VA Creeper Trail (Damascus, VA)

Every summer, Rebecca and I choose a rail-to-trail path to pedal with my mother and stepfather. Two years ago, my brother and his girlfriend started joining us for this annual ride.



So far, we've pedaled sections of the C&O Canal Trail and the Greenbrier River Trail. To change things up a bit, we decided to try the Virginia Creeper Trail this year.



Since the drive is significantly longer, Rebecca and I decided to add a mountain bike ride to our trip to Damascus. We chose the Rowland Falls to Jerry's Creek loop about halfway between Marion and Damscus, VA. As evidenced by the elevation profile, it's a rather grueling climb - luckily that effort is rewarded with an exciting descent.



After our ride, we finished up the drive and were soon pulling into the driveway of our AirBnB rental right in the heart of Damascus.

The next day we rolled our bikes to The Bicycle Junction just next door and were soon being shuttled 17 miles up the road to Whitetop Station.

From there, the ride is mainly downhill all the way back to Damascus. This allows plenty of time for sightseeing and enjoying the leisurely pace with the rest of your group.



Once we'd reached Damascus, we decided that we were up for more pedaling, so we jumped aboard the same shuttle and had them drop us off in Abingdon. There, we had lunch at 128 Pecan before hopping onto the trail to pedal back to Damascus. This second leg of our ride was actually more interesting, with a few more sights to see.





On Saturday we chose to explore Backbone Rock in Tennessee. Only a 10 minute drive from Damasus, we just couldn't pass up the opportunity!







We even had a chance to cool off in the Beaverdam Creek.



On our way out of town on Sunday, we decided to make one more stop - Grayson Highlands State Park to hike the Twin Pinnacles loop.





After the loop, rain began to fall, so my Mom and John headed out while Rebecca and I continued on in the hope of seeing some of the wild ponies the park is known for. We lucked out on both fronts - the rain subsided and we got an up-close view of the ponies before heading back to Richmond!



All-in-all, it was a fantastic way to celebrate my 40th Birthday!

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Jet Ski Hull & Painting

After rebuilding the engine over the winter, the time has come to finish my modifications to the hull of my 650sx, including footholds and a new splatter-paint scheme!

In between home-renovation projects, I found time to install a set of Wamilton footholds into the ski using rivets & Fasco 110 epoxy glue.



A few weeks later I continued my work, sanding and repairing the hull before laying down a coat of Krylon Appliance Epoxy.



The next day I returned to apply an 80's-inspired effect - neon splatter! I used neon acrylic paint and thin paint brushes to throw the design onto the ski. I was nervous about the process, but it turned out exceptionally well!



Another first for me was hydroturfing. To make things even more daunting, I'd be attempting to roll the turf around the footholds.

I started the process by creating a template of the tray side. I used aluminum foil so that I could bend & fold it into place without it losing its shape as I moved toward the back of the ski.



Next, I transferred the pattern to the hydroturf and fitted it to the ski. I used the top rail as my starting point, trimming the turf and adding reliefs to help it bend around corners. Once I was confident my shape was correct, I began applying the contact cement. Other than some innertube patching, I'd not had much experience with this product either. I learned that the best technique was to apply the cement to both surfaces, let it tack up (five minutes or so), then apply a second (and maybe third) coat. The hydroturf would "soak up" the first coat, so I continued until a tacky "glue" existed on both surfaces.



I made the mistake of fully glueing the section of turf that I'd be rolling into the foothold. This was not wise, as it stuck to another section before I was ready to roll it into the foothold. Once these surfaces touch, they're pretty well bonded, so I ended up having to tear the turf and patch the missing areas later.



I had better luck on the other side as I bonded the majority of turf before applying cement to the section I would wrap into the foothold. In either case, though, I was left with some areas that needed to be patched.



Overall, though, I was happy with the end product. I think the patched sections blended well and won't be noticeable.



Next I'll be plasti-dipping the rail bumpers, reinstalling the engine and new bilge pump, and hopefully taking it out for a proper ride & photoshoot!

UPDATE:

Once assembled, I took the ski out for a test run - it was in perfect working order. The only mishap was the handle pad falling off, but that's an easy fix!



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