jppe

The totals for the week:
Skyline Drive + Blue Ridge Parkway over 7 days
592.6 miles
58,331' of climbing
44:48 hours/mins of riding time
Max speed 43.3 mph
44,464 calories burned
Longest day-114.7 miles, 10,793', 8hr 14 min

After a miserable wetter than normal spring........we had PERFECT WEATHER every day!!!!


So let me know what you think-do you think this is a ride that you'd like to add to your Bucket List?

jppe

jppe

jppe

jppe

freedomrider1

Yes this is on my list. Wow you did have some great weather !

ModeratedUser17082018

Thanks for the pix. Brings back memories.

Spinz

Very nice, thank you. Lp

miya310

Amazing trip. You guys are fit!

qcpmsame 

Totally enjoyed your daily reports, Joe, and this summary montage was the cherry on top, thanks much. I probably couldn't do the entire weeks worth, but a couple of the individual days would definitely be on my bucket list.

Bill

JimF22003

wonderful pics! I'm so glad the weather and timing worked out for you. The only thing that would have been a bit nicer is if the trees were leafed out a bit more. I think they're behind schedule because of the cold winter.

I would totally love to do this ride, but I couldn't do it on anything like that schedule. You guys are beasts.

berner

I grew on the edge of the Catskills in upstate New York and have spent much time hiking in New England. Every inch of the Appalachians from Alabama to Maine looks like home to me. Thanks of pix.

Biker395 

Wow ... I think I need to put that ride on my bucket list!

bykemike 

I see you decided to go up to the top of Mt Mitchell. I couldn't imagine you would right right on by, and there is a snack bar up there.

Thanks for the pictures and the dailys

woodway

Super Sweet! Thanks for sharing with us.

BluesDawg

Looks like a great week of riding, jppe. Thanks for sharing the daily reports and these pics. I would love to ride some of those areas and while this entire feat may be a little beyond my range, I definitely want to spend some days riding through the NC mountains.

rm -rf

I recognized quite a few of the BRP locations. But I've only done one day rides, and rested the next day. Going the distance is impressive. Thanks for the photos, it's getting me in the mood to go back there!

One day rides are good, and I can wait for nice weather. I like the round trips. I get to see the climbs in slow motion uphill, and fast downhill.

A few favorites, worth a long drive.

Cumberland Knob to Doughton Park's cafe. It's a mix of forest, farmland, and higher mountains. It's easy to continue on southwest along the Parkway for a longer ride.

Craggy Gardens to Mt Mitchell, then some added miles. Starts high, avoiding the traffic on the climb up from Asheville. The Mt Mitchell road has steeper grades on the bottom half, maybe 8-9%. Then it's 8 miles downhill from the top of Mt Mitchell to mile 22.

Pinnacle Ridge tunnel to Pisgah Inn. The best route. It's easily shortened by starting closer to Richland Balsam (mile 8 on the route). Lunch at the Pisgah Inn restaurant. There's great views riding along the ridge lines.

There's a lot of climbing on these routes. But most grades are a reasonable 6-7% or less. And there's many overlooks to stop at on the way up, and lots to see while riding. Just set a steady pace and you'll make it okay.

baron von trail 

awesome!

h2oxtc

[QUOTE=jppe;17793836]The totals for the week:
Skyline Drive + Blue Ridge Parkway over 7 days
592.6 miles
58,331' of climbing
44:48 hours/mins of riding time
Max speed 43.3 mph
44,464 calories burned
Longest day-114.7 miles, 10,793', 8hr 14 min


/QUOTE]

I can relate to this photo, only I think I'd be the one laying on the road.

Never mind the distance that you rode - the climbing! Wow. Awesome!

B. Carfree

One of the memories I have of riding Skyline/BRP was an information sign at a pullout just before the Cookie Lady's house. (I guess that's where the trans-Am route crosses the BRP.) The sign was overlooking the Shenandoah Valley and informed the reader that the valley once teemed with buffalo, but about four hundred years ago the wolves wiped them out. My small group of tourists (myself and two women) were beside ourselves laughing for quite a while over that one. Imagine, after thousands of years of coexisting, just as the Europeans showed up the wolves suddenly wiped out the buffalo. For a few days, every so often one of us would suddenly start chuckling and set the other two off.

jppe

Doughton Park's facilities were closed. What a shame. Huge park going unattended. Right now it is also on the north side of a closed section.

My favorite stretch is probably Pisgah Inn to Hwy 19. Great views, long descents and longish climbs.

jppe

[QUOTE=h2oxtc;17803494]
Proud of my brother. He's not ridden much the past few years. Put on lots of weight and lost the desire to ride. After day 2 he was doubting he could finish the last 2 days. He took it a few miles at a time and did just super. Having doing this ride on his schedule helped him to set improvement goals, lose weight and hopefully rekindle his riding interest.

ModeratedUser17082018

Nothing could be better than doing this ride with your brother! Awesome.

bykemike 

I run into a number of California guys that make the trip east to ride the Parkway. They almost always have good things to say about the ride.

I spoke to one CA guy doing it , unsupported, from Cherokee to Front Royal, all alone, to mark his recovery from a 4 bypass operation a few years previous.

Of course, my dream is to go out to your neck of the woods much more often and ride up around Bishop and Lee Vinning.

Oh, and BTW , what these guys did is close to superhuman in my view. 60 miles a day on the Parkway whips me into submission
and the weather being so good for so many days in a row is rare.

I was in the parking lot of the Pisgah Inn a couple of years ago about 3 pm just in time to get dumped on
by a very serious hail storm, enough to knock the leaves off the trees.