Epic Cycling Adventure

Among my all-time favorite cycling experiences (and what is probably the athletic achievement of my life) were two epic trips to the summit of Mt. Mitchell in Western North Carolina.  Noted as the highest elevation east of the Mississippi River, Mt. Mitchell is accessible from the Blue Ridge Parkway, one of the most scenic roads in America.

The views on the Blue Ridge Parkway are incredible

 My business partner, Art, had climbed the mountain a few times with a couple other riders in the years before we traveled with a group of local cyclists in September 2007.  Staying in Spruce Pine NC, we climbed from the east side of the mountain.  The following June we returned with a lot of the same riders to repeat the climb, but from the southwest side.  However, a rock slide that threatened the road closed the Parkway between Asheville and Mt. Mitchell, so we drove down to Little Switzerland and scaled again from the east.

This second year, 3 non-cycling wives drove Art’s RV as a SAG vehicle, which made for a nice rest stop at about mile 14 of the 25-30 mile climb. 

 Me and my favorite SAG team member marking the achievement in the parking lot  near the summit.

A climb like Mt. Mitchell is a matter of getting into a rhythm and cadence you can sustain.  Hard work, but the descent is a great reward.  The Blue Ridge is officially a scenic roadway, not just in practice.  You don’t take the Blue Ridge to reach a destination, it is your destination.  For that reason, the speed limit is 45 mph.  Descending on the bike puts one at or above the speed limit on many sections of the road.  Because of the winding nature of the road, there were several places where I ran upon a car that had to go slower than I in order to negotiate the curves.