Heat

[Jess from VA]

It's nice in the winter but sucky in the summer, and it's turning into a furnace out there (with no clouds to speak of).         But it's a dry heat.

I'm sorry I couldn't visit my friends at Iowa Inzane this year, but a buddy and I have been planning a ride down the beautiful Blue Ridge Parkway and in North Carolina since February, and the furnace is heating up just in time.  And another Virginian is hooking up with us for the ride down the Parkway.

The sun is not my friend, with skin cancer chemical peeled off my whole head, and cut off my face, neck, shoulder, and the one on my arm would hold a golf ball while running.  So it's long sleeves and sunblock and hats for me.  

Then there's the old prostate that can make drinking (lots of) water an unhappy experience, but hydration is otherwise a real good idea in the heat and sun.  

But I'm packed, locked and loaded for an excellent adventure.  Though I would happily skip any White Tail or Black Bear wrestling.  The last time I rode North Carolina with a crowd of Valks, a deer came sprinting down the mountain in broad daylight and jumped clear over the road down the hill, and right over the guy riding next ahead of me (and he never even saw it).  Sh!t you see and can hardly believe.

So all you people be careful out there in Iowa and elsewhere.  

And here's to shady riding.  



  

[f6john]

I’m finding long sleeves to be a better choice for me these days. My dermatologist really lit me up with the freezer in a can last week, but he didn’t have to do any whittling on my face like last time.

[0leman]

I too have fun and games with a dermatologist.   Left arm is still showing signs of visit where the cold stuff was sprayed on.  Have an additional scar on left forearm where a quarter size cancer was removed last fall.  Too many hours working at high elevation without sun block as a younger person.  Now long sleeves and big floppy hat.

As far a hot, we have two days of a lot cooler temps and possible 32 degrees temps tonight and tomorrow night.  Not unheard of lows for this time of the year, but it does happen every so often.  Tomatoes will be covered.

[3fan4life]

And here's to shady riding.  

I REALLY enjoyed the shady spots along the BRP on Saturday.


Ole, MR. Sun got pretty dang hot!


I wondered how you guys were doing yesterday, the radar looked like you had until 3pm to get to Maggie Valley before the rain hit.

But, it got hot as Hades yesterday!

[h13man]

I’m finding long sleeves to be a better choice for me these days. My dermatologist really lit me up with the freezer in a can last week, but he didn’t have to do any whittling on my face like last time.

I put on a long sleeve SPF 50 shirt yesterday. Worked really well as it was too hot @ 95 degrees for the mesh jacket. Today, woke up to a slight drizzle. We had about 1 1/2" rain a couple days ago. That sent the corn into hyper growth and it was already "knee high". 

[f6john]

I’m into replacing deck boards  with new composite decking but skipped doing anything yesterday. 94 in the shade and the weatherman said fells like 100. The numbers didn’t matter to me, I wasn’t going to work in it, by 8:00 pm it was tolerable but by then I was too tired from other activities. Maybe I’ll try again this evening, doesn’t get dark till 9:00 at least.

[Jess from VA]

And here's to shady riding.  

I REALLY enjoyed the shady spots along the BRP on Saturday.


Ole, MR. Sun got pretty dang hot!


I wondered how you guys were doing yesterday, the radar looked like you had until 3pm to get to Maggie Valley before the rain hit.

But, it got hot as Hades yesterday!

(Can't get on here till I'm home.  Trevor runs the GPS, and I follow him.  Every once in a while, riding the very back roads, that thing takes us on weird unnecessary routes. )

That ride to Maggie Valley was a LONG day.  We got a few sprinkles, but no rain (though a lot of ominous clouds, which blocked the sun).

It was great seeing you again Mark, and I thank you again for meeting us and leading us down the BRP.

We stayed at two different biker friendly little motels.  The rooms aren't much, but the prices are right.

Trevor wanted a pool, and the Maggie Valley motel had one, but it was dark green with algae, and home to countless little frogs.  I asked the motel owner if it was OK if we fished in it.

The Dragon at Deals Gap was as challenging a ride as I've ever done, but the problem down there is the crowd comes from all over the country and Canada, and it's half sports cars, and the other half sport and adventure riders, and if you take your time being careful, you get pushed from behind and have to let them go by (pulling off on tiny little turnouts).  On the upside, that road is all new pavement.  But it's way too commercial and crowded and I won't be back.

The motel we stayed at has a long straightaway starting the Dragon, and we could sit in our chairs in front of our room and watch guys pulling wheelies all the way up that hill.  That is the last straghtway you will find on the Dragon though.

Home on the I-81 playing with a thousand semis yesterday.

I had a great week.  I also discovered I've grown a bit more cautious (and scary) with age. 

And I need a new front tire. 



