Rallly to Ridgecrest / Asheville NC

[BlueJet]

I may be attending the Rally to Ridgecrest event in Asheville NC this upcoming Memorial Day weekend. Any other FJR's going to be there?

I'm looking for feedback on the following suggested routes. I don't need a route that produces roads like the Dragon (been there done that), just the occasional sweeper, minimum traffic, great sites, and maybe a good food stop while on a half day ride.

 

[FJRScrewball]

I may be attending the Rally to Ridgecrest event in Asheville NC this upcoming Memorial Day weekend. Any other FJR's going to be there?
I'm looking for feedback on the following suggested routes. I don't need a route that produces roads like the Dragon (been there done that), just the occasional sweeper, minimum traffic, great sites, and maybe a good food stop while on a half day ride.

I'll be riding up from Lakeland, FL. Probably be taking I-75 up to Atlanta to make better time. From Atlanta on I haven't planned anything yet. Maybe we could meet someplace and ride on up together.

 

[BlueJet]

Hi there. I'm riding with at least one cruiser (maybe a few) from the Nashville area Friday morning. I'm thinking we will enjoy a route that will take us onto the Cherohala Scenic Skyway then maybe 129 to 19 (through Cherokee) and then the Blue Ridge Pkwy into Asheville to arrive at Ridgecrest by registration time. Not sure yet. Did you go to the event last year and enjoy any rides around Asheville during the day?

 

[FJRScrewball]

Hi there. I'm riding with at least one cruiser (maybe a few) from the Nashville area Friday morning. I'm thinking we will enjoy a route that will take us onto the Cherohala Scenic Skyway then maybe 129 to 19 (through Cherokee) and then the Blue Ridge Pkwy into Asheville to arrive at Ridgecrest by registration time. Not sure yet. Did you go to the event last year and enjoy any rides around Asheville during the day?

I rode up last year with my brother and his C14. We rode back with some friends we met while there. It rained almost all day every day last year. We did ride the Lake Lure loop but didn't get to ride much else. Hopefully the weather will be better this year.

Unless I can arrange something with a few of the locals that are going up this year I guess I'll be riding alone. My brother isn't going this year. I've planned to be off work the 26th, 27th and 28th so I may go up early and get in a little extra seat time in the twisties.

I made a trip back to Asheville area in Sept. last year and spent 7 days riding the BRP, Dragon, Cherohala, Snake and just about every other road in east Tennessee and west North Carolina. Now that was FUN! :yahoo:

 

[FJRScrewball]

Hi there. I'm riding with at least one cruiser (maybe a few) from the Nashville area Friday morning. I'm thinking we will enjoy a route that will take us onto the Cherohala Scenic Skyway then maybe 129 to 19 (through Cherokee) and then the Blue Ridge Pkwy into Asheville to arrive at Ridgecrest by registration time. Not sure yet. Did you go to the event last year and enjoy any rides around Asheville during the day?

Just wanted to keep in touch. Are you still going to Ridgecrest?

Did you survive the flooding in Nashville area?

Looks like I may have found a group to ride up with.

 

[Nick2]

I may be attending the Rally to Ridgecrest event in Asheville NC this upcoming Memorial Day weekend. Any other FJR's going to be there?
I'm looking for feedback on the following suggested routes. I don't need a route that produces roads like the Dragon (been there done that), just the occasional sweeper, minimum traffic, great sites, and maybe a good food stop while on a half day ride.

Keep in mind that the Parkway is closed about 6 miles north of Pisgah toward Asheville. I'd have to look at the maps to see if they include that stretch (I think one of them does). It's kind of a pain, but part of the workaround has a road that I love. It goes beside Looking Glass Falls and Slippery Rock - - great road. It's 276 (keep it quiet - - not that many folks on it this time of year).

From the BRP site:

IN NORTH CAROLINA, the road is closed at the following area

MP 399.7 (Bad Fork Valley Overlook) to MP 405 (NC 151) - Asheville Area.

Due to heavy rains, engineers have determined that a high risk of slides exists in the area, necessitating this emergency closure. The closure will be in place until early July.

