VIRGINIA CREEPER TRAIL

Ann's sister, Kathy, and her husband John live in Bristol, about 100 miles west of Hillsville.  They suggested that we spend a day together to ride bikes down the Creeper Trail. We met them on a sunny summer morning in Damascus, VA.  Paul is shown below with Kathy and John, with the bike trailer and van in the background loaded and ready to go.  We rented bikes and then were driven 30 minutes up over steep, windy roads to the Whitetop Station (3,576 ft. above sea level).  This was once the highest railroad passenger station east of the Rockies.  John and Kathy assured us that we were up to the task of riding 17 miles on the trail, as the trail is a 3% downward grade all the way back to Damascus.

The Virginia Creeper Trail is an abandoned railroad right-of-way which was dedicated by Congress as a National Recreation Trail in 1987.  This rail line was built to help the lumber companies export their product in the early 1900's.  Passenger travel was a by-product for those who worked along the railroad.  The trees along the trail are second generation, since the area was logged heavily between 1880 and 1976.

We got on our bikes and began the ride, stopping often to enjoy the beautiful forest and mountain views.

Our first rest stop was at Green Cove Station, built by the Norfolk & Western Railroad in 1914.  The train, and the line, became known as The Virginia Creeper because of its slow speed going up and over the mountains.  The interior of the general store at Green Cove Station was left "as is" when it closed in March, 1977.  Ann and Kathy recognized many of the small cans and boxes on the shelves from their childhood home.  Paul is sitting on a railroad maintenance trolley outside of the station.

As we rode along, we did find several old railroad markers.  Notice the moss growing on the side of this marker.

Here is one of the longer trestles along the Creeper Trail.  We rode across at least 20 trestles during our ride, enjoying the views of river gorges and forest valleys below.

As we rode along, we were very close to the "Offset", a shift in the Virginia-Tennessee border just west of the trail.  Legend has it that, in 1749, surveyors ventured off the 36°30' parallel of latitude, the planned northern boundary of Tennessee where it meets Virginia, to the north in search of a moonshine still in the woods.  These surveyors enjoyed the fruits of the mountains before continuing their work, with the new boundary line now several miles from where it was originally supposed to be.  Not all surveying jobs can be perfect when fueled by moonshine.

Much of the trail follows Whitetop Laurel Creek.  We enjoyed some great views of several small waterfalls and rapids along the trail.

A second set of rapids.

John is shown below walking back to the trail from examining this waterfall.

Rock cliffs are adjacent to the trail in many areas.  Here you can see the layers of sandstone which are mixed in among glacial deposits left behind by an ancient ice age which ended about 10,000 years ago.

As we approached Damascus, we heard thunder rumbling through the mountains and decided that our strategy for taking the ride early in the day had paid off.  We rode our bikes into the rental parking lot, checked in the bikes and then rushed to our cars as the rain began to fall.  

Fortunately, the rain was over by the time we finished lunch, so John suggested taking some scenic hikes close to town.  We drove across the border into Tennessee to take a short but very steep hike up Backbone Rock, which is locally know as the world's shortest tunnel.  Around 1900, the Beaver Dam Railway Company blasted and drilled the tunnel to provide railroad access from Damascus into Shady Valley's rich manganese and iron ores as well as timber.  You can see how high this tunnel is by observing John and Paul standing along the side.

In 1924 the tracks were taken up and the route was opened up for automobiles.

While we didn't get any photos of the climb up the steps, here are two photos of the steps going back down on the other side of the road.  Kathy is behind Paul as they navigate their way down these narrow steps.

A side view showing the steep drop off beyond the railing.  Ann is in the foreground with Paul and Kathy further back.

You can see just how narrow the top of the tunnel is as Paul and Ann maneuver along the top.  Notice there is only a railing on one side.

Paul and Ann admiring the view from the top of the tunnel.

Notice how small this motorcycle and rider look from the top.

The primary reason for climbing these steep stairs was to get to this small but powerful waterfalls on the other side of the road from the parking area.

It was great to experience these outdoor adventures with John and Kathy.  This is a milestone in that it is the first time we have completed two adventures in two different states in the same day.