worthy of a 10 out of 10 rating. Sunny skies, gentle breeze, 57 when we started, quickly climbing to 71.

AMS: 12.9

Mechanicals/Mishaps: The portolet door at Port Tobacco Park struck Joan and drew blood; minor bandaging was required.

Report: What a joy to be out riding on a day like today! We started out layered up against the morning chill, but stopped at the top of Pomfret, at the stop at Port Tobacco Park to shed layers and adjust to the rapidly warming temperature. We saw Alan Kurzweil going in the opposite direction on Stagecoach before crossing 301 for glorious run east on Springhill Newtown.

Today's route

Passing east of La Plata on flat, wide-shouldered roads we carefully navigated the bumps on 301 -- repaving "ledges" that could easily cause snakebite flats if taken quickly -- then navigated the two \/\/ dips and rises on Mitchell (RWGPS says they're only 40-50 feet but when you're hurling yourself down it seems much farther down than that) and climbed the 70 foot, far steeper rise to the Monastery.

We all shed layers during the break and chatted with a worker who asked if we were Oxon Hill, and then told us he'd ridden the Seagull Century last Saturday.

We left the Monastery and flew down Mitchell, climbed Hawthorne (once again, the busiest and noisiest part of the ride) and then descended Bumpy Oak to the IHRT.

A lovely ride on a splendid fall day - what could be better?

Ferry to St Michaels (CC, 54)

Stephen Palincsar — Sun, 09 Oct 2022 14:30:00 GMT

Leader: Steve Palincsar

Members: Pat Walthers, Harry Kidd, Janell Saunders

Guests: none

Route: https://ridewithgps.com/routes/17114704

Weather: Sunny, breezy (all right, windy, but not too bad by Eastern Shore standards), in the mid-50s when we started, late enough to have warmed up a bit and pleasant in the sun, if a bit chilly in the shadows. By early afternoon the temperature had risen to the mid-60s, tempered by the wind. In all, a splendid day.

AMS: 13.0 but that doesn't tell the story at all. Total ride time, 6 hrs 54 min. Moving time, 4 hrs 15 min. Stopped time, 2 hrs 39 min.

Mechanicals/Mishaps: None

Report: It was a beautiful morning. We had Dover St. to ourselves: empty street, empty parking lot. Changed since I was last there: you can't get into the lobby at the jail to use the rest room now, but the rest room in the lobby of the police station across the street is available.

We started out through town, passing Idlewild Park and turning on Dutchman's Lane, crossing Rt 50 at one of the few traffic lights, taking us into quiet rural farmland. Mostly you see fields with corn, soy beans and other crops but when the route reaches Jamaica Point at the far southeast corner of the county you can see the Choptank River.

According to the Choptank River Heritage site, "Jamaica Point was an important shipbuilding site, located on the west side of the Choptank River nearly opposite of Warwick River and town of Secretary. The yard produced a number of schooners and at least one brig, the Argyll, launched in 1856, one of if not the last brig built on the Chesapeake Bay.

"Maryland Steamboat Company’s Highland Light and Kent provided nightly service from Baltimore to Choptank River including a stop at Jamaica Point in 1878. The Baltimore, Chesapeake and Atlantic Railway Company used this landing at least until 1911."

Rounding the corner and passing Jamaica Point we turned onto narrow, wooded Money Make Road, included originally because of the name but kept for the narrowness and the deep woods, and shortly arrived at our first rest stop at the Valero station across Rt 50 from Trappe.

When we arrived at the first rest stop the traffic light at the Rt 50 crossing was blinking red, the cross road was blocked by crime scene tape and a state trooper was directing all traffic north on Rt 50.

This, of course, would have been a disaster for us. But by the time we'd had a snack and studied the historical marker for local hero Nace Hopkins they'd fixed the traffic light, and we were the first ones across the intersection.

Zigzagging on back roads we made our way to the main highway into Oxford, past the historic Robert Morris Inn and down to the ferry dock.

While waiting for the ferry we took pictures of the waterfront.

Leaving Bellevue and passing through Royal Oak we entered St Michaels. The route goes to Justine's, a famous ice-creamery, but the group had decided on crab cakes instead.

I researched the "best crab cakes in St Michaels" and found a place in a swanky hotel on the harbor (turn right on Chew Ave, then left on W Harbour to the St Michaels Harbour Inn and Spa) but the group felt the prices were a bit too swanky for their taste. We did get to view the harbor, which was worth the detour.

Continuing on, we stopped across the street from Justine's -- which turned out to be Corah's Corner, a restaurant where the group ordered sandwiches.

And that's where the 2 hrs 39 minutes of stopped time went: the rest stop at Trappe, the Ferry, the Hunt for Crabcakes and late lunch at Corah's Corner. It was after 4 pm when we left Corah's, with 12 miles back to Easton. The flaw in this schedule didn't became clear until the trip back home.

We left Easton at 5:30, heading home driving into the setting sun,with Rt 50 an extended "sunshine delay" all the way to the Beltway.

Lesson learned: perhaps a leisurely lunch mi-ride might best be reserved for summertime.

Goose Bay, Windmill Point (CC, 39)

Stephen Palincsar — Sat, 08 Oct 2022 14:30:00 GMT

On the Gravel at Windmill Point Road

Leader: Steve Palincsar

Members: Joan Oppel, Lois Lightfoot

Guests: None

Route: https://ridewithgps.com/routes/40984461

Weather: It started out cool, 55-56 and sunny, chilly in the shadows and warming in the sun. By Fire Tower it had warmed up enough to swap a windbreaker for a gilet and all the way down to Windmill Point Road it seemed as though it was going to reach the low 60s by the time we got to Goose Bay, but then clouds obscured the sun and the wind picked up. It was actually chilly at Goose Bay and the wind remained blustery and stronger than predicted all the way back.

AMS: 12,1

Mechanicals/Mishaps: None

Report: It was a sunny but blustery autumn day that started out cool, warmed up a bit just before noon, and then suddenly got chillier and windier.

Windmill Point Road

We were meant to go to Goose Bay first, then explore Windmill Point Rd as far as the end of pavement, but the group wanted to go to Windmill Point first.

We continued past the end of pavement onto the gravel road and took it almost to the point where the gravel becomes double track. After the photo op and a conversation with a bow hunter who was heading back to his truck,we decided to turn around and head for the rest stop at Goose Bay.

The Break Area at Ship's Store, Goose Bay

The rest area at Ship's Store is in an autumnal mood, perhaps more Thanksgiving than Halloween (no ghosts or skeletons, but pumpkins and Pilgrims).

They're still constructing the solar farm on Ripley. We briefly stopped but an officious guard wouldn't let me enter the grounds, so no photo of work in progress.

We decided to skip the cued rest stop at Ollies -- it does appear to still be open, although there didn't seem to be but one car parked there -- and continue straight on to Bumpy Oak and the IHRT.

Although there wasn't a trace if Indian Summer, early fall is still a wonderful time for bike rides and today's was a very enjoyable one. Thanks to Joan and Lois for coming. I hope the riders on the Seagull Century today had gentler winds than we did.

Williamsburg 3 Day Tour 2022

Sherwood — Sat, 08 Oct 2022 13:30:00 GMT

On day 1 of the Williamsburg 3 Day Tour Tasha Harris, Diane Harris (Co-Ride Leader), Theresa Rowell, Ron Altemus, Tim Copeland, Charlie Copeland, Linda Banker, and Sue Gunter all members joined me, Sherwood Byers, Sr. (Ride Leader)at the Richmond Train Station for a 3 day tour going to Williamsburg and Surrey Virginia. Once the tour began a short stop at the Virginia Capital Trailhead for a group photo. This was the main route taken to Williamsburg. Riding at a casual touring pace the group easily stayed together. The weather for the tour was pleasant with a slight wind. Regrouping every 8 to 10 miles aided in making the trip easy for everyone. A lunch stop was planned in Charles City the halfway point at the Indian Fields Tavern but they could not take our group due to a staff shortage. Culs Courthouse Grill about a mile away was the tried and true place to eat. After lunch the tour continued to Williamsburg. Another stop at the Chickahominy Regional Park was a welcomed stop before completing day 1. In Williamsburg all went to their places of rest and ate dinner at the pleasure before retiring for the night.

Day 2 the group met at the staging point at 9:30 for the 7 mile ride to the ferry to Surrey. 2 members returned to Richmond because they had another obligation but wanted to ride with the group to Williamsburg. Once the ferry docked in Surrey we continued our tour around Surrey stopping at the Chippokes Plantation where all took in the history then continuing to Meats of Virginia formerly Edwards Ham for a delicious lunch. With full stomachs we continued our ride back to the ferry. A 6:30 reservation at the Plaza Ateca Mexican Restaurant was awaiting our arrival. The dinner was and conversation about the days events were pleasant. Afterwards all returned to prepare for the next day of riding.

The morning of Day 3 all met after breakfast and began the ride to Richmond. The plan again was to stop in Charles City for lunch. Since the arrival of COVID-19, many things have changed affecting everyone in different ways. one way it affected this ride were the closing of the restaurants on Mondays. This Portabello Ristorante was our planned lunch on the return is now closed on Monday so the decision to eat at Culs Courthouse Grill, the tried and true was our lunch stop again. Diane, the ride co-leader was excellent in helping with the group. I enjoyed everyone's companionship on this tour. No mechanical or mishaps were reported on this ride. Thank you to all who joined me.

Sherwood

Friday IndianHead 20 mile All Class

Randall Schoch — Fri, 07 Oct 2022 14:00:00 GMT

Leader - Randy Schoch

Members - Belinda Acre, Ron & Susan Altemus, Fran Jezisek, Donaro Gardner, Robin Garnett, Henry & Yvonne Hoyle, Joan & Lester Jackson, George Martin, Oswald Martin, Leesha Saunders, and Gene Villiva.

Guests - None

Route - IHRT

Weather - Perfect - 60's to 70's sunny with a light breeze

AMS - Varied per/rider

Mechanicals/Mishaps - None

Report - A great turnout of riders this morning. Henry & Yvonne H. rode their trikes and George M, Oswald M., and Joan J are riding the trail again. James (the trail monitor) was on the job today. It was a bit chilly at the start and we didn't see much wildlife. I stopped by Bumpy Oak Pond to see if the snake family were out and about but no. The turtles were still sleeping. There were many humans and canines using the trail and even a young mothers' club with many babies and strollers enjoying the beautiful day. We had a long rest and visit at the White Plains rest area. After everyone headed back on the trail, I spotted Gene V's helmet on the ground. I tied his helmet on my trunk bag and eventually met up with him in a little distance down the trail where he put it on. We all made it back safely and looking forward to next week.

Baden Naylor, Celestial & Pinefield (CC, 32)

Stephen Palincsar — Thu, 06 Oct 2022 14:00:00 GMT

Leader: Steve Palincsar

Members: Pat Walthers, Joan Oppel, Leslie Tierstein

Guests: none

Route: https://ridewithgps.com/routes/41107309 Molly Berry to Baden Naylor, Horsehead, Woodville to Wilkerson and Celstial, Young to a rest stop at the Moreland Market. After the break, Woodville to Dr Mudd, Poplar Hill to St Peters Church, a short tour of Pinefield, Cedarville to Ashbox, Brandywine to Gibbons Church back to the Park. 32 mi, 1122' elevation gain.

Weather: Clear skies, very few clouds, bright sun and a light breeze with temperatures ranging from 60 at the start to over 76 when we finished.

AMS: 12.1

Mechanicals/Mishaps: none

Report: Today was Joan's first day back after a lengthy recovery from surgery and an unrelated illness. It was great to be riding with her again, on such a lovely day made even more so by contrast with the preceeding dismal week of Ian's leavings.

Joan brought Leslie, another rare treat as she's seldom seen on mid-week rides. And it was great to again ride with Pat, back after her tour. It was a relatively flat and easy route and we set an easy pace, taking a few breaks along the way. We modified the route to bypass a mile or so of Cedarville Road of out concern for dump trucks, but as it happened, there weren't any today.

Friday IHRT All class 20 miles

Ron Altemus — Fri, 30 Sep 2022 14:00:00 GMT

Leader:   Ron Altemus

Members: (l-r) Lester & Joan Jackson, Donaro Gardner, Gene Villiva, George Martin, Robin Garnett, Jackie Schoch, Leesha Saunders, Dani Villiva, Randy Schoch, Belinda Acre

Route:   Indian Head Rail Trail, Livingston Rd parking lot to White Plains trailhead and return. Approx 20 miles though some rode farther.

Weather:   overcast, temps rising from the mid 50s to just about 60; not much in the way of wind though 8-10 breezes out of the NE were forecast

AMS: mostly in the low 11s

Mechanicals/Mishaps:   none

Report:   A nice group, looking to get in a leisurely, conversational ride prior to Ian's arrival, forecast for later in the day. We saw more cyclists on our outbound leg, very few on the return; not that many walkers either, and those we saw later in the ride were all carrying umbrellas. Suffice to say, it didn't rain.

Long time club member Joan Jackson rode with us for the first time in ages. It was great having her joining our Friday social group.

Of interest today; 1) wildlife sights were few and far between, but on the return near the shooting range, Belinda and your faithful correspondent observed five (5) turkeys near Old Woman Creek. A few are visible in along the tree line below.

The Mattawoman Creek watershed is very dry. The creeks and marshes were devoid of water. Hopefully, the rains associated with Ian will restore water levels to more normal standards.

Puddles only in Mattawoman Creek.

Old Womans Run was bone dry.

The beaver lodge just east of Livingston Road is more exposed than usual.

Tour de Accokeek - All class 16

Janell Saunders — Wed, 28 Sep 2022 21:00:00 GMT

It was a cooler evening requiring me to don my knickers for the 1st time this year and a long sleeve jersey. Today it was just Tim Murphy and myself, so I was able to talk him into doing the route reversed. We did the Accokeek maze portion first in reverse which can always challenge the gray cells a bit to do the turns in the opposite and view scenes from the other perspective. Then we rolled down Livingston and turned on Old Marshall Hall Rd rather than heading down Accokeek Road W to intersect with Old Marshall Hall Rd to continue down Barrys Hill, which is just as bad no matter which direction you go. This slight modification added about 2 miles. After a brief stop at the Marshall Hall pier, we headed back up Marshall Hall Rd to Bryans Road and continuing past my house. I peeled off here and Tim continued on to the firehouse.

Three Notch Trail 22 miles ALL class

Ron Altemus — Wed, 28 Sep 2022 14:00:00 GMT

Leader: Ron Altemus

Members: Dan Donohue, Robin Garnett, Gene Villiva, Belinda Acre, Donaro Gardner

Route:   3NT starting at the Northern Senior Center riding south to John Baggett Park. After a rest stop, retracing north up to the Deborah Road trail head. We added a mile or so by touring Deborah Rd and Denise Lane viewing the homes on lots with mature trees.

Weather:   another day of blue skies with white puffy clouds, temps in the mid 60s and 8-9 mph breezes out of the northwest.

AMS: probably somewhere in the leisurely low 11s

Mechanicals/Mishaps: none

Report:   a nice day and a nice ride. We rode in pairs for the entire ride, constantly changing partners for casual conversational cycling. Numerous other cyclists were also out enjoying this nice crisp day along with the occasional walker or two.

Between MD-6 and Thompson Corner Rd, there is a recently constructed side trail on a wooden bridge over the marshy ground which leads to the new Amish Market. The market used to be held at the library but grew too large for that venue, so the county constructed a new facility and made it easily accessible to the 3NT via this short (200-300 yards) trail. A few stands were open and one rider returned afterwards to make some purchases.

Gene surveying the offerings at one of the open stands.

Robin leading riders back to the 3NT on the new spur trail.

Port Tobacco, Locust Grove & Pisgah Marbury (CC, 34)

Stephen Palincsar — Tue, 27 Sep 2022 14:00:00 GMT

Leader: Steve Palincsar

Members: Ron Altemus, Pat Walthers, Randy Schoch

Guests: None

Route: https://ridewithgps.com/routes/39997093 34 miles, 1234' elevation gain

Weather: Blue skies, lots of large puffy white clouds, 66 at 10:00 am, 73 when we finished. Dark Sky says we had 6-8 mph winds. It was spot on about the temperature and the clouds, but I think it missed the mark on the wind speed: at some points we had gusts that felt at least twice that.

AMS: 12.7

Mechanicals/Mishaps: None

Report: It was a delightful day. No question, summer is over. I started off wearing lightweight glove liners and arm warmers and my OHBike ride leader vest. The gloves and arm warmers came off at Bumpy Oak and Marshall Corner, but the vest stayed on all day due to the wind.

We took the IHRT to Bumpy Oak and went up it, crossed Hawthorne and went down Rose Hill to Port Tobacco, stopping for a brief bio break at Port Tobacco River Park, then climbed Locust Grove. Crossing 301 we took Springhill Newtown past picturesque fields and turned left on Glen Albin and took it to La Plata.

Turning on Oak, we had a lunch stop at the Dash In La Plata, across the street from the Port Tobacco Players Theater. a unique feature of La Plata that seemed like a perfect backdrop for a group photo.

We took Rt 6 to Valley and Valley to Hawthorne. Between the wind and the traffic, the climb on Hawthorne up to Marshall Corner was noisy. The traffic noise was a lot less once past T&J's.

We turned on Ripley and I stopped to take a look at the progress at the Solar Project.

Clearly they're not done yet, it's still a building site, but there's been enormous progress since I was last here, with the solar panels now installed.

We stopped at the Pisgah Store mainly to chat, then headed down Mason Spring, turned on Pisgah Marbury and merged onto Bicknell, then turned on Chicamuxen. A couple of miles later we were back.

A great ride, a perfect day and a congenial group: it doesn't get much better than this.

OR 42 Down Kentucky, Up Old Sycamore

Janell Saunders — Sun, 25 Sep 2022 14:00:00 GMT

Leader: Janell Saunders

Members: Ron Altemus, Catherine Ade, Steve Palinscar, Sarah Clement, Rita Zeidner, Harold Datz, Luis Dall'Orso

Guests: None

Weather: cool at the start but warmed to upper 70s, breezy and a few clouds.

AMS: various

Mechanicals/Mishaps: A chain drop on Newport Church Rd, quickly resolved.

Report: I found this route in the library and it had great roads that I haven't ridden in a while. To our delight, we found fresh pavement on Thompson Corner Rd and on the portion of Rt. 6 that we travelled. After our rest stop at Gilbert Run, we made an unscheduled stop at Simpsons store. Some folks missed the stop so we ended up getting a bit spread out. But, we re-grouped often on this ride so all were together for the most part. Other roads we travelled that were well received were Kentucky and Bowling, fun and little to no traffic.

Gilbert Run

On Allens Fresh Rd.

On Bowling Rd.

Friday IndianHead 20 mile All Class

Randall Schoch — Fri, 23 Sep 2022 14:00:00 GMT

Leaders - Jackie & Randy Schoch

Members - Belinda Acre, Ron Altemus, Donaro Gardner, Robin Garnett, George Martin, and Dani & Gene Villiva.

Guests - None

Route - IHRT

Weather - Clear, sunny, cool (60's), and breezy.

AMS - varied/per rider

Mechanicals/Mishaps - None

Report - Because of the sunshine, the breeze, and 61degrees at the start, most of us were under dressed and suffered from the cold. It was a very pleasant ride to the White Plains rest stop. There not many trails' users this morning and we only saw one deer and not much other wild live. We had a nice visit at the rest stop as we rested in the sun to warm up a little. The ride back to the parking lot was a challenge because of the stiff cold head wind. After the ride, Belinda, Robin, George, Jackie and I had lunch at the Lunch Box in Brian's Road. See you next week and it should be a bit warmer.

Tour de Accokeek - All class 16

Janell Saunders — Wed, 21 Sep 2022 21:30:00 GMT

I was joined this time by Randy and Jackie Schoch and Tim Murphy. I was surprised to see Jackie after hearing of her fall and uppercut from her handlebars, but she rallied. Randy and Jackie got ahead of Tim and I before getting to Livingston road and from there on it was a sprint. I felt like a greyhound chasing a rabbit trying to catch up! As we approached the Marshall Hall pier, we saw what turned out to be 2 large dogs, maybe mastiffs, having chased someone into a tree on the gravel road to the Marshall Hall park. Someone had pulled up in a car to honk in an effort to distract the dogs and then threw out some food, which seemed to work.

At the pier the GII group followed and said the dogs were off the side of the road just relaxing. We saw them as we passed and they appeared quite relaxed and not aggressive, maybe the snack helped!

A lovely September evening ride, but will have to start posting them at 5pm,

Riverside, Smith Point (CC, 39)

Stephen Palincsar — Sun, 18 Sep 2022 14:00:00 GMT

Leader: Steve Palincsar

Members: Catherine Ade, Sarah Clement, Holly Carr, Walt Roscello, Wayne Hunt

Guests: None

Route: https://ridewithgps.com/routes/39819429 39.3 mi, 1564' elevation gain. This was one of the routes in the initial proposal for an all-class ride in August in Nanjemoy that ended up on the cutting room floor. Billed as a "scenic ride on the quiet, wooded back roads of Nanjemoy," the route took Bowie and Gilroy to the southern end of Chicamuxen, then headed south on Riverside to a lunch stop at the Nanjemoy Store. After lunch we took Adams Willet and Hancock Run to Maryland Point, then we'll take Smith Point back to Riverside and a second stop at the Nanjemoy Store. After the break the route took Jacksontown, Poseytown and Bowie to 6, then followed Ironsides back to Friendship Landing.

Weather: The final Sunday of summer of 2022 brought us sunny skies, temperatures in the 70s and low 80s with s 5-7 mph breeze from the south.

AMS: 14.1 at the tail end.

Mechanicals/Mishaps: None

Report: Things went wonderfully up to the first rest stop at mile 13-- we didn't see our first car until mile 7 -- and the following 6 miles on Adams Willet and Hancock Run. We turned right onto Maryland Point Road, at which point I was shelled off the back and dropped from the ride.

Friday IndianHead 20 mile All Class

Randall Schoch — Fri, 16 Sep 2022 14:00:00 GMT

Leader - Randy Schoch

Members - Belinda Acre, Erica (the Turtle) Barry, Joe Barry, and Sheryl Romeo.

Guests - None

Route - IHRT

Weather - Perfect - Sunny in the 70's

AMS - Varied per/rider

Mechanicals/Mishaps - None

Report - Only 5 of us this morning. There are several other activities that drew some of regulars away from today's ride. The trail was very lightly used by others also. The wildlife was abundant with squirrels, heron, turtles, snake, deer, and the ever-present birds singing us along. Our pace was very casual with a lot of visiting as we rode each way. While we were taking our break at White Plains, we saw James (the trail monitor) and on the return leg we saw member Bob Moye riding the trail. What a wonderful day. We can only hope next Friday is as nice.

Sweetman, Smallwood Church to Bumpy Oak (CC, 35)

Stephen Palincsar — Tue, 13 Sep 2022 14:00:00 GMT

Leader: Steve Palincsar

Members: Randy Schoch, Tracie C, Donaro Gardner, Luis Dall'Orso, Holly Carr

Route: https://ridewithgps.com/routes/40905481 35.2 mi, 1294' elevation gain

Today's goal was quiet, scenic roads with some interesting riding, and a couple of twists that made you ask "What? We're going there how??" that were evident right from the start, when we rode west on the IHRT then turned left on Hawthorne rather than heading out on Livingston Rd as we've almost always done.

Nothing surprising about the turn on Chicamuxen and then Marbury Run Rd onto Bicknell, but going straight on Pisgah Marbury certainly surprised my Garmin (as always, it failed to recognize it as a turn). I think it surprised Holly and Lou (although, no surprise there, to Lou all ways are equally good and cues are just suggestions) who kept on going on Bicknell until shouts brought them back.

A right on Mason Springs, of course, but the right on Bicknell, heading straight back to where we'd just been was one of those happy "Say what?" moments.

We turned from Bicknell onto Sweetman, then left on Chicamuxen and in a half a mile left on Smallwood Church: first time I can remember going south on Smallwood Church this year, and that was nice -- the views are totally different heading this way, as are the rollers.

A left onto Mason Spring and three eventful miles later we arrived at Pisgah Park for a rest stop, then headed down to Poorhouse, taking it all the way to Rt 6. Left on 6 down that long hill past Social Services and Shirley Blvd that I hadn't seen since the last Indian Head 100, and going by rote habit you'd think for sure we were turning left on Rose Hill -- but no, past Rose Hill, past Causeway and the road to Port Tobacco, left on Valley -- again, first time this year for me -- to a left on Hawthorne. After the climb (really noisy today) the usual quick right-left onto Bumpy Oak.

After the descent down to the IHRT Lou left us, turning right on the trail to head back home. He'd ridden to the start, and would be completing a 100K when he got home. The rest of us headed west on the trail back to Livingston Rd.

Weather: Mostly cloudy, low 70s at the start rising to 80 by 1 pm, 5-7 mph breezes.

AMS: 14.0

Mechanicals/Mishaps: None

Report: The stars, the Moon and planets all aligned and Tracie C was able to come out on a Tuesday to join us. That's not quite as rare as winning the Maryland Lottery, but kind of in the same ball park.

We were waiting for Lou to arrive when Holly drove up and parked. We were happy to see her, and even happier when we persuaded her to abandon the solo route she'd planned for the day and join our ride.

We weren't pacelining or even riding all that closely together, instead spreading out on the uphill sections and briefly regrouping afterwards.

The point of rides like these isn't the workout, but a workout is there to be had if you want it; and on Mason Spring and Poorhouse after you cross Mill Run, even if you didn't want one, you got one anyway.

The point is fun: interesting riding, great scenery and the company of like-minded friends. Today the riding was great-- plenty of turns, rollers, ups and downs, screaming fast descents and climbs to pay for them afterwards -- and the scenery looked exceptional: clean, green, standing proud and full after a couple of days of rain. Add in the pleasant temperature, and you get a perfect day.

Chesapeake Beach, North Beach & Masons Beach (CC, 52)

Stephen Palincsar — Sat, 10 Sep 2022 13:30:00 GMT

On the Boardwalk at North Beach

Leader: Steve Palincsar

Members: Ellen Goodwin, Alan Kurzweil, Wayne Hunt, Cynthia Nuzzi, Janell Saunders, Mary Scala, Samuel Perry (and not in the photo, Luis Dall'Orso, Patricia Sanders and James Davenport)

Route: https://ridewithgps.com/routes/40852359 Starting from Waysons Park & Ride, we tookthe Rt 4 Service road and Wrighton to Bay Front, then headed south on McKendree, Jewel and Wilson to Friendship and Old Solomons Island Rd and a rest stop at the Dash In on the corner of Rt 260. Heading east on Mr Harmony and MD-260 after the break, we diverted down Horace Ward and Cox Roads before rolling to a stop at the North Beach Pier, where a passing cyclist took our photo. A few miles later we arrived at our lunch stop at Chesapeake Market.

Following the break we rode up Friendship, down Fairhaven, up Leitch, down Franklin Gibson and up that 90', 10% rise just after Trott's Branch, then zoomed down Deale Rd past Happy Harbor, over the bridge and south on Drum Point and Owings Beach for a back street meander through Owings Beach en route to a stop at the South County Cafe.

Leaving South County we took Swamp Circle to the rollers on Sudley and Owensville Sudley, then headed over to Harwood. After a brief bio break for some, we went down Harwood Rd to Sands back to Waysons. 51.6 miles, 2352' elevation gain per RWGPS, and an interesting, scenic and enjoyable route.

Weather: It was a beautiful day, perfect for cycling. Partly cloudy, 70 when we started, 80 when we finished, with light breezes, 3-4 mph.

AMS: 13.2

Mishaps and Mechanicals: None

Ride Report: Looking over the list of participants and knowing the Usual Suspects, it would not be surprising to learn that we quickly separated into a fast group, a middle group and a slower group. We regrouped often when we got too strung out, and stopped often enough to maintain a feeling of group cohesiveness, companionship and comradery and a general sense of fun. This, and of course, interesting cycling, really are what riding at the CC level is all about.

Friday IndianHead 20 mile All Class

Randall Schoch — Fri, 09 Sep 2022 14:00:00 GMT

Leaders - Jackie & Randy Schoch

Members - Belinda Acre, Joe Barry, Celeste Conyers, George Martin, Oswald Martin, John & Theresa Sims, and Dani & Gene Villiva.

Guests - None

Route - IHRT

Weather - Perfect. sunny,70's with very light breeze.

AMS - Varied per/rider

Mechanicals/Mishaps - None

Report - The Altemus' were away but we still had a very good number of club members join the ride this morning. John & Theresa and Joe came for the first time along with George M. who had been absent for a while. Because the weather was so good, the trail was well attended with quite a few bikers and walkers. We saw a hawk, turtles, and an eagle. David (the trail maintenance guy) gave us a greeting and James (the trail ranger) a wave as we rode to the White Plains rest stop. After our 15-minute break while visiting with other trail bikers, we made a swift return to the parking lot. Dani & Gene and Jackie & I went to the Lunch Box in Bryans Road for a tasty lunch. Let's do it again next Friday.

St Mary's Church, Aquasco Farm & Covington (CC, 33)

Stephen Palincsar — Thu, 08 Sep 2022 14:00:00 GMT

Leader: Steve Palincsar

Members: Harry Kidd

Guests: None

Route: https://ridewithgps.com/routes/40831816

Weather: Overcast, cloud cover ranging between 100% and 70%, cloudy bright except for the last tenth of a mile of the route heading towards North Keys Park, when it became brilliant sunshine. Temperatures were in the 70s, around 70 at the start rising to 76 at the end -- but to me it felt cold, cold enough to have had to wear the ride leader vest all day. Dark Sky says there was a 7 mph breeze, but to me it felt like more.

AMS: 13.1

Mechanicals/Mishaps: My chain derailed off the front (1x) chain ring at the start of the ride while riding up Molly Berry, almost at the crest, and wedged itself firmly between the crank and the down tube. It took a fair bit of wrestling before I got it free.

I have a Praxis "Wave" 1-by chain ring, alternating teeth pointing inward and outward to keep the chain from wanting to derail. Obviously it didn't work quite as expected today.

The chain has inside links and outside links, and there's a diagram on the chain ring showing on which tooth the outside link is supposed to go on. Normally, it's easy to see and follow, but today in the shade I couldn't see it, and trying to rotate the chain ring around so as to get a better view turned into another wrestling match. But once it was fixed it gave no further trouble.

Report: After a summer with weeks of 90 degree temperatures, it's amazing how chilly an overcast, breezy 70 degrees can feel.

After a five minute struggle on Molly Berry Tfreeing and replacing my chain (see "Mechanicals/Mishaps") we set out on a fairly standard route heading south on Malcolm to the Five Points, then took Woodville and Dr Bowen to Aquasco Rd. But today, instead of turning on Aquasco as we always do, we went straight on St Marys Church to the end of the road, to see what we could see.

The most interesting thing is a power transmission line with luxuriant wildflower growth. At the corner by the church we saw a historical marker commemorating Brigadier General Leonard Covington, born in Aquasco in 1768, served in the House of Representatives, Brigadier during the Northwest Indian War, killed during the War of 1812.

Just down the road was our first rest stop, Hardesty Haven Cafe.

Besides the usual amenities that have always been at this location when it was The Little Store and the Reindeer Grille, visible at the far right is real value added for cyclists. We didn't stay long, eager to see what lay down Aquasco Farm Road.

It's a winding, wooded road that leads past the Girl Scout camp and the gravel entrance road to Aquasco Farm, according to the sign, part of Patuxent River Park. The Maryland National Capitol Park and Planning Commission web site says of it:

National Capitol Park and Planning Commission photo

"Located in rural Prince George’s County, Aquasco Farm is an active 840-acre agricultural site that is still farmed, following best management practices and soil conservation plans to protect the land. The Girl Scouts of the Nation’s Capital lease 80 acres for primitive camping. Additionally, special areas are set aside for beagle training and specific regulations govern their use. The property is also managed for bow, muzzleloader, and shotgun hunting in conjunction with land owned by the Maryland Department of Natural Resources." https://www.pgparks.com/3258/Aquasco-Farm

We followed the road to the end of pavement, where we found some farm buildings.

Perhaps some day we'll come back and explore the gravel road. The maps show the road going down past the farm to the Bowen Wildlife Management Area, which must be where the hunting takes place.

We continued heading northwest on Aquasco, then turned onto Croom which became Covington and we were back at the Five Points. Horsehead took us to Orme back to Aquasco and a quick pit stop at the Baden store.

On the way back we took a jog down Cedarville past the Deli and back on Ash Box. Years ago Oxon Hill stopped at the Cedarville Deli so often we had a club picnic table there, but it's only 3 miles from North Keys Park and even its outstanding bean soup won't make us stop.

Labor Day Picnic Ride: 44C/CC

Jessica Hirschhorn — Tue, 06 Sep 2022 00:22:49 GMT

What a great ride our group had!

44.68 miles, 1696' climbing.

Riders were: Barbara Butcher, Robin Butler-LeFrancois, Andrea Clayville, Ellen Goodwin (sweep), Jessica Hirschhorn, Diep-Thuy Ho, Justine Kavle, Doug Kay, Barbara Klestzick, Lois Lightfoot, Michael Lizarraga, Ray Lucknbach, Susan Luckenbach, David Mann, Grace McNally, Lori Michaelson, Cathy Miller, Ellen Moitoi, Sonja Newman, Cynthia Nuzzi, Stephen Palincsar, Patricia Sanders, Charles Williams.

The weather was really lovely - cloudy and not too hot. By the end of the ride, the sun came out and it heated us up a bit.

We had stops at Smallwood Park, Nanjemoy Store and Pisgah Park.

Given the number of riders and the variation of average speed, we spread out quite a bit, but no one got lost and we re-grouped at rest stops.

