Contacted by the Blue Ridge Parkway!!!

[bmccrary]

So this morning when I got up and checked my email, I discovered that I had a message from the Blue Ridge Parkway. This email was in regards to my video that I had posted a few weeks ago when we rode up to Mabry's Mill.

Figuring that I was about to busted for some sort of copyright issues I dreaded reading further. Much to my surprise they were actually thanking me for my post and were informing me that they had added the video on their list of favorites. It can found on page 4 on their Youtube channel. Or from my link below.

[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IURCBOmCwaE&feature=channel_page"]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IURCBOmCwaE&feature=channel_page[/ame]

Further more he invited me to visit the site http://www.endtoender.org which is a site where you can recieve a certificate if you have riden all 469 miles of the parkway. At this point the certificate is verified with the honor system, but is still pretty neat.

This comes at a good time as Dad and I have been talking about riding the parkway end to end sometime this season. I figured it would be nice to take a picture at mile marker 0 and maker 469 just to have some evidence.

Just though I would share with you guys and gals. Something else to add to the wall, right?

-bryan

 

[wrightme43]

Rock on Bryan!!!

 

[bmccrary]

The only problem with this is going to be where the parkway is closed.

For the past couple of years the parkway has been under construction north ofAsheville, NC and you have to take some crazy detour to get back on it. Not sure how that will work, but we shall see when the time comes. The BRP normally issues an yearly update in May, I think, that notes any closings.

-bryan

 

[ArmyDocInTraining]

Man that is a fun ride! Started from the other end with a buddy on a ride not too long ago. We were there before the season really started up so the roads were a little dirty still (and it was a bit chilly)... plan on riding/camping out there a couple times this summer. Nice video! :thumbup:

Edit: We started in Front Royal, part of Skyline Drive....

 

[bmccrary]

Man that is a fun ride! Started from the other end with a buddy on a ride not too long ago. We were there before the season really started up so the roads were a little dirty still (and it was a bit chilly)... plan on riding/camping out there a couple times this summer. Nice video! :thumbup:

Edit: We started in Front Royal, part of Skyline Drive....

Oh ok.

Not sure where we are going to start at. How was Skyline Drive?

-bryan

 

[Ghost Weim]

Way cool Bryan! :thumbup:

 

[ArmyDocInTraining]

Oh ok.

Not sure where we are going to start at. How was Skyline Drive?

-bryan

It was awesome! I didnt know you could ride from Northern Va all the way down your way... That would be one heck of a ride! We have to catch Skyline from suburban DC to so that really limits how far we can take Skyline... anyways, I dont want to jack your thread! :hijack: Nice video!

 

[bmccrary]

It was awesome! I didnt know you could ride from Northern Va all the way down your way... That would be one heck of a ride! We have to catch Skyline from suburban DC to so that really limits how far we can take Skyline... anyways, I dont want to jack your thread! :hijack: Nice video!

No hijacking here. Just talking about the parkway in general, I don't mind. Thanks for your info.

-bryan

 

[Bruce McCrary]

Way to go Bryan!

Bryan's Mom and I have, at one time or another, been on every mile of the BRP and the Skyline Drive. At one point last year we hauled 'taters up to Roanoke, Va. (at that time the most northern point we'd been to) and rode the BRP to it's end, then got on the Skyline Drive and rode it to Front Royal, Va. where we spent the night. Which was a story in itself because it was the same week-end as the annual "Rolling Thunder" ride in D.C. so getting a room was a bit of a challenge!

While the whole thing is wonderful and a good flower sniffing ride I've got to be honest and say that IMHO the section through NC is by far the most scenic. Honorable mention goes to a short stretch north of Roanoke where the road is literally on a ridge so that there are valleys and wonderful views on either side of the road. It is so... surreal that I found myself having to stop multiple times at pull offs because I couldn't look at the road and either side of it at the same time!

The Skyline Drive is great but our one trip on it (so far!) was marred by some really bad road repair work that lasted for miles on end and highlighted(?) by a freak storm blowing in that trapped us at a visitors center for hours on end.

As Bryan mentioned, at some point this year I hope that we can take several days to make the trip from the NC end going north to Virginia and then on up the Skyline Drive. If you ride a reasonable pace close to the speed limit and only stop when needed it would only take roughly a day and half. But what fun is that when there is so much history and things to see along the way?

Enough of this though, once again, congrats Bryan, your mom and I are proud of you!

 

[RyanK]

Cool Brian!

A co-worker and I are planning on starting in Ft. Royal on a Sat. morning this summer, and finishing at the southernmost end of the pkwy on Sunday afternoon. Mileage seems doable. Any thoughts?

