Blue Ridge Parkway - Am I insane??

[pfunk12]

Congrats, 7! Sounds like you had a great ride - except for the saddle issues. Ouch. Your photos are gorgeous.

[Thorn]

Congrats! (bummer about the bum bum, tho). Looks like it was a great trip. Thanks for sharing the pictures.

[Possegal]

Color me jealous. Great pics. Thanks for sharing!

[PamNY]

Lovely photos; brought back so many memories for me as we camped in that area a lot when I was a child.

Sounds like a fabulous trip (except for the saddle, of course). Thanks for sharing.

[Gowest]

I was wondering if you would post an update - thanks!! Oh the scenery - we are so fortunate up here. Yeah - the parkway sure is steeper the further west you are. the long range views are spectacular. Sorry about the saddle issue - ouchie - been there on a ride with a newer set of bibs - sad when the legs are willing but the hiney is not.

I am off to Utah for a week of cycling - will post pictures when I return - 6 days and 30K of climbing (wondering if this and honeymoon are mutually exclusive??)

debi

[IFjane]

Awesome, 7! Disregard the PM

I cannot ride the Terry B'fly - had one (pink) and sold it to Tulip I just cannot have that much padding. Glad you overcame the issue and had a successful rest of the trip. Isn't it awesome up there?

[7rider]

Isn't it awesome up there?

It is very neat up there.
A few things we noted:
- The stark difference in the topography and views as we moved south to north, moving from the mountains to the plateau region to the ridge.
- The extreme variation in temps between the shade and the sun! That's why we usually left the wind vests on all day, despite the temps (that...and visibility, moving from shade to light to shade....the yellow was good in the sun-dappled areas).
- I really wished I had a helmet cam, to record some of the descents - coming down off a ridge, with wonderful views both to your left and your right was amazing. We were really riding along a knife-edge in some sections.
- Most of the folks we met were really, really, cool. We met a woman from Richmond riding north to south solo, with only a Camelbak Mule and a handlebar bag! (She had mailed some things ahead of her to hotels where she had reservations along the way, but geez..she was a rock star).
- Holiday weekend = lots and lots of motorcycles. Big, roaring Harleys. Big, not-such-roaring BMWs and Honda Goldwings. All BIG touring bikes in big groups. By mid-week, they quieted down...thankfully.
- There is a lot we didn't see. Return trips - even if not to do the whole thing - will be required!