A weekend at Balsam Lake Lodge

[..]

Met Duffy, Thumper, Chris, Mark and Steve at 10.30.

Called Jim and Jim who were riding from Ellijay and Monty in Franklin, NC to tell them we would be having lunch at Cafe Rel in Franklin, NC

Off we go for a quick blast up GA 400, over Blood (Thumper) Mtn and then over the mountains to Franklin, NC.

A quick wingle, wangle in Franklin and we arrive at Cafe Rel to find Jim 'n Jim already there and there's Monty at the stop light coming our way.

A great lunch at Cafe Rel, it always is, and on to Balsam Lodge via country roads.

Heading towards Cashiers on Hwy 64 we turned north on Walnut Creek Rd. Jim Snr and I rode up here over New Years and the road was damp with the threat of gravel and icy patches. Saturday was dry. Yee-Ha.  

At the stop sign turn left onto Pine Creek Rd which dead ends into Hwy 107 north of Cashiers and just south of Tukaseege where we turn east on Canada Rd.

At Charley's Creek Rd we make a final left turn and after a few miles we arrive at Balsam Lake Lodge.

The toughest part of the journey was in the final few yards having to cross the "Mudhole of Doom".



Once unpacked a few of us milled about in typical council worker style watching Chris and Steve load gravel into a trash can so the "Mudhole of Doom" could be filled in.

Done.

The dam repairs started in late 2010 have not been completed so the lake wasn't.



Mark likes to travel with his own deli counter



Now beers are popped open, bourbon bottle tops unscrewed and the lying starts.

Poker was played, alcohol was drunk, laughter could be heard and the smoke of fine combustibles could be seen curling into the moonlight air from the front porch.

Saturday morning was bright and chilly with a thin skin of ice on the bike seats.



The "Mudhole of Doom" claimed no victims and we headed east towards Hwy 215. This road curls north up and over bisecting Blue Ridge Parkway dumping us out into Canton, NC A stinky town with the Blue Ridge Paper Company http://www.learnnc.org/lp/multimedia/7800

Holding our breath we zip over I40 leaving the mill fumes behind us and on to what turned out to be the surprise of the day.

Thickety Rd turns into Crabtree Mtn Rd. This is one of the twisties sections of road I've ridden on in a long time. Multiple switchback's combine with a rapid ascent in elevation.

A couple of turn guesses and we are at Hwy 209 turning north towards Hot Springs.

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Mark, Jim Jnr, steve, Duffy, Thumper, Chris, Jim Snr.

Monty was being mysterious out of camera shot.

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Lunch at the Smoky Mountain Diner and a quick photo of a friends house in Hot Springs and off we go again.



North on 208, 212 we cross inot TN and cut under I 25 to pick up 19W south.

A quick jog east on 4 lane 19E leads us to a gas stop by Hwy 197 where we turn south to Barnardsville. Cresting a steep rise the blacktop ends and a well surfaced gravel road begins.

I asked a couple of locals guys if the road was good and how far was it gravel. Only 4 miles and it's well maintained.

Now what's a Britman ride without a little gravel?

Onwards and forwards then.

[Gary]

Great shots of some beautiful country, thanks for sharing.

[..]

In Barnardsville we turn south on Dillingham Rd. I know this road goes to gravel having researched information about it. Reading that road cyclists use the road I know that it must be in fairly good shape.



I stop to take photos and as Jim Snr stops next to me I ask him where Monty is. Jim tells me Monty waved at him to go ahead as he pulled over.







So Jim and I wait about 10 minutes and then I ask Jim to go back.



Jim's on a BMW GS so I know he can get there and back quicker than I can.

Jim rides off and I call Monty on cell phone. After a couple of failed calls I speak with Monty who tells me he doesn't know where he is and he's going to return to the lodge.

I call Duffy and ask him to wait at the top until Jim and i can catch up.