 

[bmccrary]

Any thoughts?

Have Fun!

Seriously though, I have no clue at this point as to any tips. I would start early in the morning or plan the starting time based upon where you plan on staying Sat night. Not sure what Dad has in mind as far as hotel for the night, maybe he wants to rough it and camp... doubtful.

Now that I think about it, Boone would be a good stoping point for the night if it could be reached in your time span. There is a nice Holiday Inn, (If I am not mistaken) there on the right next to Lowes as your coming from Blowing Rock. Several place to eat an socialize there, afterall it is a college town...

Hope this helps.

-bryan

 

[Bruce McCrary]

Cool Brian!

A co-worker and I are planning on starting in Ft. Royal on a Sat. morning this summer, and finishing at the southernmost end of the pkwy on Sunday afternoon. Mileage seems doable. Any thoughts?

Well, like I pointed out in the post directly before yours, it could be ridden in a day and half if you don't break the speed limits. But you'd miss some really interesting sights.

There is no gas on the parkway, and no lodging. There is a few campgrounds though. However, you usually don't have to venture far off it to find most anything you'd want or need.

What's your plan for a return route?

Bruce

 

[Wildcard]

I say we set a ride up for this from VA down and back up again...

 

[FZ1inNH]

What a cool thing for them to do! Thanks for sharing Bryan!

 

[RyanK]

What's your plan for a return route?

Bruce

Actually, that is our return route. We're thinking we can rent a U-haul truck one-way from G'ville to Ft. Royal, driving it up on a Friday. Stay at a hotel Friday night, and get up Sat. morning for starting the ride down Skyline Dr.

Was thinking of camping out on BRP Sat. night, but if there's a hotel nearby a 1/2 way point, I'm all for that! Strictly for the amount of gear and limited baggage I have anyways. I'm not really a roughing it kinda guy anyways .

Sunday finish riding to S end. We're much more into the ride than the scenery, and I know we won't be following the speed limit the entire time, but we don't plan on riding it super fast either. Heck, I mentioned this certificate to him, and his response was "They still give it to you if you get speeding tickets?" lol. Both of us are clean so far, and we'd like to stay that way. It sure is great havinga riding buddy who's the same pace & has the same interests as you :rockon:

That's about all the thought we've put into it thus far. Sometime in mid-July maybe? Hoping traffic won't be too bad then...

 

[Bruce McCrary]

Word to the wise dept:

The USFS is deadly serious about the speed limit and enforcing it on the BRP. I have friends who have been stopped for as little as 10 mph over (35 mph is the posted speed, 45 mph was the ticketed speed) and fined $400.00. Like I said, they ain't playing. But, that being said... Bryan and I are both constantly hollaring at each other on the radio to watch our speed because the road flows soooo well at 50~60 mph. Truly one of the cases of if your going to play you might have to pay!

Traffic is ALWAYS an issue on the BRP, as can be deer, turkeys and even a few hogs and maybe even bears. I worked for a guy a while back rounded the turn at the VA/NC line going southbound and ran into (litterally) a flock of turkeys totaling a BMW.

Unless your just down with the whole trailer/truck queen thing and feel the need to tow, or have to tow something else, I could suggest a couple of alternate routes that would get you to the other end and you could ride it both ways.

Whatever I can do to help!

Bruce

 

[bmccrary]

And they are tricky on the hiding part...

First of March up my Mabry's Mill there was a ranger hiding at the edge of a tree line. Another rider warned us about 1/2 mile before we found him.

Sneeky, sneeky.

-bryan

 

[Fred]

10 miles * 1/6.75 minutes * 60 minutes/1 hour = 88.8 miles per hour average speed.

Speed limit on the parkway. 45-55mph.

Well done!

 

[bmccrary]

10 miles * 1/6.75 minutes * 60 minutes/1 hour = 88.8 miles per hour average speed.

Speed limit on the parkway. 45-55mph.

Well done!

I couldn't remember the actual mile marker at which we got on. But I knew we were between those two. So I just picked those.

-bryan

 

[Bruce McCrary]

10 miles * 1/6.75 minutes * 60 minutes/1 hour = 88.8 miles per hour average speed.

Speed limit on the parkway. 45-55mph.

Well done!

Wellll... don't tell Bryan, but the video shuts off way before MM 190. I'm thinking it fades off right around Orchard Gap, which is roughly MM 194, still bad enough, but not as bad as you're giving us credit for.

Besides, we went by a Smokie which is clearly seen in the video and he didn't come after us, sooooo...

And, from the BlueridgeParkway.org http://www.blueridgeparkway.org/regulations.htm website; Drive Carefully. The maximum speed limit is 45 miles per hour...

Bruce