Get Lost

My last day on the road

Blue Ridge Mountains. It was a bit muggy and hazy up there.


The Blue Ridge Parkway (BRP) should really be called the Blue Ridge Trail or something like that. It is twisty and windy all along this two lane road. Very slow going. The fastest I ever went on this thing was about 40 mph. On the curves you have to slow down to 35, 30, 25 mph. After a few hours I knew that if I ever wanted to make it home on this day I would have to get off this thing. As my friend, "El Jefe" Dave Ball, mentioned to me in an email, I would probably be mountained out by this point. Frankly, I wasn't really mountained out. I can't get enough of this stuff. But I was a little antsy by now, knew I had to get moving, and had a long day of riding ahead of me. This constant nagging in the back of my head really didn't let me fully enjoy a peaceful and relaxing ride up here. I also couldn't make the Sky Line Drive further up north on this road. I think I can take a weekend trip down here and just target this ride by itself.

I have to give mention of this couple I found riding up on the BRP. This fellow, he was a big boy. I would guess easily above 300 lbs. He had his wife or girlfriend on the back and she was no lightweight either. Anyway, he was riding this big bike, a full bagger. But the thing that got me was the skills this guy had on these winding roads. Who knows, maybe he's up here every week but he was flying on this thing. I certainly couldn't keep up with the guy. He was smooth and effortless, a motorized ballet of sorts. I was just trying not to fly off on one of these curves. So with the stops and all we passed each other a couple times. The last time I just waved him past me 'cause I didn't want to hold them up. He waved thanks as he took off.

Riding these kinds of roads requires intense concentration. It's not anything like riding on the highway or in town. At once you are speeding down this straightaway only to brake hard at the bottom and make a hairpin turn followed by another hair pin turn going the other way and then a turn that seems to take you around almost 360 degrees. This kind of stuff goes on and on and on. It is stressful and take a lot out of you after a while. Naturally, when you are riding like this it becomes difficult if not impossible to be sightseeing or just take any meaningful amount of time to be looking at the scenery.

I have ridden mountain roads many times before but not so much in so little time. For a recreational rider like myself, you sometimes forget, forget the importance of taking time to remain measured at all times. Back in West Virginia on leg one of this trip I almost took a spill. After a 500 mile day I was tired, hungry and anxious to get to eating and then back to sleep. Leaving the hotel, which was atop a hill, I zoomed down the winding road and went too fast into a curve. West Virginia doesn't invest too much capital into little things like shoulders on the roads or even proper design of these local roads, I think. I sped into a sharp curve, almost ran into a rocky gully on the side of the road, but managed to stay on the gravelly rim of the pavement. My rear tire was starting to slide out as I was pumping my brakes ever so slowly and then not at all but just riding it out. A bit of a scare. But lesson well taken.

I almost ran into a turkey on the BRP. A huge bird. Thing took flight as I almost hit it. It was flying about 10 ft. right above me in the same direction I was riding. We kept this up for about 20 seconds. Dumb thing must of been scared out of it's wits. I eased off and it flew into some trees. Very interactive moment. You don't get that in a car.

Later on I got lost a bit trying to get out of the BRP and onto the interstate. But on the way I found the James River and this lovely spot on the side of the road. There were some families picnicking, a couple sun bathing, a kayaker .






Thought this guy teaching his little girl how to fish was worth capturing. Reminded me of my own daughter when she was a bit smaller and we used to go fishing. She used to like to eat the plastic worms.




Even though I had a long day of riding ahead, something was telling me I had to spend some time here. Decided to relax a little bit and grab a little bite.





Lunch









This kayaker stopped here to have lunch himself.


Attracted by the laughter of the young girls, I approached this family that had been tubing down the river and were packing it up. One of the guys had a parent in NJ. Everybody along the way was connected to NJ someway or another. But these folks were very nice, wanted to know where I had been and where I was going. They wished me a safe ride home. I felt the sincerity.

It's hard to find quiet spots like this back in NJ. There's so many people in the northeast that moments like this one hardly come along. So I reveled in the moment. Day dreamed a little about kayaking, fishing with my daughter, picnicking, laying out on the grassy banks of the James River, napping under a tree. Ahhhhhhh. It was a good stop. Glad I got lost.