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Water level at Brunswick washout
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Tom from Pittsburgh on 4/3/2019 9:42:12 AM:
The National Weather Service has a water level flood gage on the Potomac River at Little Falls, results of which can be seen online.
The current water level is shown to be 4.4 ft. which is pretty low and nowhere near flood stage.
Does anyone know if we can reliably predict the water level at the creek at the Brunswick culvert washout by looking at this information online? This might allow us to have a good idea if that creek is safely crossable before physically looking at it.
Being that they are only about 45 miles apart, it seems there may be some correlation between water levels at each location. I am trying to avoid a situation where I get there and the water level is too high to cross and I am tempted to do something stupid either by crossing in dangerous water or even more stupid (and unlawful), playing chicken with the trains.
 
John from Pittsburgh on 4/3/2019 8:17:22 PM:
No way of really telling that I’m aware of. You could email the staff at the Canal HQ? The rangers are likely just going to suggest that you take a shuttle I would guess (being on the safe side) but they might know the water level.

The day we were there (and crossed the creek) the water was low. We had to take all of our bags off the bikes, carry the bikes over the creek, then go back across the creek to collect our bags, go back over, then reassemble. Also know that the rocks are really slippery so I went slowly, step by step, rock to rock. It was a lot of work to get everything across but we made it. We lucked out because it was relatively dry compared to the rest of the season last year. Money saved as we were determined to not take the shuttle.

Good luck!
 
David Anderson on 4/8/2019 10:37:14 AM:
Check out google maps for a detour on the VA side. I am starting in Cumberland next Thursday and my plan is to try and ask any riders coming from D.C. how bad the washout was. If bad, I plan to detour via RT 287 bridge and back roads to the RT 15 bridge at Point of Rocks.
 
Willy from Alexandria VA on 4/19/2019 7:37:35 AM:
As long as you are on Rt287 coming out of Brunswick, why not continue on 287 for 14 miles and pick up the Washington and Old Dominion Trail outside of Purcelville,VA.

Then ride the WOD to DC.
 
Rivnuts from Homestead, PA on 4/19/2019 9:13:25 AM:
Wildly: How is the ride on Rt 287 to the WOD with a loaded bike? Is there a wide shoulder? How about traffic? I've not ridden the northern end of the WOD and was considering doing so in the next few weeks in route to DC. Is there any place to pitch a tent around Purcelville or Leesburg?
 
Kate from Frederick, MD on 5/8/2019 12:05:30 AM:
I biked up to the washout last week and levels were low.
However, we just had a ton of rain this week. So it won't be fun to get across now - the river was significantly higher when I was on the trail today. At least a foot and half higher than it was last week.
Also, I would recommend not biking on route 15 if you can avoid it. It is a very dangerous highway.
If you can get a ride from Brunswick to Lander Road, I would recommend that instead - you'd be much safer. And it's only a few miles that you'd not be doing.
Be safe everyone and hope to see some of you out there!
 
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