Photos: A walk through a wintry wonderland… give or take some unshoveled sidewalks

I was greeted by a winter wonderland scene outside my kitchen window Monday morning.

I waited till the afternoon to get out and explore. By 2:30 p.m., Albemarle Street was clear.

Getting down into Soapstone Valley from Linnean was not too bad. And these were the scenes that greeted me.

Cars were parked outside the closure gate on Ridge Road…

…For the sledding on the hill abutting the road.

Beach Drive was also closed to car traffic.

Further up on Ridge Road were signs of cross-country skiers.

The best time to get out in DC is very early before the snow is compromised by the sun and hikers.

The trail leading down to Rock Creek was in good shape…

…Until I hit slushy patch.

The scenes along the creek were camera ready:

Heading to Connecticut Avenue on Albemarle, the sidewalk in front of the property that was once the Polish ambassador’s residence was not shoveled or treated. Sand would make it a lot safer.

Sidewalk conditions at Van Ness were good on the east side but iffy on the west.

The sidewalk in front of 4250 Connecticut and the Avis parking lot by the Days Inn needed to be shoveled and treated.

And the city has not figured out how to maintain access to the crosswalks. This very large slushy puddle on the southwest corner of Albemarle needed a bridge for crossing.

The apartment buildings, as far as I could see from Albemarle Street, did their usual great job of clearing the snow.

And it looks like we may be getting more snow over the weekend if not before. So don’t put away your snow gear.