Another late start but a beautiful day of riding. I was three days outside of Damascus and really excited to get there so I mounted the Horse (my name for the bike I’m riding) and dug in my spurs. I was on county roads most of the day and the riding was uneventful; gorgeous and hilly, but uneventful.
I had decided to ride to River Company Brewing outside of Radford. It was 3.5 miles off my route, and I hoped it would be worth it. The aerial photos I looked at showed lots of forest land around the brewery so I expected to find easy camping. Having googled their hours before I arrived, I anticipated having several beers and food before leaving to make camp. Upon arrival, I took a quick tour to get a feel for the lay of the land. There was a brewery owned pavilion near by which seemed prime for camping. When I entered the restaurant, there was a note on the door indicating a change in hours. I had arrived at 3:55; the bar closed at 4. The woman at the hostess stand told me I had time for one beer, which I was extremely thankful for. I inquired about camping in the pavilion and was told that I could, which sounded great. I would fill my growler, ride back a couple of miles for some food, and camp on the property. Then I was told I couldn’t drink on the property.
I filled my growler and left. The IPA was great and very flavorful, but I wasn’t going to sit at a brewery for multiple hours with no beer. I hoped I could find a suitable camping spot early enough to allow me to enjoy a pint or three. Nine miles later and I passed a manicured white pine stand between I-81 and my route. I quickly pulled over, dodged copious amounts of poison ivy, and set up camp. Dinner was Subway from town and a well-deserved growler. The forest wasn’t picturesque but I had a great time anyways. The beers went down easily as a swung in the hammock and schemed my route for the next couple of days.