This page is like an open bulletin board. Reports posted here are not checked for accuracy and may no longer apply. Please contribute by emailing reports about conditions on any part of the CCT or Interim CCT to phyilla1@gmail.com. Full names and email addresses will not be posted.

Wednesday, March 10:

- 8:55 p.m. from 'Simon'

"I was riding back this evening, in the dark, but it seemed that some of the bamboo was cleared."

- 11 a.m. from webmaster

The CCT is now all clear, with only a thin strip if ice remaining on the centerline for a few feet between mile 5.5 and 6.0.

The Interim CCT (a.k.a. Georgetown Branch Trail) still has this -

Interim CCT at the Town of Chevy Chase on March 10, 2010

This section of downed bamboo is several hundred yards east of the Bethesda Tunnel, where the Interim CCT borders the Town of Chevy Chase. There is only a narrow, muddy path clear at the lip of the drainage ditch.

This has been reported to the County, but since the MCDOT maintenance budget for trails was completely eliminated earlier this year it is very uncertain whether the County will respond.

'Simon' sends this: "...is there any interest in a bamboo clearing party on the weekend? I have cut bamboo in the past and know that it can be pretty difficult to clear. What suggestions do people have for clearing a large amount? Is it better to slash with a machete, or is saw better: I'm not interested in keeping the stuff, just laying it waste."

Monday, March 8:

- 10 p.m. from 'Simon'

"I rode back this evening. Lots of bikes. Snow is disappearing, but still some patches, and some very muddy sections. The fallen bamboo near the Bethesda tunnel is crazy: can you imagine this being allowed on the DC roads? Anyway, thanks for the reminder to be considerate and take turns, especially where it is single track only. I would add: slow down!"

- 12:45 p.m. from 'David'

"I rode the CCT from Jones Mill Rd to Bethesda this morning. There are 2 bad stretches:

- Ice covering the trail for about 25 feet just west of Connecticut Ave
- Bamboo trees down for about 100 feet just east of the Wisconsin Ave tunnel

I had to dismount and walk around these two areas. Other than that, the trail is in great condition."

- 11 a.m. from webmaster

Rode from Georgetown to S.S. this morning. Georgetown to Bethesda is clear except for the patch of ice between mile 5.5 and 6.0, where there is a section of about 100' where there is only a single track clear, requiring courtesy to take turns.

Looking north between Mile 6.0 and 5.5.

Bethesda to Stewart Avenue on the Interim CCT (a.k.a. Georgetown Branch Trail) is as Simon describes - several short sections between Bethesda and Connecticut Avenue still with ice and/or down bamboo. I was on a hybrid bike and still felt it wise to dismount.

- 9:40 a.m. from 'Simon'

"Rode from SS to G'town this morning. A few patches of ice, branches, bamboo. The worst area is between Connecticut Ave and Bethesda. However, you can ride the whole way on a Mountain Bike without dismounting."

Saturday, March 6:

- 6 p.m. from 'Ron'

"For anyone going down to the VASA ride Sunday morning via the trail, you'll find the trail to be mostly clear and quite manageable."

- 5 p.m. from 'Jon'

"Rode from Silver Spring, via CCT at Jones Mill road, to DC and back this morning. The trail is bike-able. Few short icy stretches between SS and Bethesda required brief walking (couple yards at most), then clear rest of the way."

- 4 p.m. from 'Judy'

"Re Friday's efforts to clear some of the ice and snow between miles 6 and 5.5: Another trail user (who, it turns out, has done lots of shoveling of the trail this winter) came by, and we were able to clear a single lane. The surface was too packed down and icy for us to clear half the trail, as I'd originally hoped. But with consistently warmer temperature and sun over the next few days, things should open up."

- 12:30 p.m. from webmaster

The Interim CCT (a.k.a. Georgetown Branch Trail) has several short stretches that are still covered with ice from side to side. One, just east of the Bethesda Tunnel, also has bamboo down that is blocking much of the path. Two more sections are at the Country Club. Cyclists must dismount and walk through these sections. The ice is thick and in shade, so it is unlikely the ice will melt within a day or so, even with the warmer weather.

