Day 6 Back On The Blue Ridge

Blue Ridge Folks,



Yes its time for another days post on this summer's Blue Ridge Tour. We leave Pineola after a day off and head to Ashville where we will be staying in a fancy Motel 6. The good news is double queen beds in each room. You will want these beds because between Pineola and Ashville is the climb up the Blue Ridge to the turn off for Mt Mitchell. You can take the option of detouring for a few extra miles to ride to the top of tallest peak in the east of the Mississippi. Back on the Blue Ridge you next pass through Craggy Gardens before the reward almost 20 miles of pure down hill all the way to Ashville.



The elevation profile for this 73 miles day is shown below (don't forget to click to zoom).

Blue Ridge Day 4 & 5

Blue Ridge Folks,



So here we are up to Day 4, when we will ride 66 miles from Laural Springs to Pineola. We will be staying for two nights at the Pineola Motel & Inn. That's right this is where we will have our day off. To get to this location we will have to ride near the picturesque town of Blowing Rock, and the Lincove Viaduct at Grandfather Mountain. There will be many choices on our day off, such as Linville Falls, and if your really gutsy ( this is for Mike ) you can try to climb Beech Mountain where Lance trained for his comeback. The word Lance is still painted accross the top if you make it!

You can browse Day 4 elevation profiles below (click on it to zoom!)

Blue Ridge Day 3

Blue Ridge Folks,

The third day will take us 83 miles from Tuggles Gap to Laural Springs. We will be overnighting at the Station's Inn. Here we will both sleep and dine, and share some stories with the Motor Cycle crowd the Inn caters too.

The elevation profile is shown below, and of course you can zoom by clicking on the image.

Day 2 Blue Ridge

Blue Ridge Folks,

Just in case you didn't get a bit motivated to keep those hill climbing legs intact from our first day on the Blue Ridge here is the scoop on Day 2. We leave the Peaks of Otter Lodge and do some up and down climbing for an 80 miles day. We will be dinning and staying at the Tuggles Gap Restaurant and Motel. Its a small hotel, we are currently booking 8 of the 9 rooms. At this hotel its two per room, except for those with youngins.

I wont go into how much climbing, not as much as day one, but we will go way down to 1000 ft and back up to 3000 ft. You can see the our climbing grades below and click on it to zoom in!

Day 1 on The Blue Ridge

Blue Ridge Folks,

I am fast at work getting things planned for the Blue Ridge. We will have a mix of both rustic and spartan modern hotels along the route. The night before we get started (Saturday) we will be staying in Staunton Virginia at Howard Johnson's. We depart Rockfish Gap Virginia on the Blue Ridge and End at the Peaks of Otter, and will be staying in the Peaks of Otter Lodge. Our first day will be 86 miles and there will be some long 6% climbs (10 miles). The elevation profile is shown below.

Ride Saturday, 10/20/07

Is anyone interested in a city ride Sat 10/20? I'd like to meet Brian and the girls at the City Museum....around 12p or 12:30p. If we do a city ride, I would just end at the City Museum at 12p or 12:30p and anyone else could continue to ride/ride back/etc.

Let me know your thoughts.

Thanks.
Cheri

Rooms Groups For Blue Ridge

Folks,

Right Now I am looking at the following blocking of rooms for the Blue Ridge Tour.

1 Room - Brian & Cheri & The Girls

1 Room - Roark, Mike, Dan S, Mark

1 Room - Dan B, Ken, Rick, John (if he joins us)

1 Room - Ron & Suzzette

We can move around who is where in the bachelor group.

Automobile Groupings

SUV with Trailer For Bikes (used to SAG) - Brian, Cheri, The Girls, Roark, John J

Seven Passnger Van (given to Girls with Parent during days) - Mike, Dan S, Dan B, Ken, Rick, Mark

Five Passenger Car - Ron, Suzzette (Suzzette has car for touring while group is riding)

All bicycle riders will take their turn driving the SAG Vehicle.


