BRP in 1 day

[Tyler]

I know I couldn't do it but if anyone can, it's you, Mike. Hope you have a wonderful (and safe) journey!!

 

[Geezer]

I rode the entire BRP in well under 15 hours. I was with Thingfish who used to participate on this forum. We both had ridden the BRP several times before in tourist mode so we were not interested in stopping for pictures.

We were traveling at well over the speed limit most of the time and did get a performance award near the north end from a ranger. He was driving a green Jeep and did not have radar, though he claimed that he 'clocked us' at speed. I think someone who we had passed called in on us. The ticket was pricey but does not get reported to your state so it does not affect your insurance rates and you technically still have a 'clean record', so it was not too bad.

In my opinion, the BRP is much more interesting than Skyline Drive.

 

[VAcracker]

The last gas available on the Parkway was at Doughton Park (mile 240). I gassed up there in 2005, when I went through in 2006, it was gone. Used to be available at the three lodges, Peaks of Otter, Doughton Park, and Pisgah Inn. Been a few years since I've been on Skyline Drive but, when I was last there, gas was available at Big Meadows (mile 51), the only place it's available on Skyline.

Gas is still available at big meadows on skyline. One of the two pumps was a bit flaky, aka out of order but gas was available. Was there last weekend.

Only rode BRP about 35-59 miles north of Damacuss and got off to see Natural Bridge. While on BRP encountered a surprisingly high deer count, even mid day. Encounters are likely to increase in coming weeks and months as hunting pressure pushes them from surrounding areas to less pressure areas. Early season in parts of VA being as early as this weekend. Keep a sharp eye out.

 

[Sunnyorlando]

The last gas available on the Parkway was at Doughton Park (mile 240). I gassed up there in 2005, when I went through in 2006, it was gone. Used to be available at the three lodges, Peaks of Otter, Doughton Park, and Pisgah Inn. Been a few years since I've been on Skyline Drive but, when I was last there, gas was available at Big Meadows (mile 51), the only place it's available on Skyline.

Well, there you go - just 'before my times' on the BRP. I did not know that. Thanks!

 

[TripperMike]

I want to thank you all for the great input and I think I learned a great deal of what to expect. Finishing up with my packing and downloading to the GPSs.
Little detour up through the Adirondacks and expect to roll into Virginia Sat afternoon.

I'll fill you folks in on how it went. Thanks again!

 

[Whooshka]

Be safe and have a great trip.

 

[TripperMike]

Little under 13 hrs. Started at the north end around 6:15am and finished just outside Cherokee at 7:03.
I'll write more when I get home after the weekend. Time permitting, Kitty Hawk tomorrow.

 

[TripperMike]

....and so, I had a great ride. 11 days on the road. Well actually only 7 days; 4 days were spent visiting with my son and his family in VA. I managed to stretch out what would normally be a 2200 mile trip into 5750 miles. I took a few detours as one tends to on a motorbike.

BRP! As I stated a "couple" of days ago, it took just under 13 hrs. I was a little surprised as I tended to stop for photo ops way more than I had planned on. But goodness gracious can you blame me? It was just a gorgeous day for a ride up there (although the clouds in the higher altitude did let loose some precipitation). I kinda laughed to myself as I just wrote "up there". I had no idea it would be at such high elevation. Much of it at 5400+ with a stretch or two at above 6k feet. I must have stopped and taken over 2 dozen pics. Love my wallpaper on the work computer now!

So the week after Labor Day worked out pretty well. Very low traffic. The early start did provide a few opportunities to view some wildlife. There was a lot of it, deer and turkeys, but they didn't seem to be in any hurry to cross the road. I mean my goodness, when they have the mind to, they'll take their sweet little time to cross. But it was awesome. I don't think I saw anymore wildlife on the BRP after 10 am or so. As for the park rangers, I didn't see too much of them. But I didn't do too much to gain their attention either. For the most part I kept my speed at 5 to 8 over and minded my Ps and Qs.

