Anyone been to Rosaryville recently?

[GotGills]

Trying to decide if a road ride or mountain ride is in my future tomorrow.... anyone have an update for the conditions at Rosaryville with all the rain?

Thanks!

[MyOtherBrotherL]

I haven't personally been out to the Rose to check conditions, so I can't 100% say how things are.

However, I am doing a road ride tomorrow with one of the Rosey Trail Liaisons because of reported and expected trail conditions.

It's probably a safe bet that most of the local trails will be less than optimal for this weekend.

((We even turned shot down a Shed ride because of the high threat thunderstorms after 10:00 AM))

L

[bikerRob]

Trying to decide if a road ride or mountain ride is in my future tomorrow.... anyone have an update for the conditions at Rosaryville with all the rain?

Thanks!

06/20/09 4:00am >> The last rain around Rosaryville looks to be about a little more than 40hrs ago ( as of 4:00am on the 20th ) and that was ~ .3" which is not too much considering what we got up here near Columbia during that same time period.
If so conditions might not be too bad for Rosaryville. Long range radar shows some light showers out to the west heading our way. As I write light showers right to the west of DC. Judging from the radar loop I'm looking at I don't think it is going to stretch any more South than DC ( I hope, I hope )...At least that's my gut opinion. If the Rose dodges the rain a ride might be possible. Anyway, looks like some lite showers headed for the Balt-Wash area that will possibly swept through in the morning...unless somehow they break up before they get here. No heavy storms spotted so far though. ( ...now back to your regularly scheduled pre-ride breakfast..:) )

[bikerRob]

06/20/09 4:00am >> The last rain around Rosaryville looks to be about a little more than 40hrs ago ( as of 4:00am on the 20th ) and that was ~ .3" which is not too much considering what we got up here near Columbia during that same time period.
If so conditions might not be too bad for Rosaryville. Long range radar shows some light showers out to the west heading our way. As I write light showers right to the west of DC. Judging from the radar loop I'm looking at I don't think it is going to stretch any more South than DC ( I hope, I hope )...At least that's my gut opinion. If the Rose dodges the rain a ride might be possible. Anyway, looks like some lite showers headed for the Balt-Wash area that will possibly swept through in the morning...unless somehow they break up before they get here. No heavy storms spotted so far though. ( ...now back to your regularly scheduled pre-ride breakfast..:) )

Update..6:10am >> First the good news..looks like my gut was right. Most of the first wave broke up as it passed Balt-Wash area. Now the bad news...a second wave is approaching from the west, maybe 3-4hrs away. Cross your fingers and do a reverse rain dance, maybe this wave will break up too. ( Unfortunately I own no real Indian garb so I have no choice but to put my Redskin hat ( and shirt ) on backwards and start doing a reverse moonwalk....nix that, a moonwalk already goes backwards ) :o In the mean time I'll try to keep my computer running since it already crashed twice while trying to run three weather applets at the same time. **update # 3, 6:43am > The second wave doesn't look good and is moving faster than I thought...dance harder.

[GotGills]

I got caught by both wave 1 and 2 on a road ride... maybe I'll hit Rosaryville next weekend instead.....

[leroy]

Trails are good to go. Watch out for some slick corners and a few pig wallows. Things are drying fast, I tried to run over as many ruts as I could before they harden. Should be real good this weekend if the T storms hold off.

[hozn]

Lots of mud puddles still this [late] morning (Saturday). Probably should have been the assumption, but the only "yesterday" report I could find suggested that it hadn't rained; that was obviously not the case. Anyway, the section from the entrance next to parking lot is not bad, but the other direction (or last 1/3 of that loop) has quite frequent mud puddles. The middle technical bit was almost all dry.

[leroy]

Dry and fast, but watch out for a few slick spots. Saw a Turkey out on the trail today :). Poor attempt at ramping a log on the fire road climb (inner loop) leading to the first set of skinnies. Leave the log alone or remove it.

[brcire]

Finally got a ride in at RV. :)

The trail seems to be holding up well, even in spite of some sections where you just can't believe folks rode through them :confused:. They were just churned up fudge, but there are some packed lines through them which will make for some lovely :confused2: trailwork to take out the eventual cupping and add it to the list of spots to monitor.

Still some wet and soft spots that are SLOWLY drying out.

If it wasn't for the volunteers who come out on our trailwork days to do the drudge work of knicking and deberming all 12+ miles of trail, things could be worse. :thumbsup: x 10! THANKS!

While building new trail and adding miles is awesome, we can't forget basic maintenance. Trails do not heal or recover or magically turn new again. Put in a morning helping out on our trails.

Time to end this post, I'm turning to face the choir... please..... don't .... ride... wet... trails.... please.... watch.... the weather.... if trail... is wet...... don't .... ride.... Larry... help me... make me stop! .... make them stop!!!

[MyOtherBrotherL]

......Time to end this post, I'm turning to face the choir... please..... don't .... ride... wet... trails.... please.... watch.... the weather.... if trail... is wet...... don't .... ride.... Larry... help me... make me stop! .... make them stop!!!

