Fairfax Epic Question: how far from Accotink to Laurel Hill via CCT

[jared_j]

Anyone know the mileage from the southern tip of Accotink (crossing under RR bridge) to Laurel Hill? PDFs from http://www.fairfaxcounty.gov/parks/cct/cctoverview.htm suggest 3.2 + 4.3 = 7.5 from Accotink Dam to Wadebrook Terrace & Pohick; the alleged southern tip of CCT according to those maps.

So how much further? I'd like to do a ride around Wakefield, one side of Accotink, down there, loop around the Laurel loops, them back up, hitting the other side of Accotink back to the car. I figure it would be 40-50 miles depending on how much preamble WF riding done.

I tried it today, rode a bunch of extra miles by missing the crossing of FFX County Pkwy (didn't bring a map, and didn't keep my eyes peeled enough for the CCT post-sign-thingies). Came back, headed south, and found a bunch of creek crossings. Had to turn back due to wasted time from above wasted miles. Was about 38 miles all said & done.

[MyOtherBrotherL]

Anyone know the mileage from the southern tip of Accotink (crossing under RR bridge) to Laurel Hill? PDFs from http://www.fairfaxcounty.gov/parks/cct/cctoverview.htm suggest 3.2 + 4.3 = 7.5 from Accotink Dam to Wadebrook Terrace & Pohick; the alleged southern tip of CCT according to those maps.

So how much further? I'd like to do a ride around Wakefield, one side of Accotink, down there, loop around the Laurel loops, them back up, hitting the other side of Accotink back to the car. I figure it would be 40-50 miles depending on how much preamble WF riding done.

I tried it today, rode a bunch of extra miles by missing the crossing of FFX County Pkwy (didn't bring a map, and didn't keep my eyes peeled enough for the CCT post-sign-thingies). Came back, headed south, and found a bunch of creek crossings. Had to turn back due to wasted time from above wasted miles. Was about 38 miles all said & done.

Great question. Check out my link: http://connect.garmin.com/activity/21314332

You can compute the distance from there.

I'm working on an FFX Epic. Wakefield to Accotink. CCT to Laurel Hill. 123 to the Firestation and the Powerlines to Founatinhead. Powerlines back to 123 and a loop around Burke Lake. Throw in some local bike trails and the CCT back to Wakefield. I almost have it nailed out. I figure it will be a 5 to 6 hour ride.

L

[eloach]

Anyone know the mileage from the southern tip of Accotink (crossing under RR bridge) to Laurel Hill? PDFs from http://www.fairfaxcounty.gov/parks/cct/cctoverview.htm suggest 3.2 + 4.3 = 7.5 from Accotink Dam to Wadebrook Terrace & Pohick; the alleged southern tip of CCT according to those maps.

So how much further? I'd like to do a ride around Wakefield, one side of Accotink, down there, loop around the Laurel loops, them back up, hitting the other side of Accotink back to the car. I figure it would be 40-50 miles depending on how much preamble WF riding done.

I tried it today, rode a bunch of extra miles by missing the crossing of FFX County Pkwy (didn't bring a map, and didn't keep my eyes peeled enough for the CCT post-sign-thingies). Came back, headed south, and found a bunch of creek crossings. Had to turn back due to wasted time from above wasted miles. Was about 38 miles all said & done.

From Wakefield to Laurel Hill and doing everything once at Laurel Hill is ~35 miles. That does not include any riding at WF or Accotink.

If you ride JUST TO Fountain Head but not the ST there, it's 53 round trip if you take OX road and Burke Lake road back towards WF.

Adding in 15 miles of WF, 15 miles of Acc and the ST at FH and you SHOULD end up around 80-90 miles. So, anyway you cut it, it should get you out of the house for the better part of a day.

My one thought is that riding the road from FH back to 123 would about finish you off and you'd probably want to bail on the 123 bike path back to Burke Lake/WF. Or if you were really nuts, you could leave at dawn, then pop down to Occaquan for some lunch, then take the ST back to WF.

Anyway, such a ride should leave most folks legs pretty tired. It's a good combination of different types of riding.

Going north is also a good option. I went that way today and I think you can make a good 60 miles out of it or add in WF/ACC and make it a monster ride. My one comment would be that the Northern route will be a LOT more moisture sensitive than the way south. It was all frozen today, but clearly it would be at least ankle deep mud when not frozen or dried out.

