Tuesday, June 21, 2011

Freedom is Never Free! -- Rally to Ridgecrest, 2011, Part II

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Welcome back to the rest of the long holiday weekend.  I hope you are ready for some more riding and fellowship.  If you missed it, you can view Part I here


Sunday morning dawns, and after the devotional and breakfast, we assemble for the ride to the Western Carolina State Veterans Cemetery over in Black Mountain.  Veterans go first, then the rest of us.  Hundreds of bikes are ready to roll the short distance to the cemetery.  We are given a small American Flag to carry with us on the way and to leave on a grave.  People along the route are out waving and showing their patriotic colors.



Photo on Facebook by Rally to Ridgecrest
The mournful sound of a lone bagpiper is heard once the noise of the cycles stops and we walk closer.
Photo by Asheville Citizen-Times newspaper

Photo by Asheville Citizen-Times newspaper
The honor guard salutes our flag, we sing the National Anthem, then Lieutenant General William G. (Jerry) Boykin speaks of the sacrifice these who lay in graves nearby made for our freedom -- some making the ultimate sacrifice of losing their lives.  Every one of them pledged to fight our enemies, both foreign and domestic.  We many times forget how our freedom originated, with a group of wise men over two hundred years ago who penned our Constitution and Bill of Rights.  They were godly men who understood the necessity for the leadership of the new republic to also be moral and godly.  Those brilliant works -- the Constitution and Bill of Rights -- were meant to be the rule of law, unwavering and firm.  The thought that these documents would be bent to suit the whims and vicissitudes of each new generation was inconceivable, but most in leadership today have chosen to trample that vital fact.

A wreath is laid in honor of these man and women.  It carries the following message:

"To the families of the brave men and women who rest here….

"Standing on this hillside we reflect on this sea of green blades of grass and pure white stones that gives witness to the price of freedom. Freedom is NEVER free!

"Every white stone here represents the personal story of someone who thought it worthy to give their life for ours. The story of one who out of duty and honor was prepared to sacrifice themselves for the cause of freedom – for OUR freedom. Freedom is NEVER free!

"They left their dreams behind. They left their families behind. They paid the price for freedom and we are forever in their debt. We must not forget. Freedom is NEVER free!

"Such a sacrifice demands our dedication to live our lives in a way worthy of this sacrifice. This is a sacred objective, but in truth it cannot be accomplished. There is no way to earn the sacrifice of a life for yours – a sacrifice of that magnitude is a gift that cannot be repaid.

"This sacrifice is a reminder to us of the sacrifice that Christ made for us on the cross and the free gift of His grace that frees us from the penalty of sin. That gift also can never be repaid. All we can do is live a life that shows we understand the high price that has been paid for us. We must live our lives in a way that is pleasing to God.

"Today, we gather in front of this memorial to remember the sacrifices, the courage, and the bravery of the men and women who fought and died for this country. And we remember those who serve even today around the world in harm’s way and pray for their protection as they fight for freedom. As we pray for these who have fallen, we also remember those who went to war and are still missing.

"We pray that those who rest here have found peace with their Creator, and we resolve that their sacrifice will always be remembered by a grateful nation.

"May God Bless the Untied States of America.

"The Riders
Rally to Ridgecrest
Memorial Day 2011

"John 15:13 says, 'No one has greater love than this, that someone would lay down his life for his friends'". Holman CSB
We sing again, then make our ways over this field, paying our respect to these dead.  We each leave our flag on a grave, then move back to our bikes for the return to the conference center.

There, we assemble for worship, and hear General Boykin speak again.  This time it is that "Freedom is Never Free".  It is hard-won by our men in uniform, and is to be cherished, nurtured, and protected by our entire being, on the battlefield, on the streets, in the voting booth. 

This bike's license tag asks an appropriate question of us:

Perhaps we should ask instead, "Will we remain free?"

On Sunday after lunch, my roommates depart for home.  I had decided a few weeks ago that I would ride home on Monday after a good night's rest, so I will stay one more night.

