Skyline Drive drive

A few times this fall, Teri and I thought about hitting Skyline drive, doing a little hiking, and checking out a brewery or winery. Usually this idea came to us after the weekend was over or it was too late to plan. So we finally planned it. She picked me up at 8am on Sunday and we were off. Good thing we had an extra hour of sleep thanks to the DLS time change.

The weather was nice. The leaves were about peaking in DC, which means they were past peak out in the mountains, but they were still very nice. Skyline Drive wasn’t as busy as I thought it would be. Traffic wasn’t bad at all. We picked two of the shorter hikes. One with a large waterfall and another with a 360 degree summit view. They were probably the more popular hikes for people doing the drive like us but they weren’t too busy. The waterfall hike was downhill the whole way there and a bit cold without my jacket. It was worth the hike though and much warmer walking back up. At the end of Skyline Drive we hiked up to a little rock covered summit. It only took 15 minutes so I convinced Teri to hike on. It was actually part of the Appalachian Trail. We ran in to two guys who were finishing up an overnight 14 mile segment. It wasn’t the most exciting portion of the AT though so we made a U-turn before we got to our planned turn around.

After the drive and the hiking we were ready for some food. I originally planned to go to Devil’s Backbone brewery which is a favorite of mine but when I saw that the Blue Mountain Brewery was having their 4th Anniversary Birthday party we headed there instead. There was a lot of people but not much special going on besides a moon bounce and kettle corn. We missed the special menu by about 30 minutes. We had some decent food, sampled all seven of their beers, and each got a growler fill to take home. Teri got the Rockfish Wheat and I got their Full Nelson.

On the way back we ended up on I-95 somehow thanks to our GPS. And as we were stuck in traffic we looked over and saw Mark and Michelle trying to get our attention. After connecting with them on the phone we followed them on Rt-1 for a bit to avoid the traffic. Not sure how much time we saved but it was nice to be moving.

It was a long day in the car but Skyline Drive, the hiking, and trying new beers was fun. I didn’t see any black bears as I did once in the past but maybe next time. I gotta get out in the mountains and woods every so often or I get withdraw.

The GPS data includes the whole day from the drive out to the drive back. If you go to the split times you can see that laps 2 and 4 are the two hikes we did.

Scott’s wedding

Almost 18 months after Beth’s wedding Scott picked 9/10/11 to get married. How you can get married on 9/10/11 and not do it at noon or midnight I have no idea. Thinking about it now if it was me I’d have the reception first and then have the ceremony at midnight with whoever is still around.

The wedding was at the Tides Inn in the northern neck of Virginia. I’ve never been in the northern neck before but have heard about it from boaters and locals. Basically that is the slice of Virginia that extends towards the Bay from I-95 with the Potomac River on the north and the Rappahannock River on the south. I was sharing a room with Beth and Matt. They wanted to room up with me at a place a fraction of the price a few miles away but after all kinds of finagling we ended up staying together at the Tides Inn. Scott, Jen, and my parents arrived on Thursday I believe. The rest of the family all showed up before the rehearsal on Friday. Robert and his crew got about a 30 minute head start and arrived about an hour before I because traffic got progressively worse. I-95 between DC and Richmond is the worst. Especially on a Friday or Sunday. After talking to my Dad on the phone from the road everyone at the rehearsal thought I was stuck in traffic all day. Once I got off I-95 it was my kind of ride on rural highways. I picked up some beer on the way assuming that there would be some point during the weekend where alcoholic beverages would be in need. Of course that came to be true.

The Tides Inn was quite the little resort. They had a marina with boats, a sailing school that was unfortunately closed during this weekend, a beach, a pool, a spa, nine holes of golf, bikes, and the nicest staff. I pulled in and caught up with Beth and Matt. After getting settled I met Mom and some other family in the lobby. As my father and his brother get older they look more and more alike. We did the rehearsal. The weather was perfect after tons of rain the last couple of weeks. I get to make the initial entry in to the ceremony escorting Jen’s grandmother. After being the videographer at Beth’s wedding I got the job again at Scott’s wedding. So after walking down Jen’s grandmother I taped the rehearsal and tried to pick out good points of view that complimented Robert and Tiffany’s video camera.