Cynthia found a dead iPhone on the road which we carried back to the picnic and charged up. We were able to call one of the text numbers, who was the mother of the iPhone owner - a 13 yo boy. She was very grateful and came to pick it up.

The picnic was wonderful, and well attended. The food was plentiful - thank you to the hotdog team!

A good time was had by all!

Labor Day Picnic Ride: CC/C 33 Miles Route

Harry Kidd — Mon, 05 Sep 2022 13:00:00 GMT

Leader: Harry Kidd

Members: Marc Blackman, Caresse Bullock, Steve Cohen, Steve Forman, Carl Hattery, Lynda Honberg, Ron Hornberg, Sue Henn, Althea Johnston, Doug Kay, Andria Legon, Joe McKenzie, Janell Saunders, Mary Scala, Randy Sim, & Bernard Steward.

Route: 33.5 Miles, 1221' of climbing, Approximately 2.5 hours of pedaling.

Weather: In comparison with the last few weeks of heat & humidity - This was a very pleasant day on the road. We had rest stops at Smallwood Park and Pisgah Parks.

AMS: Estimated average speeds ranged between 10 & 12 miles per hour

Mechanicals/Mishaps: None

Report: Everyone enjoyed the ride. Special thanks to Janell Saunders for ride the lead. I rode sweep. There weren't any problems reported. The group spread out and went at the own pace. Thanks to Ron Altemus for the group photo

Labor Day Picnic: IHRT 26 miles

Ron Altemus — Mon, 05 Sep 2022 13:00:00 GMT

Leader: Ron Altemus

Members: (l-r) Dani Villiva, Esther Steward, Erica and Joe Barry, Astrid Caldas, Robin Garnett, Randy Schoch, Jean Dwyer, Ron and Susan Altemus, Fran Jezisek, Bruce & Gail Black, Gene Villiva (not pictured: Diana and Dan Donahue)

Route: in its entirety, all 26 miles of the Indian Head Rail Trail, Village Green to White Plains and return

Weather: not bad - mostly overcast to start but becoming mostly cloudy with some sun peeking through towards the end, enough humidity to be noticed but not too terrible, and nondescript breezes.

AMS:   varied from the low 10s to the mid 12s depending on rider

Mechanicals/Mishaps:   none. What was thought to be a failing bottom bracket didn't fail and did not hinder the rider from finishing.

Report:   a great turnout allowing the opportunity for plenty of conversational cycling with club members new and old. We definitely split into multiple groups in each direction. Diana and Dan missed the photo op but fell in with us before we reached the trailhead in Indian Head.

Given that it was Labor Day, plenty of other trails users, the majority of which were cyclists of all ages, interspersed with walkers, some of whom were pushing strollers. Major wildlife sighting of the day was a copperhead snake, slightly blurry photo taken by Gene, as it slithered away from him and Bob Moye.

Afterwards, a great casual hot dog picnic at the Village Green. George Martin and Jackie Schoch did the grilling honors. Sodas and sparkling waters, chips, cookies, and other snacks were also consumed.

A most excellent day! Thanks to all that came out to ride, and special thanks to our hosts and planners: Jessica, Joan, Jackie, and George.

Mason Neck>Hallowing Point CC/C 28 mi

Ron Altemus — Sun, 04 Sep 2022 13:00:00 GMT

Leader: Ron Altemus

Members: Belinda Acre, Steve Palincsar, Patricia Sanders, Mary Scala

Route: leisurely tour of Mason Neck riding Belmont Blvd, Gunston Road, Mason Neck Trail, and Springfield to the State Park entrance road. Rest stop at the Visitor's Center, then Gunston Road to a tour of Hallowing Point. Return on Gunston Road (and Mason Neck Trail) visiting Gunston Manor, George Mason's Gunston Hall, and the two Pohick Bay Parks. https://ridewithgps.com/routes/40798783 27.6 miles, 738' elevation change .

Weather: not bad at all. Temp range from the low 70s to low 80s, blue skies and sunshine, non-disruptive air flow, and lower humidity through ride's end.

AMS: swept in the low 11s

Mechanicals/Mishaps: none

Report: another visit to Mason Neck, so designated today to allow for an easy ride between Saturday's longer St Mary's County ride and the higher mileage Labor Day Picnic rides. We had a serendipitous encounter w/club members Janell Saunders and Sarah Clement (with dogs and friends) at Mason Neck State Park visitor center. They were out hiking and we all arrived at the same time. Pictured left>right: Patricia, Mary, Steve, Janell, Belinda, ride leader Ron, Sarah & Cassie the Golden Retriever, Mina & Flash the mini-Schnauzer, and Kim and Mikhail & Churro the Spanish Water Dog.

A minor twist was part of today's ride: we rode in the opposite direction through both the Hallowing Point and Gunston Manor neighborhoods. Belinda had suggested this possibility the last time she and your faithful correspondent did this ride. A most excellent suggestion as on those roads paralleling the water, we were afforded completely different views of the Potomac River.

Aviation Yacht Club, Chaptico Wharf & Baptist Church (CC, 46)

Stephen Palincsar — Sat, 03 Sep 2022 13:30:00 GMT

Wicomico River

Leader: Steve Palincsar

Members: Walt Roscello

Route: https://ridewithgps.com/routes/40787728 (but by the time you read this, it'll be gone)

Weather: Partly cloudy, mid-70s rising to the mid-80s by early afternoon

Mishaps & Mechanicals: None

AMS: 13.0

Report: Nobody had registered for the ride by the time I left home at 8 so I figured I was riding alone, no point waiting at Oak Ridge Park. I'd arrived early, so I left early. Spent the first 15 miles regretting the choice of route to get to Wicomico Shores (coming on Dixie Lyon and Thompson Corner would have been much better - more scenic and less traffic) and thinking that perhaps I need a Plan B for rides no one registers for, like maybe an exploration of roads I've never been on before, maybe on some of the many dead-end roads that go down to the water.

The rest stop at Wicomico Shores Landing was fine - some nice scenic views of the Wicomico River and a pretty spectacular sky - and it looked nice en route to Old Chaptico Wharf, too.

As I finished taking this photograph, Walt Roscello rode up. He registered this morning after I left home, started at 9:30 riding by himself, decided not to go down Aviation Yacht Club Rd (and so got ahead of me) and was coming back from having visited Old Chaptico Wharf.

We chatted, he said he was going to take a side trip down Mill Point just to see what was there, then follow the route and maybe we'd catch up at the Chaptico Store. Which we did, and rode together the rest of the way back.

9/2 Friday IHRT All class ride ~20 miles

Ron Altemus — Fri, 02 Sep 2022 14:00:00 GMT

Leader: Ron Altemus

Members: (l-r) Randy & Jackie Schoch, Belinda Acre, Gene Villiva, Robin Garnett, Fran Jezisek, Susan Altemus, Dani Villiva, Leesha Saunders. Not pictured: Diana & Dan Donahue

Route: Indian Head Rail Trail, Livingston Rd parking lot to White Plains and return

Weather: a delightful start to September - sunshine and blue skies, temps starting in the mid 70s climbing to the low 80s w/negligible humidty, 7-8 mph breezes out of the NW.

AMS: 12ish for most riders

Mechanicals/Mishaps: none

Report: Plenty of conversation today within the various moving groups in both directions. Dan and Diana started at White Plains and joined us enroute. The trike guys, Randy & Dan, spent time "talking trike," along with discussing, in particular, loading/unloading strategies into their pick-up trucks. They were caught riding in close proximity on the trail, as pictured below.

Fall wildflowers are beginning to appear alongside the trail. Sneezeweed (its name is based on the former use of its dried leaves in making snuff, inhaled to cause sneezing that would supposedly rid the body of evil spirits) was in abundance between White Plains and Middletown; clematis is beginning to appear in the Mattawoman Creek watershed. Other flowers will follow in the next few weeks.

Wildlife sightings included white and blue herons, turtles, and a rabbit. Other trail users observed were numerous cyclists, many walkers, and a runner or two. Most of us went on to Ribs-to-Go for lunch on their veranda, where conversations continued.

Whites Landing, Magruders & Nottingham (CC, 34)

Stephen Palincsar — Thu, 01 Sep 2022 13:00:00 GMT

Leader: Steve Palincsar

Members: Randy & Jackie Schoch, Tom Short, Oswald Martin

Guests: None

Route: https://ridewithgps.com/routes/32110645

Weather: A near-perfect day: sunny, low humidity, 6-7 mph breeze. Barely 70 when we started (with temperatures in the shade that felt like the 60s) rising to the 80s by early afternoon.

AMS: 12.3

Mechanicals/Mishaps: Sometimes the recounting of the mishaps & mechanicals is the ride report. Today was one of those days.

Report: It started out a lovely day, simply perfect weather and a pretty, shaded route. We went down Martin, right on Molly Berry, Baden Naylor, over Nelson Perrie, left on Bald Eagle School, a half-mile on Croom and down Whites Landing, through the Enchanted Forest down to the end of the road and back.

As I guessed last time, the Croom Rollers between Whites Landing and Magruders Ferry are harder heading north than they are going south, but they were fine. We had a great time at the Magruders rest stop, then climbed out, backtracked on Croom a couple of tenths and turned left on Baden Westwood. And then we come upon the road work.

They had milled down a section of road and were doing some kind of work, I never did find out what. There were signs that warned of a bump. Actually, there were two: one when you left the road surface and dropped down onto the milled section, and an inch and a half ledge when you got back onto the roadway again.

Oswald is new to the road. Although he's been riding for a couple of years on the trails, this was his second ride on the road. And he didn't really understand the meaning of the "bump" warning sign -- assuming he even saw it. So he went through the milled section at something like 10 or 12 mph.

I'm running 48 mm tires. I slowed down to around 3 or 4 mph and crept up the ledge. Oswald's running either 23s or 25s.

And you know exactly what happened.

"Do you have a spare tube?" Oswald: "No." Hm. This could be a problem. I'm running 650Bx48s, no help there. Randy and Jackie are running 700Cx38 or wider, their tubes won't fit either. But Tom has one. Great!

"Do you have a pump?" "No." "Tools?" Also "no." Not a show-stopper: Between us we have at least three pumps, several multi-tools and at least three sets of tire levers.

OK, let's get the back wheel out. Disc brakes and a thru axle. Randy, Jackie and Tom have quick releases. "Do you know how to get your wheel out?" "No." He's never had the wheel out.

Except for Lawyer Lips, pretty much all quick releases work the same. That doesn't seem to be the case with thru axles. Some have little handles, some don't. On some bikes you unscrew one thru axle from the left side and the other from the right side. I know exactly one thru axle set-up, mine: White Industries hubs, 6mm hex key from the left side.

Which side do you unscrew here? Hm. Not a 6, but a 5 mm; turn it around and around and around we go, we can see it turning but nothing's happening. Maybe you do it from the right instead of the left side?

Try that, around and around and around we go and still nothing's happening. Back to the left side.

Wait, I can see the left has unscrewed a bit. More times around and around and around and out comes the axle.

Remove the wheel, unscrew the nut on the valve, go around pinching the tire bead in towards the center of the rim all the way around to make some slack, and voila the tire comes tight off without needing tools.

A quick check of the tube reveals the characteristic snake bite-like two parallel slashes of a pinch flat.

The tire goes back on the rim easily. Fluff up Tom's spare tube with a few pump strokes, insert the tube, start pumping, give Oswald the pump, "Put in around 80 strokes, and then let's see how it feels compared to the front." Oswald squeezes the tire and then goes to check his front tire.

Oh oh. The front is flat too. This wasn't just his first ever flat, it was his first and second. And we just used the only tube.

No, wait. Tom has a patch kit.

OK, let's patch the tube that's out already. Sand down the tube a bit, now it's time to spread the glue. Brand new tube of glue in the patch kit; puncture the seal on the tube and squeeze out some glue.

Oh dear. The tube contains nothing but air.

Mash it down flat, roll the end up all the way, nothing. Not even a little BB of dried up glue. Just nothing.

"This man is dead, Jim."

Jackie and Randy went back to get their truck for the rescue. Oswald settled himself for the wait. After leaving him with a list of things to buy for next time at the local bike shop and a list of things to ask them to teach him, Tom and I kept on riding.

When we came to the turn for Baden Naylor at mile17.3, Tom was feeling very uneasy. He had a pump and CO2 backup, a multi tool and several sets of tire levers, but no spare tube and a useless patch kit.

He decided to head straight back: Baden Naylor to Brandywine, Gibbons Church back to the park. I offered to ride back with him, but he demurred so I finished the ride alone.

Tour de Accokeek

Tim Murphy — Wed, 31 Aug 2022 21:30:00 GMT

Leader: Tim Murphy

Members: Janelle S. Mathew S. and Sheryl R.

Route: Tour de Accokeek

Weather: it was a great day for a bike ride and ice cream afterwards.

AMS: 13.mph

Mechanicals/Mishaps: None

Report: We all stayed together for most of the ride, except for the hills. At the river there was a group of swimmers that swam from Georgetown to Mount Vernon. They took out at the boat ramp at Marsh Hall. The ride had been starting at 6:00pm. This ride we started at 5:30pm to allow time for the ride and get ice cream before it gets dark and it's not safe to ride. See you next week.

Creeds Mill & Riverside (CC, 35)

Stephen Palincsar — Tue, 30 Aug 2022 13:00:00 GMT

By the shores of Mattawoman Creek - who knew that was there!

Leader: Steve Palincsar

Members: Donaro Gardner, Luis Dall'Orso, Patricia Sanders, Oswald Martin

Route: https://ridewithgps.com/routes/34198760 35 mi, 1363' elevation gain. A surprising trip down Mattawoman Creek Rd to the shores of Mattawoman Creek, followed by a pleasant, shady and not too surprising trip south on Bicknell and Mason Springs to 6, then Bowie and Poseytown over to the Nanjemoy Community Center for a rest stop. After the break, Liverpool Point to Riverside, then Chicamuxen back. Lou and I stopped at Smallwood Park as cued, but the rest of the group skipped it and went straight back.

Weather: Sunny and humid. 90% humidity at 9 am, when it was 79 degrees. It was around 90 when we finished, still far better than the 98 it reached later in the afternoon. Between the 7 mph breeze and the abundant shade, it felt quite pleasant all day.

AMS: 13.7 (but that included the pedal to the metal return from Smallwood, Lou going all out and me cranking the motor up to Rocket and going all out, both of us holding over 20 mph the whole way back on Chicamuxen).

Mechanicals/Mishaps: None

Report: Oswald and Donaro assured me this was Oswald's first ride on the road. He even asked me if this was going to be a ride where it was necessary to shift, or could you do it all in one gear, as he'd been doing on the IHRT.

I think he shifted on the rollers on Riverside and the 140' rise on Chicamuxen after crossing Reeder's Run. But I'm still not 100% convinced they weren't having me on: usually people who have only ridden on rail trails don't do anything like as well on the road as he did today.

Once again, Nanjemoy was the place to be for bicycling comfort despite the heat and humidity. Those quiet, tree lined roads and all the shade are unbeatable. Even Chicamuxen was in shade all the way to Smallwood, and you know what a furnace it can be at the wrong time of day.

Sotterley, Steer Horn Neck & Sandgates (CC, 52)

Stephen Palincsar — Sun, 28 Aug 2022 14:00:00 GMT

Waiting for Janell at the entrance to Sotterley Plantation

Leader: Steve Palincsar

Members: Lou Dall'Orso, Harry Kidd, Jessica Hirschhorn, Jannel Saunders, Catherine Ade, Sonja Newman

Guests: Lynn Salvo

Route: https://ridewithgps.com/routes/40680969 We made a change at the end, returning on the Three Notch Trail instead of switching to Old Village Road at Rt 5 as planned, gaining valuable shade and losing 2 miles in the process. We ended up with 49.9 miles.

Weather: As the Capitol Weather Gang put it this morning, "Heat, haze and humidity." Partly cloudy, 80 at the start (felt like 86) and 90 when we finished (felt like 95). Breezy, and when we got onto Steer Horn Neck, it was downright windy. The breeze really helped make it comfortable.

AMS: 13.2

Mechanicals/Mishaps: None

Report: The forecast was calling for a hot day, and several people who had registered for the ride canceled by Sunday morning. It was pleasant as we rode the Three Notch Trail to Baggett Park. A brief bio-break at the park (it's a long way to the rest stop in Hollywood) and we headed for the Loveville Mennonite community on Parsons Mill and Friendship School. That's the easy way: crossing the gorge of Burnt Mill Creek is much less challenging this way than on Bishop Rd.

Jones Rd and Macintosh took us to Hollywood and a rest stop at McKay's, where we were met by empty shelves: not a soda or a pastry to be found. Half the store's shelves were empty. It's sad: this once was one of the best rest stops, but today it had nothing to offer other than a rest room.

After a pleasant diversion on Old Hollywood Road -- sadly, without miniature donkeys: either they were having a siesta in the barn or they're gone bye bye -- we stopped at the gas station at Three Notch Highway and Sotterley Rd and bought water, sodas and snacks.

The obvious way to shortcut this route is to skip the 7 miles on Steer Horn Neck, and that's what Janell decided, stopping for a break at Sotterley Plantation.

The rest of us went down Steer Horn Neck, past Greenwell State Park and around Half Pone Point where Cuckold Creek flows into the Patuxent River and then stopped at the curve where Half Point Pone Rd becomes Steer Horn Neck Rd. to take pictures and regroup.

We met Janell at the entrance to Sotterley Plantation and then continued on Vista and Old Three Notch, then 2 1/2 miles on Three Notch Highway before turning on South Sandgates. After a 3 mile roller coaster we came down to the Patuxent River shore and stopped for a break at the Sandgates Inn, where they gave us pitcher after pitcher of badly needed ice cold water.

After the break we climbed North Sandgates, rode for a bit less than a mile on Three Notch Highway then turned on Loveville, retracing our morning route on Kavanaugh and Laurel Grove Rd. Some of the riders were starting to feel the heat and we'd just had a break, so I changed the route, skipping the stop at Baggett Park and staying on the Trail all the way back. Happily, the trail was shady almost all the way, and delightfully cool after the heat of Three Notch Highway.

The riders loved the route. For several it was the first time there. It was really quite pleasant for a day the Weather Gang rated no higher than 6 out of 10.

Based on what we learned today, I'm going to make a couple of changes to the rest stops: replacing McKays with the Shell Station and skipping the stop at Sotterley (Jannel discovered they were charging $5 just to enter the grounds to use the rest room and the store) stopping at Sandgates Inn instead.

Sands & Polling House to the Real Deale (CC, 36)

Stephen Palincsar — Sat, 27 Aug 2022 18:08:35 GMT

Leader: Steve Palincsar

Members: Cynthia Cypress, Chuck Griffith

Route: https://ridewithgps.com/routes/40703693

Weather: Clear, humid, high 70s at the start rising to the high 80s by early afternoon, with 6-7 mph breezes. In all, a pretty and comfortable late summer day.

AMS: 13.9

Mechanicals/Mishaps: None

Report: We set out together on Sands but after a few miles on Polling House Cynthia decided to turn back, thinking the route was either too hard or too fast, and no amount of persuasion could change her mind.

Chuck and I carried on, seeing a number of cyclists on the Sudleys. These are one of the area's crown jewels, and I was delighted to have been able to introduce them and the back roads of Deale to Chuck on what was one of his first rides with the club and one of his first rides in the area.

After the glories of Owensville Sudley, Sudley, Nutwell Sudley and Franklin Gibson, and the exhilaration of the high speed descent past Happy Harbor and over the bridge, we explored the back roads of Masons Beach and Deale Beach, 1920s style Bay-side communities, then returned on Bay Front, Brooks Woods and Greenock.

8/26 Friday IHRT All class ~20 miles

Ron Altemus — Sat, 27 Aug 2022 00:25:37 GMT

Leader: Ron Altemus

Members: Oswald Martin, Larry Poole, Belinda Acre, Donaro Gardner, Robin Garnett, Dan Donahue

Route: where does one ride on Friday - the Indian Head Rail Trail, of course, Livingston Rd to White Plains trailhead and return.

Weather: sunshine, and partly cloudy; temps starting in the mid 70s, rising to the mid 80s; enough humidity to be noticeable; some air moving out of the west.

AMS: low 12s

Mechanicals/Mishaps: none

Report: a number of regulars out of town for various reasons, including a high school reunion. Several of the group arrived early and did a portion of the western section of the trail, riding towards Indian Head before coming back to the start.

We moved at a nice pace in both directions. Larry has a new road bike (in the background of the picture above) and he outpaced the rest of us on the return. Dan started at White Plains, met us at the 4 mile marker, and rode back to the rest stop with us. He then rode with us to Bensville to get some extra miles. Not a lot of other trail users nor much in the way of wildlife sightings - a deer, a turtle, a white heron.

Merkle, Nelson Perrie and Baden (CC, 30)

Stephen Palincsar — Thu, 25 Aug 2022 17:00:19 GMT

Leader: Steve Palincsar

Members: Harry Kidd

Route: https://ridewithgps.com/routes/28519091 30 mi, 1180' elevation gain.

Weather: Bright sky but a lot of cloud cover kept temperatures in the 70s and low 80s until we'd returned to North Keys Park

AMS: 13.0

Mechanicals/Mishaps: None

Report: Once again, it was just Harry and Me. It turned out to be an excellent day, not at all hot. We finished just in time to beat the heat by virtue of leaving at 8:45: no point in waiting around when you know no one else is coming.

We used to ride Cherry Tree Crossing a lot when it was in horrible shape, back when we started at the old Brandywine Firehouse, but not very much since the move to North Keys Park. While we weren't looking, they repaved the road, and the stretch between Old Indian and the turn onto Cross Road Trail that was an endless series of patches and potholes is smooth as silk now.

That's not the only change for the better. We don't stop at the Baden Grocery very often, but today's route stopped there at mile 26. Surprise, there's a portolet at the north end of the parking lot.

Tour de Accokeek

Janell Saunders — Wed, 24 Aug 2022 22:00:00 GMT

Leader: Janell Saunders

Members: Tim Murphy, Carl Hattery

Weather: 80s, a bit humid

AMS: various

Mechanicals/Mishaps: none

Report: The usual suspects today, Tim and Carl joined me. We had no issues and made it a mostly leisurely ride. I did see no less than 3 black cats on the ride, one that crossed our path (Oh No!!) But no bad luck ensued....yet. We passed the GII group of 20 or more cyclists as they were coming back from the rest stop. Wonder if we could get that many on a Wednesday night ride?

Mill Swamp, Goose Bay & Bumpy Oak (CC, 34 mi)

Stephen Palincsar — Tue, 23 Aug 2022 14:00:00 GMT

Leader: Steve Palincsar

Members: Lou Dall'Orso, Pat Walthers, Pat Sanders, Ron Altemus, Donaro Gardner, Jackie & Randy Schoch

Route: https://ridewithgps.com/routes/40649260 This route takes Chicamuxen to Marbury Run, merges onto Bicknell and crosses onto Poorhouse. Down Annapolis Woods, Fire Tower to MD-6 to Mill Swamp, Blossom Point, Brentland, Goose Bay. Return after the break goes up Blossom Point to 6, then Burch to Poorhouse, Ripley to Hawthorne, Bumpy Oak to the IHRT back.

Weather: Clear, sunny, 78-85 with 6 mph wind from the northwest.

AMS: 13.0

Mechanicals/Mishaps: None

Report: It's always fun to ride to Goose Bay, and today was no exception. On the way there we had a fast group and a slower group; after the break there were several distinct shifting groups.

Coming straight from riding in Lancaster PA, I was struck with the difference in the two environments. Lancaster is all open fields with long horizon lines, few trees and very little shade. Farms and fields are everywhere, and the Amish and Mennonite areas are vast.

Here, we take tree-lined roads with canopy covering for granted, sight lines are usually pretty short and panoramic vistas are noteworthy. What we call a "shady" road is almost all shade, perhaps with a few patches of open sun a few dozen yards long. Our Amish and Mennonite areas are isolated pockets.

As much as I've loved riding in Lancaster all these years, today I felt a lot like Dorothy in the Wizard of Oz: "There's no place like home."

8/21 Mason Neck>Hallowing Point CC/C 27 mi

Ron Altemus — Sun, 21 Aug 2022 13:30:00 GMT

Leader: Ron Altemus

Member: Belinda Acre

Route: https://ridewithgps.com/routes/32681666 27.6 miles, 738' elevation change. Out and back on Belmont Blvd to a view of Belmont Bay, then Mason Neck Trail /High Point Road to a rest stop at Mason Neck State Park visitors center. Leaving the park, east on Gunston Road touring Hallowing Point, retracing on Gunston Rd to Gunston Manor for another tour of the neighborhood. Gunston Rd again back to the trail, a jog into Gunston Hall, and then return via the trail to the start point. (We skipped short spurs into Pohick Bay Park & Pohick Bay golf course so totaled 26.6 miles)

Weather: overcast giving way to cloudy, temps in the mid 70s, 7-9 mph breezes out of the west, light rain starting on the return near Pohick Bay Park.

AMS: a very leisurely mid 10s

Mechanicals/Mishaps: none

Report: Mason Neck was a happening area this morning for bicyclists. While getting ready at the Gunston Elementary start, numerous riders were observed going both directions on Gunston Road. REI was holding a mountain bike class behind the school and the mountain bike parking lot just to the east was full of cars sans bikes. Potomac Pedalers had a 9 am start ride also leaving from the elementary school. Surprisingly, once we got riding, we didn't see that many other cyclists on the road. We did end up following the Pedalers group into Mason Neck State Park and visited with them briefly at the visitor's center. Otherwise, just an enjoyable leisurely casual ride in one of the few sparsely populated areas in Northern Virginia's Faifax County.

Two Covered Bridges & Lapp's Ice Cream (CC, 44)

Stephen Palincsar — Sat, 20 Aug 2022 14:00:00 GMT

Leader: Steve Palincsar

Members: Sue Gunter, Pat Sanders, Lois Lightfoot, Sonja Newman, Marc & Linda Blackman, Jessica Hirschhorn and Harry Kidd

Route: https://ridewithgps.com/routes/40622031

Weather: Sunny, humid, clear skies, light breezes. Around 80 when we started, rising by early afternoon to around 90 (feels like temp 90).

AMS: Around 13 mph

Mechanicals/Mishaps: The only mechanical I know of was my Garmin malfunctioning, freezing on the first cue but continuing to display the map and record distance. By late in the ride, two riders suffered from the heat, one cramping and the other feeling zoozy for a while but recovering enough to ride back. One of the riders went back to retrieve the one who cramped.

Report:

As has happened again and again, the weather forecast for Saturday was beautiful, but dodgy for Sunday's official Covered Bridge ride. We got started right on time, perhaps a first ever for this classic club weekend.

Sherwood's group decided to forego the 3 Bridges route and rode with us instead, forming the vanguard of our group.

The last time I rode this ride, I was recovering from bypass surgery and couldn't manage the 44 mile distance, so I created a shorter route for myself, finding Miller Lane, a narrow road that went through a Mennonite farm. I decided to incorporate it into the route this year, and then searched for other smaller, quieter roads, finding and adding several.

One had a fascinating name, Crooked Lane; photo reconnaissance via Street View showed it going from paved to gravel to double track, then back again, going right through a couple of farms -- miss that left and you'd end up in the barn -- but not everyone wants to ride a gravel road. I agonized over including it, made two versions of the route, one that passed it by; and then Sherwood drove the route on Friday and discovered that residents along the Lane had posted hand-made Private Road signs, so we decided to not use it after all.

Miller Lane was a delight: we rode right next to a farm family preparing a load of squash for market, passing by them with only a few feet to spare, literally were right in the middle of the farm.

Riding on, we stopped to take a break at Leola Community Park, then followed our route past Crooked Lane (just as well we decided to not follow it, we probably would have missed the turn anyway).

We stopped for a photo op after passing through the Cats Back Covered Bridge, then watched a large group of touring motorcyclists pass through after us. We rode on past fields filled with 10 foot tall corn and tobacco (they still grow tobacco in Lancaster County, unlike in Southern Maryland)

and Amish and Mennonite farmhouses and residences decorated with flowers.

Climbing the 150' (8% grade) ridge on Summitville Rd, we arrived at the Lapp Family Farm

and had delicious farm-fresh ice cream -- the reason we were here, after all, and our reward for Summitville.

Leaving Lapp's we passed through the Eshleman's Mill covered Bridge and were on the final seven miles back to the Strasburg Railroad parking lot.

By now it was at least 90 and we were all beginning to feel it in various ways, desperately hoping for some shade. There were some nice rolling hills on Quarry, Oak Hill and Cherry Hill, but no shade. No shade on Ebenshade either (even though "shade" is right there in the name).

At last, almost within sight of the railroad crossing and only two miles from the end of the ride, a large shade patch covering both sides of the road. I stopped to wait for the group behind me and while I waited took photos of the open fields and farms.

Eventually, a rider came up and let me know there were two behind who were unwell from the heat. We strategized options for retrieving both riders and then went on to get a rescue vehicle ready.

By the time we were ready to set out, Harry (our designated sweep for the day) Jessica and one of the two heat-affected riders, restored and cooled down after a water-bottle soaking, arrived. The rescue vehicle with the rider who cramped arrived a few minutes later.

Photos by Steve Palincsar, Jessica Hirschhorn and Harry Kidd

8/19 Friday IHRT ALL class ride ~20 miles

Ron Altemus — Fri, 19 Aug 2022 13:00:00 GMT

Leader:   Ron Altemus

Members: (l-r) Belinda Acre, Leesha Saunders, Lester Jackson, Jr., Robin Garnett, Randy Schoch, Susan Altemus, Jackie Schoch, Fran Jezisek, Steve Palincsar, Donaro Gardner, Oswald Martin. Not pictured: Celeste Conyers (see below)

Route: it's Friday so only one route in town - the Indian Head Rail Trail, Livingston Rd parking lot to White Plains trailhead r/t

Weather:   another great August day - nothing but sunshine and blue skies, temps staying in the 70s, marginal breezes out of the SW, and low dew points making for a most comfortable cycling experience.

AMS: varied immensely amongst riders but probably in the 11-12 mph range for most

Mechanicals/Mishaps: one minor tumble getting back onto the bike after the rest stop at White Plains. The affected rider said everything was fine, only thing hurt was their pride.

Report:   A big crowd able to enjoy the weather, the IHRT, and the company of other club members. Great to have Celeste riding with us - she has relocated to Anne Arundel County and was a bit late to the ride start. We encountered her on our return just west of White Plains and she rode back to the start with some of us. We're hopeful of seeing her more frequently.

Celeste and Belinda putting the pedal down near MM 10.

The trail was busy with numerous other users, plenty of cyclists mixed in with walkers and joggers. Bird sightings included three (3) white herons (or common egrets) at the pond near White Plains. Several snakes were observed slithering across the trail.

With school beginning in Charles County on Monday, August 22, today was the last Friday IHRT ride with a 9 a.m. start time. Next week, August 29, we'll go back to a 10 am start. Hope to see you riding with us!

Tour de Accokeek - All class 16

Janell Saunders — Thu, 18 Aug 2022 22:00:00 GMT

Leader: Janell Saunders

Members: Tim Murphy, Matthew Schwaller, Sheryl Romeo, Linda Bankerd, Sherwood Byers, Luis Dall'Orso, Bernard Steward

Weather: 80s, much less humidity

AMS: various

Mechanicals/Mishaps: none

The Wednesday Tour was rained out even though I tried to make it work. So, reposted for Thursday and got more registrants than I've seen in a long time. Sherwood and Linda tagged on doing their ride from Manokeek, and we had a varied pace with other riders not having ridden for a while. No issues on the ride, and a stop at BJs for Tim, Bernard and myself for ice cream topped off another lovely summer evening ride.

Chapel Point, Glen Albin (CC, 34 mi)

Stephen Palincsar — Tue, 16 Aug 2022 13:30:00 GMT

Leader: Steve Palincsar

Members: Ron Altemus, Alan Kurzweil, Pat Walthers, Tracie C, Donaro Gardner, Sonja Newman

Route: https://ridewithgps.com/routes/40595109 32.2 mi, according to the Garmin (RWGPS thinks the route is 34 miles) with 1221' elevation gain.
IHRT to Bumpy Oak, down Rose Hill to Chapel Point, with stops at Port Tobacco River Park and St Ignatius. Continue on Chapel Point across 301, Fairgrounds to St Marys and onto Springhill Newtown to a careful left onto Glen Albin (mind the gravel in the turn!) and a right on Oak St to a stop at the Dash In. Cross Charles St onto North Oak Ave (the alley next to the theatre) to Kent, right on Washington, left onto Hawthorne all the way down to Livingston back to the parking lot.

Weather: A lovely day. Sunny, breezy (7-8 mph), 73 when we started and 83 when we finished. It doesn't get much better than this.

AMS: 13.5

Mechanicals/Mishaps: None.

Report: After climbing Bumpy Oak the easy way, regrouping at Marshall Corner, descending Rose Hill and turning onto Chapel Point, we stopped for a few minutes at Port Tobacco River Park to use the facilities, then continued on Chapel Point up the infamous 136' rise (8% grade, according to RWGPS) to St Ignatius, where we stopped at the usual place, which was open and still provided with water and ice. And extraordinary views, of course.

On the way to the cemetery we passed a beautiful butterfly garden, complete with hundreds of butterflies. And then, the justly famous view.

This was the first time seeing St Ignatius and the confluence of the Port Tobacco and Potomac Rivers for at least one in the group, and for the rest of us, the first time this year, perhaps the first time since the Pandemic. And what a great day to be there - the weather was just perfect.

It's easy to forget just how beautiful Chapel Point Rd, Fairgrounds, Springhill Newtown and Glen Albin are. It's understandable, you're usually working hard and paying so much attention to the climbs, the descents and the turns you don't have much left over for sightseeing, but today with perfect weather and almost no traffic off the main roads, it was all there to see.

