Seg #38 Rough Ride Roanoke 5/10/14 Weldon NC- Roanoke Rapids NC

Seg #38 Roanoke Canal  Trail

End	Roanoke Rapids, NC	N36.47899 W77.67010	N-S miles 3.4
Start	Weldon, NC	N 36.66815 W80.92442	Trl lgth 9.3mi Ride 9.3 mi

Ride hr 1:22

AVS 6.7

MXS  mph 19.9

DST 9.3mi

Tmp55-80

Kcal 809

This historical landmark, generator house, was built after
river navigation gave way to the railroad. The canal began
operation in 1824 as a transport and power source for the
textile industry. The canal became an important hydroelectric
power sour in 1885. The generator house is now a museum.

It took three hours to get to Weldon, NC. from Virginia Beach but it might have been faster had I not "spaced off" driving through Boykin, NC. Chris and I were chatting about our struggle with the False Cape State Park Trail when we entered the city limits of Boykin. I noticed some motorcycle riders slowing down ahead of me. They were pumping their arms downward. Translation, slow down buddy! You would think I would have had a few light bulbs flash off in this sluggish brain of mine. By the time I put two and two together, there were a different kind of light flashing from a Boykin police car. The officer said he followed me for four blocks, thinking I would slow down but when he saw the Harley Davidson group signalling me, he had to pull me over. The officer was a Andy Griffith-like fellow so he only gave me a verbal warning. Chris "flipped out" over the lieutenancy, shouting after a mild tongue lashing, " I never get by with a warning"! I guess officer Taylor bought my "sob story" that I was still in shock over our False Cape fiasco. How fortunate of me. Since we were stopped anyway, Chris wanted to get a razor at the Dollar store just across the street.  While waiting, I got out to the car to stretch. In the process of exiting the car, I must have dropped the leather wallet that had insurance and registration documents the officer wanted. I didn't realize the missing wallet until the next day. Thinking it may have wedged between or under the seats, I gave the possible locations a cursory study.  No luck. And for that matter, no luck with a major clean out of the car when we got home. Just for the fun of it, I called the Dollar store in Boykin to see if I could be as lucky as I was in 1981 when I left my wallet in the men's room at the Salt Lake City Airport. That time I not only got my wallet back, but all two hundred dollars cash was intact. No such luck with Boykin, NC and the Dollar store.

The Roanoke Canal Trail was but a few blocks from the Weldon Holiday Inn our overnight pit stop. It was not a "slam dunk" to find the trail. Trail maintenance was limited if not non-existent, especially the southern end of the trail. Based on the coordinates it appeared I found the correct route but the overgrowth of trees and the lack of a trail bed, caused me to feel like I was blazing the trail for the first time. After two or three miles, the semblance of a rough trail emerged.

After a mile or so a recognizable trail emerged and the dips
a dazzles associated with MTB trails leveled out.  

Can you find the bike trail in this picture? It's there but only
a tire width wide. I think the millionaires that  live up the hill
just claim the public access for their yard or horse pasture. 

Something equivalent to a mountain bike trail. Eventually the trail came into a opening and the trail appeared to connect to a small decorative bridge with flowers and landscaping. I never saw anything like it. But where did the trail go from this spot?  There was a humongous yard or perhaps pasture, straight ahead, large mansions to my left and the Roanoke Canal to my right. But where was the trail. Did it go toward some large mansions to my left? Nope! After riding into someone's seven car garage-driveway, it was clear I was not on the trail. So, I headed down to a horse barn by the canal. After exploring a bit, I found a one tire width path through the lawn. Back on track. The Roanoke Canal is wider and has more bends than the Augusta Canal in Georgia. Like the Augusta Canal the Roanoke bike trail followed the towpath that horses and mules used to pull cotton laden barges in the 1800's. The Augusta Canal towpath is a much more user friendly trail than the Roanoke Canal. I commuted seven to thirteen miles from Martinez to the Dental College twice a week on the Augusta Canal Trail. In the winter, I would start out in the dark and then as the sun rose over the Savannah River, I witnessed some of the prettiest sunrises I have ever seen.

Chris was able to sleep-in after staying up to watch the LA Kings beat the Anaheim Ducks on the road to the Stanley Cup finals. He met me at the north end of the trail about an hour and a half later and we loaded up and drove to the American Tobacco Trail in Durham, NC.