We need three vehicles. My hope is group members can supply the vehicles, so no renting is needed. I still need to work out a fair way of splitting the costs of the vehicles.

As you can see the logistics as our group is growing has grown as well. To make planning easier on myself, since adding rooms later may be difficult, its time to commit now.

This will not be an easy ride, I will let Mark comment on what he has read in the Book I lent him "Riding the Blue Ridge". You need to be able to climb for miles and hours at a time, unless you plan to spend most of your day driving our SAG.

Blue Ridge Date & Budget

If there are no major objections the dates for the Blue Ridge Bike Ride will be

Saturday July 12 to Sunday July 20th

Note: We will leave after work on July 11th to get some of the driving out of the way.

Current Participants:
Mark ( Nancy )
Mike
Brian & Cheri ( Melina & Amanda)
Roark
Dan
Ken (Dan's Friend)
Rick
Ron ( Suzzette ? )

My assumption is that for those not bringing companions or kids we will be sharing rooms. I am budgeting $100 per night per room. If you are interested in going stag, then the choice is either two or four per room. If we choose four per room (spooning involved) its $25 per night.

Using Last Years Budget as a Basis (divide by number of participants)
Trailer Rental $350
Misc Expenses $200
Gasoline $400 (1 SUV Type Vehicle)

Of course actual amounts will depend on how many actually commit to going.

Assuming eight riders going stag.... the cost will be $500 not including meals.

Important!
In order to be able to get rooms at some of the lodges along the parkway, reservations need to be made ASAP. There is no guarantee that once we have our rooms, we will be able to add more later. So if your planning on joining the group this summer, you need to commit soon.

Roark

Blue Ridge Mountains Bike Tour

The dates Cheri listed look fine for me. Either week will work.

Mark

Blue Ridge This Summer News

It looks like the interest is in riding the Blue Ridge Parkway from End to End.

I have done some preliminary work showing its 12 hours of driving to get to the Rockfish Gap Virginia. Its about 8 hours of driving to get back from Gatlinberg.

So here is the tentative schedule to happen some week in July.

We will cover 470 miles. You must have lights in the tunnels.

Day 0: Friday - After work we leave say 5 pm and ride four hours out.
Day 1: Saturday - We complete the drive to Rockfish Gap
Day 2: Sunday - 86 miles from Rockfish Gap to Peaks of Otter Lodge( on parkway)
Day 3: Monday - 80 miles from Peaks of Otter Lodge to Tuggle Gap ( lodging tba )
Day 4: Tuesday - 77 miles from Tuggle Gap to Laural Springs ( Bluff's Lodge )
Day 5: Wednesday a Day Off Drive into Boone or Blowing Rock etc.
Day 6: Thursday - 65 miles from Laural Sprints to Linville ( lodging tba )
Day 7: Friday - 77 miles Linville to Ashville ( lodging tba ) Can climb Mt Mitchell as addition
Day 8: Saturday - 86 miles Ashville to Cherokee (finish)
Day 9: Sunday Drive Home

Sunday's Sept 30th Tour De Wildwood

It's time to plan for the weekend. I plan to ride the Tour De Wildwood on Sunday. It's a good chance to get some hills in before the Hilly Hundred. Let coordinate plans, I am up for the 48 mile route. There is of course the option to ride to, and from the start. Lets hope to stay dry this year!

Sandy Creek Century

Everyone,

Saturday October 6 is the Sandy Creek Century. I have decided against the St. Peters fall Triathlon (on Sunday October 7) and will try the Sandy Creek Century for the first time instead. Cheri is planning to do the TrailNet Ride The Rivers Century Sunday October 7.

I am looking to see who else is considering the Sandy Creek ride.

Brian

Weekend of October 6-7

Folks,

I am trying to get ahead of the game with so many ride options coming up the weekend of October 6-7.

