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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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. 

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.

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.

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'. 

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.