Allegheny Mountains Loop, Day 1

Official start, Virginia Tech campus

 Day 1; Oct. 15, 2021; 15.6 miles from Blacksburg VA to New River Junction campground; 586 feet of climbing; total mileage, TM: 15.6; total feet climbing, TC: 586.

I picked up Dave at his house in Arlington VA at 9 am today, and we drove 260 miles to Blacksburg VA, where we parked my van at Dave’s friend Ed Cook’s house.

Then we rode our bikes downhill to Virginia Tech, where the Adventure Cycling Association’s Allegheny Mountains Loop officially begins.

It was Virginia Tech’s homecoming weekend, and the marching band was playing and a cannon was fired as we headed from the campus’s War Memorial to the New River Junction campground, our destination for the night.

Virginia Tech homecoming activities

The campground has a great location on the New River but the restroom and shower facilities could use a deep cleaning and upgrades.

It was a difficult place to get a good night’s sleep, because trains passed nearby throughout the night, tooting their horns.

The camp’s manager told us that the campground water is potable but “smells funny.” There is a funky odor there, for sure, but it tasted OK to me.

For more trip details and photos, please see Allegheny Mountains Loop, Day 2.

Dave, New River Junction campground

New River Junction campsite