As for the detours; there were 2 unavoidable ones and one intentional detour. TOH memorial in Boone. I was told by one local that one of the detours has been in place for 2 yrs. I'm a little hard of hearing so there's a chance I misheard him, but 2 yrs?! A section of road must have totally slid down the mountain. Maybe they are constructing a new tunnel. I had no idea there were so many tunnels. Again, pretty cool. I would most definitely ride this again. Maybe even stretch it out to 2 or 3 days.

As for my post BRP destinations, Nags Head and Kitty Hawk, I was fairly disappointed. It was built up and commercialized far more than I had imagined it would be. But the ride to there from the south kinda made it worth it. One spot I stopped at on the way up there was Harkers Island. Nice quint spot I'd like to revisit someday.

Before I wrap this up, I'd like to give a little shout out to Waynes Cycle Shop in Waynesboro, VA. I had misjudged the condition of my tires before leaving home, and realized on Labor Day that I had better get them replaced before continuing on to BRP and the remainder of my trip. I had called several places only to get a recorded message saying I could leave my own recorded message, and maybe they would get back to me (actually one place did). However when I called Waynes, a human answered the phone, I explained I was in the middle of a trip and needed tires. Well the short of it is, they got me taken care of and back on the road almost by lunchtime.

So anyways, that's the gest of my trip. One regret that I do have though. On my way to VA, I rode through the Adirondacks in the middle of the night. Won't be making that mistake twice.

 

[scutrbrau]

Sounds like a great trip. My wife and I were riding on the BRP and in the Smokies around the same time you were. I'm glad you had glorious weather. When we were riding the section from Cherokee to Asheville it was raining and we were in the clouds most of the time.

There has been a closure on the Parkway outside Roanoke for probably close to two years. They took a long time doing some major repairs from a rockslide and had either reopened or were about to when there was another storm that took out another chunk of road.

Good to hear about your experience at Wayne Cycle. That's my local shop. They're good people and they've taken good care of my and my wife's bikes when needed.

 

[Sunnyorlando]

....and so, I had a great ride. 11 days on the road. Well actually only 7 days; 4 days were spent visiting with my son and his family in VA. I managed to stretch out what would normally be a 2200 mile trip into 5750 miles. I took a few detours as one tends to on a motorbike.

BRP! As I stated a "couple" of days ago, it took just under 13 hrs. I was a little surprised as I tended to stop for photo ops way more than I had planned on. But goodness gracious can you blame me? It was just a gorgeous day for a ride up there (although the clouds in the higher altitude did let loose some precipitation). I kinda laughed to myself as I just wrote "up there". I had no idea it would be at such high elevation. Much of it at 5400+ with a stretch or two at above 6k feet. I must have stopped and taken over 2 dozen pics. Love my wallpaper on the work computer now!

So the week after Labor Day worked out pretty well. Very low traffic. The early start did provide a few opportunities to view some wildlife. There was a lot of it, deer and turkeys, but they didn't seem to be in any hurry to cross the road. I mean my goodness, when they have the mind to, they'll take their sweet little time to cross. But it was awesome. I don't think I saw anymore wildlife on the BRP after 10 am or so. As for the park rangers, I didn't see too much of them. But I didn't do too much to gain their attention either. For the most part I kept my speed at 5 to 8 over and minded my Ps and Qs.

As for the detours; there were 2 unavoidable ones and one intentional detour. TOH memorial in Boone. I was told by one local that one of the detours has been in place for 2 yrs. I'm a little hard of hearing so there's a chance I misheard him, but 2 yrs?! A section of road must have totally slid down the mountain. Maybe they are constructing a new tunnel. I had no idea there were so many tunnels. Again, pretty cool. I would most definitely ride this again. Maybe even stretch it out to 2 or 3 days.

