A Half Century Ride on the Virginia Creeper

On Thursday we traveled south to Damascus, VA.  The scenic route through Maryland and West Virginia afforded us serene views of the countryside.  No doubt, Senator Byrd funneled plenty of federal dollars into his home state; we felt lonely on a nearly new stretch of interstate that traversed the West Virginia mountains.

Misty morning as we left Pennsylvania

An overlook in West Virginia

West Virginia scenery

West Virginia

 Arriving in Damascus, we met our campsite host, Russell Hayes, who had saved us a prime site right on the creek.  Creekside RV Park has six sites with all the amenities: water, electricity, sewerage, cable tv and wifi, and it’s catty-cornered to The Bike Station. 

The view from our living room window overlooking the creek in Damascus, VA

Our campsite on the creek running through Damascus, VA

Friday morning we rolled our bikes across the street to meet our shuttle to Whitetop, VA, where we would begin our day’s ride on the Virginia Creeper.  On the way to the top, we conversed with a sweet family of four from Tennessee.

The Creeper is a busy trail!  On this day, there were six passenger vans unloading bicycles and cyclists; and this was just the 10:00 shuttle.  Back in town later, we realized there were dozens of vans, a half dozen bike shops, and numerous lodging options.  Certainly, the trail has provided an economic boon to Damascus.

At Whitetop, ready to begin our day's ride on the Virginia Creeper

We stepped into the old depot at Whitetop to look around a bit while waiting until most riders had cleared the area before we mounted our bikes and headed down the mountain.  

The Depot at Whitetop, VA

Mailboxes at the Whitetop Depot

The trail’s descent from Whitetop to Damascus is steep.  We continually braked to slow our speed; even so, we sped along around 15 miles per hour for much of this 17 mile section.  Rain showers during the night made us fear the trail condition would be poor, but we were pleased to find there were only a few muddy spots on the entire trail.

Selecting our next Christmas Tree at a farm along the Virginia Creeper

Thought we had waited long enough for the masses to get ahead of us, but some took an early rest stop.

 

Green Cove Station on the Virginia Creeper; notice the crowd of  bicyclists 

One of many views of the creek running along the Creeper

 At lunchtime, we rolled into Damascus and took a break at the campsite.  A fellow camper had suggested we do an out-and-back to Alvaredo Station, so we headed back to the trail for the afternoon.  The trail flattened a bit along this stretch. Sure enough, Alvaredo Station was worth the ride.  At a little restaurant on the trail, we devoured the last serving of banana pudding and gulped a glass of sweet ice tea. 

Alvaredo Station on the Virginia Creeper Rail Trail

On the porch taking a snack break:  banana pudding - yum!

 By this time, we were just shy of ten miles from the end of the trail.  Surely, we should ride the whole trail!  So we did.   We crossed running creeks and rounded rocky outcroppings.  We pushed open cattle gates where the trail runs through private property.  Our legs could feel the gentle rise in the elevation as we approached Abington, VA.

We passed a cornfield on the trail

This trestle was replaced after a 2011 tornado destroyed it.

Passing through a farm gate on the Virginia Creeper

Rhododendron bloomed throughout the forest

We loved hearing the sound of water rushing over the rocks as we biked the trail

Cows grazed along the trail

Thirty-four miles end-to-end.  We biked the Virginia Creeper. 

But we were 17 miles from our campsite, a two-hour pedal away.

The return was grueling.  Our pace slowed to 7 mph in some sections.  We took only a short break to rest our weary bottoms and jello legs. By the time we reached Damascus, we had ridden the equivalent of a half-century, our longest ride ever, and reached a significant milestone: more than 125 miles biked within a five day span.

Russell had invited us to listen to some bluegrass at one of the local cafes, but we were later than expected in returning to town and much too tired for socializing.  Instead, we walked the two blocks to a nearby Mexican restaurant and window-shopped in downtown Damascus.  The food was good, but at this hour we were the only patrons.

Saturday we’ll head south again, hoping to reach the Peach State for our last night on the road for this trip.