September 2, 2006
Waterrock Knob

I'd ridden many 100 mile rides and even a 121 and 135 miler. So why not go for a 150 miler? And to keep it challenging, doing the entire ride on the Blue Ridge Parkway sounded like a suitable endeavor.

I'd just bought a new LED headlight and was itching to try it out on the tunnels. LED's may have a long burn time but they do not throw off much light. I could barely tell it was even on. I get a strange sensation while riding through a tunnel with almost no light. It feels like I'm floating above the road. Down doesn't quite feel straight down so maintaining balance can be a bit of an issue.

The climb up to Pisgah gets easier each time but still requires a bit of fortitude. Upon exiting the final tunnel of the climb, I felt relieved. I would have a level section followed by a downhill ahead of me. The downhill wouldn't last long and I was soon climbing again but it wasn't constant like the 3,000 foot climb to Pisgah. Looking Glass Rock was obscured by clouds. The usually scenic vista was awash in white. The waterfall by Graveyard Fields was roaring and could be heard long before it could be seen.

The climbing continued past Devil's Courthouse. A series of ups and downs led me into the clouds and a fine mist. The closer I got to Watterock Knob, the greater the precipitation became. The temperature dropped as well so I simply turned around at Waterrock, the highest point on the Parkway, and proceeded downhill. Visibility was only about 100 feet anyway.

The ride back down went much more quickly. I almost stayed with the motorcyclists. The raindrops began to sting at about 30 miles an hour but soon I exited the clouds and it became a comfortable, sunny day. From just above Graveyard Fields I began a four mile descent with ample amounts of speed. A bit more climbing and a screaming downhill awaits. The tunnels pass by in a blur on the way down. Lights aren't even necessary. After the tunnels, an even steeper downhill leads you to the French Broad river.

The section between the river and the Folk Art Center is my normal stomping ground. I cruised through it to complete a 100 mile ride. Now I had to decide whether or not to continue up toward Mitchell or just ride back to the river a couple of times. I used good judgment and wussed out on the Mitchell section. I didn't have enough in my legs to do the 13 mile climb to Craggy and then on to Mitchell. I'll do the Waterrock/Mitchell ride next year when I have more daylight.

The ride to the river and back twice was difficult enough. I was still four miles short of my goal so I did a short out and back and had my first 150 miler. It took 10 1/2 hours but I felt alright afterward, just a bit tired. I had just completed a 107 miler, a 101 miler and a 150 miler over the course of 15 days.

Raging Bull