FBAD: Life on the Blue Ridge

[Fast Ferris]

Originally Posted by Mr. Magoo

Looking good! Those pics tell a story.

I wander around that area from time to time and really enjoy poking around in the shadows.

I was Rubberdown over at the Badweb.

Mike.

Hey Mike! We've heard a lot about you from the C3 gang, looking forward to riding with you one of these days. :-):-)

Speaking of C3, Webe was our overnight house guest a couple weeks ago on his way up to the West Virginia Buell Rally:



And here he is making one of the coolest state line crossings there is, from Virginia into West Virginia in the middle of I-77's East River Mountain Tunnel:



Thanks again, and please give a shout the next time you're headed to the Blue Ridge - we'd love to go riding with you.

Ferris and Denise

[Fast Ferris]

Originally Posted by dfishman

Surprised I didn't see you.I know the *********creek rd you speak of.Had some "shine from there!I was looking for the white RK as Me & Teresa took the back way into Burkes Garden,but I guess it was too warm for you.
Great Pics.I drink my morning coffee right up the hill from the corn maze when up that way.

Hey Donnie! Don't know if you remember, but a bunch of us met you briefly at Mabry Mill a couple of years ago. Thanks for not divulging the name of the **** road; I'm kinda selfish that way. I'll gladly take someone there and show it to them, but I'd just as soon postpone the crowds as long as possible. Me 'n D 'n some of the C3 gang had a pact for several years to not online-identify VA 16 after we'd ride it, but I recently discovered it's being heavily promoted now, new web site and the like. Hate to see it turn into another Dragon...

Denise and I took the RK out of Burke's Garden the "wrong" way earlier this year. Great fun.

I know you and Teresa come up to Willville quite often - we REALLY need to hook up one of these days.

Thanks again. :-):-)

[Fast Ferris]

Donnie, while you and Teresa were hiding from Hurricane Irene and ADV'ing your way into Burke's Garden, I snuck away from my chores for a couple hours and moseyed down the Parkway to see first-hand why it's closed* just a tick south of the Virginia/North Carolina border. (Yeah, I coulda got online and found out in a couple of mouse clicks, but where's the fun in that?!?)

From the north the Park Service is shunting people off onto NC 21 to Sparta, then south on 18, and ultimately returning to the Parkway at Laurel Springs. That's 28 miles of detour for less than five miles of Parkway construction.

However, the Parkway isn't "physically" closed at Highway 21, just a whole bunch of day-glo orange signs "saying" it is, and one sign in particular caught me eye, advising that the Parkway ahead was, in fact, open, but to local traffic only.

Well heck, I'm local.

By and by I came to where the Parkway IS physically closed (several barricades and a locked gate), at Milepost 232 at the Stone Mountain Overlook, but from this vantage point I STILL couldn't see what the fuss is about.

About this time a bicyclist came peddling up, lots of luggage and obviously on tour. He slowed down just long enough to dismount, pull his bike under the gate, climb aboard and slip silently away.

Geez, wish I could do that.

In my best MacGyver, in about two minutes I was on the "wrong" side of the gate, too, and going where no motorcyclist is supposed to go.

Coloring outside the lines, as it were. Shhhhhhhhhhhhh……………………………

We hope you enjoy the photos.

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*From http://www.nps.gov/blri/planyourvisit/roadclosures.htm :

"The Blue Ridge Parkway will be closed to all traffic from Milepost 232 at Stone Mountain Overlook to Milepost 237 at Air Bellows Gap beginning July 15, 2011 and continuing until the summer of 2012. This closure is due to the reconstruction of the Parkway's 32,000 linear feet of historic rock masonry walls in that section. Detour traffic signage will direct Parkway visitors around the closed area via US Highway 21 and NC Route 18 through Laurel Springs and Sparta."

Detour map (PDF): http://www.nps.gov/blri/planyourvisi...ummer-2012.pdf

[Fast Ferris]

[Fast Ferris]

[Fast Ferris]

[Fast Ferris]

[Fast Ferris]

[Fast Ferris]

FBAD water?

[Fast Ferris]

[Fast Ferris]

[nskitts]

Originally Posted by Fast Ferris

Hey Mike! We've heard a lot about you from the C3 gang, looking forward to riding with you one of these days. :-):-)

Speaking of C3, Webe was our overnight house guest a couple weeks ago on his way up to the West Virginia Buell Rally:



And here he is making one of the coolest state line crossings there is, from Virginia into West Virginia in the middle of I-77's East River Mountain Tunnel:



Thanks again, and please give a shout the next time you're headed to the Blue Ridge - we'd love to go riding with you.

Ferris and Denise

It's cool unless you get a ticket as soon as you pop out on the other side...Don't ask me how I know...

[Fast Ferris]

Originally Posted by nskitts

It's cool unless you get a ticket as soon as you pop out on the other side...Don't ask me how I know...

Do tell. :-)

[nskitts]

Originally Posted by Fast Ferris

Do tell. :-)

Watch going into VA coming out of the tunnel. It's downhill and the speed limit drops to 65, I believe. Local sheriff sits right there and fishes.

[Fast Ferris]

Originally Posted by nskitts

Watch going into VA coming out of the tunnel. It's downhill and the speed limit drops to 65, I believe. Local sheriff sits right there and fishes.

Yeah, ain't that the truth, sheriffs and VHP, that's gotta be a real money-maker for them. I'm a big fan of using "rabbits" on the interstate, to run block and sweep up radar and the like, but coming out of those tunnels I'm always extra-vigilant.

Thanks for following along. :-)