Have folks been wondering about the trail conditions on the Reformatory Branch? I was, so I rode the RBT this morning.
I began the trip by riding the Minuteman out to Depot Park. The MM was quiet and clean, the weather cool, breezy and pleasant. I hadn't been on the RBT since early January, so I wasn't sure what to expect. As it turns out, it was
mostly dry, with some mud and ice thrown in to spice things up.
Here's an example of a dry section:
The ground in these sections was frozen as
hard as a concrete sidewalk. Of course, it wasn't as
smooth as a sidewalk - with all those tire ruts hardened like fossils it was much rougher riding than usual.
You like mud? Here's some mud:
Truth be told, because only the top inch or so was unfrozen, the mud wasn't very deep.
Ice? I did encounter a patch of ice the full width of the trail and about 10 feet long. No going around it, so I just coasted through, keeping a foot out in case thing went awry. I got through without drama in both directions.
The ponds at Great Meadows National Wildlife Refuge were mostly frozen:
As you can see, I rode the Checkpoint. It was a trusty mount for this ride, despite being shod with tires not particularly suited for mud.
I rode to the end of the RBT at Lowell Rd and then retraced my way back to Depot Park:
Notice the sign on the door that says "Reopening in April".
The ride home to Arlington on the MM felt incredibly smooth after the hardened ruts on the RBT.
Arriving home, the bike was much dirtier than it started, but it was happy, as was the rider. A little under 28 miles for the day.
Tom