After they leave, I set out for one more day ride.  This time I follow US-70 again to the east, then go up NC-226, and NC-226Alt (two of the roads I skipped yesterday on the way home), then to the Blue Ridge Parkway.  I weave up these roads, explore a little, then decide to check out a road that I know is gravel, but that I have been unable to determine is open to traffic.  Its name is Curtis Creek Road, or Forest Route 482.  I set my GPS to the approximate place where it should intersect the Parkway and go that way.  The Parkway is, again, a good ride, though there is some additional traffic today.

At the appropriate point, I find the start of Curtis Creek Road.  It doesn't look too bad [Come on, Bucky.  Admit it: You really just like to try out gravel roads on your street bike, like these others: Green River Road, Musterground Road, and Toccoa].  The road is a bit contorted as it leads down grade from the Parkway, but the surface is not too bad except for a few sections of loose gravel.  I make steady, if slow, progress.  A fellow on a dirt bike storms past me, his knobbies better gripping the dirt and stone under him much better than my street tires. 

There is a stream -- Curtis Creek -- that parallels the road for quite a ways:
I pull off the road in a seemingly secluded area to take the picture and for a needed break.  As I am working through the necessary business, I hear voices.  Whoa!  Way out here in the middle of nowhere?  Well, now that I pay attention, there are three kids playing in the creek a little upstream from me, and a group of about five walking up the road toward me from the opposite direction.  This is like downtown New York City here.  I pull myself together, put on my gloves, and take off again -- no one being the wiser [I hope]. 

About a quarter mile down the road, I come across the reason for the crowd: a campground.  The Curtis Creek Campground, in fact, about here on the map.  Catchy name, by the way, being next to Curtis Creek.

A little further on, I happen across this scene:
This is another overshot waterwheel; similar to the one I saw a few weeks back while searching for a local tag.  This one is better preserved, and the building is well maintained.  I didn't trace the water source, Newberry Creek, but there must be a dam upstream to provide the head pressure.  I believe this is it: 
Photo by lakejames.tv
I hit pavement to the south, shortly after the waterwheel, and the remainder of the trip back to Ridgecrest is quick and easy.  I feel a bit of regret that this weekend will shortly be coming to a close.  

Anyway, here is the route for today, only about sixty-nine miles: 

View Larger Map

Sunday night finds us in worship again, though the crowd has thinned quite a bit.  Many have already left for home, including my roommates.  Before bed, I pack up my saddlebags, tail bag, and tank bag ready for my trip home.

These bags have served me well on the trips I have taken.  They hold enough clothing for about three days, but nothing much that is bulky.  Everyone else has a pair of jeans, for example, but I just don't have the room, so a pair of Nylon pants must suffice for me.  I also have some items that I usually don't carry on day trips, including an electric tire pump, spare bulbs, a clutch cable, throttle cables, jumper cables, dopp kit, motorcycle cover, and 12 and 120 volt chargers for cell phone and camera batteries. 

As Monday morning dawns, and I take my luggage out to the bike.  I check the tire pressure, oil and coolant levels and give it a general look over.  Everything seems fine.  No parts have fallen off over the course of the weekend despite my rattling over some pretty rough roads.  Nothing seems loose or out of place.  I am a bit concerned about the chain, however.  The jerkiness that its uneven stretch causes can't be good for the sprockets or for the transmission output shaft and bearings.  (The new chain arrived and was installed shortly after the weekend trip.) 

I towel off the seat of dew so I don't get a wet bottom first thing, then dress in some lightweight but long sleeve and long leg synthetic fiber underwear because it is a little cool this morning, then don my back protector, leather suit, and boots.  I have my alarm control, my identification, and my signal whistle around my neck, too.  I slip on my helmet and gloves and motor over to the main building, then eat breakfast.  I don't eat heavily this morning, but the food is again tasty.  Afterward, we go to the auditorium for prayer and final goodbyes.

The scooter guy and a couple who rode their two bikes from over near Walhalla have decided to ride with me on the way home.  I suggest a route that is a combination of freeways and a little stretch of the Blue Ridge Parkway to bypass the heavy traffic of Asheville.  The three seem glad to be part of a little group and like my proposed route.  We travel west on I-40, cut off on US-70, then enter the Parkway headed south.  We travel only about eleven miles on the Parkway, but it is a pleasant trip through a tree-lined corridor.  We exit the Parkway near the North Carolina Arboretum, and follow the French Broad River for a mile or so before we turn to get onto the I-26 freeway.    We zip along with traffic there; veer off on US-25 until we turn on SC-11, the Cherokee Foothills Scenic Highway.  After a few miles, I leave the others and head south as they continue toward the west, all to our waiting homes, loved ones, and best of all, our own beds. 

