20050916 - I had Friday off (Blue Ridge Parkway Ride)

Post by **DSKYZD** » Sat Sep 17, 2005 8:08 pm

A couple of things came together for me this week and I ended up with the day off work and no speech class. So of course I went riding!

The radar showed a big blob of green headed my way so I thought I might ride down Interstate 77 to the Blue Ride Parkway and head North which would take me away from the rain at least until I headed home. Well, once I hit the Parkway I decided to head South. For me it's just prettier that way and I would have several more options for turning toward home.

After over an hours ride on the hot Interstate I finally hit the Parkway and it was like flipping a switch the change was so dramatic. It was immediately cooler and I was more relaxed.

Right away I saw this neat display of flowers and turned around for my first break:
http://R1150R.smugmug.com/photos/36397732-L.jpg
http://R1150R.smugmug.com/photos/36397733-L.jpg

On down the road I came upon a group of Turkeys:
http://R1150R.smugmug.com/photos/36397735-L.jpg

Then I stopped to take a picture of a bridge:
http://R1150R.smugmug.com/photos/36397743-L.jpg
http://r1150r.smugmug.com/photos/36397738-L.jpg
http://r1150r.smugmug.com/photos/36397741-L.jpg

I've always wanted a picture of the North Carolina/Virginia State line but there's no good place to stop, so I didn't. Look closely at the white line that's painted across the road:
http://r1150r.smugmug.com/photos/36397745-L.jpg

By this time I needed to get off the bike for a while and take a leak. Sorry, no pictures of me peeing. I did luck up and stop at the neatest curve:
http://r1150r.smugmug.com/photos/36397746-L.jpg
http://r1150r.smugmug.com/photos/36397747-L.jpg
http://r1150r.smugmug.com/photos/36397748-L.jpg

It wasn't the curve itself, but what I found there. First, just off the road was this most appealing little bottom. I kept expecting a Hobbit to come skipping out from behind a tree:
http://r1150r.smugmug.com/photos/36397760-L.jpg

Second, I found this guy. He was about the size of a golf ball. It took several tries to get auto focus to pick him up:
http://r1150r.smugmug.com/photos/36397752-L.jpg

Of course there were trees everywhere:
http://r1150r.smugmug.com/photos/36397751-L.jpg
Many of which had these nests in them:
http://r1150r.smugmug.com/photos/36397754-L.jpg

Continuing the spider theme, I found another web but the owner wasn't home. Again, it took me a few shots to get the focus right. This one is my favorite:
http://r1150r.smugmug.com/photos/36397757-L.jpg

The leaves were starting to turn in a couple of places:
http://r1150r.smugmug.com/photos/36397767-L.jpg
http://r1150r.smugmug.com/photos/36397783-L.jpg

Another action shot:
http://r1150r.smugmug.com/photos/36397776-L.jpg

Some scenery:
http://r1150r.smugmug.com/photos/36397763-L.jpg
http://r1150r.smugmug.com/photos/36397803-L.jpg
Panorama:
http://r1150r.smugmug.com/photos/36398584-L.jpg

I turned up into an overlook that wasn't really an overlook. It had this to the South where the normal views are:
http://r1150r.smugmug.com/photos/36397789-L.jpg
And this vista to the North:
http://r1150r.smugmug.com/photos/36398583-L.jpg

I spent some time there alone. Ate a granola bar, drank some water, and practiced u-turns and figure 8's. My bike surges so badly now the low speed maneuvers are pretty hairy to say the least. That's material for another thread though. This tree was just begging me for take it's picture. Standing proud and tall. I call it the family tree.
http://r1150r.smugmug.com/photos/36397796-L.jpg

Inside Doughton Park I rode up into their tent camping area. There are over 100 campsites and 4 "bat houses". Each site had a fire ring and picinic table. Most even had nice square "pads" for your tent. I'd definitly like to get back there and camp sometime. No pictures of the sites, but I did get this shot of the Info Station:
http://r1150r.smugmug.com/photos/36397807-L.jpg

The skies had been growing progessively darker and I even ran into a couple of sprinkles. It was time to head home so I turned back the way I had come and made my way to the Interstate. I got home just a little earlier than I would for a normal work day. 250 miles, 75 pictures, and a smile from ear to ear.

