Ice - Clingmans Dome
GZ250 during recent Blue Ridge Parkway trip
I've had a strong desire, recently, to ride a 250cc motorcycle up Pikes Peak (small motorcycles are a hobby of mine). I haven't felt I've been doing much riding with work and all, not to mention the cold weather and rain. It's been becoming too much, this absence of riding, so I had to do something. A quick check of the web cam atop Pikes Peak revealed blowing snow with 50 MPH winds and a temperature of -7 degrees F. The web cam was showing a picture that looked like the surface of Jupiter, of perhaps Pluto! I guess I waited too late in the year. Or maybe not...
Ok, so I live in the East. Well, actually the South - Nashville TN. The tallest mountain in eastern America is Mount Mitchell in North Carolina at about 6,700 ft. A close second is Clingmans Dome, about 120 miles south-southwest, in Tennessee at about 6,600 feet. I figure if I ride a 250 up both Mt Mitchell and Clingmans Dome in the same day, that will be almost like riding up Pikes Peak! Or at least the best we can do here in the East, since we don't have single 14,000 ft. peaks.
So that's the plan. I'd use the Blue Ridge Parkway to transverse the two mountains. I'm happy to say that despite a few adverse conditions I have accomplished the mission. It took 3 days using Gatlinburg TN as a "base camp." I just got back last night, total distance 795 miles on a Suzuki GZ250. Total changes in elevation during the ride: somewhere around 100,000 feet or more, I figure.
Blue Ridge Parkway
Fall colors along the Blue Ridge
I'll spare the details and won't tell that my wife just happened to be in Gatlinburg for a 3 day conference at an expensive hotel. And that 250cc cycle trash sneaked in for free as opposed to pitching a tent. All I'll mention is how beautiful the scenery was and how awesome the roads. And the weather... everything you could imagine, as one would expect this time of year. Heavy ice on Clingmans Dome, a dusting of snow in some places along the Parkway from the days before, and torrents of cold rain on the ride back. But for the most part, sunny and clear, although cool, with a temperature that averaged around 50 during the day.
Atop Mount Mitchell
Mount Mitchell parking lot - elevation about 6,400 feet
I see we're suppose to have more nice weather next week; I'm ready to do it again. If only I could take a few days more off, without anyone knowing...
Sunset on Clingmans Dome
Pat Henry
Copyright 2002
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