Virginia Creeper Trail

Carole and I decided to ride the Virginia Creeper Rail Trail again. In the past when we've had the opportunity to ride it we had passed. That's because the first time we biked it we rode it with Roy and Cindi Aiken and their kids, James and Emily. We had such a good time that day that the idea of going without them kind of made us depressed. So we didn't go when we had the opportunity a couple of times.

On this trip, however, we decided to ride it once more. It was fun, but not as much as the first ride with the Aikens. We made the 17-mile trip in three hours. It can easily be done in one hour if you don't stop and linger. The first time we rode it I think we took about five hours to do the ride. Because there was live music at one spot on the trail and we stopped a lot more to take photos and just absorb the beautiful scenery.

One thing about this stretch of the trail is that it's almost all downhill. And the brief parts that aren't downhill are level. If you start at the Whitetop Station and ride all the way into Damascus, you lost almost 1800 feet of elevation. That first section between Whitetop Station and Green Cove Station is pure adrenaline fun. Just coasting you can reach really wonderful speed. Even lard asses and people in just general bad physical shape and do this trail with absolutely no problem.

The Green Cove Station. My favorite of the train stations along the trail. This was the only one that was an actual station. It was in operation until 1977 when it was finally closed. It had a store and a post office.

Inside the store section which is mainly a museum now. Operated by volunteers.

One of several abandoned homes along the trail.

This place was for sale. Located directly on the rail trail. It comes with 23 acres and a barn and creek frontage. Only $350K.

A store along the trail. There's a footbridge allowing access from the trail. We stopped here for a while when we rode the trail with the Aikens because they had live bluegrass music that day.

Looking down from one of the high trestles.

Nice waterfall on the trail.

The bridges and the constant water cement the appeal of the trail.

One of the many views.

The trail goes through this guy's farm. What a panorama!

This is where we stopped for lunch. Creekside.

The Buchanan Inn at Green Cove Station. This is where the people who ran the Green Cove Station lived. It's now a vacation rental.

A Black ratsnake on the highest of the trestles on the trail. There were three of them using the side of the bridge to sun themselves.

Virginia Creeper Replay (Continued)

One more post about the Virginia Creeper Trail.

The Green Cove Station (where we took the group photo on the flatbed rail car).

These folk were performing at a small restaurant beside the trail. They were quite good.

Typical trail conditions.

One of the many great views along the way. You never have time to get bored.

Cindi relaxing on a rock outcrop beside the waterway.

You can't count the waterfalls on the creeks that parallel the trail.

The Appalachian Trail crosses the Virginia Creeper, and even shares the same route for a short distance.

This lady was relocating a hog-nosed black snake from an exposed spot on the trail to a safer place. Not everyone is kind to snakes.

One of the trestles was so impressive that I had to climb down to get a shot from below. Everyone else thought that I was daft. (I am, of course.)

Roy asking me if it was worth the steep climb. (It was.)

The trestle at eye level. The longest one on the trail. This is the trestle that was burned by local assholes who were against the trail when people were first trying to convert it from a rail right-of-way into a biking/hiking/horseback trail. The same scumbags probably owe at least a portion of their incomes to the fact that this trail exists.

Carole takes a break.

One of the few places where you actually have to pedal your bike. And it was merely level ground. Most of the rest of the ride was coasting. And, yes, the view was amazing. We couldn't have asked for a greater day and a more pleasing panorama.

The last trestle crossing before reading Damascus.

James & Emily enjoy ice cream in Damascus at the end of our trip. Damascus is often called "the friendliest town on the Appalachian Trail". In my experience, this is true. The town owes its livelihoods to various aspects of outdoor activities, which include hiking--the Appalachian Trial goes right through the little city. The folk here seem to be very happy to be in the midst of so much natural beauty, and don't mind sharing it with visitors like us.

If you're into hiking and backpacking, try to attend at least one Trail Days celebration in Damascus.

The Virginia Creeper Trail. I highly recommend it. There are plenty of places in town that will rent bikes (cruisers and trail bikes) along with shuttle services to the top of the mountain. Most of the outfitters are located right beside the trail. We chose the first one as you come into Damascus. (Can't recall the name--sorry.) But they're all decent outfits. You can rent bikes, canoes, kayaks, fishing equipment, etc. For some reason, I always forget to mention the great fishing around Damascus when I talk about this area. It's a well-known spot for great fishing--especially for native brook trout. Carole and I haven't been back to do the Virginia Creeper Trail because we'd likely get depressed biking it without the Aikens, who are now living in Colorado Springs. Alas!