Sitting at my office desk in Vancouver BC it all just seems surreal, almost a dream. Was it only two weeks ago that I scrambled to pack-up and make my way to Virginia? And just over a few days since riding into Damascus having completed the TransVirginia ride in seven days, an undertaking I seriously considered might be too much? It was, the reality evidenced by that satisfyingly familiar daze I know only to be the result of an incredibly successful expedition.
Through a medley of connections I became aware of the TransVA shortly after its creation, so when my old flatmate from London called to say the Grand Depart was in May, and did I want to go, I had many excuses, but no good reasons not to. This is not to say I did not hesitate to announce my undertaking to others, nor did I not come close to cancelling the whole thing on a number of occasions. In order to put some additional meaning and commitment behind the trip I decided to raise funds for Pancreatic Cancer UK in support of a friend who is currently tenaciously fighting the disease. I knew she would appreciate us fundraising, but more so I knew she wanted us to do this ride, and that she would not let us get out of it!
Often it seems with trips the getting there and the getting back can present the biggest challenge, and mental block, even if the focus of the trip is a great undertaking on its own. Despite the TransVA presenting more miles than I had ever ridden and a significant elevation gain, I seemed more concerned about the logistics of getting from Vancouver to DC, but the travel went like clockwork. The rush from work to make the Seattle bus in time was aided by a friend who drove me to the station. Then I was saved after the red eye flight to Dulles Airport by a contact in DC who picked me up and generously provided me a place to sleep until everyone arrived. When they did, I was encouraged, and began to realized what a quality crew I was to have the privilege to ride with.
Leon and I however were feeling far from confident. Leon had just flown in from China via Doha and London, and we were both feeling more than a little worn thin by the time we made it to the start at the Lincoln Memorial. We traded numerous glances acknowledging our trepidation at what we were taking on, and it was evident this was the least prepared either of us had been for any expedition. However, a graduating class who had been partying all night and gathered at the Lincoln Memorial for their traditional sunrise grad photo quickly acted as our faux fans, and drawing on their enthusiasm we pulled on our big boy boots and started rolling into a brilliant morning.
The first day saw us riding along the Chesapeake and Ohio Canal adjacent to the Potomac River, before ascending into the refreshing wild mountain forests. We made 130 miles the first day, and camping that night was blissful, with a swim in a cold stream, a fantastic camp cook up, and a solid sleep.
We awoke in the dark morning hours to a groggy tent tear down. The excitement palpable as we stumbled around gathering gear, knowing we were going to have a big day ahead riding gravel mountain tracks. Soon we faced our first hike-a-bike, and steep ascent. Still feeling ragged from the start there were times it was just a matter of keeping the pedals going, grinding out the hills, and often talking to ourselves. While this was tough I made sure to remind myself often of what I was doing, and to to look around and take in where I was. This made it easy to become distracted by the surrounding beauty. I was surprised by the lush hills, the abundance of wildflowers, and particularly the beautiful rhododendron’s in full bloom which fragrantly sweetened the air.
This was our track, http://trackleaders.com/transva19f.php
The hard ascents soon began to pay off with long downhills and fast miles. The quirks of Virginia’s back roads and small towns also began to show – At the stores we were welcomed and overfed by thick accented locals impressed by our ice cream consumption but content to call us outright crazy for riding from DC, ‘And you’re go’in where!?’ – Then there were the many people waving from their ride on lawn mowers – man do they ever like to cut grass out there! – And of course the trial by fire, being chased by various dogs, the first one of us to get past unscathed always watched bemused as the next rider had his ‘moment’. Having our water bottles locked and loaded proved to be an ankle saver!
