Suggested ride routes in/around Boone, NC

[slapnpop]

Anyone with riding experience (or driving, i guess) in the Boone, NC area, please post suggested ride routes!

There's already another thread going about EOM '06, please keep this thread about the roads.

Whether you've got just a single road or a whole day's ride, I'd like to hear about it. I've got plenty of time to scout rides, plan stops, check for construction or other issues with roads, etc. If you can, please highlight the route on a map and post the image here, along with a descrition. If you can't do the map, a description with enough details for me to find it is fine.

I'd like to get your feedback on the following characteristics:

Road condition

Traffic

Difficulty

Road layout (straight, twisty, sweeping curves, a mix-mash)

and most of all, personal enjoyment for riding

If you're in, or going to be in, the area, and would like to ride it and guide me, let me know.

 

[Mr Bill]

Mt Mitchell - Most up here in the Northeast think that Mount Washington in NH is the Highest, but Mt Mitchell is the highest peak East of the big river.

149 miles round trip (3 1/2 hours saddle time) from Boone (this town is named after Daniel Boone) via Blue Ridge Parkway with a little side trip on SR226a/226 loop just before Little Switzerland. BRP is fun, sweepers, no stop signs, but watch out for turkey, deer, bear (the brown ones with four legs) and slow moving harleys The 226a/226 loop is very tight twisty so you can heat up your tires, brakes and muscle getting your FJR around the corners.

Does anyone know if the whole BRP is opened without detour from last years hurricanes?

 

[slapnpop]

Last time I was in the area (about two months ago) it was still detoured.

 

[Mr Bill]

Look here for information, closures & construction, on the Blue Ridge Parkway.

nps.gov

My route above has two detours so you won't be able to do it til after construction is done this winter.

 

[Skippy]

Hwy 194 north out of Boone to hwy 88 to sr 1628 bear creek road all the way to the BRP then north to Stations Inn Motorcycle Resort www.stationsinn.com and then take the BRP all the way back to Boone.

It is a nice 84 mile round trip and can be done a few hours, and will have some good twisties, elevation changes and scenic look outs.

Done this trip when on a TRTEAR (The Ride To End All Rides) with the FBR's (Floribamariders.com) a couple of years ago.

Got my first performance award from a BRP Ranger $32, he was a very friendly Ranger, and I asked him if I could give him $100 and he tell me when I have used it up.

He actually came into Stations Inn that evening for a beer, and handed me an award anouncing my new FBR nickname (Speedy).

No points on my license as he said he was a federal officer and could not issue points as they did not issue licenses.

Skippy

 

[luvtoride]

Mt Mitchell - Most up here in the Northeast think that Mount Washington in NH is the Highest, but Mt Mitchell is the highest peak East of the big river.
149 miles round trip (3 1/2 hours saddle time) from Boone (this town is named after Daniel Boone) via Blue Ridge Parkway with a little side trip on SR226a/226 loop just before Little Switzerland. BRP is fun, sweepers, no stop signs, but watch out for turkey, deer, bear (the brown ones with four legs) and slow moving harleys The 226a/226 loop is very tight twisty so you can heat up your tires, brakes and muscle getting your FJR around the corners.

Does anyone know if the whole BRP is opened without detour from last years hurricanes?

Cool, as I was reading Travis's post I was thinking... hey, 226 thru Little Switzeland is exactly the kind of roads that we'd wanna' ride. Then I saw Mr. Bill's post. This is a technical area, folks!

I don't know the whole route that you're talking about Mr. Bill but I do know what you state about 226. Sounds like a nice ride you're talking about.

Mr. Pop aka Slappy, I'm definitely going to get down there the beginning of this year to do some scouting with you. I'll talk with ya'll soon. Have a good rest of the weekend everyone.

Gonna' go & have Bithday dinner. BYE!!!

Heidi

 

[Mr Bill]

