Full moon over Damascus, VA

And down by the river 1 block off main drag.  The Appalachian trail drops right thru downtown. Town is wrapped around tourists riding the Virginia Creeper trail, a rails to trails success. There might be 10 businesses renting bikes & driving shuttles for 35 mile 1 to 3% downgrade along Whitetov Laurel trout stream. All kinds of riders and bikes pedal the trail which is still rideable gravel.

Today i drove from Boone, NC area after riding Warrior Creek and staying in an Army Corps XG. Very mountainous, scattered modern houses in woods. Lots of acreage in christmas trees on slopes too steep to cultivate. Not much farming. Old homesteads tucked back in the hills. Stores that supported them are all gone, new people drive miles to a city for supplies or on way home from work. RT 58 travels ridges & drops down into a hollow & climbs back.

Hot place to ride today was Iron Mtn, an introduction to west riding as the only ST was on downhill after road climb up, and it was short lived. Met Greg, a native of South Africa. He said the movie Invictus was true and that he was in the stadium for the  match or maybe scrum. He laid out a loop consisting of 11 miles uphill of the Virginia Creeper, several miles down rt 58, up FS road 90 to finally the ST. I am liking old hiking trails & Sedona biker made trails over the machine cut trails.  Mtn bike trail designers put an awful lot of creative energy into trail design creating flow for a bike rider. The tread is all but pavement smooth. What becomes challenging are the berms and grade dips. Warrior creek loop had so many bermed switchbacks in the drainages to shed the water per that designer’s perspective. Actually becomes boring. Give me a day of Pisgah @ Brevard to enjoy my squishy bike.

The spin on the rail road grade was enlightening as that it was all spinable and I don’t spin. The AT shared some of the same trail and there were numerous vacant hiker camps. Short story, climbed out of creek bottom, rode down rt 58 & climbed up FS road to Iron mtn trail, 6 miles to town, last 2 miles was an old eroded logging road. The hillsides were stripped by 1920 and reforested. Too short a piece of ST for effort. Once on it I was all alone.

Parked in a lot signed Public Parking, no mention of no overnight camping which I will attempt. Don’t try this at home. Cop has cruised me 2x and I am kitty block from the police station.

Yesterday I bid Bruce adieu and drove to Boone, NC to find a ride. MTBR forum listed maybe 8 rides out of Boone. I found Boone bike & touring store, met Joseph who immediately set about to line up a ride for the next day. He set me upon Warrior creek east of town. It is a machine cut trail snaking along the shores of an Army Corps of Engineering man made reservoir. Rained recently leaving questionable traction @ the bottom of the grade dips. I slithered several times to convince myself that traction is sketchy. I got splattered & coated w/ woods mud as did the bike. Both were showered, albeit different times.

Paid $22 camp fee as the $18 primitive campsites have been converted to power & h2o. Included shower. Drove by historical plaque for the song Tom Duley grave site a mile away. The song is real.

Monday I left Brevard after a cranial treatment by Kim. She was able to lessen the pain in my SI. Picked up my warranty replacement shoes from Sycamore cycles & said goodbye to Wes. Stopped @ the Hub for a chain and said good bye again. Drove to Asheville to a chiro adjustment by Robin. Today my body found a new stasis. Hung w/ Bruce. Again, helmetless & lightless we pedaled to his friend Niccole’s house. We stopped for a half rack of Miller bottles and split it between our 2 packs and continued to Niccole’s. She will not drink craft beer. No breakers. I step up climbed the 3 steps to her porch. Bruce was impressed. Yesterday he rode the Pisgah Bad Ass race course, some 60 miles on a rigid single speed. Quite an accomplishment. Ate dinner. Much later after the rain let up we rode back to Bruce’s in the light rain & wet streets.

Scrape on my shin is quite painful sitting here typing.

Made Spanish Bulghur for dinner tonight. It is spiced w/ Cayenne. I was parked in the sun making me very warm to start. The pepper made me sweating hot.

Need to research for tomorrow.

One comment on “Full moon over Damascus, VA

  1. Hi Craig, Been riding about 3 times a week. Went with Glo to Twin lakes this last Sunday out by Odessa in the desert. Spring wildflowers are amazing this year due to the cool and exceesively wet Spring we’ve had. Nice 10 mile pedal with variety from green cottonwood bottom land with herds of very athletic cows to a wandering trail through sagebrush up in the higher areas. Did Liberty Lake on Tuesday. Great ride, 12 miles and 1500 vert. Really great time with Greg (my stepson) and Roger Dexter. We’re puffing uphill while Greg is amorously chatting away about how his heart rate hit a new high of 194 beats per minute. I’d be dead. Going to the Gorge on Memorial weekend. Enjoy yourself and those new shoes (isn’t this like the 5th or 6th replacement pair?). Les

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