Ride C2C #4 - Day 12: Damascus to Wytheville

Date: 7/4/23
Day: 12
Route: Damascus to Wytheville
Miles: 58.6
Total Miles: 486.93
MyZone MEPs: 704

“We are stronger … and it is still hard” 

Up at 6:15 AM OK sleep in his room got too hot/too cold and every time I turned over the bed shook. Every time Doug turned over it felt like an earthquake. Load bikes and at 7:00 am eat their good continental breakfast with eggs, bacon, and fruit. It was a nice change from oatmeal. 

Big climbs today! hit the road at 8 AM went through town and head up SR 85 for the JFB Stewart highway. You know when we see these kind of signs that it is going to be steep and windy.

It’s a beautiful route of steady 4 to 6% climb +7 to 8% along the Laurel Creek.

Small windy 2 Lane Rd. in the valley with giant rhododendrons – they look like trees – all in bloom all over.

We grind up and up there’s only a few cars and it’s quiet reach the top and cruise down into Konnarock.

Randy (from Elk Garden) warned us about a dog along this route and we were going too fast down the hill - thankfully - for the dog to catch us.  But he tried!  It jangles my nerves every time.

We stop at the first Lutheran Church that we’ve seen them on our trip for to eat a bar and drink a Gatorade. We’re now following the Big Laurel Creek as we climb, climb, climb through Mount Rogers national Forest. 

There are hiking trails, horse camps, and camp picnic spots around. Again another big climb 4 to 6% followed by 7 to 8%. 

As we now stay on our bikes on 6 to 9% Hills (instead of walking), Doug says “I know we’re getting stronger cause we’re riding up the hills, but it’s still hard.”

Within reach a bit of a plateau and pop out at the highest point yet, about 3700 feet. Now a great bombing downhill, we pedal in our top gear or coast through to swoopy curves with a big tail wind. This is WAY better without rain!

We still have mostly a canopy of beautiful deciduous trees keeping the sun at bay. We stopped partway down in a beautiful valley for sandwiches and a bit of a break. It’s about 10:30 in the morning and the scenery is beautiful.

Climb back on the bikes for more downhill, we blow through the nonexistent Troutdale (Robyn wanted to get a shirt, but there’s not even a store). Then we had another climb with a steady 4-6% as we chug up now in the sunshine, along with a bit of a side/headwind as we’re now heading north west. We grind up to the top, and enjoy a big cruise downhill through the nonexistent town of Sugar Grove. What a fun ride. 

We stopped to drink some Gatorade‘s and have a gel. It’s a really nice 2 Lane Rd. that obviously is a great place for cruising as we were passed by a bunch of nice cars, including a beautiful including a beautiful green TR 250. But really there’s not much traffic and the road is just fun for rolling ups and downs. But the day is getting hotter save by what is now a tailwind as we’re heading south east.

We blow through another not exist in town, and get into rural retreat. Stop and get cokes and a payday. There’s a beautiful railroad station across the street, but really nothing else in this little town.

We climb through the rest of the town and then take a right on State Route 11. It’s a big road, but mostly downhill with a huge talent. It’s really hot, but we’re flying through the air which cools down.

We got rollers up and down for the last 11 miles with one last climb on the divided highway. Not too long, but at the end of the day even moderate climbs are tough.

We pull up over the top of the hill and look down into Wytheville: Main Street is closed and there’s a huge crowd out as there’s a big Fourth of July festival going on. We go around Main Street, and walk our bikes to the Bolling Wilson Hotel.

The hotel is name for first lady Bolling Wilson (wife of Woodrow Wilson) because she was born and raised here. It’s a beautiful luxurious hotel, right on Main Street with front row seats the small town Fourth of July festival. We check in, quickly unload the bikes, shower, change, and jump out in the main street for the Fourth of July party!

There’s a great car show with lots of beautiful cars parked along the street, but we’re stumbling along hungry and dehydrated.

We spy a barbecue joint in the middle and walk over. We are rewarded with some of the best BBQ ribs we’ve had in our travels.

Refreshed we look at cars and people. Tons of folks out, just have chairs in the sidewalk to watch people as they go by. We just missed the kids bike parade but saw tons of kids on bikes (and anything with wheels) still decorated zooming around.

We go through an antique store and then throw stroll to the other end of Main Street With a good country western band named Low Water Bridge.

I can never turn down a picture stand! 

 We enjoyed the music so much we even bought a CD (from his mother).

We moved on to listen to another band (70’s rock - they were so-so) where we could sit in the grass, and I may just have had a little nap.

We decide to go back to the hotel and actually take a nap!  It’s now about 7 PM we decide we better get up and get ready to party!

We stop by the bar for a Fourth of July cocktail and are back out on the street. Lots of people are still out and about. We walked back to the main street stage as another band is setting up and playing recorded music while kids dance and Doug laughs at me as I sing “brick House“ and he notices that other women of my age are also singing along.  Then the DJ plays a song where the dance moves are called out an all the 10-18 year olds are up dancing.

The main band, called Poppy Bradshaw, was all polished but boring. Every song sounded the same.

So we stroll back to our hotel and head up to porch which was the top floor deck open with tables and chairs in a little bar. We sit down Next to grandpa and grandma and to Grant kid boys, Dean (9 1/2 yrs) and “Cam Bam” (7 1/2 yrs) who are clearly bored and did not want to wait very long for the fireworks.

It’s still an hour before the fireworks so Doug and I pull out the cribbage board to play a game.  He invites the boys to come learn how to play <this annoys me and I give Doug the STARE because I’m tired and don’t want to explain it>. 

Finally the fireworks start and we squeeze our way and sit on the floor next to the bar for a better view from our perch on the top of the hotel.