The remainder of the trail is clear enough for cycling to the end at Stewart Avenue. The surface is not as muddy as is sometimes the case this time of year. Overall the trail is OK for cycling, even with the several dismounts at the short icy sections.

Looking west between the Bethesda Tunnel and East-West Highway.

Friday, March 5:

- 6 p.m. from webmaster

'Nancy' just posted on WashCycle that the CCT now has a clear path continuous from Georgetown to Bethesda: "Yesterday I went to check it out and there was still a long swath north of the tunnel that was completely covered with snow, but someone must have gone out yesterday or today and shoveled a bit."

See below to see who to thank for that.

- 1:30 p.m., from 'Judy'

"I'm leaving now with two snow shovels to go to the trail (will be there approx. 1:45) if anyone else is available to help try to clear a path. Will start just uphill from milepost 6 (heading toward milepost 5.5). If we can clean half the trail, it will be easy sailing from Georgetown to Bethesda Ave except for a short section at the overpass near Little Falls Pkwy."

- Ron Tripp forwards this report he found from 'D. Nadine' on "Babes on Bikes"

"I biked on the CCT today and it was really pretty good. I had to walk over one big snowy patch and a smaller one - maybe 100-150 feet total (I could make it passable with a shovel in an hour... and I was fantasizing about doing that the whole time I was walking my bike over it.....) There are other passable snowy patches that I had to ride between carefully (like tightrope walking, but not that bad.) The snowy patches are (as usual) between the tunnel under MacArthur and River st."

"But really I would not hesitate to ride the CCT. I walked for lesss than 5 minutes. I had an appointment in Bethesda & I wasn't even late! Oh, and all fallen trees have been cleared - as on the Custis (which by the way is REALLY clear now!)"

- 10 a.m., from 'Mark'

"Rode the CCT from Chain Bridge (Mile 7) to Little Falls Road (Mile 4) as part of my commute this morning. Only a couple of short stretches between Mile 5.5 - 6.0 where it is edge to edge snow. With decent mountain biking skills, even those can be ridden. Otherwise, there is at least a footpath width of clear pavement, often almost totally clear."

Thursday, March 4:

- noon, from 'Toros'

"Rode from Silver Spring to DC today around noon. Two bad stretches. One, by the Columbia country club, before the Wisconsin tunnel. Other, between the two overpasses [between Mile 5.5 and Dalecalia Tunnel]. Most of the time, if there is snow and ice, there is a narrow path to ride on. Once [in D.C.] the trail is clear."

- 10 a.m. from 'Anny'

"I ran from Bethesda to Mile Marker 9 at about 10, and the Montgomery Cty portion of the trail is definitely improving. Except for the half mile from mile marker 5.5 to mile marker 6 (just above the tunnel), there's at least a foot-wide track on almost the entire distance. That half mile is mixed, parts are okay, others are still not runnable, at least without YakTrax, or ridable."

Tuesday, March 2:

- 10 a.m. from 'Paul'

"'rode' the trail this morn from bethesda to dc... the contempt that our government has for its bicyclists is on full display... the worst part is again the half-mile or so north of the macarthur tunnel, much of which requires walking over ice and snow... much of the remainder of the maryland side back to bethesda has a thin line of pavement apparently worn there by walkers and can be handled by a combination of walking and riding slowly, assuming nobody is coming the other way... a few trees remain down, partially blocking the trail in spots... the dc side is fully clear, though the surrounding evidence suggests that's the result of natural forces not any actual plowing..."

Sunday, February 28:

- 9:40-11:55 a.m. from 'Mark'

Saturday, February 27:

- 11:30 a.m. from webmaster

- 9 a.m. from 'Art'

"Wisconsin Tunnel to Rock Creek Trestle:
From the tunnel to Connecticut Ave, mostly hard, packed snow, very uneven surface, similar to Mark's mile 4.0 photo. I ran it in Yaktrax. There are occasional stretches where the edge of the trail is clear.
From Connecticut to Jones Mill Road is plowed and completely runnable/bike-able.
Jones Mill to the trestle has a clear edge most of the way.
East of the trestle appears to be hard, packed snow, very uneven surface, similar to Mark's mile 4.0 photo. (But I didn't run much past the trestle itself.)"