For southbound traffic from the Asheville area, take NC Route 191, NC Route 280, and US Route 276 to the Parkway. For northbound traffic near the Mt. Pisgah area, take US Route 276, NC Route 280, and NC Route 191 to the Parkway.

 

[BlueJet]

I hadn't check up on this closure lately but last word was that it would be open by now. This gives me an excuse to stay off of the Interstate more. I'll check out your suggestions on the map when I get a chance. Thanks.

 

[Nick2]

I hadn't check up on this closure lately but last word was that it would be open by now. This gives me an excuse to stay off of the Interstate more. I'll check out your suggestions on the map when I get a chance. Thanks.

I was up there last week and it was closed (and I'll be up in Asheville next week so I'll check). I asked about it at the main ranger station on 276 and they said it would be closed for quite awhile. This is a parkway closure and the info I quoted in my previous post was from the BRParkway site: https://www.nps.gov/blri/planyourvisit/roadclosures.htm

I think the I-40 closure between Knoxville and Asheville is now open (that was the biggie that hit the news).

Later.

 

[BlueJet]

Ah yes. Now I see that I misread your post. I had the I-40 closure on my mind and was reading with temporary ADD. I-40 is open, got it!

 

[FJRScrewball]

BlueJet,

I think I saw your bike at Ridgecrest. Hung around it for awhile but never saw you. Then later it was gone. Sorry we missed getting to meet.

 

[BlueJet]

What day was this? Sorry we didn't cross paths. I saw a blue Gen 1 with some mods on it and another blue one that was probably Gen 1 but I didn't look at it up close. I might have seen a silver one, maybe that was yours? Truth is I saw so many FJR's over the weekend I lost count. I was traveling with some cruiser bikes.

We chose I40 to get there. Though the repaired section was fine, when we saw one lane westbound combined with a minor accident and 10 mile backup it produced I knew we where going back home the scenic route. Saturday we rode down 280 > 276 > BRP into Maggie Valley and checked out Wheels Through Time. Sunday afternoon our planned two hour ride turned into something else. We were headed back westbound from Little Switz on the BRP and instead of going down NC80 > US70 > I40 we stayed on the BRP. When we got near Mt. Mitchell it started raining. Usually no big deal but somewhere between Mt. Mitchell and 694 the road quality went way down with potholes and patches plus grading from construction. Combined with the ocassional gravel filled rain runoff it wasn't fun. Maybe I should have known better. I won't do that part of the BRP again. Yesterday returning home 74 > 28 > 143 > Skyway > 68 was filled with light, moderate, and monsoon rain but it was much better than being on the interstate.

 

[FJRScrewball]

It was Saturday and there were cruiser bikes parked on both sides of it. It also had a trash bag covering the instrument panel area. It was the only one I saw at Ridgecrest with Tenn. plates.

I started riding up on my '07 AE model but after an incident with a piece of lumber in the road on I-75 at exit 129 on Thursday I bought a 2010 FJR from Yamaha of Byron, Ga. on Friday. Its silver and so maybe you saw it. It should have had Florida plates and parked next to my brothers black '09 Concours 14. Check the "Trouble in Georgia" topic in the mechanical/technical discussion area for more details on the incident.

Some say I was lucky, but as a believer I know luck had nothing to do with it.

I know the rough section of the BRP you're talking about. On Saturday my brother and I started north on the BRP from Asheville. We went up to Mt. Mitchell and then to Little Switzerland and on to Linville Falls before heading back south on 221 to I-40. Along the way we saw friends from Tampa, Plant City and our church in Lakeland. Later on Saturday we rode down 9 toward Lake Lure and then back to Asheville. We left for home after the parade ride to the cemetery on Sunday.

 

[BlueJet]

Yes that was mine. Sorry you had to witness the trash bag but it was a quick solution. The only trouble I developed from the water was that one of my sidecase locks is now very difficult to turn but I can probably squirt something in there to fix it. Well, glad to hear you got through your highway event. It could have been real ugly. A new bike; good for you. I still haven't cleaned mine from the trip!