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.

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.

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. 

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. 

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

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.

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!

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.

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!

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. ..