 

[Jersey mike]

“ Trevor wanted a pool, and the Maggie Valley motel had one, but it was dark green with algae, and home to countless little frogs.  I asked the motel owner if it was OK if we fished in it.”

Sounds like an excellent time. 

[Rams]

I can relate to the "heat" issue, spent the last week or so cleaning up the back of my property that was over grown with all kinds of "forest" vegetation then piling it up and burning it.   Fires have been going for 5 days now.   I'm constantly amazed at how big the vines can get.  I've cut and torn down some that made the diameter of a soft ball look small.

Of course, those piles have to have the coals stirred frequently to ensure it keeps going and everything gets burnt up.  Yeah, as the song says:  The Heat Is On!   https://www.bing.com/search?q=glenn+frey+the+heat+is+on+(from+beverly+hills+cop+soundtrack)&filters=dtbk:%22MCFvdmVydmlldyFvdmVydmlldyE2ZDg1MzVkZS1lN2ZmLTUxMjQtMzg5Ny1jMGQ5ZmRmOWQxZTE%3d%22+sid:%226d8535de-e7ff-5124-3897-c0d9fdf9d1e1%22+tphint:%22f%22&FORM=DEPNAV

Rams

[sandy]

Speaking of heat; it was 117 in Phoenix yesterday. Cool down today, only 110 with clouds. We like clouds.

[Rams]

Speaking of heat; it was 117 in Phoenix yesterday. Cool down today, only 110 with clouds. We like clouds.

I'm told that it's a "dry" heat and that makes is better..............   

Rams   

[Serk]

I got all excited when the temp in my browser widget said 75...

...then I noticed it was still set to Dubuque, and had to set it back to home.... back to 95...

So yeah, this is the time of the year, when us Texans flaunt riding in January and February, where the rest of ya'll can give us our comeuppance... Bike parked for a while, might take a night ride here and there or a quick jaunt to the store... We'll be back sometime in September or October...

[Jess from VA]

95 yesterday, 97-8 the next few days. 

Back to walking, at 0630, and watering right after.  Then inside, with all the curtains and blinds closed (even with good windows).

It's Hades in the full sun.   

[Oss]

between 94 and 97 all week

no riding to court for me but in the pool several times a day

Oss


no frogs Jess or algae its a salt water pool

[Jess from VA]

Of course, those piles have to have the coals stirred frequently to ensure it keeps going and everything gets burnt up.

My buddy and I stayed in little Floyd VA the first night out.

The next morning I saw a tremendous cloud of black smoke coming up from a nearby housing development.  It looked like a full size airliner had crashed over there.  Then we heard and saw every fire department vehicle in the County racing to the scene; sirens blaring.  Some nutjob decided to burn a huge pile of lawn refuse in her backyard and it got out of hand (and maybe her garage). 

That has to be a gynormous bill (firetrucks, wreckers, EMS, supervisors; a regular Chinese fire-drill).   

[sandy]

Speaking of heat; it was 117 in Phoenix yesterday. Cool down today, only 110 with clouds. We like clouds.

I'm told that it's a "dry" heat and that makes is better..............   

Rams   

A dry heat is in your oven. Same thing here. BTW: today it's cloudy but waiting for rain this PM. The humdity is up. Yes, I spelled that the way I meant it.

[Rams]

Of course, those piles have to have the coals stirred frequently to ensure it keeps going and everything gets burnt up.

My buddy and I stayed in little Floyd VA the first night out.

The next morning I saw a tremendous cloud of black smoke coming up from a nearby housing development.  It looked like a full size airliner had crashed over there.  Then we heard and saw every fire department vehicle in the County racing to the scene; sirens blaring.  Some nutjob decided to burn a huge pile of lawn refuse in her backyard and it got out of hand (and maybe her garage). 

That has to be a gynormous bill (firetrucks, wreckers, EMS, supervisors; a regular Chinese fire-drill).   

Jess,
I appreciate the feedback/story.   But let me assure you, I took several steps to ensure my fire(s) didn't get away from me.   It burnt for five days/six nights.   Just burned out this morning, all debris, trash trees, vines and everything else I pulled out of the previous forest is now ash.   I'll spread that ash over the area it came from, overseed it with Bermuda grass seed, water the heck out of it and hope critters don't eat all the seeds.

Only one neighbor should have had an issue, the wind shifted and his home was in the smoke for two of the five days.   He didn't say a word but, I'm waiting on it to come.

Rams

[0leman]

Smoke season started for us yesterday.  Had some smoke drift over the Cascades from the Medford valley fires.  Thankfully they are not big, less than 100 acres.  The smoke was gone by 9 in the evening.  Could open up the house and let the cool air in.  Been close to 90 for the last couple of days.