After the stop at the Dash In, we took a route through La Plata that I don't think has been used for years. What looks like a little alley across the street from the Dash In next to the theatre is actually Oak St North. It takes you to Kent St that parallels and merges into Washington Ave. which takes you to Hawthorne across 301 and all the way to Livingston.

Herrington Harbor, North Beach & Chesapeake Beach Railroad Trail (CC, 39)

Stephen Palincsar — Sun, 14 Aug 2022 13:00:00 GMT

North Beach

Leader: Steve Palincsar

Members: Catherine Ade

Route: https://ridewithgps.com/routes/40516965 39 miles, 1400' elevation gain.

Summary: Rt 4 Service Rd to Plummer to Wrighton, cross 4 onto Greenock to Brooks Woods, Bay Front to Rt 2. A mix of Rt 2 and Old Solomons Island Rd to Fairhaven, Franklin Gibson to a descent on Leitch, back to Fairhaven with a stop to view the Bay, climbing up to Friendship and a fast trip down to a rest stop at the Chesapeake Market.

We ran into a group from Baltimore Bicycle Club there. They had started from Harwood, and didn't know about the Chesapeake Beach Railroad Trail, which was to be our way back after a stop at the North Beach Boardwalk.

The group, at the far end of the Chesapeake Beach Railroad Trail - proof it happened

After climbing up 261 to Boyd's Turn (milled in two places, surprise!) we made our way to the Rt 2 rotary, onto Sansbury, down and back up Wilson, and took a break at Jewell

before taking the McKendree roller coaster to Bay Front and back on So. Md Blvd.

Weather: Glorious. 70 when we started, 81 when we finished. Clear skies with some clouds.

AMS: 13.5

Mechanicals/Mishaps: none

Ride Report: A fine ride, and a great chance to introduce Catherine to some of the best cycling roads in the DMV.

Shade Ride 36 C/CC

Jessica Hirschhorn — Sat, 13 Aug 2022 13:00:00 GMT

What a GLORIOUS DAY for a bike ride! We had a great turnout, especially given the 9:00 start time and one of the further start points (Friendship Farms Park). 53/60 total rode the beautiful and nearly car free (and shaded!) roads of Nanjemoy.

The 36 C/CC started with 23 riders. In the parking lot there were a fair number of last minute changes so the final riders in my group are somewhat vague. It was of a substantial number, for sure. Mary Scala very kindly agreed to be our sweep. As the ride progressed, our group spread into smaller groups, which made for a smoother and safer trip. The church rest stop was a wonderful & shady respite. The lovely potty was appreciated by all. No one wanted to leave! The Nanjemoy Store looks very clean and well supplied, and we stopped for another rest and drinks.

No one lost, no mechanicals. Patricia Walthers was "approached" by a couple of dogs, but the owners pulled them in and we all passed uneventfully.

The snacks (leftover from the Legacy Ride) were appreciated . The routes were really wonderful.

I think OHBTC should make the August Shade Ride an annual event.

Thank you to Steve P for the routes, to Joan O for her crack organizational skills, to Mary S for being the sweep, and to the Leaders of the other rides: Sherwood B, Harry K, Ron A. and Walt R. AND lest we forget Patricia Sanders, who kindly dropped off water, TP and hand sanitizer at the church before 8 am!

Shady August Ride C class 26 miles

Ron Altemus — Sat, 13 Aug 2022 13:00:00 GMT

Leader: Ron Altemus

Members: (l-r) Gil Dutchover, Pat Broom, Esther Stewart, Robin Garnett, Astrid Caldas, Tracie Cebrzynski

Route: FF 26 Shady Ride (https://ridewithgps.com/routes/40335858), 26.2 miles, 1,010 elevation change.

From Friendship Farm, we took Baptist Church over to Bowie, then used Gilroy/Chicamuxen to Riverside. South on Riverside with a spur to the Nanjemoy store, retracing back to Riverside and south to Smith Point Rd. Smith Point Rd to Maryland Point Rd, then MD-6 to a rest stop at King James Church. Final leg used MD-6 to Ironsides and back to our start.

Weather: quite fantastic! Blue skies and sunshine; temps starting around 70 degrees, maybe rising to the upper 70s; very low humidity; and 5-7 mph breezes out of the northern quadrant.

AMS: led/swept in the mid 11s. Since we basically stayed together, that's probably about the speed that everyone rode at today.

Mechanicals/Mishaps: none.

Report: Always fun to introduce newer (and some veteran) club members to the great roads in SW Charles County, especially the Nanjemoy area. We encountered very little traffic for most of our route, especially on Riverside with its great rollers under a green leaf canopy.

We arrived at the Nanjemoy Store at the same time as the CC 44 group; we meet up with them again at King James Church. Quite a bit of conversation ensued, such that it was difficult getting some riders back on their bikes.

A special thank you to Gil Dutchover for alternating lead/sweep with the listed ride leader. All in all, just a really great ride today!

Shady CC-44 Ride

Harry Kidd — Sat, 13 Aug 2022 13:00:00 GMT

Route: Shady cc44

Leader: Harry Kidd

Members: (at Start) Stephan Palincsar, Deborah Albert, Christine Ek, Lois Lightfoot, Janell Saunders, Ervin Wilson

Route – Synopsis > Friendship Farm Landing – Ironsides > Mason Springs > Small Wood Church > Chicamuxen > Nanjemoy Store & Back to Riverside. To Holly Springs > Port Tobacco > King James Church rest stop. Retrace back to Hancock Run > Adams Willett > Liverpool Point > MD-6e > Greenleek Hill > MD-6e > Gilroy > Baptist Church > MD 425 > Friendship Farm Landing > Parking Lot.

Weather: Blue skies and sunshine; temps starting around 70 degrees, maybe rising to the upper 70s; very low humidity; and 5-7 mph breezes out of the northern quadrant.

AMS: Ride leader swept in the at 14-15, (with pauses to take photos) Stephan P. lead, the group spread out between the lead and sweeper, and re-grouped at the rest stops. At the rest stop several rides migrated to another group.

Mechanicals/Mishaps: none.

Report: This was a very good ride lots of shade, and moderate temps. We joined met with riders from other groups at the rest stop and enjoyed the conversations.

Photos by: Ride Leader - Seen along the route

Friday Indian Head 20 mile All Class

Randall Schoch — Fri, 12 Aug 2022 13:00:00 GMT

Leader - Randy Schoch

Members - (l-r) Donaro Gardner, Belinda Acre, Susan Altemus, Fran Jezisek, and ride leader Randy. Not pictured - photog Ron Altemus

Route - IHRT

Weather - Perfect - 70's light breeze and low humidity.

AMS - Varied per/rider

Mechanicals/Mishaps - None

Report - Not many OHBC riders this morning which was a surprise considering how great the weather was? And not many other trail users today except for birds, turtles, deer, crane, and the ever-present squirrels. We took our time riding and just enjoying the trail on a delightful day. We saw and greeted David (the trail maint. guy on his 4-wheeler) and James (the trail monitor riding the trail). Jackie wasn't with us today because she is "house sitting" while our daughter takes her last child to college in N.C. After a short rest break at the White Planes end, we all returned to the parking lot. A very nice ride. See you next week.

Barrys Hill, Dorchester Circle & Lexington (CC, 35)

Stephen Palincsar — Tue, 09 Aug 2022 13:00:00 GMT

Lou & Sonja on the Indian Head Rail Trail

Leader: Steve Palincsar

Members: Sonja Newman, Lou Dall'Orso

Route: https://ridewithgps.com/routes/40512021 -- at any rate, that's what we set out to do. In the end, we had to do some trimming, cutting out 5 miles and bringing the total down to just over 30 miles.

Weather: Hot, humid and breezy. In the 80s when we finally got going, in the high 90s when we finished. My car said it was 99 degrees on 210 on the way back home, and I don't think it was exaggerating.

AMS: 11.5, according to my Garmin. Of course, it crashed at mile 9.9 and I didn't get it rebooted until we had reached Bryans Road, losing almost 4.5 miles, so I'm not sure how much stock to put into anything it says.

Mechanicals/Mishaps: Shortly after I got onto Indian Head Highway traffic came to a complete halt. After creeping along at 0.1 mi every 15 minutes I saw all traffic in both directions was being directed off 210 onto Kerby Hill and Oxon Hill Rd. I did arrive at the Accokeek Firehouse eventually, about an hour later than planned.

Then, as mentioned above, my Garmin froze at mile 9.9, not to be awakened again until we stopped for a break -- not at the McDonalds as planned, depriving Lou of the Chicken McNuggets he so fervently craved, but rather at the Shell station on 210 at Livingston Rd. Sorry, Lou, maybe next time.

Report: We got going, almost an hour behind schedule. It's always a treat to introduce experienced riders to roads they've never been on, and today I got to show both Sonja and Lou the joys of Fenwick. The shade, the ups and downs and curves and the surprising and unexpected views of the Potomac were delightful.

The 144 foot climb on Marshall Hall out in the sun wasn't, but we survived and made it to Bryans Road, where we stopped for a break at the Shell station.

The descent on Pomfret was fun, dropping 100 feet in just over 0.2 mi and reaching 37 mph, and the Indian Head Rail Trail was mostly shady to Middletown.

But we were almost an hour behind, and it was getting hot out in the sun. And where we were headed, Smallwood Drive, Dorchester Circle and St Patricks Drive were all out in the sun, with no shade at all.

I decided to cut out the five mile loop on Smallwood, the fish circle, etc., and instead of turning on Smallwood we went straight to the rest stop at the 7-Eleven at Westlake Square, where we huddled in the scraps of shade around the side of the building.

We had a nice breeze on Middletown and Lexington. Saying goodbye to Lou at Bunker Hill and Berry -- he'd ridden to the ride start, and was now headed home -- Sonja and I flew down Berry until the light at Bealle Hill. We stopped and suddenly realized just how hot it was: not quite Hellish, but not far off. The last climb on Berry before the turn on Manning, although only 4% and 91' of elevation gain, felt almost as hard as the climb on Marshall Hall.

And then we were on Manning, and were surprised once again at how different the pavement was from what we remembered. Pity they couldn't have done it years ago, but we were certainly happy to have it now.

A turn onto Accokeek Rd, only a mile from the firehouse. A few minutes later, we were back.

An inauspicious start and a day when the authorities were warning of the heat, urging everyone to "Get indoors and huddle around the air conditioner, forget about doing anything outdoors because it's just too hot," but it turned out to be a lot of fun and not a grueling death ride at all.

Pindell, Deale & Polling House (CC, 37)

Stephen Palincsar — Sun, 07 Aug 2022 17:13:41 GMT

Leader: Steve Palincsar

Members: Rob Klein, Victoria Hutter, Lois Lightfoot, Harry Kidd

Route: https://ridewithgps.com/routes/40451465 37 miles, 1580' elevation gain according to RWGPS, 1070 according to my Garmin.

Weather: Sunny, hot and humid, naturally. 76 to the high 80s, 6-10 mph breeze according to Dark Sky, but on Polling House and Sands at the end it felt more like 15 mph. Not that I'm complaining, the breeze felt great. Between the shade and the breeze, I thought the weather was just fine.

AMS: 13.4 mph

Mechanicals/Mishaps: None

Report: Although an experienced rider (for years, she ran the Tuesday Belle Haven rides) Lois was new to the area, and although Rob and Victoria had ridden to Deale on Potomac Pedalers rides many times before, today's route included a number of roads that were entirely new to them. It's always great fun for me to introduce riders, especially experienced riders, to wonderful roads that are new to them, and we had quite a few of them today.

After heading south on the Rt 4 Service Rd, Plummer Lane and Pindell + Lower Pindell (familiar to Rob & Victoria) the "new" began. Although I've led many rides that take Lower Pindell to Rt 4 and then cross on foot onto Fishers Station, I'm not eager to do that for now.

Instead of crossing Rt 4, this route looped around heading north on Southern Maryland Boulevard back to Wrighton, where we made a 180 degree turn onto W Bay Front, crossed over Rt 4 to Lothian where we took a brief potty break, then turned on Greenock, taking it to the familiar Brooks Woods and Bay Front.

Turning left onto Rt 2, we headed north for just under a mile, then turned onto (more "new") Old Ridge Path Lane and Nutwell to a suddenly familiar Nutwell Sudley. Crossing Bay Front, we climbed up Franklin Gibson, then turned left and zoomed downhill into Deale, stopping for a break at the South County Cafe.

It's a great place for lunch, and when the weather cools down I'll lead a ride that stops there at lunch time. But that's for another day, one where you're not cowering in shade patches alongside buildings trying to escape the heat out in the sun.

The return back to Harwood was familiar: Swamp Circle to Muddy Creek, a quick left on Sudley and roll the rollers in the shade all the way back to Rt 2 and a quick break at the Exxon on Harwood Rd. But instead of the familiar descent on Harwood, we turned back to Polling House.

Polling House is an interesting road, with farms, fields, woods, curves, sharp descents and steep-feeling ascents. Once a few years ago we rode by while they were training horses for jousting, Maryland's state sport -- horses really don't like running at one another, especially with riders with long sharp pointy lances aimed at them, and it takes a lot training to get them to do it. It was interesting enough, we stopped and watched for quite a long time.

And once, coming north from Bayard a day or two after a big storm, we found Polling House blocked after the bridge over Deep Run Branch had been washed out. No sign until we came to a barrier across the road, and no way to sneak around it, just a long detour up Bayard to South Polling House.

But today, all we found were scenic views, a strong cross wind, and what looked like a For Sale sign at the farm where they'd been training chargers (I looked that one up) for jousting.

The breeze continued on Bayard and Sands, and a few miles later we were back at Waysons, a couple of minutes after noon.

Harry's Photos at Deale

Jacksontown, Hancock Run & Durham Church (CC, 38)

Stephen Palincsar — Sat, 06 Aug 2022 19:09:27 GMT

Leader: Steve Palincsar

Members: Sonja Newman, Walt Roscello, Janell Saunders

Route: https://ridewithgps.com/routes/31872399 38 miles, 1526' elevation gain. This is a very shady route, very pleasant on a hot summer day.

The cue sheet includes a shortcut that gives you a 32.5 mile ride, and after Walt turned off to ride back home, Janell and Sonja voted for the shortcut. I figured riding with them was more important than six extra miles.

Weather: Sunny, humid, partly to mostly cloudy, 7 mph breeze, 76 to 86 degrees.

AMS: 13.5

Mechanicals/Mishaps: None

Report: Walt rode to Pisgah Park, arriving just in time for us to leave at 9. And 9 was a perfect time to start. Everywhere we rode, it seemed to be in the shade -- even on Rt 6 at first. South on Mason Springs to 6, a left on Bowie, right on Gilroy, shade all the way. A bit of 6 in the sun and a turn on Greenleek Hill, back into the shade on Jacksontown and we'd arrived at the Nanjemoy store. A bit of mixed sun and shade on Liverpool Point and we were back in the shade on Adams Willet and Hancock Run.

Everything was very lush and green, thanks to yesterday's rain. Hancock Run was a tree tunnel all the way to 6. As we emerged into the sunlight and turned left, there coming towards us were Joan, Ron and Pat, having started at 8:30 from Friendship Farm Park. After a few miles on 6 and Ironsides, we were heading for Friendship Farm Park, too.

A short bio-break and we were back on Ironsides, descending 110' over the course of half a mile down to the bridge, then gaining it right back again in just a couple of tenths of a mile (RWGPS says it's an 8% grade), and then we turned onto Durham Church and went down, down down through the shady forest to Rt 6 and then regained all the elevation we'd lost on Durham Church by the time we turned onto Annapolis Woods.

Walt left us when we got to Poorhouse (was that rider on the far side of the intersection sitting on her top tube waiting for him?) and by then Janell and Sonja had decided to take the shortcut, so we passed Stukey Lane and turned instead on Mason Springs, arriving back at Pisgah Park at noon.

A shady, breezy, delightful ride. Humid, to be sure, and not without its challenges, but always fun and never oppressively uncomfortable. Nanjemoy rocks!

8/5 Friday IHRT ALL class ride ~20 miles

Ron Altemus — Fri, 05 Aug 2022 13:00:00 GMT

Leader: Ron Altemus

Members: (l-r) Randy Schoch, Robin Garnett, Belinda Acre, Jackie Schoch, Susan Altemus, Fran Jezisek, Leesha Saunders, Donaro Gardner

Route:   hey, it's Friday, so only one route in town, the Indian Head Rail Trail, Livingston Rd parking lot east to the White Plains trailhead, and return. Approx. 20 miles.

Weather:   High haze to mostly sunny skies, temps climbing from the mid 70s to mid 80s, 5-7 mph breezes out of the southern quadrant, and humidity/dewpoint in the mid 70s.

AMS:   swept (the main group) at 11.5 mph. Most were faster, some slower.

Mechanicals/Mishaps:   none

Report: Another good size turnout for our weekly IHRT ride. Numerous other trail users, mostly cyclists and walkers but an occasional runner/jogger was encountered. Riding in the shade felt fine, but when stopped, we really noticed the heat and humidity. 20 miles was a good distance considering the circumstances, though Robin and Donaro arrived early and rode to Indian Head and back before the regularly scheduled ride commenced.

We are now into August and though the temperatures remain high, the days are slowly getting shorter. Numerous marsh plants flower in late summer. Noticed today were marshmallow, both white and red, in bloom, alongside the pond just before White Plains.

The next pond, heading west, is signed as Pages Swamp. At the far reaches of the pond, white marshmallow is quite abundant.

The Bumpy Oak pond's lily pads are also in bloom with white flowers adorning many of the plants. On the other side of the pond are much larger flowers on lily pads planted by the owner of the property.

Not a lot of wild life sightings: a rabbit, wild turkeys, a turtle, a heron east of the Bumpy Oak pond (seen going in both directions), and a white heron (or common egret, depending on your scientific bent), at the beaver pond near the Livingston Rd parking lot.

Come out and join us some Friday and enjoy all that the IHRT has to offer.

Cross Road, Croom Airport Down Van Brady (CC, 32 mi)

Stephen Palincsar — Thu, 04 Aug 2022 13:00:00 GMT

Leader: Steve Palincsar

Members: Donaro Gardner, Sonja Newman, Lou Dall'Orso

Route: https://ridewithgps.com/routes/40403354 except that at the end, when we came to North Keys, Lou, who was ahead, turned onto North Keys rather than continuing on to Martin. We followed, and ended up a mile short: 31.3 miles instead of 32.4. Shade for miles seemed like a pretty good trade.

Weather: Sunny, partly cloudy and of course, very humid. It was around 82 when we started, at least 92 when we finished. Plenty of shade, a pleasant 5 mph breeze and plenty of hydration made it a pleasant day.

AMS: 13.3

Mechanicals/Mishaps: Do loose water bottle cage screws count as a mishap? Lou fixed them for me while Donaro was getting some water at Moore's Store, the first of two times we stopped there today.

Report: Another hot, humid day with warnings of a heat index of 105 but of course we were done long before it got that bad. About the only time we actually felt hot was in the parking lot at North Keys Park. The route was largely in shade with a breeze plus the wind of our passage.

This was the first time in about three years that I was on Cross Road Trail. It seems to have a life cycle something like an insect. It begs with a repaving, then progresses to decaying pavement; potholes; patches; potholes in the patched areas; repatching until the "repaired" section is rougher than washboard gravel. Finally they throw in the towel and repave a section, usually just parts of one lane. And then the cycle begins anew.

Today the westbound lane was newly paved, while the eastbound lane was well into the "patches upon patches on patches, rougher than washboard" stage. I tried staying in my lane, but finally gave up and crossed the double yellow onto the good stuff, as everyone before me had done.

I didn't see anything of the development that had been taking place to the north, but in truth it was so bumpy I didn't have the attention span to look. Kudos for the shade, demerits for the roughness; but at least there were no potholes.

Moore's is now the only store in the area, but it's well situated and they're not unfriendly to cyclists. On a day like today, that means a lot. All in all, it was a fine route and a pleasant day, heat index alarms notwithstanding.

Tour De Accokeek All Class

Janell Saunders — Wed, 03 Aug 2022 22:00:00 GMT

Leader: Janell Saunders

Members: Tim Murphy, Carl Hattery

Weather: High 80s, much less humidity

AMS: various

Mechanicals/Mishaps: none

Humidity practically non-existent made for a very pleasant evening ride. I could really tell the difference in my efforts and breathing, feeling much more comfortable than last week. Tim and Carl joined me this week for a lovely summer evening ride. We came upon the Wednesday GII group at the Marshall Hall boat ramp and discussed which of Barrys Hill or Marshall Hall Rd climbs was preferable. Opinions vary. After the ride, a stop for ice cream at BJs rounded out the evening.

Mitchell, Radio Station & Locust Grove (CC, 33 mi)

Stephen Palincsar — Tue, 02 Aug 2022 13:00:00 GMT

Leader: Steve Palincsar

Members: Patricia Walthers, Patricia Sanders, Linda Bankerd, Donaro Gardner, Randy Schoch, Joan Oppel, Sonja Newman, Sherwood Byers, Alan Kurzweil and Lou Dall'Orso

Route: https://ridewithgps.com/routes/40388078 33 miles, 1155' elevation gain.

The route takes the IHRT to Bumpy Oak, Bumpy Oak to Hawthorne, Hawthorne to a left on Mitchell. That's new: I can't remember a single route that goes up Mitchell -- and up it is, a sustained but not steep climb for a mile and a half, and that's really long for our area. Crossing Mitchell onto Washington, Rosewick and Radio Station, there's a long flat section with wide shoulders (and not much in the way of scenery, although there is shade on Radio Station) that invites a brisk speed.

After a rest stop in the familiar Dash In in La Plata, the route takes the reverse of the usual: Oak to Glen Albin, left on St Marys, cross 301 at the former Johnny Boy's onto Stagecoach, down Locust Grove (letting us rediscover what a nice downhill it is) to Chapel Point, Causeway and MD-6 to all the way on Poorhouse (the easy way) and a rest stop at the Pisgah Store. From there it's Mason Springs, Chicamuxen, Hawthorne and the IHRT back to the parking lot.

Weather: Humid, sunny, 80 to 88.

AMS: 13.3

Mechanicals/Mishaps: None

Report: There was a large group today, with some faster riders we don't see too often. Once we got to Mitchell, the group split into faster and slower groups. Mitchell is long, but it's not terribly steep, and if you're a fast rider you can take advantage of the terrain to open a pretty good gap, and once you cross 301 you can really move rapidly. We regrouped at the Dash In, split again leaving the rest stop, regrouping one last time at the Pisgah Store.

It's always fun to see familiar roads from a new perspective, and several people said they enjoyed today's route for that reason.

Laurel Grove & Newtowne Neck (CC, 43)

Stephen Palincsar — Sun, 31 Jul 2022 13:30:00 GMT

Leader: Steve Palincsar

Members: Catherine Ade, Harold Datz, Rita Z, Sarah Clement, Harry Kidd, Patricia Walthers, Janell Saunders. We were also briefly joined by Steve Cohen, who decided to shorten the ride early on.

Route: https://ridewithgps.com/routes/34284443 43 miles, 1400' elevation gain.

Weather: Mostly cloudy, temperatures in the high 70s at the start rising to the mid-80s by early afternoon. The wind started out at 2 mph, gradually rising throughout the day until it reached 7 mph by early afternoon. The forecasters predicted rain after 3 pm and we could see signs of darkening skies but Randoplan promised a zero per cent chance of rain while we were riding, and once again, spot on.

AMS: 13.2

Mechanicals/Mishaps: None

Report: We started from Mechanicsville Elementary School, taking the Three Notch Trail as far as Laurel Grove Rd, then went through the Loveville Mennonite community on Biship, Friendship School and Maypole to a stop at the Dash In on Rt 5, where I was surprised to see a Bitcoin vending machine. Is this another way of saying Bitcoin is in the toilet?

After the break we took Newtowne Neck Rd down past the Jesuit chapel (we saved our visit for the return trip) into the State Park, down to the end of pavement and 0.4 on a gravel road down to the beach.

This has become a lot more popular in the past couple of years. There are even portolets in the parking lot and a raised gravel path leading to a quagmire and then to the slope down to the beach.

On the way back we stopped at the Jesuit chapel. I'd vaguely heard about the Georgetown University connection to slavery but didn't realize the connection was right here at the Newtowne Neck plantation.

Newtowne Neck is the site of the first settlement in Maryland after the original settlement in Saint Mary’s City. In 1668, the Society of Jesus acquired the 750 acre property in exchange for 40,000 pounds of tobacco. The property was maintained by the Society of Jesus until they withdrew from the land in 1967 to work in other areas.

The Department of Natural Resources purchased Newtowne Neck in late April of 2009. The park first opened in 2012, and we had a ride that visited the park shortly after its opening. A few weeks later, military ordnance was discovered and the park was closed for two years while they searched for unexploded bombs left when the area was used as a naval bombing training area during WWII. (None was found: all the bombs dropped on Newtowne Neck were dummy bombs without explosives.) The Park was reopened in 2014, and we've been visiting occasionally it ever since.

After retracing on Newtowne Neck to the baseball field, we turned on Bayside and then went up Big Chestnut to Budd's Creek and then turned on Pin Cushion, Sunnyside (didn't see the Alpacas today) and then Dr Johnson, where we stopped at the Lyon Family Farm for a photo.

The sky was darkening and that forecast for rain after 2 pm was looming, so we skipped the planned stop at Hill's Store, pushing the pace on MD-5 and the Three Notch Trail -- arriving back at the ride start well before the rain.

This was the first time in the area for several in the group. It's always a pleasure to introduce people to an area with great riding -- interesting roads, great scenery -- that they hadn't known about. Today was great fun.

Harry took a number of photos too.

7/31 Mason Neck & Hallowing Point 28 mi CC/C

Ron Altemus — Sun, 31 Jul 2022 13:00:00 GMT

Leader: Ron Altemus

Members: (l-r) Lois Lightfoot, Patricia Sanders, Joan Oppel, Belinda Acre

Route: https://ridewithgps.com/routes/32681666 27.6 miles, 738' elevation change .     Starting from Gunston Elementary, an out/back trip down Belmont Blvd to an overlook of Belmont Bay, then onto the Mason Neck trail at the entrance to the golf course. Exited the trail for a quick spur on Springfield, back on the trail to High Point Rd into Mason Neck Park and a rest stop at the visitor's center. Leaving the park, Gunston Road into the Hallowing Point for a leisurely meander through the neighborhood. Next, Gunston Rd, again, with a quick tour of Gunston Manor, Gunston Hall, and Pohick Bay Park. Final spur to into the golf course before returning to the starting location,

Weather: overcast/cloudy; temp range 75-80; slight air movement; bearable dew point/humidity

AMS: swept in the low 11s

Mechanicals/Mishaps:   none

Report:   This ride was billed as a casual/leisurely tour of Mason Neck, and for Patricia, it was her first time riding in the area. At ride start, we were approached by another rider, Jeff Woods, hopefully inquiring if we were a Pedaler's ride that we could join. He hadn't checked their calendar so didn't know if PPTC was actually having a ride, and decided to ride with us to Mason Neck State Park.   We did acquaint him with OHBTC so perhaps we recruited another member.

Surprisingly, for those on road portions of the routing, we didn't have a lot of traffic, except at the end trying to make the left turn back into the parking lot. The combination of trail and neighborhood streets presented plenty of opportunities for casual conversation - chances to catch up on the happenings in each other's lives. Joan, Lois, and Patricia got in some hill work by venturing down to the George Mason University facility at the end of Belmont Blvd plus the descent to Pohick Bay from the upper parking lot. They ended up with close to 29 miles for the ride.

Gunston Hall provided a second photo op:

All in all, a most pleasant ride.

Nutwell, Deale & North Beach (CC, 43)

Stephen Palincsar — Sat, 30 Jul 2022 13:00:00 GMT

Leader: Steve Palincsar

Members: none

Route: https://ridewithgps.com/routes/40145182 43 miles, 1700' elevation

Weather: A perfect summer day. Sunny, not too humid, breezy, high 70s at the start rising to the 80s. It really doesn't get much better than this.

AMS: 12.7

Mechanicals/Mishaps: none

Report: It was about as perfect a summer day for cycling as you could find, and there were plenty of groups out today. I saw at least four different pace lines, all with more than 10 riders, plus a number of lone riders and small groups. While I was at the Chesapeake Market, a group of half a dozen riders stopped there having finished their ride, and there were a half dozen more cars in the lot with bike racks on them. A lot of people out riding on an absolutely perfect summer day -- but not Oxon Hill.

I can't help but wonder what's going on. Was it this route, or has the club been fatally wounded by the pandemic? When the ride schedule shut down, a number of OHBC regulars made other arrangements and for some, those arrangements are still going on.

Brooks Woods and Greenock

Chesapeake Bay at Fairhaven Cliffs

Jewell, where we almost never ride

A break in the shade on McKendree

On Plummer Lane

Friday IndianHead 20 mile All Class

Randall Schoch — Fri, 29 Jul 2022 13:00:00 GMT

Leaders - Jackie & Randy Schoch

Members - Donaro Gardner, Ron & Susan Altemus, Fran Jezisek, Belinda Acre, Gene & Dani Villiva, Robin Garnett, Joan Oppel, and Tom Belote.

Guests - None

Route - IHRT

Weather - Very good, cloudy - 70's

AMS - Varied per/rider

Mechanicals/Mishaps - None

Report - A good turnout of our regular Friday riders. We are starting at 9am in order to enjoy cooler temps. for the rest of the summer. Many people, kids, and dogs using the trail this morning. We saw our normal contingent of turtles, squirrels, and songbirds along the trail. We saw David (the trail maintenance guy) doing his job keeping the trail clean. Also, Jackie was talking to James (the IHRT Ranger) about his new E-bike.

We took a short break at the White Plains rest area and started back before the predicted showers were to begin (which never did happen). There was no group lunch because Ron, Randy, and Jim Hudnall had an appointment at the Truist Bank in Ft. Wash. concerning the OHBC account. See you next week.

Dr Mudd, Gallant Green & Covington (CC,36 mi)

Stephen Palincsar — Thu, 28 Jul 2022 13:00:00 GMT

Leader: Steve Palincsar

Members: Donaro Gardner, Patricia Sanders, Sonja Newman

Route: https://ridewithgps.com/routes/40319578 36.4 mi, 1150' elevation.

Weather: Hot and humid. Around 80 when we started, 90 when we finished. Heavily overcast skies had originally been predicted, but instead of heavy cloud cover we got "partly cloudy" with lots of blue sky, high white clouds and little to no haze.

AMS: 14.2

Mechanicals/Mishaps: None

Report: The route heads to the Moreland Market on Cedarville, Dent, St Peters Church, Poplar Hill -- all nice and shady until we got to Dr Mudd and Woodville. Those 3 1/2 miles were definitely hot. We anticipated being out in the sun a lot on Gallant Green, Truman Manor and Celestial, but that turned out to not be the case. Those, and Woodville and Dr Bowen had substantial shade.

Then we got to our second rest stop at Hardesty Haven Cafe, the new name for what many of us have known for years as "The Little Store." They have something new, a coffee cart on wheels that had just been introduced. You can rent it for outdoor parties.

Aquasco was out in the sun and by now it was near 90 degrees, but surprisingly there was a decent breeze that actually felt cool -- cool enough that although there was a shady spot at the halfway mark to our turn on Croom none of us needed a shade break by then.

Croom and Covington were lovely, and Horsehead wasn't bad either. The 2.7 miles on Brandywine passed quickly, if not cooly, and then we had that final delightful run on Gibbons Church: fast, shady, undulating and turning enough to be exciting, definitely worth the price of admission. All in all, an excellent, pleasant ride.

Tour De Accokeek All Class

Janell Saunders — Wed, 27 Jul 2022 22:00:00 GMT

Leader: Janell Saunders

Members: Randy and Jackie Schoch, Carl Hattery

Weather: Mid 80s, a little humid

AMS: various

Mechanicals/Mishaps: none

The heat wave weakened a bit so I posted this weekday regular after a long absence (from me). It was still a bit humid, but Randy and Jackie Schoch and Carl Hattery came out for the ride. Jackie was not on her ebike due to a flat so was on a regular bike. The humidity was affecting her breathing so she turned back after going through the neighborhoods of Accokeek. We continued on but decided to skip the pier rest stop and made our turn on Barrys Hill. We greeted a group of GII turning to head to the pier and one mentioned he was just talking about ohbike with great comments. Jackie was waiting when we got back and we all headed to BJs after the ride for sandwiches and well deserved ice cream.

Friendship Farm & Nanjemoy (CC, 34 mi)

Stephen Palincsar — Tue, 26 Jul 2022 13:15:00 GMT

Leader: Steve Palincsar

Members: Ron Altemus, Donaro Gardner

Route: https://ridewithgps.com/routes/40246004 33.7 miles, 1400' of elevation gain according to RWGPS (1333 according to the Garmin)

Weather: Humid and overcast, temps ranging from the high 70s to the low 80s, 80-90% cloud cover. It rained before the ride start and it rained after we put our bikes away, but it didn't rain one drop on us during the ride. There was plenty of evidence on the roads of what must have been heavy rain the night before, but nothing that presented us with a problem.

AMS: 12.9

Mechanicals/Mishaps: None

Report: The light rain before the ride must have dissuaded people, because half the riders signed up for the ride canceled. Happily, the stopped right on time for us and didn't start again until we were done.

We noticed that Durham Church, Liverpool Point and Bowie had recently been chipsealed and curiously, Liverpool Point must have been milled first because the roadway was strangely sunken beneath the height of the shoulders. It didn't interfere with our riding.

After climbing Durham Church we stopped at Friendship Farm Park and saw that two portolets are now in service. That should be a big help at next month's All Class Ride.

