How I learned that Ground Hogs = Woodchucks = Whistle Pigs:
Yesterday I had time to kill while my car was repaired. While I should have been recounting my Japan runs on this blog, I decided instead to find a NP2R. The dealership is located near the W&OD trail (officially known as the Washington & Old Dominion Regional Railway Park) in Sterling, Virginia, so I took a 12 mile (6 miles out and back) run. The W&OD is a regional treasure, a great place for an easy run, bike or hike in the Northern Virginia (NOVA) area. If you’re a visitor to NOVA, you can find a number of easy access points to this 40+ mile trail.
As I always prefer to run on dirt, I was pleasantly surprised to find a dirt and gravel side trail that paralleled the main paved trail. Lined with trees for most of the way, the dirt trail is pleasantly isolated and often runs lower or higher than the main trail.
Along the way:
The many data farms in NOVA that are a mainstay of the new economy.
Under a old electrical transmission line that brings the cheap electricity to keep the data farms powered.
Under the IAD flight path (only for a mile or so, interesting more than bothersome).
Past a tiny rural church now surrounded by large home developments and big schools.
Past “posted keep out” signs. Past sports fields and a golf course. Past a craft brewery and a bbq shop.
On the dirt trail on this part of the W&OD, I didn’t have the fear of being run over by cyclists as I often do on the trail closer to my home.
As I approached Ashburn, I could tell by the increasing frequency of piles to avoid that I had entered horse country…but I did not encounter any horses on the trail during my afternoon run.
My turnaround point was at a quarry operation that I had always been curious about…the trail offers a superb vantage point (with benches) to see what’s going on.
At the turnaround I crossed over Goose Creek (more scenic than the quarry) and finished at Two Creeks Trail area which I did not have time to explore.
And I learned a bit about Woodchucks!
Official site for the W&OD here: https://www.novaparks.com/parks/washington-and-old-dominion-railroad-regional-park
Wikipedia for W&OD here: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Washington_%26_Old_Dominion_Railroad_Regional_Park