Friday, February 26:

- 9 a.m. from 'Ian'

"I tried to ride the Trail from Georgetown to Bethesda last night at 7:00 and got to the MoCo line with only limited trouble, though I did have go over or under a few trees around Mile 10. Once in Maryland, I had to walk through deep snow until I gave up at the Westmoreland neighborhood and bailed out to the roads. I think it will be a while yet before the Trail is rideable the whole way."

- 6:30 a.m. to 7:35 a.m. from 'Mark' while running from Bethesda to Georgetown

Thursday, February 25:

- 6:38 p.m. from 'Marco'

"Just reporting that as of this evening about five trees remain blocking the trail just north of the boathouse in Georgetown. It's fairly easy to go over, under or around them, and definitely better than dodging cars on Canal Road and MacArthur Boulevard!"

- 10:55 a.m. from 'Jeremy'

"I rode the CCT from Georgetown to the Dalecarlia Tunnel and back this morning. That's right, I RODE it! The trail is plowed and cleared of downed trees from the Maryland/DC border almost all the way to Georgetown - and there was a chainsaw and plow crew finishing off the job as I finished my ride. There are still a few icy/snowy spots, but the trail in DC is definitely very rideable, even for roadies. The bad news is that the Maryland section is still very snow-covered. You can clearly see where the plow stopped right at the sign marking the Maryland/DC border. Hopefully if it's warm enough this weekend and if enough people get out and use the Maryland portion of the trail it will be rideable by Monday. I also rode part of the C&O (from Fletcher's to Georgetown). It has a decent amount of snow on it, but was rideable (on a mountain bike) and really pretty fun."

- 10:30 a.m. from 'jzika'

"Great news to report - the CCT has been ploughed from the MD/DC line to the Georgetown tunnel. It is 99% blacktop and very safe to ride. There are about 4 patches where the blacktop is just a singletrack, but even that is ridable."

"The section between Georgetown tunnel and Jack's boathouse is still a mess, requiring detours into the bushes because of fallen trees. However, a chainsaw wielding crew was on it at 9am and they should be able to clear that section during the day. Assuming they plough it afterwards, it will be good to ride."

"I heard the MD side of the trail is still of snow."

- 10 a.m. from 'Christopher'

"Walked the trail in this morning from the Canal St. Tunnel down to Georgetown. Tree cutting crews were just starting on the first few trees as I hit the boathouse at the head of the trail. Hopefully they'll make progress through the day so cyclists and other trail users can get back to using the trail by the weekend!"

Wednesday, February 24, 10:30 p.m. from 'Jeremy'

"Tried to ride the CCT from Georgetown tonight since the posting on WashCycle seemed to indicate that it had been plowed. Unfortunately, it was definitely not plowed. I only made it about 100 yards. After dodging 5 or 6 downed trees I gave up and turned around. There wasn't much snow on that part of the trail, but with all the trees blocking the trail it wasn't rideable. I also tried riding a short section of the CCT between Dorset Road and Little Falls. There was too much slush on it to stay upright, even with studded tires. However, there's definitely a lot less snow than a few days ago. Maybe a few more days _ "

Webmasters note:

'Jan' has just placed a comment on Washcycle: "I just got an email from Mike Seibert at NPS and they are going to start plowing and clearing the CCT trail in DC today. Yeah !"

Wednesday, February 24, 10 a.m. from 'Christopher'

"Despite my best efforts this morning, the trail is still not rideable - at least from the Tunnel through Georgetown. Although there are sections of clear or semi-clear pavement, the still very long and frequent sections of frozen footsteps and occasional deep snow make passage on a mtn bike (even with studded tires) fairly impossible. Compared to last week, however, the trail is getting better. Early last week I ended up walking and postholing my bike nearly the whole distance to G-town. It's a shame the Park Service does not run a plow up or down the pathway-- even a snowblower's width path would make the trail useable for, I assume, hundreds if not a thousand regular users."

