April 25, 2025
by Tom Ewing
The podcast episode on Damascus was researched, written, and recorded in August 2024. One month later, on September 27, 2024, the remnants of Hurricane Helene unleashed catastrophic rainfall and flooding across western North Carolina and southwestern Virginia. The community of Damascus was directly impacted by the rain and flooding, causing creeks to rise, the loss of homes, and damage to bridges, roads, and trails. No lives were lost in this community, but the effects of the hurricane’s remnants are still evident.
The damage to the Virginia Creeper Trail has attracted considerable attention because the western section remains inaccessible more than six months later. The Virginia Creeper Trail and the Appalachian Trail bring recreational tourists directly into Damascus, and the loss of this economic asset will be costly to the community. Federal, state, and regional officials have repeatedly visited the site — including some on bicycles — to appreciate the extent of the damage and communicate the government’s commitment to restoring the community.
The Virginia Creeper Trail offers an alternative route for the Transamerican Trail parallel to Route 58, which was the road selected by the Bikecentennial planners. Fifty years ago, before the trail was completed, cyclists rode along narrow and shoulderless roads, according to the official guide, and were told to expect heavy traffic. Now, cyclists have the option of riding more than fifteen miles on a separate bicycle trail, away from traffic, with the opportunity to enjoy views of steep gullies and flowing streams through the Jefferson National Forest. Several parking areas allow cyclists to access the trail from Route 76, which allows long distance cyclists to share the ride with those experiencing recreational cycling for the first time.
The Virginia Creeper Trail is always listed among the top rails to trails opportunities in Virginia. It was first proposed in the 1970s and 1980s, and opened partially for public use almost a decade later. For more than twenty years, the Virginia Creeper Trail has brought cyclists to Damascus, and the full restoration of the trail will make it possible to resume this essential part of the regional economy.
The devastation brought by Hurricance Helene is an example of the extreme weather events associated with global warming and climate change. Fifty years ago, the Bikecentennial emerged in a context shaped by awareness of the costs of unregulated and uncontrolled exploitation of natural resources. Understanding the connections between environmental change and human practices and perceptions is a recurring theme of this project, as indicated in the Sturgeon Point, Davenport, Logan Creek, and Lake Anna episodes, as well as the Damascus episode, even before the impact of Hurricane Helene.
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