Blue Ridge Parkway info...

[Smokinjoe-VRCCDS#0005]

The Blue Ridge Parkway is closed just south of Mt. Mitchell you have to detour off on Hwy 80 into Marion , NC . The road is all busted up and slidin' off the mountain and with Obama's sequester bullshit who know when or even if its ever repaired and opened back up. Most of the maintence workers at info centers and rest areas have lost their job due to the sequester . I was at the big information center north of Asheville on Friday and they said in places the road is only passable on foot now.

[Wolfhound]

Thanks for the info Joe.
I planned on riding the parkway next weekend.... darned

Well, there are tons of other roads in the area that I don't know yet...

[Smokinjoe-VRCCDS#0005]

Thanks for the info Joe.
I planned on riding the parkway next weekend.... darned

Well, there are tons of other roads in the area that I don't know yet...

Ain't no big deal to detour off and back on its well marked. Hwy 80 is without a doubt one of if not the curvest roads in North Carolina so that part of the detour is awesome    I've rode 80 many times over the years just to play on it.Thats the only place its closed just south of Mitchell its still open all the way to Cherokee after you get back on.

[FloridaValkRyder]

That's not good news. Went to their web site for the map of the road closures (http://maps.nps.gov/blri/road-closures/ ) .They have pretty developed detours posted as well, some of them almost good as the parkway itself ( http://www.nps.gov/blri/planyourvisit/loader.cfm?csModule=security/getfile&pageID=532105 ). I have ridden most of these roads in my truck and on my bike. Still some pretty awesome riding. Hope its open by the 3rd week of October! I see one day having to pay to drive the parkway. It will be like going into a regular national park. If you haven't already, you should join one of the groups supporting the parkway, http://www.nps.gov/blri/supportyourpark/index.htm, and encourage others to do so as well. I kind of figure it's my way of "Paying for Playing". Last time I was up that way you could already see some of the effects of the budget cuts, signs missing, run down shoulders and overlooks. Who knows what it's future may be. 

[Wolfhound]

That's great. Thanks guys! 
That means I will be doing the parkway next weekend 

[Thunderbolt]

We are in Maggie Valley and have been on the BRP about every other day.  Haven't been North of Asheville to try 80 yet.  We were on the Parkway yesterday and today.  I heard on the local news last week that the powers to be are going to build a road around the damaged section up near the Parkway, fix the section that is damaged and then take the detour out before the fall.