After a few failed calls and voice mails to Jim I continue the ride to the top of the mountain at Craggy Gardens just off the Blue RIdge Parkway.

The group is there minus one. Thumper pulled a Britman. Got bored waiting and he too has headed off back to the lodge.

Jim arrives and off we go southwards on the BRP. The plan was to ride the BRP back to Hwy 215 and on to the lodge.

The best-laid plans of mice and men often go awry. The BRP is closed at the junction with Hwy 191 on the west side of Asheville, NC.

Plan B.

We ride south towards Hendersonville so we can join Hwy 64 west back to the lodge.

At a stop light Duffy pulls alongside telling me Chris had a text message and he needed to stop. A convenient gas station allows us to stop in safety. The text message is from Thumper who has a piece of metal the size of a little finger in his rear tire.

Ascertaining his location Jim Snr and Duffy head off to the rescue whilst the rest of us head back to the lodge.

They manage to plug Thumpers tire so he can limp to MRCycles on Hendersonville Rd south of Asheville. He leaves the bike and the three arrive safely back at the lodge. I believe Thumper is going to collect his bike today.

Chris cooked brats and burgers for everyone on the large barbie on the front porch of the lodge.

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I have no idea how Saturday night panned out. I was a party pooper and crashed early.

Part of using the lodge involves leaving the place as clean as when you arrive. Everyone helped clean up and a few left early to get home for Easter Sunday famile events.

Thumper attempting an unusual position.













I persuaded Jim 'n Jim, Mark and Monty to leave telling them I would finish the laundry. There was absolutely no point in more than one person staying behind.

[Michael K (Az.)]

Great ride report Britman! Even drama! I hate that kind of drama on my tires!!

[..]

What a great couple of hours I had.

Sitting in the great room my book in hand, music playing on my Droid.

Nothing around me but the noise I was making. No other disturbances. Wonderful.

To hurry along the laundry I had dining chairs out on the front lawn with towels draped over them

Bedsheets hanging from bunk beds with box and overhead fans going full blast.

The lodges washer/drier are oooooooooooooooooold. Only one wash setting on the washer and not much heat generated by the drier.

It took 4 hours to do the laundry. I finished my book, washed my bike, took some photos. Read part of another book. Twiddled my thumbs.

What a waste of water and electricity. An up to date washer/drier would have taken half the time.Grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr.

Left the lodge at 12.15. Grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr.

[..]

This used to be a BBQ restaurant in Highlands, NC.




Home at about 4.15 having taken some more country roads I'd never ridden.

I'll keep those tucked away for future rides 

[HayHauler]

Great ride report Britman.  Thanks for taking us along for the ride.  Hope Thumper got his bike outta hoc. 

Hay
Jimmyt

[boss hoss bill]

Great ride report.

You rode some of my favorite roads. Had a rental last summer in Leicester, NC. Right off NC63, would ride that out to 209, hooked into 215 and 276. Did a few rides out 64.
Truly "Gods Country" as Smokin Joe says.

Thanks for the photos, looks like a good time!
Bill

[barbarianthemadserb]

Wow! I enjoyed that report and lived it vicariously!  Thanks for the report and pics.

[Hook#3287]

NICE report!    Thanks     The riding down there is beautiful, to say the least.  Can't wait to get back.
Hook

[Duffy]

Note to self: Britman found some new roads for later - always a good thing (as long as you don't mind a chance of gravel!) 

It was a great weekend Paul, thanks again.

7 weeks until BMDR 12! (Britman's Memorial Day Ride 2012) 

[..]

Thumper did get his bike home yesterday - Monday. 

[Demo]

Note to self: Britman found some new roads for later - always a good thing (as long as you don't mind a chance of gravel!) 

It was a great weekend Paul, thanks again.

7 weeks until BMDR 12! (Britman's Memorial Day Ride 2012) 

Looking forward to BMDR!!

[winghot]

Nice pics .. Thanks.