DSKYZD

Post by **Boxer** » Sat Sep 17, 2005 8:18 pm

Brian! Nice report. ..and super pics!

BTW, those "nests" you took a picture of, are tree worm infestations. If not burned or taken from the tree in some other drastic way, they will eventually kill the whole tree. It's a blight! And I think it attacks certain species of trees.

Yes, it appears the leaves are beginning their change. Sounds like you had a nice slow-paced day.

Post by **1MPH** » Sat Sep 17, 2005 11:19 pm

Neat write up and great pictures. What are you disguised as? Maybe
I'm not reading your name right. Anyways cool spider shot.

Jack

Post by **DJ Downunder** » Sun Sep 18, 2005 6:57 am

Beautiful photos...thanks

DJ

Post by **DSKYZD** » Mon Sep 19, 2005 8:16 am

Thanks guys. I've kicked myself after my last few rides for not taking more pictures. I enjoy reliving the rides through the pictures and the track logs from my GPS. I hope to continue to do better.

1MPH,
You're right on with the name. I'm disguised as different things at different times.

DSKYZD

Post by **kbc68** » Mon Sep 19, 2005 4:44 pm

Thanks for the shots DSKYZD! I've been meaning to make a 4 day trip that way soon maybe next year !

Post by **yjleesvrr** » Wed Sep 21, 2005 5:49 pm

Brian - Sounds like you had a wonderful Friday. Hope to join you on one of these local rides before Thanksgiving.

Post by **mcooperstein** » Thu Sep 22, 2005 12:31 am

yjleesvrr wrote:Brian - Sounds like you had a wonderful Friday. Hope to join you on one of these local rides before Thanksgiving.

me too, me too!

Post by **yjleesvrr** » Sat Sep 24, 2005 3:41 am

I recall fondly the ride the three of us had last November. Why don't we make it an annual tradition? Akin to people in agrarian societies celebrating the end of the harvest in all parts of the world, we can as motorcyclists conclude the riding season with one last hurrah before we begin seeing snow. I propose that we have it in mid-November and anyone is welcome to join us who can make the trek on a Saturday to Southwestern VA.

Guest · Post by **Guest** » Sat Sep 24, 2005 9:53 pm

Awesome report!! Thanks for sharing.

I rode the BRP about a month ago, and your report brings back a lot of good memories.

VM

Post by **DSKYZD** » Sun Sep 25, 2005 8:48 am

Mark, Yong,

We should get together again. I'm finding that I need a group ride about every 4-5 weeks to keep me going. By the pure grace of my wife, I was able to zip up to Watoga Friday night and hang out with "The Mikes."

If we do Hungy Mother 3rd Weekend in August, Watoga in late September, and this SWVA thing in November I can surely come up with something for October. This year it's the RA Rally.

Time for a new thread?

Guest,

Thanks for the compliment. The BRP is just the change of pace you need sometimes isn't it?

DSKYZD

Post by **yjleesvrr** » Mon Sep 26, 2005 1:02 pm

Brian - time for a new thread indeed.

Post by **DSKYZD** » Mon Sep 26, 2005 5:18 pm

What about Mike's pillion ride/camp thread. Tag onto that, or new thread entirely?

DSKYZD

Post by **yjleesvrr** » Tue Sep 27, 2005 5:00 pm

Brian - I have to be in the NY area from the 20th through the 27th for a huge system release we're doing for a client. I was thinking about a early/mid-Nov ride like we did last year...

Post by **mistercindy** » Mon Oct 17, 2005 8:07 pm

Great pics!

Thanks for posting them!