Oh No You DIDN’T just use the “Larry” reference!!! :eek: :nono:

I wish I could help you with this aspect of Trail Advocacy but 15 years of watching this “STUFF” has almost taught me that I can't.

Education is the key to teaching 70 to 80 percent of folks about riding in adverse conditions. (GOSH - I wish there was a trail poster or flier that we could distribute that drove home the adverse effects of riding in the mud)

The remaining folks are non-believers (or don't care) and very few will become converts.

In our sport there will ALWAYS be riders who:

1. Belong to the Mountain Dew and Chain Love Generations who believe riding in the mud is a desirable aspect of our sport

2. Believe that driving 40 minutes to a trail head justifies riding in conditions that are adverse

3. Believe that the trails heal themselves every year. They see the mud and the ruts but a few weeks later they disappear

4. Believe that Fall Line trails are still the best and only true and fun type of single track

5. Will build illegally (Whether it is cutting new trail or adding jumps, structures or unapproved features to existing trails)

I can't stop any of the above and I'm ridiculed, red dotted, chastised and made fun of for even trying.

((Heavy SIGH :hammertime:))

Anyway - I plan to be out at the Rose on Saturday for a recovery ride. Hopefully it will be dry because it's been a while since my last visit.

[jvanbrecht]

I still think we should embed spikes in the mud... when its dry no problem.. when its muddy wheels sink in and get poked.... Win Win :)

[bikerRob]

....Education is the key to teaching 70 to 80 percent of folks about riding in adverse conditions. (GOSH - I wish there was a trail poster or flier that we could distribute that drove home the adverse effects of riding in the mud)

The remaining folks are non-believers (or don't care) and very few will become converts.



Yes, this is true. I think we also have to accept that no trail system is perfect and will have continual bad spots during the rainy seasons. These "bad spots" should be focal points for future trail improvements ( armoring, re-routes, de-berming, etc. ) When reporting on trail conditions it would real helpful if people ( the ones reporting ) would do more to inform just where the bad spots are. Rosaryville has mile markers that can be used as reference points. Photos of the really bad stuff helps too. An example of this is a photo I took a couple weeks ago at Patapsco ( below) There is simply no excuse to ride through stuff like that. Smaller stuff you can avoid.

Shifting gears a bit, I notice that Rosaryville hasn't had any rain now for at least a *week ( *at least that's what the weather stations I'm looking at indicate ) I would think by now most of the trails should be dry. If there are still some bad spots ( muddy spots ) knowing where they are can be a big help.

[mrsjones]

I haven't been recently, but they are calling for severe thunderstorms today and rain through Saturday...:nope:

[brcire]

Yes, this is true. I think we also have to accept that no trail system is perfect and will have continual bad spots during the rainy seasons. These "bad spots" should be focal points for future trail improvements ( armoring, re-routes, de-berming, etc. ) When reporting on trail conditions it would real helpful if people ( the ones reporting ) would do more to inform just where the bad spots are. Rosaryville has mile markers that can be used as reference points. Photos of the really bad stuff helps too. An example of this is a photo I took a couple weeks ago at Patapsco ( below) There is simply no excuse to ride through stuff like that. Smaller stuff you can avoid.

Shifting gears a bit, I notice that Rosaryville hasn't had any rain now for at least a *week ( *at least that's what the weather stations I'm looking at indicate ) I would think by now most of the trails should be dry. If there are still some bad spots ( muddy spots ) knowing where they are can be a big help.

Have you ever read an email from a rider informing the liaison of a bad spot or tree on the trail? It goes something like this "Going CW after the second big hill, where it swoops down to the left, then a short turn right by that big log next to the trail..." Does the person know the CW or CCW way, and what is a big hill, and there are a lot of swoops to the left and right, and logs next to the trail... all over the place... I do appreciate getting emails from other riders and do my best to decode it and figure out where it is only to go out and find the log removed, or spending extra time cleaning out somebody else' attempt at fixing it and then fixing it the way it should be.

Things are dry now, but the damage is done. Soft trail gets compacted and cupping happens. With the next rain, that section of singletrack holds water. Riders start going around it because they don't want to get their bikes dirty, now we have doubletrack and then we get HOT lanes on our trails...

As MOBL said, education is where we need to put our efforts. Both Werace and I have spoken with riders at RV about riding wet trails. It isn't fun or pleasant and makes it real difficult being a liaison but we both feel it is necessary. At times, these folks weren't too happy being advised that the trail wasn't in good shape to ride. They did pack up and leave (We had Tommy come over and tell the to go to Cedarville :D:D). This has happened at our TW days. Neither of us can sit in the parking lot on a rainy afternoon or wet weekend educating riders. A poster or sign is needed. It doesn't just go at trailheads but in LBS, outdoor shops, also educating other bike clubs that organize rides, as well as building support with other outdoor groups that use our trails. Utilize Spokes magazine and Blue Ridge Outdoors for articles and editorials on when to ride and when not to ride. It is not being a trail nazi, but about maintaining sustainble multi-use trails.

