YAY! Blue Ridge Parkway in NC Reopened!

Finally got a look at the repaired area. Clear skies here in town, so I went up to Craggy Gardens (about 18 miles) planning to set up my telescope and do a little stargazing. Ran into clouds and fog there, but that's another story.

The fixed area is just fine, well-marked & signed, and pavement reasonably smooth. The lanes don't narrow, they just jog to one side rather abruptly, and there are no shoulders. Dirt bank up on one side, concrete barrier on the other. It's right at the north end of Tanbark Ridge tunnel. This is in a 45 mph zone, so yeah, the 15 mph limit thru the repair is not unreasonable. There was no enforcement in evidence last night.

I gave up on Craggy immediately and came back down to Tanbark Ridge. Overlook. Saw 3 bears on the way down. I got set up quickly and got a look at Saturn in the twilight. I shared it with an older gent who was quite impressed. But it dropped behind the ridge, and the clag rolled in... clouds & fog. Enough, broke it down and came home.

Jim, "Mo' coffee!"

JRS & B wrote:
Terryallan - I seem to remember being in third gear, not OD, but it truly needed to be in second gear.

Those of us who normally reside in flat country sometimes overlook the obvious and we find out that if the the posted signs say something about downshifting into second gear, that those signs do not mean to simply downshift into the next available gear. They mean what they say.

We do happen to have a brand new family car with only 200 miles on it. I will definitely read up on your technique before we head out to visit my sister in PA.

Depending on what it is, and what trany. It may do it for you. Not all do. When I turn off OD in the Escape. There is a symbol of a car going down a hill that appears on the instrument cluster. I turn the OD off while gong up as well. Saves the trany from hunting, and the engine from lugging.

In my 4 speed truck, with the TT, depending on the grade/ road. I start down in 1st gear. And as it levels off, I shift up to second. I only have to use the brakes very little. Not at all on Saluda Grade, on I-26. Some on Black Mountain., and only for the curves on 321

Terryallan - I seem to remember being in third gear, not OD, but it truly needed to be in second gear.

Those of us who normally reside in flat country sometimes overlook the obvious and we find out that if the the posted signs say something about downshifting into second gear, that those signs do not mean to simply downshift into the next available gear. They mean what they say.

We do happen to have a brand new family car with only 200 miles on it. I will definitely read up on your technique before we head out to visit my sister in PA.

JRS & B wrote:
I did not mean anything negative about the next rock slide.

The first time I was on the Parkway I was unfamiliar with the fact that "rock slides" do not mean a bunch of people in heavy equipment just scurry out and pick up the debris. These events are engineering projects unto themselves and often times weeks pass before work can even begin. I also noted the permanent gates (no sawhorses or orange barrels) to section off the parkway at strategic locations.

When there is a problem, you get down off the parkway, drive for many, many detour miles and then finally drive back up onto the parkway.

Off the topic, but in connection with that drive down off the parkway, I wonder how these new cars that advertise automatic transmissions with six or more speeds, are downshifted into the proper gear. If I owned one I would check the owners manual. The first time I downshifted one too few gears, and it was not too long before we could smell the brakes heating up.

Those gates are used in the winter. Often snow and ice cause parts of it to be closed for months at a time. They don't clean snow off the BRP.
you can go around the gates, at your own risk. I know people that have taken their Jeeps and pulled each other sledding on the BRP when it was closed. All went well until they slung one way off the road, and the wild dogs got after him.

And yes coming off the BRP in the wrong gear will burn up your brakes. My Escape has the 6 speed, and when you turn off the OD option. It will downshift to a gear that will hold the speed you brake to. Then you can let off the brake, and it will hold that speed, until you hit the gas again. First time we came down the hill in it. I was amazed.

Saturday as we were going up toward Blowing Rock. A vehicle came down using OD. How do I know you ask? I could smell their brakes as they went by. As you already know. Never come down 321 in OD in any vehicle.

I did not mean anything negative about the next rock slide.

The first time I was on the Parkway I was unfamiliar with the fact that "rock slides" do not mean a bunch of people in heavy equipment just scurry out and pick up the debris. These events are engineering projects unto themselves and often times weeks pass before work can even begin. I also noted the permanent gates (no sawhorses or orange barrels) to section off the parkway at strategic locations.

When there is a problem, you get down off the parkway, drive for many, many detour miles and then finally drive back up onto the parkway.

Off the topic, but in connection with that drive down off the parkway, I wonder how these new cars that advertise automatic transmissions with six or more speeds, are downshifted into the proper gear. If I owned one I would check the owners manual. The first time I downshifted one too few gears, and it was not too long before we could smell the brakes heating up.

JRS & B wrote:
But the next closure is just a rock slide away.

As it is with any road. It has been really wet this year, and roads every where are washing out, and sink holes are showing up in the worst places.

On the bright side. The leaves will be great this fall, and WE are finally out of the drought. All the maters drowned, but the drought is over.

But the next closure is just a rock slide away.

Good to hear. Now if they would just open Crabtree Meadows CG, everything would be good.