Blue Ridge Parkway
Sunday, September 25, 2022
BRP Leg1 - MD to Winchester VA
After a long day Saturday, I wasn't mentally ready to jump off on the trip yesterday so delayed a day and also missed a line of storms that swept through from the west. Would have been soaked on my first day. This was a much better start. Cruised on some familiar roads over to Catoctin Mountain park then down past Mt Weather and in to Stephens City for the night. Nice to be on the road.
Tuesday, September 27, 2022
BRP Leg3 - Roanoke to Blowing Rock
A great day on the BRP. Stunning views and finally some pleasant weather. There are too many overlooks to stop at each one to take pictures but the journey starts to give the sense of the enormity of the Blue Ridge, The Appalachians and the Washington and Jefferson National Forests.
A "Don't Miss" stop in Fancy Gap at The Gap Deli on the Parkway. Easy off/on for both bike and rider fuel-up. Delicious lunch and needed stop to stretch and get ready for the afternoon run.
Eased in to Blowing Rock a bit later than expected. Weather back to gusty, cold conditions and a hot shower was a welcome luxury.
Monday, September 26, 2022
BRP Leg 2 - Winchester to Roanoke
A familiar start from Stephens City down Skyline drive. Having had the one-day delay, the weather was supposed to be beautiful with plentiful sun... not so much. Overcast most of the morning along Skyline. Freezing cold and windy. Glad I had done SD before.
Stopped in Waynesboro for fuel and warmth then the start of the official start of the Blue Ridge Parkway! Surprisingly, the BRP is not as smoothly paved as Skyline. It is a coarse asphalt (what they used to call macadam) only slightly better than rolled tar&chip surface. But since the Parkway speed limit is 45mph along the entire course, grip wasn't a huge issue.
The weather improved slightly in the afternoon but it was generally cold and windy along the whole trip. TONS of vertical over the course of the 245 miles. Was glad to get into Troutville.
Wednesday, September 28, 2022
BRP Leg4 - Blowing Rock to Brevard
THIS was a BIG DAY!! The best so far.
More of the Blue Ridge with its never-ending stream of ridges, overlooks, mountains and valleys. The first highlight was a run up to the top of Grandfather Mountain, the highest peak on the eastern escarpment of the Blue Ridge. I had never experienced tight, steep switchbacks like this and it made for a challenging ride. Fortunately, I got the hang of it for the trip back down. As expected, the top was VERY windy and cold but the sun shining. The "Mile High Swinging Bridge" was closed due to wind. Still, there were fantastic views.
More ride along the now-familiar feel of the BRP and then the ascent up the highest point in the eastern US, Mt. Mitchell. Unlike Grandfather Mountain, this is a free-access location.
Once at the top, there is an additional 300 yard (275 meter) steep hike to the observation deck. Well worth the hike. The 360° views are sublime and the expansive ridges and valleys extend for well over a hundred miles of visibility. The ride down was becoming a familiar and delicious exercise of trail braking and lean angle. TOO.MUCH.FUN.
The next memorable stop was in Little Switzerland just off the Parkway. A small general store and deli sits right at the top of NC 226A. A great place to get some stretch and a fantastic piece of pie before tackling "The Diamondback" (the 226A Loop).
This was my first taste of the famous, named routes and it did NOT disappoint.
Road is well paved and signed. My map-app was also very useful for predicting the intensity of upcoming turns. I also lucked out and didn't get stuck behind a single cager to ruin the ride. Considered doing the loop a second time but decided not to press my luck too far as there were still another big stop left in the day.
Thursday, September 29, 2022
BRP Leg5 - Brevard to Gatlinburg
Having spent the preceding 48-72hrs tracking Hurricane Ian, it looked like today was going to be another of my anxiety-producing rain rides.