Before dinner Matt, Beth, Robert, and I hit Walmart to load up on beer. We each got a 12 pack. This turned out to be a smart move later in the night. The rehearsal dinner was more time to catch up with extended family and friends of Scott and Jen’s that I don’t normally see. It was nice to hang out with Mike and Steve from Pburg. It was a buffet dinner. I sat with my parents, Beth, Matt, and others but hard to remember after hanging out and talking to so many people throughout the weekend. I do remember they had some fat slabs of beef for the rehearsal dinner. Afterwards all the youngin’s (or young livin’ folk) ended up at the bridal suite partying it up all night long. This is where the beer run earlier paid out because our beer was the only beer everyone at the wedding had to drink that night. Luckily we loaded up. We were happy to share to keep the party going and let everyone have a good time. After carrying my big cooler over I ran back out to grab my stereo to provide tunes for the party (does anyone else not think of these essentials?). While running up the brick steps in the dark I slammed my foot in to the steps and broke my big toenail. Nothing a few drinks couldn’t solve. We had a decent late night party. Cousins Beverly and Adam hung out with us after showing up a little late.

The guys went golfing around 9:30 the next morning. I was passed out in bed at 9:30 in the morning. Beth got up a little later and started helping out with the wedding set up. Lots of nautical themed items to place around. I eventually got up and presented myself around 11:00. After wondering around the grounds and asking people who worked there I still couldn’t find the dinner location where everyone was setting up so I had to call Robert to lead me. My Dad, Phil, and I decided to eat lunch at the place. I wonder if my brother and I will look so similar in 25 years? Robert was trying to get us to start the afternoon activities and after all kinds of meandering around the pool we eventually took out some boats. We took off in two kayaks and a little motor boat. Robert and I explored the coves around the property. Afterwards Steven and I (UK Steve not Sponseller) took off on a bike ride to the boat yard which was close by. The yard was pretty much full of sailboats that were stored out of the water which we thought was odd for this time of year. Maybe people pulled early with Irene coming in. After the bike ride I had less than enough time to make another beer run. I barely made the 4:00 meeting time for pictures. It wasn’t the worst experience I’ve ever had but by the end I was quite warm in my suit. I had to run back to the room and clean up before the 5:15 wedding meeting time.

Because of traffic or a number of other reasons people were showing up right until the last minute. Again the weather was perfect after a forecast of some rain. The band were two of Scott and Jen’s friends playing keyboard and acoustic guitar. They were quite good. I didn’t hurt that they played music I enjoyed. I heard some Grateful Dead and other classic tunes. They learned to play the wedding song the previous day. The ceremony started pretty much on time. I opened the show so of course all eyes were initially on Jen’s grandmother and I. After seating her I picked up my stashed video camera and attempted to capture the live event. It is not easy to capture a live event without much rehearsal. I remember I kicked the camera stand at one point while trying to change locations. I did get Adam knocking over the aisle lantern and taking 10 minutes to pick it back up. The ringing of the bell was a bit awkward for the parents and new couple. Scott and Jen’s ring was the worst. Another classic shot I enjoyed taking was the family getting up from the front rows and exiting after the new couple. Matt had a drink in his hand. It reminded me of Scott drinking during the rehearsal. I like a relaxed wedding.

We took more pictures while everyone else hung out on the patio and had cocktails and snacks. I took video as well. Mostly of the youngin’s playing on the croquet field. It was quite the setting. During this time and all the others when there was an open or cash bar I was either handed beers or I grabbed them out of my cooler in the trunk of my car. I’d have to say I was a rather cheap quest at the bar that weekend.

At first I thought the dinner set up was odd as it seemed to be separated between different rooms but then as the sun went down I saw that we all had a wonderful view of the sun setting over the river. The courses seemed to take their time but dinner was good. Eating a little over a long period of time suits me well so no complaints. The cake was nice with the wedding couple in a small sail boat on top. Afterwards they had the typical DJ. It is as if all these guys had the exact same training and play the exact same playlist. A big topic of conversation was when I was getting married and my three year plan. It is anyone’s guess when that will happen. I promise that I will not have a typical wedding DJ at my wedding. I am very much a music person and there is nothing worse than the party being killed by some crappy song. A crappy song played LOUDLY. It completely turns me off. I’m planning on a live band at my wedding and I’m leaning towards a full latin ensemble. I went to a wedding with a Guatemalan bride and the latin band closed out the reception with only about a dozen of us guests long after the wedding party left and only after an encore. That is how my reception will end. We did get down to a few good songs. Everyone remembered James Brown the next day. And most of us remembered Tiffany doing the Jersey Turnpike. The Tides Inn staff and I literally were rolling on the floor laughing. She was thumpin’ it perfectly.