As for my post BRP destinations, Nags Head and Kitty Hawk, I was fairly disappointed. It was built up and commercialized far more than I had imagined it would be. But the ride to there from the south kinda made it worth it. One spot I stopped at on the way up there was Harkers Island. Nice quint spot I'd like to revisit someday.

Before I wrap this up, I'd like to give a little shout out to Waynes Cycle Shop in Waynesboro, VA. I had misjudged the condition of my tires before leaving home, and realized on Labor Day that I had better get them replaced before continuing on to BRP and the remainder of my trip. I had called several places only to get a recorded message saying I could leave my own recorded message, and maybe they would get back to me (actually one place did). However when I called Waynes, a human answered the phone, I explained I was in the middle of a trip and needed tires. Well the short of it is, they got me taken care of and back on the road almost by lunchtime.

So anyways, that's the gest of my trip. One regret that I do have though. On my way to VA, I rode through the Adirondacks in the middle of the night. Won't be making that mistake twice.

So that said, do you think you would have been able to do Skyline in the same day as well?

 

[rbentnail]

So that said, do you think you would have been able to do Skyline in the same day as well?

I did this recently from end to end. Took right at 4 hrs.

 

[TripperMike]

So that said, do you think you would have been able to do Skyline in the same day as well?

Simple answer...Yes. A day is 24 hrs. Would I have enjoyed? Probably not.

Had I started at the north end of Skyline at the same time that I did the BRP, I would have missed out on riding the south end of BRP in the daylight. Riding at night I find enjoyable, but I miss out on so much of the scenery that exists beyond the reach of my clearwaters. I guess if you can't see it, how could you know what you're missing? But someday I would ride that south end and see what I had missed.....and regret my earlier ride.

When I first began this post, my intention had been to ride both from one end to the other. I wasn't aware of the speed limits. I also gave more thought to the time of the year it was and the lessening of the daylight hrs. Although I still enjoy riding through the night, I am enjoying, as time goes on, where I am riding even more so during the light. Even more reason to return to the Adirondacks.

Fortunately for me, my son will be stationed in VA for a few years now. I'll have ample time for me and my wife to through legs over the bike and return to that area. The time, and need, to chug will have been done and gone; it'll be time to sip and savor the next go-around.

 

[Sunnyorlando]

Simple answer...Yes. A day is 24 hrs. Would I have enjoyed? Probably not.

Had I started at the north end of Skyline at the same time that I did the BRP, I would have missed out on riding the south end of BRP in the daylight. Riding at night I find enjoyable, but I miss out on so much of the scenery that exists beyond the reach of my clearwaters. I guess if you can't see it, how could you know what you're missing? But someday I would ride that south end and see what I had missed.....and regret my earlier ride.

When I first began this post, my intention had been to ride both from one end to the other. I wasn't aware of the speed limits. I also gave more thought to the time of the year it was and the lessening of the daylight hrs. Although I still enjoy riding through the night, I am enjoying, as time goes on, where I am riding even more so during the light. Even more reason to return to the Adirondacks.

Fortunately for me, my son will be stationed in VA for a few years now. I'll have ample time for me and my wife to through legs over the bike and return to that area. The time, and need, to chug will have been done and gone; it'll be time to sip and savor the next go-around.

Yes, 24 hrs in a day - it's not impossible, but would it be enjoyable? Prob not so much. Now, if all one wanted is to say it was done, then absolutely yes.
I was just up there last week and did Skyline starting at the north end, and partial BRP (which have I done numerous times). There were at least 2 detours at that time, so that added quite a bit. One was a very long out of the way detour (I think by Roanoke) which I don't understand why the took it so far out of the way.
On a side note...
As part of that trip, myself and 3 buddies just finished a New England ride as far up as Calais, ME totalling 3600 mi over 13 days. Two of them went into Canada, I stayed behind with one friend who could not get in (I've done NB, PEI and NS already) and waited in ME for the other 2. We ran out of roads to ride in ME . Really not much pavement that far north.