Gravel Ride of the Week: Rock Creek (I Wasn't Prepared For This!)
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Bike rides with loved ones, those unforgettable times when everything seems so perfect. Sunlight bursting through yellow leaves, the wind in your hair, cruising alongside a stream, all while everyone is having the time of their lives. That's how it goes right?? Wrong! I'm sure many families will be able to identify with the latest Gravel Ride of the Week, which tells the story of how a bike ride, that was intended to be a beautiful afternoon cruise, turned into something completely different. Follow along as Christin and I take you on an urban gravel adventure that didn't quite turn out as planned.
During our visit to Philadelphia to attend the Philly Bike Expo, we got to behold several of the impressive overhead bridges that are located near the Wissahickon Park. These remarkable structures reminded Christin of similar designs that can be found along the Rock Creek Parkway, which runs through Washington DC. I had never ridden my bike in this area, and with the added bonus of a completely car-free riding experience on Beach Drive over weekends, we felt inspired to go on a local exploration ride to check out the bridges and natural beauty.
The aim was to include not only the beautiful views along the closed-off parkway, but to also mix in some gravel to make it worthy of a Gravel Ride of the Week. The result was a loop that started at Meadowbrook Park in Chevy Chase, MD and then followed the Rock Creek trail (and Beach Dr) down into Georgetown. The gravel portion of this ride came in the form of the C&O Canal Towpath, which would take us away from the city and eventually carry us onto the Capital Crescent Trail (CCT). The CCT runs northbound and eventually ends up in Bethesda, leaving only a short stretch of road riding to get back to the starting point. You can find the exact route details in my Strava route link below.
All bright eyed and bushy-tailed, we set off from Meadowbrook Park. The ride started off well and the decision to squeeze in this ride around golden hour, on the last weekend for peak autumn leaf sightings, seemed like it was working out. If you've ever been on a family ride that derailed from the plans, then you'll know that this story is bound to include some added drama. So here it goes.
The natural beauty along Beach Drive is surely something to behold, however, the further we cycled, the more I realized that my arm warmers weren’t really helping all that much in terms of warmth. The icy cold wind was also picking up, reminding me of how completely insufficient my clothing layers were. I was in for a cold afternoon on the bike! Although the discomfort from the cold continued to grow by the minute, we decided to push on and complete the ride that we started. This turned out to be a great decision from a sightseeing perspective and I'm thankful that we continued. The views along the parkway were only beginning and around each corner we stood amazed by the incredible fall colors and the amazing reflections on the creek. Be sure to check out the video that goes along with this post to see just how spectacular this area can be.
After passing the Smithsonian National Zoo, the next set of attractions along the route came in the form of lots of overhead bridges and even a tunnel. Rolling into Georgetown, Christin marveled at all the bridges, while I could think of nothing other than a hot cup of coffee.
We reached the first gravel in Georgetown, where we connected with the C&O Canal towpath. Sadly, the coffee that I was craving so badly never materialized, since the queue was just too long in this ever crowded section of the city. There was no time to waste, since daylight was fading quickly, leaving us with no choice but to keep going.
I can't tell you how proud I was of Christin during this ride. At 20-miles long, this ride easily ranked as her longest of the year. Going into it, I thought that I would have to nurse her all the way through. In the end, it turned out to be the exact opposite! As we headed down the C&O Canal, the cold became somewhat unbearable, and I was left drafting behind Christin to stay warm. Meanwhile, she was having a great time, loving all the beautiful sites and fall colors. She had dressed correctly for the late fall temperatures and wasn’t cold at all, so fortunately she could lend me her gloves and buff to help stay warm.
By now, I had given up on recording any video and handed the camera over to Christin, since I could barely hold onto it with my freezing hands. We had just one last part of the route to complete, but it was getting darker… and darker… and darker! What should have been a fun, bright afternoon of bike riding, ended with us arriving back at the car in the pitch dark. I was totally frozen and couldn't get my jacket on fast enough. I guess all cyclists have at least one ride per season where they get their clothing selection completely wrong, and this was mine!
The upside to this whole story is that Christin and I still got to see some truly amazing sights throughout Rock Creek Park, at a time of the year when the fall colors are at their peak. The other valuable lesson from this ride was the reminder to dress correctly for colder temperature. Since then, I'm happy to report, that I've gotten my layering much better after this early winter season fail.
- Wiehan