After a few bad songs I solicited Scott for after-hour plans. I was ready to ditch the reception and relax in a setting where friends could converse and good music was in the background. It was close to the DJ ending so Scott gave us the key and after a stop for supplies we eventually met back up with Scott at the suite. Not as many people showed up as the previous night. The party didn’t rage too hard or late.

I was told to be at brunch between 9:30 and 10:00 the next day. I was there close to 9:30 but not too conscious. I sat with the wedding party and friends. It was the final time to see the extended family and others I don’t normally run in to. There were lots of kids and they were entertainment during many of the events throughout the weekend. After packing up and checking out my parents and I had lunch at the local cafe. As we left the wind was pushing the rain on top of us even though the clouds weren’t directly above us. The weather held out for the whole weekend. I enjoyed taking the Maryland route home and saw some flooding damage.

sailboat transport

Scott’s friend, Lars, has a 28 foot Tartan that he wanted to move from the Washington Sailing Marina near Regan Airport out to Deale, MD. Someone called it a pseudo bachelor party for Scott and there ended up being six of us total. It would be an overnight trip around 155 miles (135 nm) sailing the whole way. Matt was the only person without sailing experienced. I think the rest of us had all done long overnight trips before. A lot would depend on the weather.

Robert and his wife had us over for dinner and to stay the night on Friday so we could leave early Saturday morning. Scott and Robert had dropped Scott’s car off at the destination marina. We ate chili and spicy enchiladas for dinner. Everyone passed out pretty early and by 11:30 I found I was the only one awake. I wasn’t ready for bed on this Friday just yet so I drove the 10 minutes home and eventually passed out in my own bed. The next morning I showed up for breakfast. We had breakfast tacos with farm raised pork I believe. It was a good way to start the day.

The plan was to leave the dock around 9:00 and we got there 15 or 20 minutes beforehand to pack. Lars and Steve’s wives and kids were there to see us off. Once the boat was loaded and all the hugs and kisses were given we left around 9:30. In for the long haul.

We had lots of food, water, beer, and music. The GPS guided us the whole way. Lars had all the way points in for the whole trip so we just followed the route and rounded a buoy on every turn. The GPS map included depth and it was surprisingly shallow in many areas of the Potomac. We had to motor most of the way down the Potomac because of a southern breeze. We used the jib or main as much as we could. The weather wasn’t perfect but not too bad on Saturday. The overcast kept the sun away mostly. It rained around us a lot and on us a bit. We passed the Woodrow Wilson Bridge, Fort Washington, Mt Vernon, and a ton of other landmarks. A fire boat passed us with its lights on but we didn’t spot any boats on fire ahead of us. I’ve driven over the RT-301 bridge a lot going from Annapolis to Richmond but had never been under it. We were able to use the auto pilot often and just set the course that the GPS told us to go. After the 301 bridge the river really opened up. Once night settled in we just followed the route on the GPS and watched out for other boats.

Around midnight I think everyone passed out but Steve and Lars who sailed all night in the rain.

I slept in the back berth which was nice because I had walls. Matt and Scott slept in the cabin benches so when we heeled over or came about they would tend to roll off their bench. Around daybreak everyone woke up but Scott. I sailed for a bit on a nice easy beam reach. We had a nice wind coming from the west that kept us on a reach up the Bay until it died. Then we sat in the hot sun with no wind while we motored the rest of the way. The last leg was brutal in the sun and humidity. I managed to protect myself mostly but it wasn’t easy with as much as you sweat in 100 degree heat index. We also managed to drink all the beer but one of the 10% ABV Gubna’s.

The wives and kids met us at the destination marina in Deale, MD. It looked like a nice marina. There was a wedding going on and people hanging out at the beach. We saw two crabs mating in the water at the dock. Once the boat was unloaded and the cars packed we were off. It was a long trip for only being 36 miles away by car. After leaving at 9:30am on Saturday we arrived around 1:30pm on Sunday (28 hours). Our route was 166 miles (144 nm).

GPS map and data

pictures and videos

riding free

I wish I was a kid again...