Tuesday, February 23, 6:30 a.m. to 8:00 a.m. from 'Mark' while running from Bethesda to Georgetown

Monday, February 22, 9:25 a.m. from 'Jeremy'

"Tried the CCT again today. Made it from Dorset Street in Bethesda almost to Mass Avenue - about one half mile - before turning around. You can start to see some pavement in a few spots, but it's still almost impossible to go more than 50 yards without bouncing off the narrow "walkers path" and plowing into the thicker snow. Hoping the rain today melts enough to make things passable later this week. I plan on giving it another try tomorrow or Wednesday. On the positive side, the streets are much, much better than last week with wider lanes, some shoulders and most sidewalks passable. I was able to map out a nice, low-traffic route from Bethesda to Chinatown that was safe and really quite enjoyable today. I simply can't just wait for the CCT! I need my bike commute!"

Sunday, February 21, 11:20 a.m. from 'Simon'

"CCT at K St is still a pile of slush and snow. It is definitely melting, but there would be a clear path by now if they had just plowed down to a few inches above the surface."

Webmasters note: Washcycle blog takes on the area wide failure to clear trails at The Ice Storm.

Saturday, February 20, 5:35 p.m. from 'Christina'

"Today at 3:00pm, I tried to resume my Saturday run from K Street in Georgetown to Bethesda. The trail is covered in slush and snow. It is not safe for running. In addition, there were numerous downed branches blocking the trail. After approximately 100 feet, I turned back. A couple other runners behind me did the same. Cycling on the trail is out of the question.

It's gratifying that Mayor Fenty is a triathlete. It would be interesting to see a comparison between the cost of the security detail that drives alongside his cycling group when he trains and the cost to plow the Crescent Trail, which normally is used by a fair number of runners and cyclists, including commuters, during this time of year."

Friday, February 19, 4:47 p.m. from 'Simon'

"The uppermost CCT (East of Jones Bridge Road) is still entirely snow, with a thin foot trail. ...and the entrance to the CCT is blocked by a mountain of snow."

Friday, February 19, 12:30 p.m. from 'Jan'

"I skied the trail this morning from the MD/DC line to Georgetown and can confirm that there are no viable bike tracks on either the CCT or the towpath. There is a foot wide packed uneven walking trail, but the trail has not been ploughed. The snow is deep, mix of heavy and frozen spots, unfortunately, not good either for biking or skiing - the snow cover is still continuous though."
"I tried to get on with my mountain bike yesterday, but every time you slip of the packed walking path, your front wheel drops down to the bottom of the deep snow and invites for a faceplant. There are several trees and tree limbs on the trail that are passable, but will make clean up more difficult."
"It would be great if the trail got ploughed, without that it is good only for walking, maybe for running."

Friday, February 19, 9 a.m. from 'Jeremy'

"Tried to ride the CCT from Georgetown this morning. Not only is it unplowed, but there are trees and branches obstructing the trail every 10 -20 yards. It's a mess. Even on my full-suspension mountain bike with studded ice tires it was hopeless. On the good news side of the equation, the snowpack seemed to be down to around 6" so maybe if we get a lot of melting this weekend it will be sorta, kinda rideable next week. I also checked out the C&O and it had a similar snowpack, but at least no trees down on it. I plan on giving it another try on Monday so I'll update then."

Thursday, February 18, 2 p.m. from webmaster

There is a second hand report at WashCycle that the CCT has been plowed by NPS in D.C.. But 'Simon E.' has just reported that the end of the CCT at K Street is "a giant icy snow lump, marked by thin trails from people and, perhaps, a few adventureous bikers." Can anyone report more?

Saturday, February 13, 9 a.m. from 'Art D'

Capital Crescent from Bethesda (mile 3.5) south to mile 6:

"There is a narrow single-track suitable for running (Yaktrax recommended) and a separate cross-country ski track. On the running track you need to stay focused and run straight to avoid hitting the sides of the "trench." If you step off you'll sink up to the knee, so passing is a problem (slower traffic should yield), but there was not much traffic out there."

Thursday, February 11, 8:15 a.m. from 'Art D'

Georgetown Branch from Bethesda tunnel to Connecticut Ave.:

"Most of the way there's a runnable/skiable track, but there are several places with only deep footprints. I was the first person across the new snowdrifts, about 100m long, at the golf course and sank in up to my thighs. Some of the usual access points to the trail are blocked with snow."

Saturday, February 6 from 'David A.'

