Bicycle Adventure on Virginia's section of the Great Eastern Trail

The Highland Retreat is a great HQ to base your Carr Mountain Trail Build day from

Always amazing in the Criders/Bergton area - Shenandoah Mountain is off in the distance

It does get quite narrow when the road turns into Fr. 232

A church is always a great navagational tool - almost always an icon on the map

This store on the corner is home to a wealth of local history and knowledge

Snake Hollow brings you up the backside towards Whitegrass Knob

This is actually the area where Chipper created his "Whitegrass" dream

Left turn is Fr. 232 - right side is a dead end

It is private property all around, but is the road?

Is this really the deal - help me out here?

Is this where the hostility comes from?

Thanks!

The Turners is on the right, please stay left on Fr. 232

Nice idea

This little bear likes it too!

Nice of the locals to make this warming fire for me

I am so excited that we have 150 miles of this amazing trail in Virginia's George Washington National Forest that is prime bicycle trail. Only a tiny section that is not currently open to bikes (7 miles) in the Ramsey's Draft Wilderness Area. Carr Mountain Trail is still yet to be finished. That is why I went out for this great ride on Carr Mountain's parallel route Fr. 232. It's a great ride up onto Shenandoah Mountain. We just have to sort the access issue. Yes, it may not be a United States Forest Service (USFS) access through-road for motorized users. But it is a access through-road for non-motorized users. Huge props to the Turners for keeping their nice section of road clean, and putting in the trash barrel. Looks like Mr. Bear
is checking it often. I am guessing it is some of the other neighbors that are putting up the threatening posts about access. Bummer! Time to get this straight because it could be a few years until the Carr Mountain trail takes us high and dry above these folks and their "private" road.

Great Eastern Trail - Bicycle Route

The crew starts out on the New River Trail

Chris drops in on a sweet section of the Highlands Horse Trail

A little singletrack break on the Iron Mountain Trail just south of Skulls Gap

Kelly rolls along on the Iron Mountain Trail south towards Damascus

Just got off the Trans Iron Mountain ride with Darrell Prillaman and his crew. They orchestrated a three day ride that started on the New River Trail and ended in Damascus, VA. The route is very nice and looks to be our best Great Eastern Trail Bicycle Route connection to get around the GET bike unfriendly zone of Peters Mountain and the AT. From Blacksburg you can head into Pandapas Pond, cross the New River (not a good legal route on Walker Mountain yet), so you can ride back roads over to the New River Trail. The NRT connects to the Highlands Horse Trail (a few sections are not open to bikes). The HHT connects to the Iron Mountain Trail that drops you into Damascus, VA "Trailtown USA".

SOOOOOOOOOO nice!! (thanks for the extra pics Kelly)

Great Eastern Trail Build On Carr Mountain

What a great feeling creating a new long distance route along the East Coast that will be open to bicycles unless the route is already closed to bikes such as in Wilderness Areas or National Parks and even in those places we will have out ride around routes.

The Carr Mountain Trail connects the Lee Ranger District and the North River Ranger District in Virginia's George Washington National Forest.