My route home: 

View Larger Map

I arrive about 11:30, so the day is still young.

The weekend activities have been inspirational, the fellowship grand, the honor of veterans and service men heartfelt...and the weather has been good for riding ever since Saturday morning, affected, I believe, by quite a number of prayers.  

Nice as it is to get away, getting home is always sweet.  In fact, my sweetie is there waiting for me.  I shrug off my riding suit and other stuff, shower, and sit down to a light lunch she has waiting.  What a girl! 
Cross above Ridgecrest Conference Center

Well, we have covered about 565 miles in total, and I hope you have enjoyed tagging along with me this holiday weekend.  Thanks for traveling these roads, and do remember that freedom is never free.  Here in these United States, that freedom was granted by God, organized by devout leaders, and won by patriots who shed their blood.

So, the next time you meet a veteran or a current service man, let him know that you appreciate his putting himself in harm's way for you and me.  Pray for him, and pray for our freedom, in grave peril today from without and within. 





Links to related postings:

Freedom is Never Free! -- Rally to Ridgecrest, 2011, Part I
Rally to Ridgecrest Facebook Page

Memorial Day 2010 Weekend Rally
Memorial Day 2010 Weekend Rally, Part II, The Ride Up
Memorial Day 2010 Weekend Rally, Part III, Saturday
Memorial Day 2010 Weekend Rally, Part IV, Sunday and the Ride Home




Biography:

Jerry Boykin joined what would become the world's premier Special Operations unit—Delta Force—in 1978. The only promise: "a medal and a body bag." What followed was a .50 caliber round in the chest and a life spent with America's elite forces bringing down warlords and war criminals, despots and dictators.
In Colombia, his task force hunted the notorious drug lord Pablo Escobar. In Panama, he helped capture the brutal dictator Manuel Noriega, liberating a nation. From Vietnam to Iran to Mogadishu, Lt. General Jerry Boykin's life reads like an action-adventure movie.

Today he is an ordained minister with a passion for spreading the Gospel of Jesus Christ and encouraging Christians to become warriors for God's Kingdom.
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Tuesday, June 14, 2011

Freedom is Never Free! -- Rally to Ridgecrest, 2011

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My Memorial Day long weekend this year was again spent at the Ridgecrest Conference Center in North Carolina; a weekend of honoring our military, riding, fellowship, learning, music, and the hearing of speakers who have lived the military life and who are Christians. 






Here is the story of just one example for you, Master Sergeant Raul (Roy) Perez Benavidez, in written form and in video

The occasion for the weekend away was the annual Rally to Ridgecrest, where motorcyclists this year from as far as 1100 miles away got together.


As usual, I planned to make a day of it getting there, so here is the route I wanted to take. (You will find out about what route I really took -- and why -- in a minute.) 

View Larger Map

The desired route includes US-178 from SC-11 to Rosman North Carolina, NC-215 from there to the Blue Ridge Parkway, the Parkway to NC-80, NC-80 to near Old Fort, and a short section of gravel to see Andrews Geyser nearby.  These 160 miles of roads are mostly curves and twists, with lots of pretty scenery around. 

A great route...if only I could see much it.

The weather starts out poor: Rain.  I decide right away to forgo the US-178, NC-215, and part of the Blue Ridge Parkway sections of the ride, and head toward Asheville North Carolina on the four-lanes.  I can easily get to those close-to-home roads on a quick day trip like this one.  At Asheville, it does look promising toward the west:

Maybe I can skate through all the way to my destination in this opening of clear weather. 

Alas, it is not to be on my Friday's jaunt.  The rain and fog become so heavy in the higher elevations I can only see the tarmac directly in front of me.  That causes the going to be slow, with the four-way flashers on.  Not fun. 

This next photograph is the view at the Craggy Gardens Visitor Center parking lot, milepost 364.6.  Fog is the only thing I can see from here right now, but the rhododendrons are a beautiful sight near here in the spring.  The other motorcycle there in the misty center of the picture came in from the other way, and the couple riding it told me that the same conditions prevailed in that direction. 
So, I am at a decision point.  I figure out where I am relative to my destination and decide to backtrack about eighteen miles, then head east to Ridgecrest by way of lower-elevation main roads. I am disappointed, but that is the prudent thing to do today. 