This route was planned to be shady and cool on a sunny day. We had the sunny day when the ride was scheduled last week, but the ride was canceled when nobody signed up, presumably because of the heat.

Today, it was cooler and there was little sun to speak of, but there was so much humidity you could have spread it on bread like mayo. The route was still shady, and the descent on Hancock Run was like plunging into a dark tunnel. Although Hancock Run has famously had sand banks and gravel left by heavy rains, today there were none.

It was nice to see the back of the weekend's heatwave, but a little less humidity would have been OK too.

7/22 Friday IHRT ALL class ride ~20 mi

Ron Altemus — Fri, 22 Jul 2022 13:00:00 GMT

Leader: Ron Altemus

Members: (l-r) Dani Villiva, , Belinda Acre, Randy Schoch, Robin Garnett, Donaro Gardner, Jackie Schoch, Oswald Martin, Gene Villiva

Route:   where else to ride on a Friday but the Indian Head Rail Trail, Livingston Rd parking lot to White Plains and return

Weather:   plenty of sunshine with high thin wisps of clouds; temps starting in the low 80s, raising to the high 80s; breezes out of the western quadrant; and, most importantly, dew points in the upper 60s which were a welcome relief from the previous few days

AMS: swept in the low 12s

Mechanicals/Mishaps:   none

Report:   a most enjoyable ride with the weather cooperating for pleasant conditions. Little to report in terms of wildlife sightings. A good number of other trail users, esp. cyclists. As usual, we passed Bob Moye traveling in the other direction both outbound and returning to the parking lot.    During this stretch of hotter weather, it seems most of the other trail users are going out early. Though the parking lot was full at our 9 am start, by the time we all left shortly after 11 am, there was only two cars in the lot.

Merkle & Patuxent River Park (CC, 31)

Stephen Palincsar — Thu, 21 Jul 2022 13:15:00 GMT

Jug Bay

Leader: Steve Palincsar

Members: Harry Kidd, Sonja Newman, Walt Chalmers

Route: https://ridewithgps.com/routes/40244955 31 miles, 1770' elevation gain, according to RWGPS (1391 per my Garmin, but it's a cheap model that lacks the barometric pressure elevation calculation, so what does it know?)

This is an extremely shady route. In fact, I designed it to take advantage of the shadiest roads I know in the Brandywine area. As a result, even though it was hot and steamy, we felt much, much more comfortable than the heat index might suggest.

Weather: Hazy, hot and humid, of course. The US and Europe are in the midst of a record-breaking heat wave. Curiously, about the only places in the country cooler than we are here are northern Maine and the northern part of the country near the Great Lakes, and we have a huge advantage over the folks who live in those places. It's the same advantage Sherpas and Columbian cyclists have: we're used to it.

Nothing to see here, folks; just the same old same old. 83 when we started, 93 when we finished ("feels like" temperaturels of 92 at the start and 103 degrees at 1 pm, when we were done). But there was plenty of shade, there was a breeze, and there was the wind of our passage.

AMS: 13.1

Mechanicals/Mishaps: None

Report: I set a 9:15 start to allow for traffic getting to North Keys Park but there wasn't a lot so I arrived early. So did Harry and Sonja. We were almost ready to leave at 8:45 when Walt rolled in, entirely unexpectedly because he forgot to sign in. Had he been 60 seconds later, we'd have been gone.

This is a very shady route, but you pay for it with some climbing. After the descents on North Keys and Molly Berry, you plunge down Baden Naylor losing 70' of elevation, cross Rock Creek and climb 130 feet out in the sun -- fortunately, this early in the morning, not an ordeal -- before you get back into the shade on Brooks Church and Tanyard. You're out in the sun but only for a mile on Nottingham before you turn on Fenno and get back under the tree canopy.

We had a pleasant time at Merkle doing nothing special but enjoying the shade, and then left the park and turned right on Fenno, dropping 100 feet of elevation before crossing Mattaponi Creek. As soon as Fenno becomes St Thomas Church you start to pay, climbing 230 feet to Croom Rd but there's enough shade for it to be enjoyable. Croom is shady at this time in the morning, and so is Croom Airport and Park Entrance.

After another enjoyable break at Jug Bay, we climbed back to Croom Airport and headed for Duvall and Mount Calvert. While Harry added some bonus miles going down to the Mount Calvert mansion, Sonja, Walt and I headed for Moore's store.

I learned to ride bicycles summering on Long Island at Sound Beach. The kids next door to where I was staying not only taught me to ride, they also lent me a spare Schwinn Phantom to ride.

We'd ride all over the area, always ending up at the general store at the center of town, where we'd buy nickel Cokes in the little glass wasp-waisted bottles. Coca Cola never tastes better than on a hot summer day, and even though you can't get it in those little glass bottles anymore, summer, bike rides and Coke breaks are forever linked in my memory.

After Harry caught up with us, we took the fast downhill on Croom (even there, in patchy shade) to Molly Berry, then climbed back to North Keys Park.

All together, a terrific ride. Thank you, Walt, Sonja and Harry.

Locust Grove and Mount Carmel (CC, 34 mi)

Stephen Palincsar — Tue, 19 Jul 2022 13:00:00 GMT

Leader: Steve Palincsar

Members: Randy Schoch, Alan Kurzweil, Sonja Newman

Route: https://ridewithgps.com/routes/40232584 This is a new way to get to the Mount Carmel Monastery, going around La Plata rather than coming south from Middletown and the IHRT.

We've pretty much given up riding the old Pilgrimage route due to concerns about heavy traffic on Turkey Hill. Instead of taking the IHRT and Marshall Corner to Middletown and Turkey Hill, this route comes down Rose Hill onto Chapel Point, takes a break at the new Port Tobacco River Park (we were there for its dedication, too) then goes up Locust Grove, across 301 and heads east on Springhill Newtown, then north on MD-6 and Radio Station then west on Rosewick and north on Washington Ave to Mitchell.

Once you leave Sprinhill Newtown you lose the shade, but Rt 6, Radio Station and Rosewick are flat and fast, and you can really blast your way through them. In fact, we'd so gotten into the habit, when we got to Mitchell, several of us went right past it, cue sheets and Garmins chirping notwithstanding. Fortunately, Randy was paying attention.

Weather: Sunny, hot, hazy and humid: a perfect July day in the DMV. Temps in the 80s: around 80 when we started at 9, just under 90 when we finished at 12:30.

AMS: 13.5

Mechanicals/Mishaps: Sonja and Allen were riding together on the hill leading up to the Monastery when she dropped her chain. Forgetting that they were well within the "God Will Get You For That" zone, Allen teased Sonja about her chain drop, and immediately after speaking dropped his own chain. Allen's bike not only has DI2 shifting, but also has a built-in chain drop guard. It really makes you wonder...

Report: A fun ride. It was great to get back to the Mount Carmel Monastery. We couldn't figure out how to get the bottle dispenser to work on the water cooler, so I asked Randy if he knew, since I figured he'd been there since the beginning (knowing that the Order was founded in 1790). He said Oxon Hill was there when they opened the building we visit now. We used to make the Pilgrimage often in years gone by; I'm glad we were able to do so again today.

Harwood, St George Barber & Galesville (CC, 32)

Stephen Palincsar — Sun, 17 Jul 2022 13:30:00 GMT

Leader: Steve Palincsar

Members: Walt Chalmers, Sarah Clement

Route: https://ridewithgps.com/routes/28095520 This is a revision of a classic Oxon Hill and Potomac Pedalers route that must have been ridden hundreds of times from the 1980s to the early 2000s.

In the early years, Galesville's big attraction, besides a pretty harbor on the West River with a park and a nearby portolet, was the West River Market, one of the best places to get deli sandwiches I've ever been to. When the West River Market closed -- the building is a derelict shack now -- the rides stopped at the Highs at the intersection of Muddy Creek and Owensville Rd for supplies, and often didn't even bother coming down Galesville Road to the water.

The rides used to start in Davidsonville at the Park and Ride, but when the reconfigured the parking lot some years ago, I stopped going there. But even without the West River Market, Galesville is too good a destination to pass up, so I found alternate starts. This one starts in Harwood, at Southern High School, making what used to be the final leg of the route into its beginning.

Looking at the statistics, you'd think it was an easy ride, only 32 miles, with 1400' of elevation gain. Not hardly: there are a seemingly endless number of rollers with significant ups and downs on Patuxent River Rd, Beards Point, Brick Church and South River Clubhouse, making today's 32 miles harder than yesterday's 40.

Weather: Humid (naturally) and mostly cloudy, 76 - low 80s

AMS: 12.8

Mechanicals/Mishaps: None

Report: While trying to load my route into the Garmin and delete the spurious zero-length routes it kept offering to save for me, I accidentally deleted my route entirely. However, I've learned that a Garmin is not to be relied upon as a navigation device. You must always have a cue sheet, particularly for those route changes that are actually tangents going straight as the main route turns (for example, Pisghah Marbury at Bicknell). They will show on the map, but since you're "going straight," no turn cues are presented, hence the need for a cue sheet. Turns out, it's also handy when the Garmin eats your homework.

Much remains as it was, although there were a few significant changes to the roads. Notably, Riva Rd has major construction going on, and a reversal of today's route, which also used to also be popular years ago, is no longer possible. You can't turn left from Riva onto Governors Bridge and so can't do St George Barber the hard way any more (oh, too bad).

There were signs everywhere of last night's storm: wet roads and some ponding, tree litter, sand and gravel, and we even had to abandon our plan to ride Old Solomons Island Road between Owensville Sudley and Harwood because a tree was down completely blocking the road. Other than that final reversion to the old standard MD-2 shoulder, it didn't imped us.

It was fun seeing Walt Chalmers again, it's been quite a while, and I'm glad he and Sarah came.

Dixie Lyon, Aviation Yacht Club and Manor (CC, 40)

Stephen Palincsar — Sat, 16 Jul 2022 13:30:00 GMT

Leader: Steve Palincsar

Members: Luis Dall'Orso, Stephen Cohen, Lois Lightfoot, Catherine Ade, Walt Roscello, Harry Kidd, Patricia Walters and Ron Altemus

Route: https://ridewithgps.com/routes/40062707 39.8 mi, 1538' elevation gain as planned. Lou, Walt and I actually did that route. Everyone else decided to stay on the Three Notch Trail and skip the part where we crossed MD-5 onto a freshly newly repaved Flora Corner, then took MD-6 back to the start. I think they saved about 5 miles doing so.

Weather: Humid (I mean, what else, this is July in the DMV) and mostly to partly cloudy, 77 at the start rising to about 88 when we finished, with a 4-5 mph breeze.

AMS: My Garmin said 13.6. Speeds varied from around 12 to around 14.

Mechanicals/Mishaps: None

Ride Report

A warm but very pleasant day (if you were acclimated to the conditions and made sure to stay hydrated, anyway). We saw several Amish buggies and wagons passing the Northern Senior Center as we were getting ready, then saw several others on Dixie Lyon. We even passed two on the hill just before the turn from North Ryceville onto Ryceville.

We carefully but quickly made our way south on Thompson Corner Rd, taking great care to avoid the numerous deep holes in the pavement. The steel wheels and steel horseshoes have done a lot of damage to the pavement, and a careless rider could find themselves crashing with their front wheel caught in a big groove. But that didn't happen to any of us today.

After a short stretch on Budd's Creek we went down Aviation Yacht Club Rd (still no seaplanes andno big yachts) to a rest stop at Wicomico Shores Landing.

After the break we climbed out the easy way and sailed down Budd's Creek to Chaptico, then took Maddox to Manor. I love Manor Rd and eagerly anticipated seeing it again. It had been closed for a while due to flood damage, but there was no sign of any today.

What we did see was sunflowers. Lots and lots of sunflowers.

You gain 181 feet on Manor and lose 87 for a net gain of 94 feet, and then you lose 125 feet of elevation on Hurry Rd going to Chaptico. The run down to the store was delightful, as was the ice cream at the Chaptico Market. It's fun taking those hundred foot stair steps just south of the Market downhill at 35 mph instead of climbing them the way we usually do.

By the time we left the market most of the group had decided to take the shortcut back, staying on the Three Notch Trail and skipping Flora Corner and Rt 6. Baptist Church did nothing to change their minds, so we said our farewells at Cedar View Ct.

Once we crossed MD-5 at Old Fora Corner, we discovered that Flora Corner had very recently been repaved: recently enough that they hadn't painted the road markings yet. The surface was so smooth and cushy it almost felt like my tires were going soft. It's been a long time since Flora Corner felt like that.

We got back to Northern Senior Center while most of the group was still packing up.

This ride was the first time Lois and Catherine had been down to St Marys County. I think that even at $4.39 a gallon, they found the trip worthwhile. I know I did.

More photos seen along the way

Harry Kidd photos

Friday IndianHead 20 mile All Class

Randall Schoch — Fri, 15 Jul 2022 13:00:00 GMT

Leaders - Jackie & Randy Schoch

Members - (standing: l-r) Donaro Gardner, Jackie, Dani & Gene Villiva, Belinda Acre. Foreground: Randy seated on his new eCatrike. (not pictured: Walt Roscello and Ron Altemus, photographer).

Route - IHRT

Weather - Very nice - 70's

AMS - Varied per/rider - Leaders did 12mph

Mechanicals/Mishaps - None

Report - Our Friday Regulars came out for this 9am ride. We are starting at 9am for the months of July and August to try to beat the summer heat. There were a lot of trail users and wildlife this morning. The wildlife that was spotted were, 2 deer and a fawn, wild turkey, beaver, turtles, squirrels, and songbirds. David (the trail maintenance guy) was watching the snakes at the Bumpy Oak Lake. We greeted James (the IHRT ranger) who was on the job. We had a nice visit at the White Plains rest stop. After the rest stop, we had a spritely return to the parking lot where most riders went their separate ways. Jackie and I went to the Lunch Box in Bryans Road. It was good to visit with the workers (Linda, Sue, Elizabeth, and a new lady - I didn't catch her name?). We had a delicious lunch and went home.

Randy's new eCatrike in action!

Baden Westwood, Magruders & Merkle (CC, 34)

Stephen Palincsar — Tue, 12 Jul 2022 13:00:00 GMT

Leader: Steve Palincsar

Members: Joan Oppel, Jessica Hirschhorn, Alan Kurzweil, Harry Kidd, seen here at the rest stop at Magruders Landing

Route: https://ridewithgps.com/routes/32031767 Just under 34 miles, just under 2,000' of climbing according to RWGPS, the Garmin disagreeing and thinking it was just 1329'. (What does that Garmin know? It's a cheap model that doesn't even have the barometric altimeter.)

Weather: Sunny, hot and humid: high 70s at 9:00 rising to around 91 degrees by 1 pm, with an 8 mph breeze. You'd think that would have felt oppressive, but no. Much of the route was in shade, where it felt like the 60s, and screaming downhill at 25-35 mph the breeze and the wind of your passage turned us all into swamp coolers on wheels.

It did feel hot on the climb on Baden Naylor from the bridge over Rock Creek (or, rather, when you lost the momentum from the descent leading down to that bridge) up to the turn for Brooks Woods, as it always does, but there was a delightful shade patch right at the corner of Brooks Woods and we stayed there for a while before tackling Tanyard.

All in all, for a typical July day in the DMV, the weather was simply delightful.

AMS: 11.9

Mechanicals/Mishaps: None

Report: This wasn't just any ordinary beautiful summer ride in the PG County Rural Tier, it was also my birthday. A rather momentous one, as it turned out, fraught with a boxcar's worth of emotional baggage that weighed heavily on me. But surprise, there was this, stealthily placed in

my car to be discovered after the ride! Many thanks for that, it's a great card.

But as for the ride.

It was a bit like highlights of the Rural Legacy, without the Kind bars but also without the rain.

We went down Martin (why the Garmins don't see this as a turn mystifies me) to Molly Berry, then climbed up Baden Naylor to Baden Westwood. We seldom get the chance to go down Westwood but we did today, adding a little bit of Bald Eagle School before returning to Baden Westwood, to Croom and the descent to Magruders and a quiet rest stop (without Kind bars).

After the break and the climb back to Croom, we rode the Rollers. It was wonderfully shady, and the infamous Croom Rollers were kind to us heading north. We hurled ourselves down the steep side and rolled up the easy slope time after time, until we got to Whites Landing.

This is a view from a ride in June of 2016, but it's as lovely today as it was then: past open farmland on a slight descent, then the road narrows as you get into the woods and down, down, down on what feels like a steep descent down to the Patuxent River. "Feels like," because it's not a hard climb back up at all. Just under a mile each way, Whites Landing is a treat for the senses and a worthy diversion.

Turning back onto Croom, it's only a half mile to Bald Eagle School and the descent on Nelson Perrie, followed by Baden Naylor and the 110 foot, half-mile plunge down to Rock Creek. The new bridge doesn't have the excitement of the old one-lane bridge, where you had to line up for the "slot" at speed, but it's still fun to hit 30 mph on the way down. Of course, you pay for it on the way back up once all the momentum is gone, the grade reaching 7% and all out in the sun, but there was that lovely breezy shade patch waiting at Brooks Woods.

On Tanyard we encountered a local couple out for a short ride. Joan and Jessica stopped to chat with them and learned that the woman was related to the last teacher at the one-room schoolhouse that's located at the turn on Nottingham near the Patuxent Riverkeeper's house.

We had a second rest stop at the Merkle Sanctuary. The Visitors Center was closed and the pump wasn't turned on, but there was water down behind the building, even if it did take some effort to find it -- and of course, no Kind bars here either.

The return from Merkle to North Keys Park on Candy Hill, Molly Berry and North Keys lacks that short steep section on the final stretch of the Rural Legacy where Fenno becomes St Thomas Church, but it also lacks the thrilling downhills on Fenno and Croom Airport.

Instead, once you turn onto North Keys it's pretty much a steady climb back to the Park. Thankfully, it's shady and only 2 1/2 miles long, because all of us (except Alan, who took every opportunity to add bonus miles) were ready for the end by the time it came.

Views along the way:

Photos: Jessica Hirschhorn

Photos: Harry Kidd

Watermelon Ride CC 47 miles

Ellen Goodwin — Mon, 11 Jul 2022 16:55:47 GMT

Leader: Ellen Goodwin

MEmbers: About 8 of us including Ray Luckenbach, Grace McNally, Carol Dreher, Victoria Hutter, Joan Oppel, Donaro Gardner, with guest appearances at the beginning and end of the ride by Janice Stoodley and Kurt Vangelder.

AMS: Finished with about 13 mph average at the back of the group.

Report: We had a lovely ride at perfect temps. A core group of 8 of us stayed together for the whole ride. No mechanicals or problems were reported. We were very grateful for the super sweet watermelon in the park at the end.

Watermelon Ride Class(s) "A & B"

Sherwood — Sun, 10 Jul 2022 13:00:00 GMT

Approximately twenty-one cyclists (Members) including the Rider Leader, Sherwood Byers cycled in the Oxon Hill Bike and Trail Club (OHBTC) annual club member event in memory of Bob McMaster who was a long time member of OHBTC. The story is told that he would provide watermelon to riders after his rides. This was a multi-class ride with absolutely great weather for a ride consisting of Class "A" and Class "B" riders. The overall pace of the ride at the front was within the pace of both classifactions 17.4 AMS and a reported 15.2 AMS by the Co-Ride Leader (Linda Bankerd). There were no mechanical issues reported. While there was a report of bee stings after entering the Port-O-Let at Pisgah Park. After completing the ride the watermelon was a refreshing welcome.

Watermelon Ride 34 mi CC

Stephen Palincsar — Sun, 10 Jul 2022 13:00:00 GMT

Leader: Steve Palincsar

Members: 20 were signed up for the 34 CC as of Monday, but names were not provided to individual ride leaders. I didn't count before we left Accokeek, but I'm confident if there weren't 20 in my group, it was very close to that number.

Route: https://ridewithgps.com/routes/39831540 A slight tweak on the route used for the 30 mi C ride. Instead of coming straight back from the Pisgah Store on Mason Spring, we turned onto Pisgah Marbury, took that to Marbury Run Rd to Chicamuxen. We also stopped for a break at the McDonalds in Bryans Road before tackling Barry's Hill.

Weather: Mostly cloudy, 70s to 80s.

AMS: 13.9

Mechanicals/Mishaps: None I'm aware of

Report We stayed together to Bryans Road and beyond, even staying together pretty well on the ascent of Mighty Mount Pisgah. Once we left the Pisgah store, the group fragmented into smaller groups. I even led a small group off the route on a detour to the Indian Head Rail Trail at Livingston Road for a quick portolet stop before tackling Chapmans Landing. We got back together again at the McDonalds, then - no surprise - spread out quite a lot climbing Barrys Hill.

Bob's Watermelon Ride - 30

Randall Schoch — Sun, 10 Jul 2022 13:00:00 GMT

Leader - Randy Schoch

Members - Lissa Bell, Lynda Hall, Althea Johnston, Rumi Matsuyama, Larry Poole, David Van Ameyden, and Erin Wilson.

Route - Bob's Watermelon Ride 30-mile version

Weather - Perfect 70's

AMS - We kept the average speed at about 12mph

Mechanicals/Mishaps - None

Report - We had a great turnout for this ride on a "picture perfect" day for a bike ride. All of us successfully climbed the "mighty" Mount Pisgah to Ripley (with the three crosses) and then onto Poorhouse Road to the Pisgah store rest break. After a visit at the store and with several other bike riders, we descended Mount Pisgah to Mason Springs (the bucket of blood roadhouse and bar which we viewed from afar). We returned by using the old Chapman's Landing Road which is where the original settlers built their plantations beside the Potomac River. Then watermelon at the park across from the Accokeek Fire House where we started the ride. A great day and ride. Bob McMaster (who started this ride many years ago) would be proud of us.

7/10 Watermelon Ride C class 19 mi

Ron Altemus — Sun, 10 Jul 2022 13:00:00 GMT

Leader:   Ron Altemus

Members:   (l-r) Robin Garnett, Maria Alva, Esther Stewart, Emily & Matt Rowland

Route:   the Tour de Accokeek routing with a short addition on River Road to Chester before tackling Barry's Hill (w/o any problems)

Weather:   mostly overcast, temps staying in the low 70s, negligible air movement.

AMS:   low 11s

Mechanicals/Mishaps: nothing more than a couple of seat adjustments

Report: a very leisurely ride touring the Greater Accokeek Metropolitan Statistical Area, and then proceeding to Marshall Hall landing (as pictured above) for views of Mt Vernon, Fort Belvoir, and Gunston Hall. For several of our group, their first time riding in this part of southern Maryland. Other than the short stretch on 210/Mathews, and Marshall Hall Rd to the downhill, very little vehicular traffic . The lush, verdant shady stretches of River and Barry's Hill were noticeably cooler. As a bonus, we were treated to a bald eagle soaring over the Denison nursery on River Rd.

7/8 Friday IHRT ALL class ride

Ron Altemus — Fri, 08 Jul 2022 13:00:00 GMT

Leader: Ron Altemus

Members:   Donaro Gardner, Leesha Saunders, Dani & Gene Villiva. Tracie Cebrzynski rode from the Indian Head to White Plains with us.

Route:   the best way to get ready for the weekend - the Indian Head Rail Trail from Livingston Rd parking lot to White Plains trail head and return.

Weather:   decent - temps starting in the mid 70s, climbing to just about 80, manageable humidity, breezes that had a cooling feel to them.

AMS: 12ish

Mechanicals/Mishaps: none

Report: first 9 am start of the season, perhaps responsible for the lower turnout, though some of the regulars had legitimate excuses. Don started early, riding to the Indian Head trail head where he encountered Tracie. She rode with us back to her car at White Plains. Good number of other cyclists using the trail with an additional assortment of walkers and joggers.

Mad about the Mattawoman (CC, 30)

Stephen Palincsar — Tue, 05 Jul 2022 20:41:54 GMT

Mattawoman Creek, view at the foot of Mattawoman Creek Road

Leader: Steve Palincsar

Members: Ron Altemus, Joan Oppel, Jackie and Randy Schoch, Lou Dall'Orso, Pat Walthers

Route: https://ridewithgps.com/routes/40055263

Weather: Mostly cloudy, humid, some drizzle and light rain. 77-86 degrees. The chance of rain originally was in the single digits, but by noon the chance had risen to 100%. Our first inkling of the change came while making the turn onto Bumpy Oak, when Iwe noticed how dark the sky had become. By the time we reached the Indian Head Rail Trail it was raining, but it was all over by the time we finished loading the cars.

AMS: 12.5

Mechanicals/Mishaps: None

Report: Today's route was intentionally something different. We took Hawthorne to Strauss -- are all those speed humps new? I sure don't remember them -- then rode to the foot of Mattingly for spectacular views of the Mattawoman Creek. Climbing back up to Jennifer we wound through neighborhood streets back to the IHRT, then took Hawthorne to Chicamuxen.

2.2 miles up Chicamuxen we turned onto Mattawoman Creek Road. I'd been there once before, two or three years ago, with Ron and Joan, but for Lou, Pat, Randy and Jackie this was new territory.

You don't get more than a few yards down the road before you could to a big dip, a 30' descent, a crossing of a tributary of the Mattawoman Creek, and an immediate 30' climb. From the bottom of the dip, that 30 foot rise looks like a hundred feet wall and you really have to hurl yourself down to get momentum to help you climb back out. (Unless you have a motor, that is, like me and the Electric Shocks, in which case you set your motor control to Warp Three and power up the slope.) Fortunately, you don't have to negotiate the dip on the way back.

Once past it, it's an easy trip down to the shore. You're met with great views of the Mattawoman Creek looking towards the Indian Head Naval Base.

Mattawoman Creek looking towards Indian Head Naval Facility

Every map in Ride With GPS's route planner but the USGS Scan shows Mattawoman Creek intersecting with Gumtree Swamp Place heading back towards Creeds Mill. The USGS Scan shows it as a jeep track or a footpath, and Bing says it's not there at all.

Bing is right: it's one of those "imaginary roads, " a road that is on the map because there's a right-of-way there, and perhaps it's inn somebody's plan and sometime in the far distant future a road may be built there, but it doesn't actually exist on the ground here and now. It's not the only imaginary road in our area. Don't try to follow Hancock Run Rd from the turn at Adams Willet down to Smith Road. Google Maps says it's there, but ground truth is a gravel driveway that goes no more than a hundred yards before it ends at a fence.

So we backtracked on Mattawoman Creek to the top of the rise and turned right on Creeds Mill and followed it -- with no hill to speak of -- back to Hawthorne, then turned into Smallwood Park. After a rest stop on the shores of the Mattawoman Creek we took a tour of the Historic Area past Smallwood's Retreat, Revolutionary War General William Smallwood's house,

Photo by Maryland Dept of Natural Resources

before exiting the park on the original Sweden Point Road.

We took Sweetman to Bicknell and turned on Ripley, passing the extensive clear cut 187 acres of the MD Solar 2 Ripley Road Project (for more info, see https://go.boarddocs.com/md/chrlsco/Board.nsf/files/CFEMF75AFC9F/$file/Solar%20Farm%20Presentation%206-28-2022%20.pdf ) I only discovered the Ripley Road Solar site riding past it the other day, when I saw the construction portolets and figured it was bad luck to pass two portolets without stopping. Today, I passed three portolets without stopping and got a good passing look at the sites on either side of the road (and look what happened).

By the time I got to the turn for Bumpy Oak the weather had changed and the sky was ominously dark. A mad chase down Bumpy Oak followed, and by the time I made the turn onto the IHRT it was drizzling. Just bad luck, do you think?

Durham Church, Fire Tower & Goose Bay (CC, 31 miles)

Stephen Palincsar — Sun, 03 Jul 2022 13:30:00 GMT

Leader: Steve Palincsar

Members: Pat Sanders, Jackie & Randy Schoch, Ron Altemus, Janell Saunders, Linda & Marc Blackman and Pat Walthers

Route: https://ridewithgps.com/routes/40019673

Weather: Overcast, humid, 78 when we started and 82 with the sun finally coming out when we finished at 1 pm. 5-6 mph breezes helped make the temperature feel pleasant.

AMS: 12.3

Mechanicals/Mishaps: None

Report: A visit to Goose Bay is always fun. Today's route, which included some unusual roads (how often do you go down Durham Church, up Annapolis Woods and down Fire Tower on your way to Goose Bay, after all?) and usual roads in opposite directions was enjoyed by all.

Janell and Pat sharing adventure stories at the rest stop

It was overcast almost the entire ride, but that helped keep the temperature in check, not at all bad for a Fourth of July weekend ride. Bottom line: that was fun!

Port Tobacco, Locust Grove & Pisgah Marbury (CC, 34)

Stephen Palincsar — Sat, 02 Jul 2022 18:32:52 GMT

Leader: Steve Palincsar

Members: Randy Schoch, Ron Altemus, Alan Kurzweil, Sonja Newman

Route: https://ridewithgps.com/routes/39997093 -- at least, before modifications, of which there were two: in La Plata, we all decided to ride Quailwood Parkway instead of Valley from MD-6 to Hawthorne to get out of the sun, and after the stop at the Pisgah store we decided to come back on Bicknell, leaving Pisgah Marbury for tomorrow's ride. In the end, our modifications lost us a mile and a half, bringing the total down to 32.6. The shade was worth it.

Weather: As predicted, it was hot and humid: 80 when we started, around 90 when we finished -- but that's not the whole story. It was breezy with plenty of shade, and considering it's summer and it's the DMV, it was downright comfortable if you don't mind copious amounts of perspiration and you keep yourself hydrated.

AMS: 13.2

Mechanicals/Mishaps: None today, thanks, we had enough of that on Thursday.

Report: A nice ride for a holiday Saturday. Nice scenery, a reasonable number of stops, fine weather for the time and place (see above), enjoyable terrain, a nice group and done by 1 pm. What more can you ask? Randy skipped the first rest stop at Port Tobacco River Park and we never saw him again, but the rest of us stayed together and I suspect that there might have even been a little drafting going on every now and then, depending on the strength and direction of that nice cooling breeze.

The only real evidence of the holiday weekend was the extremely heavy traffic on US-301 at La Plata. We had to wait a couple of minutes before there was a break in the traffic to let us cross, probably due to backups on I-95 and people using 301 and the Nice Bridge as a workaround.

Friday IndianHead 20 mile All Class

Randall Schoch — Fri, 01 Jul 2022 14:00:00 GMT

Leaders - Jackie & Randy Schoch

Members - Donaro Gardner, Ron & Susan Altemus, Fran Jezisek, Robin Garnett, Esther Steward, Tom Belote, and Gene Villiva.

Guests - None

Route - IHRT

Weather - 80's + HHH

AMS - Varied per/rider

Mechanicals/Mishaps - None

Report - Our Friday Regulars are growing each week. It was hot at the start this morning. Next week and the following Fridays for July and August we will be starting at 9am in order to beat the heat. That way we will be done by noon. A lot of trail users this morning including a large black snake crossing the trail while we waited. The usual wildlife kept us company on the ride. We had a nice visit at the White Plains rest area with some of the group ride from the LaPlata Senior Center. We also saw Paul on his E-Trike with the sun cover which he made himself and his famous UUUGA horn. Tom was riding his new "laid back flat foot" style Pheonix Wrks bike. After the ride Jackie, Gene, Robin, and I dined at the Lunch Box before heading home. The Lunch Box has A/C while the new "Ribs/To/Go" porch and picnic tables are not A/C. My new Utah E-Trike should be coming next week?

Duvall, Jug Bay & the CADT (CC 32)

Stephen Palincsar — Thu, 30 Jun 2022 20:36:23 GMT

Patuxent River, View at Selby's Landing

Leader: Steve Palincsar

Members: Sonja Newman, Harry Kidd, Lou Dall'Orso

Route: https://ridewithgps.com/routes/32323511

Weather: Clear, sunny, 77 to 86

AMS: 12.1

Mechanicals/Mishaps: Sonja ran over a nail on Mount Calvert Rd and flatted. With the expert help of Lou Dall'Orso and a good bit of hard work, the flat was fixed and my Silca Ultimate Impero pump had its first workout. However, more lay in store for Sonja. "What's that ticking?" she asked as we climbed out of the Jug Bay rest stop. A ticking from the bottom bracket -- now that could be literally almost anything. When we stopped at Selby's Landing, Lou investigated and found a loose screw behind the inner chain ring near the front derailleur. Between the four of us and as many tools deployed, the proper hex key of an appropriate length was found, the screw tightened and the noise dispatched.

Report: It's always fun when you get the chance to show someone something new about our area. It had been so long since Sonja had been to Jug Bay she'd forgotten Park Entrance Road, and we had the chance to see someone apprehensive about climbing back out the 2 mile long descent from Croom Airport down to the Visitors Center only to discover that the anti-gravity field is still in place and the only hard climbing is the quarter mile or so near the entrance.

And when we got down to the end of Croom Airport and headed towards the start of the Critical Area Driving Tour, we discovered that she'd never been down to Selby's Landing. So we stopped, walked down to the water, took pictures (while Lou was diagnosing the mystery clicking) and enjoyed the wonderful view.

The two miles of gravel on the CADT were a bit more challenging this time than when I was last there at the start of the pandemic, with several sections of loose gravel that necessitated dismounting. Lou was in his element and was happy to get a chance to put his cyclocross bike through its paces on terrain somewhat like what it was designed for, and I was happy to finally, after a thousand miles, get to ride my e-assist gravel bike on some actual gravel. 650Bx48s rock both on pavement and on gravel. On narrower tires, that loose downhill section on the far loop might have been scary rather than exhilarating.

Final take on the CADT: the views are nice. The initial paved 2 miles in Patuxent River Park is one of those wooded bucolic roads you wish would go on for 50 or 100 miles. The boardwalk and the observation tower are fun.

The gravel section is definitely not like a crushed limestone surfaced rail trail like the Great Allegheny Passage. Of course it's not like Unbound XL or the other gravel races you may have been reading about lately, but by the first half mile you find you need some gravel-specific skills that go beyond pavement riding.

