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.