Take Away The Worry

Phish Super Ball IX

The big three day Phish festival called Super Ball IX came quick with lots of events preceding it the last few weeks. I think I originally planned to drive up on Thursday but because of the lack of planning we ended up taking off early Friday morning. Matt was coming in from Spain and because I was supposed to leave during the day on Thursday he got a ride from Brent who came from PA to pick him up. Opps. Teri and I drove up an acquaintance who had to work Thursday night. The new plan was to leave at 6am Friday morning. The first set was scheduled for 7:30 that evening. We wanted to plan for a long line getting in and some time to set up camp. At the last minute I found out that we could not take the charcoal grill we wanted to use to cook. I also found out it was a good thing we got canned beer because bottles were not allowed.

While I was waiting outside to get picked up Teri was waking up late. She jumped in her car and headed over to my place from her new Crystal City apartment. We packed up all my gear and the cooler and set off. It was about a 5.5 hour drive on mostly secondary highways in the rural country of MD, PA, and NY. It took awhile but I was finally able to find a method to listen to the Bunny radio station on site at the concert. They were playing great tunes and giving info about the weekend and the process for getting through the gate.

I saw a few Amish folk in PA. Our 3rd person drove the last leg and was following his broken iPhone to Watkins Glen the city. We didn’t get too far before I noticed and we swung over to the race track. We were in the VIP camping site which had a special entrance on the opposite side of the track. At the first entrance we went in they pointed us around to the other side of the track. Then when we got there the cop told us they just opened another entrance and we should head that way because it would probably be quicker. We figured with his radio he knew what he was talking about but he did not. We ended up back at the entrance where they turned us around last time. So we turned around again and got back in line where the cop had been. After walking up to the front I found out that the VIP camping had its own line and we were able to get in relatively quickly. While waiting we were entertained by some guys who worked at the track and got their pickup stuck in the mud on the side of the road. The security to get in the lot was strict. You had to get out of your car and they searched it top to bottom. Lots of people were getting all of their beer and much of their food confiscated because it was in glass bottles. I saw people in line with multiple coolers full of glass bottles and they didn’t know what they were going to do with it all.

As we entered our camp ground I started making fun of some people who had to park up front next to a bunch of fire department vehicles. Then we quickly realized that we were being directed to that location. It actually turned out to be a very nice spot. Not only were we 100 feet from the entrance to the venue but we had twice as much room as most people and shade. The fire guys kept to themselves. I would have been more worried if they were cops. We got there with plenty of time to set up camp, meet our neighbors, and touch base with Matt & Brent.

I’m more equipped for backpacking rather than car camping so my tent is small and I don’t have an EZ Up canopy for cover like most festival goers. We also didn’t have a stove/grill not being allowed to take the charcoal grill. We could have easily used it without any issue. We brought enough munchies and found enough food on site. Matt said he didn’t buy anything all weekend. I loved the jalapeno cheddar hush puppies the best. Although the southern fried chicken tacos were quite good too. The jambalaya wasn’t too bad. I only had one grilled cheese the whole weekend.

Everyone was running out of power for their cell phones. There was plenty of service but not many ways to charge your battery. The guys next to us killed the battery on their SUV. There was a charging station in the venue that was usually quite full. My Solio solar charger didn’t work that well because I had to have it out in the sun at all times and I wasn’t at camp all the time. It wasn’t until Sunday that we noticed the piece of equipment next to our camp being used for either the vendors or the stage. It was a black case with a few racks of 12v outlets as well as a wifi router and a panel for some type of system adjustments. From that point on we had all the power we needed right at our camp site. Unfortunately we found it on the third day. I could have charged people money for powering up their cell phones.

The bathrooms in our VIP campground were a bit cleaner than most I think. The best part was being able to run out during the show to our bathrooms or campsite. The entrance/exit was right near the stage and our campsite. We’d go to skip the long bathroom lines in the venue or to sneak beer back in the venue. It was perfect. On Saturday I visited the executive bathroom trailer which was quite nice. It was all decked out with fake wood and fake marble and had A/C and music. Very luxurious. On Sunday I was able to be the first one in a port-o-potty after it had been cleaned. That is always a big score to get a clean port-o-potty. Teri and I both took showers right after the concert ended each night in the shower trailers. That way we had warm water and no lines and could pass out in the tent clean. It was very dirty all weekend with all the dust. During the day the lines for the showers and bathrooms could get long.

