Total miles 27,+/- 1,010/1453 elevation. Total miles so far 451. Weather low 50’s and rain. Highlights: Riding in the rain, a lot of downhill, the Creeper Trail, meeting some Appalachian Trail hikers, Damascus trail town, big dinner at local diner.
Forecast called for rain ending by 10 a.m. We started in light drizzle about 10:15 and about half a mile later we ran into a pretty good rain shower. At this point we stopped and put on our rain gear and it rained at varying intensity for the next 3 hours or so.
The Virginia Creeper Rail Trail that is 35 miles long. The name comes from a vine that grows on the trail. It follows Laurel Creek and was all downhill for the 11 miles that we were on the trail. Many outfitters run a shuttle to the eastern end at Whitetop so riders can do a 17 mile downhill ride back to Damascus.
The trail crosses the Appalachian Trail several times. We met some hikers and talked about their hike and our trip. The hikers do not see many touring cyclists so were curious about where we were going, etc.
Everything you need to hike the Appalachian Trail can be purchased in this store.
Damascus is a major re supply point for hikers on The Appalachian Trail. Northbound hikers have hiked almost 500 miles when they reach Damascus. There are many restaurants and outdoor stores catering to hikers.
Trail days is a big festival with over 2000 hikers attending. Concerts, contests, seminars and hanging out with other hikers. Hikers will shuttle from where they are hiking to this event. They are having the event this year supposedly scaled back a bit due to COVID.
We had a great dinner at this restaurant. Went early to avoid the crowds. For around $12.00 you got an entree, choice of 2 sides homemade vegetables and a salad all generous portions.
Traveling with Pat & Mark 
Pat and Mark,
Traveling through such scenic areas and quaint towns. Curious about how much time you spend on bike/hiking trails vs open roads.
Jeff
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Jeff, very few trails so far. Capitol trail by Richmond was very nice. It was was about 45 miles and took us right into downtown Richmond. Creeper trail was about 11 miles. Other than that it has been all roads in the approximately 500 miles so far.
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Sorry about the rain, but glad that it should clear soon. Texted you a copy of an article in the Daily Herald today about a woman biking cross country from San Diego to St.Augustine, Florida. Hope it comes through to you. Love all of the little towns that you travel through!
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What a neat-looking place. The pictures of the trail are magnificent. Save for a downed tree across the trail, etc. 🙂
I hope that you get a break from the rain today because the temperature sounds like perfect riding weather. Keep up the great job!
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A wet but definitely beautiful day. Great scenery!
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Hey, thanks for keeping us up to date on your adventure. Great stuff plus the pictures. Just think of the rain as a bike wash!!!
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Also a shower!
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Hurrah for some downhills. Scenery is beautiful, and the rain just adds to your experiences. Easy for me to say, dry and cozy in warm clothes. Continue to enjoy this amazing adventure.
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Your mention of the Virginia Creeper reminds me that you are so close to NC, you should make a short detour and pick up a bag of Carolina Reaper peppers, rated as the hottest in the world —-
The heat rating on these monsters can be over 1,500,000 Scovilles; in comparison the spicy habanero is a mere 100,000 Scovilles!
They would make for a challenging day-after ride. They even look nasty !
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You needed a downhill day after the torturous uphill climbs of yesterday! Your trail photos are so beautiful and green. I love the small, rural towns you are stopping in along the way. Thank you for sharing your hard work with us, Pat and Mark!
On Wed, May 12, 2021 at 7:02 AM Traveling with Pat & Mark wrote:
> knitterpat21 posted: ” Total miles 27,+/- 1,010/1453 elevation. Total > miles so far 451. Weather low 50’s and rain. Highlights: Riding in the > rain, a lot of downhill, the Creeper Trail, meeting some Appalachian Trail > hikers, Damascus trail town, big dinner at local diner. ” >
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