~20.5 miles @ ~14.5 min/mi

"Plan? Why start now?" At mile 9 Cait responds to my apology for not designing our route in advance. At 0530 on a humid pre-holiday Monday Lucas joins the Dawn Patrol at the Teddy Roosevelt Island parking lot. Soon Janet arrives, after (like me) taking a series of wrong turns and enjoying an unanticipated "area familiarization" tour. While awaiting her we ramble a mile out-and-back. The island itself is closed so the Park Service can remove trees infested with emerald ash borer beetles. "Could we climb the fence? Or swim across? Or leap down from the bridge, ninja-style?" We decide against.

"Let's start with the Potomac Heritage 50k course — backwards!" Cross Key Bridge, hook down to the C&O Canal towpath via Francis Scott Key Memorial mini-park, and head upstream to Fletchers Boathouse. Two great blue herons peer at us as we trot past. Kerry spots three turtles swimming just below the surface of the water. Kristin gently suggests that it might be suboptimal to crawl through the pipe under Macarthur Ave and pick up deer ticks going through the woods along the stream. So we head back down the Potomac, pausing for photos at the Einstein statue, and return to TR Island via the 14th St Bridge and the Mount Vernon Trail. Kerry plans to see fireworks on the 4th of July at the National Mall, for the first time in 25+ years.

Back at our start Janet, with meetings to attend, punches out. Kristin wisely does likewise, after checking her feet and discovering incipient blisters. Lucas, Cait, and Kerry take the Custis Trail out-and-back to add half a dozen final miles.We pause at Starbucks for iced coffee and tea.

(trackfile) - ^z - 2017-07-27