It was a great three days of music. It only sprinkled a little bit one day. Everything worked out well and the trip home with Matt went quick. Saturday was a long day of music with three scheduled sets and then a surprise late night set. Teri and I happened to be right in the middle of the action by accident when the late night set started. We hung out with Matt and Brent for a lot of the weekend. Everyone had fun with all the activities such as the waffle ball tournament, 5K run, running of the bulls, and other stuff. Our neighbors got to fourth place in the waffle ball tournament. I wish I would have gotten on the ferris wheel. Of course balls were the theme of the weekend and there were hundreds of beach balls floating around during the shows. Phish even brought out their own super huge balls during AC/DC’s Big Balls. Being that there were about 8 sets of music throughout the weekend I won’t list it all here (go here for setlists). You can see the official videos for Friday, Saturday, and Sunday and a special fan based video. And of course my pics and videos.

a good Sunday

Sunday turned out to be a good day. The weather was great. Teri and I had breakfast with Beth and Matt before they took off. Kirby was in town for the weekend and since I missed ful we met up at Meridian Park to chat for a bit. Lots of people there being a nice Sunday. After catching up we checked out the drum circle and then I rode to ChrurchKey for some food and drink. I had heard they might have some sweet beers left over from SAVOR week and they did not disappoint. They did a Short’s night last week and still had a bunch of their very creative beers. I sampled the Bloody Beer which did have a very bloody mary taste. Next was the Anniversary Ale which is a blood orange wheat wine beer. I also tasted the Mamas Strawberry Milk which is a strawberry ale brewed with milk sugar aged in brandy barrels. And finally their Another Caucasian Gary which definitely has a white russian flavor.

Finally on Sunday evening for the first time I was able to sit on my couch, relax, and watch my new tv. A great week.

BikeDC

When I first heard about BikeDC a few years ago I thought it was a little crazy to pay $35 to wake up early and ride in the streets of DC as I do on a daily basis. I emailed the organization because I was curious about the entry fee. Most of it goes to the permit they need to shut down the major roads and highways of DC for a few hours. Last year I was thinking about doing it but it rained. This year there was a perfect weather forecast so I registered the night before. It was an intereting course starting at the Capitol building, going past the White House, past the Kennedy Center, across the river and up the GW Parkway, then around the Marine Corps Memorial to the Air Force Memorial, before heading back across the river and finishing in DC.

As I was riding across the river in to DC to the start I saw the first riders going up the GW Parkway. I showed up at end of the allotted start time but people were still arriving and lots of people still milling around the start. I took what I thought was a very nice picture of the Capitol building with many bikers in front. Later I realized I was missing my memory card. Along the ride I saw people of all ages and types including a lot of kids and kid carriers. The most interesting was a tandem bike with mom up front, son on back, and the younger sister on the kid-bike-attachment as the third person. Everyone was having a good time riding in the open streets of DC.

There was a little bottle neck at the VA side of the bridge because the exit ramp was split with riders going in both directions. The GW Parkway was nice. Longer than I expected when looking at the route. Lots of hills that some people had trouble on. The experienced bikers in the group were held up a lot by the more casual and slower people. We'd form small lines on the left and slip by when we could between the packed lane on our right and the on-coming traffic of riders on the left separated by a traffic cone on occasion.

It was my first time at the Air Force Memorial. It has a decent view of DC. People must have wondered what was going on with about 5000 bikers showing up. The Memorial was designated as one of the few rest stops with food, water, and bathrooms. It was a pretty nice event. The turnout was big and the weather was almost perfect. I only saw one crash or actually the crash aftermath. I saw a couple Capital Bikeshare bikes which would have been expensive and difficult to take up the hills. I'd love to do the event again next year and start at the beginning of the line.

GPS route info

Netherlands Carillon

It was a nice day so Teri and I rode bikes to Shirlington to have lunch. On the way past the Marine Corps Memorial and the Arlington National Cemetery we saw that the Netherlands Carillon was open. I've been riding past it for years and this was one of the only times I've seen it open. The last time was years ago. Teri and I stopped and took the opportunity to go up inside and check out the view. Other folks there were saying that it was closed for a few years. I didn't have my camera with me but below is a phone picture. It was a nice view. The bells rang while we were up there but thankfully it was only a quarter after the hour. Teri got a little wheezy being up so high and we headed down before the bells rang again.

first bike ride

It wasn't my first bike ride of the season but it was definitely the warmest. It was in the upper 80's and stayed warm throughout the night. Around 5:00 I suddenly realized I needed to be out of the stressful office and on the outdoor carefree trail. I didn't make it on my bike till 6:30 of course but it was still bright and warm out.