I had altered my travel plans to avoid a full day rain riding before getting in to my anchor-stop of Gatlinburg, TN. Even taking the most direct route, there were significant elevation and twisty roads to be managed in a low-grip environment. It looked like I was going to be outrunning the storm like a "Tennessee moonshiner ahead of the Revenuers". However, the Ride Gods smiled and the predicted precip arrival was delayed by 12-18hrs. A quick re-route was done before departure and the day was another memorable trip to reach the southern terminus of the BRP.
Along the way, a short stop at the Highest point of the BRP Motorway (6053ft). It should have felt like an accomplishment, but the journey now turned on to the Newfound Gap Rd (Rt 441 north) toward Gatlinburg and, clearly, the day still had a lot in store. 441 was smooth and welcome relief from the coarse asphalt of the BRP. With abundant sunshine and no threat of imminent rain, a side trip up Kuwahi, he Cherokee name for Clingmans Dome is ." According to a Cherokee myth recorded by ethnologist James Mooney in the late 19th century, the mountain was the home of the White Bear, the great chief of all bears, and the location of one of the bears' council houses.
Kuwahi was a quick decision and well worth it. The 7-mile access road was sweetly paved and awesome. Fortunately, the few cagers up in front had the decency to pull into an overlook and there were several miles of free running. The parking at the top was expectedly packed as the day was beautiful.
Now comes the hard part. There is a 1/2 mile steep (10-15° incline) hike up to the observation tower. This is not for the faint of heart or the fat of ass. Having the latter of these attributes but lacking the former, I set out on the trek. Not unexpectedly, riding gear makes for awful hiking gear. A slow pace and a rest stop whenever the heartrate got to 120s was the key to success. The majesty of the views was even sweeter for the effort. The wind at the top was howling with gusts easily over 30kts. It was a quick cool-down before the challenging downhill hike. The calf muscles were objecting more on the way down than the way up! The day finished up with the lovely tree-lined Rt441 dumping into the harsh reality of a congested, and densely packed touristy, honky-tonk haven of Gatlinburg. It took almost 20min to transit the 2.5 final miles to my hotel. Now looking forward to a rest day as the rain is arriving later tonight and will be steady for the next 24-36hrs.
However, I found myself in an impending fuel crisis. Back on the BRP north was closer but south seemed like there was gas within my remaining supply. Took the chance and made it with only a few whiffs of pertroluem left in the tank, no pushing involved….WHEW!
Continued to follow the BRP to Waynesville and then on to NC 276 (The Pisgah Highway). Another fantastic road that was, unfortunately, ruined by cagers and a couple of inconsiderate pelotons of cyclists that claimed the entire lane, seemingly taking pleasure in blocking any possibility for others to enjoy the road. Finally into Brevard and a rest from a positively EPIC day.
Kuwahi
And Hurricane Ian rolls in….
Sunday, October 2, 2022
BRP Leg 6 - Gatlinburg Loop
After 2 days holed up in the hotel for the rains produced by Hurricane Ian, it was nice to get back on the road and the day wasn't going to be a leisurely jaunt. The start was right out of G-burg on Little River Gorge Rd. Had there not been a line of cagers going 15mph, this would have been sublime. At one point, all traffic in both directions stopped and slowly creeped forward. No accident or road incident was evident. And then, from behind a large tree, the source of the slow-down revealed itself. A black bear was roaming along the roadside flora. All of the excited picture-taking tourists were thrilled as they sat safely inside their steel and aluminum protection devices. I probably appeared to be a far more interesting and accessible amuse-bouche with limited escape pathways. Fortunately, traffic kept moving along and I was out of reach in short order.
A rest stop at the Deal's Gap Motorcycle Resort is an absolute requirement for a leg stretch, some hydration, a photo op of the Tree of Shame and the namesake metal sculpture. The parking lot was packed with almost every genre of 2-wheeled steed (along with several 3 and 4 wheeled enthusiasts). As it was getting late in the day, I didn't linger too long before setting out on this Bucket List ride.