"... I just skied the CCT about one mile from Key Bridge to three/four hundred yards past the Georgetown/Canal Road tunnel and stream outlet. It took an hour, and was one of the most beautiful scenes I have witnessed. However, the trail was unrecognizable; there are a huge number of obstructions, ranging from very large to small downed trees. Getting the trail back into use by bicyclists will take a long, large effort. I'm guessing months..."

Looking north near mile 9.5
Courtesy David Alexander

Looking south near mile 9.5
Courtesy David Alexander

Tuesday p.m., February 2 from 'Lou'

"Checked it [inside D.C. near Dalecarlia] this morning. Not plowed. Looks like we're in for at least a week of no trail."

Monday a.m., February 1

from 'Paul'
"the trail is not plowed. sigh. the snow is now in the process of being compacted down by walkers, and over the next day or so it presumably will be converted into a sheet of ice. and so it goes."

and from 'Ron'
"Paved sections of the trail at Little Falls Parkway, Dorset and River Road on Sunday (31-Jan) were completely covered with snowpack."

Are your lights aimed too high?

We are enjoying a few days with no ice or downed trees to report. Another "trail condition" worth paying attention to is lights that blind trail users at night. 'Paul' has offered these comments:

"I go against traffic on the trail, as I work in Chevy Chase but live in SW DC. On the way home when it is dark, I am frequently blinded by the lights of oncoming bicyclists. I guess that is to be expected to an extent, but bicyclists frequently have way more light than they will ever need on the trail."

"Here are some comments:
1. It may make sense to have multiple lights while riding on city streets for visibility to motorists, but on the trail it is simply overkill and blinding to oncoming traffic. One light should be enough, and frankly, if one light wasn't enough for me, I would reassess whether I should be riding on the trail at all at night.
2. When I am riding behind someone with a good light, I can see just fine without mine being on. But nightly, I see 3 or 4 or even more bicyclists riding as a group, all with bright lights. Is that necessary?
3. If you have a bright light such as a minewt, you don't need the brightest option in order to see adequately (and be seen) on the trail - please turn your light down to the lowest setting.
4. Whether on your handlebars or helmet, please angle your light down and to the right so it isn't aimed directly in the faces of oncoming traffic.
5. What is the point of a flashing headlight on the trail? On the street for visibility with motorists or on the trail as a blinking red taillight, a blinking light might make sense - but a blinking headlight on the trail is simply disorienting"

Tuesday p.m., January 26 from 'Simon'

Trees are cleared as of 730pm, and so, except for the debris, good riding from Georgetown to Silver Spring.

Tuesday a.m., January 26 from 'Rachel' (with similar reports from 'Brandon' and 'Simon')

"This morning, Tuesday the 26th, there were two trees down around mile marker 2.5 on the Georgetown Branch Trail, near the golf course. Bikes must be dismounted to pass. Trails are muddy but passable."

Monday p.m., from 'Paul'

"update: just rode home, and the tree has already been cleared away... fast work by the park service..."

From 'Paul' on Monday a.m., Jan. 25

"trail is littered today with branches and twigs after the overnight rains and winds, and a huge tree has fallen across the trail just inside the dc line, a few feet north of the 7 mile marker... the tree crashed through a fence, and bikes must be picked up and walked over it..."

From 'Simon' on Wednesday evening, Jan. 20

"Rode both ways on the CCT on Wednesday. Ice on the North side of the Dalecarlia tunnel, but there is a wide clear path through it. Bethesda to Silver Spring: trail is very soft in places. That is, not so much mud that gets on your clothes, but the soft ground that grabs your wheels."

From 'Mike' on Tuesday p.m., Jan. 19

"I rode from DC to Connecticut Avenue leaving about 6 PM, temperature mid 50's and arriving about 7 with temps in the mid 40's."

"The trail is almost completely clear of ice with a few small patches just north of the Dalecarlia tunnel. There was always at least a 3 foot wide clear path. East of Bethesda, about half way between the Air Rights tunnel and E-W highway, the trail is very muddy and slick and then again for a short stretch just east of E-W highway. Otherwise just wet and surface mud."

From 'Elliot' on Tuesday a.m., Jan. 19:

"Rode all the way from Silver Spring to K St. A few small patches of ice on the unpaved area near the bridge over Rock Creek, and on the South East side of the trail from Connecticut Ave to Bethesda. Good from Bethesda most ways to the Dalecarlia tunnel, but there is 100 to 200 m of trail that has ice on the SW side. There is a clear path on the NW side. All of DC is great."