It's definitely worth doing, at least once. For Harry, it was One and Done, that box checked off; for me, it brought back memories of the wonderful gravel rides Tom Roberson used to lead out west of Gainesville in the shadow of Mount Weather, and definitely raised my heart rate and the adrenaline level in places. And hats off to Sonja, who thought we were going to ride down to Mount Calvert and ended up in the deep end of the pool on a bike never meant for such adventures, but made it anyway, including the far loop.

Tour de Accokeek

Tim Murphy — Wed, 29 Jun 2022 21:30:00 GMT

Leader: Tim Murphy

Members: None

Weather: Nice weather a little hot and a little humid.

AMS: 14mph

Mechanicals/Mishaps: None

Report: No one registered, it was a good day for a ride so I went anyways. At last minute I deviated the route since I was the only one to register and went from Indian Head to Smallwood and back. I hope to see more people next week for the Tour de Accokeek and maybe some ice cream after the ride.

A lot of empty roads

Joan Oppel — Tue, 28 Jun 2022 13:00:00 GMT

Ride Leader - Joan Oppel

Members - Linda Bankerd, Sherwood Byers, Harry Kidd, Alan Kurzweil, Steve Palincsar

Route - From Bryans Road, all the way out Chicamuxen, then Rt 6 to the Nanjemoy Community Center, Poseytown, Bowie and Baptist Church. Ironsides to Mason Springs - all the way back to Chicamuxen, Hawthorne, Chapman's Landing. https://ridewithgps.com/routes/26743109

Report - A beautiful, low humidity, 75 (high for the ride) temperature day. We split up into a faster/slower group and met up again at the community center, which always makes a lovely rest stop. Three riders took a different route at the Pisgah store, but we all ended up at the parking lot together. Every road was lightly traveled and it made for a very pleasant ride. (There are long stretches on this route that are in full sun, so it's best done on a day like today or cooler.)

Gilbert Run, Allens Fresh

Stephen Palincsar — Sun, 26 Jun 2022 21:52:28 GMT

Leader: Steve Palincsar

Members: Randy Schoch, Harry Kidd

Route: https://ridewithgps.com/routes/39929626

Weather: Sunny, breezy, 77 to 87 degrees. A bit humid, but for a summer day in the DMV, it was great.

AMS: 12.4

Mechanicals/Mishaps: None

Report: We all arrived early, we knew no one else was coming, so we rolled out early - around 10 after 9. The route was quite shady, and for the most part we were delightfully comfortable. The breeze that had been so pleasant for most of the ride was dead against us on Penns Hill, making the 3 miles from Cookseys Store to the big descent seem like a moderate uphill, even though RWGPS says it's flat.

Waysons to Cumberstone & Galesville

Joan Oppel — Sat, 25 Jun 2022 13:00:00 GMT

Leaders: Joan Oppel & Ellen Goodwin

Members: Steve Palincsar, Leesha Saunders, Wayne Hunt

Route: https://ridewithgps.com/routes/39920721

Weather: About 80 degrees, give or take a few degrees depending on the amount of shade at any given point in the ride, tolerable humidity

Mechanicals/Mishaps: None

Report: A lovely ride with a good bit of shade. Except for a few miles on the shoulder of a couple of busy roads, our route traveled on mostly rural roads. We explored both Cumberstone Road and Galesville. Cumberstone Road did not disappoint, with heavy shade and some stunning very old majestic trees. We replenished water at the Pirates Cove restaurant, ate snacks at the shaded park at the end of Riverside Rd, near the West River marina. And checked out the "cat apartments" maintained by the marina for the resident feral cats. Good ride, good company!

Apartments provided by marina for feral cats

6/24 Friday IHRT ALL class ride

Ron Altemus — Fri, 24 Jun 2022 14:00:00 GMT

Leader: Ron Altemus

Members: (l-r) Jackie Schoch, Susan Altemus, Gene Villiva, Dani Villiva, Oswald Martin. Not pictured: Donaro Gardner, doing extra miles to the IH Village Green

Route:   the Friday Fav - Indian Head Rail Trail, Livingston Rd parking lot to White Plains trailhead and return

Weather:   Quite pleasant - high haze so filtered sunlight, temp range 73-79, slight air out of the NE, agreeable humidity

AMS: varied by rider

Mechanicals/Mishaps: about 1 3/4 miles into the ride, Gene noted he seemed to have rubbing on his tires. A quick examination of the front brake revealed the problem, easily rectified, and his ride continued w/o further problems.

Report:   Nice to have Oswald riding again with the club following his late Fall accident. We moved along nicely, encountering numerous other trail users, mostly cyclists, with the occasional walkers or joggers. Only wildlife sightings your faithful correspondent is aware of were a couple of young turtles crossing the trail. Almost all of us went to Ribs-to-Go afterwards for an enjoyable lunch on the patio.

Friendship Farm Excursion

Joan Oppel — Sun, 19 Jun 2022 13:30:00 GMT

Leader: Steve Palincsar got the group started, Joan Oppel & Jessica Hirschhorn took over

Members: Karen Morgan, Stuart Morgan, Mark Blackman, Linda Blackman, Anne Wittenberg, Greg Acs, Kim Nielsen, Duane Petrow

Route: https://ridewithgps.com/routes/31317564 - A lovely tour of the Nanjemoy area, including the Baptist Church and Poseytown, UP Greenleek, Mallows Bay, Riverside and Smith Point. Then on to Maryland Point, Rt 6 and Hancock Run. Stop at the Nanjemoy store and return via Jacksontown, 6, Gilroy and Bowie, retrace Baptist Church and MD 425.

Report:

At the start, Steve discovered that replacement electronics and battery for his e-bike were not working. He removed the battery, started with the group but found the now non-e-bike inappropriate for the terrain and turned back.

At Mallows Bay most of the group took an extended break, Duane and Kim said they would ride on together. For the remainder of the ride, the rest of the group spread out, then regrouped a few times, enjoying nice social conversation while riding on the sparsely traveled and well-shaded roads. And the weather report: simply - a totally beautiful day with comfortable temperatures.

Report submitted by Joan, picture by Steve

York Overnight Tour

Sherwood — Sat, 18 Jun 2022 14:00:00 GMT

Ron Altemus, Linda Bankerd, Deborah Bowman, Carol Dreher, Diane Harris, Tasha Harris, Alan Kurzweil, Theresa Rowell, Jackie Schoch, Gene Villiva, Larry Malone, John Ingalls (OHBTC Members), Randy Schoch, OHBTC President, &Terre Simpson, Co-Ride Leader joined me Sherwood Byers, Sr., Ride Leader at the Grand Lodge of Ancient & Free Accepted Mason's in the Hunt Valley of Cockeysville, Maryland where secure overnight parking was arranged by Randy Schoch, President. I am thankful to Randy for this parking arrangement.

After a short briefing and photo op, the ride began on time. A planned short stop at McDonald's about a mile from the start we headed for the Torrey C. Brown trail to begin the tour. The route had planned regrouping stops in Monkton Station, New Freedom, & Hanover Junction Station. All had restrooms and there were plenty of clean Port-O-Lets along the trails. Once you cross the Mason & Dixon Line you start riding on the Heritage Rail Trail, (HRT) into York. Both trail surfaces were in excellent riding condition although 2 flats were reported. Riders helped with the repairs and the tour continued. The planned stop in New Freedom at the Trail side Cafe for lunch was circumvented by an unexpected closure. After making calls, the recording said they were out of food, but the sign on the door said they were permanently closed and apologized. Refuge for lunch was found in Paesano's Pizza Italian Restaurant, New Freedom and Glen Rock Mill Inn, in Glen Rock about 6 miles past New Freedom. Both places were excellent choices to eat. After the break the ride continued to York. Some riders found B&B's in downtown York to stay while most of the group stayed at the Best Western about 2 miles from the trails end. We had dinner and desserts at the Lyndon Diner and Smokehouse BBQ establishments.

On day 2, breakfast was served at the Best Western. The group prepared themselves to be on the pedals at 9:30 AM and meet the rest of the group at the trail by 10. The ride to Cockeysville began. It was a smooth ride heading to New Freedom almost without incident. A rider fell off of their bike without serious injury, with only a couple scrapes on the arm. The ride continued to Hanover Junction Station for regrouping and onto New Freedom for lunch at Paesano's. There were many stops in both directions for photos and scenic viewing. On day 1 there was a head wind all the way into York but on Day 2 the ride was absolutely wonderful with a tailwind all the way to the ride start. This was just a great weekend for a tour and I thank all that joined me.

Special thanks to Nancy Avitabile, OHBTC Treasurer for her being the Emergency Point of Contact.

Friday IndianHead 20 mile All Class

Randall Schoch — Fri, 17 Jun 2022 14:00:00 GMT

Leaders - Jackie & Randy Schoch

Members - Donaro Gardner, Ron & Susan Altemus, Fran Jezisek, Robin Garnett, and Janell Saunders

Guests - None

Route - IHRT

Weather - Perfect 70's and breezy

AMS - Varied per/rider

Mechanicals/Mishaps - Ron's pedal stripped out from his crank arm and had to abort at the Bumpy Oak Pond about 3miles from the start.

Report - Our regular Friday riders plus Janell. Janell had taken the day off to fly to Western Canada for an organized "Hiker/Biker" trip, but her flight was cancelled until Saturday, so she decided to ride with us rather than go to work. There was an average number of trail users this morning and several dogs walking their humans. We saw several "pint" sized bikers with training wheels enjoying being out with their parents. Lots of wildlife out and about (Jackie took some photos with her phone). Very nice and pleasant ride. After the ride, Ron, Susan, Fran, Jackie, and I went to the "Old George's" (which is now "Rib's to Go") for lunch. The food was good and plentiful, and the prices were reasonable. See you next Friday.

6/16 Mason Neck>Hallowing Point 27 mi

Ron Altemus — Thu, 16 Jun 2022 13:30:00 GMT

Leader: Ron Altemus

Members: (l-r) Gene Villiva, Joan Oppel, Steve Palincsar in front of George Mason's Gunston Hall.

Route:     https://ridewithgps.com/routes/32681666 27.6 miles, 738' elevation change. A leisurely tour of Mason Neck, starting at Gunston Elementary and doing an out and back on Belmont Blvd for views of Belmont Bay, then following the Mason Neck trail to Mason Neck State Park. After a rest stop at the park, heading east on Gunston Road to tour the Hallowing Point and Gunston Manor communities. Returning to the trail, short excursions into Gunston Hall, Pohick Bay Park, and the Pohick Bay Golf Course.

Weather: plenty of sunshine and blue skies; temps starting in the upper 70s, climbing to the mid 80s; 10-11 mph breezes out of the ESE, which when noticeable, kept the humidity from being overwhelming.

AMS:   about 11 mph

Mechanicals/Mishaps:   Steve got an error message on his power unit just before the climb after the park, but a quick disconnect/reinstall solved whatever non-existent problem which had been falsely reported.

Report: Good weather, good scenery, and good company making for a most enjoyable ride. Surprisingly, most of the route was new territory to Steve. Traffic, for those sections on road, was light; we did not encounter any other cyclists on the trail portions of our ride.

Tour de Accokeek

Tim Murphy — Wed, 15 Jun 2022 21:30:00 GMT

Leader: Tim Murphy

Members: J Saunders, C Hattery, L Dall'Orso and Tim Murphy

Route: Tour de Accokeek

Weather: Doesn't get much better than this for summertime.

AMS: 12+ mph

Mechanicals/Mishaps: None

Report: Riders rode at their own pace and we met at the River. Janell and Tim stopped to check out a fountain with blue water. The lady has a well landscaped yard and should be proud of her yard and her fountain. After our rest stop at the River, we all went up Barry's Hill then rode at our own pace back to the firehouse or to the rider's house. Come join us for this great Wednesday night ride.

Rural Legacy Ride

Jessica Hirschhorn — Sat, 11 Jun 2022 22:28:07 GMT

Well what a DAY we had! Today was preceded by 3 days of wildly dueling forecasts, which all turned out to be TRUE. We had a great, successful ride that was damp at times, a challenge for some (Ellen somehow did the whole ride without benefit of Di2 which had conked out on her -- BEAST!), another rider had a pesky flat that needed a $1 bill to allow him to limp back to the start. The rain came and went but was never soaking.

49/86 riders and volunteers braved the mist and were rewarded by the stunning rides that were fine tuned this year by Steve P. As some chose to skip a rest stop, some changed their milage mid-sprinkle, and two got lost and made their own great ride, it was tough to keep a tally of who was where.

The rest stops were well stocked (anyone interested in any peanut butter crackers? Anyone?) with snacks and water that the riders appreciated.

And, of course, as the last riders rode down the road toward the Pavilion, the sun came out and the sky turned blue.

EVERYONE was valuable today. Most thanks go to the riders who braved the weather. Thanks to the wonderful ,selfless volunteers who served their friends and their cycling community. Thanks to the sign makers (ok that would be me), the sign installers (Joan and Ellen) and the sign PICKER UPPERS (Nancy and Richard). Thanks to Randy and Jackie for the major schlep back to the storage facility. And thanks to Joan O., who had not signed up for this duty, but did more than a lion's (lionesses?) share of the organizational and logistics work. Jane and Jim are both in healing mode, and rendered invaluable sage advice to us.

Huge thanks as well to the volunteers who stepped up and ran the rest stops - the ride would be impossible without them: Lou Dall'orso, Larry Poole, George Martin, Diane Harris, Rita Zeidner, Harold Datz and Carl Hattery.

Onward!

6/10 Friday IHRT ALL class ride

Ron Altemus — Fri, 10 Jun 2022 14:00:00 GMT

Leader: Ron Altemus

Members: (l-r) Fran Jezisek, Susan Altemus, Joan Oppel, Belinda Acre, Steve Palincsar, Dani & Gene Villiva, Randy & Jackie Schoch, Donaro Gardner

Route:   the one, the only, the Indian Head Rail Trail from Livingston Road parking lot to White Plains trailhead and return.

Weather:   mostly sunny skies, temps starting in the low 70s climbing to the upper 70s, air moving out of the WSW, and NO humidity. Most pleasant riding conditions.

AMS:   leisurely for most all riders

Mechanicals/Mishaps:   none noted nor reported

Report:   the weather made for a great morning of cycling. Wildlife sightings were hit and miss: some saw nada, others counted deer, snakes, and numerous birds as part of their trail ride. A special shout-out to Joan Oppel for her first club ride as she returns from a recovery period following an injury.

Marlton, McDonalds & Mount Calvert (CC, 32 mi)

Stephen Palincsar — Thu, 09 Jun 2022 14:00:00 GMT

The Patuxent River at Mount Calvert

Leader: Steve Palincsar

Members: Harry Kidd, Ken Roman

Route: https://ridewithgps.com/routes/39720034

Weather: Partly cloudy, 78 at the start rising to 82, breezy with 8-11 mph winds

AMS: 11.8

Mechanicals/Mishaps: On his most recent ride, Harry had a chain break. He took the bike to the shop and they replaced his chain and pronounced it fixed. When he started riding this morning, the first time the bike had been used since it left the shop, he had to stop. When he turned the crank, it stopped with a loud "clunk". We checked the chain and it seemed fine, but the stoppage felt as though it was coming from inside the motor or the drive assembly. It briefly stopped, but after a couple of yards it started up again and Harry quit. Clearly there's something wrong that went far beyond a mere chain breakage -- indeed, could have caused the chain breakage.

Report: It was a glorious day for a bike ride, and it's a shame Harry's ended so soon, barely making it out of the park. It's the first time I've ridden with Ken, and after Harry quit it was just us two. I guess any hopes I might have had about restarting the regular Tuesday and Thursday rides will have to be deferred for now.

Utica Park & 3 Covered Bridges

Jessica Hirschhorn — Mon, 06 Jun 2022 20:49:18 GMT

We had another simply beautiful day in Frederick County, riding the rolling hills, admiring the growing corn and wheat, and visiting 3 historic covered bridges.

RIDERS: Fran Bernstein Carol Dreher, Jessica Hirschhorn, Lynda Honberg, Kathy King, Larry Poole, Kim Stackman and Anne Wittenberg.

We were challenged by a persistent headwind for the final 10 miles, and a stretch of newly laid asphalt outside of Thurmont that imbedded into our tires, necessitating a stop and brushing off. Right before Utica Bridge the road was CLOSED for roadwork but they kindly let our group ride through single file.

Ann had a mechanical - something about a chain guard malfunctioning - glad she is a bike mechanic! Kathy had a minor fall when a pickup truck stopped suddenly on a bridge and she could not unclip in time. No sequelae for cyclist or bicycle.

The greatest VICTORY? Larry Pool rode a longer distance than he had ever ridden in his life. Congratulations and strong work, Larry! See photo .

Distance 36 miles

Elevation 1631'

Average speed 11.0 mph

Goose Bay & Smallwood Park (CC, 38 mi)

Stephen Palincsar — Sun, 05 Jun 2022 14:00:00 GMT

Leader: Steve Palincsar

Members: Rita Z, Harold Datz, Randy Schoch, Lou Dall'Orso, Alan Kurzweil, Sarah Clement, Harry Kidd, Janell Saunders, Pat Sanders, Sheila Harron, Bill Lowe

Route: https://ridewithgps.com/routes/26799449 38 mi, 1400' elevation gain.

Weather: Clear, sunny, 72 at the start rising to around 80 with a 7-9 mph breeze. It really doesn't get much better than this, a truly perfect day.

AMS: 12.2

Mechanicals/Mishaps: Harry Kidd broke his chain and had to be driven back to the start. Pat Sanders provided the rescue, and was able to rejoin the route losing only a mile of riding. Also, Bill Lowe's front derailleur was badly misadjusted, moving way too far inboard when shifting to the small ring; as a result, his chain kept derailing off the ring onto to the bottom bracket shell, where it is so easy to get jammed. We readjusted the derailleur at the break at Smallwood Park.

Report: Garmins are interesting, sometimes useful, even wonderful things. But you can't trust them nearly as far as you can throw them.

On today's route, we turned off Chicamuxen on Marbury Run Rd, then turned left on Bicknell, climbed the hill and went straight onto Pisgah Marbury where Bicknell turns right. But not a whisper from a Garmin; instead, a note about the next turn on Mason Springs. Now that's fine if you know the route goes on Pisgah Marbury and don't pay that Garmin any mind, but if you were relying on it for navigation you would have continued on Bicknell, as indeed several people did.

This isn't an isolated instance: I've found the same thing on North Keys Rd, turning onto Martin. Not a peep from the Garmin. It knows Martin, but it doesn't see that as a turn worth mentioning.

I'm new to Garmin. I think I've had Garmin Edge Explore about two weeks. After noting the above mentioned and the odd way riding west on Croom and then Covington towards the Five Points at Malcolm, the Garmin kept insisting I turn left on Turner -- that's a gravel road you might have turned off onto in search of an al fresco pit stop opportunity -- a dead-end road that is never going to be on a route because it doesn't go anywhere, I called Garmin Technical Support and reported these issues.

"You have an outdated map and you need to update it. By the way, that's an outdated Garmin you have."

"But I just bought it. And you feature it on your web site."

"You'll notice you can't but it. It's no longer in the sales program."

Yes, I had noticed it didn't have a BUY NOW button, and attributed it to backorders and supply chain issues, like everything else bicycling you try to buy these days.

"It's past its sell-by date," he said.

Outdated map? It's not like Martin, Pisgah Marbury and Covington Roads have changed since the turn of the century. I guess with Garmins it's a case of "Trust but Verify." And caveat emptor.

Friday IndianHead 20 mile All Class

Randall Schoch — Fri, 03 Jun 2022 14:00:00 GMT

Leader - Randy Schoch

Members - Gene & Dani Villiva, Ron & Susan Altemus, Fran Jezisek, Sue Henn, Tom Belote, Belinda Acre, Robin Garnett, and Donaro Gardner.

Guests - None

Route - IHRT

Weather - Wonderful 70's

AMS- Varied per/rider

Mechanical/Mishaps - None

Report - Our regular Friday riders plus Sue, Tom, and Dani. There were many trail users this morning. The wildlife that was out and about for our pleasure were turtles, squirrel's, birds, blue herons, a deer, snakes, and an eagle. Our rest stop at White Planes was short because we all wanted to get back to riding. On the way back we saw Bob Moye and the Pastor coming the other way. We had a gab session as we loaded up the bikes at the lot. Let's hope that next week will be as nice.

Malcolm, Eagle Harbor & Covington (CC, 37)

Stephen Palincsar — Thu, 02 Jun 2022 14:00:00 GMT

Leader: Steve Palincsar

Members: Harry Kidd

Route: https://ridewithgps.com/routes/39621365

Weather: Another summer day. Partly cloudy, around 80 when we started and 90 when we finished.

AMS: 13.6

Mechanicals/Mishaps: None

Report: By the time everyone who had signed up for this ride canceled, it was just Harry and me. We arrived early, got ready early, and set out just a little after 9:30. We met Jessica and Nancy who were scouting the 65 mi Rural Legacy route and making sure of the facilities at Patuxent River Park several times along the route. Otherwise, it was an unremarkable but pleasant ride, marred only by the lack of a portolet at Cedar Haven -- which made up for the lack of a portolet by providing an extra helping of bugs, not exactly the sort of trade I would recommend.

5/31 Celestial Seasonings, No Gallant Green (CC, 32 mi)

Stephen Palincsar — Tue, 31 May 2022 14:30:00 GMT

Leader: Steve Palincsar

Members: Randy Schoch, Alan Kurzweil, Ron Altemus

Route: https://ridewithgps.com/routes/6473715 32 miles, 1000' elevation gain

Weather: Sunny, partly cloudy, humid. About 85 at the start rising to the low to mid 90s by the end of the ride.

AMS: 12.9

Mechanicals/Mishaps: None

Report: It was one of those typical, beautiful Washington summer days: bright sun, blue skies and white clouds, humid, around 90 degrees -- one of those lovely days you go to the mountains or the seashore to get away from. The route takes you down Martin to Molly Berry and over Nelson Perrie to Bald Eagle School and up Westwood to Baden Westwood, Horsehead across Aquasco to the Five Points at Malcolm, then left on Iowa onto Woodville and Wilkerson (out in the sun and hot on Horsehead and Woodville, nice shade on Wilkerson) to Celestial. Alan stayed on Celestial to Gallant Green, while the rest of us went up Young; all had a much appreciated rest stop at the Moreland Market.

The Market is at mile 18 on this route, and we arrived just about at noon. By this time we were feeling the effects of the heat. Nobody suggested making any radical changes to the route, but it was clear that enthusiasm for the planned side trip down Cedarville and back on Ashbox was fading fast.

After the break we continued on Woodville to Dr Mudd, where Randy

left the group to pay a visit to Jack Hammond, who lives nearby. The rest turned on Poplar Hill and headed back to Malcolm. We retraced on Horsehead to Orme, stopping in the shade for a short while before turning into the oven heat on Aquasco.

Ron said he was going to add some distance turning on Horsehead to the end then returning on Baden Naylor, but Alan and I were on a fast train back to the Park. I turned the assist level from Breeze up to River and for a while even to Rocket and we pacelined back to Gibbons Church and the Park as fast as we could.

5/29 Pindell, Fairhaven and the Chesapeake Railway Trail (CC 44)

Stephen Palincsar — Sun, 29 May 2022 14:00:00 GMT

Leader: Steve Palincsar

The group at the Waysons Park & Ride

Some of the group on the North Beach Boardwalk

Members: Denise Cohen, Walt Roscello, Lester Jackson, Jr., Sarah Clement, Alan Kurzweil, Stephen Cohen, Ellen Goodwin, Pete Hinz, William Lowe, Sheila Harron, Harry Kidd, Patricia Sanders, Janell Saunders and Pat Walthers.

Route: https://ridewithgps.com/routes/39448576

Weather: Sunny, low 70s to low 80s -- a picture perfect day.

AMS: 12.2 at the back

Mechanicals/Mishaps: None I'm aware of

Report:

The route is a variation on the traditional Memorial Day Weekend Chesapeake Beach ride, starting at Waysons. It goes left from the Park & Ride to the MD-4 Service Road, Plummer Lane, Upper and Lower Pindell (by the way, there are some huge potholes in the eastbound lane in the shade, so very hard to see until you are right on top of them) but rather than crossing MD-4 on foot, as was the tradition, one I have really lost my taste for, we headed back north on Southern Maryland Blvd to Wrighton, crossing MD-4 on MD-258. Some of us took a bio break at Lothian (note, the portolet door is jammed and you can't get it fully closed) before making the turn on Greenock.

At that intersection, Lester decided the terrain was too difficult compared to what he'd been riding lately (like Kent Island) and quit the ride. I think by the end there were several in the group who were coming to the realization that the Western Shore Bay country was rather more difficult than they remembered, too.

Greenock and Brooks Woods took us to W Bay Front and a turn onto MD-2, followed quickly by a stretch on Old Solomons Island Rd, a brief bit on MD-2 and a crossing (easy if you were in a quiet space between the platoons of cars, or nearly impossible if you happened to be at the turn when a platoon was going by) to a delightful but seldom used section of Old Solomons Island Rd that took us to Fairhaven Rd down to the Bay.

The Chesapeake Bay at Fairhaven

After climbing up from the Bay at Fairhaven and descending on Friendship Rd, we stopped for lunch at the Chesapeake Market. Some stopped for a photo at the North Beach Pier

Enjoying the Bay at North Beach

before we headed to Chesapeake Beach and the Railway Trail.

There's a small trail with a short gravel section that takes you from the Railway Trail boardwalk up through Richfield Station Village to MD-260. I was pleased to see they've put traffic lights at that intersection. It can be a long wait, but it made what had been a difficult crossing quite easy.

Only a few of us took the out-and-back on Old Solomons to the rest stop at the Dash-In. Not everyone needs a rest stop 10 miles from the end, and by that time I think a fair number of riders had lost their enthusiasm for delightful rollers with thrilling descents and challenging climbs they could do in both directions.

Looking back on 50 and 65 mile rides on Memorial Day Weekend to North Beach and Chesapeake Beach, remembering how those rides felt then compared with how today's ride felt, my mental juke box cued up a song:

Those were the days, my friend
We thought they'd never end
We'd sing and dance forever and a day
We'd live the life we choose
We'd fight and never lose
Those were the days, oh yes, those were the days

Even with an e-bike to ride, I'm hoping it won't have been an act of hubris to register for a Rural Legacy route that includes the Croom Rollers. (Which brings another song to mind "My Can Do Can't Keep Up With My Want To")

Harry took many more photos, seen here: https://www.flickr.com/photos/42642564@N02/sets/72177720299376336/

5/28 Tour de Accokeek Extended C/CC 25 mi

Stephen Palincsar — Sat, 28 May 2022 14:00:00 GMT

Leader: Steve Palincsar

Members: Gilbert Dutchover, Ron Altemus, Belinda Acre, Janell Saunders and joining us from a remote start at the White Plains IHRT, Walt Roscello

Route: https://ridewithgps.com/routes/26920630 The traditional Tour de Accokeek route with several scenic out-and-back meanderings: as planned, on Fenwick and left on Old Marshall Hall at the top of Barry's Hill, but the group was enthusiastic and it was a lovely day, so we added Riverside after the break, with a side trip down Chester, bringing the total mileage to about 29.

Weather: Low to mid 70s, clear to partly cloudy and breezy with 7-9 mph winds from the west.

AMS: around 12 mph

Mechanicals/Mishaps: None

Report: It was a perfect day for riding - as Ron put it, "One of those days you could just continue riding forever." The route was the familiar Tour de Accokeek, but we added the delightful and beautiful out and back on Fenwick, and after the break at the Potomac at Marshall Hall, we added a trip down Riverside as well, exploring the never-built development on Chester. After climbing Barry's Hill, we went left on Old Marshall Hall: for me, to renew old acquaintances, for some the first time down there. We saw farms with sheep and goats and vegetables

and, after a series of pretty gravel roads (roads I remember we used to ride back 20 or 30 years ago) all marked "Private, No Solicitors," came to a wooded allee that remarkably had a Welcome sign.

We didn't go all the way to the end of pavement, stopping well short of the descent to Old Landing Rd, never mind continuing around and climbing back up on Steamboat Landing to Poplar Hill, but perhaps we will some day. Just not today.

5/28 Ride to Tour de Accokeek Extended - B 52 mi

Walt Roscello — Sat, 28 May 2022 13:00:00 GMT

Leader: Walt Roscello

Members: none

Route: https://ridewithgps.com/routes/39575693 - to Accokeek via Rt. 229/E Manning, return via Rt. 227

Weather: Almost perfect. Started about 65 and still less than 80 at the end

AMS: About 14.4 on the solo legs, less during the CC tour

Mechanicals/Mishaps: none

Report: No one joined me for the ride to join Steve's group, but I had a pleasant and uneventful ride over. I found that E Manning has been repaved so it's not a bumpy experience anymore.

See Steve's report for the middle 29 miles. The ride back was also straightforward, accompanying Janell home and then dropping onto the trail at Rt. 227. I spotted a solo turkey along the trail about 1/2 mi after getting on it.

I advertised this as 46 miles, but with the extra bits we added and the 4 mi RT to the trailhead, I ended up with 52 mi.

Kent Island Ride

Jessica Hirschhorn — Thu, 26 May 2022 21:50:08 GMT

We had another great day on KENT ISLAND. The day started cool and cloudy, but by the end of the ride the sun had come out. The Shetland ponies were out today, 6! and we fed them pieces of apple. Everyone enjoyed the ride on the (like budda!) Kent Island trail, with 8 out 'n backs to see the water, osprey nests, The CB bridge, the community fishing pier, and more. We had lunch at the end of the island, by a crabbing marina with a lighthouse.

RIDERS: Jessica Hirschhorn, Ron Altemus, Susan Altemus, Sue Gunter, Fran Bernstein, Lester Jackson, Jr., Harry Kidd, Leslie Tierstein, Stephen Palincsar

No mechanicals, no flats, no one lost.

34 miles, 397'

Average speed 11.6

More photos from Steve P and Harry K to come!

Here's Harry's album: https://flic.kr/s/aHBqjzRKnG

Utica Park & 3 Covered Bridges

Jessica Hirschhorn — Mon, 23 May 2022 19:52:29 GMT

And THEN there was ONE! The list of 5 registered riders were dropping like flies. By this morning it was me and Joseph McKenzie. Since the day was gorgeous and this is one of my favorite rides, I decided to treat myself (and Joe) to a private tour! And , folks, we were NOT disappointed. We honestly could not have dialed in a more perfect day. Thirty degrees (!) cooler than yesterday, with a lovely breeze that was not punishing. There was almost no traffic. Joe and I kept apace, and chose shorter potty and snack breaks. The wheat was deep green, the Rhododendrons were in full bloom as were the buttercups and purple wildflowers. Here are some photos from Joe and from me.

35 miles

1600' climbing

Average Speed 12.3 mph

Friday IndianHead 20 mile All Class

Randall Schoch — Fri, 20 May 2022 14:00:00 GMT

Leaders - Jackie & Randy Schoch

Members - Donaro Gardner, Ron & Susan Altemus, Fran Jezisek, Robin Garnett, Belinda Acre, Esther Steward, and Larry Poole.

Guests - None

Route - IHRT

Weather - Perfect 70's

AMS - Varied per/rider

Mechanicals/Mishaps - None

Report - Our regular Friday riders plus Larry. This was Larry's first ride this season (he is not a winter rider - YET). There were the usual trail users but because of the beautiful weather I thought there would be more trail users. There was a lot of wildlife including a black snake, a family of gray water snakes that live in the rocks by Bumpy Oak Pond, turtles, squirrels, and birds. After a very pleasant rest stop at the White Plains area, we started riding back to our vehicles. This was one of the best weather rides this season. We hope for many more.

5/19 Mason Neck & Hallowing Point 28 mi.

Ron Altemus — Thu, 19 May 2022 14:00:00 GMT

Leader:   Ron Altemus

Members:   late notice = no registrants

Route:    https://ridewithgps.com/routes/39478169 listed at 27.2 mi, 735 elevation gain, a couple of short spurs added another mile. Highlights included Mason Neck State Park, Hallowing Point Estates, Gunston Estates, and a quick swing through George Mason's Gunston Hall.

Weather:   partly to mostly sunny with temps rising from the low to upper 70s and a modest breeze out of the SW. A bit of humidity was creeping in as evidenced in the river views of Belmont Bay and up river from Gunston Estates

Mount Vernon is barely visible in this picture it one knows where to look(!).

AMS: leisurely 12 mph

Mechanicals/Mishaps: ride leader forgot his taillight. Fortunately, very little traffic for the short periods spent on Gunston Road.

Report: always a pleasant ride utilizing the Mason Neck bike trail and some of the back roads on the neck.

Tour de Accokeek - All Class

Janell Saunders — Wed, 18 May 2022 21:30:00 GMT

Ride leader: Janell Saunders

Members: Carl Hattery, Tim Murphy

Weather: warm, cloudy, a few very light sprinkles

AMS: around 12ish

Mechanicals/Mishaps: None

Report: I thought we'd have a couple more riders with the new start time, but just us 3. We had a great evening ride. No mishaps. Noted sightings: a blue fountain in a yard in Accokeek as we turned on to Holly Tree Rd. And, on Barry's Hill, large snapping turtles in the swampy low area.

Patuxent River Park, Mattaponi & Merkle ( C/CC 33)

Stephen Palincsar — Tue, 17 May 2022 14:30:00 GMT

The group at North Keys Park

Leader:Steve Palincsar
Members: Alan Kurzweil, Karen & Stewart Morgan, Pat Walthers, Jackie & Randy Schoch, Pat sanders, Sarah Clement and Harry Kidd.