As THE mountain bike advocacy group for the DC metro area, don't we have a responsibility to educate current riders and potential riders about sustainable trail riding? I fear when a new land manager comes into one of our parks and sees all these bike tracks and says we are damaging the park - no more riding.

You can send those red dots to me now.

[jvanbrecht]

What.. you mean you do not have the dedication to our sport to spend your every waking moment monitoring the trail... I call for a new liason.

ps, there is a spot of dirt in the wrong place over the hill and around the corner :)

On a serious note, I could care less what riders think of me when I ask them not to ride in the mud, we all spend incredible amounts of time working to keep the trails in shape, and watching someone (whether they know better or not), ride past you on muddy trails you are currently trying to fix on a trailwork day.. well thats just not cool.... The least they could do is hop off the bike for a few minutes and pitch in.

(ps in case anyone other then the individuals I am joking with think I am being serious, please look up the term sarcasm)

[CRAIG2]

Rabble rabble rabble rabble!

[bikerRob]

Did a ride at Roseryville today. Good news and bad news....The good news, the trails are in great shape. The bad news is that there is considerable vegetation over-growth hanging over some of the trails. Most of it is of the soft textured variety and just gives you the occasional slap on the arm. Unfortunately there is the occasional sticker or thorn bush over-hang that, although few you have to be watchful for. The real trouble spot was the power lines area on the southern most part of the park. There is very heavy over-growth of sticker/thorns on both sides of the trail in this area. When you ride though this you feel like you've run the gauntlet on a trail lined with razor blades on both sides. ( *Attention trail Liaison: To get to these problem areas take the main trail clockwise. The first two power line sections are where the thorns are with the second one being the worst. On the other side of the park the power line sections there were mowed and were fine. A good pair of hand hedge shears should do the job or a hand whip. Hope this helps ) Anyway, with all the over-hanging stuff check yourself for ticks after your ride. (edit: Also with all the over-growth there are some real blind turns. Be sure to listen up for on-coming riders. )

[absolutcq20v]

Did a ride at Roseryville today. Good news and bad news....The good news, the trails are in great shape. The bad news is that there is considerable vegetation over-growth hanging over some of the trails. Most of it is of the soft textured variety and just gives you the occasional slap on the arm. Unfortunately there is the occasional sticker or thorn bush over-hang that, although few you have to be watchful for.

I was out there Sat morning and was going to mention the same thing...the few wet areas from last weekend were all but dried up, but I have several cuts on my inner elbows and shins from the overgrowth. I'd offer to bring some shears, but I'd hate to do more harm than good...my trail maintenance skills are limited to just trying to stay on track.:cool:

[brcire]

Due to vacations and work schedules, Paul and I won't be able to get to it till the first week of August. Luckily, we have a youth group from a nearby church coming to help us out. :thumbsup:

The only spots where overgrowth can be an irritant to some are where the trail comes out in the powerlines or parts of the fields.

Remember the trails are multiuser, bidirectional, and have seen an increase in the last years from others (hikers, equestrians, and now and increase in trail runners). Please use caution when riding, there are blind corners in the woods. Nobody wants to hit anyone or have a close call.

[RetroG]

This bell (http://www.rei.com/product/723524) greatly reduces the chance of a head on collision.

[Huevos]

No doubt. The trail certainly has some blind corners. It was in great shape today, only a few small puddles. Sunday should be awesome.

edit: pretty big rain in the area last night, it may have ruined things. It might dry out late in the day if we get sun and wind.

[leroy]

Trails were great yesterday; I finished around 2:30. I'm sure the rain hammered the trails yesterday afternoon and last night :(. Need to find local rain weather info for the area. Two tree downfalls on the main loop. If your riding counterclockwise from the parking lot, the first one is at about the 1mile point and the second is around the 3mile mark.

[jtauber]

Regarding finding local rain info for an area, the NWS site has daily recorded rainfall amounts under the Month tab for a given area (Upper Marlboro 20772).

http://www.weather.com/weather/monthly/20772?from=36hr_topnav_undeclared


Hope this helps.

[jtauber]

That's The Weather Channel, not NWS. Sorry.

[Huevos]

The trails were in great shape yesterday. Tons of leaves down. If you get the chance, definately hit it up before the weather turns. Also, a fella lost his wallet there on Sunday. Sorry, I forgot his name, but Im sure he'd appreciate it if someone mailed it to him. :p

[CGrr]

Thought I'd stop by Rosaryville this morning to get in an early morning, before work ride but the trail is still wet and slick.

[brcire]

Thanks for the heads up!

With the dry one day, wet the next day cycle we seem to have entered, it could take 2-3 days for the trail to become rideable.

I hate this time of year for trails...

[CGrr]

Yeah, its bummin' me out.

[Huevos]

Others agree the trail is frozen enough to ride today?

[leroy]

Trail was good and frozen today. Not really thawing out much at all. Some nasty frozen ruts. Lot o fun. :p