As a side note, one of the challenging elements I found throughout the entire trip was the transition from bright sun to deep shade. This would frequently occur right at a tight turn (according to my GPS) and definitely added an element of risk. The ease of flipping the internal visor back and forth was a huge safety feature.
Next stop was for fuel and a route recheck followed by a long, straight shot down to the western end of Cherohala Skyway. As one of the "don't miss" named roads in the region, this was going to be a treat. The road was similar to the BRP for pavement quality but the views were spectacular. A stop at any overlook resulted in a covering of no-seeums that significantly limited the stopping time. A long lovely ride through the Nantahala National Forest, past Santeetlah Lake, through Robbinsville and Cheoah on to Rt 28 for the turn back north. Rt 28 follows along the northern shore of the Little Tennessee River and is probably a beautiful ride.
But... some sage advice from a like-minded rider lead me to Rhymers Ferry Rd (Rt 1246) to Meadow Branch Rd (Rt 1247) until it dumps out at Tapoco and the legendary Rt 129. In keeping with the GOT themed road-naming convention, this should rightly be called Mother of Dragons (or just "Khaleesi" for short). Super tight and technical and a fantastic warmup for the impending Dragonrun. A right turn at the stop sign and 2.8 miles later the iconic Tail of the Dragon appears.
TOTD did not disappoint. Well paved and well-traveled. I had been warned and not-surprisingly encountered a few riders seriously encroaching on the double-mustard but I kept my lane tight and it was a thoroughly enjoyable ride. The etiquette of slowing and allowing better riders to pass was exhibited my several pickups but frustratingly NOT observed by 2 cruiser-bois who were apparently taking in the sights for several miles. A fully-leathered squiddy passed us all and blew the horn the whole way. They got the idea and finally allowed passage.
The Dragon dumps out along a serene stretch of the Little Tennessee River allowing for a deep breath and a realization that those were the quickest 11 miles ever experienced. There is a large area for a rest stop or a turnaround for those making multiple dragonruns. Rt 129 links to The Foothills Parkway at Chilhowee for the final run back up to Gatlinburg. This was a great way to close out an epic day of riding the famous and not-so-famous roads in the region.
Monday, October 3, 2022
BRP Leg 7 - Gatlinburg to West Jefferson
A stop at Ferguson Supply/ Fines's Creek Café is the beginning of The Rattler, another of the famed/named roads of the region. This is well worth the stop but, due to my late departure, I opted to push ahead and save the 30-40min rest. Like the Diamondback and TOTD before it, this 26 miles of technical riding did not disappoint. In fact, due to the lack of traffic and other riders, it was even better than the Dragon.
Crossing over the French Broad River at Hot Springs was the beginning of the final push into West Jefferson, mostly on Rt221, with the exception of Rt 105 from Linville to Boone to help with the mileage.
This is now where the problem of delayed departure starts to get ugly.
The light is fading, the temps are dropping rapidly and I'm tired. It's obvious that I won't make the hotel in daylight and this will be my first time out riding in true darkness. This added risk at the end of a long day, combined with the cold gusty winds definitely made the final 20+ miles an exercise in concentration and focus.
Rolling in to the hotel at exactly 8:00pm found me mildly hypothermic and thoroughly exhausted. To top off, there was nowhere to get food nearby and I ended up eating out of the vending machine (reminiscent of my stay in Saddleback Maine from June).
Hot chocolate and a hot shower capped off the day.
Now for the return trip.
The weather had improved tremendously but, unfortunately, I ran into some logistical issues and had a delayed departure. This became increasingly important later in the day and provided a valuable lesson.
The first portion showed me back on Newfound Gap Rd (Rt441) and transitioned on to the BRP North at Cherokee for a short ride up to Rt19 (Soco Rd). This took me through Maggie Valley and eventually to a side-trip on Country Rd (yup, that's the name. I didn't see a John Denver intersection anywhere!). This coursed along north of Junaluska Lake and connected to Rt 209 and continued up through Fines Creek, Trust, Luck and Spring Creek NC.