On good thing: My raingear is serving me well on this ride, I am pleased to report.   I am trying out my [ugly] blue-green Frogg Toggs for the first time, and have combined them with my Tour Master Deluxe Rain Boot Covers and FieldSheer Overgloves, all available from MotorcycleCloseouts, and bought a couple of years ago.  They keep the rain out the whole way. 

See, I told you.  Ugly!  Right?  I have no other defense except to say that they were on sale!  The street price of about $60 is too high a tariff for me. The high-visibility reflective vest is a must, especially for poor visibility conditions. 

The overgloves in use.
And the boot covers.  
(I did tuck the boot covers into my rainsuit pant legs before I started out.) 

By the way, in the photo of the glove covers you can also just see the edge of the rain solution for my non-waterproof GPS setup: A Ziploc bag.  Clever, eh?  My tank bag has its rainsuit on too, as do my saddlebags and tail bag. We're all bundled up against the onslaught. 

I am surprised how well the Frogg Toggs work, their being made of a non-woven Polypropylene material with no apparent coating.  They seem very flimsy, so we will see how they hold up in the long run.  They are, however much easier to get on and off than my one-piece rainsuit.  (Read a now-slightly-humorous aside about a dire rainsuit experience half way through this posting about a rainy, late-night trip from Lawrenceville Georgia.)   

I am also not enjoying the passing scenery because I find that I cannot not see very well at times, despite having my Foggy Respro Breath guard in place in my helmet so it doesn't fog.
The problem is that the mist is so fine that it coats my visor and doesn't run off very well.  I wipe it with my glove but that doesn't help much, so I try opening the helmet visor.  I can see better, but this introduces the very uncomfortable feeling of icy needles penetrating my tender face.  Fortunately, I ride out of the rain and fog when I get to the lower elevations.

The ride east on I-40 is dry and easy, but the trucks are numerous and running above the speed limit, many of them.  I get buffered by their wake, but it is just a little uncomfortable, not unnerving.  I try to stay out of the other traffics' blind spots, and make sure I am not between another vehicle and any of the freeway entrances or exits. 

I go right past Ridgecrest (On purpose.  Yes, I know -- you thought I was getting lost again.) and on to Old Fort, then up to Andrews Geyser.  When I get there, I find that it is not turned on today.  "Turned on?" you ask.  Yes, that is correct.  It is controlled by a valve almost two miles away (at Pushpin "A" on this map, the geyser being at Pushpin "B"), and about 500 feet higher up the mountain, that directs a flow of water from a lake near the Inn on Mill Creek.  In a dry year like this one, they periodically turn it off to allow the lake to refill.  You can find out when it will be turned on by looking at the inn's Facebook page.

Right around here are also a series of loops in the railroad, called the Old Fort Loops for the nearby town of Old Fort, devised a century ago to scale the Blue Ridge Escarpment, which was a formidable barrier to development of the land west of here. 

Here is a great fall aerial view of the inn and their lake, taken by Nick D'Amato.  
As it turns out, Nick is also interested in railroads. He put me onto a book written about the railroad loops near the Geyser. It is The Road by John Ehle, which is historical fiction but describes the building of the railroad through here. For a better description of the area, see Part II of my postings from last year's Rally to Ridgecrest, whose links are listed at the end of this post. Nick has some other of his very professional photos posted on Railpictures.net.

Here is one at the geyser, taken by Mr. D'Amato in October of 2010.  Notice the locomotive beyond and considerably above the geyser:
Prints are available from Nick D'Amato
This is another photo taken near the geyser by BurghMan in Railpictures.net.  He describes the scene: "Although not much of the train is visible, I believe this photo demonstrates the formidable challenge of the Old Fort Loops. Local train P57 was starting into the first loop. Less then two minutes later, it passed in the opposite direction on the higher track."
Another shot near this place is from the website of the fictional Charleston, Roanoke, and Eastern Railway, an N-scale model railroad.  The railroad loops near Andrews Geyser were an influence on the model railroad's layout. 