From webmaster on Monday morning, Jan. 18:

I could cycle the trail from mile 0.0 to mile 6.5 this Monday a.m., except for a very hazardous several hundred feet just north of mile 6.0 and the Little Falls trail access path - shown at right. Ice still covers the entire trail there. A cyclists on a mountain bike with fat treaded tires tried to ride across this section and went down just after this photo was taken. It will likely take more than one or two more days of melting before the thick ice is clear in this heavily shaded area, so use extreme caution here!

Elsewhere on the paved CCT there is very little ice.

Looking toward the Dalecarlia Tunnel from the south

The Interim CCT has more ice in places, but even a conservative cyclist like me could pick a path through on one side or the other of the icy patches. The Interim CCT is becoming wet and muddy, however, so cycling is not pleasant on much of the Interim CCT.

From webmaster on Saturday afternoon, Jan. 16:

I tried to cycle the interim CCT from Silver Spring, but gave up and turned back west of Jones Mill Road. Stewart Ave. to Jones Mill Road was passable, with some muddy patches and only one short patch west of the trestle where it was necessary to walk because ice covered the full width of the trail. But much of the trail between Jones Mill Road and Connecticut Ave. was covered from side to side with ice, and even walking was difficult since the ice is melting and is very uneven and slippery.

This is very different than the favorable report I gave on the western end of the Interim CCT on Thursday (see below). Conditions are definitely much worse east of Connecticut Avenue. The rain predicted for tomorrow may take much of this ice away, but another problem will follow - mud.

From 'Mike' on Thursday evening, Jan. 14:

"I rode the trail from Georgetown to Connecticut Ave late this afternoon, leaving DC around 6 PM and 40 F and arriving at Conn. Ave. at 7 and just above freezing. Consistent with the previous reports, most of the trail is nearly clear. Most of what is not completely clear has at least a narrow clear path through. Going uphill, the first parts with only a narrow path start just before the bridge over Canal Rd. Most of this is not problem until just uphill from the Dalecarlia Tunnel where there is a stretch of about 200 yards which is solid bumpy ice. I was able to ride it on a mountain bike with reasonable tread (not knobbies) but several other commuters were walking this stretch. After that, the next bad stretch was between the Air Rights Tunnel and E-W highway for about 100 yards, tricky but rideable. There was also a tricky stretch at the east end of the Columbia CC fence. All of these were walkable with care but only rideable for good riders with wider, treaded tires. The solid icy parts were thick and solid enough that I would not expect them to clear even by the end of the day Friday. I will ride the same route in the early PM Friday and will provide an update."

From webmaster on Thursday a.m., Jan. 14:

At 10 a.m. today there were still a few patches of ice on the Interim CCT, but there is "mostly" a clear path for walking and jogging - at least on the part I saw between the Bethesda tunnel and milepost 2.5. Where there is ice, it is usually at the center and can be avoided by keeping to the side. But there was one short area west of the E-W Highway underpass where the ice covered the whole trail - that ice patch might become very slippery when the temperature is high enough for melting and the ice gets wet. Quite a few people were walking or jogging on the trail is a.m., and it is "mostly" safe - just watch out for the occasional spots where you still cannot avoid walking on the ice.

From 'Judy' on Wednesday, Jan. 13:

"At noon today, was able to bike most of the trail from Little Falls Parkway to milepost 6. Although there are icy patches from LF Pkwy to River Rd, they are mostly in the middle of the trail, with clear pavement on either side. After River Rd to about mile 5.5, there is more ice, esp. on the left-hand side of the trail, but always a clear passage through, including a very narrow strip of pavement at the Brookeway stairway. Ice covers the trail at the Sumner Village stairway (approx. mile 5.5), after which there's clear pavement, followed by approx. 0.15 miles of ice covering the whole trail, approaching milepost 6. It doesn't take long to walk through and wasn't too slippery at noon, although it may become more so as the temperature rises."
[photo at Sumner Village stairway near mile 5.5]

From 'Jodi' on Tuesday, Jan. 12:

"The trail is completely rideable between Georgetown and the Water Treatment plant with small places to ride through the patches of ice - this may not be possible by dark - but is easily seen in daylight. After the water treatment plant there are several really treacherous places just before the tunnel and after the tunnel leading into the Little Falls Trail. I was able to cross by walking but the ice/snow is very solid and packed for a stretch of about 6-8 feet in at least three places. The ice is bumpy so someone with cramp ons or mountain bike wheels might be able to ride over the icy stretches."

