Creeper Crawling

I was beginning to think it might come, a day off from volunteer duties that was also dry. This week, the skies cleared just long enough for us to get out and cross two activities off our “must do while in SW Virginia list.”

The first was a drive up Whitetop Mountain. At an altitude of 5,520 feet, this peak stands as Virginia's second tallest (after the 5,729-foot high Mt. Rogers). Whitetop is sometimes called the “meadow mountain” for the large grassy areas once used by local ranchers and farmers who grazed their stock there during the summer months. These balds offer spectacular views of the communities of Whitetop and Green Cove as well as the mountains of nearby North Carolina and Tennessee.

The second was a bicycle ride down the Virginia Creeper Trail. I say “down” because the route we took, which is the one most tourists here take, is on a slight downhill for the better part of the 17-mile trek from Whitetop Station to Damascus, Virginia. As far as I'm concerned, the ride counts more as an activity than it does exercise or sport, simply because it involves so little exertion. Mind you, the ride does call for a certain amount of effort in order to avoid getting caught in ruts left by the wheels of previous riders in order to stay upright and, thus, not plant one's face on the path. (It happens.)

What makes a ride down the VCT so noteworthy is the fact that it offers a much more intimate glimpse into the beauty that southwestern Virginia has to offer than does, say, a car ride along a highway.

For us, there was also a practical reason for pedaling this path. Leonard and I get a lot of questions from riders departing Whitetop Station for Damascus. Now, when someone asks, “How long does it take?” or “Is there any place to eat along the way?” we can respond with something more informative than shrugging our shoulders and staring down at our shoes.

I'll let the photo journal below do the rest of my talking. Besides, I really should get to work cleaning my shoes.

 

North Carolina's mountains appear in the distance. This photo doesn't do the view from Whitetop Mountain justice.




Balds like the one shown in the foreground served as summer pastureland

for local farmers and ranchers.

This rider shows off his cool new trail bike. Nice wheels!

The road to Damascus features 29 wooden trestles passing over numerous streams.

Don't jump! It's a long way down.



Interpretive panels posted along the VCT educate travelers

about the trail and surrounding forest.



This apple tree was likely planted by a railroad passenger tossing the

spent core of his or her snack to the ground while the train made its

way down the tracks.





Lumber industry practices of the early 20^th century made Virginia's streams hostile to

native species of fish. Today, trout fishing is a favorite activity among locals and tourists alike.



Debris from the old railroad serves as a reminder of the VCT's iron horse roots.

Bicycle shops rent bikes and shuttle riders to the trail head at Whitetop Station.

The VCT attracts and estimated 200,000 tourists annually.

Damascus and other towns that would otherwise have perished for lack of an

economic base survive today because of tourist dollars the VCT attracts.