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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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

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.  

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

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.