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PAGE 6A PICKENS COUNTY PROGRESS THURSDAY. JANUARY 23. 2003 On the Bike Trail with Keith Petty Creeping Along the Creeper By Keith Petty 1900. Here, hungry bikers may stop in Abingdon, Virginia lies just across the Tennessee-Virginia bor der. It is a mid-size town where the typical meets the non-typical. Along the corridor of interstate on its outskirts, the proliferation of modem capitalism is evident in the faces of familiar franchises. Cross ing into the town proper, visitors are taken into a world marked by local theater, charming antique shops, and ambient hole-in-the-wall restaurants. It is here that the Virginia Creep er National Recreation Trail begins. In its genesis, the Virginia Creeper Trail was simply a Native American footpath. Later, European settlers, as well as early explorer Daniel Boone, used the trail. It was not until after the dawn of the twentieth century that the trail began its first metamorphosis. At that time, W.B. Mingea con structed the Virginia-Carolina Rail road from Abingdon, VA to Damas cus, VA; and in 1905, the Hassinger Lumber Company extended the line to Konnarock and Elkland, North Carolina. The line, used for the transporta tion of iron ore, lumber, supplies, and passengers, was deemed the Virginia Creeper because of steam locomotives’ struggles to pull the rail’s steep grades, the ascension of some of them seeming almost impossible. After the line’s decommission as a railroad, interested private parties and government agencies worked jointly to convert the rail to a recre ational trail. Today, the Virginia Creeper is an outdoor enthusiast’s dream. Cover ing some thirty-five miles, the Creeper winds its way through pic turesque towns, through lush mead ows, up and down laurel covered mountains, and along the Holston River. Beginning in Abingdon and bik ing toward the North Carolina line is the easiest way to start the Creep er. The elevation in Abingdon is some two-thousand feet above sea level and the trail gently descends some three-hundred feet over the course of about ten miles. At the end of this descent is Alvarado, a spot in the road that boasts an old-time general store which was first opened around Bits 4 N Pieces performs “Alice The Rome City Auditorium will be filled with squeals of delight on Feb. 10-11 when Bits ‘N Pieces Puppet Theatre brings its giant pup pet musical, Alice in Wonderland, to Rome. This larger-than-life adap tation of Lewis Carroll’s classic tale boasts a mix of jumbo nine-foot-tall puppets, costumed characters, tradi tional puppetry and children from the audience. When Alice escapes her bore dom of this world to venture into a dream of another, madcap high- jinks and outlandish adventures are the order of the day as lavishly cos tumed characters and giant nine- foot-tall puppets whirl, dance and sing on their journey through Lewis Carroll’s mythical setting. Alice learns it takes self-reliance and quick thinking to tame the comic nonsense of the Queen of Hearts, the Cheshire Cat and Wonderland’s other unpredictable residents. Bits ‘N Pieces Theatre has been creating original musical produc tions adapted from classic chil dren’s literature for more than 20 for some of the best freshly-made burgers one could taste or fuel up on cold beverages for the trek on toward Damascus. For this trek, however, a word of caution is nec essary. As Alvarado is the lowest land elevation on the trail, at 1700 feet above sea level, the trek to Damas cus, some eight miles away, begins a twenty-five mile ascension to the end of the trail near the North Car olina line. Getting to Damascus is relative ly easy on the body. Beyond that, it is best to shuttle to the North Car olina end of the trail and bike back to Damascus. Knowing this, my biking partner and I swallowed all pride and com pleted our first day’s journey on the trail by biking back to our original starting point in Abingdon. That in itself was daunting enough for me, for just beyond Alvarado is the trail’s Holston River crossing. The Holston River crossing is the scari est river or gorge crossing I have yet encountered on any bike trail. Towering some one-hundred- twenty-five feet above the water and spanning some six-hundred feet, the trestle that spans the Hol ston River is enough to stop an acrophobe in his tracks. The trestle is constructed mostly of wood, and the original ties are simply covered with planks of wood; thus, while biking across, it is impossible for a biker to avoid seeing the eerie, murky river water through gaps in the planking. In addition, thin wooden rails are all that guard a biker from plummeting from the trestle’s height in the event of a mishap. To top it off, the trestle curves and banks slightly, for trains crossing could not make the curve