Damascus to Whitetop | Biking the LEGENDARY Virginia Creeper Trail (Part 2) 

Thanks for the kind words…and for sharing your memories and experiences!

Yes! The only 2 times I have had a spill as an adult - both times, it was because I applied the brakes too hard/too fast on a wet boardwalk. Thanks for the tip regarding Maine. I would love to visit the New England states...probably after I retire.

It's very special. Don't ever take it for granted! Thank you for watching...

Your comment just made my day!

Awesome!

Thanks so much for the encouragement! It’s a way of combining two things that I really enjoy - exploring bike trails and video production. I should’ve started a long time ago! 😆

Ooo…thanks for the tip! I’ve had a cyclist friend suggest that I ride it in every season of the year. That sounds good to me! 🙂

You will definitely enjoy it!

Thanks for watching and I sincerely hope that you recover completely from your accident. Like I said, I wear one when it seems like a good idea based on the trail itself… and I very much avoid riding on roads with cars. I almost never do that. I hate it. I’ve seen and heard lots of personal anecdotes and stories about people that have received head injuries. But I’ve also watched RU-vid videos where they present data that say walking is statistically as dangerous as riding a bike and yet we don’t wear helmets just to walk around. And then there’s one of the countries over in the Scandinavian region where there’s tons and tons of bicyclists… And almost none of them wear helmets. I think it’s Norway or Denmark. And they’re riding through busy city streets in large cities. I don’t know… I mean, I’m open to it and like I said, I will wear one if I feel like there’s a risk. Do I enjoy wearing a helmet? That’s an emphatic no. I have a large head so I think it makes me look goofy. It ruins my hair, it can be hot/uncomfortable, It’s one more thing to have to keep track of, etc. So I guess on this topic, I’m just gonna have to say “to be continued…” Thanks for your input, and I hope you heal up nicely!

Glad you enjoyed it! Yes, it does feel like you’re going against the flow. Enjoyable either way, though!

Thanks! I'm glad I went up. Like I said, you tend to see more and experience the trail in a different way.

@@joyfultrails You could Actually Expand Trails & Greenways There’s - Greenways & Trails like Cayce RiverWalk great Day Trips😎 There’s - Destination Trails like Creeper Trail let’s make a weekend of it 🚴‍♂️😎 I would put Swamp Rabbit on this list.. so much to do in Greenville Then there’s trip of a life time trails Like - Great Allegheny Passage or Katy Trail.. were you make a week of it 🚴‍♂️🍁🏕️☕️

@@joyfultrails Speaking of trip of a lifetime.. When get older 🤪 You should look at RAGBRAI 🌽 it’s a bike ride across Iowa starting at the Missouri River bike ride to the Mississippi River now that’s EPIC

Thanks for the kind words!

Wow. Thanks so much for your kind words. You have a real gem there. I thoroughly enjoyed my visit and look forward to returning someday.

Third week of October!

Thanks so much!

Thanks! It’s the Insta360 X3. It kind of revolutionized my bike videos.

You’ll be glad you did!

Glad you enjoyed it. Some people say that E bikes are banned on the Virginia Creeper Trail. But I saw nothing posted to that effect and I believe I saw several E bikes on the trail…so you should be fine.

Apparently, weather is often a factor there. In fact, I got rained out on the day between my 2 rides there. But when the weather's good...it's spectacular!

I loved it. I might make it a point to try to go in each season of the year. Somebody recommended that. Hey… Needing that picture of the North Carolina border just gives me an excuse to go back!

@@joyfultrails I hear ya!

Thanks, buddy

😂

Thanks! Yes, the song featured in this one is “Back Home” by Jake Schlegel.

Thank you! I had a blast exploring it...

You're welcome. You will definitely enjoy it!

Thank you!

Nope! No fee.

If you need to rent a bike and catch the shuttle, it runs around $30 or so. Reservations are recommended, especially Easter to Labor Day and on the weekends at other times.

It really is a great trail. Most of the uphill is very gradual; it's just the final 3 miles or so that gets a little tough. Thanks for watching!

Awesome...you will have a wonderful experience, I promise you that. That song is "Back Home" by Jack Schlegel. (Since making this video, I have started including the names of artists and song titles on my videos because people were asking!) Have a great time on The Creeper!