First the Best of Missouri Market takes place that weekend at the Missouri Botanical Garden. Its a fun event, so I plan to meet my family at the Garden on Saturday October 6th to enjoy the festivial. I will be doing a city ride over to the Garden. There will be coffee stops before and after the visiting the Best of Missouri. This of course gets me out of the Sandy Creek Century one more year! See the link below for info on the Best of Missouri Market.

http://www.mobot.org/events/BOMM/BOMM.asp


Second, I plan on riding Trailnet's Ride the Rivers Century on Sunday October 7th. I am hoping Mike or Ron plans to ride from downtown, because then they can register me, and I can just start at my house (where the ride loops past on the Olivette Bike Trail) like last year. Trailnet's info for the Century is below.

http://www.trailnet.org/m_latest.php

Of course I am hoping for company both days, hence the advance notice. Let me know if your interested in joining me.

Roark

Save the Date / When is Hanukkah?

Hello all,

Lynda and I are planning on making last year's Holiday get together at our house an annual event. But before we get too far in the process, we wanted to double check dates around Hanukkah. We know Hanukkah is on December 5th, but knowing that this is (we think) an 8 day holiday, we wern't sure what weekend dates in December were also part of Hanukkah, or other Jewish Holiday's. If someone could let us know, that would be great. We are actually planning on more than one night or parties. We have a diverse group of friends, that we like to see, and hope to introcuce to each other. But we are planning to have one night be a primarily "the biking group" night.

Talk to you all soon,

Mike and Lynda

Dog Prairie Century Saturday September 22

Are there any Gentiles interested in the Hosteling century this Saturday in St. Paul, Mo? They claim the roads are "smooth, scenic and rolling hills".

Sunday September 23rd Ride

Folks,

This Saturday is Yom Kippur; so the Hebrew members of the troup will be out fasting all day. That leaves Sunday for riding and eating. The Fun Club has the Foot High Pie Ride. I am up for that ride, or a local alternative.

Let me know your plans.

Roark

Next Year's Big Week Long Bike Trip

Folks,

With my season winding down, no more Bat Mitvahs, MS Team Planning, and this years week long trip behind behind; thoughts turn to what the hell are we going to do next year!

So lets start throwing ideas around, I of course have my own

• Blue RidgeParkway End to End
• Repeat of Main
• Nova Scotia Tour
• Something Else Canadian

Some caveats for the selection pool

• Hotel Rooms Available ( no camping for me)
• Heat & Humidity Reasonable (no death rides for me)
• Cost & Logistics Reasonable (if I could sell unreasonable I would be doing a month long tour of Ireland)

If its an area I have some modest familiarity with, I am willing to plan again. If its someplace I have no clue about, then its either needs to be a ride organized by some other group, or someone else with familiarity needs to plan.

Lets also toss out dates, because I do have to work around my family vacation. That means for me, that anything in August becomes iffy. If I have enough notice I might be able to swap the family vacation from August to July.

Roark

Ride Sunday Sept 16

Does anyone have a ride planned for tomorrow (Sun, 9/16)? Is anyone planning to ride?

The Tour of Missouri is doing their circuit in downtown/forest park from 1p til about 4p. It would be cool to see some of that.

I need to be home as close to 2p-2:30p as possible because, if all goes well with her spaying, I think we're going to drive to Springfield and pick up our new dog.

In order to see more of it, I could 'sag' the way home and get picked up from wherever we're watching it.

Let me know.
Thanks.
Cheri

Sat, Sept 8 dinner at MS Bike Ride

All,
I'm making dinner reservations at the Pasta Factory for Sat, Sept 8 at 6pm. It's Amanda's birthday. Please let me know if you'd like to join us so that I can have a number for the reservation.
Thanks.
Cheri

Saturday August 25th Ride

Mark being the nice guy we all know, was planning an easy team ride for me this Saturday. He was placating his good friend Kathy. Of course Kathy turned him down as did the rest of my vaunted team.

This leaves Saturday open for a real ride! Mark still gets to lead, but from Kaldis in Chesterfield Valley. Unless there are objections lets plan to depart about 9:00 am. Breakfast starting at 8:15 am.

Weather Prediction
Saturday: Variable clouds with scattered thunderstorms. High 88F. Winds NNW at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 40%.