If you start early, you get the Blue Ridge Parkway to yourself. In teh first hour I was passed by 1 car!
After eating too much yesterday, I got an hour + ride, run with 7:53 mile and an hour hike to Rough Ridge of the parkway. A good fitness day!
Sam go do something epic for my photo ; )
Linn Cove Viaduct and clouds. It was time to go back to the mountains for a HOA meeting, bike rides and hanging out with family.
Deer in the yard.
An early morning bike ride, a new route to stretch the distance.
But still across the Linn Cove Viaduct and it’s freshly paved surface.
Then time to hike…. my original planned trail is closed, so we started up Rough Ridge Trail
it’s very rocky….
then over the top to the Wilson Creek Trail to make a loop.
A great day along the Blue Ridge Parkway!
After a bike ride, it was time to hike, I chose MacRae Peak because I love the ladders…
and the views….
the actual peak.
waiting for a sun set!
The sunset on the Blue Ridge Parkway near Boone.
A cow moos back at me after I moo-ed him…..
Bike ride before heading home….
Silvervale Falls
There are a lot of road closures due to recent rains (221 south of Blowing Rock) and teh Parkway was closed at the Viaduct. SO I spent the middle of teh day driving dirt roads and exploring on my way to….
Upper Creek Falls….
and a swimming hole. The water was VERY cold!
Finished the day with a sunset on the Blue Ridge Parkway
Good Morning Blowing Rock…. snow!
Hike #47 – Cascades of Falls Creek and icicles!
I have visited these in the past, and this is more water that I have seen.
James and Elizabeth drove down from Fredericksburgto camp, cheer (heckle) me during a cross race and hike. Due to some odd USA Cycling rule, I was not allowed to race with a one day license, so no race for me…. what to do?
Hike… #45 of #52hikechallenge –Â I read about English Falls, the hike directions said from a guardrail on the Blue Ridge Parkway, head east and butt slide down the cliff race… listed as a 9/10 beauty rating if it has rained. I think it was a 10/10
After lunch, we hiked the back side of Linville Falls.
No color left, but a lot of water. Hike #46
Wiseman View, 1500 feet above the Linville River and a great view of Hawksbill Mountain.
Riding along the Blue Ridge Parkway, we saw this waterfall, even backtracked to the Chestoa View Overlook, but I can not find what waterfall it is…. it is big!
Back on dirt roads and pictures of Tacos.
One more of English Falls
A sign along a morning bike ride on gravel and dirt roads.
Then off to find a waterfall I looked for before, but didn’t get to.
Thunderhole Falls – Hike #42
The trail to the falls is unmarked and requires a little bush whacking.
But worth the effort.
This is only the top, it has a lower fall section too.
Remember the bushwhacking part? This is the climb up, I don’t know if we could have made it without the rope!
after the hike we went driving looking for color and dirt roads. Old NC 105 follows a ridge and includes this overlook of Linville Gorge at Wiseman’s View.