Despite Leon and I finding a Church on the second day that read ‘Damascus’, getting photo evidence and considering we could call it and be at a brewery in a few hours, we pressed on to the real finish still many miles ahead in the town of ‘Damascus’. Calling it early was never an option, though it was a lie I told myself over and over to convince my way up some of the hills, ‘just one more and we are done’. In truth it became evident to all of us that once we got the momentum of the trip going it was simply great to ride mile after mile. David’s planning of the route made it easy to get excited about the coming miles, which nicely flow onwards with minimal traffic. It was a surprise when a car did appear and a good reminder that we did in fact have to pay attention and watch out for traffic.
The subsequent days saw us camping in remote locations, clearing out corner stores of their breakfast stock, blasting along gravel tracks and slogging up hills -tower hill and then another 15% grade gravel hill almost broke us. I had to burn several pairs of socks in our camp fires as they were going to get us banned from any upcoming town site, but I was also reassured on day five when I figured out what I was smelling was a poultry farm and not me, or any of us for that matter. For anyone who may be interested we passed the hotel where the film Dirty Dancing was shot – Mountain Lake Hotel – fortunately some distance from any poultry farms.
Day five and six we spent a portion of time following the New River on old rail lines. The smooth gravel surface and gentle grade enabled us all to carry a good speed, and with the miles adding up we knew we were well over half way. It began to dawn on us we would indeed make the finish in seven days, despite also knowing we still had some significant climbs ahead. At this point any concern over dwindling energy was dismissed when we found the Farmhouse Market in Sugar Grove. A family run store which opened in late 2018. They enthralled us with their hospitality and fantastic home food. We very nearly rode back the seven miles the next morning just for breakfast, and I insisted on stopping there on our drive home.
Outside of a few flat tires, blown spokes, sacrificed socks and sore knees, we all made it unscathed. There were definitely a few close calls and wobbly moments at speed that could have become fatefully memorable but with some luck we avoided them. We also managed to avoid running over any bunnies, turtles or squirrels, also a big win! (I so very nearly got a bunny – which probably would have gained me a lot of local street cred given the prevalence of gun racks and hunting trophies in the area).
On our last day we were joined by a two other riders who also added encouragement, and character. With the new additions to our bike gang we chased down the last ‘surprise hills’ and followed the long descent on a gentle gravel path towards the finish. We completed the 540+ miles, and arrived in the planned seven days at the town of Damascus, near the border of Virginia, Tennessee, and North Carolina. After taking the obligatory photos at the Red Caboose finish line we promptly headed for a celebratory bar lunch. Full, tired, rewarded, satisfied, but still with a yearning to be riding onward, we crowded into the van bound for Harrisonburg.
This trip certainly proved that it is worth creating experiences, pushing oneself, and not letting excuses masked as reasons deter you from making a unique experience transpire. I want to thank everyone who helped make this expedition happen, particularly the ride support organized David and his family. We were very fortunate to have David’s family with us at camp. His wife Anna was incredible, driving the Sprinter van with all our gear, food, fresh water, and their two kids Eleanor and Silas. David’s father in law Steve was a champ helping out the last three nights and sharing beers and stories with us. It really felt like we were part of a family when we reached camp, and it proved great fun having the kids there as we all mucked in to help with cooking, dishes, tents, and ensuring the kids didn’t find any bears. I also learned a great deal about Paw Patrol! Having David’s family with us was very special and we are very thankful to him and his family for making it so.
I also want to thank those who donated, and those who supported us through other means, whether following our track, simply wondering where we may be, or encouraging us to press ahead and take on this challenge at the outset when my apprehension was running high – I had moments I thought this was a terrible idea, 540+ miles and 45,000ft elevation, crazy! Lastly, donations are still being accepted for Pancreatic Cancer UK, and should you wish our friends GoFundMe site remains open.
https://www.gofundme.com/transvirginia-ride-on
https://www.gofundme.com/looking-after-shara
Leon and I did manage to keep our big boy boots on for the ride, subsequently filling them in DC, and making the most of the all you can eat Brazilian BBQ and Mexican Taco house before heading our separate ways.
James G. Lawson