[mtbmore]

Great question. Check out my link: http://connect.garmin.com/activity/21314332

You can compute the distance from there.

I'm working on an FFX Epic. Wakefield to Accotink. CCT to Laurel Hill. 123 to the Firestation and the Powerlines to Founatinhead. Powerlines back to 123 and a loop around Burke Lake. Throw in some local bike trails and the CCT back to Wakefield. I almost have it nailed out. I figure it will be a 5 to 6 hour ride.

L

I figure with stops it is closer to 8 hours

[DKEG]

We did a Wakefield, Accotink, Laurel Hills and CCT ride that weekend. We did not get all of Wakefield in due to conditions. I think it came in about 43 miles. At least that is what I was told.

[jared_j]

Thanks for all the replies. I may try to do just the WF -> Accotink -> Laurel Hill & back ride next weekend, and gradually work my way up to the epic down to FH. What are the Power Lines trails? Literally trails following clearcuts for power lines?

I've done a ride up the northern version-ish, and agree it is quite conditions-sensitive. I conceive of this ride as a way to go get in a mondo endurance ride without (a) driving up to Germantown to partake in the Seneca epic, and (b) something to do when it is cold as balls that is more comfortable than a big road ride.

I may post up on the rides board a call to try it out.

[MyOtherBrotherL]

... What are the Power Lines trails? Literally trails following clearcuts for power lines?....

On the Garmin link I embedded below, Zoom in on the intersection of 123 and Hampton Road (About 3 from the max). Switch the view to Satellite. You can actually see the double track trails. The ones starting at the fire station are not marked "No Trespassing" and there is no gate. Some of the power line sections in that area are marked private property and are literally horse fields.

On my track you can see that I got off the power lines and onto an old piece of single track that was part of the original FFX epic that MORE led in the early 90's. It brought back some great memories until it ended at the McMansions. I took a wrong a turn at the substation but next time I'm gonna make it.

I figure with stops it is closer to 8 hours

Maybe 8 SCUD hours but definitely not 8 DKEG hours!!

:D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D

On this link I did a loop through Accotink, the CCT and all of Laurel Hill. The water was very high that day so I walked all of the Fair Weather crossings. I also took three wrong turns on the CCT and snapped my chain 3 times. At three link pairs down I bailed at Rolling Road and took the short cut home (Saves 15 to 20 minutes). Total ride time 4 Hours and 16 minutes.

http://connect.garmin.com/activity/20435595

I have an in with the Park Guys at FH. They would probably let me park the Swag Truck at FH and leave it there overnight. We could stock it with water, food and other supplies high in carbohydrates. Four lucky riders could bail from there. We could also stash some supplies at FH and/or Laurel Hill.

Scud could be right about the 8 hours but a dedicated group, minimal mechanicals and a nailed down route could do it in 6. Keep in mind the CCT and the bike paths along 123 are mind numbingly boring. ((The rocks in Accotink creek and along the side of the trail down near Silverbrook are amazing but the trail itself is flat as a pancake)).

Here's a couple of closing thoughts.

1. The ride is "Epic" in duration and time in saddle. The terrain itself is not "Epic" Like I said above, the sections between parks are basically a road ride without cars.

2. The fair weather crossings are not passable when the water is high. Also when it’s this cold they can be downright dangerous. (I know my way around about half of them).

3. I can see this ride being offered once or twice a year. Any more than that and there would be a mutiny.

4. The power lines are very weather intolerant and are borderline legal to ride. I say borderline because you will find some sections with "No trespassing signs (Usually at major road crossings) and then 100 yards in you'll find a basketball court, dog park or paved trail from the adjoining neighborhoods. I know it's a liability issue at the entrance and exits. And I know there are sections where right of ways are shared with FCPA. But where they start and stop I do not have a clue.

[jared_j]

Thanks, this additional detail is really valuable.

The fair weather crossings were OK yesterday; water was low, and sunlight has ensured the concrete steps were not icy.

I also agree that stretches can be boring (e.g. epic in length, but not in nature). It's a useful ride to do if it's too cold to do a long road ride. I'm trying to get back into bike shape, and have a hard time doing 3-4+ hour road rides when it's as cold as it is right now.

[wrench177]

Great question. Check out my link: http://connect.garmin.com/activity/21314332

You can compute the distance from there.

I'm working on an FFX Epic. Wakefield to Accotink. CCT to Laurel Hill. 123 to the Firestation and the Powerlines to Founatinhead. Powerlines back to 123 and a loop around Burke Lake. Throw in some local bike trails and the CCT back to Wakefield. I almost have it nailed out. I figure it will be a 5 to 6 hour ride.

L
I "think" that was the loop originally planned on our Cross Dorks ride. Ours, however, was the reverse direction. 5 to 6 hours is a very ambitious goal. Pace would be brisk and there would have to be minimal stops. A couple mechanicals or someone who over-estimates their ability/fitness would make this goal hard to obtain. Of course, we did it in 20 degree temps with 25 mph winds and an icy CCT. The beers at Kilroy's probably didn't help either. :D

8 hours is more realistic if this were done as a group ride, I think.

[joep]

I "think" that was the loop originally planned on our Cross Dorks ride. Ours, however, was the reverse direction. 5 to 6 hours is a very ambitious goal. Pace would be brisk and there would have to be minimal stops. A couple mechanicals or someone who over-estimates their ability/fitness would make this goal hard to obtain. Of course, we did it in 20 degree temps with 25 mph winds and an icy CCT. The beers at Kilroy's probably didn't help either. :D

8 hours is more realistic if this were done as a group ride, I think.

We could have kept going, but we started around 9:20am and were running out of daylight. The plan was to hit Kilroys and the Main St. Pub in Clifton, but we had to cut it short. Climbing out of Clifton after a few beers would have been fun though, just maybe not in the dark. :)

[wrench177]

We could have kept going, but we started around 9:20am and were running out of daylight. Like Todd said, the burgers and beers didn't help our pace but they sure tasted good.
So, say we didn't stop at Kilroy's and simply ate on the trail. Do you think we could have finished the whole loop as originally planned? How much more time/distance would FH have added? I think we discussed this at the table, but, my brain was still partially frozen and I can't remember.

I will say that last hill and road section SUCKED! Staying in the woods and away from the biting wind would have been better, if we had more daylight.

[MyOtherBrotherL]

Man - You guys are forcing me to do MATH!!

The ride I have planned in my tiny brain would be MTB and not the Fixie/Pub crawl one you all did.

Starting at Wakefield and riding there and all of Accotink: 1 Hour
Ride from Accotink to Laurel Hill: 1.5 hours(rounded up)
Ride at Laurel Hill: 1 Hour (Rounded Down)
Ride to FH: .5 hours
Ride at FH and a pit stop: 1.5 hours
Ride back to Wakefield via Burke Lake and South Run 1.5 to 2 hours (Depending if you add Lake Mercer in or not)

Total time: 7 hours

However I suspect the call of Glory Days and refreshing beverages could shorten the route but dramatically increase the length of time it takes to get back to the cars. (Unless the TBL sprinter happened to be at the Burke store and then I have a few other idea's)

Again - Not epic riding but a very long day in the saddle.

[wrench177]

Man - You guys are forcing me to do MATH!!

The ride I have planned in my tiny brain would be MTB and not the Fixie/Pub crawl one you all did.

You know you like doing the math. ;)

We didn't get to do the pub crawl and only Pete was fixed (not sure why). Sure, we were supposed to hit two pubs, however, we only made it to one and that stop was out of necessity. We were starving by that point, had already eaten the two turkey sandwiches I packed and nearly broke molars trying to chew frozen Cliff Bloks. If we could have made a fire, there was talk about BBQing JoeP. Of course, DKEG would have provide more sustenance. :p

[joep]

So, say we didn't stop at Kilroy's and simply ate on the trail. Do you think we could have finished the whole loop as originally planned?

Maybe not. We spent about an hour at Kilroys. If we just rode straight through that hour, we could have ridden to FH and done a shorter loop (slower on our cross bikes), been hungry as hell, tired and miserable, and done another climb like the last one we did. I think we did the right thing.

We'll have to try it again without the freezing temps, and headwinds. I really would like to do a ride that hits the Clifton pub.

[MyOtherBrotherL]

I had another FAILED attempt at making it from Laurel Hill to Fountainhead. Well making it there semi safe anyway. The trip from Accotink to LH was done at a good pace. I wasn't sprinting but I knocked 15 minutes off my previous pace by riding all but the last Fair Weather crossing and not having to worry about the snow (Zipped right up ORANGE hill too).

I followed 123 to Hampton Road and entered the Power Lines at the Fire Station.

((The power lines were pretty darn dry given how warm it was and that gave me a good feeling for the TNR crew at Wakefield))

At the substation I got confused (AGAIN) and ended up on the trail that dumped me back on Hampton Rd. at Van Thompson. DOH!

Broken and disappointed, I followed Hampton Road (In the Dark on a Black Carbon Superfly) up to FH. I was lucky with Cars and I only had to deal with about 4 of them. After passing FH I turned onto Shadow Ln and hopped onto the power lines at Dominion Valley Drive in the hopes of backtracking to the substation.

It was a doomed attempt from the get go. As I rode up Shadow Lane there was a sign that greeted me saying "Private Road and Bridal Trails - No Trespassing”.

At the Power Lines there was only a VA Power sign that said "No Motorized Vehicles" There was an Open Gate and a very well warn double track. That all changed as I got down to the creek. There was NOT a crossing and the single track heading towards Henderson had "No Trespassing” signs on every tree.

I called it quits, backtracked and took Hampton to Henderson and followed the abandoned bridal trail up Henderson to 123. If you've never had the opportunity to ride this piece of trail then consider yourself lucky. It is only one step better than riding the road. Rutted and Fall Line it is utterly heinous. It picks up from just pass the bridge and goes to about Thistledown. But it gets you off of Henderson so that is its only saving grace.

I wish I understood how all of the trails, the right of way and county roads (Blue Signs) can be signed as Private - No Trespassing, but be considered open to Horsey's and locals. I wish I knew or understood who that property belonged to.

I quite disappointed and would hate for the Epic to include riding along Hampton Road.

Thoughts??

http://connect.garmin.com/activity/22393915

[tsunayoshi]

Could we (MORE) get a hold of the power company and attempt to get permission to ride within the right-of-way from the firestation to that road (Dominion Valley Dr?) ?

It looks like you were real close to connecting the two ends.

[camp]

...
I wish I understood how all of the trails, the right of way and county roads (Blue Signs) can be signed as Private - No Trespassing, but be considered open to Horsey's and locals. I wish I knew or understood who that property belonged to.
Small, white, route number signs indicate public/VDOT roads.

Anything else is considered private. There are no county roads in Fairfax and all other counties in VA (except Arlington & Henrico). Private roads also include shopping center roads, townhouses, and many of those private developments off Henderson and Hampton.

The right of way on a road with white route number signs is public.
The right of way on a road without white route number signs is not.

Those bridal trails belong to the developments and residents.

I'm late to this thread, and I know you probably already know most of this, but maybe there's a nugget in there that you weren't sure of.

[camp]

Adding on,
Private in my last post really means non-VDOT, non-state-maintained. That means it's maintained (owned) by the developer, property managers, businesses etc.

It doesn't always mean private, as in "Private Property, Keep Out".

For example, I lived on a non-state road in the townhouses in Centreveille. That never stopped a pizza delivery car from using those roads to find me. They are publicly available for traffic and bikes, but are privately maintained, ie, your taxes aren't maintaining them.

[MyOtherBrotherL]

Is there a way of looking any of this up?

I ask because I tend not to believe some of these "Private Only" signs. A good example of this is the abandoned bridal trail along Henderson. If you ride it you'll find old rusty signs that say it's a private Horse Trail but I confirmed that fact as to be not true. (Of course like I said before it’s a piece of POO but still better than riding Henderson on an MTB at night)

As for the streets off of Hampton, one would think you could look them up in a State database to see if you were allowed to walk or ride your bikes on them.

L

[Jackson]

Could we (MORE) get a hold of the power company and attempt to get permission to ride within the right-of-way from the firestation to that road (Dominion Valley Dr?) ?

It looks like you were real close to connecting the two ends.

Likely the power company does not own that land, simply has easement rights for their infrastructure and access.

[camp]

This site (http://www.virginiadot.org/projects/protim.asp) shows what's state-owned and not.

Use the DTA Tax/Parcel viewer on the Fairfax County GIS website to see parcel/property boundaries.

My guess is those bridal trails will show up in parcels, maybe as an easement, but maybe not in a lot of cases.