Webmaster's comment: an idea from Omaha:

Rails-to-Trails has a video showing "Vigilante Trail Maintenance" of the Keystone Trail in Omaha. Could that work here? (But note the "vigilanties" are only doing what the city's snow plow could not reach.)

From 'John' on Monday, Jan. 11:

"At Fletcher's the Trail was clear and access on foot to the Trail and across it was easy. At Brookeway, [mile 5.5] access to the Trail was very hazardous (crampons suggested) and the Trail itself had alternating icy and clear patches. At the Sumner Village stairway [near mile 6.0] a patch of ice at the Trail makes foot travel hazardous, though there are clear stretches on the Trail."

And also from 'Ron' who reports this on Monday from the "Babes on Bikes" listserve:

"I actually rode the Capital Crescent this morning from Mile 6 to Georgetown - I would NOT do it in the dark as there are multiple patches that are lightly covered with snow and heavily covered with ice, but if you go slowly you only have to get off the bike two or three times and then slow down a lot in about 20 other spots. Far from ideal but it felt great to get out in the 19 degree weather and it should be warmer tomorrow."

From Webmaster on Sunday, Jan. 10, 2010:

Walked the Interim CCT from Stewart Ave. to Bethesda early this p.m. Snow covers the trail over the length of this section, but the snow gives enough traction for walking with caution. There are many patches of uneven ice beneath the snow between Jones Mill Road and Bethesda, especially in the heavy shade areas where bamboo stands are adjacent to the south side of the trail - like this area, shown at right, near the Bethesda Tunnel. I only encountered two cyclists, biking appeared to be difficult.

Conditions east of Bethesda appear to be worse overall than that reported by C. Z. (below) for the CCT south of Bethesda. Conditions will probably become more difficult over the next several days as freeze/thaw cycles turn more of the snow into ice in the shaded patches.

From C. Z. on Saturday, Jan. 9, 2010:

"Ran the entire length of the CCT from Bethesda into Georgetown this morning. The entire trail is covered with snow with a few very short stretches where tree cover had kept the snow from accumulating. While the trail is covered with snow, there has been little melting since the snowfall on Thursday evening, so the snow has remained as snow, not ice. In fact, I found it much easier to run on the snow covered trail today than the snow-less trail last weekend. The icy parts of the trail have been covered with fresh snow, which made running on it much easier. You still need to be careful in the section leading up to the Dalecarlia tunnel as the ice underneath the snow is very uneven and makes the trail seem very rocky. The DC side of the trail is still snow covered, and it is that way all the way to Georgetown. In general, the trail is passable, but I would exercise caution over the next few days, especially if there is any melting and freezing that happens."

"Hope this helps!"

Webmaster's comment: Reports like this help a lot! Thanks to all who have reported.

From 'Paul' on Monday, Jan. 4, 2010:

"rode in this morning on the cap crescent trail from bethesda to georgetown... no significant change in the condition from last week, with the main ice blockade just north of the mcarthur blvd tunnel still requiring most people to walk their bikes for about a quarter-mile stretch... the ice patches along other parts of the trail seem to have withdrawn slightly, meaning it's a little easier to thread the needle between them without actually getting off the bike... overall the 20-minute ride from bethesda to georgetown is now only about 25 minutes or so... there also seemed to be a slightly larger number of bike commuters, perhaps due to the end of vacation periods, including one guy who actually rode right over the ice and slalomed a bit but kept his balance... and, inexplicably, there was a snow plow out on the trail this morning, just south of bridge at river road when i came through... not sure what a snow plow could accomplish now that they waited two weeks and let it harden into long blocks of ice, but i suppose we can appreciate the thought if not the underlying wisdom... "

Help us by reporting trail conditions to webmaster@cctrail.org.