938 Miles on the Blue Ridge Parkway (mostly pics)

I started my adventure camping with a 20 year old walmart style cheapo.... but after a rainy weekend where I almost drown I decided it was time to invest in some quality gear.

I think verizon is the best service on the BRP. I traveled it with a buddy that had att and he was borrowing my phone to call home.

I rode the BRP on the way to a V-Strom gathering in TN on that trip. I rode back roads home rather than Rt-81. Rode a lot of W VA too. Great roads in W VA and lots of neat old farms. I think it was a 2,200 mile trip in all. I'm losing it! Gotta get back this May.

Picture on top of Mt Mitchell on a cool, wet & foggy day. It was sunny 2000' below and a lot less windy too.

or sisterhood for the better half of the riding public. Seriously word of mouth and multiple trips have pointed out the better things on the BRP. So you must return often.

Anyone else ready for spring? One thing nice about taking a lot of pics on a trip is that you can re-live it in the winter while reading your own ride report haha... though I have to say I am looking a lot more froward to spring than I am fall right now.

Anyone else ready for spring? One thing nice about taking a lot of pics on a trip is that you can re-live it in the winter while reading your own ride report haha... though I have to say I am looking a lot more froward to spring than I am fall right now.
__________________
BRP 2010


Rog I am so wanting spring to come at least maybe some milder weather than a foot of snow we just got! Yesterday would have been great for Spring to have arrived. Having said that here is why I am sooooo anxious!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NDb3ecn09tc

Thanks again for this great thread. I am still researching and learning from it!

Wow congrats on the new bike... did you bring it home yet? I think I would hurt myself on that...great looking bike.

Thanks Rog! I do love my bike. No I have had her since 09. If you have some time to waist ck out my RR "Mountains of the East" I've got some pics of her there. The link I sent you was BMW's promo link for my bike. And like you when you live to ride and have a great ride you want to get out on the road as soon and as much as possible.
Thanks Again Riff

Just stumbled on your report. Very nice pics, commentary and information rockinrog. Like everyone else that has posted, this is one I've been wanting to do for awhile now too. I want to spend two weeks(?) doing it and exploring all the side roads too.
I've bookmarked quite a few links off this RR! Thanks to everyone who posted them.

Most of the Northbound thru hikers are passing Loft mountain around Late April to late May. Southbound I'm not too sure of but they would be long gone by September/October. The hiking on top of the mountain is great whether you see wildlife(thru hikers ) or wildlife(deer, bears, etc.).

I think you meant 340.

Another inmate I know is planning a trip down the BRP this spring. I'll send him the link to this report!

Yes 340. The first trip down I did the Skyline on Columbus Day weekend.. I am guessing because all the federal employees from the DC area had a long weekend it was jammed full of cars/people so I skipped it this time.

Smart move, Roger. Skyline blows. Lots of events up there bring lots of traffic. And the speed limit is a paltry 35 and you definitely want to go faster if it's going to be any fun. But the gustapo hide in the bushes up there to check your speed with radar, and then claim you were trying to run from them because they were trying to catch up to you for miles :huh Even with stopping at several overlooks along the way for a quick peek :huh
DAMHIK
There are some pretty views on the Skyline but it's just not worth it having to go so slow, some cagers go less than 35, and even paying for the aggravation to boot.

BRP is so much better! And to get there from where you live, there's back roads a lot sweeter than Skyline (and 340). Feel free to get with me if you're interested in some alternatives. I'm hoping to do the whole BRP in one trip also. I'm not sure what kind of itinerary will work best, but I'm starting to research it (hence read your thread, thanks!). I'm thinking 3 nights min. That's without any extra exploring. Not sure what else I might include; not imperative to do the Cherohala/Dragon loop again, although it would be nice to stay a night in Tellico Plains, TN at Hunt's Motorcycle Lodge.

Always interested in alternative routes. 340 gets me off of 81 but still lets me make pretty good time on the way down. I think I said in the report I started coming back on 81 after I got off the parkway and man the wind... it sucked,, I thought I just picked a bad day, but I was reading in another thread someone said its always windy in that area. I ended up getting off 81 and coming back on 522.

Hey Rocker, try this on for size. Coming down 522, break off around Lake Holiday and work your way to 259; head south. Take this joker into WV, all the way to back into VA, to Hopkins Gap Rd. in Fulks Run. South until this road meets up with 613, turn right onto 613 to keep heading South. Once south of Bridgewater, take any combination of roads to work your way East and South to Rockfish Rd, (e.g., Spring Creek / 42 / Fadley / US11 / 256 just over river) which parallels 340 from Grottoes to Waynesboro. Rockfish Rd. eventually dumps you out on 340 via Hopeman Pkwy. Simply advance to 250 and head East up the mountain to BRP entrance. If you're like me, having a sweet ride trumps making good time!

Thanks for the ride report rockinrog. My wife and I did a similiar ride last summer as well. We rode the entire BRP northbound and continued on Skyline Drive and hung a left and headed for West Virginia after about 70 miles of Skyline. Skyline was a bit too laid back but still beautiful. It helped that the traffic was light on Skyline.

Ride well and often

Al

Sweet pic, dirtgeek!

Hey Rog.....the great thing about living in south FLA.....riding year round without freezing your ass off!!!!

just remember my old philosophy when I lived in the midwest. After December 22 the days start getting longer, longer days meant boating season was on the way.......you guys are over the hump and heading to riding weather now!!!

ps
did you see I finally finished my Smokies RR? Miracle huh?

Great reading from everyone and what great pics.... I would love to make that trip some day.. A+++++

Thanks everyone. Flarider yes I saw you finished and a fine report it was even if we had to wait a while for you to finish it haha.
I was thinking about a trip down your way but this time of year it would have been a bit pricy$$...maybe next year. I was offered a chance to go go bear hunting in canada in may at a reasonable rate so I decided to use that week and that $$ for the hunt...I've never hunted out of PA.. well unless you count dove hunting in MD when I was in the Coast Guard.

While you're in Fulks Run, and if you like some good cured ham, stop in this little place.







Have just a sandwich there, or buy a whole ham to take with, doesn't need refrigerated!
These are the kind of places I love to find when riding!

I think everyone grabs that photo. Here's our's from last August, when we transited from North to South on the way back from picking up my wife in D.C.

She refused, BTW, to render unto ADV the required salute. So I saluted her.