This year, the gravel part of the road between the geyser and Ridgecrest is a little more challenging, with some slick mud.  I am careful and get through just fine, but my bike gets a fair splattering that is destined to remain through the weekend.

The road winds up the grade toward Ridgecrest, roughly paralleling the railroad, below and on the right of the road in this photo.
 
Here is the route I have taken from I-40 to the geyser and back to Ridgecrest: 
 

View Larger Map
The geyser is at Pushpin "C".  My visit last year, with quite a bit of descriptive info, is located here

A little while later I arrive at the Ridgecrest Conference Center.  I park in front of the main building, doff my helmet and rain gear, and walk in to register. 
Several of the rally officials recognize me from last year and welcome me like an old friend.  They must have good memories.

After I register, I note that sport and sport-touring bikes are in the minority again this year, most of the crowd riding Harleys, Gold Wings, and the like.  The people range from a bit shaggy to well dressed.  (I will later tend toward the former: I forgot to bring my razor.)  Throughout the weekend, all were well behaved, as is appropriate for a gathering at a Christian conference center. Even the loudest pipes were not too bad. 

I am the first one here from our group, so I park in front of our room and begin to unload.  My Ninja waits alone for my return. 

Since no one else from our group is here yet, I get back on the bike.  I know a trail to an overlook further up the mountain that I want to see the view from there yet today.  I motor upward on the conference center roads, then split off onto a gravel path.  (Yes motor vehicles are allowed.)  The overlook is at the Pushpin on this map:

View Larger Map
From here you can see I-40 clearly, that white slash at right-center: 
I get my picture made while I gaze at the scenery for the first couple of minutes. 
This sign is nearby.  Good advice.
I decide to stay for a while, looking at creation unfolded below me, then head back down, park at the room again, and get myself cleaned up for supper.

While writing this, it occurs to me that the reason I was so easily recognized when I registered is that I have worn the same suit as last year.
2010 photo by Rally to Ridgecrest
As it turns out, I think I am the only one in full leathers again this year.  Many riders are wearing jackets and jeans, some riders are wearing motorcycle-specific jackets and pants, but many riders are without protective gear of any kind except helmets, which are required in North Carolina.  I don't understand the lack of protective gear.  Why take the additional risk of riding without appropriate protective gear? 

Soon enough, the others arrive and settle in, and there is a constant stream of bikers finding their places for the weekend.  One of our group, David, is a strapping fellow who rides the 400cc scooter in the foreground below.  He could keep up quite well with the rest of us, thank you, and he had much more storage room than our bikes as well.  Maybe he has the better idea. 
There were a fair number of attendees who trailered their bikes in, including this group from Florida.  In fact, all together, there were quite a few from the Sunshine State.  Several from there who are acquainted with another member of our group, Jimmy (who rides the V-Strom just behind the scooter above), had trailered their bikes to his house in Walhalla, then rode with him to the rally -- a nice part-day ride. 

I walk around the conference center a bit, and find that a shrunken version of Noah's Ark has apparently landed here.  Hmm.  This isn't Mount Ararat, so this seems odd.  Actually, it is a playground fixture for the younger kids who come here for the many programs they put on year around.

In the evening, we meet for supper in the dining room.  The food is quite good for cafeteria-style dining.  You can have as much as you want, too.  Later, we gather in the auditorium for singing and to hear a speaker.  The music is mostly Christian rock again this year, so I don't get into it much.  I think Gospel music is much more appropriate to get you into a worshipful mood.

There are several breakout seminars after that.  I choose "What Do You See?"  The theme is safe motorcycling, but the subtheme is evangelism -- reaching those who do not know Jesus Christ as their only way to heaven -- while teaching riding classes and inviting riders to join group rides.  There are many bikers out there who realize they might be killed on the road just around the next curve, but have no idea what will happen to them after they die.  The reality is that there is only one way to heaven, by accepting Jesus Christ as your Savior.  All other paths lead to an eternity of pain and suffering. 

After the seminar, we bed down for the night.  The room sleeps as many as four in bunk beds and a conventional queen-size.  I am asleep almost before my head hits the pillow.  It has been a long day.  I sleep soundly.