The trail was filled with people. I wasn't too bothered as I need to work my pace back up. It was very windy. I didn't mind the resistance this ride too much for some reason and of course going with the wind you feel like Superman. I just made it to the airport and back; less than 10 miles. Looking forward to some hard and leisurely and hard rides on a regular basis this summer.

GPS data

Cherry Blossoms

It has stayed cool this early spring and it was odd to see the cherry blossoms open the last two weeks. The weather finally opened up on Sunday. Of course being a weekend it was a mad-house down on the mall and around the Tidal Basin. I don't think I've been down during the weekend in awhile during the Cherry Blossom Festival as I don't remember so many people. It was nuts. Teri and I biked down and had to lock them up because there were too many people to ride among. It is interesting to see the trees blossom in the city each year. It is a lot of color and you wish they would last for more than a week or two out of the year. I'll have to do another geo-tag ride some year. Not too many pictures this year. We saw a bride and flower girls. The Jefferson Memorial is being renovated on the outside and it was no fun having to walk all the way around to get to the steps. Hopefully the government doesn't shut down for the tourists this weekend or all the memorials and sites will close.

I took a few pics of kids being posed in the trees and I wonder what the parents must think as some stranger captures their kids.

pictures

We biked 4.45 miles to and from the mall and walked 2.46 miles around the Tidal Basin.

GPS data

Duncan Knob

Teri and sought out a new hike and decided to do Duncan Knob. It was pretty cool. It's a loop in the George Washington National Forest. We almost missed the little side path to the Knob which would have been a bummer cuz it was a nice view after a rock scramble.

Pics and videos

GPS route

Old Rag hike

After visiting the breweries the previous day we did a Monday hike of Old Rag. This is the most popular hike in Virginia and the DC area. It has great views and some rock scrambling. It's a nice hike if you can avoid the crowds.

Pics and videos

GPS route

bald eagle on Mt Vernon trail

I did the Mt Vernon Trail yesterday and saw a bald eagle hanging out next to its next. Those things are HUGE. As I was riding up I was checking out the tree knowing it was a bald eagle nest but I could only see a small white bird. As I got closer I realized that was actually the tail feathers of this eagle. It was bent over scratching itself or something. I've seen this nest before on a previous bike trip and I saw a bald eagle hunting the Potomac River as I was near in a canoe. They are starting to be a common site around the Potomac.

My ride went OK. It was a hot day and I tried to go early. My wheel was rather bent. I did better with food before the ride but need to have more than just my first meal in me before I go.

Stats:

Distance: 37.97 mi

Moving Time: 02:33:45

Elapsed Time: 02:47:19

Avg Speed: 14.8 mph

Max Speed: 25.3 mph

GPS data

Billy Goat trail

Since we failed to trek the trail on our last trip Teri and I made a second attempt. This time it was open. Being one of the first nice weekends of the year there were lots of people out. The most crowded I've seen the trail actually. It wasn't horrible though and we were able to maintain our own pace. Just like last time the water was quite high. I recorded the GIS data from the hike on my phone but for some reason the file won't upload to my Garmin Connect account. We saw lots of kayakers and rock climbers. We also saw 17 turtles all hanging out together; with 15 on the same two logs.

pics and videos

C&O Park again

Everyone wants to get out when it starts getting warm and the closest cool place to escape the city is Great Falls. Great Falls Park is on the Virginia side and C&O Park is on the MD side. The falls and the rocky Billy Goat Trail are the popular destinations. Just ask my parents after their 2006 trip.

I wanted to show Teri the falls and trail but when we got there the Billy Goat Trail was closed off. We had to settle for a stroll along the canal and a view of the falls. The water was up higher than I've seen before. The satellite map only shows two or three waterfalls under the boardwalk but I took pictures of four or five. Exciting stuff.

GPS data from walk

pics and videos

first ride

I went biking for the first time this year today. It's warm and dry this week, just under 70, after a week of melting snow and rain. I rode my bike to work and for a small loop after work. There was some semi-truck stopped on Washington BLVD near the Memorial Bridge where it is not supposed to be with police and a huge backup.

Looking forward to warm weather.

Snowshoe II

Of course I planned a snowboarding trip on Presidents Day weekend and my old high school friends plan a trip for the following weekend. Brett, Karnes, Wismer, and McCoy decided to go on a quick one-day two-night trip to Snowshoe. So Teri and I joined them and hit Snowshoe for the second weekend in a row. Again we left late because of my Friday afternoon meeting. I think I got out of there around 7:30 and this time we still had yet to pack. Thankfully I hadn't unpacked from the last weekend.

