Storm related damage on Maryland Trails

One of many trees down on the Anacostia River Trail in Maryland. This is the newest section of the trail from the Bladensburg Waterfront to the DC boundary, the section that will be connected with the recently won TIGER grant. (Photo by Paul D)

Tree down on the Georgetown Branch/Future Capital Crescent Trail. This is just east of the Rock Creek Trestle. (Photo by Joe Fox)

Comments

[darren]

i blame the purple line

[Crickey7]

If we'd only kept the tunnel!

[Brandon]

I *think* that tree on the Georgetown Branch Trail has been down since last month. If it's the same tree it must have fallen a little further than when I saw it (you could still ride under it back then but it looked like it was about to topple the rest of the way over). If it is the same tree, then wow that was unsafe to leave it leaning over the trail for so long.

I could definitely be wrong though since I haven't ridden that part of the trail in a month.

[SJE]

I was caught in the storm, and it was a doozy. The trees on the "main" part of the CCT have been cleared, but there are still barriers on the GT branch. Check for poison ivy!

A few things caused concern
1. Why does the new route through downtown Bethesda prevent people from crossing at the light? I had to detour around and wait for several minutes being pelted with hail and buckets of rain, trying to seek shelter and get away from lightning. Its not only inconvenient, but I question its safety. Its tight space when there are many people, and the signage is not entirely clear.

2 It was also clear how much the CCT is used as run off from the surrounding area. Particularly
(a). The Lyttonsville Bridge appears to drain directly onto the CCT. The entire area was a stream about a foot deep. I doubt that this is code.
(b) The business at the SS far end of the trail regularly drain onto the trail. Hoses, gutter run off, etc, causing serious erosion. This has been going on for years, but I think its time that someone spoke to them about it.

[Beaker]

SJE, I agree that somebody needs to regulate how Counter Intelligence Corp dumps water into that ditch and periodically floods the trail. I wonder if that water is even safe, since it probably contains particulates from their stone cutting and polishing operation. Independent of that, once or twice per year (such as last Friday evening), that ditch by the trail overflows from downpours, and the trail gets those big ruts like it has today.

[SJE]

Beaker: there is also water from the landscaping people on the other side of the trail. They use hoses to keep mulch wet.