Virginia Creeper Trail and Reunion Hikes

 Hello from the Marion, VA public library.

This is our last day at Hungry Mother State Park.   It was one of the first CCC projects in 1933.  First they built a dam and the little pond became a lake with lots of fingers reaching into the wrinkles in the hillsides.  I say wrinkles because I can't think of the name.  Is it gulleys, gulches, ravines???

I had campsite nine and Steve had campsite ten.  We thought we would be right next to each other.  Well they have three campgrounds and they all start with campsite one.  I parked LILAC at my site three miles away from Steve's site.  Then packed some bags and went and stayed with him.  

I have checked on my place since, but I have never seen the camp host there to let them know what's going on.

Brunson where Steve was camping was close to the lake and a few mornings we got up to see the sun rise.

It is spring and the early morning is full of bird songs.  I heard and recognized the Robin, the wood thrush, the red wing black bird, and, of course, the honking geese.  At night we celebrated hearing the whipperwill.  

One morning I used the Merlin App.   It records the songs and identifies the birds for me.

Our first day here we drove to Abingdon, 30 miles away.  We were going to ride the Virginia Creeper.  I had ridden it for the first time last spring.  Steve had never ridden it before.  It is a lovely trail.  However it isn't easy.  The surface is crushed gravel and in places rocky.

We had a perfect day for it.  Steve's Garmin said we went 43 miles and climbed 4600 feet!  That's the climbs not the rise above sea level.

We saw these pretty and small wild iris.

A lot of the trail followed streams with calm areas and rapids.

The trail goes down from Abingdon to the trail town of Damascus.  Several trails cross by Damascus including the Appalachian Trail.  We saw several hikers with big packs.

From Damascus the Virginia Creeper ascends toward White Top.  We went part way up the mountain before turning around.

We saw a pile of Tiger Swallow tail butterflies.  We investigated close.  I was thinking they were gaining nutrients from excrement like they sometimes do.   But not this time.  Someone must have poured something sweet on the sand... that is my guess.

We were pretty tired when we got back to the car at supper time.  We had planned on going to a brewery nearby for live music, but instead we came upon a Puerto Nuevo Fresh Mex and Seafood restaurant.   It was really good!  If you are ever in Abingdon...  they have a salsa bar.

The next day my friend that I met through a Sister event came to camp for a couple nights.  She is fun and a good hiker.  She doesn't like her picture posted so even though I have a lovely picture of her and me in front of a blooming Rhododendrum, I won't post it.  Instead I will share the lovely one she took of Steve and me.

We did a few trails that climbed to wonderful vista's.

I am writing this on my phone and don't know know how to reorder the pictures.  But I just found some more pictures from our bike ride on the Virginia Creeper.  The trail has over 30 bridges. 

Back now to Hungry Mother.

Thank then to the Virginia Creeper.

Today Dee left for her home and Steve and I went for a short ride into town.  We had lunch at an interesting restaurant.

I had arranged for.my mail service provider to send some mail to the Marion Post Office as General Delivery.  When I was in line the guy in front of me was an AT hiker.  He had walked about six miles from the trail to get to town for supplies and his mail.  He said he had to get new pants.  He had lost so much weight on his hike.

We were lucky Marion is a trail town because they have a outdoor activity supply store and Steve and I both bought some good shoes.  Mine are for hiking and Steve's are for biking on his gravel bike when we tour.

I hated to throw away my old Hoka shoes that hardly have any tread left.  They are still good for Muddy running and walking.  I don't want to mess up my pretty new shoes.  Lol. steve offered for me to keep them in the trunk of his trailer.  There, I am sure they will be forgotten. 

There is a big long hill between the campground and Marion.  So even though the distance is only four miles, we got a good workout.  And Steve taught me how to adjust the derailer in my bike.  It wasn't shifting into low gear in the front.  

Thanks Steve!  Now I just need to reme.ber it for next time.

May 10 we are moving camp.  We are heading to Ohio for a few days of hiking and hopefully star gazing at the John Glen Observatory.

Oh!  I forgot to tell you,  on one of our hikes we came across a lot of millepedes.  One log looked like a bunch of them after a wild millepede party.