Ha…greatest rivalry in sports! The answer to your question is…I don’t know. BUT… a RU-vidr friend of mine who has been on that trail many times told me that I need to experience it in all four seasons of the year. 🙂

No…not yet! I have a Townie Men’s 7-D step-over. I’m probably a year away from obtaining an e-bike, though. Thanks for watching!

One day! The day job keeps me tied up right now… But retirement beckons in a few more years!

Thanks for the tip. And for watching… 🙂

Thanks! Welcome.

Yes! Took my time and stopped to shoot lots of video. The scenery was gorgeous! Great trail...

Thanks! Yes, you should ride it again. You and Michelle can put your own unique spin on it… But she’ll probably want to walk her bike across some of the bridges! 😬

I never look at elevation or distance, really. I don't have any cycling computers or measuring devices on my bike, I just go by how I feel and how hard it is to pedal up a hill for a long time! From Green Cove to Whitetop was a little difficult for me. The devices I carry tend to be video-related. Lots of action cameras! ; )

That one is on my list to get to, hopefully sooner than later. Thanks!

I have rode both trails and agree. They are not that far apart either. We plan to bikepack there next Spring. We just did bikepack the Creeper last September

That one is on my list! Thanks for watching...

Well, dang! I should’ve gone on. I got some misinformation from some other RU-vidr, I guess. As for Mr. dye… Wow. That’s amazing!

@@joyfultrails Since the shuttle services drop bikers off just beyond Whitetop Station, few if any travel that last mile. It is not well maintained but travelble by bike and foot.

Good! Glad you enjoyed it. You will not be disappointed by the trail. The song is “Back Home” by Jake Schlegel.

Well… It took me all day. Because I do A LOT of stopping and starting and riding over the same bridge multiple times, etc. because I’m making a video. If I were to just ride it with no video recording, it would be interesting to see how long it would take.

Makes sense!

Yikes!

By cheaters, do you mean E bikes? Yes I saw several E bikes. (Even though some people say they’re banned on the Creeper.) so… The actual order of my trip was different than what is presented in the videos. I actually did the Damascus to Whitetop leg first. Because rain was forecast for Friday, so I wanted to do the whitetop trip on a Thursday to avoid crowds on the weekend. so I went from Damascus to whitetop and back on a Thursday… And then the Abington to Damascus leg on a Saturday. Got rained out on Friday.

@@joyfultrails Most likely they ban e bikes with throttles (class 2 and 3) But on most of them, you can remove the throttle and then they're acceptable.

@@joyfultrails So your car was in Damascus? If so, then you also rode from Damascus to Abington and then back? From the chart you showed us, seem it as all the way up, from A to W and then a long descent back, not much pedaling, I guess.

Think bikes on sidewalks are for the thousands of AT hikers, burdened with 39-50 lbs on their backs, not being nimble enough to get out of the way. Plus bikers, not hikers, may collide with shoppers egressing the Damascus shops, homes and restaurants. Question: trail’s vertical rise to Whitetop?

“If I care about someone else?” Explain that to me. That’s a new one. Anyway, the vast majority of trails that I ride are flat. They are rail trails, riverwalks, greenways. Very little chance that I’m going to just mysteriously fall off my bike and zero chance that I’m gonna land on my head. This trail to Whitetop was different, as I explain in the video. I felt like there was a risk of an accident, so I wore a helmet. If you want to wear a helmet, wear it. Whether other people wear helmets is not your concern.

Freedom IS a wonderful thing!

The thing about helmets is they give you a chance WHEN you fall. You even had video of that woman on the bridge that almost went over. I have gone down at 3 mph and 30+ mph. All it takes is a second to hit the ground, and I think you know you can't be super vigilant all the time you ride. Even falling from a completely stopped height of 3 feet, means you hit the ground at roughly 10 mph. The end result is WHEN you go down, someone you care about will have to deal with the outcome. @@joyfultrails

Get back , I really hope you ALWAYS wear a helmet, because it's obvious you have fallen before and received a substantial head injury. Wish you the best of luck in your lifelong recovery. God Bless