Back in the Saddle

I don't think fierce pedaling would be enough to escape that fellow... 

With the return of Spring (which is now official, if specious) comes the return of cycling. While I have been riding to work intermittently since the end of January, this weekend marked my first ride longer than that. That ride served as a reminder of just how awesome it is to live in the DC suburbs and own a bike capable of handling varied terrain. My route took me through urban streets in Silver Spring, down Beach Drive (closed to motorists on weekends), past (and into) the National Zoo, onto the National Mall, along the C&O Canal Towpath, and back to Silver Spring on a paved bike trail. All of this was less than a 30-mile ride.

Boulder Bridge in Rock Creek Park is one of my favorite cycling landmarks.

 
So what does a new season of cycling mean? Well, I'm doing another century ride, or the same one over again if you prefer something that sounds more zen. The CASA River Century was a lot of fun and training for it was good for me, good for the environment, and good for traffic between Silver Spring and Rockville. Dustin and I will be joined by a third rider this year, and hopefully this time it serves as a prelude to the Sea Gull Century. Other life events might make this difficult, but I think I'll be able to make it happen.

The new season also means a new Naturalism on Speed challenge for me, which may bore the bajeezus out of my readers. Even if it does, it will at the very least hone my knowledge and skills, which in turn will make me better at this*. I'm aiming for fifty new species to add to last year's final total (which will make 153 the magic number). Sunday's ride netted me five or six to get started with. A quick recap of the rules:

1. I have to ID each species positively.
2. I can't stop for a better look, but I can count what I see when I'm already stopped.
3. I must know what I'm seeing when I see it - research can only help for next time.
4. Domesticated animals and people don't count, nor do plants in planters/gardens.
5. I can't count specimens I see all the time and thus have the chance to study thoroughly.
   
   

The sights in DC are iconic and worthwhile - and with a bike you can take in a huge number of them in just a few hours.

I'll close by reminding everyone how bike-friendly the Washington, DC area is. The Capital Bikeshare program is awesome, and there is an extensive network of trail systems. I could conceivably ride (about 90 miles) from my apartment to my parents' house just outside of Martinsbug, WV. The Metro makes it easy to close little gaps in your ride by hopping a train for a stop or two (except during weekday rush hour). The buses are theoretically all equipped to handle your bicycle.








*That's my polite way of saying "deal with it."

184 Miles of Awesome

That's a good way to describe the Chesapeake and Ohio Canal Towpath (yes, tow, not toe). It begins in Georgetown and stretches all the way to Cumberland Maryland. A cool fact I'd love to exploit one day is that in Cumberland it connects with the Great Allehgeny Passage Trail allowing for a complete bicycling corridor from Washington, DC to the Steel City. As an alum of the University of Pittsburgh living in Silver Spring, this intrigues me. However, as an individual with a 9-5 job, I doubt I'll ever have the time to make such a trip happen. Regardless, there's plenty to enjoy in and near DC along this trail. The history is worth reading up on, if local lore interests you.

Within the first sixty miles there are quite a number of sights. They still run canal boats at the Georgetown end. Great Falls is quite beautiful and kid-friendly, but also quite crowded. The Billy Goat Trail is worth a look, and gives you the opportunity to scramble over boulders and encounter some great views of the river. A little farther out, you can cross the Potomac at White's Ferry on a still-operational river ferry. Harper's Ferry is a quaint and historic town with a lot to offer, including breathtaking views from the Maryland Heights.

Great blue herons (Ardea herodias), as well as other wetland birds, are common sights along the canal.

These giant puffballs (Calvatia gigantea) made a delicious soup.

This enormous tree near White's Ferry I found interesting...if I recall it was a sugar maple, but I can't tell from my own photo. Please ignore the bag of feces in my hand; it's the hazard of being a naturalist dog owner.

This large coprinoid mushroom was another good find at White's Ferry. I think it is a specimen of shaggy mane (Coprinus comatus) because of its large size, but I am not 100% sure. I don't think any other Mid-Atlantic inky caps grow to such sizes, but I could be mistaken.

Argiope trifasciata (banded garden spider).

Here's a close-up of the garden spider. I can't quite tell what she's making a meal of (I say "she" because males are much smaller).

Can you believe that this setting can be found just outside the city, in Great Falls, Virginia?

The ever-present white tailed deer are of course found along the entire length of the trail, more or less.

Dam! (I'm mature, eh?)

Franklin and I checking out the confluence of the Shenandoah and Potomac Rivers, at Harpers Ferry.

All of the above are located within an easy drive of DC, and honestly any access point over that sixty mile stretch has something interesting to offer. Regardless of your age, outdoor experience, or interest level in such things (unless it's zero) I recommend a trip to the C & O Canal Towpath on some lazy weekend day.