luvtoride,

Happy Birthday! Another year closer to the Grimm Reaper eh? Ha ha ha

***Edit by slapnpop to add Bill's map and route***

Click on the map for ~2.0 meg version

Dist Turn Road Time Total Dist

Start at Boone 0:00:00 0.00 mi

Go straight (S) on Tracy Cir 0:00:00 0.00 mi

0.02 mi Go straight (S) on to Council St 0:00:04 0.02 mi

0.01 mi Bear right (SSE) on to US 321 (Hardin St) 0:00:05 0.02 mi

0.89 mi Go straight (SE) on to US 221 (US 321 (Blowing Rock Rd)) 0:02:12 0.91 mi

0.07 mi Turn right (SSW) on to SR 1547 (Winklers Creek Rd) 0:02:22 0.98 mi

0.40 mi Turn left (S) on to SR 1547 (Deck Hill Rd) 0:03:55 1.38 mi

1.98 mi Go straight (WSW) on to SR 1541 (Payne Branch Rd) 0:08:39 3.35 mi

0.91 mi Turn left (SSW) on to SR 1541 (Flannery Fork Rd) 0:10:49 4.26 mi

2.19 mi Turn left (S) on to SR 1552 (Shulls Mill Rd) 0:16:04 6.45 mi

0.06 mi Turn right (SW) on to Blue Ridge Pkwy 0:16:12 6.51 mi

35.91 mi Turn left (SSW) on to SR 226 0:59:17 42.42 mi

0.07 mi Bear right (SW) on to SR 226A 0:59:22 42.49 mi

8.48 mi Turn left (NNE) on SR 226A 1:17:13 50.97 mi

8.74 mi Turn right (NNW) on to <unnamed> 1:30:03 59.71 mi

0.04 mi Turn left (SW) on to Blue Ridge Pkwy 1:30:12 59.75 mi

21.56 mi Turn right (NNE) on to SR 128 2:01:56 81.31 mi

4.20 mi Stop at Mount Mitchell 2:07:32 85.52 mi

Go straight (SSW) on SR 128 2:07:32 85.52 mi

4.20 mi Turn left (ENE) on to Blue Ridge Pkwy 2:13:08 89.72 mi

10.68 mi Turn right (E) on to Highway 80 S 2:25:56 100.40 mi

0.06 mi Bear left (SE) on to SR 80 (Buck Creek Rd) 2:26:01 100.46 mi

9.94 mi Turn left (NE) on to SR 1434 (Toms Creek Rd) 2:39:15 110.40 mi

2.58 mi Turn left (NNE) on to US 221 (SR 226) 2:48:15 112.98 mi

29.65 mi Turn right (ENE) on to US 221 3:31:22 142.64 mi

12.12 mi Bear left (NNE) on US 221 3:44:20 154.76 mi

12.24 mi Go straight (NNW) on to US 321 (Blowing Rock Rd) 4:07:43 167.00 mi

0.89 mi Bear left (N) on to Council St 4:09:50 167.89 mi

0.01 mi Go straight (N) on to Tracy Cir 4:09:51 167.89 mi

0.02 mi Finish at Boone 4:09:55 167.91 mi

 

[slapnpop]

Mrbill, Email me my user name @ fjrforum.com, and I'll put them on the server here.

 

[FJRPierre]

The FJ group rallies in Boone every spring. I've done 421 north to Mountain City, to Shady Valley and north to the edge of Holston Lake is sweet. Base yourself at the Shady Valley General Store and do 133 NE to Damascus or going the other way 91 to Elizibethtown. Or slip further south to Mountain City and run the 91 north or the 67 west.

The 194 from Boone north to 58 then to Damascus is nice as well.

For fast fast sweepers, the 181 from Newland to the BRP is sweet, then head north on the BRP through Grandfather Mtn to Blowing Rock for the best of mountainside linked twisties. Or take the 221 from nearby Linville NE through Grandfather Mtn up to Blowing Rock (parallels the BRP)

 

[black mamba]

One of the very best rides you will ever make is #221 from Blowing Rock going west, past Grandfather Mt., on down to where #221 runs into #105 at Linville. This is 22 miles of pure heaven....sharp turns, long sweepers, up and down, the works. Obviously, this run can be taken in the opposite direction but for some reason, I like to run it like this.

Any run on the BRP, going in either direction from Blowing Rock, is a fabulous ride.

Take #421/321 out of Boone, going northwest till you hit #194 that heads south to Valle Crucis and on to Banner Elk. Take #184 out of Banner Elk south to #105 and head east back to Boone. About a 1 and 1/2 hour ride with some of the sharpest twisties you will ever see. The countryside is beautiful and, while in Valle Crucis, be sure and stop and see the Mast general store. It's quite famous and a real throwback to times gone by.

Take #421 northwest out of Boone to Mountain City, TN. Take #91 out of Mountain City, heading north till you hit #58 near Damascus, Virginia. Head northeast on #58 and hang on for one flat superior ride all the way to Galax, Virginia. Take #7 southeast out of Galax over to the BRP and head south to Boone.

This is pretty much an all day ride. You'll run alongside some of the prettiest streams for much of the ride. There are more curves than you can count and the roads are in great shape. An all-around terrific ride. When heading back to Boone on the BRP, stop at the Doughton Park rest stop and enjoy some of the best biscuits and jelly you ever put in your mouth. A little further down the BRP, you'll come to the Laurel Springs exit, Road #18. Get off the BRP and turn right for about 1/4 mile to the motorcycle motel called Stations Inn. A fantastic place for bikers to gather....good food, frequent music by local bands, and cold beer. Jump back on the BRP and head on back to Boone. Just a great, great day.

I've got plenty more super rides around the region to detail out. I'll get to them soon.

 

[slapnpop]

Mr. Bill: I can see my house in that map!

I'm gonna try to trace this route on google earth and make a better 3d view...

 

[Mr Bill]

Slapnpop,

I wish my house was on that map! I'm stuck here until I retire. I don't know of a nicer area than VA/NC Appalachians.

Thanks again for posting the pictures for me.

 

[luvtoride]

luvtoride,Happy Birthday!  Another year closer to the Grimm Reaper eh?  Ha ha ha

Hey, thanks for the well wishes Mr. Bill... 'twas a party weekend, for sure!

 

[LSUBOY]

A good source for checking on roads is that area is www.motorcycleroads.us

Click on tha state, then click resource over to tha right to get the details of a given road. Also tells you tha length in miles of any given road.

Vinni Madog Daniels

OH MY GAWD, UM A FNG........Whoooool!

 

[Mr Bill]

Can anyone double check Sun data in Boone?

My gps for 08 Sep 06, Boone:

Sunrise 07:02am

Sunset 7:46pm

Moonrise 8:21pm

Moonset 7:57am

Moon looks full, waxing gibbous

I've got my ride down planned, leave Worcester 4am riding into the full moon arrive Boone 7pm just before sunset. Ok I'm going back to work now :lazy: