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Oxon Hill Bicycle and Trail Club

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Ride Reports

Ride Leaders are encouraged to post reports on their rides. Members can comment on ride reports and anyone can read the reports and comments. Instructions for posting a report
  • Mon, July 08, 2024 7:03 PM | Ellen Goodwin (Administrator)

    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. 


  • Mon, July 08, 2024 10:00 AM | Joan Oppel (Administrator)




  • Sun, July 07, 2024 9:30 AM | Sherwood (Administrator)


    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.


  • Sun, July 07, 2024 9:30 AM | Sherwood (Administrator)

    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.




  • Sun, July 07, 2024 9:00 AM | Randy Schoch (Administrator)

    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.  


  • Sun, July 07, 2024 9:00 AM | Diane Harris (Administrator)

    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!


  • 2
    Fri, July 05, 2024 9:00 AM | Ron Altemus (Administrator)

    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!

  • Thu, July 04, 2024 9:00 AM | Joan Oppel (Administrator)

    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.)

  • Tue, July 02, 2024 9:30 AM | Harry Kidd (Administrator)

    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.


  • Mon, July 01, 2024 10:00 AM | Ron Altemus (Administrator)

    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:


     

     


Oxon Hill Bicycle and Trail Club
P.O. Box 81  
Oxon Hill, MD 20750-0081

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