June 24, 2008, Tuesday
Abingdon, VA
BikeVA days don't get much better than today. The weather was perfect, low 80's with almost no humidity. This was a layover day with several loop routes from Abingdon into the surrounding countryside. We began the ride on the Virginia Creeper Trail from it's start in Abingdon. We found a shortcut from the motel to the start. There were very few cyclists on the trail; most were not willing to ride their high-priced racing bikes on the unpaved trail. There were many local folks out on the trail running and walking.
Our recumbents with wider hybrid tires were fine on the mostly hard-packed trail. It was a scenic ride surrounded by woods. When we checked the air photos of the trail the night before on Mapquest, the trail appeared as a thin line of trees. When riding the trail it seemed as if we were in a thick forest. The upper trail from Damascus to White Top, which we didn't ride, is heavily forested, passing through the Mt. Rogers National Recreation Area.
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| The Virginia Creeper rail trail | Parks Mill rest stop | FABB member Dennis Frew assists riders |
While it was a scenic route, the trail was a bit rough and at Watauga Rd we turned right onto another route option, the Pink route. There were rolling hills, some relatively steep, on the way to the next rest stop at Alvarado Station. It felt good to be back on paved roads. A very good, young country and western singer serenaded the crowd. There was lots of cut fruit and drinks and we checked out the store while we listened to George Strait Jr.
Abingdon Winery and Vineyards was located about a mile away and I tasted a few wines and purchased two bottles of the many that were sold to the cyclists. The bottles will be taken to the end of the ride. With a nice buzz on we rode toward lunch in Damascus. [Our Special Blend is an excellent dinner wine and Royal Blend is a mellow, smooth blend of Chambourcin and Cabernet Franc.]
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| Between Abingdon and Damascus | Alvarado Station rest stop | Alvarado winery |
As we left the rest stop I noticed a young lad riding along talking to a woman cyclist. He was about 10 years old with no helmet riding a 20-inch wheel BMX bike with one gear. He was climbing all the hills with the rest of us. I caught up with him and we talked for a while. He said he usually rides the Creeper Trail from Abingdon to Damascus and decided to follow the cyclists on roads on which he had never ridden. We rode along for a while talking, about what he was going to do during the summer (ride his bike and go to Myrtle Beach), about recumbents, etc.
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| Byron on his 1-speed BMX bike | Another climb, Byron weaving in the background | Lunch at Damascus Town Park |
When we crossed the Trail again I waved to Byron, thinking he might head back to Abingdon. As we sat down to lunch in Damascus sure enough there he was, wandering around the park probably looking for someone he knew. I offered him a lemonade and lunch. He gladly accepted the drink; he hadn't had one, other than the sip I gave him earlier, since starting his ride. He wanted to ride back with us on the Trail but I said we were going to look around and maybe use another route back. He said his Dad was riding along with the group, although we never saw him. We finally said goodbye and he was still wandering around the park as we left to tour "downtown" Damascus.
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| Damascus | Who says recumbents can't climb? | Returning to Abingdon |
The Appalachian Trail runs through the heart of Damascus and most through hikers spend some time in town resupplying. There are several outfitter stores and bike rental places in town. A small industry has developed around the business of hauling cyclists to the southern end of the Creeper Trail at White Top. It is a steady climb to White top, so many people decide to take the shuttle to the top and ride back down to Damascus (we've heard that for those riding upwhich makes for a slightly hazardous climb going in the other direction, with crazy, inexperienced cyclists racing toward you down the trail. There's also a large hiker festival in May, Appalachian Trail Days. Tennessee Man said that it's quite a sight, with hundreds of hikers partying for days.
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| View from Rock Springs church | Rock Springs Presbyterian Church | William King Regional Art Center |
The ride back to town was one of the best in a while; beautiful skies, rolling terrain with scenic farmland all around. I took many photos as we took our time riding in. We had a slight headwind that made for a tiring final few miles. By the time we reached the motel we had ridden 50 miles.
After the ride I visited the William King Regional Art Center, located on a hill overlooking Abindgon, then rode around town, passing the Starving Artist Cafe (pictured at the right). Dinner was held in a park across from Barter Theatre with a soul band entertaining the cyclists, several of whom had enough energy to dance. Now we're getting ready for our final ride back to Bristol and then the long drive home.