The Trail Must Go On

Driving up Saturday morning we admired the frost on the fields, along with the occasional spot of what looked like snow. Paul strikes again? The sun was bright, though, the fall colors were spectacular, and our evening in Abingdon called. We pressed on. At the start of the ride the victims of Paul's enthusiasm (Rick Floyd, Carla Ellis, Jamie Ellis, Lori Shapiro, Jack Ramsey, and Paul Killough) gathered together their bikes and panniers. After a few comments on Paul's taste in weather, and Lori's surprise reunion with the Potomac Peddlers, we were off.

The Virginia Creeper Trail is a converted rail bed. It's worth mentioning at this point that the start of the ride, Whitetop, is at the top of an infamous rail grade. Because of this, the ride to Abingdon is mostly downhill. This is normally a great asset when you're on a bike, but given the weather it was a bit less attractive. Paul kept us entertained with tales from the days when railroads ruled the area, though, and the views from the dozens of trestles along the trail captured the rest of our attention, so the cold was quickly (mostly) forgotten.

The upper half of the Virginia Creeper Trail is heavily forested, with only occasional road and trestle crossings to remind you of civilization. The trail itself is covered by crushed gravel. It's eminently rideable on a mountain bike or hybrid. The forest has grown back since the days of the railroad, leaving a trail that's wide enough to allow two riders abreast but narrow enough to feel forested - perfect for loaded mountain biking. We made good time on this section of the trail, stopping briefly at Green Cove Station [74K JPEG] for a quick history lesson (courtesy of Paul), and stopping at trestles along the way to admire fall color in the mountains.

The lower half of the trail is a bit less isolated than the upper half (although this is a relative term). It's also not as well graded. This produces a trail that sometimes has the flavor of an obstacle course. The trail traverses many pastures, and gates cross the trail at each boundary. Some of the pastures contained impressively large bulls the day we crossed. Despite our initial concerns, they seemed to have absolutely no interest in bikers. This is just as well. It didn't seem likely that "Halt" would be a match for nearly half a ton of muscle and horn.

The trail from Whitetop to Abingdon is 35 miles long, and we were definitely feeling like we deserved the B&Bs we were staying in by the time we arrived. After quick showers we met Lynn Wilson for supper and pre-play entertainment (ask Lori and Jack about the "romantic card trick" performed by the roving magician).

The playhouse in Abingdon is called "The Barter Theater." The name dates from the theater's formation during the depression, when patrons could bring food for starving artists in exchange for entertainment ("Ham for Hamlet"). This was a successful strategy - at the end of the first year the staff had collectively gained 300 lbs. Since we were on bikes, and traveling light, we used more traditional currency. The play that night was Devil's Dream, based on a book by Chapel Hill author Lee Smith. The cast was in fine form, inspired by the presence of Lee in the audience. A fine time was had by all.

Sunday we tackled the return trip up, up, up to Whitetop. That is, some of us tackled the trip. A few of us rode the first half, with stops to admire the sweeping trestles [85K JPEG], and then took advantage of one of the shuttle services that run from the midpoint in Damascus up to Whitetop. Most people who ride the trail park in Damascus, shuttle up to Whitetop, and then ride and coast back down. Our twist on that approach allowed us to see the entire trail, and a fine play as well.

You can find more information on the Virginia Creeper Trail, and on Abingdon VA on the web.