A short stab at the Blue Ridge Trail and then some...

[Ruis_Rider]

Just wanted to write up a little blurb about a short section of the Blue Ridge Trail that a friend and I did while in route to meet up with some other motorcyclists for a bike-camping weekend in the NC/VA/TN area. Overall, we had a great time although the weather could have been more cooperative! Remember kids, there is no bad weather, only inappropriate clothing.

Day 1: Friday, Oct 5: Blacksburg, VA to Grayson Highlands SP via part of the BRT

After spending time coordinating with friends about rendezvous points and then dealing with a dead battery on my friend's KTM, two of us got going toward Eggleston, VA to ride the BRT. It was 11am by this time but the air was still pretty crisp on these back roads. Anyway, I'll get to the pics:

My bike at the beginning:


Typical backroad of this area, Southwest of Eggleston:


Checking the maps near the AT:





This dog came close, had a collar, but I couldn't get him close enough to see it. Very skitish...and hungry. I left him with a pack of granola.


While going downhill, I took a stupid line and dumped the beast in the very small looking washout. In reality it is closer to canyon size...you know how the camera lies! I was suited up and jumped off without injury...I was wearing a Juggarnaut suit and was very pleased with how little I felt! Of course we picked up the bike before I took a picture.


Now on to find Hogback Mtn Rd...





Found it!



This section was VERY muddy but still ridable even for a big pansy like me. Neither of us had real issues but I was constantly stopping at the bigger holes for fear of dumping all my camping gear underwater. From what I recall, the biggest and most challenging sections were closer to the beginning (riding east to west). Favorite part was a knarly little hill climb...sorry...no pics of that :(




Once out of the woods, there was a much easier section toward 612. This is the clearing between those sections.







Because I was meeting friends to camp at Grayson Highlands, we took paved roads towards Wytheville. These roads offer awesome riding and views as well.






My riding partner for the day split off and went back home and I continued on to camp.

Once in Grayson County, a new adventure was on the horizon...a search for a triple clamp for the guy riding a CB360. His upper clamp broke that day and we located one in Bristol...so that was the next day's ride...

Day 2: Saturday, Oct 6 - Grayson Highlands, VA to Boone, NC via Bristol

We all set out from camp in search of a 30+ year old triple clamp. The CB had a pretty ghetto splint setup, but the lower was steel and the rider didn't have much of a choice but to try to fix it.

We went through Backbone Rock south of Damacus, VA. Very cool. See it if you can. Climb it to.


This are mashed-up motorcycle gang...people don't know what to think. Especially Harley riders...




The rest of the trip was not great riding once on 421. The weather was pretty awful: fog & rain...which is why there are no pictures!

After meeting up our triple clamp middleman at a sketchy condemned house, we made a mad dash to the CB parts bike and owner. Once there, the clamp only had to be removed. Well, you guessed it folks, that one broke in the exact same place when taking it off. Maybe that surprises everybody except CB360 riders because all the other CBs this guy had were broken! Oh well, back to NC.

After a stop in Boone to pick up some more rain gear, we headed to High Country Motorcycle Campground. It was awesome. After a night of catching up and burning stuff in the fire, we hit the sack.

Day 3: Sunday, Oct. 7 - Somewhere near Wilkesboro, NC to Blacksburg

This day started by being woken by a thunderstorm at 6am. That's always a good sign!

Actually, it cleared up and we broke camp.






After breakfast I had to go my loansome back to VA in the cold with storms threatening (the other campers were from NC).


After a short stint on I-77, inclement weather forced me on to the backroads (that and I hate interstates). I stopped in Floyd, VA to warm up at the General Store and then headed on.


Once home, the temp was 47 and the rain was falling in buckets. It was good to be home!

[Farkle_Adict]

Thanks for the report Very nice

[bobw]

Sounds like a good mix of roads and good mates, a little weather just helps make it memorable

Cheers