The Blizzard of '05 dropped well over two feet of snow on my commuting route by the end of the day on Sunday. My employer was closed Monday, so I only rode a 7-mile loop around Roslindale and through the Arboretum, where the roads were plowed. Tuesday, I took my avalanche shovel and cleared a few places on the way to work. Everyone plowed, but the DCR didn't plow after the storm was over, and the Charles River path was unrideable. I'll check it out on the way home. All in all, the paths were pretty clear considering how much snow was dumped on them.

Please send updates and reports on the conditions of other paths in Massachusetts to Doug Mink dmink@massbike.org.

Arnold Arboretum 1.5 miles of park roads which are mostly closed to automobile traffic with no intersections Boston Parks and Harvard University	By Monday afternoon, the roads were all packed powder and quite rideable. The Arboretum plows the sidewalk to the Arborway crosswalk, but they don't plow the curb cut in the median or the curb-cut sidewalk between the frontage road and the crosswalk. With my trusty yellow avalanche shovel, I cleared two feet of packed snow off the walks. It took close to an hour, but everyone who came through was really nice.
Arborway "Bike Lanes" Department of Conservation and Recreation, Division of Urban Parks and Recreation 1 mile of wide paved shoulder which is unmarked but usually clear of parked cars during rush hour Boston Parks and Harvard University	It looked clear, but I'll find out how well Tuesday night.
Jamaicaway Bikepath 1.5 miles of mostly bike/ped-separated paths paralleling a busy 4-lane parkway; two intersections with traffic lights Boston Parks Deparment	This is the first time this winter that the path wasn't plowed from Eliot St. to Perkin St. The parallel pedestrian path along the pond and past the Sugar Bowl to Perkin St. was plowed (to packed powder) widely enough for bicyclists and pedestrians to share, so it was easy to get through. From Perkin St. to Route 9, the bikepath was plowed to packed powder, and the snow was piled so high next to it that for the first time this winter, there was no drifting. The curb cut in the Route 9 median hadn't been cleared, so I put together the avalanche shovel and got it down to almost bare pavement.
Olmsted Park Paths 3/4-mile of mostly bike/ped-separated paths built over Riverdale Road, across Leverett Pond from the Jamaicaway. Brookline Park Department	Not checked yet.
Muddy River Path 12-foot-wide 0.6 mile shared bike/ped path with no intersections Brookline Park Department and DPW	This path was plowed to packed powder and rideable except for a bit of very loose snow on the Park Drive end.
B.U. Bridge	The sidewalks were unplowed. Watch out for two pretty bad potholes on the right edge of the Cambridge-bound roadway.
Charles River Bikepath Narrow, shared bike-ped path with few intersections Department of Conservation and Recreation, Division of Urban Parks and Recreation	They ran the Snowcat through, at least from the B.U. Bridge to the Eliot Bridge on the Cambridge side, but they did it before the snow stopped falling, and the path is pretty much unrideable. I made it from the B.U. Bridge to Magazine Beach before I gave up and rode to Harvard Square on Memorial Drive, where traffic wasn't too bad at all. Let the DCR know they should plow the path after the storms, too, at their feedback web page.
J.F.K. Park Wide, shared bike-ped path from river to Harvard Square Department of Conservation and Recreation, Division of Urban Parks and Recreation	This path was clear as usual, though there was a bit too much snow around the Memorial Drive entrance and curb cuts.
Southwest Corridor Bikepath Separated Bike/Ped path with poorly-designed intersections Department of Conservation and Recreation, Division of Urban Parks and Recreation	Not checked yet.
Melnea Cass Bikepath Separated Bike/Ped path Boston Parks or Transportation Deparment	Not checked yet, but probably not plowed.
Neponset Trail Mostly paved Bike/Ped path Department of Conservation and Recreation, Division of Urban Parks and Recreation	This path is usually not plowed. If you use this path regularly and want the DCR to plow it, let them know at their feedback web page.
Somerville Community Path Wide rail trail from Davis Square to Cedar St. City of Somerville	Not checked, but probably plowed.
Red Line Linear Park Path Alewife MBTA station to Davis Square over Red Line City of Cambridge City of Somerville	Not checked yet, but probably plowed here and there.
Cambridge Bike Lanes Striped lanes of varying widths on major and connecting streets City of Cambridge	The snow was heavy, so cars are probably pretty fare from the curb. I'll check some of the paths on the way home.
Fresh Pond Bike Path Parallel to Fresh Pond Parkway in Kingsley Park City of Cambridge	Not checked yet.
Minuteman Bikeway From Cambridge through Arlington and Lexington to Bedford Each town	Not checked yet, but might be plowed from Alewife to Arlington Center.
Northampton Bikeway East-west across the City of Northampton City of Northampton	Craig Della Penna, who lives next to the path, reports that it is the intention of the DPW to make it passable ASAP after a storm. If the storm is significant, then they plow it repeatedly --sometimes 10-12 times during the course of the storm to ensure its usability.
Norwottuck Rail Trail Northampton to Amherst Department of Conservation and Recreation, Division of State Parks and Recreation	Not checked yet.