The VA Creeper Trail

I finally got around to riding the VA Creeper trail. While I enjoyed the trip, I didn't really enjoy the trail itself. Between Abingdon and Damascus, the trail was a disgusting mix of stagnant water and horse/cow poop. From Damascus to the NC state line, I was going against the traffic. And the "traffic" was hundreds of folks who weren't paying attention to where they were going. I was run off the trail four times! Also, it was 18 miles of 2-3% uphill. That's the kind of uphill that will grind you down slowly. There was no coasting at all for three hours. I stayed at "The Place" in Damascus both nights. It was fun talking to this year's group of thruhikers. I saw a girl named Bookworm, who I have met several times (four?) before. She must have the worst memory ever. There were two other guys there, each of whom had met her before. One guy hung out with her for several days just a month ago. She didn't recognize anyone. Now, I know all thruhikers look alike, but how much time do you have to spend with a person to at least recognize them? All in all, it was a fun trip. I think I'm going to bite the bullet and do the Skyline Drive / Blue Ridge Parkway trip. Wish me luck!