We've been talking for years about trying the other "rails-to-trails" bike
trail in the Southeast, the
Virginia
Creeper Trail. Andy and I finally rode it on September 29, 2003.
It's a beautiful trail stretching 34 miles from Mt. Rogers through Damascus and
on to Abingdon, VA. There's a short description and history of the trail
here.
We rode the trail with my brother Mark and his wife Robyn who live in
Kingsport, TN. We used their mountain bikes since it's a gravel and cinder
trail, not paved like our local Silver Comet Trail. It was chilly that
morning (in the low 50's) and the cold wind and overcast skies didn't help.
It sounded great when my brother told me that the first 20 miles or so of the
trail were downhill, but when you're trying to warm up and can't pedal because
you're mostly coasting or riding the brakes, it's COLD! We stopped to warm
up whenever we found a nice patch of sunshine.
We started at Whitetop Station on top of Mt. Rogers. It
was really downhill for the first few miles to Green Cove Station.
We passed through many meadows and dense forests. Several
times we crossed the Appalachian
Trail and the two trails converge for the last mile or so into Damascus.
The trail runs beside Whitetop Laurel Creek most of the way.
There are over 40 bridges and trestles to cross on the trail. The many
waterfalls and rock formations along the stream create a very scenic ride.
We passed through fields of wildflowers. The goldenrod was
in full bloom.
