#9 - I've Never Biked the Virginia Creeper Trail

I have some awesome friends. In particular my friends Mark and Anna Blevins have been a huge part of my life since I have moved to North Carolina from Ohio. My husband and I have become very close with them and in fact I call her whole family my NC family. They have been so much fun to be around and are the type of people who are usually game for a good time.

The group has a tradition of going to the Virginia Creeper Trail the weekend after Labor Day. This year they invited Mike and I along for the fun. I immediately said yes and then thought, "Oh no. This involves physical activity. I might be biting off more than I can chew." I did a little research about the trail. I first found that it is 34 miles long. Yikes! But then I remembered they usually only bike half of it, so that calmed my nerves a bit. But I have never biked more than 10 miles at a time and I can't even tell you the last time I was on a bike so I got nervous again. But after a bit more research I found many posts about how easy and enjoyable the trail was so I figured it couldn't be too bad.

I had also been told that this was generally a weekend full of fun, eating, laughing, some more eating, and relaxation. Snacks and meals were a big conversation topic as we got prepared for the weekend. The family even has shirts made to commemorate their trip. This had to be good.

We took off Friday and headed up to Virginia. There is never a dull moment! Even on the way up little Madeline managed to bonk her head, Anna got stung by a hornet, and Issac had a bathroom mishap. We managed to make it there mostly in one piece and got settled in. We had a great dinner that evening provided by Rachel and had a great time sitting on the porch watching the kids play.

The next morning we got up earlish and headed up to the top of the trail. The weather was cool and crisp and could not have been more perfect. As we got prepared to set off, we watched 2 people take spills on their bikes in the parking lot. This did not give me a whole lot of confidence! But as we started I could understand why this is a return trip for the family. The views are awesome! The trees, streams, fields, and trails provide the perfect background for a relaxing bike ride. And for the first 15 miles there is minimal pedaling involved because it is all downhill.

We stopped frequently to enjoy some snacks and each others' company. The kids had a great time riding in their seats and pull behind trailer. And the whole ride passed with only one major incident. Anna hit a very big rock and took a nasty spill. It could have been a lot worse because she landed about 2 feet from a large pile of horse manure. But she got up, dusted herself off, and headed on down the trail.

The last 2 miles or so of the trail flatten out and it becomes a bit more challenging. The trail is also in the sun at this point so it gets a bit warmer as well. My knee decided to hurt at this point (which was wierd because I never have knee trouble) so I had to take it a bit slower and was the last one to finish the ride. I was in pain when I finished, mostly from my stupid knee and a numb behind. But thankfully I didn't have any pain the next day.

What a wonderful relaxing weekend we had! We spent the rest of the trip goofing off and sitting around. It was a great break from the stress of work. The people of this family are such wonderful, caring, and generous individuals. I cannot wait for more adventures!

Left to Right: Chuck, Diane, Rachel, Issac, Brian, Lucas, Mark, Audrey, Anna, Madeline, Mike, and Paige -- Thanks to Anna and Rachel for taking such awesome pictures!