The next morning, I am up early to go to a devotional on the steps outside the main building.  The chaplain speaks plainly, so it is a good start to the day.  The weather is to be hot today, the same as for the next few days.  Breakfast is a robust mix of scrambled eggs, bacon, grits (yuck -- not for me), fruit, and other goodies.  I eat a fair amount -- I don't want to get weak during the day, you know. 

Shortly after breakfast, I start out on a ride.  Many others are also going on rides too, but I don't like riding in large groups and with people whose riding skills and style I don't know, so I strike out by myself.

I plan to go up the Blue Ridge Parkway to the north to around Boone, and to the original Mast General Store in Valle Cruces, and then return by other secondary roads.  This ride is longer than most of the others mapped out for the rally, but I want to see as much of the countryside as I can as long as I am here. 

My route has been laid out in Google maps as usual.  Here it is, about 180 miles:

View Larger Map
The first leg is east on I-40/US-70.  I-40 is a rather steep, sweeping, high-speed trip downhill from Ridgecrest.  The semi tractor-trailers have to stop before the downgrade to view a sign that shows the route, the grade, and the location of the runaway truck ramps on this stretch.  Fun.

Once US-70 branches off at Old Fort, I get on NC-80, also known as the Devil's Staircase.  It rises more than 2,500 feet in just 10 miles, ending at the Blue Ridge Parkway, Pushpin "B" on the map.  This is a favorite of motorcyclists in the area. 

It is a challenging road, with many twists and turns.  To my surprise, there is a photographer, Blind Kenny, near the Parkway at this spot snapping photos of passing traffic.  If I had known earlier, I would have put on a little more speed.  As it is, I am just putting along:
I thought about going back for an encore performance, but didn't take the time.  Oh well, my slowpoke reputation is intact, and now documented a second time.  The first time, back in June of 2009, is described here.

You might be wondering how they came to be called "Blind Kenny" Photography.  I wondered the same thing, so I asked them.  It seems that Kenny and Donna Behm share a deep love of blues music.  They found a Muddy Waters single at an on-line auction site that they wanted to bid on, but did not have a username as yet.  They created the name Blind Kenny in homage to all the early blind blues singers like "Blind" Lemon Jefferson.  When they started their photography business, the name stuck, it being both short and memorable.  I will certainly remember it. 

Actually, I have to say as far as riding recently, that I have had far fewer "oh, oh" situations on this trip than previously.  By that I mean situations where I find myself fearful of the immediate riding situation, like entering a corner hotter than I am comfortable with.  This may be because of two factors: 
  • I go relatively slowly -- certainly true on unknown roads. 
  • I am becoming more skilled -- however slight that improvement may be. 
One other thing: I must be certain that my confidence is not outpacing my ability.  That is easy to do until some crisis presents itself.  I don't think that is the case lately, though. 

I still, on occasion, talk to myself when riding, mostly reassuring myself that the bike can handle the conditions, and convincing my brain to handle them as well. 

In the above-mentioned time on route 80, I am going slowly because I don't know that road at all.  My biggest fear is a patch of gravel or sand on the road, or some other hazard around a blind curve.  You never know what might be there -- and there is no penalty for going too slowly, only for going too fast.  The road today has very little traffic, so there is no one on my tail as I ride. That takes off a little pressure, though I usually pull over if someone continues to follow too closely or seems impatient. 

Once I reach the Parkway, the road is without traffic and crossroads.

To find your way around on this spine of a road, here are some good, printable-in-sections maps available at the Virtual Blue Ridge website.  They also sell motorcycle-specific maps of the Parkway, touring guidebooks, and they sell replicas of the famous motorcycle warning signs; the lower one in this shot.  
Photo by Ryan
This is mighty fine motorcycling today, if I may say so.  I don't stop to take many pictures, and I don't stop at the visitor centers.  I just ride for the pleasure of riding.  Maybe I am getting the kind of satisfaction from riding today that I have read about on the 'net.  If so, I am liking it. 

I do stop at one overlook, at milepost 329 near NC-226, and find that it has an explanatory sign for an engineering feat, the Clinchfield Railroad loops.  This is a series of loops and tunnels, not unlike those near Ridgecrest, begun in 1905, completed in 1908, and now part of the CSX system.  There are eighteen tunnels in this 13-mile trackage section, needed to overcome the elevation change of the Blue Ridge Escarpment.  The distance is only about four miles as the crow flies, however!  The ridge was a formidable barrier here just as it was near Ridgecrest and Saluda.  Mostly Russian, German, and Italian immigrants provided the labor for this project. 