Route: https://ridewithgps.com/routes/39425230
33 miles, 1730' elevation gain

Weather: Sunny, breezy, 70-80 and humid

AMS: 12.0

Mechanicals/Mishaps: Pat learned the hard way, when you adjust your seat height to make it a few mm higher, be sure to use enough torque (or, if you've got a carbon frame and carbon seat post, use carbon friction paste) to keep your seat in its new adjustment. In Pat's case, it slipped down -- and as is the nature of such things, she didn't realize it until long after it had had its effect on her

Report: It was a beautiful day for a bike ride. We rode down North Keys in the shade on a road covered with debris from the storm the night before, then took Molly Berry to the long climb on Van Brady. Old Indian, Cheltenham -- glorious, right up to the corner of Duley Station at which point we rode into a cloud of weaponized pollen. First it was the racking coughs. By the time we got to Mount Calvert, Duvall and Croom Airport it was getting hard to see: burning eyes that felt as though they were stuffed with sand and gravel.

We enjoyed a break at Patuxent River Park, then climbed Croom Airport and took Croom to St Thomas Church, Mattaponi back to Croom, then Nottingham to Fenno and a second break at the Merkle Sanctuary.

Leaving Merkle we headed back on Fenno, taking Nottingham to Candy Hill, then right on Molly Berry back to North Keys and the park.

Harry too photographs and put together an album on Flickr https://flic.kr/s/aHBqjzQv5i

May Metric: CC-46 from the Mechanicsville Elementary School

Harry Kidd — Mon, 16 May 2022 13:32:24 GMT

Leader: Harry Kidd

Members: Douglas Lesar, Rita Zeidner, Ellen Goodman, Peter Klosky, Harold Datz, Patricia Sanders , Joel Drubin

Weather: Overcast during first half – with Cloudy Sunshine through to the finish.

Temperature: 70 – rising to the high 70s at the finish.

AMS: Averaging 12-13 mph

Mechanicals/Mishaps: Ride Leader had flat tire at mile 41 on Baptist Church road at mile 41. IT wasn't repairable and was picked up by Peter Klosky - Thanks Peter.

Route: CC46 mile: http://bit.ly/30cJKlj

Report: The CC46 departed timely from the Mechanicsville Elementary School. It was a good ride with – other than the flat tire- see above. The riders a enjoyed the scenic views, and the comfort and rest stop. We kept together with some gaps occurring on the climbs. Everyone enjoyed the scenic views at the water front stops.

Below is link to the photos taken by the ride leader:

Photos: https://flic.kr/s/aHBqjzQ9Qt

5/15 May ALL class - Three Notch Trail

Ron Altemus — Sun, 15 May 2022 13:30:00 GMT

Leader: Ron Altemus

Members: (l-r) Randy Schoch, Susan Altemus, Carl Hattery, Belinda Acre, Fran Jezisek

Route:   Three Notch trail from Mechanicsville Elementary south to John Baggett Park; retrace and continue north to trail end at Deborah Rd; retrace back to start

Weather: overcast and slightly muggy, temps ranging from upper 60s to low 70s; air movement out of the SSW at approx 4-5 mph

AMS:   probably just about 11 mph for most of us

Mechanicals/Mishaps:   none

Report: The Three Notch Trail ride was offered for the May Metric as an alternative for those riders who prefer not to have to share their cycling route with vehicular traffic and/or desired a shorter distance. Everyone seemed to have gotten their monies worth, and for at least half of our group, this was their first time riding the 3NT in its entirety. A good number of other trail users, mostly closer to Baggett Park. Very little to report in the way of wildlife sightings, other than a few rabbits, one snake, and probably a domesticated black cat.

The Club's trail ride offerings continue to be a good way for newer riders or those returning to bicycling to get some miles ridden in a stress-free environment.

May Metric 35 C/CC

Janell Saunders — Sun, 15 May 2022 13:30:00 GMT

Ride leader: Janell Saunders

Members: Steve Palinscar, Linda and Marc Blackman, Robin Garnett, Sheila Harron, William Loewe, Ken Meredith, Ron Leak, Karen Morgan, Esther Steward, Patricia Walthers.

Weather: overcast and slightly muggy temp ranges in the upper 70s

AMS: varied, around 12 but some faster

Mechanicals/Mishaps: one flat tire on Baptist Church Road

Route: Laurel Grove and Chaptico

Report: Every ride started on the 3 Notch Trail for a stop at Baggett Park, after which we returned and headed on Laurel Grove for the rest of the ride on quiet and pleasant roads. Some of the group had not been on these roads before and commented on the beauty and pleasantness of the area. We continued on local roads with a turn onto Pin Cushion and then to a nice stretch on Sunnyside, passing the Alpaca farm that were out enjoying the weather as well. Turning left on 242 we headed to the rest stop at 7th District Park and the first real hill entering the park. It was measured at 10 - 11% grade and we all felt it, except Steve P with his new electric bike, zooming past us all on the way up. We continued on to Maddox, Bushwood (with another bit of climbing), then Hurry Rd to Chaptico and on to Baptist Church Rd. After the turn, a rider in the back got a flat but turned out she was near a home having a birthday party and was able to wait for a pickup there, enjoying the festivities as well. The rest of us headed back to the start using the 3 Notch Trail. All enjoyed the ride and the newcomers found another great place to visit again.

May Metric A/B

Diane Harris — Sun, 15 May 2022 13:00:00 GMT

Members: Theresa R, Liam H, Michael B, Blake A, Lynne B-H, Diane H

Guests: None

Route: OHBTC All class ride from Mechanicsville Elementary School

Weather: Overcast at the start gradually warmed with sun towards the end

AMS: Ride leader finished with 15.8, faster group averaged higher

Mechanicals/mishaps: Ride leader had a puncture of front tire with a very thin piece of wire. Careful removal resulted in no flat during the remainder of the ride. However by the time I got home the tire was flat.

Report: The six of us thoroughly enjoyed riding the backroads of St. Mary's County where there was little traffic and long stretches of smooth pavement with occasional rollers. We had 2 rest stops, one at a grocery store and the other at the visitors' center of Sotterley Plantation. The group stayed together until towards the end of the ride where the faster riders opted to finish the route at their pace. This was my first time riding in this area and I really appreciate whoever planned the route. It started and ended with a good stretch on the Three Notch Trail, providing a nice safe warmup before getting on the lightly traveled roads of St. Mary's County.

5/13 Friday IHRT ALL class

Ron Altemus — Fri, 13 May 2022 14:00:00 GMT

Leader:   Ron Altemus

Members: Susan Altemus, Donaro Gardner, Robin Garnett, Fran Jezisek, Jackie & Randy Schoch, Esther Stewart

Route:   Friday's creme de la creme - Indian Head Rail Trail from Livingstone Rd parking lot to White Plains trail head and return

Weather: heavy overcast with occasional very fine mist congealing on sunglasses; temps in the mid 60s; 7-9 mph airs out of the NE so a nice tailwind on the return

AMS:   significant variation per rider

Mechanicals/Mishaps:   none

Report:   Randoplan/Dark Sky said less than a 10% chance of rain but maybe mist doesn't count. Whatever, we had a nice ride with no one turning back as their glasses misted up. Very few other trail users, though - only a handful of cyclists or runners/walkers. Donaro, Robin, and Esther tallied extra miles by cycling to the IH trail head either before or after the main group ride. Wildlife sightings were mainly of the reptilian nature - turtles in the marshes and small ponds and a couple crossing the trail; varying numbers of common water snakes trying to sun in the rocky spillway of the Bumpy Oak pond.

Kent Island

Jessica Hirschhorn — Thu, 12 May 2022 20:27:38 GMT

We had another wonderful day on KENT ISLAND!

Ride Leader: Jessica Hirschhorn

Riders: Robin Garnett, Jessica Hirschhorn, Kristen Hull (who joined OH to register for this ride), Lester Jackson, Jr., Valerie Payton, and Amy Wilkinson.

34 miles.

We took the usual route, down the beautiful bike path with out 'n backs to see the water, ships, Chesapeake Bay Bridge, Community fishing pier (where we BROKE the LAW and rode our bikes to the end, as it was nearly empty) and the lighthouse and crabber's marina. We saw an osprey.

Valerie had a fall when she was unable to clip out. No sequelae for cyclist or bicycle.

Mallows Bay & Hancock Run (C, 33)

Stephen Palincsar — Thu, 12 May 2022 14:30:00 GMT

Randy, Jackie and Norm at Mallows Bay. Pat waited at the entrance, not wishing to ride gravel.

Leader: Steve Palincsar

Members: Randy & Jackie Schoch, Norm Lisy, Pat Walthers

Route: https://ridewithgps.com/routes/33413908 33 miles on the back roads of Nanjemoy, with 1170' of elevation gain.

Weather: Overcast, breezy, 62 degrees at the start rising to 69 and occasionally clearing by early afternoon, to say nothing of the occasional feeling of rain drops blowing in the wind and the ominous dark clouds visible to the northeast.

AMS: One of these days I'll have instrumentation on the Alchemy eRonin, but for now I won't even hazard a guess.

Mechanicals/Mishaps: None

Report: Going by the long range forecast, today was the last chance for a ride before the rain sets in. In stark contrast to the clear sunny skies of the past two days, today was overcast, breezy and chilly feeling. It was a day for layers and a great day to have storage to put away those layers as it gradually cleared and warmed up.

It was the first time back to Nanjemoy since the pandemic for me, and this was one of several routes I'd devised during the pandemic for informal rides while the club's calendar was shut down.

It's a bit farther to Friendship Farm Park than to most of our ride starts, but it's an excellent location with ample parking and clean portolets. But the real reason to start here is that you can get to the Nanjemoy back roads while still keeping ride distances in the 30s, something I'm very much appreciating right now.

Today's route took Baptist Church to Bowie, Gilroy and the seldom-seen southern end of Chicamuxen to Riverside and a rest stop at Mallows Bay. After the break we took Liverpool Point to MD-6, then went down Hancock Run and up to Adams Willet back to a second rest stop at the Nanjemoy Store, a very cyclist-friendly stopping point under its current management.

Leaving the Nanjemoy store, we went up Jacksontown, back down MD-6 to Poseytown, then took Bowie and Baptist Church back to Friendship Farm Park.

In all, it was a great day to ride. Thanks to Pat, Norm, Randy and Jackie for coming along today.

Tour de Accokeek - All class 16

Janell Saunders — Wed, 11 May 2022 21:00:00 GMT

Ride leader: Janell Saunders

Members: Randy and Jackie Schoch, Carl Hattery, Tim Murphy

Weather: pleasant and warm

AMS: around 12ish

Mechanicals/Mishaps: None

Report: We had a great evening ride. No mishaps. Down at the Marshall Hall rest stop, we found 3 more riders, 2 from the club. They were doing their own ride since they had a guest and we haven't allowed guest riders as of yet. After some conversations, we headed back and all finished successfully.

Note: Next week the ride start will be 5:30PM

Fire Tower & Mill Swamp (C 28)

Stephen Palincsar — Tue, 10 May 2022 14:30:00 GMT

Leader: Steve Palincsar

Members: Sarah Clement, Holly Carr, Pat Walthers, Ron Altemus

Route: https://ridewithgps.com/routes/33545126

Weather: Sunny, breezy, low 60s at the start rising to 72 by early afternoon

AMS: Somewhere between 11 and 13 mph

Mechanicals/Mishaps: None

Report: A beautiful, sunny day but windier than I could have wished. We were joined by Holly who made her ride longer and more difficult by doing every climb twice.

Utica Covered Bridges

Jessica Hirschhorn — Mon, 09 May 2022 20:15:41 GMT

Riders: Jim Cavanaugh, Linda Deshayes, Susan Fullenbaum, Robin Hershey, Jessica Hirschhorn, Harry Kidd, Kathy King, and Ziva Schuchman

What started out as a cool, blustery morning, with sightings of ear flaps and wearings of 4 layers, became a simply delicious , sunny and warm day -- down to shirtsleeves and fingerless gloves!

We all met at Utica Park, and headed out for a beautiful ride in the Thurmont MD area. We stopped at 3 historical covered bridges. We were punished with a short area of rough road , only to be rewarded for buttery smooth road afterward that had already been laid.

The cows and horses were out, as were the poppies, buttercups, and wheat.

35 miles, 1647' elevation

Here are a few of my photos, followed by Harry K.'s usual fab album:

https://flic.kr/s/aHBqjzP6wo

https://flic.kr/s/aHBqjzPeyv

No mechanicals, no one lost, one minor fall on the thick lip from rough to smooth road transition. No worse for wear. Bike okay.

Kent Island

Jessica Hirschhorn — Thu, 05 May 2022 17:22:01 GMT

We had a great ride on Kent Island! It is really a treat to ride the flat, smooth, wide bike path down to the S end of the island, with plenty of out and backs to see the Chesapeake Bay, the CB Bridge, a community fishing pier, with lunch by a crab boat marina and lighthouse.

Riders were: Jessica Hirschhorn, Ed Comer, Harry Kidd, Steve Palincsar, Lois Lightfoot, and Jam Cavanaugh.

No mechanicals.

Distance 35 miles.

Here are some great photos from Harry Kidd and Steve P:

https://flic.kr/s/aHBqjzNCjW

https://flic.kr/s/aHBqjzNv9L

Start the Season Ride - B 41

Walt Roscello — Sat, 30 Apr 2022 13:30:00 GMT

Leader: Walt Roscello

Members: 10 folks total started with the B's

Route: To Goose Bay via Bumpy Oak and Ripley roads, then back through Pisgah to return to Indian Head

Weather: Low 50s at start to mid-60s at the end. Sunny with no rain.

AMS: Around 14.8

Mechanicals/Mishaps: none

Report: The group stayed fairly close together for the initial 21 miles to the rest stop. We left together again, but some folks went off to get extra miles on a different loop. One of the riders was having difficulty with the early-season ride so I hung back, and we got some Gatorade and refueled at some store opportunities. We saw those completing the extra loop again, and some faster CCs started catching us, so I went ahead with some of them and we separated a bit again. Everyone made it back with no incidents and it was an enjoyable ride, if a bit challenging at this point in the season even with a lower AMS.

4/30 Start the Season IHRT

Ron Altemus — Sat, 30 Apr 2022 13:30:00 GMT

Leader: Ron Altemus

Members: Jim & Jane Hudnall, Belinda Acre, Gene & Dani Villiva, Susan Altemus, Fran Jezisek. Not pictured: Rita Zeidner & Harold Datz

Route:   the Indian Head Rail Trail in its entirety - IH Village Green to White Plains and return

Weather:   sunshine through a high haze so no blue skies; temps climbing from the mid 50s to mid 60s; more advertised 6-8 mph air movement out of the west though it felt windier and seemed to change direction.

AMS:   as always on the IHRT, depends on the rider.

Mechanicals/Mishaps: none

Report:   nice to have Jane & Jim be able to join us for a leisurely ride. Rita & Harold were last minute additions as he wanted a shorter route during recovery mode. We really spread out riding in pairs, probably a good thing, as there were more other trail users than we see on our Friday rides. Wildlife sightings, varying by rider configuration, included bald eagles, great blue herons, turtles (always turtles), frogs, snakes, and wild turkeys.

Start of the Season - C 25

Randall Schoch — Sat, 30 Apr 2022 13:30:00 GMT

Ride Leaders - Jackie & Randy Schoch

Members - Tracie Cebrzynski, Steve Forman, Robin Garnett, Carl Hattery, Steve Palincsar, Sara Sennett, and Esther Steward.

Guests - None

Route - IH 100 C 25

Weather - Beautiful but chilly 60's

AMS - 10 to 12 mph

Mechanicals/Mishaps - None

Report - It was a great sight to see such a large group of riders for our first "All Class" Ride of the season. Our group consisted of 4 ebikes with Steve P's being the newest and 5 standards. We began by using the IHRT to Rt. 245 (Hawthorne), then we scaled the "Mighty Mount Pisgah" to Ripley. We rode Ripley Road to Poorhouse Road and then took our first rest break at the Pisgah Store. Then it was on to Bicknell Road and passed the house with all the cyclodelicly painted bikes in the yard to our turn onto Sweetman Road. We rode Sweetman to our turn on Rt. 244. After a short hop we turned into Smallwood Park for another rest stop (the rest rooms are now open for the season). We enjoyed the waterfront view as we took our rest break and ate our snacks, etc. Then it was back to the ride start at the Indian Head Pavilion via Rt. 244 and then the IHRT.

Start The Season AA/A 54

Sherwood — Sat, 30 Apr 2022 13:30:00 GMT

Fourteen of Oxon Hill's Bike and Trail Club Class A and Double A riders came out for its annual spring "Start The Season Ride". The ride began at the Village Green Community Center in Indian Head, Maryland. After prepping their bikes and gathering for pre-ride briefing and group photos the riders started their ride. After the turn onto Bumpy Oak Road the two groups separated. No mechanical issues were reported to me during or after the ride. Two riders reported to me and shortened their ride/route due to personal reasons. The Average AMS for the ride was the typical pace for the ride classes.

Start the Season Right -- 41 CC

Ellen Goodwin — Sat, 30 Apr 2022 13:30:00 GMT

Members: Pat Sanders, Harry Kidd, Pat Walthers, Karen and Stuart Morgan, Charles Williams, Stephen Cohen, William Lowe, Sheila Herron, Reid D., and Tia (last name?)

Leader: Ellen Goodwin

We started on time and followed the B riders out. Pretty quickly our group split into a slower group and a faster group. We all convened at the Goose Bay rest stop and enjoyed the rest and snacks. Bill Lowe and Sheila Herron joined us there, having gotten a late start at the parking lot. We all returned to the Indian Head green without incident. No flats or mechanicals were reported.

Special thanks to Tia who is a brand new club member who came out for her first ride with the club! We hope to have you with us again, Tia!

It was a gorgeous, windless day and perfect for a bike ride. Everyone enjoyed the chance to socialize back at the parking lot after the ride.

4/29 Friday IHRT ALL class ride

Ron Altemus — Fri, 29 Apr 2022 14:00:00 GMT

Leader: Ron Altemus

Members: (seated l-r) Steve Palincsar, Lester Jackson, Jr, Jackie & Randy Schoch; (standing l-r) Susan Altemus, Fran Jezisek, Robin Garnett, Esther Steward, Belinda Acre

Route: the Friday Special - Indian Head Rail Trail from Livingston Road parking lot to White Plains trailhead and return.

Weather: brilliant sunshine with sparkling blue skies; temp range from the mid 50s to just about 60; airs out of the west, though some thought we had a headwind going east.

AMS: immaterial, varied by rider

Mechanicals/Mishaps: none known or reported

Report: the usual congenial group of Friday club riders, all riding to White Plains and back. Robin, Esther, and Donaro got extra miles by starting early and riding to the Village Green and back prior to meeting the rest of today's contingent at the parking lot.

Not as much variety in wildlife sightings compared to the past few weeks: several snakes sunning on the rocks at the Bumpy Oak pond while another slithered across the trail in front of two riders; mother Wood Duck with lots of ducklings spotted in the Bumpy Oak pond; and, turtles, lots and lots of turtles, also espied in the Bumpy Oak pond.

Tour de Accokeek - All class 16

Janell Saunders — Wed, 27 Apr 2022 21:00:00 GMT

Leader: Janell Saunders

Members: Denise Nelson

Weather: mid 60s, very windy but sunny enough

AMS: 12ish

Mechanicals/Mishaps: None

Report: It was just Denise and I this time to brave the headwinds down to Marshall Hall. But both of us enjoying the downhill, made it as fast as possible! After a short break at the rest stop, and noticing the US Fish and Game were heading out to do their work on the river, we headed back enjoying a tail wind up to the turn on Barrys Hill. A slow roll up the hill as usual and good conversation all the way. Thanks Denise!

4/26 Valley>Locust Grove>Ripley 31.4 mi.

Ron Altemus — Tue, 26 Apr 2022 14:00:00 GMT

Leader: Ron Altemus

Members: Donaro Gardner, Tracie Cebrzynski, Lester Jackson, Jr., Alan Kurzweil, Pat Walthers, Karen Morgan

Route:   https://ridewithgps.com/routes/39165250 31.4 miles, 1,030' elevation change. Outbound to La Plata via the IHRT, Pomfret, Marshall Corner, Hawthorne, Valley, and Md-6 to a rest stop at the Dash In on Oak. Return via Oak, Glen Albin, St. Marys, Old Stagecoach, Locust Grove, Chapel Point, Causeway, MD-6, Burch, Poorhouse, Ripley, and a screaming descent of Mighty Mount Pisgah on Hawthorne.

Weather:   overcast and 60 degrees at start, sun broke through on Poorhouse with temps climbing to about 70; overcast at the end with temps down into the mid 60s. Some air moving out of the WNW

AMS:   swept in the mid 11s. Everyone else had a much higher average

Mechanicals/Mishaps:   One rider got lost so returned safely to the start. Pat had a flat on the final stretch of Hawthorne right before crossing Mattawoman Creek. Ride leader brought her car back to her to load up her bicycle.

Report:   A fast group, a slow group, and unfortunately a rider in between who missed a turn or cue, thankfully without incurring any kind of mishap. On the initial stretch on the IHRT, just past the Bumpy Oak pond, the lead pack rousted two eagles, one mature and one immature. They flew ahead of us directly down the trail. Always impressive seeing these big raptors in flight. After the rest stop, Alan opted for a long cut and ended up with 42 miles.

Item of note: Origis Energy USA is building a 27.5-megawatt solar facility on Ripley Road. This project, on a sunny day, would generate enough electricity to power nearly 5,600 home. It also will remove 190 acres of trees from a 300-acre forest. Most current article I could locate about this project is from the March 2020 Bay Journal e-Edition.

Laurel Grove & Dr Johnson (C, 24 mi, Steve Palincsar)

Stephen Palincsar — Sun, 24 Apr 2022 20:24:52 GMT

Leader: Steve Palincsar

Members: Cynthia Cypress, Walt Roscello, Belinda Acre, Steve Cohen, Norm Lisy, Alexa Schriempf, Pat Walthers, Janell Saunders, Randy Schoch, Yvonne and Henry Hoyle and Sarah Clement

Route: https://ridewithgps.com/routes/39148246

Weather: Sunny, 3-6 mile winds, low 70s to the low 80s. In other words, a perfect summer day, come a couple of months early.

AMS: 10.5

Mechanicals/Mishaps: None.

Report: We started at Mechanicsville Elementary School, which will be the start for the May Metric routes. We took the Three Notch Trail (absolutely lovely and cool in the morning, with all the shade) to an early rest stop at Baggett Park.

After the break we backtracked to Laurel Grove Road, taking it to Kavanaugh and Loveville Rd. Crossing MD-5 we took Pin Cushion to Sunnyside past farms

and alpacas (or were they llamas? I can never tell which is which).

After climbing the hill on Dr Johnson (don't laugh, it sure was a hill for me; I'm glad I didn't have to get off and walk) we stopped for a photo op with tractor

then took Chaptico Rd to MD-5 and a real rest stop at the WaWa, finishing on Old Village Rd back to the school.

This was my first time leading in about a year and a half, and at 24.5 miles with 737 feet of elevation gain, a personal best for the last 18 months.

It was absolutely fantastic to see everybody again, after missing them for so long. You know those psych evals they have you fill out at physical therapy, the ones that ask can you do household chores and are you satisfied with your social life? That social life question had been getting zeros since they called Pennsylvania for Biden.

For some in the group, this was a first time in a long time or a first time in this part of Southern Maryland. For some, it was an easy recovery ride after yesterday's Apple Blossom ride, while for others it was a first time in a long time back on real roads instead of bike trails. But between a scenic route, perfect weather and a congenial group, everybody had a good time. And that's really what it's all about for me.

47 Mile Splended Apple Blossom Ride

Rita Zeidner — Sat, 23 Apr 2022 13:30:00 GMT

Riding really doesn't get any better than this low-pain, high-gain route -- especially on the kind of picture-perfect day we had.

Most, if not all of the 15 CC and B ride participants drove more than an hour to make it to the ride start. Folks seemed to say it was worth it, which makes ride leader happy.

Apple blossoms were a little past their peak, but still beautiful.

No mishaps, which is a good thing, since the ride leader had forgotten her cell phone. (One rider felt entitled to give ride leader a judgy finger wagging for forgetting the phone, which ride leader didn't need or appreciate. Personal note to that rider: Chill, please.

Millwood is an awesome place to start a ride, but there's not a lot of parking. One rider who is familiar with the area suggested that at least some ride participants start at a school 2.4 miles away. That was good advice that a few of us followed. Worked out great.

Friday IndianHead 20 mile All Class

Randall Schoch — Fri, 22 Apr 2022 14:00:00 GMT

Ride Leaders - Jackie & Randy Schoch

Members - (seated l-r) Susan Altemus, Fran Jezisek, Esther Steward; (standing l-r) Lester Jackson, Belinda Acre, Robin Garnett, ride leaders, Steve Palincsar, Donaro Gardner. (photo by Ron Altemus)

Guests - None

Route - IHRT

Weather - 60's to 70's and clear

AMS - varied per rider

Mechanicals/Mishaps - None

Report - Our usual Friday regulars with Lester and Steve joining after a long winter. Because of the strong and warm sun light, we saw many turtles, snakes, squirrels, birds, an eagle, many other walkers with dogs, bikers, and walkers. We had a great time at the White Plains rest stop with Ron taking group photos. After the ride, we went our separate ways. We anticipate the opening of the old George's but now called Rib's to Go which should be opening soon.

NK40 Poplar Hill & Eagle Harbor

Harry Kidd — Thu, 21 Apr 2022 14:00:00 GMT

Leader: Harry Kidd
Members: Randy Schoch, Patricia Sanders, Patricia Walters

Weather: Cloudy and windy - with a period of sunshine in the middle of the ride. The temperature got up to the 60s

AMS: 12-14 varied due to wind direction
Mechanicals/Mishaps: None.
Report: The ride was good, with the exception of a few periods of head winds. Randy - shortened his ride after the rest stop. Here are some photos from along the route.

4/15 Friday IHRT

Ron Altemus — Fri, 15 Apr 2022 21:57:44 GMT

Leader: Ron Altemus

Members: (seated l-r) Celeste Conyers, Jackie & Randy Schoch; (standing l-r) Donaro Gardner, Tom Belote, Susan Altemus, Robin Garnett, Esther Steward, Fran Jezisek, Steve Palincsar, Walt Roscello, Belinda Acre

Route:   Friday fav - Indian Head Rail Trail from Livingston Road to White Plains and return

Weather:   lots of sunshine with resultant blue skies; temps climbing out of the mid 60s to 70 or above; a 5-7 mph tailwind outbound meaning a headwind back to the start.

AMS:   varied immensely from rider to rider; swept in the mid 10s

Mechanicals/Mishaps:   none

Report: a good size turnout taking advantage of wonderful April weather. Really nice to have Steve back riding with the club after some medical issues which kept him off the bike, and Tom joined us for his first club ride of the year. We rode at a very leisurely pace, in part because there was so much wildlife to observe. Sightings, sans images, included wild turkeys, lots of turtles yet again, a black snake, a green heron, and either bluebirds or indigo buntings. Captured via photos are as reported below.

On the return leg, just to the east of the Bumpy Oak pond, a sharp eyed rider observed 3 eagles in trees. While taking the picture below, a fourth eagle fly overhead. The flying eagle and the one pictured below were adults, the other two immatures.

Over the past couple of Friday rides, we have been noticing yellow or tiger swallowtail butterflies. Comments have been that it seems early in the year for butterflies to be out but research says the pupal can stay in its cocoon for up to a year. Warm weather is responsible for this early spring emergence of adult butterflies. Susan was able to take a picture of 5 feeding on nutrient rich marshland.

It wouldn't be a Friday IHRT ride report from your faithful correspondent without mentioning beavers. In the same area east of the Bumpy Oak pond, another beaver(s) has been working on a dam. We'll have to keep an eye on it as the season progresses.

Not all wildlife sightings had a happy ending, unfortunately. American Shad are currently migrating up the Potomac and its tributaries to spawn. A large number ventured up Mattawoman Creek over the past week, probably when the waters were higher than normal. Sadly, the waters receded faster than the shad were able to retrace their routes, resulting in several depleted "ponds" filled with dead fish.

One other sighting of interest, though not wildlife related. Walt was riding a diamond frame mountain bike. Most of us have never seen him ride anything but one of his two recumbents. Definately unusual.

Best of Brandywine – Short and Flat - CC29

Harry Kidd — Thu, 14 Apr 2022 14:00:00 GMT

Leader: Harry Kidd

Members: Ron Altemus & Patricia Sanders

Weather: Bright & Sunny - Wind was steady but wasn't a problem

AMS: 13 mph

Mechanicals/Mishaps: None

Report: It as a nicely paced ride with no problems. The day warmed up to about 80. A very nice spring day for a bike ride.

Tour de Accokeek - CC 16

Janell Saunders — Wed, 13 Apr 2022 21:00:00 GMT

Leader: Janell Saunders

Members: Ron Altemus, Sheryl Romeo, Matthew Schwaller

Weather: mid 80s, partly cloudy, breezy

AMS: 12ish

Mechanicals/Mishaps: None

Report: Very warm temps so shorts and shortsleeves were refreshing. Ron and I were at the start when we got a call and text from Sheryl that they were running late and to go on ahead. So, I talked Ron into doing a modified route, doing the first half in reverse, for a different perspective. While at it, when we got back to Livingston Rd, we took Accokeek Rd W to Old Marshall Hall Rd back to Livingston, to avoid some traffic and not redo all of Livingston. On our way down to the pier, we saw Sheryl and Matthew heading back, so technically, they were on the ride. Barrys Hill is still flooded somewhat in the lower area, but other than that, quite enjoyable even with the heat. Ron and I ended up with 2 extra miles.

4/12 Mallows Bay>Mason Springs 36+ miles

Ron Altemus — Tue, 12 Apr 2022 14:00:00 GMT

Leader: Ron Altemus

Members: Holly Carr, Donaro Gardner, Robin Garnett, Harry Kidd, Patricia Sanders, Randy Schoch, Esther Steward, Pat Walthers

Route:   from the IHRT Livingston Road Parking lot, we took Chicamuxen to Baptist Church and then east on MD-6, which was closed at Bowie due to a semi sliding into a ditch. Detoured down Bowie to Gilroy, crossed MD-6 onto Chicamuxen and then Riverside. A scenic stop was planned for Mallows Bay, but most riders didn't want to traverse the gravel road plus our detour added about 1.6 miles to the route, which would have been the mileage for a down and back to Mallows Bay. All but Harry skipped that excursion. Liverpool Point and Beaver Dam took us to a rest stop at the Nanjemoy Community Center. Final leg utilized Poseytown, Bowie (again) and Mason Springs to Chicamuxen. Approx. 36.5 miles, 1100' elevation change.

Weather: early morning light rain cleared southern Charles County by 9:30 am. Temps started in the low 60s, climbing to the low 70s, as mostly cloudly skies gave way to almost complete sunshine by the rest stop. And the 8-10 southern breezes, a headwind until Liverpool Point, was a treat as a tailwind on our return.

AMS:   swept in the mid 11s. The faster riders had higher averages, as would be expected.

Mechanicals/Mishaps:   none known nor reported.

Report: After cancelling this ride twice due to unfavorable weather conditions (cold and rainy), it was nice to finally get it in, especially as the weather provided possibly the best bicycling day yet of 2022. Two riders were basically "newbies" to our Tuesday Southern Exposure rides and they appeared to have a great time. For whatever reason, there seemed to be more traffic than usual on some of the route (Chicamuxen early on, Baptist Church, and Riverside), but on the return, volume was considerably lighter, especially on the 7-mile stretch of Mason Springs.

The detour onto Bowie did lead to one interesting photo op. There were three horses on a farm, and when the lead riders of the sweep group went by, the three horses were all in a line striking the same pose . They looked like they were statues. Harry Kidd took this photo: it is similar to what we saw originally.

4/11 Three Notch Trail 22 mi.

Ron Altemus — Mon, 11 Apr 2022 14:00:00 GMT

Leader: Ron Altemus

Members: Belinda Acre, Donaro Gardner

Route: Three Notch Trail from Northern Senior Center south to Baggett Park; return north to Deborah Rd and then back to the start point.

Weather: sunny w/blue skies, temps rising from the low/mid 50s to 60ish, 8-10 mph winds out of the south

AMS: leisurely mid 11s

Mechanicals/Mishaps: none

Report: an unusual Monday offering, prompted by your faithful correspondent/ride leader needing to pick up some repaired chairs from an Amish craftsman. Fortunate to have Belinda and Don come out for the ride. We saw only a few other trail users, no bicyclists, and wildlife sightings consisted of just three squirrels but lots of songbirds. A woodpecker was heard but not sighted. The ride to Baggett Park was a bit of a slog with a headwind; the return was effortless thanks to a nice tailwind.

Friday IndianHead 20 mile All Class

Randall Schoch — Fri, 08 Apr 2022 14:00:00 GMT

Ride Leaders - Jackie & Randy Schoch

Members - Ron & Susan Altemus, Fran Jezisek, Donaro Gardner, Robin Garnett, Belinda Acre, Esther Steward, Leesha Saunders, and Celeste Conyers.

Guests - None

Weather - Clear and crisp.

AMS - Varied per rider

Mechanicals/Mishaps - None

Report - A good turnout of our regulars plus Celeste. Celeste just retired and will be joining us on the Friday morning rides. It was a beautiful morning with clear blue skis, but the air was crisp with a very light breeze in the low 60's. Lots of wildlife about with birds chirping and many turtles sunning themselves. Water everywhere was high. A young eagle was lifting its head and mother eagle in the nest near Livingston Road. There were many others enjoying the trail and the great weather today. The ride to the White Plains rest stop was uneventful and afforded us a pleasant chance to catch up with Celeste. The ride back was a little faster and somewhat warmer. After the ride, we went to St. James' Epis. Church for their Lenten fish dinner.