without the slight tilt in the bridge. I am to heights as Indiana Jones is to snakes, and I had already warned my biking partner of this upon our first pass across the tres tle. Upon the return pass, what did he then decide to do? He decided to stop in the middle of the trestle to take pictures of the river, blocking my path as he did so. As I eased on my brakes, I feared spilling from the bike and through the scant railings of the trestle. I am unabashed to admit that both my buddy and two fisher- Puppet Theatre in Wonderland” years. Headquartered in Tampa, FL, the company spends most of the year on national tour. Bits ‘N Pieces’ achievements earned it the 1995 Atlanta Committee for the Olympic Games’ Cultural Olympiad Regional Designation Award for Excellence and Innova tion in the Arts, as well as the Arts Council of Hillsborough County’s Award for Excellence in Arts Edu cation. Most recently the Florida Theatre Conference presented Director Jerry Bickel with its Dis tinguished Career Award in Chil dren’s/Youth Theatre. Alice in Wonderland is recom mended for students in pre-K through 5th grade. Shows will be at the Rome City Auditorium, 601 Broad St., Monday, Feb. 10 and Tuesday, Feb. 11 at 9:15 and 11 a.m. Admission is $3.50 per stu dent. Students who cannot afford the admission, teachers and the chaperones required for transporta tion will be admitted free of charge. Call 706-295-ARTS to reserve seats for your class or group. BURGESS HOME IMPROVEMENT Terry Burgess 185 Honeysuckle Drive (706) 692-2336 Jasper, GA 30143 Pager: (770) 797-6988 OFFICE SPACE FOR RENT On North Main St., 1/4 mile from down town area. 1,700 sq. ft. includes 4 private offices with potential for 5th, 2 open work areas with great counter space, kitchen & large restroom. Private parking with handi cap accessibility throughout office. Available immediately. $950 monthly. (706) 253-3647. CENTRAL HEARING AID CENTER Just A Reminder!! • Free Hearing Test ’Top Quality Major Brand Hearing Instruments ’Accessories and Repairs - All Makes ’ Batteries - Mail Service Available ’ Senior Citizens Discount Monday thru Thursday 9:00 AM - 4:00 PM 115 North Main Street _ _ _ _ _ . _ Jasper, GA 692-2849 Jasper’s Only Full-Time Hearing Aid Center The Creeper, so named because of the difficulty early steam engines had climbing its steep grades, winds through picturesque towns, up and down laurel covered mountains, and along the Hol ston River. men below got an earful of my choice words. With me shaking and with my buddy laughing, we made our way back to Abingdon. On the second day of our travel, we drove to Damascus, bikes in tow, and took the Blue Blaze shuttle to White Top, the highest elevation on the trail. White Top is about 3,500 feet above sea level. From there, the trail descends over a seventeen-mile span to Damascus. We both decided this is the way to see the trail. It wasn’t even necessary to peddle most of the time, and the seventy- degree air precluded any worries of summer’s heat. Along the descent, warm pools of sunshine filtered through the trees, gorgeous pink blossoms of moun tain laurel perfumed the air, and trail-side streams made invitation for stops to cool one’s heels. For three hours, the world at large evap orated; and, save that bikes, we might well have been one of the Native Americans traversing the trail for the first time or Daniel Boone himself scouting uncharted territory. One of the most soothing bike trails in the Rails to Trails Conser vancy, the Virginia Creeper beckons to those looking for both a physical and mental retreat. Just no more trestles, please. [Petty is a lifelong resident of Pickens County and resides in the Talking Rock area. He is a gradu ate of Kennesaw State University with a B.S. in Secondary Education. He is employed at Jasper Middle School, and pursuing an endorse ment for teaching gifted students.] Computer System Solutions Web Design/Web Hosting Network Integration Software Installation Computer Upgrade & Repair Home or Office Bob Bell & Associates 706-301-9148 cAe & % V APPLY BY PHONE APPLY BY PHONE Lamar Green I appreciate your business. We have closed over $20,000,000.00 in home loans. Thank You Pickens County. Happy New Year! MORTGAGES 770-363-5272 Refinance - Lower Your Monthly Payment & Save! FAST CASH • BILL CONSOLIDATION • UP TO 125% SECOND MORTGAGE We strive to exceed your expectations. 1st MORTGAGE (Refinance-Purchase-Cash) Loan Amount 15 Yr./5.25%* 30 Yr./5.75%** 30 Yr. ADJ./4.62%*** $50,000 $402.00 $292.00 $257.00 $75,000 $603.00 $438.00 $386.00 $100,000 $804.00 $584.00 $514.00 $150,000 $1206.00 $876.00 $771.00 $200,000 $1608.00 $1168.00 $1028.00 *APR 5.75% APR 5.99% Mortgage Rates Cut Again!! 770-363-5272 *APR 5.25% Rates and terms subject to change. 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