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An absolutely epic day on the Blue Ridge Parkway and Shenandoah National Park's Skyline Drive!! I
entered the most northern part of Skyline Drive at Front Royal, VA and didn't exit until early evening
at Roanoke, VA where I am staying the night. I spent time in pursuit of higher education in this
area at one point in my life so these are old stompin' grounds. I've never ridden the entire VA
section of Skyline Dr/Blue Ridge Parkway (BRP) on the same trip so this is a first for me. Skyline
Drive is 105mi long and becomes the BRP around Waynesboro, VA; my understanding is the National Park
Service oversees the Shenandoah National Park (of which Skyline Dr is part) and the National Forest
Service oversees the Blue Ridge Parkway. Whether it's NPS or NFS the area is just stunning and
definitely ranks on my list as one of the top motorcycle roads in the US. I really just don't
have words to describe my ride and experience today. Here's an attempt:
Before leaving WV this morning I stopped at an auto parts store to get a replacement bulb for the turn
signal. When I was coming out of the store a bike pulled up next to mine and I met “Larry” who
owns the 1972 Suzuki T-250R. He had it in storage for over 25yrs and just recently wiped off
the cobwebs and got it running. He bought it in 1975 and rode it for 5 yrs before putting it in
storage. He was a delight to talk with and I answered a plethora of questions he asked regarding
my Suzuki, my trip, etc. I told him I'd post the pics of his bike here and he wrote down the
link. (Hey, Larry, I meant to add that your ¼ of a century old helmet needs to be replaced along
with those dry rot tires you asked me about!) Larry is a great reason to stay away from the
slab. You meet folks like him in small towns; folks who have time to talk and are interested
in visitors. Anyway, here's the 1972 and 2005 Suzuki motorcycles:
I continued on a back road from WV until crossing the VA line where I promptly disconnected my radar
(they're illegal in VA—the LEOs in VA I guess need all the advantages they can get). I scooted
on to Front Royal, VA where I entered the main gate of Shenandoah National Park. Not only did I
want to ride the fantastic road but I also wanted the stamp at one of the Visitor Centers for my
National Park Passport book. At the outside entrance to the park there was a dead deer on the
side of the road. I didn't need any reminders of critters in this area but seeing the deer
raised my alert level to the max. On the way to the park I visualized and practiced panic
stops, obstacle avoidance maneuvers, etc. I do this VERY regularly but took extra time this
morning. I entered the Park and shortly thereafter got the VA stamp, which is my #23 state
stamp (only 2 more!). Both Skyline Dr and the Blue Ridge Parkway (same road, just changes
names since one receives more federal dollars than the other—this is obvious just from the road
conditions). I was surprised how few people were on Skyline Dr but assumed the hefty toll
likely contributed to the absence of traffic. It is interesting that the speed limit on the
Skyline Dr section is 35mph and it's 45mph on the BRP. As shocking as it may seem, I didn't
see one single LEO the entire day except for inside the Visitor center where I got my stamp! Woo-hoo!
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Since becoming armed with my Stebel air horn I make it a point to, in essence, send a quick warning
signal before entering a blind curve especially when in areas marked with deer or other cirtter
crossing. There have been critters, especially deer, that will stop eating and raise their
head and it's this motion, especially ears that perk up, that I pick up most often which is my
signal to get back on the horn. So, basically I'm saying the Stebel was very busy today
since, well, most curves are blind and the park is overrun with critters! Anyway, one particular
section I had just come out of an uphill sweeper and was setup for a tight left corner so I tapped
the horn before entering the turn. At the same time I also glanced just ahead but to the
side. My eye caught something moving. It was black. My brain registered in a
nano-second that black things that move are cause for concern and in one quick motion I got the
bike upright and hit the kill switch. I knew what it was and I didn't want to scare it. I
rolled to a quiet and gentle stop. Less than 50 feet from the edge of the road and where I sat on my Strom was:
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I recall thinking that no one is around but me and I'm on a motorcycle and can't seek shelter should
this bear decide it would prefer some kevlar for lunch. But I decided being in full gear and
wearing a helmet had to at least give me a chance (see, there's another good reason to go ATGATT-in
case a bear attacks you!). Plus, I know that black bears react to sound and Mr. Stebel is just
a touch away. So, basically I took pictures w/one hand while the other was resting by the horn
button! While getting my camera out I caught more movement and to further surprise there were
3 VERY young cubs near her. Obviously I haven't got the slightest clue about photography but
I think you'll get the idea here:
Mama bear and a cub in the tree: |
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Cubs: |
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Pawing at a tree: |
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I couldn't believe how small the cubs were. For some reason a Beagle is the only dog that comes to mind that
matches the size of these cubs. They frolicked around, climbed trees, ran into each other (thank god they
didn't decide to race to the nearest motorcycle!) while mama bear tried to tear a tree apart. She pawed and
clawed at a tree, would stop and rest for a bit, then lay down, then find another tree to paw. I was so close
to these bears that I could see the plaque build up on her front teeth! I could see their coarse fur. It
really was an unbelievable experience to be that freakin' close to a wild bear with such small cubs. I kept
thinking of kids I know that I wished could have been there. Actually, I thought of many big kids that I wished
were there like RTJohn.
I'll post more on the ride later but here's some pics to hold you over:
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