4/1 Friday IHRT All class ride

Ron Altemus — Fri, 01 Apr 2022 14:00:00 GMT

Leader: Ron Altemus

Members: Robin Garnett, Susan Altemus, Belinda Acre, Esther Stewart, Fran Jezisek, Jackie and Randy Schoch

Route: the Friday regular - Indian Head Rail Trail, Livingston Rd parking lot to White Plains and return

Weather: started off with temps in mid 50s, sunshine/blue skies (as seen above), and a breeze out of the NW. By the time we got to White Plains, the sky was overcast, the breeze had become a cold 12 mph wind, and we rode back through scattered raindrops, fortunately not enough to get that wet, while the temperature dropped to the upper 40s.

AMS: varies from rider to rider

Mechanicals/Mishaps: Jackie's eBike gave her trouble, again The battery showed no power though it had been fully charged the night before.

Report: The weather must have been playing an April's Fools joke on us today. All the same, not too bad a ride. There weren't a lot of other trail users, just a few cyclists and some walkers. Juliana and David were continuing to clear storm debris (large branches and brush) from the sides of the trail. Afterwards, we all went to St. James' church in La Plata for their Lenten fish fry. Last chance to partake will be next Friday, April 8.

Wildlife sightings of special note: 1) there was an eagle on the nest just past Livingston Road, barely visible in the picture below. From the trail, it could just be made out by the naked eye, but as binoculars have become a necessity for trail rides, the sighting was confirmed, especially since the glasses were passed amongst different riders. (Photo by Fran Jezisek.)

With the sun out early, it warmed the countryside. Eight (yes, count them, eight!) turtles were observed sunning on a log just before Bensville as we headed to White Plains. They were long gone when we rode back, fighting against a chilly wind and intermittent rain.

Tour de Accokeek - All class 16

Janell Saunders — Wed, 30 Mar 2022 21:00:00 GMT

Leader: Janell Saunders

Members: Janell, Celeste Conyers, Sherwood Byers, Linda Bankerd

Weather: low 60s, partly cloudy, light breeze

AMS: 12 -12

Mechanicals/Mishaps: None

Report: I didn't post this ride till the morning of so didn't expect many takers. I was happy to see Celeste Conyers name as I haven't seen her in some time. It was her first ride of the season, so Linda, Sherwood and I made sure she was good to go. We enjoyed a nice tailwind down to Marshall Hall and a photo op at the pier. But then had the headwind on the way to Barrys Hill. That road had some flooding in the lower areas but was fine after. A slow pedal up the hills and everyone made it back around 6:45.

Friday IndianHead 20 mile All Class

Randall Schoch — Fri, 25 Mar 2022 14:00:00 GMT

Leaders - Jackie & Randy Schoch

Members - Donaro Gardner, Ron & Susan Altemus, Fran Jezisek, Robin Garnett, Belinda Acre, and Kirk Fedder.

Guests - None

Route - IHRT

Weather - 60's and breezy

AMS - Varied per/rider

Mechanicals/Mishaps - None

Report - Our regular Friday morning riders came to enjoy an early spring ride. The weather wasn't ideal so there weren't that many other trail users. But the sun was shining, and we saw a lot of turtles sunning themselves on logs in the abundant waters. There were the usual geese, squirrels, deer, and an eagle sighting. Jackie saw a beaver out for a swim. Jackie's E-Bike is in the shop (Bike Doctor) so she and Randy were on their regular bikes. It was good to see Kirk again for the first time since Covid. After our rest break at White Plains, we returned fighting a stiff breeze. I (Randy) stopped by the old "George's" where we used to go for lunch before they went out of business. The new owner is going to call the new BBQ emporium "Ribs To Go" but will still have indoor/porch dining. Next Friday, we will be enjoying fish dinners at St. James Episc. Church in Indianhead.

3/22 Goose Bay via Rose Hill - 33 miles

Ron Altemus — Tue, 22 Mar 2022 14:00:00 GMT

Leader: Ron Altemus

Members: (l-r) Patricia Sanders, Joan Oppel, Harry Kidd, Erica Kane, Pat Walthers (not pictured: Jackie & Randy Schoch)

Route: https://ridewithgps.com/routes/38820055 33 miles, 1088' elevation change. From Livingston Rd IHRT parking lot, Hawthorne east to Rose Hill, west on MD-6 to Blossom Point and then a rest stop at everyone's favorite, Goose Bay. Advertised return via Welcome, Pisgah, and Chicamuxen though there was some deviation at the end. The route was developed to give those of us who are still getting back into full cycling shape several inclines with wide shoulders and it fulfilled that mission.

Weather: nice Spring day - temps starting in the upper 50s, rising to the upper 60s; sunshine throughout, mainly clear skies but some periods of high overcast; gentle zephyrs in the 6-8 mph range out of the northeast.

AMS: swept about 11 mps

Mechanicals/Mishaps: a couple of occasions where realignment of a rear wheel was necessary to prevent brake rub. Once satisfactorily rectified, no further issues.

Report: a good start to Spring following Sunday's Vernal Equinox with a most pleasant ride to the aforementioned everyone's favorite, Goose Bay. Outbound, we broke up into several groups for various reasons, one being the brake issue. Jackie and Randy shortened their ride considerably as Jackie's eBike was in the shop and riding her older road bike just wasn't the same.

News flash of the day: as many of you are aware, your faithful correspondent has expended copious comments on the beaver dam just to the east of the Livingston Rd IHRT parking lot. A visit to the dam/pond is a must for every ride on or near the trail. Prior to start, all was quiet, the same as it had been when last viewed on the Friday IHRT ride (though it was mentioned at that time that the dam seemed to be getting higher).

While we were out riding today, either Maryland Department of Natural Resources (which owns the land on which the beaver has built the pond and lodge) or Charles County Parks and Rec (which owns the trail proper) breached the dam to lower the water level.

Hard to say if their efforts will prove successful as the beavers will undoubtedly be back at work fixing the breach tonight. Stay tuned for another update after Friday's IHRT ride.

3/18 Friday IHRT ALL class

Ron Altemus — Fri, 18 Mar 2022 14:00:00 GMT

Leader: Ron Altemus

Members: (l-r) Randy & Jackie Schoch, Gene Villiva, Susan Altemus, Fran Jezisek, Donaro Gardner, Belinda Acre, Robin Garnett

Route:   the Friday "special" - Indian Head Rail Trail from Livingston Rd parking lot to White Plains trailhead and return

Weather:   after driving through sections of dense fog to reach the start, skies completely cleared as promised at 10 am. Temps started in the mid 50s and rose close to 70 with marginal air movement under blue skies with plenty of sun.

AMS:   in the mid 11s for most

Mechanicals/Mishaps: none

Report: as previously mentioned, the fog lifted as if on cue just as we started out and temperatures quickly climbed up to 70 degrees. The fog had coated the trail vegetation with a fine misting of water, highlighting spider webs and spider mite webs as shown below (the photographs don't reproduce exactly what the human eye can see!):

Spider web

Spider mite web

With the sun "just" appearing, there was plenty of wildlife embracing the day to observe: lots of birds, including turkeys, red headed woodpeckers, blue birds, yellow finches, red tailed hawks. cardinals, Canadian geese, and various blackbirds; turtles; loud and constant frogs in the wetter marsh areas; and, a beaver in the pond just east of Livingston Road (as opposed to the beaver pond to the west of the parking lot).

The construction at Bumpy Oak was completed, and the pond itself was popular today as a fishing spot. A scattering of other trail users were seen, cyclists predominating.

St. James Episcopal Church in Indian Head has resumed their pre-Easter fish frys, so almost all of us went there for lunch (unfortunately, the pictures did not turn out). A bountiful portion of fish, with hush puppies, potato salad, cole slaw, and one of Tom's famous cookies cost a mere $12. A great deal! The fish fry will be repeated on Friday, April 1 and April 8. Another great reason to ride the IHRT.

Tour De Accokeek

Janell Saunders — Wed, 16 Mar 2022 20:30:00 GMT

Leader: Janell Saunders

Members: Randy Schoch

Weather: Lovely, low 70s, partly cloudy, light breeze

AMS: conversational, however I did hit 40 going down Marshall Hall road. Wheeeeee!

Mechanicals/Mishaps: None

Report: Just us two today. A really nice afternoon for a ride and good conversation. We made it a "daffodil tour", noting all the blooming daffodils along the route, some white, some yellow. All a reminder that spring is around the corner. On our way back up Barry's Hill, a very large snapping turtle right smack dab in the middle of the road, just hanging out. Had to be over a foot and a half to two feet from tail to snout. Did not stop for a photo as I recall when approached, they can be defensive (anyone on the Williamsburg tour might remember).

The start time for this ride will get later by 15 to 30 minutes as the days grow longer and I will continue to post it weather permitting.

Wednesday Three Notch Trail ALL class 17/22 mimiles

Ron Altemus — Wed, 16 Mar 2022 14:30:00 GMT

Leader: Ron Altemus

Members: Dan & Diana Donahue, Belinda Acre, Susan Altemus

Route: Three Notch Trail from Northern Senior Center south to Baggett Park; return to the northern terminus at Deborah Rd and then back to the start.

Weather: great! Sunshine & blue skies, temps rising from the mid 60s to low 70s, 5-6 mph winds out of the southeast

AMS: a very leisurely 10 mph

Mechanicals/Mishaps: none

Report: we rode as a shifting group of conversationalists to Baggett Park, encountering numerous other cyclists, probably more than we had seen combined on the last 3-4 times we've ridden the trail. Diana and Dan cut their rest stop short to get back to their cars to honor an early afternoon appointment. The remaining three split at the Senior Center so that only Belinda and your faithful correspondent rode to the north end of the trail.

Once again, there were two large horses prone as we headed south near Morganza Turner Rd, but they were on their feet when we passed them heading back.

Finally, one doesn't expect to see much advertising on a trail. This sign, about a 100 yards or so south of Laurel Grove Rd, made me wonder as to who exactly it was aimed at...

To St Ignatius via Chapel Point flats

Joan Oppel — Tue, 15 Mar 2022 14:00:00 GMT

Leader: Joan Oppel

Members: Linda Blackman, Donaro Gardner, Karen Morgan, Eric Nielsen, Patricia Sanders, Mary Scala, Randy Schoch

Route: - St Ignatius clockwise, 38.5 miles: clockwise means we went out Pomfret?Marshall Corner to Hawthorne, uphill to Quailwood and left on Rt 6 to cross 301 into La Plata up the hill to Oak Street. No stop at the Dash-In. Then Springhill Newton and Bel Alton Newton heading south, the opposite direction of the "usual" approach. St Ignatius for rest stop and then the treat of downhill from there. Return via Rose Hill, IHRT, Hawthorne and Chapman's Landing.

Weather: In the low 50's to start, high 60's at the end.

Mechanicals: None

Ride Report: All agreed it was a good route and the temperature was near perfect for riding. While we did approach St. Ignatius on the flat section of Chapel Point and fly down the "big climb", we added in the hard way on Hawthorne up from Marshall Corner, the hard way on Bel Alton and then Rose Hill.

The "reverse of the usual" direction got kudos from those who have been doing this route with me the other way lately as well as from everyone else. St. Ignatius was as enjoyable as always and the view of the Port Tobacco River and beyond from the top of the cemetery was beautiful.

Friday IndianHead 20 mile All Class

Randall Schoch — Fri, 11 Mar 2022 15:00:00 GMT

Leaders - Jackie & Randy Schoch

Members - Pres. Donaro Gardner, Ron Altemus, Robin Garnett, Belinda Acre, Esther Steward, Gene Villiva, and Leesha Saunders.

Guests - None

Route - IHRT

Weather - Cool and breezy mostly in the 40's

AMS - Varied per rider

Mechanicals/Mishaps - None

Report - Not as warm as we expected but still a nice ride. Few other trail users this morning. There were several dogs taking their masters for a walk. There were a few other bikers. Belinda saw an eagle; I saw the eagle nest near the Livingston Road parking lot with a small head peaking over the side, and the beavers have been quite busy building up their lodges. There was a crew of repair men fixing a sink hole at the Bumpy Oak Pond near the road. Lots of trees have fallen because of the storms but the trail was clear. Ron checked out and found the indoor facilities at White Plains are back open. After our break at the White Plains rest area, we had a nice and pleasant ride back to the start. Several of us went to St. James Episc. Church in Indian Head thinking there was a fish dinner because of Lent but it is next Friday. Something to look forward to next Friday.

Quiet Roads in Nanjemoy (plus wind)

Joan Oppel — Tue, 08 Mar 2022 15:00:00 GMT

Leader: Joan Oppel

Members: Donaro Gardner, Claire Graybill, Theresa Rowell, Patricia Sanders, Tom Short

Route: -40 miles - out to Nanjemoy by way of Chicamuxen, Sweetman, Bicknell, Mason Springs. Then Rt 6 to Gilroy, Bowie, Baptist Church and Liverpool Point. Turn left on Adams Willett, continue on Hancock Run, take Rt 6 to rest stop at King James Baptist Church and return on Ironsides, Durham Church, Rt 6 (again), Annapolis Woods/Ripley and Hawthorne

Weather: Temperature remained fairly steady - 50 at start, 52 at end

Mechanicals: None

Ride Report: We all felt chilled in the windy parking lot but warmed up when we turned out of the wind for the next 11 miles. The wind was steady at about 12mph but outbound direction provided wind shelter. Returning we experienced a fair amount of wind. As always, Nanjemoy offered sparsely traveled roads - the most traffic was on the return on Hawthorne, otherwise, very quiet.

Riders rode in groups of one or two and all reported that they enjoyed the ride. King James Baptist Church makes a nice rest stop with its picnic tables and bathroom (really a custom constructed double portapotty with amenities).

3/2 Three Notch Trail 17/22 mi; ALL class

Ron Altemus — Wed, 02 Mar 2022 15:30:00 GMT

Leader: Ron Altemus

Members: Esther Stewart, Harry Kidd, Robin Garnett, Gene Villiva

Route:   St. Mary's County Three Notch Trail from the Northern Senior Center south to John Baggett Park. Reversing direction to the northern trailhead at Deborah Rd and then back to the start. 22 miles total; 17 w/o the excursion to Deborah.

Weather:   another day of high overcast with weak sunshine; temps staying in the low to mid 50s; some air movement out of the south.

AMS: another leisurely 11 mph ride

Mechanicals/Mishaps: none

Report:   first time riding the trail for Esther and Gene; first time riding the complete trail for Robin; first ride of 2022 for Harry; and, first time for some riding together. Just on the number of firsts alone, a good ride! Plenty of catching up or meeting previously unmet club members. Not a lot of other trail users, probably evenly divided between dog walkers, solo walkers or joggers, and other cyclists. No wildlife sightings to report but can note several horses in a pasture on the farm at Morganza Turner Rd. Two full size (one sitting down, the other laying down) and three either miniatures or Shetlands.

Harry Kidd's photos captioned: "On the ride down the horse were resting. On the way back the were napping"

3/1 Mt Pisgah>Welcome>Smallwood Park 26 mi C Class

Ron Altemus — Tue, 01 Mar 2022 15:30:00 GMT

Leader: Ron Altemus

Members:

Diane Harris, Randy & Jackie Schoch, Donaro Gardner, Pat Walthers, Joan Oppel. Not pictured: Alan Kurzweil (who was taking a long cut)

Route: https://ridewithgps.com/routes/38664944 26.2 miles, 840' elevation change. From Livingston Rd IHRT parking lot, a climb up Mighty Mount Pisgah, then over to Welcome for a rest stop at Scott's Store. West on MD-6 to Hilltop retracing slightly to head west to Smallwood Park for a second rest stop. Final return included Marbury Run and the short section of the IHRT from Hawthorn to Livingston Rd.

Weather: overcast, at times thin enough that the sun broke through weakly; temps starting in the mid 40s, reaching the mid 50s by rides end, but seeming stuck at 50 for the majority of the ride; 7-9 mph breezes out of the southern quadrant.

AMS: swept at slightly above 11 mph

Mechanicals/Mishaps: none

Report: Repaving southbound on MD-210, with only one lane available for vehicular traffic from Fort Washington Road to Old Fort Road S, caused a later start than advertised. Once underway, Mighty Mount Pisgah was crested by all without trouble and we rode in constantly evolving small groups to Scott's in Welcome. The journey to Smallwood Park featured long stretches on Annapolis Woods sans cars.

On Bicknell, just past the Pisgah Store, we viewed the improved bicycle landscaping that the owner has undertaken. Using old bikes, freshly painted, he/she has bordered the front yard/driveway. Other bikes are located in additional parts of the property.

Photo by Diane Harris

The final return, utilizing the IHRT from Hawthorn to the parking lot took us past the continually growing beaver pond just past MM 3. With most all seasonal vegetation now dormant, we were able to see the lodge back in the midst of the pond created by the beaver's damming efforts.

Blue arrow points at the beaver lodge, which in this photo, looks like a brown/tan lump.

Goose Bay on Another Fine Day

Joan Oppel — Wed, 23 Feb 2022 22:13:11 GMT

Leader: Joan Oppel

Members: Patricia Sanders and Tom Short

Route: -40 miles - https://ridewithgps.com/routes/38622990

Weather: Started at 58 with heavy cloud cover and damp roads, the sun came out and eventually the temperature hit --75! Breezy at times.

Mechanicals: None

Ride Report: The weather may have looked unappealing in the early morning but it was a gorgeous and warm late February day - a gift! Our route was familiar, the roads off the main stems (Hawthorne and 6) were very quiet and Goose Bay porch was a peaceful and shady stop.

2/18 Friday IHRT

Ron Altemus — Fri, 18 Feb 2022 15:00:00 GMT

Leader: Ron Altemus

Members: Belinda Acre, Donaro Gardner

Route:   Indian Head Rail Trail. Livingston Road parking lot to White Plains and return

Weather: partly cloudy, temps in the mid 40s, winds in the upper teens out of the NW with some gusts higher

AMS:   a surprising 12 mph

Mechanicals/Mishaps: none

Report:   the wind wasn't as much of a nuisance as some might have been expecting. We averaged 12 mph to White Plains with a strong tailwind - probably talking too much and thus riding slow. Our return, with gusty headwinds, was still accomplished at 12 mph though with less conversing and more attention to riding. Not surprisingly, we didn't see any other cyclists and just a scattering of various trail users. Big news of the day - harbingers of Spring! Frogs were quite vocal in the marshy area of the trail between Pomfret and the rifle range; Donaro said he saw a small garter snake between Bumpy Oak and Livingston; and, Belinda espied a turtle in one of the small creeks just east of the parking lot.

Mt Calvert & Patuxent River Visitors Center 36

Joan Oppel — Thu, 17 Feb 2022 14:30:00 GMT

Leader: Joan Oppel

Members: Patricia Sanders

Route: -36 miles - https://ridewithgps.com/routes/38573919

Weather: Temperature reading was 54 to start and rose up to 60, with lots of cloud cover most of the time. Wind 12 mph.

Mechanicals: None

Ride Report: Given that winter is not over, Patricia and I wondered why we were the only two riders today....And we had a great ride, low traffic, great scenery and history at Mt Calvert. At the Patuxent River Park Visitor's Center we climbed the tower and hung out up there having a snack and enjoying the view. We had a series of short climbs, and visited some roads we hadn't ridden in months - Mattaponi, Candy Hill between Nottingham and Croom, Nottingham between Croom and Fenno. We passed more horse farms than I remember in that area. Patricia termed the wind not much of a problem - there are a lot of tree-lined roads on this route.

2/16 Three Notch Trail

Ron Altemus — Wed, 16 Feb 2022 15:30:00 GMT

Leader:   Ron Altemus

Member:   Belinda Acre

Route:   from Northern Senior Center, north on Three Notch Trail to Deborah, then south to Baggett Park, then north again to start. We rode the entire round trip length of the trail, approximately 22 miles.

Weather:   temps rising from the mid 40s to a tad over 50; sunshine with high haze; and, 9 mph air movement out of the south

AMS:   time had no meaning on today's ride

Mechanicals/Mishaps: errant pedal strike caused a slipped chain while crossing Mechanicsville Rd. Quickly fixed.

Report:   a very leisurely ride with lots of conversation. Numerous walkers using the trail, while other cyclists were noticed on the return from Baggett Park.

Friday IndianHead 20 mile All Class

Randall Schoch — Fri, 11 Feb 2022 15:00:00 GMT

Leaders - Jackie & Randy Schoch

Members - Pres. Donaro Gardner, Ron Altemus, Robin Garnett, Belinda Acre, Gene & Dani Villiva, and Amy Werking.

Guests - None

Route - IHRT

Weather - Sunny, breezy, and about high 50's low 60's

AMS - about 13ish

Mechanicals/Mishaps - None

Report - A good turnout of riders for the middle of winter. We waited a few minutes for Amy but then we left on the ride. There were quite a few other trail users this morning. We saw and waived to Jul's as she passed by the parking lot blowing debris off the trail. We split up into pairs as we rode at a comfortable pace. We had a nice visit together at the White Plains rest stop. That is where Amy caught up with us. She didn't realize how far it was from her home in Chesapeake Beach to the Mason Springs parking lot. We all finished safely and went our separate ways. It was great to get out for a ride for the first time this year. Let's hope for many more days of good weather and soon.

40-mile hilly loop out of Haymarket, VA

Rita Zeidner — Wed, 09 Feb 2022 22:00:07 GMT

Six of us ventured west to ride a beautiful, 40-mile loop out of Haymarket, Va. - not a common venue for this club. Everyone was well-prepared for the 2500+ feet of climbing. Ride participants were: Rita Zeidner (the ride leader), Joan O, Babs B, Lynda H, Susan G and Cathy M. All ladies! At least one of us took the day off from work to participate; most if not all others were retired. Group was well-matched and stayed together. Enjoyed breaks in Middleburg and Aldie.

No incidents. A good time had by all!

Horses, stone fences, miles of scenic views

Bryans Rd to La Plata via Beast of Bel Alton

Joan Oppel — Tue, 08 Feb 2022 15:30:00 GMT

Leader: Joan Oppel

Members: Holly Carr, Donaro Gardner, Janet Shipko

Route: 39 miles across Chapel Point and then Bel Aton Newtown to Springhill Newtown into La Plata for a rest stop. Return via Qualwood, Hawthorne, the IHRT and Chapman's Landing - https://ridewithgps.com/routes/38512343

Weather: A very nice day, welcome (after a prolonged cold spell) temperatures in low to mid-40s and little wind

Mechanicals: None

Ride Report: One rider rode ahead due to time commitments and three of us stayed together enjoying the sunshine and bright skies, glad to be out our bikes. Except for Hawthorne (to be expected) roads seemed particularly quiet today.

Nanjemoy on a Nice Winter Day

Joan Oppel — Tue, 25 Jan 2022 15:00:00 GMT

Leader: Joan Oppel

Members: Holly Carr, Donaro Gardner, Sue Gunter, Alan Kurzweil, Theresa Rowell, Janet Shipke, Tom Short

Route: 39.4 miles - out to Nanjemoy - https://ridewithgps.com/routes/38423115

Weather: Temperature reading was 40 to start, got up to 43 midway and to 45 by the end of the ride. Very comfortable. Some wind picking up at the end.

Mechanicals: None

Ride Report: A good turnout because this was and will be the best day for riding for the next six or so days! Cloudy, little wind to start, some sun for the last third of the ride with some mild wind picking up. Rest stop at the ever-welcoming Nanjemoy Community Center. Everyone enjoyed this ride and route.

Bryans Road +++ for Weather

Joan Oppel — Wed, 19 Jan 2022 15:00:00 GMT

Leader: Joan Oppel

Members: Holly Carr, Donaro Gardner, Sue Gunter, Jessica Hirschhorn, Rita Zeidner

Route: 37.5 miles - All the way on Bumpy Oak and Rose Hill to Rt 6 to get to Goose Bay. Return via Mill Swamp, Rt 6, Fire Tower etc to "the Stuckeys", Pisgah Marbury, Chicamuxen, Hawthorne, Chapman's Landing

Weather: Temperature reading was 40 to start, up to 45 and then 49. Some wind but not particularly bothersome.

Mechanicals: None

Ride Report: The best weather for biking in a couple of weeks. Sunny with beautiful sky and picturesque clouds. Goose Bay porch was inviting as always. Roads were clear, though snapped trees and large limbs from the storm 10 days ago were still in evidence along the road sides. A really enjoyable ride.

The Post Office in Welcome.

Bryans Road 36

Joan Oppel — Wed, 12 Jan 2022 16:00:00 GMT

Leader: Joan Oppel

Members: Holly Carr and Donaro Gardner

Route: 36 miles - Livingston over to Chicamuxen then Marbury Run, Bicknell and Pisgah Marbury. Mason Springs, Smallwood Church, rest stop at Smallwood State Park. Sweetman, Bicknell, Poorhouse, Ripley, Hawthorne to return on Bumpy Oak.

Weather: Temperatures in steady 39-41 throughout the ride, sun, early light headwind

Mechanicals: None

Ride Report: We had a very enjoyable ride, all of us glad to be on the road again, there was sun mixing with clouds to make interesting sky patterns and lots of snow still in the woods and on fields. We encountered some remaining ice patches on the roads in a few places but they were easy to avoid - with caution. We had the entire Smallwood Park to ourselves! And watched eagles soaring over the Potomac from the iced-in shoreline. A good day on the bike.

Friday IndianHead 20 mile All Class

Randall Schoch — Fri, 31 Dec 2021 15:00:00 GMT

Leaders - Jackie & Randy Schoch

Members - Ron & Susan Altemus, Fran Jezisek, Robin Garnett, Gene Villiva, Herman Young, Carl Hattery, Janell Saunders, and Pat Walthers.

Guests - None

Route - IHRT

Weather - Not great - misty/sprinkles - low 50's

AMS - Varied per rider

Mechanicals/Mishaps - None

Report - A great turnout of 11 members (with 4 no/shows). We started with the mist and sprinkles and cool temps. Very few other trail users today (probably because of the weather). This was the 2nd Friday in a row that we haven't seen the trail maint. crew (Dave and Jull's). By the time we got to the White Plains rest stop the mist and sprinkles had stopped. We rested a little longer than usual while enjoying visiting. The sun came out on our return leg and a head wind breeze made us work a little harder. A good ride to end 2021. See you next Friday.

La Plata Loop

Joan Oppel — Wed, 29 Dec 2021 15:00:00 GMT

Leader: Joan Oppel

Members: Ron Altemus, Sherwood Byers, Holly Carr, Steve Forman, Donaro Gardner, Sue Gunter, Jane Hudnall, Jim Hudnall, Karen Morgan, Theresa Rowell, Jackie Schoch, Randy Schoch, Tom Short

Route: Up Hawthorne, down and Up Poorhouse, Up Chapel Point, Up Bel Alton, rest stop in La Plata, return on Quailwood, Hawthorne, Bumpy Oak and the trail = 36 miles

Weather: Temperatures in high 40s to start, mid-50s during the ride

Mechanicals: None

Ride Report: The, group split up at the start into fast and slower and split up again on the road. It was a very pleasant day to be out riding, with more sun than predicted. Positive comments about the route were noted! Thanks to all for coming out.

Mason Neck>Hallowing Point CC touring & friends 28 miles

Ron Altemus — Sun, 26 Dec 2021 16:00:00 GMT

Leader: Ron Altemus

Members: Linda Bankerd, Steve Forman, Joan Oppel, Mary Scala

Route: Belmont Blvd spur followed by Mason Neck Trail to High Point Rd into the state park. From the park, Gunston Road to Hallowing Point Estates followed by Gunston Estates, back onto the trail at the state park entrance, and final leg included short spurs into Gunston Hall, Pohick Bay Park, Pohick Bay Golf Course.

Weather: Clear, sunny, NW 9-10 mph breezes, temps starting in the mid 50s climbing to the low 60s. Pretty nice for the end of December.

AMS: swept in the low 11s

Mechanicals/Mishaps: none

Report: All of us were out to get some end of year miles today, riding an easy route, mostly flat, and at times, quite scenic. Linda and Steve were in the lead for almost the entire route while the remaining three leisurely pedaled with plentiful conversation.

12/24 Friday IHRT All class ride 20+ miles

Ron Altemus — Fri, 24 Dec 2021 15:00:00 GMT

Leader: Ron Altemus

Members: (l-r) Donaro Gardner, Belinda Acre, Carl Hattery, Janell Saunders, Sherwood Byers, Linda Bankerd, Leesha Saunders, Alan Kurzweil, Esther Steward, Jackie Schoch, Robin Garnett, Randy Schoch

Route: Friday's Fav - Indian Head Rail Trail, Livingston Road parking lot eastward to White Plains and return.

Weather: mostly sunny; temps starting in the mid 40s, climbing to the low 50s; air movement basically out of the SW

AMS: large variation, swept in the mid 11s

Mechanicals/Mishaps: Jackie experienced some shifting problems near the Bumpy Oak pond, which Randy was unsuccessful in overcoming by varying cable tensions. They cut their ride short.

Report: a huge turnout for a Christmas Eve IHRT ride, which was also the penultimate ride of 2021. Numbers attending were buoyed by workplace closures for the holiday (Carl , Esther, Janell), newly retired (Robin), desire for some stress free, non heavily traveled roads (Linda, Sherwood), and need for a few more 2021 miles (Alan). Addition miles were gained by riding from Indian Head Village Green by Linda and Sherwood, whilst Janell and Alan started at Bryan's Road, routed through the Village Green, and then returned via Bumpy Oak.

Not too many other trail users - a small assortment of walkers, joggers, and other cyclists. Only wildlife sighting that your faithful correspondent is aware of (since I saw it), was either a red-headed or red-bellied woodpecker. The head definitely had lots of red, just couldn't tell how much to make a positive identification.

12/22 Ft Hunt Christmas Lights 12 miles

Ron Altemus — Wed, 22 Dec 2021 23:00:00 GMT

Leaders: Ron Altemus & Joan Oppel

Members: (l-r) Jake Altemus, Jessica Hirschhorn, Susan Altemus, Ron Altemus, Joan Oppel, Dani Villiva, Belinda Acre, Janell Saunders, Gene Villiva, Fran Jezisek (& Darrell Meyer, not pictured as he was behind the camera lens)

Route: leisurely tour of Waynewood, Potomac Valley, Stratford Landing, and Riverside Gardens neighborhoods in the lovely Greater Fort Hunt Metropolitan Statistical area.

Weather: dark, with temps starting in the low 40s, dropping to the upper 30s, supposedly 12-15 mph breezes out of the NW but seemed like we only felt air movement on a couple of streets

AMS: slow, very slow

Mechanicals/Mishaps: none

Report: a nice turnout for this annual seasonal event. Several houses were over the top with their decorations, lots with just the right amount of lights, and unfortunately, a few with deflated inflatables, probably due to wind scares. We stopped at the most elaborately decorated, including one house that has faux gingerbread house siding and then lights crisscrossing the roof, with the overall effect of indeed a true Gingerbread House.

Additional photos, all taken by Darrell Meyer, can be found at: https://flic.kr/s/aHBqjzw8Yh

Nanjemoy Loop

Joan Oppel — Tue, 21 Dec 2021 15:00:00 GMT

Leader: Joan Oppel

Members: Holly Carr, Alan Kurzweil, Patricia Sanders

Route: Last minute route quickly outlined and posted. I'd definitely do it again: https://ridewithgps.com/routes/38214969

Weather: Temperature reading discrepancies: it was either 32 at ride start (ride leader device) or 36 (other rider) with end of ride readings of either 38 or 43. Choose the one you like. It was postulated that one of us breathes out warmer breath on the device. j

Mechanicals: None

Ride Report: A very gray day, alternating between dark gray and light gray...Yes, it was cold but there's the heat generated by exercising and I think we were all comfortable in our choice of clothing (though one of us actually removed a layer) and hand, feet and head coverings. So yes, it is great to get out and ride in the winter and all were glad for the opportunity and the (mostly) quiet roads and - the warm rest stop! We decided to change the rest stop to the Nanjemoy Community Center, where we were warmly welcomed - warm bathroom, nice table and chairs in a warm room and a warm and friendly employee.

Tour de Accokeek AND Marshall Hall 25 miles

Ron Altemus — Sun, 19 Dec 2021 17:00:00 GMT

Leader: Ron Altemus

Members: Joan Oppel, Janell Saunders

Route: https://ridewithgps.com/routes/38184763 24.6 miles, 556' elevation change. Advertised as the regular Wednesday route with the additions of down and backs on Fenwick and River. After River, the standard ascent of Barry Rd completed our ride.

Weather: overcast skies, temperature holding at 45, NW winds 12-15 mph.

AMS: slightly under 11

Mechanicals/Mishaps: none

Report: the forecast of windy conditions with resultant wind chills in the 30s led to a number of riders cancelling. Surprisingly, the wind (nor temperature) was much of a factor, probably most noticed on Marshall Hall Road before the big descent.

When originally posted, the route also contained an exploration of Ward Rd from Marshall Hall Road to Fenwick. A pre-scout revealed it was a gravel surface, so the route was changed to avoid it. But at ride start, our intrepid band decided we could handle a little gravel and we'd give it a try. After first missing the left turn from Marshall Road, once on Ward, we only traveled about 2/10ths of mile before encountering a big "No Entry" sign on the road. Figuring discretion was the better part of valor, we turned back and used Fenwick in it's entirety for our routing.

On our trip outbound on River, we passed Chester Avenue to the left. Where we made our U-turn was a couple of ponds, which piqued curiosity, leading Joan to use the map feature on her Garmin to understand the topography of the area. In playing with the map, Chester Avenue looked to go a bit farther than we might have thought. So, an exploratory ride down it was undertaken, finding it to be a wide, paved avenue, probably the first part of a planned subdivision that never materialized. Of course, it didn't go anywhere but it was a very nice ride.

