[SkateDC] Skate Across Maryland and WMRT Saturday (6/5/10)

[George Marinkovich]

The Skate Across Maryland (twice!) will be this Saturday (6/5/10), leaving 11 AM from the WMRT Parking Lot in Hancock, MD.

I've room in my car for 3 passengers.  I can pick up passengers coming by Metro from Shady Grove Metro Station at 9:30 AM and passengers coming by car from the MD-117 Park and Ride Lot in Gaithersburg, MD at 9:40 AM.  We should arrive at Hancock at 11 AM.  Please let me know if you're coming.  I will do a final weather update on Friday.

I did the Skate Across Maryland last month and was pleasantly surprised by the road/traffic conditions.  It's 7.5 miles and took me about 50 minutes.  There's a sidewalk on the bridge across the Potomac, and the main road we travel is quite skateable.  There are also nice "Welcome to West Virginia," "Welcome to Maryland," and "Welcome to Pennsylvania" signs for photo opportunities.  It's a gentle grade uphill into Pennsylvania and of course a gentle downhill back to the WMRT.

You can do the Skate Across Maryland and/or just skate the Western Maryland Rail Trail.  My plan is to skate the SAM and then skate the western portion of the WMRT until I meet up with the skaters coming back on the WMRT (that is, those who skipped the SAM) and skate back to the parking lot with them.  You can really skate as much as you want or as little, anywhere from 30 miles to considerably less than that.  Once on the WMRT it's an out-and-back skate, turn around when you want.

One caveat:  The western portion of the WMRT, while scenic and shaded, had a large number of sticks that you had to be on the lookout for.  If those conditions haven't improved by Saturday, it might be better to skate the eastern portion of the WMRT, which while not as scenic and shaded, should have many fewer sticks to worry about.

The Skate Across Maryland (SAM).  

We 
start in Hancock, Maryland, skate over to West Virginia, skate back into
 Maryland, up into Pennsylvania, and then back into Maryland.  When we 
finish we will have traversed the State of Maryland twice, while 
visiting another state (West Virginia) and a commonwealth 
(Pennsylvania).  

SAM
 Route Map:  http://www.gmap-pedometer.com/?r=3701846 

SAM
 Skate Route Cue Sheet:

Start location:  Western Maryland Rail 
Trail Parking Lot on East Main Street (Rt 144) slightly west and across 
the street from Center Street, Hancock, MD)
Directions: http://tinyurl.com/WMRT-parking-lot

W
 on Western Maryland Rail Trail (WMRT)
R South Pennsylvania Ave
L 
Main St
L West Main St
L Blue Hill
S on US 522
X over 
Potomac River
X West Virginia State Line
L County Rt 19 (Mountain)

Reverse
 direction back into Maryland
R (N on) US 522
X Maryland State 
Line
X over Potomac River
L Blue Hill
R West Main St
R Main 
St
L South Pennsylvania
 Ave
X Stable Run Rd
Pass by four 
driveways on left
X Pennsylvania State Line
Becomes Thompson Rd
L
 next driveway

Reverse direction back into Maryland
R Thompson
 Rd
X Maryland State Line
Becomes South Pennsylvania Ave
X Main
 St
at WMRT (go right for a longer skate, or go left about 1 mile to 
get back to parking)

Cheers,
George