Day 5-11 aka “life is a highway, I’m gonna ride it. Every day’s a winding road‘
Day 5: Friday (10/30) Now that the hurricane has passed, our plan was to head to Asheville for a look-see. First six miles out of Maggie Valley were almost all downhill…glorious! We were not liking the busy highways, so we desperately went looking for back roads. We found some, but at one point Sharon commented, “pedal faster – I hear banjos!” Over all, it was pleasant biking through pleasant country side. Things got a bit tense the closer we got to Asheville. Eventually we took hiking paths, a semi-flooded greenway along the French Broad River to our campsite for two nights…the Wilson Riverfront RV park. Looked nice enough… At any rate, we did a quick set up, rode up an insanely steep hill away from the river to a second hand gear store. Sharon needed a windshirt, and we added a Z-Rest knock off as added insulation because of the cold. Found a microbrew (not very difficult, given that there are 26-ish in Asheville.) Had a pleasant meal and made our way back to camp – and sleep.
Day 6: Saturday (10/31) Looks aside, this was perhaps one of the worst campgrounds ever. Proximity to two highways made it seem we were sleeping in the median strip of an interstate. It was so loud, we could barely hear the loud crowd having a good ol’ time right next to us. “We gone!” We kissed $20 good bye rather than spend another night there. We packed up and spent the day roaming Asheville, trying to get a feel for the place. There is a Riverfront Arts district – very cool. We wandered through some of the galleries and met the artists. Good stuff. We took a bit of a tour through the historic Montford area. It is an area just north of downtown with winding streets and an eclectic mix of wonderful old homes. I could see living there – unfortunately our bank account doesn’t hold the same view. Its a pretty pricey area. We intended to stop at one of the famous microbrews that some people had suggested, but the Halloween crowds were out in full force on this nice Saturday afternoon. Reluctantly we headed south in search of an alternative (and quieter) place to camp. We chanced upon a likely spot in the wood just off the Blue Ridge parkway. Secluded and peaceful – just the way we like it.
Day 7: Sunday (11/1) So – the rain overnight was neither expected or welcome. Nothing more enjoyable than putting away cold, saturated nylon. Oh well. We stopped for a worship service at Living Savior south of Asheville. Youngish pastor – Caleb Kurbis – did an excellent job. Enjoyed chatting with folks afterwards. Then it was off to REI. Sharon finally traded in her 35 year old biking rainpants for some that were actually – waterproof! We suffered through a Packers loss, then hit the road again. South and west of the city was beautiful. We had miscalculated the effect of daylights saving time. In our defense we haven’t to deal with it for the last 20 years. Turns out that instead of an extra hour of sunshine, we were going to have to deal with an hour less. It would have been nice to loaf a bit more, but darkness waits for no man. We arrived at a a campground in the Pisgah National recreation area right as night fell. Once again $22 price tag seemed rather steep and a bit unnecessary. It was a very nice campground though.
Day 8: Monday 11/2 Wow! Crazy night on several fronts. Gale force winds sounded like jet engines or freight trains roaring through the trees. However, because of our location at the base of a steep hill, the tent didn’t even stir all night! Wild. We talked to the campground host as we were leaving. The low overnight was 26 degrees. Not really what we were expecting here in the “south”. Rather than backtracking today, we opted for a forest service road (found out later it was Yellow Gap road) 12-14 miles across to Hwy 276. It was a billy goat, rough gravel road. What it lacked in modern amenities, it made up in scenery. There were endless rushing creeks and rivers, beautiful, expansive mountain views. At about 3pm we pulled into a large picnic area that offered some secluded areas for undeveloped camping. We enjoyed a few hours of sunshine and semi warmth before setting up and settling in for the night. This was our first 0/0 day. Zero dollars spent on either camping or food.
Day 9: Tuesday (11/3) We had found the perfect spot to spend the night. It was peaceful in the extreme. HOWEVER…we were above 3,000′ which meant that it was much colder than last night. We guessed low 20’s overnight. That made for a loooong night….and while pleasant…also a long descent into Brevard. Never have I ridden while wearing all my clothes, big down jacket, two stocking caps and all my raingear. We had to stop several times to attempt to restore feeling to our fingers and toes. In spite of all that, it was still glorious. There was water in all its forms – rivers, streams, waterfalls, water trickles – and icicles! In other words, spectacular riding. By the time we had arrived in Brevard, refueled, replenished our groceries and plotted our path out of town, it was already mid afternoon. Looking ahead, it appeared that we had another small mountain range to cross before leaving the mountains behind. After some false starts and stops, we ended up at the doorstep of Jamie Patterson – gracious warm shower host. Fascinating young man. He’d worked in the aerospace industry. Quit and with his girlfriend had ridden across most of the country and backpacked around Mexico. He spent a few years flipping houses and is now (possibly) on the verge of re-entering the engineering world. In all his spare time he also road raced as a Cat 1 rider (that means he’s really good), and has now embraced all the hiking and mountain biking that the Brevard area has to offer. We learned this while sharing some of the local beer. It felt great to get a shower, wash clothes and not have to worry about where we would stay. We ended up spending the night on his deck. Perfect end to a lovely day.
Day 10: Wednesday (11/4) Jaime had to run to the hardware store for supplies (he’s rehabbing/flipping his current home). We took the opportunity to enjoy a meal cooked in a real kitchen, and get packed in the warmth of his living room. By the time he got back, we were ready to hit the road. He’d given us a .gpx file of his favorite back road route across the mountains. This would allow us to bypass the uber busy main road. It worked beautifully. Along the way we hooked up with local rider Jim who kept us company up some of the long climbs. It was fun getting his take on the local scene. And the riding was AMAZING!!! It was more fun than humans should be allowed. It was perhaps…some of the best biking either of us has ever enjoyed. Long climbs sure – but the downhill portions were long, smooth, winding roads. We were both laughing out loud as we came screaming down out of the mountains.
We stopped at a crossroads for a fuel break and met Rachel. Several years ago she spent three months on the road, bicycling up the east coast – performing with her guitar as she went. Apparently touring cyclists are quite rare in these parts and she was quite excited to meet us. Like many travelers, she’d been the recipient of much generosity on the road and was very eager to pay that forward with us. She was so pleasant, we so much wanted to spend time with her. Unfortunately we have many miles to go to reach Charleston, and some ominous weather is in the forecast. In the end, we took Rachel’s advice on routes and ended up just north of Easely. The pastor at Crossroads Baptist church graciously allowed us to camp behind their church office. That was a real life saver. We’ve been told by many locals that stealth camping on private property would not be looked upon favorably. There were no private or public campgrounds along the entire route, nor were than any hotels. That creates a bit of a dilemma for cycling travelers.
Day 11: Thursday (11/5) Up early and on the road. We were both eager to get a hot breakfast in Easely. Our plan for the day was an ambitious one. Sixty some miles to Laurens and a hotel. We’ve camped quite a few nights in a row in some fairly challenging conditions. We wanted to make some bigger miles towards Charleston, and finally wanted to be able to watch the Packer game. All of that equals a hotel for tonight. Today ended up being another absolutely beautiful and challenging day. We weren’t sure what we’d find in South Carolina, but the back roads have offered up some amazing riding. After 63 miles, we finally arrived at the Rodeway Inn. Nothing special – but it offered everything we wanted…plus the chance to bring our blog up to date. So that’s it for now. Just a few random thoughts. Some great road names: Sugar Likker Road. Thissa Way. Possum Holler Rd. Shout out to all the nice folks with encouraging words. Looking forward to seeing what comes next on the road to Charleston.
