03/08 Day Ride to Spruce Pines and BRP

[Marc K]

Took off with my wife for a short ride on the FJR. Went through Boone and down Hwy 105 to Linville. From there we took Hwy 194 into Spruce Pines to eat at the Knife and Fork but they were closed. From there we headed back up the BRP and had a great lunch at Mountain View Restaurant, one of our fav stops on the Parkway. From there we switched back and forth on the BRP to avoid closures. Road conditions - mostly clear travel lanes with piled sand along the center yellow lines and shoulders. Only had the front wheel slide a couple times. We need a good rain up high to wash the sand and muck off the roadway. Forecast in the north Blue Ridge shows almost mid 60's by Tuesday, wish the crap was off the roadway. Then snow Thursday - can't get a break.

[Bob]

Marc, thanks for the road report. Sounds like its not quite ready for prime time up there, huh? Glad you and the wife were able to get out though. When are you moving up there full time?

[Marc K]

Hope to be up here full time by June. I have to head back to SC for a couple days and will miss the best weather day - tuesday. I'll keep posting road reports and hope to catch up with yall soon. Plan to make Sparta in May. We are also heading to the Outer Banks late May / June so if anybody has heads up on what to do / not do, let me know.

[LeeDavis]

Thanks for the recon. Yeah, It's a little soon. I've found you can make a stab at early season highland riding by using The Good Parts of main or well traveled roads. Traffic helps clean off the salt and grit. HaulinAshe and I had an entertaining run up and down NC-80 between Marion and the BRP two weeks ago. If we chose to go there I think the road would have been OK up to Burnsville.

[Brick]

We, some of the Knobbies, rode over to have lunch at the Straightaway Cafe on Rt9 south of Black Mtn. Many of the back roads had some sand/crap in the corners/hills. We need rain down here too! Won't have any before Tuesday so we will have to keep it a notch easier than WFO!
Anyone have a preference for a Tuesday ride?


Brick

[Broz]

Hope to be up here full time by June. I have to head back to SC for a couple days and will miss the best weather day - tuesday. I'll keep posting road reports and hope to catch up with yall soon. Plan to make Sparta in May. We are also heading to the Outer Banks late May / June so if anybody has heads up on what to do / not do, let me know.

Are you going to the OBX on your bike? It's one of my favorite places if I'm not riding my motorcycle in the mountains. Are you going for the fishing or windsurfing, or kitesurfing? Because those are the top 3 reasons to be there. I have been going out there for over 30 years. Plan on having strong winds. I used to go for the windsurfing now it's kitesurfing. It's the Meca for wind sports, almost forgot, SURFING. Fishings not bad either. You can take a charter out of Oregon Inlet. I only went once and my buddy that owned boat told me to never go again because I would never do as well. We caught our limit by 11:30 and it was some of the best tasting yellow tail tune ever! It's worth a day trip on the ferry to Ocracoke but there really isn't much there. It's quiet. Don't expect much in the form of nightlife and entertainment but it is beautiful in its own way. There is very little light pollution south of the Hatteras Light house so you can see lots of stars at night. Have fun!
Broz

[Marc K]

Hope to be up here full time by June. I have to head back to SC for a couple days and will miss the best weather day - tuesday. I'll keep posting road reports and hope to catch up with yall soon. Plan to make Sparta in May. We are also heading to the Outer Banks late May / June so if anybody has heads up on what to do / not do, let me know.

Are you going to the OBX on your bike? It's one of my favorite places if I'm not riding my motorcycle in the mountains. Are you going for the fishing or windsurfing, or kitesurfing? Because those are the top 3 reasons to be there. I have been going out there for over 30 years. Plan on having strong winds. I used to go for the windsurfing now it's kitesurfing. It's the Meca for wind sports, almost forgot, SURFING. Fishings not bad either. You can take a charter out of Oregon Inlet. I only went once and my buddy that owned boat told me to never go again because I would never do as well. We caught our limit by 11:30 and it was some of the best tasting yellow tail tune ever! It's worth a day trip on the ferry to Ocracoke but there really isn't much there. It's quiet. Don't expect much in the form of nightlife and entertainment but it is beautiful in its own way. There is very little light pollution south of the Hatteras Light house so you can see lots of stars at night. Have fun!
Broz

Thanks Broz ! I haven't been to OBX since I was a kid and my wife has never been. We are riding the bike and just want to see the sights.

[Broz]

Marc in that case be sure to take her on the ferry from Hatteras to Ocracoke it's worth seeing at least once. Be sure to gas up before heading south on hwy 12. Gas is more expensive south of Oregon Inlet. I dread the drive from Charlotte let alone western NC. It's about 7 hours to get just south of Avon and we like to leave so we can be on the water kiting by noon. I'm getting too old for those zero dark thirty departures.

There are some stretches where you will feel like you should be able to wind it up....Watch your speed, don't ask me how I know (about 20 miles west of Manteo). Do a YouTube search on kitesurfing in Hatteras or OBX and see what fun you can have being a spectator.
Broz

[LeeDavis]

Marc, I lived in Morehead City on the coast for a couple of years though it was a long time ago. Here's a nice drive I've done a few times. Two ferry rides, National and State parks, historical sites. Beaufort is a nice town to walk around in. http://goo.gl/maps/pDr3w