After Teri packed at her place we were on our way at some late hour again. We didn't have any snow to worry about this time. Google Navigation worked on my phone for many hours in the mountains without cell coverage. We got in after 2am. We had a bigger room than last time with ski in/out but no indoor garage.

The trails were groomed unlike the previous weekend. We met up with the crew at 10:00am and immediately went to the Soaring Eagle lift because the lines at Ballhooter were insanely long. Brett was pretty good but the rest of the crew were lacking experience. I never even saw McCoy and Wismer ski the whole day. Bowlus, Karnes, Teri, and I hit the glades for a break and some fun in the powder. We tried to meet back up at 1:00 for lunch but that didn't work. We got beer and munchies at the store instead and hung out in our room for a few drinks.

We decided to check out the Powder Ridge left to see if we could find Wismer and McCoy. The lines over there were still too long to tolerate. Teri and I tried to head back over to the Soaring Eagle lift but ran out of time. After dinner we tried to meet up for night skiing at Silver Creek at 6:30 but we were all late. The lines were long there as well. It was nuts how long the lines were even compared to the previous holiday weekend. We did meet up with Chris, Brett, and McCoy and had a beer. We missed them getting off the lift and after 1.5 more runs we headed back to the room to pass out.

We slept in and I had dry conditions and daylight to help enjoy the mountain roads on the way home for the first time during both trips.

The Americans beat the Canadians in hockey! USA for the gold!

GPS tracking data

Check out the elevation change by time (as opposed to distance) and you can see as I went up slopes, bombed the mountain, and also took less steep runs across the mountain from one lift to another.

pics and video

Snowshoe I

Last season after buying a board I promised myself I'd go snowboarding more often. I didn't do very well last season only hitting Timberline twice and this season hasn't started off well. Thankfully Teri forced me to plan a trip to Snowshoe over Presidents Day (Valentine's Day) weekend. Unfortunately I have a late Friday afternoon meeting with my client on Fridays. And of course the meeting started late this Friday and went on till after 7:00. Teri and I were mostly ready to go; we grabbed a bite to eat and took off.

The trip there wasn't too bad. The roads were almost completely clear from the previous snow storm. Lots of high snow on the passes. We saw some deer going in and up on the mountain. We arrived after 2am. I didn't know about the central check-in and we fumbled around for a bit. We did enjoy indoor parking though and squeezed in to the last spot. After a relaxing beer we passed out hard.

We tried to get up early to eat and beat the line at the rental shop. I brought my snowboard but Teri was renting skis. The line was nuts but it only got worse after Teri joined it. After the long wait and a quick break we still got out on the slopes around 9:30am. The conditions were great. It was ungroomed with a good couple of inches loose snow everywhere. This is not normal for the Mid-Atlantic. Once the lines got long at the Ballhooter lift we moved on to Soaring Eagle. We ate an early lunch at Cheat Pizza and enjoyed the rest of the day at Soaring Eagle and the Western Territory. We had fun on the tree runs near the Soaring Eagle lift. Lots of deep and fresh snow in there.

We relaxed and had a beer after the lifts stopped and planned for a late dinner. That didn't work out too well. The wait was still over an hour at 9:00pm at the few restaurants. We finally went to the Foxfire Grille with a 30-40 minute wait. We ran up to the room for a quick break and drink all of about 100 feet away and when we got back we had to wait another 30 or 40 minutes before we could sit down. After that wait the food was crap and very expensive. A place to avoid in the future. That night we passed out hard again.

Sunday was another good day on the slopes. Similar to Saturday we started at the Ballhooter lift and then hit Soaring Eagle and Western Territory. We took a break in the tree run. We heard of long lift lines but were able to avoid them. The sun was out for the afternoon. We went to a fine lobster dinner at the Ember restaurant that night. The place was booked up all weekend but we were lucky and got a 6:00 seating after someone canceled. They had a special three course lobster dinner for two. It was most excellent. Especially compared to the previous night. We passed out again watching the Olympics barely making it to the bed.

