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MUDDY SHOE REVIEW by Joyce Adams SHORT, BUT NOTEWORTHY TRAILS I am going to do something I said I was not going to do. In my search for trails that fit my criteria, I have come across several that are too short to qualify for a standard review, but are accessible and pleasant. I have thought about it, and have decided that somebody out there may want to know about these trails as well. So, I have decided to do a compilation article, rating them all as "2" Muddy Shoes, due to their length. National Wildlife Federation, 8925 Leesburg Pike, Vienna, VA. This park has some short marked and groomed trails as part of its property. Side trails run into surrounding developments, so if you are patient and creative, you can weave in and out of the park to add mileage, mixing paved with unpaved surfaces. If you are really clever, you may find the path that leads to what I think is Wolf Trap Road (no signs at that point) and work your way around Wolf Trap grounds with its own trails and grassy areas. In all, I could get over an hour of running in, but had to pay strict attention to where I was wandering to weave my way back. I just think of all the people stuck in rush hour traffic in Tysons Corner who could detour to this park, run to relieve stress, then head home after the traffic settles down. The only amenities I saw were inside the NWF building, which has limited hours. Mason District Park, 6621 Columbia Pike, Annandale, VA. I was first introduced to this park a few years ago at one of NOVA's Milk and Cookie runs. For those of you who are uninitiated, the Milk and Cookie Runs are a series of low-key, cross-country races put on by NOVA Running Club during the spring and summer months. Admission is $2-3 and donation of HOMEMADE cookies if so inclined. The courses are usually close to 3 miles long, and usually over the hilliest and sloppiest terrain they can find. The trails are to the right as you enter the park and are maybe two miles long, with a fitness course. You can add mileage by skirting the entrance drive and running the grassy perimeter of the park on the other side as well. I have used this park to do a short but sweet workout of fartlek on the hills and striders on the level and shaded areas. There are several bathroom stations and water fountains around the park, making it a possible lunchtime or after-work stop for the time-challenged runner. Potomac Overlook Park, Arlington, VA. Sorry, I cannot find the exact address, but it is in the Military Highway/Glebe Road/Route 123 area. A running buddy of mine introduced me to this park as a hiking location. We could reach trails that lead under GW Parkway and parallel the Potomac while overlooking Georgetown. That particular end of the trail is quite dangerous for running, although I suppose some people have tried it. The upper part, where the parking areas are, have some negotiable trails where you may even catch some Reebok Enclave runners working out. Again, NOVA has staged a M&C run from there as well, complete with two stream crossings. If you weave in and out and retrace a little, you can get between three and four miles. Don't worry so much about mileage, though, because the climbs will give you a great workout. Claude Moore Park, Cascades Blvd. (Formerly Potomac View), Sterling, VA. Last summer I discovered some interwoven grassy-type trails covering maybe three miles. By running the perimeter of the park and athletic fields, I could add another mile or so. This summer I noticed some new trail markers, only to discover that there were another three to four miles of trails on the wooded side of the park! I live about one mile away and have been out there a few times a week now that I know it is there. There are a few athletic fields, and plans for a recreation center (complete with indoor pool) for the future. The trails are lumpy in places, especially in the grass, so you need to be vigilant while running. Although bikes are prohibited from the trails, there are several access points from the community (elementary school grounds, high school grounds and roadway paths) making it impossible to keep them off. The type of grass is reminiscent of hayfields, and therefore grows in clumps. The park is cared for mostly by volunteers at this time, so quality of maintenance varies. They are in the process of marking the trails as well, so there are a few places where it is not immediately apparent where the trail continues. As always, they welcome your suggestions and comments.