With the short spur on Ward and the longer explore of Chester, your faithful correspondent ended up with almost 26 miles. Pre-ride, Joan rode down to the Colonial Farm and back for an additional 7+ miles. Also, Janell rode from home for extra mileage..

Friday IndianHead 20 mile All Class

Randall Schoch — Fri, 17 Dec 2021 15:00:00 GMT

Leaders - Jackie & Randy Schoch

Members - Pres. Donaro Gardner, Ron & Susan Altemus, Fran Jezisek, Belinda Acre, Gene Villiva, and Herman Young.

Guests - None

Route - IHRT

Weather - 60's, warm and sunny December day.

AMS - Varied per rider

Mechanicals/Mishaps - Donaro had a front wheel flat.

Report - A good turnout of our regulars. A pleasant casual ride to the White Plains rest stop. Very few others using the trail this morning. Only spotted 6 dogs walking their masters. Two babies in carriages with mothers pushing. Jackie heard the cry of a hawk but couldn't see what kind it was? The beavers have been hard at work preparing for winter causing much flooding as their huts keep growing. Donaro made it to the rest stop with his flat and we all helped him fixing the problem. We saw and visited with Oswald Martin at the rest stop. He is recovering from his medical issues. The return leg to the parking lot was a bit faster and we all returned about the same time. This might have been the last warm ride until spring. See you next Friday.

Another Nice Day at Goose Bay

Joan Oppel — Tue, 14 Dec 2021 15:00:00 GMT

Leader: Joan Oppel

Members: Ron Altemus, Holly Carr, Alan Kurzweil, Karen Morgan, Patricia Sanders, Mary Scala

Route: On the way to Goose Bay, we enjoyed the accomplishment of the ascent of Mt Pisgah, complementing that with the ascent from the bottom of Poorhouse at Mill Run to its heights a tenth of a mile later. Return from Goose Bay was across the beautiful new pavement on Mill Swamp Rd, Fire Tower, Annapolis, Poorhouse, the Stuckeys to Pisgah Marbury and on to Hawthorne and Chapman's Landing.

Weather: The temperature in the parking lot was actually comfortable (unusual for this time of year), around 48 and it remained fairly steady into the low 50s.

Mechanicals: None

Ride Report: A beautiful day to do a ride to Goose Bay, and we took advantage of the great weather to ride past the entrance of the marina and go to the beach on the Port Tobacco River (at the end of Brentland Rd) for the view of St Ignatius across the river on the hill. Of course, we returned to enjoy the porch at Goose Bay. A wonderful ride, and good company makes it better.

If you enlarge this photo, and squint really hard, you can see the spire of St Ignatius in the center across the Port Tobacco River. Beachcombers are Holly, Joan and Karen.

Finishing PB&J's, Alan and Ron contemplate the nice weather.

12/12 Mason Neck CC/C 27 miles

Ron Altemus — Sun, 12 Dec 2021 16:00:00 GMT

Leaders: Ron Altemus, Mary Scala (sweep)

Members: (l-r) Pat Walthers, Sarah Clement, Leesha Saunders, Cathy Miller, Janell Saunders, Robin Garnett, Janet Shipko, Cynthia Cypress, Belinda Acre, Lester Jackson, Jr., Steve Forman, Mary Scala, Esther Steward

Route: https://ridewithgps.com/routes/32681666 27 miles, 738' elevation change. Leisurely tour of Mason Neck with a down and back on Belmont Blvd, then the Mason Neck Trail (with spur on Springfield,) to Mason Neck State Park for a rest stop (picture above). Leaving the park, Gunston Road to a tour of Hallowing Point followed by a traverse of Gunston Estates. Final return on the Mason Neck trail included brief spurs into Gunston Hall, Pohick Bay Park, and the Pohick Bay Golf Course.

Weather:   sunshine with incredibly blue skies, temps in the mid 40s rising to the low 50s, 12 mph zephyrs out of the NW.

AMS:   upper 11s for the ride leader

Mechanicals/Mishaps:   none

Report:   great turnout (14 total riders) leading Sarah to channel Steve Palincsar, saying this is the type of winter ride people want - under 30 miles! A number of members, including the entire Maryland contingent, had never ridden on Mason Neck, so it was great fun for both ride leaders to give perspective and history to this area of Virginia.

Everyone said how much they enjoyed the ride, and your faithful correspondent was greatly pleased to have so many members join in today's ride. Many thanks to Mary for offering to sweep, especially given the high turnout.

12/10 Friday IHRT ALL class ride

Ron Altemus — Fri, 10 Dec 2021 15:00:00 GMT

Leader: Ron Altemus

Members: (l-r) Donaro Gardner, Belinda Acre, Pat Walthers, Robin Garnett, Herman Young, Leesha Saunders, Randy Schoch

Route: Indian Head Rail Trail - Livingston Rd parking lot to White Plains and return. 20 miles r/t.

Weather: temps starting in the mid 40s, rising to the low 50s. Partly cloudy for short stretches but mostly overcast. Some air movement out of the SW.

AMS: swept trail section just above 12 mph

Mechanicals/Mishaps: none

Report: a nice day for cycling with a couple of "non-regular" Friday regulars. Seemed like everyone rode in pairs which changed at various points along the route. Very few other cyclists or walkers yet we all thought it was pleasant weather.

Pat, Donaro, and your faithful correspondent, already thinking about year-end mileage totals, opted to ride over to Smallwood State Park and back. We ended up with distances of 32-35 miles, depending on how much additional was traveled on the IHRT towards the town of Indian Head.

Southern Exposure Route-A "Keeper"

Joan Oppel — Wed, 08 Dec 2021 15:00:00 GMT

Leader: Joan Oppel

Members: Donaro Gardner, Alan Kurzweil, Theresa Rowell - Darryl Lowery, out on his own ride, joined us for a short visit.

Route: This route, quickly drawn to get something on the calendar, turned out to be delightful - more woods and fields than houses - https://ridewithgps.com/routes/38143048

Weather: Temperature held steady between 37 and 39 while we were riding. Lots of sun.

Mechanicals: None

Ride Report: It was chilly but with the appropriate clothing we were comfortable, especially since riding generates heat.

All agreed we had a great ride, low traffic and pleasant scenery. We used the IH Trail along Mattawoman Creek near the beginning of the ride and again near the end from Livingston to Bumpy Oak to close out with the climb. In between we enjoyed Smallwood Church, Ironsides, Durham Church, Firetower, Annapolis Woods, Poorhouse, the Stuckeys, and Pisgah Marbury.

One item to note: a dog ran out at us where the houses cluster on Firetower about a tenth of a mile before the intersection with Annapolis Woods. It chased the first rider but turned back when the second rider approached it from behind. I've never seen a loose dog here before but noting it so others can be watchful.

Joan

Winter "Warm Up III" 40 Miles

Sherwood — Tue, 07 Dec 2021 15:00:00 GMT

Holly Carr, Linda Bankerd, Donaro Gardner, Sue Gunter, Liam Healy, Janell Saunders, & Tom Short joined me, Sherwood Byers, Sr. (Ride Leader) for a casual ride through Accokeek, Bryan Roads and Marshall Hall, Chapman's Landing, Pisgah, Ripley , and Pomonkey. This ride was originally posted for the Saturday following Thanksgiving but was postponed due to rider safety concerns (Weather). The ride offered some light challenges and interesting views. The ride was at a mild brisk pace (About 14.7 AMS), weather was fair with some headwind after the rest stop. One flat tire was reported about 5 miles before reaching the rest stop on Chicamuxen Road where the rider reported their tire being badly sliced and the rider having to get a ride home shortening their ride. One rider who had planned to shorten their ride joined the rider in need and waited with them. Thank you to all who joined me and for their support of this weekly ride.

Sherwood

Way Out West in Loudoun County

Joan Oppel — Sat, 04 Dec 2021 15:00:00 GMT

Leader: Joan Oppel

Members: Claire Graybill, Alan Kurzweil

Route: A "Way Out West" ride from Leesburg VA through historic towns. No major hills but lots and lots of ups and downs with total mileage just under 49 miles and total elevation gain around 3200 feet. https://ridewithgps.com/routes/38125592

Weather: Weather started in the high 40s, almost no wind, sun was warm and temperature in the 50s for most of the ride.

Mechanicals: None

Ride Report: A "Way Out West" ride in Loudoun County Virginia with visits to the historic towns of Waterford (most of the village built before 1861), Lovettsville (dates back into the 18th & 19th centuries), Hillsboro, Hamilton (both date back into early 1800s). Those towns still retain some of the architecture and character of their origins.

However, while there are still vistas of the mountains to the west, horse estates and large farms, there's been a lot of development in the area over the past 20 years and the scenery also includes those suburban-looking developments.

The three of us had a great ride, enjoying the scenery and company.

Friday IndianHead 20 mile All Class

Randall Schoch — Fri, 03 Dec 2021 15:00:00 GMT

Leaders - Jackie & Randy Schoch

Members - Pres. Donaro Gardner, Ron & Susan Altemus, Fran Jezisek, Robin Garnett, Belinda Acre, and Herman Young.

Guests - None

Route - IHRT

Weather - Pretty nice for December (50ish and sunny).

AMS - Varied as per rider - approx. 12mph

Mechanicals/Mishaps - None

Report - This group is just about the normal turnout for the Friday rides. There were a few other trail users this morning and most were with their dogs (on leashes). David and Juliana were not working trail maintenance today so there were a lot of leaves and other debris on the trail. Last Friday's ride was afflicted with bad weather so it was nice to enjoy a pleasant ride and catch up with the latest news from our group. During the rest stop at White Plains, Ron checked on the rest rooms and found them locked (with the water shut off) for the winter season. The "portelets" are still available. The return "leg" of the ride was a little breezy but not bad. All returned safely and planning for the next ride.

A Visit to Eagle Harbor

Joan Oppel — Thu, 02 Dec 2021 14:30:00 GMT

Leader: Joan Oppel

Members: Alan Kurzweil, Patricia Sanders, Tom Short

Route: To Eagle Harbor by way of - ALL of Baden Naylor, the 5 Points, Woodville and Dr Bowen. Return with detours off of Rt 381: first to Croom, Baden Westwood, Bald Eagle, Westwood, back to Baden Westwood and 381. Next to Cedarville and Ashbox and finally to Gibbons Church. Total mileage just under 39.

Weather: About 54 at the start, rising to 60. Chilly as usual in the parking lot (possibly the coldest place in Prince Georges Co) and then (almost) immediately warmer leaving the park.

Mechanicals: None

Ride Report: It was a pleasant day, the wind was occasionally from the side or front but mostly we were either sheltered by the terrain or sailing with a tailwind. I hadn't been to Eagle Harbor in quite a while, so it was nice to visit the town. At the Cedar Haven Fishing Area (a MNCPPC public park), there's now a more open parking lot with some signs and more trashcans. Three picnic tables are in the small grassy area off the beach. It was serene and scenic to have a snack there. The portapotty is gone (for the season?) but we managed to find "outdoor restroom" opportunities.

Excellent day for a ride and we all liked the route: https://ridewithgps.com/routes/38114697

Joan

La Plata with a Twist

Joan Oppel — Tue, 30 Nov 2021 15:00:00 GMT

Leader: Joan Oppel

Members: Ron Altemus, Holly Carr, Donaro Gardner, Alan Kurzweil, Patricia Sanders, Rita Zeidner

Route: To La Plata by way of Pomfret, IH Trail, Bumpy Oak, Hawthorne, Quailwood to Rt 6. Return on Willow Lane (new), Glen Albin, Springhill Newton, Locust Grove, Chapel Point, Rt 6, Poorhouse, Hawthorne, Chapman's Landing

Weather: About 38 to start (after the snow flurries blew through) with heavy gray cloud cover, Mid-40s for most of the ride with some sun, ending close to 50.

Mechanicals: Only at the beginning of the ride - a chain stuck between chain rings, then untangled.

Ride Report: Very cloudy at ride start, reports of snow flurries before I arrived. The route went on some road sections in the opposite direction than we usually do, always fun to check things out in reverse. From the La Plata Dash-In rest stop, we continued on Charles St out of town to a right on Willow Lane - a previously 'unexplored' road. It borders a forested park, then heads behind the middle school on Oak Ave and the elementary school on Glen Albin before joining Glen Albin. A nice brief diversion. A good ride with good company.

11/26 Friday IHRT ALL class ride

Ron Altemus — Fri, 26 Nov 2021 15:00:00 GMT

Leader:   Ron Altemus

Member: Donaro Gardner

Route:   Indian Head Rail Trail, Livingston Rd parking lot to White Plains trail head and return

Weather:   partly cloudy, temps holding at 46, strong westerly breezes of 15 mph, gusting into the mid/upper 20s and occasionally swirling/changing direction it seemed!

AMS:   tad more than 13 mph

Mechanicals/Mishaps: none

Report:   almost a repeat of last Friday as only the Prez and I did the ride, but whereas the previous week was cold, today wasn't bad. We saw a few more cyclists (total of 7) and a smattering of walkers. Nice to burn off a few calories from yesterday's Thanksgiving meals.

11/19 Friday IHRT ALL class ride

Ron Altemus — Fri, 19 Nov 2021 15:00:00 GMT

Leader: Ron Altemus

Member:   Donaro Gardner

Route:   Indian Head Rail Trail, Livingston Rd parking lot to White Plains r/t

Weather:   brilliant sunshine w/resultant deep blue skies, temps in the mid 40s, brisk NW winds 13-15 mph w/gusts in the 20s

AMS:   leisurely low 11s

Mechanicals/Mishaps:   none

Report: A small turnout, not only for the number of club members attending the ride itself, but also in terms of other trails users as we saw about 10 walkers and NO bicyclists, a real rarity. The Prez and your faithful correspondent conversed on a variety of topics, some cycling related, others of more global importance.

The beaver(s) remain busy on the pond just west of the parking lot. Additional branches have been placed in the culvert area while the mud walls surrounding the pond continue to be reinforced to handle winter's scourges.

11/18 Three Notch Trail ALL class 18 mi / 22 mi

Ron Altemus — Thu, 18 Nov 2021 15:30:00 GMT

Leader: Ron Altemus

Members: (L-R below) Lester Jackson, Randy Schoch, Dan & Diana Donahue

Route:   Three Notch Trail from Northern Senior Center to John Baggett Park. Returning, most riders ended at the Senior Center for a 17+ mile ride, while your faithful correspondent continued up to Deborah Drive to return for 22 miles.

Weather:    sunshine, blue skies, temps starting in the low 60s rising to the low 70s, air movement supposedly out of the southwest 12-13 mph though there was a bit of swirling at times

AMS: low 11's

Mechanicals/Mishaps:   none

Report:   What a fabulous day for bicycling and quite possibly the last 70 degree day of 2021. A most enjoyable ride, conversating throughout the ride in various combinations. Diana warned us at ride start that the trail would be covered in leaves and that St Mary's County park personnel did not treat the trail as a "ball field." To our surprise, we encountered a park employee manning a self-propelled blower shortly after setting off. Needless to say, the trail was pretty much clear of leaves.

Numerous other trail users: cyclists, walkers, a jogger or two, a few mothers with strollers. All were enjoying the excellent weather!

Goose Bay on a Fine Day

Joan Oppel — Tue, 16 Nov 2021 15:00:00 GMT

Leader: Joan Oppel

Members: Ron Altemus, Holly Carr, Joni Forman, Donaro Gardner, Jane Hudnall, Jim Hudnall, Alan Kurzweil, Karen Morgan, Mary Scala, Tom Short

Route: A big circle with Goose Bay in the middle - Outbound on Livingston, climbing Mt Pisgah, Ripley to Poorhouse and the short stretch on Rt 6 to Blossom Point. Return via the swamp, Rt 6 and Welcome to Fire Tower and Annapolis Woods. Poorhouse to the Stuckeys, Pisgah Marbury to the fast run on Chicamuxen and Hawthorne. Scenic Chapman's Landing for the penultimate section.

Weather: Just right - mid to high 40s (thermometer on my bike never topped 50), sun, low wind.

Mechanicals: A flat tire on Pisgah Marbury.

Ride Report: It really was a very fine day, the temperature reading did not seem to match the mildness in the air. The trees still provided a colorful backdrop to out route. The group spread out but everyone enjoyed the hospitality of the Goose Bay porch with its upgraded furniture. On the return Tom had a flat and with a tight tire and rim combination, the tire was difficult to remove and reinstall but we got the job done. Ride leader had a chance to try out my new mini tire hook for installing tight tires (though I was successful, later review of instructions revealed that I was using it backwards). Great day for a ride and great company along the way.

Waysons Governor Bridge & Cumberstone

Joan Oppel — Sat, 13 Nov 2021 17:00:00 GMT

Leader: Joan Oppel

Members: Sarah Clement, Alan Kurzweil, Patricia Sanders, Janell Saunders

Route: 47 miles - From Waysons, all of Sands to Patuxent River, then to a right on Governor Bridge Road for almost 5 miles. Riva Rd, then Beards Point, Brick House, River Clubhouse and 3 miles on Muddy Creek to the up and down on scenic Cumberstone. Owensville, Sudley, Nutwell Sudley, Nutwell, Bay Front, Brooks Woods, Little, back to Bay Front, Wrighton and Plummer.

Weather: 52 to start, drizzle for about 5 miles between 11 and noon, dropping to as low as 44, eventually the sun came out and temperature rose to 48 (which felt warm). Wind light then breezy with gusts starting around 12:30.

Mechanicals: none

Report: The route was really colorful - probably peak Fall color for the area. Plenty of stunning trees. Rain in the form of drizzle hit us as noted above, and the heavy gray cover dropped the temperature quite a bit. Some of us hadn't expected the temperature swing, dressed for different temperatures and were definitely chilled for a while. The sun eventually delivered some warmth.

It's only the second time I've used this section of Governor's Bridge, it's pretty but it does "T" into Riva Road. There was construction on the right side so we had to take the lane. That was busy but soon left behind. Cumberstone delivered on scenery, the rain stopped but the wind came up. It was noticeable in spots, but often the tree cover blocked the wind.

On Lansdale Road, a short side road off Muddy Creek.

Winter "Warm Up"

Sherwood — Sat, 13 Nov 2021 15:00:00 GMT

Anne Wittenberg, Holly Carr, Sue Gunter, Linda Bankerd, Tom Short, Mike Saizan, and Liam Healy joined me on this first of a series of Saturday Winter "Warm Up" rides. The forecast called for high winds. The ride was all but done before the wind appeared, and did it ever appear. We were almost finished the ride when the wind began to show its ugly face. The force of 20 mph headwinds was no joke, pushing us back as if we were balloons in the sky (We were at its mercy). The pace before the winds was brisk and fast. Yes, there was a chill in the air, but we quickly warmed up after a few miles. No mechanical issues or incidents were reported to me on this ride. Thank you to all of the riders for joining me on this ride.

Sherwood

11/12 Friday IHRT ride

Ron Altemus — Fri, 12 Nov 2021 16:00:00 GMT

Leader: Ron Altemus

Members: Robin Garnett, Randy Schoch

Route: the Friday special - Indian Head Rail Trail from Livingston Rd parking lot to White Plains and return, approx. 20 miles round trip.

Weather: an overcast start w/temps in the upper 50s but by the time we reached the White Plains trail head, skies had become partly sunny, and from mile marker 8 to the finish, blue skies, sunshine, SW winds at 8 mph, and temps in the low 60s.

AMS: 12.6 mph

Mechanicals/Mishaps: none

Report: weather forecasts kept changing approaching Friday but as a few of us (the three that actually rode) wanted to get some miles in to end the week, the start time was moved to 11 am in hopes that the rain would be gone. Fortunately, as noted in the weather recap above, we had a dry ride w/improving conditions as the day progressed.

Only a few other trail users: a mixture of walkers, some with dogs, and other cyclists. Very little in the way of wildlife sightings - some crows and one turkey vulture. Several sections of the trail had good color with a mixture of reds, oranges, yellows, and some still green leaves or evergreens.

Item of note, though not ride related! For those of us that travel south on MD-210/Indian Head Highway, the new Giant at Livingston Square had their Grand Reopening today. Exciting specials ruled the day as the parking lot, viewed from the highway, was jammed.

11/10 Mason Neck 22

Ron Altemus — Wed, 10 Nov 2021 15:00:00 GMT

Leader: Ron Altemus

Member: Gene Villiva

Route:   https://ridewithgps.com/routes/37915929 22 miles, 495' elevation change. Leisurely tour of Mason Neck: trail to Mason Neck State Park, then Gunston Road to Hallowing Point. Return included brief tours of Gunston Manor, Gunston Hall, and Pohick Bay Park.

Weather: another day of great bicycling weather - sunshine and blue skies, temps in the 60s, westerly winds of 8 mph, and absolutely NO humidity.

AMS:   lesiurely 11 mph

Mechanicals/Mishaps: none

Report:   We were the only cyclists on the trail and Gunston Road, though we did see a few riders on High Point Rd heading to or leaving from Mason Neck Park. Several mighty fine maple trees in red were observed, otherwise a lot of yellows fading into browns as fall continues. One turtle assist, further proof that the weather was warm.

Gene in front of Gunston Hall

Few turns, few cars, more sun, more color

Joan Oppel — Tue, 09 Nov 2021 14:30:00 GMT

Leader: Joan Oppel

Members: Donaro Gardner, Jane Hudnall, Jim Hudnall, Patricia Sanders, Jackie Schoch and Randy Schoch

Route: 40 miles - All of Chicamuxen from Hawthorne to Rt 6 where it continues as Gilroy Rd - about 13 miles without a turn . Then Bowie to Baptist Church and Ironsides and a stop at Friendship Farm, down Durham Church, up 6, Annapolis Woods/Ripley, Hawthorne, Bumpy Oak.

Weather: 52 to start, rising slowly through the 50's, then 60's to reach 70 at the end

Mechanicals: none

Report: A bright sunny warm fall day, more leaf color coming out finally and a 40 mile ride with 13 turns (not counting in and out of ride start). Jim and Jane and Randy and Jackie joined Don, Patricia and me at Livingston IHRT lot and we enjoyed the company and the route as a group. An almost 20 degree temperature swing was welcome (with clothing adjustments along the way). On some of the more rural roads we encountered very little traffic. The route is a keeper.

Kent Island Ride

Jessica Hirschhorn — Mon, 08 Nov 2021 21:04:56 GMT

Another group of cyclists were treated to this simply beautiful ride.

Riders were: Claire Graybill, Jessica Hirschhorn, Kathy King, Barbara Klestzick, Renee McCullough, Joseph McKenzie, and Terry Shirey.

The sky was crystal clear, a little cool to start, but by the end the wind had died down and we were busy stuffing our layers into our bike bags!

We saw two osprey in their nest, the community fishing pier, many beautiful water views, and enjoyed the stunning bike path that runs up the island.

35 miles.

Here are a few photos: https://flic.kr/ps/2tzXPr

NK 37 Bassford, Gallant Green and Baden

Janell Saunders — Mon, 08 Nov 2021 04:00:00 GMT

Leader: Janell Saunders

Members: Ron Altemus, Cynthia Cypress, Esther Steward, Liam Healy, Randolph Sim, Michael Saizon, Linda Bankard, Sarah Clement

Route: NK 37 Bassford, Gallant Green and Baden

Weather: a little chilly, mid 50s and breezy

AMS: various

Mechanicals/Mishaps: none

A good turnout, most said because they liked the start time and distance. We split up into about 3 groups but met up at Morelands store. Discussing the rest of the route and upcoming roads, some opted to detour and shorten the ride abit, bypassing Baden Naylor and heading back on Brandywine. Mike and I continued on Baden Naylor to tackle the climbs...always a good workout. The fall colors were still pleasant to view and we had no issues. Everyone seemed to thoroughly enjoy themselves. Thanks to all that joined me.

Less Riverside, More Side Roads

Joan Oppel — Sun, 07 Nov 2021 14:30:00 GMT

Leader: Joan Oppel

Members: Alan Kurzweil, Patricia Sanders

Route: This 48 mile route spends more time on roads weaving around Nanjemoy and Riverside than on Riverside itself and has a lot of variety.

Weather: 47 to start, 51 to finish, a little wind, much sunnier than predicted - bonus.

Mechanicals: none

Report: A very small group, a beautiful day. Very low traffic, we really enjoyed all the small rural roads: Durham Church, Baptist Church, Bowie, Poseytown (rest stop at Nanjemoy Community Center for the outside water spigot and a snack), Beaver Dam, Liverpool Point, Holly Springs, Maryland Point, Smith Point, Riverside, the "no outlet" side of Liverpool Point, Sandy Point and around Rt 6 back to Mason Springs.

Delightful ride.

Brandywine 34 Merkle Circles

Joan Oppel — Thu, 04 Nov 2021 14:00:00 GMT

Leader: Joan Oppel
Members: Alan Kurzweil and Rita Zeidner

Route: Through zebra-sighting territory over to Mt Calvert/Duley Station and on into Jug Bay area visitor center. The to Merkle and around Nottingham to Baden Naylor/Molly Berry and "home".

Weather: Low 40's to high 40's. No wind so chilly but comfortable with jacket, gloves and ear covering.

Mechanicals/Mishaps: none.

Report: A late ride posting but Alan and Rita joined the ride leader for a beautiful, low-traffic ride in nice Fall weather. We did not see any zebras, though they probably saw us.

Pauls2Pauls + Mormon Hill

Jessica Hirschhorn — Mon, 01 Nov 2021 18:57:51 GMT

What a spectacular Fall day for a bike ride! Nine women rode:

Lynda Honberg, Linda Blackman, Kathy King, Carol Linden, Joan Oppel, Sara Sennett, Anne Wittenberg, Claire Graybill, and myself.

Temps were in the 50s with a crystal clear sky and some mild bluster.

We headed from Pauls in Bethesda through the neighborhoods of Chevy Chase, down to Beach Drive and UP to the top of Mormon Hill. Then none of us were cold anymore! We rode Beach Drive to Garrett Park, where we stopped for a bio and drink break, before retracing to head down Beach Drive into DC Rock Creek Park . A final climb to the Nature Center for our break was on traffic free dappled roads with beautiful woods and autumn leaves all around. After the Nature Center we zoomed back down to Beach Drive and enjoyed a final few miles before heading our ways to our cars or home.

33 miles, 1400'

10/28 Ft Hunt Halloween Ride

Ron Altemus — Thu, 28 Oct 2021 14:00:00 GMT

Leaders: Joan Oppel & Ron Altemus

Members: Dani & Gene Villiva, Erica Kane, Esther Stewart, Jessica Hirshhorn, Nadine Beck, Norm Lisy, Pat Walthers, Patricia Sanders, Ron Tripp

Route: a 20-mile meander through neighborhoods in the beautiful Greater Fort Hunt Metropolitan Statistical Area, including Stratford Landing, Riverside Gardens, Hollin Hall, and Waynewood. Mostly flat, though not "pancake" flat, with 514' elevation change. (https://ridewithgps.com/routes/37866832)

Weather: delightful fall bicycling weather w/temps starting in the mid 50s and rising to the mid 60s, plenty of blue skies and sunshine, with negligible air movement other than what we generated pedaling.

AMS: under 10 mph as one needed to be on constant alert to view decorations and/or avoid kamikaze squirrels

Mechanicals/Mishaps: none.

Report: a report best told with pictures. For our official 4th annual Halloween ride, there weren't quite as many decorations as in years past. Possible cause might be relocation of some homeowners who were big decorators. There were still plenty of sights to be seen, however, including two "Inferno" skeletons at one location. The "Pet Cemetary" in Riverside Gardens has an 8' Tyrannosaurs Rex, which we use to think was pretty big. It now pales in comparison to the 12' skeletons and Infernos. Inflatables continue to be popular, some of which are much too friendly and happy looking to elicit the necessary shrieks and gasps normally associated with ghouls and ghosts. They have also grown in size with a larger number seen in the 10' tall range.

There were a couple of common themes this year: 1) boating activities can be dangerous as we witnessed paddle boards and kayaks navigated by skeletons, along with skeletons in life jackets that didn't make it back to land; and, 2) do-it-yourself home repair can be fatal as we saw numerous skeletons mowing lawns, chopping wood, and working in gardens populated by plants from the Little House of Horrors.

We had the opportunity to speak with several of the home owners, either during yesterday 's pre-ride or today's tour. They appreciated our cycling to see what they have accomplished and told us their decorations will be even scarier at night with special lighting and sound effects added to heighten the overall ambience.

Pictures from Kent Island ride

Joan Oppel — Tue, 26 Oct 2021 01:54:14 GMT

A special ride - read report below -

Monday at Kent Island!

Jessica Hirschhorn — Mon, 25 Oct 2021 21:54:38 GMT

We had a glorious day on Kent Island! New Oxon Hill cyclists and new folks to cycling on Kent Island were in attendance, and everyone had a great time.

Sherwood B, Linda B, Harry K, Joan O, Janet S, and Yolanda W joined me for 35 flat but WINDY miles.

We traveled on the wide, smooth bike lane that bisects the island, making many turns off to see views of the Bay Bridge, Osprey nests, the Chesapeake Bay, waiting tankers, and all walked out to the end of the fishing pier.

We all stayed together at a social pace, and enjoyed the views as well as the company.

The WIND was our hills, but we got paid back our last 8 miles home with a PUSH from the tailwinds.

I will be repeating this ride on Monday November 8 and 22. Join me!

Photos from Harry K and Sherwood, to follow.

Regards, Jessica

Friday IndianHead 20 mile All Class

Randall Schoch — Fri, 22 Oct 2021 14:00:00 GMT

Leader - Jackie Schoch (Randy was undergoing surgery for skin cancer).

Members - Belinda Acre, Ron & Susan Altemus, Pres. Donaro Gardner, Carl Hattery, Gene Villiva, and Herman Young.

Guests - None

Route - IHRT

Weather - Nice (mid 60's), breezy on the return.

AMS - Varied per rider

Mechanicals/Mishaps - None

Report - We mostly all rode as a group. Trail was busy with bikers, walkers, joggers, but no dogs. Only wild life we saw was a black snake. A great and beautiful ride. See you next time.

10/19 Southern Exposure: Nanjemoy>Holly Springs 42 miles

Ron Altemus — Tue, 19 Oct 2021 14:00:00 GMT

Leader: Ron Altemus

Members: Donaro Gardner, Jessica Hirshhorn, Harry Kidd, Alan Kurzweil, Patricia Sanders, Mary Scala, Jackie & Randy Schoch, Gene Villiva, Herman Young

Route:   https://ridewithgps.com/routes/37772196 41.7 miles; 1,591' elevation change. Chicamuxen to Riverside; Holly Springs to MD-6; Bowie and Mason Springs* back to our start. Rest stops at Nanjemoy Store and King James Church. (* some riders opted for less traveled Smallwood Church & Chicamuxen on the return)

Weather: great bicycling day. Temps starting in the mid 50s, rising to just about 70 degrees. Cloudless blue skies. Winds of 6-9 mph, mostly out of the southwest.

AMS: swept in the low 12s.

Mechanicals/Mishaps:   Harry flatted just before Liverpool Point Rd, with a piece of wire in his front tire. Under Randy's tutelage, a new tube was quickly inserted. Vexing problems with Shrader valves, pumps, and air cartridges resulted in a few extra minutes being expended before we were rolling again.

Report:   as previous noted, the weather was great though ride start temps did lead to a bit of decision making as to what was appropriate gear now that fall temperatures have finally arrived. We quickly split into a fast group and a slow group; Harry's flat delayed the slow group such that the fast group had already left Nanjemoy store prior to our arrival. A few riders decided to use Adam Willetts and Hancock Run to get over to King James Church. Harry and your faithful correspondent rolled up the original route until we followed Randy's suggestion to use Smallwood Church.

I had hoped for a group picture at Nanjemoy Store but that was not to be, so for your viewing pleasure instead, a longhorn outstanding in its field!

Longhorn farm at junction of Bowie Rd and Baptist Church Rd.

10/17 - Newburg Water Views - B/CC 53 mi

Walt Roscello — Sun, 17 Oct 2021 14:00:00 GMT

Leader: Walt Roscello

Members: Janell Saunders

Route: La Plata to Newburg, then the newly paved Mt. Victoria road to the first view on the Wicomico river, then up Rt. 257 to the second view on the Potomac at Morgantown, then back over to Mt. Victoria and return through Pope's Creek. Janell said some of these loops off Rt. 301 were new to her so always nice to see new territory.

Weather: Nice. Mid-50s at start to mid-60s at end, plenty warm if dressed properly. It was windy but we were fully exposed to it on relatively little of the route.

Mechanicals/Mishaps: none

Report: We had quite a few sightings on this ride. First, a heron took off from a guardrail about 30 feet in front of us on Mt. Victoria road, and flew along the road ahead for about 150 feet, so we got a good full-wingspan view of it. Then, while heading down to the dead end along the Wicomico, first one and then a second deer booked it across the road and into the woods; we were glad they decided to do that while still about 80 feet away. Lastly, as we were returning up the road from Morgantown, someone had their 1940-ish automobile out for a brief spin on the neighborhood roads.

Surprisingly, no one joined Janell and I on this pleasant day. It really was a nice day for a ride if you don't obsess over speed against the wind. Since it was just the two of us we skipped the rest stops and just stopped when we wanted to. Good thing, maybe, since Dan's was closed on Sunday even though Google thought it was open.

The newly paved Mt. Victoria was a highlight. It's like riding on rails now, no vibration or anything to dodge. Except that in the forested areas, the road has already become "stick-y". Got to watch out for the nuts and large seed pods too, all part of Fall in Maryland.

The only real downside (aside from the few hills, which are always there) is that crossing US 301 continues to get more difficult, especially on a Sunday afternoon. We had to wait an extended time for a break on about half of the times we crossed it.