Our intrepid group, from left to right: Jack Ritterskamp, Dee Litten Whited (the author), Michael Whited, and Julie Ritterskamp, AKA Pollyanna.
and for good reason—it’s traversed not only by the Creeper Trail and the Appalachian Trail, but also by the Trans-America National Bicycle Trail, the Iron Mountain Trail, the Daniel Boone Heritage Trail, the Crooked Road Musical Heritage Trail, and Virginia’s Birding and Wildlife Trail to name a few. My perky friend, Julie, and husband, Jack, had tackled the trail many times before and had a favorite bike rental-shuttle service, Creeper Trail Bike Rental in Damascus. Owner Gary Greer gave us some tips about navigating the trail and the helpful staff fitted us with just the right sized bikes and bike helmets and loaded them on their trailer. We climbed into the shuttle and our adventure to the top of the mountain began. The serpentine road was often paralleled by gurgling creeks and streams. We drove through forests dotted by mountain laurel that would burst into flower next spring. Our autumn ride assured us of a canopy of colorful hardwoods. The Virginia Creeper National Recreation Trail is a 34.3- mile rail-to-recreation trail, traversing through two counties from Abingdon through Damascus. It ends just past Whitetop Station in the Mount Rogers National Recreation Area, at the Virginia-North Carolina border. In
The Appalachian Trail crosses the Virginia Creeper Trail as it winds its way north to south.
Trails of Two Cities Story by Dee Litten Whited
“Come, on. It will be fun,” said my Pollyanna friend. “But I haven’t ridden a bike for 20 years,” I said. “Don’t worry,” she said with a grin. “It’s just like riding a bicycle.” So that’s how I found myself, along with three other 70-somethings, being shuttled to Whitetop Station at the top of the Virginia Creeper Trail. If I hadn’t been so concerned about the impending ride, I would have enjoyed the beauty of our surroundings. The Whitetop Station sits at 3,500 feet, near the top of Mount Rogers, the second highest peak in Virginia. At the apex, we were nearly in North Carolina. Our adventure had actually begun in the historic and picturesque town of Damascus, known as the “Friendliest Town on the Trail”—so named by Appalachian Trail through hikers. It’s also known as “Trail Town, USA”
TRAILS OF TWO CITIES
COAST TO COAST SUMMER MAGAZINE 2018
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