Starting gas fill up
Sunday morning I had planned to meet Smokin Joe and others in Cherokee, NC around 12.30p.m. to ride along with them to Asheville. I was going to continue on while the others split off into Asheville.
Ride day morning and the same affliction that affects others hit me. I woke early and was ready to roll.
I got to Cherokee early (no suprise) texted Joe that i was already on the BRP and away I went.
Beautiful day and I could feel the air cool as the road took me to higher elevations.
All is going well until I round a bend and ahead of me is a land behemoth RV. I've driven the same model and I know it's height including the A/C units etc on the roof. 12ft 6 ins! The driver is straddling the center line to avoid low hanging branches and he's doing this on blind bends!
After a couple of miles he's able to pull int an overlook large enough for the RV and towed Jeep. I hoped he would be able to navigate the tunnels without having to cross the center line. Some of them have blind bends and the RV will be an unpleasant shock for oncoming traffic.
The open road is ahead of me. Yippee!
But not for long. No foreign vacation travel for Americans and it seems that a lot of them have decided the southern Appalachian mountains are a prime vacation destination. Oh well it gives me an opportunity to mosey along. Take in the scenery. Pull into overlooks for photos.
Most of the slow pokes are kind and pull off so I can continue unimpeded. But this poses a dilemma as far as photo opportunities. I don't want to pull in behind them and seem ungracious about their willingness to remove their vehicular impedance.
This dilemma is soon resolved for me as I see the pull offs with the most spectacular views are slammed full of vehicles of all shapes and sizes. Not much social distancing going on and very few face masks to be seen.
I do stop for the obligatory highest point photo even though I have many of these.
The parking lot at Black Balsam is full and there are dozens of cars parked on the grassy verges.
The pull off at Skinny Dip Falls is also full and cars are parked on the verges. Not much distancing or mask wearing to be seen here.
A gas stop in Asheville and now I'm among mask wearers. After the fill up I enter the building and am sternly told I must wear a face mask. I point to the closed face shield on my helmet and inform the clerk the solid face shield is a lot more effective than his cloth face mask. He repeats that I must wear a face mask so I turn and exit the building. A conversation not worth having.
I am looking forward to riding up Mt. Mitchell. The blue sky with cotton wool ball clouds promises clear views across the Appalachians.
Now I'm stuck behind a slow poke Jeep with a Texas licence plate. I'm hoping they don't turn onto the Mt. Mitchell approach road but I have a sinking feeling that they will. If that happens I will just ride on.
The road widens into 2 lanes so that left turning vehicles wont impede those wishing to continue northwards.
What the ............ There are traffic cones blocking the entrance and a large hand written sign states "Park Full".
I jink right and zip past the Jeep before it can realize they too have to continue on.
I've ridden up or past Mt. Mitchell dozens of times over the years and have never seen the entrance closed. Not even on a good weather public holiday.
All these people. My aluminum foil hat slips and I wonder if the NC governor has extended his mask mandate to a shut down again and people are getting out whilst they can.
I do understand why the BRP was closed last time. People can't seem to understand simple social distancing and some continue to be of the opinion that they will never catch the plague.
Onwards and forwards.
A good few miles pass beneath my wheels and I'm enjoying running at a good speed zipping by the full overlooks.
Now I'm behind a parade of 1. A Harley. This is not a slam to all Harley riders. Just this one.
Weaving across the road his riding style is to twist the throttle (convert petroleum into noise without an increase in speed) and then let go of the throttle and shake his right hand.
Once slowed he accelerates again while shaking his left hand.
And repeat. With backfires as the bike slows.
Whenever there's an opportunity for me to legally pass on a dotted line he makes sure I can"t by accelerating hard.
My history of tickets makes me refrain from just zooming by and showing him the Valkyrie power.
I don't know if he needed to shake both hands at the same time but after about 15 miles he pulled into an overlook.
I spend the night in Lenoir at the American Motel. At registration I am asked to sign a plague affidavit that I haven't traveled from, been with, have a fever and other questions.
I opened the room door to leave for dinner to find a deluge. A look at the Raindar app shows a thunder cloud positioned directly over Lenoir.
See my route here.
https://www.relive.cc/view/v1vjpzwBBY6
