2007 Blue Ridge Parkway, North Carolina
Ride from Blowing Rock, NC to Little Switzerland with a side hike to Linnville Falls. Beautiful day. Smooth roads. Relatively flat--for the Parkway
Ride from Little Switzerland to Asheville with a side climb to Mt. Mitchell (the highest point east of the Mississippi), a heck of a lot of climbing for two flatlanders. Great weather gave way to clouds.
"Easy" ride of only 28 miles--the last 15 miles was a continuous climb to the Pisgah Inn.
Should have been a 60 mile day with significant climb, but low, dense cloud cover turned the day into a van transport. Visibility was no more than 50' -- dangerous to drive in a motor vehicle; insane to ride a bike with cars on the road.
Planned hike on the Appalachian Trail. Rain for hike out to Charlie's Bunion, but skies cleared before return.
Route rework. Instead of county road ride, van transport back to Richland Balsam to ride part of section we missed due to weather. Route ends with 15 mile descent.