(again, Trust and Luck are the real town names. Gotta love the optimism!).
Tuesday, October 4, 2022
BRP Leg 8 - West Jefferson to Claypool Hill
Today's trip was supposed to take me up to Charleston, WV but I just didn't have it in me after the efforts of the past 24hrs.
I worked out a reroute and did my shortest day of the entire trip, ending up in Claypool Hill. I knew I had ample time, so I dialed back the intensity and departed around 10:00 to let things warm up a bit after the icebox of yesterday's finish. A twisty and enjoyable ride up to and through both the George Washington and Jefferson National Forests to Troutdale.
Rt16 from Troutdale to Tazewell transits Hungry Mother State Park and the less-famous but equally challenging Back of the Dragon. This fantastic route has Dragon-style technical turns combined with serious elevation changes making it perhaps the most technical ride of the entire trip.
Limited traffic and spectacular views made even this shortened day trip a highlight of the entire adventure. I made an effort to take rest stops and hydrate throughout the day as I was still recovering from the previous day's ride but I was glad I had abbreviated the trip and got to really enjoy today's experience.
Rolled in to the hotel at a reasonable time and had a restful evening and a quasi-decent meal.
Wednesday, October 5, 2022
BRP Leg 9 - Claypool Hill to Staunton
Thursday, October 6, 2022
BRP Leg 10 Staunton to Maryland
No matter how this was configured, today was going to be a long one.
However, while not exactly a leisurely route, I was back in "familiar territory" with a lovely paced ride on Rt 61 up to the Rt 460 connector. This was the quintessential Virginia countryside ride. Traveling along valleys with what I presumed was a portion of the Blue Ridge to my east.
This was off-the-beaten-path material as evidenced by the lack of pull-offs and "overlooks" so common along the BRP. That said, I couldn't resist one last section of BRP from Troutdale (there must be a boatload of trout along the Blue Ridge somewhere since so many places reference this particular species!) up to about Montebello before cutting off to Cold Spring Rd (Rt 608) for the last bit into Staunton (pronounced "Stanton").
As with 50% of my rides during the entire trip, this was another day gathering >20,000 vertical feel of elevation change. I came to the realization that the altitude variability was far more intense than my previous trip and this is probably what is accounting for my feeling of increased physical and mental effort. I have thoroughly enjoyed the pushing of limits and finding some of the edges of my capabilities.
A great day with a smooth finish.
I'm sure the ADV crowd would have found it an easy run but Pyrat and I are not well-suited for this environment.
That said, I have now been up/down and through enough off-road sections to be able to manage them with reasonable safety. The rear-wheel slips/slides are less unnerving and this was an unexpected and welcome diversion from the trail-braking, high lean-angled twisties of the dragon lairs I had already passaged.
Finally emerging back to the world of pavement at Catherine Furnace, there were more miles of country road through mountains until the unwelcomed urban slog through Frederick MD and the last familiar push to home. A respectable day of mileage, elevation and variety was a suitable ending for this second big Pyrat voyage. A couple of hours to decompress and unpack before collapsing in my comfy chair followed by a solid 11hrs of sleep. A full review of the trip and comparison to the NET adventure will ensue in the next week or so.
FINAL TALLY
1998 miles
186,729 Vertical feet
The final day!
I initially considered a 4th trip on Skyline Drive but there was a gaggle of HD-boys at my hotel that said they were planning the same thing and it occurred to me that many others would be as well.
That would definitely slow the pace for the last ride of this adventure. In keeping with the path-less-traveled edict, a road-run up to Greenwood, VA and then a turn on to Runkles Gap Rd that then transformed into the final challenge of the entire trip. Cub Run Rd was 9 miles of twisty, loose gravel mountain trail with decent elevation changes for added excitement.
