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The Blue Ridge of North Carolina |
Dates: (6 days, |
Assembly Point: |
Tour Cost: $1,795 (includes all lodging, breakfasts and dinners, park entrance fees, Timberline van transfers to and from Charlotte, support van, leaders, tour maps & narratives) |
We’ve climbed our share of mountains in the course of this 26-year adventure—Trail Ridge, Beartooth, Going-to-the Sun, Hurricane Ridge, Slumgullion, Sonora, and on and on. All of these classic western climbs always have been the centerpiece of our program, and the source from which our identity as an organization has evolved. Could there ever have been any doubt that, at some point, we would be drawn irresistibly to the Blue Ridge of North Carolina, the highest range east of the Rockies?
In the context of this 6-day Blue Ridge of North Carolina program, we’ll ride the southernmost 180-mile section of the magnificent Blue Ridge Parkway, from milepost 291 at Blowing Rock to the southern terminus at Cherokee. We’ll climb to the renowned summit of Mt. Mitchell (6,684'), the highest of the Appalachian peaks, skirt the flank of Grandfather Mountain (5,837'), ride the awesome Pisgah Ridge and challenge the Great Balsams (Richland Balsam—6,053'). By Rocky Mountain standards, these are puny elevations, but don’t be fooled! The elevation increments and grades to these summits are formidable. Without a doubt, the Blue Ridge will offer our most seasoned cyclists a memorable and engaging experience.
The Blue Ridge also offers some of North America’s best hiking opportunities—don’t forget to pack your trail shoes. On our short cycling day from Asheville to the Pisgah Inn, we’ll hike to the summit of Mt. Pisgah (5,730') in the afternoon. We’ve also planned a layover day for Day 5, a day of hiking in nearby Great Smoky Mountain National Park.
We’ll assemble in Blowing Rock (we’ll provide a mid-morning van shuttle from the Charlotte airport on the day prior to departure) and then climb to the Parkway early morning of Day 1. From that moment when we enter the Parkway and ride to the south, the massive presence of Grandfather Mountain is everywhere. The manner in which the Parkway negotiates its course around the mountain constitutes an engineering masterpiece by the National Park Service. We’ll ride across the amazing Linn Cove Viaduct which hangs in partial suspension, pause at the Grandfather Mountain Overlook, and continue on toward the Linville Gorge Wilderness Area. Know that we’re committed to filling your days with us, and a hike from the Linville Falls Visitors Center into the gorge for views of the upper and lower falls of the Linville River is an irresistible option. We’re ultimately headed to Little Switzerland for the evening.
Day 2, and we’re off to challenge mighty Mt. Mitchell, but don’t attempt to equate our encounter with the notorious Assault on Mt. Mitchell, the 102-mile endurance event sponsored by the Spartanburg Freewheelers. Ours is a more modest 5-mile, 1,390-foot ascent to Mitchell’s summit from the Parkway. From the summit, it’s bombs away (a figure of speech—always under control!) to Asheville, where we’ll spend the evening.
At some point in the course of the previous day’s descent from Mitchell, the thought that you likely will have a debt to settle may have crossed your mind. Well, payment is due early morning of Day 3 as we climb 3,700 feet along a 24-mile section that includes nine tunnels to Mt. Pisgah. We’ll arrive at the magnificent Pisgah Inn in time for a late lunch and a moderate afternoon hike (or not!) to Pisgah’s summit (4 miles).
Sixty ruggedly spectacular miles highlight Day 4 as we ride the Parkway along the Pisgah Ridge through the beautiful Balsams to the Parkway’s southern terminus at Cherokee. In the course of this day, we will have climbed to the Parkway’s highest point atop Richland Balsam at (6,053') and tallied no less than 6,225 feet of elevation gain before a final descent into Cherokee.
We’re ready for a day without bicycles and, in the context of a “layover day” we’ll van shuttle the short distance to Great Smoky Mountains National Park, ablaze in fall color (or spring bloom), and choose from a wide variety of day hikes, including the Charles Bunion section of the Appalachian Trail (8 miles).
We’ve planned a different cycling experience for our final day. Following our final overnight in Cherokee, we’ll leave the Parkway behind and ride a network of quiet, rolling country roads, heading ultimately to Highlands, where we’ll load up for our van shuttle late-afternoon return to Charlotte.
Total cycling mileage – 234
Total hiking mileage – 12
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