They groomed the slopes on Sunday night and we were out Monday morning for first chair. Except at Snowshoe since you stay at the top of the mountain its more like first run to the first chair. The packed groomed trails were not as fun as the loose stuff the previous days but you could ripe up a fast run making wide fast turns. It didn't take too long for it to get chopped up even with a fraction of the people that Monday. We went to the Soaring Eagle lift to get some runs in before we left. It was snowing just as it had been all weekend but this was actually sticking and starting to accumulating. By the time we stopped around 11:00 there was a good fresh inch of snow from that morning. Bummer we had to take off with new snow coming down. I was starting to worry about the drive home. We ate lunch and took off for home.

We didn't have my directions so we went the route of Teri's GPS. It took us off in the opposite direction that we came. Before long we were heading straight up mountain roads in the snow. I was having trouble maintaining traction. I couldn't keep the speed up while going up hill and started to slide. Eventually we slowed enough to slide to the side of the road and we couldn't get back going again up the mountain. So we headed back down and tried one more time. I didn't even make it up as high the second time. We turned back around again and headed back past Snowshoe and drove the original way we came.

This was a little easier and I had slightly more traction. There were a few mountain passes that were close but we made it over them. The GPS was taking us in some far south direction to I-64. I wasn't complaining too much assuming that the highway was the easiest way out. About 3 miles before the road cleared I came around a corner in the hills and at the bottom I saw a guy in a huge pickup flagging me down. I was lucky to stop without hitting him. The road was downhill and a sheet of ice. He informed me of an accident around the corner and down the hill ahead. Cars started coming behind me and I'm surprised no one ran in to anyone else. A car was sandwiched at the bottom of the hill with a few other cars off the road in the snow. A semi was stuck on the hill going up the other side. As people walked from their car to the accident scene almost all of them would slip on the icy road. I was beginning to think we would be parked there all the night. Of course we were out of cell phone coverage. We did have a full tank of gas, warm clothes, and a small amount of food.

After awhile the emergency folks came. All of them. Fire, EMS, and the volunteer crew were all out. The ambulance took some folks away. Eventually the semi-truck got up the hill. And only about an hour after we stopped we were waved passed the accident scene. I was worried about getting up the other side but a plow came by and put down gravel just before we were waved by. From there on out everything was smooth sailing. A long ride but we made it. Definitely a fun weekend on the slopes.

pics from Teri

lots o snow

The media tried to call our snow storm in December a blizzard. That is when we all learned a blizzard is determined by the wind speed not the amount of snow. We really did get a good dump this time. I grabbed some alcohol from my beer stock and took off to Teri's when it started. Teri lives in Reston, VA and they got a lot more snow than Arlington:

storm report

17.8 total in Arlington plus 3.7 Tuesday, 6.8 Wednesday for 55.6 for the season

28.9 total in Reston plus 2.2 Tuesday, 6.3 Wednesday for 72 for the season

29 inches is a pretty good accumulation and the area took a few days to dig out. School and work was out for awhile. Even a week or so later the commute was triple normal because of snow covered lanes. Trees and limbs are down everywhere. The Caps managed to still get their game off and won their 14th game in a row. Cars were buried under two feet of snow and not many people have shovels. The metro ran below ground only. I can't go anywhere in the tires on my car but we got around pretty good on the unplowed roads in Teri's car. Lots of vehicles were stranded on small and major roads.

Snowboarding down 13th Street

pics and videos

"blizzard" of '09

It started snowing Friday night during the Greyboy Allstars and didn't stop till Saturday night. Saturday the city looked nice in a clean white sheet of snow. None of the streets were plowed yet. There were cars stuck everywhere. I saw people pushing two different cop cars. One guy and his friends had a nice tunnel dug in a parking lot snow pile made by a backhoe. You could easily fit two people inside it when I walked by. Seeing adults build a snow fort was a laugh. People were also sledding down 14th Street near me. I saw one guy with a Little Sumptin' Extra Ale which is a favorite of mine.

There was a snowball fight organized on Twitter at the corner of 14th and U St in DC. 100 or so people turned out. Cars braving the conditions might have be hit by an errant snowball or two. A Hummer near the intersection happened to receive a few snowballs making the driver a little unhappy. First the guy waved his walkie-talkie. Then he pulled out a gun. It turns out he was an undercover cop but this was not realized until 911 had been called by a few people. Cops show up with sirens and guns drawn. Lots of pictures and videos were taken by participants and spectators. National news was made. My parents heard about it. Good times in DC.

The main roads were passable on Sunday. All the roads were fine by Monday even though the Federal Government closed. They claimed it was a blizzard because of the wind or something. I got 15 inches. Wish it happened more often.

Flickr pics