i may try to get up there in time for friday's ride, but i can't guarantee. the GF, known henceforth as elizabeth, should make that one. i may be able to get to dillsboro for the dinner plans. lemme know what those are. i'm still wishy-washy about saturday, but a definate for sunday. the burningtown loop is great! we should both be there for that. thanks for clarifying BWNC :)

i may try to get up there in time for friday's ride, but i can't guarantee. the GF, known henceforth as elizabeth, should make that one. i may be able to get to dillsboro for the dinner plans. lemme know what those are. i'm still wishy-washy about saturday, but a definate for sunday. the burningtown loop is great! we should both be there for that. thanks for clarifying BWNC :)

Good! I'll post the dinner plans by tomorrow for those that might not make it in time to ride on Friday.

Will Elizabeth be riding on Sat.?

...Will Elizabeth be riding on Sat.?

prolly not.

you guys now how much longer it is....48hr & 22min before we meet in Dillsboro for the 6pm ride...can you tell I'm ready to be there?? :D

wow! thanks for posting the pictures, BWNC. I am so excited for this ride; I think we'll have a great time. wheee!

CM - I think since you and I are the only wimmen on Saturday's ride, the guys should furnish both of us flasks of the good stuff:)

Meh. If yer talkin' 'bout sum truly gud stuf in them thar flasks.... :D :rolleyes:

Way-ul, we'll see.... ;)

ummmm VEGA? You coming up to ride with us?

i believe she's sending her emmisary (sp?)...Polara....

ah....sounds like BWNC is pretty confident she can do this ride. Come on, Vega! Come join us!

omgifvegashowsupimayjustasplodewithjoy.

lol

RE: Saturday

Here (http://www.virtualblueridge.com/parkway_tour/overlooks/00439a.asp)?

RE: Saturday

Here (http://www.virtualblueridge.com/parkway_tour/overlooks/00439a.asp)?

That looks like the one.

Weather at 5000' at 9:45 this morning is 63F.

Past performance is no guarantee of future returns. :rolleyes:

...Past performance is no guarantee of future returns. :rolleyes:

can i get a guarantee on that? :p

Here's who we've got so far:

Friday riders: Wolfpack, BikeWNC, rm –rf, cnickgo, Elizabeth (Tappets' GF); after ride supper – WP, BWNC, rm -rf.

Saturday riders: Wolfpack, BikeWNC, rm –rf, CycleMagic, ForumulaUgh, rnhood, Tappets, WheresWaldo, 3MTA3, cnickgo. After ride supper – all but CM, FormulaUgh, rm –rf.

Sunday riders: Wolfpack, BikeWNC, Tappets & Elizabeth,

These people are maybe's for Friday ride (& supper): Tappets' GF, CPArider, rnhood

These are maybe's for Saturday's ride: Velo Vol, norskagent

Lemme know if I've got all this straight....

Here are dinner plans for Friday and Sat. evenings.

Friday's dinner will be at Lulu's on Main (http://www.lulusonmain.com/), located right in the center of Main St in Sylva at 7:30. The people I have listed for dinner include
BikeWNC
Wolfpack
rm-rf
rnhood (maybe)
Tappets
Elizabeth
Polara

If that is not correct, let me know.

For Sat. dinner will be at 553 W. Main, located just a half block from Lulu's in Sylva. We will meet at the restaurant at 6pm. People I have listed for diner include
BikeWNC
Wolfpack
rnhood
WheresWaldo
3MTA3
cnickgo
Polara

Again, please let me know if that is not correct.

I would like a final count by Friday morning so I can make reservations. Thanks.

Here are dinner plans for Friday and Sat. evenings.

Friday's dinner will be at Lulu's on Main (http://www.lulusonmain.com/), located right in the center of Main St in Sylva at 7:30. The people I have listed for dinner include
BikeWNC
Wolfpack
rm-rf
CPArider
rnhood
Tappets
Elizabeth
If that is not correct, let me know.

For Sat. dinner will be at 553 W. Main, located just a half block from Lulu's in Sylva. We will meet at the restaurant at 6pm. People I have listed for diner include
BikeWNC
Wolfpack
rnhood
WheresWaldo
3MTA3
cnickgo

Again, please let me know if that is not correct.

I would like a final count by Friday morning so I can make reservations. Thanks.

The ones I've highlighted above - I'm not sure that they are staying for supper on Friday evening...have you gotten PMs from them saying that they are attending?

Saturday - Tappets & rm -rf....staying for supper?? PM?

I don't know. I just assembled the list from the various posts in the thread.

I called the restaurant for Friday and they no longer take reservations. We might just have to see how it goes especially since we don't know how many there are. For Sat. we will have a better idea cause we will be with everyone on the ride. I can call the restaurant from the BRP when we finish.

ok. PM to me from cnickgo, he won't be making it to dinner Friday evening. CPArider is "out" for everything per PM. rnhood says he'll try to be there for the Friday stuff, but just to be on safe side, don't count him as being there.

some news. GF (elizabeth) may not make it friday. she is still in for sunday.

i will prolly ride saturday now. she will not ride saturday but the best part may be that she will run SAG for us. that means food, water and repairs if need be. i am still working out the details. no promise yet. i will let ya know!

Sounds good!

Alas, it's too late for defections, isn't it?

Ummm, SAG. If I can get a 65F starting temperature guarantee, this event will be really tempting. ;)

if anyone needs to get in contact with me after 5 on friday, PM cypress for my phone number.

