APPALACHIA TRIP DAY 3

Appalachia Trip Day 3

 

270 miles

 

 Started at 6am again, was 74 degrees in Maggie Valley.  But 15 minutes later at 5000 feet I needed a leather jacket and stocking hat, and it was foggy.  Hence the Smokey Mountains.

 

 

The fog burned off and the day turned gorgeous.  I think I had most every ingredient you could think of for perfect riding:  curves, mountains, scenery, flowers, pine trees, tunnels, and no traffic or trucks.

 

 

 I was starting at the southern end of the Blue Ridge Parkway and working my way north.  The southern section has the higher elevations.  Northern you get more hills and valleys.

 

 

 By 10am it had warmed-up enough to shed the coat and hat, but I realized that having only gone 86 miles so far, I had a long day ahead of curves, braking, and clutching.  Hard work and slow going.

Still, every once in a while the elevation would get high and I would be. cold again.

 

 

 Now, I do like tunnels, and I kept a tunnel tally.  Rode through 19 tunnels today!

 

 

Ate lunch in Spruce Pine, NC at Bama-Ques.  I ate here 3 years ago the first time I rode the parkway and remembered correctly that it was good eatin!  The pork is chopped, on a bun, with cole slaw, and a spicy vinegar based sauce.  Oh boy!

 

After lunch, the going was still slow, but had improved due to more straight stretches mixed in with the curves.  But still quite bit to go, and the weather radio warns that severe thunder storms will arrive about 3pm, so I decided to detour off the parkway in favor of regular highways in order to make better time and get to the motel before the storms arrive.  Well, go figure, but the highways around there are even curvier than the parkway and I'm making worse time.  They must haul gravel on these roads because every curve has gravel in it, forcing me to slow down more.  Then, I get behind a semi truck, then we come up behind a lumber truck, then we come up behind a road grader, and then its starting to rain and the radio says seek shelter.  I get a little wet, but make it to a town where I stop to cover gear and put on a jacket before riding the last leg of my journey, and, you guessed it, the rain stopped.  I arrived safe and sound, just a little damp.  Praise God!  Interesting day.