Here is a map of the railroad route: 
You can't see much of the route from the overlook, but the Frograil railfan website has a good description of it. (Search for "Clinchfield Loops Overview".)  That site does not have many pictures, but is intended to document the best places to view the track and the trains running on it.  You can experience a simulated a trip up the loops in this video

I continue on for many miles, passing Grandfather Mountain near Linville at milepost 305.  I stopped there last year.  The road to the top is steep and tight, but the view is great. 

I use the Parkway all the way to near Blowing Rock, exit and head to Boone, and then to Valle Crucis.  According to Wikipedia, the name of the town is Latin for "Vale of the Cross", a reference to a valley in the area where three streams converge to form a shape similar to an archbishop's cross.
Sounds a little far fetched that streams can come together looking like that, but maybe they saw something I don't.

Anyway, I have come this far to visit the original Mast General Store, which opened in 1882.
Photo by Mast General Store, Valle Crucis, NC
They have a lot of old-time items, and a lot of new-fangled, high-priced goods too, in an annex nearby.

On the back porch, there are a couple of older gentlemen strumming guitars and singing for a small group of visitors.  As I walk through on my way back to the bike, one of the strummers stops and drawls with slow precision to his listeners, "I sure don't know what that was that just went through," in reference to my appearance -- again.  I smile and continue on my way. 

I don't spend long at the store because it is hot today and it is not air-conditioned.  I need to get moving again to cool off.  I go back the road I came in on, and head south on US-221.  This is a twisty two-lane with some good views including one glimpse of the Lynn Cove Viaduct.  I missed taking a picture of that last year, and I repeated it again this year.  There just isn't a good place to stop or turn around nearby, but you can see a pic of it at the Wikipedia link just above. 

About now, I find myself becoming fatigued.  Maybe it is the heat and maybe I have been too ambitious with the mileage today.  I had planned to take NC-194 to US-19E, NC-226 to Little Switzerland, and NC-226Alt back to NC-226, back to US-70 and Ridgecrest, as on the map above.

I know that NC-226 and 226Alt are technically difficult, and I would really like to go there, but I don't think it is a good idea today.

So I decide to take US-221 all the way back to US-70 instead.  Like this:

View Larger Map
It is still an interesting route, just not as challenging.  This way, I can come back when I am more rested. 

I get back mid-afternoon, shower, and get ready for supper.  I am famished from my ride today, so I eat heartily.  Pastor Dave Burton speaks tonight on "There Ain't Nobody Like Him!"
Photo by Rally to Ridgecrest
The meaning is that God can do anything, natural and supernatural.  There are untold numbers of accounts of this being the case in the Bible, but also in more recent history and in real life today. He recounted many. 

After the evening worship, we attend another seminar.  This time I select "Sharing Your Testimony in Three Minutes".  When you want to tell others about how to get to heaven, many times you only have a few minutes to do so.  The attention span of most people is about three minutes long -- not much -- so you have to make it count.  The steps the teacher Marc Merritt describes are as follows:
  1. Tell about your life before you met Christ,
  2. Tell how you met Christ, then 
  3. Tell about your life now
He even gives out a sheet with some examples of how to explain these things succinctly.

After the seminar, I spend some time with David, the scooter rider.  He speaks fondly of his family of six children, five of which are adopted.  He and his wife are providing a good home and upbringing for these kids who have had a tough life so far.  We talk for a few minutes longer, then head to the room for some shuteye.  I am certainly ready for that again tonight. 


Well, you have read a recap of the first two days of the long weekend.  I'll continue the account in the next post.  There is more riding and other good things to come, so don't forget to come back and experience them with me!



Links to related postings:
Freedom is Never Free! -- Rally to Ridgecrest, 2011, Part II
Rally to Ridgecrest Facebook Page
Memorial Day 2010 Weekend Rally
Memorial Day 2010 Weekend Rally, Part II, The Ride Up
Memorial Day 2010 Weekend Rally, Part III, Saturday
Memorial Day 2010 Weekend Rally, Part IV, Sunday and the Ride Home
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