High Point Men Enjoy Camping and Biking Adventure

This column was co-written by Murrell Johnson.

HIGH POINT — On a crisp Friday afternoon, seven men from the Lockhart Sunday School class at Green Street Baptist Church in High Point, along with two friends, departed on a three-day camping and biking adventure in Virginia.

Their destinations were the Mount Rogers National Recreation Area and the Virginia Creeper Biking Trail near Damascus. This was the second trip of this type the group had taken. The first was a camping outing to Morrow Mountain State Park during the summer.

Arriving at the campsites well after dark, setting up was a somewhat daunting task, but it was accomplished successfully with the aid of a few lanterns and a lot of experience and expertise. Those participating were Terry Larkins (who organized the trip), Gary Lee, Bill Early, Steve McKelvy, Harry Love, Tommy Wood, Gary Misenheimer, Keith Flippin and Murrell Johnson. Even though all had tents and sleeping bags, the night was cooler than on the first trip back in the summer with temperatures reaching 49 degrees. One member of the group slept outside the tent under the stars.

Saturday morning dawned with both sun and clouds. Although camping is a favorite activity of everyone in the group, and most are experienced, the main focus of this trip was biking 17.4 miles of the Virginia Creeper National Recreation Trail. The trail is actually a rail trail running almost 34 miles from Abingdon, Va., to the N.C. line.

The trail began as a footpath of Native Americans and was used by Daniel Boone. By 1905, a railroad had been constructed and trains were carrying both lumber and passengers. The name of the trail originated from the slow speed of the early steam locomotives as they climbed the steep inclines. Poor economics caused the railway to cease operations in 1977. The Virginia Creeper then became a multi-use trail for hikers and cyclists.

The group rented bicycles in Damascus at a shop that shuttled them to the top of the trail at Whitetop Station, an elevation of 3,576 feet. They biked the 17.4 miles back to the town. The ride, at a very leisurely pace, took between three and four hours. The men stopped for ice cream and snacks at points along the trail, although most had taken their own trail food. Several pulloffs were available for rest or for vista viewing.

The men trained for the long ride in several ways.

Lee usually runs 25 miles a week and takes a spin class once a week, so he did not do anything different from his usual exercise program. Lees son-in-law, Tommy Wood, is a member of a biking club. Misenheimer and Lee have run several marathons together; so these three were well-prepared. They accepted the challenge of riding up the trail and then rode back down with their class. Lee said his speedometer had them traveling down the hill at 20 mph in some places.

Flippin works out at the YMCA three to five times a week; so he was ready for the ride. Larkins had ridden the trail before. He remembered the trail as being easy since it is all downhill and fairly flat. The last time I rode a bike was on my last visit to the Creeper Trail several years ago, he said.

You never forget how to ride a bike regardless of how long it has been since you were on one, Johnson said. I didnt train specifically for this ride although I try to walk and work out several days a week.

I havent ridden a bike in about 10 years; so I spent some time on the exercise bikes at the gym, McKelvy said.

The men enjoyed the scenery as they rode down the mountain. You could almost see the old steam train coming around the corner, over the trestle, Love said.

The trail runs right beside a river practically all the way down, Lee said. There are also several bridges that cross over the river. We stopped and saw several trout in the stream. The river was running very low when we were up there. I would like to do it again when the water level is higher. The river would have more white water and would be even more beautiful.

The scenery and the wonders of nature on this trail are absolutely beautiful, Johnson said. Its some of Gods best handiwork. The entire weekend was a great experience of exercise, fun and fellowship for the men.

The trail had a good roadbed, McKelvy said. It was amazingly easy, and we made several stops along the way. Time went too fast. The people and hikers on the trail were very interesting.

All of the men were experienced campers. They had camped with their own families and even as children themselves. They had several planning sessions before the trip and duties were assigned. At one of the sessions Love said, This sounds like an eating trip instead of a camping trip.

The men did eat well during the weekend. On the Friday afternoon trip to Virginia, the group, with the van and trailer in tow, stopped in Wilkesboro for a seafood meal. Saturday morning was a time for eggs, bacon, grits, biscuits and gravy — all cooked over the campfire or Coleman stoves. Saturday night was hot dog night with all the fixins.

The evening was capped off with Larkins famous cobbler cooked in a Dutch oven in the campfire. Larkins Dutch oven was given to him by his father and was first used on a camping trip with his son. Biscuits also were cooked in the oven and fresh honey made by Flippins bees was showered on the biscuits.

Before breaking camp on Sunday morning, the guys enjoyed a continental breakfast followed by a devotional led by Love. The trip ended on a high note with a stop in Boone at the Daniel Boone Inn and Restaurant.

The only complaint heard was about the bicycle seats. My seat was very hard and did not have springs or a post shock absorber. When I go back, I will demand a bike with a more comfortable seat, Lee said.

All agreed it was a very relaxing weekend and a trip they would be willing to make many more times.

Kathy Johnson, a retired educator, has lived in High Point for nearly 30 years. If you have news of an event, contact her at kjohnson1016@yahoo.com.