I'll be there for all three days.

I will try to be there this evening. I am sure I can't make the ride but, dinner....I don't know. Just depends on what time I get away. Probably best not to count on me. Anyway, if I don't see you'll this evening then I will tomorrow (Sat).

It's a little cooler up at 5000' this morning. Temp at 9:15 is 51F.

:eek:

I do have knee warmers (how I hate those things!). See ya this evening.

i prolly won't make dinner plans tonight. i wont get into the area until 8pm or so. i'm gonna leave tomorrows dinner plans up in the air too, if that's cool. see everyone soon!

i have bwnc's cell number so i'll check iin tomorrow if i need to- otherwise i'll see ya at the parking lot saturday!

Ride reports?

I just got home from dinner with Wolfpack, Polara426sh and rm-rf. We rode out along the river from Dillsboro to Western Carolina U in Cullowhee and back. CPArider met us along the way for a few miles. It was a very nice evening for a ride.

The main group is meeting tomorrow morning at 9am for the BRP ride at 10am. Hope to see everyone then.

Ride Report??? :)

Well, Polara and I met BWNC this evening at the hotel and followed him over to the starting point for this evenings ride. Met rm -rf there as well. We started the ride and headed somewhere, rode along the river and to WCU and back. We did meet up with another rider, CPArider I think along the way, who rode with us to WCU and then left. I have no idea where we rode, except to WCU. One turn we took looked really familiar...there was a church directly ahead of us, and a bridge (which looked like it had been built in the past 5yr or so), we took a left and continued following the river. That bridge looked like one I had surveyed a few yrs back. Anyways....

Most of the ride was fairly flat with a few small climbs thrown in for good measure. The weather was great this evening - it was 61F when we left the restaurant. I took a couple of pics of the guys...there are some nice looking calves :). I rode in the back just about the whole time so I could keep an eye on the calves:D.

Not a lot to tell about this ride...just a little leg warmer-upper for tomorrow's ride. We got back to our cars, changed clothes and then went to get a bite to eat. We ate at Lulu's - nice little place. I'm looking forward to the rest of the weekend!!

BikeWNC, you should always iterate where you're meeting up, and from where you intend to start.

On my way back from HH tonight, after some much-needed laughing and unwinding with friends (this was a day grueling beyond compare), I was seriously contemplating driving up tomorrow for the Saturday ride, though I couldn't remember which was "easier" from a flat-lander's POV: the ride on Saturday or that on Sunday. But, before I could go online to check, my sister called, and asked me to meet her for an hour or so at the International Festival at UNCC tomorrow. So I'm going there. I had kinda wanted to get over there for an hour or so anyway, for old times' sake, but wasn't sure that I wanted to go alone. This invite seals the deal. :)

Anyway, BikeWNC, for future ref, just keep iterating, for 1) those of us who were actually once interested in the ride but who have failed to keep up with minor, but important changes in meeting times/places; and 2) those who may just be peeking in for the first time and who would otherwise have to wade through 10 pages to be sure of the departure point tomorrow.

Hope you guys had a great ride and wonderful dinner tonight. I'm sorry I couldn't have joined you for what must have been the easiest ride of the weekend. Just had way too much to do. :(

I do hope this becomes at least a once a year event. Maybe we should all be more mindful of the Asheville and CLT TT series calendars next year? ;)

Hey, polara, Cliff wants to join us this Tuesday night. If Glenng is there, too, maybe we can win us 1st place in some bar trivia! :)

Edit: Thanks for the brief ride/BF-meeting report, WP! You rock, you engineerin'-get-that-project-out-the-door gf! :beer:

:p

Awwww, you should really have come up here, but I know you had some stuff that had to be taken care of. We'll just talk about you tomorrow, so if you're ears get to burnin', you'll know what's happening:).

Well, I have to go make the phone call home to let the SO know everything is ok. Later...

BWNC - maybe post the ride meet time & location again so that others can join in without wading through 10 pages of posts....

Well, I'm a heading to bed...long drive, nice ride, very nice dinner with great company, and I'm tired. See ya tomorrow...zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz

Yeah. How 'bout that of Sunday, too? <lookin' away, whistlin'>

I had actually hoped, after "half the world" seemed off my shoulders by 5:30pm today, that maybe I could at least ride up for one or the other, if only to be SAG. :)

Of course, I hafta hope my ol' Honda's engine won't seize up, as polara can explain to WP. :rolleyes: :(

In any case, you all have fun tomorrow. I do want to be more social, but you all seem to have these "long" rides so easily under your belts already. I'm always readin' about how this one did "50" and this other did "60" and how so many of you who are now up there routinely do metrics and centuries practically every other day. These are so very different cycling backgrounds from that of my own, that I dasn't.... :o Maybe I'm a wuss, but at my age, and as I have only relatively recently undertaken such a strenuous-level of fitness training, I'm a bit wary of an injury. Please understand that, in my days of caregiving, I could never take any chance on my ability to keep going every day at anything less than 100%. Maybe this sense of resposibility still biases my decisions as far as rides at this point. It's kinda hard to stop thinking (albeit it subconsciously) in terms of being the one who once ensured the life of another (even one who now no longer exists), on whose life was dependent my continued well-being and my ability to physically continue to move 150lbs SAFELY around multiple times per day....

Guess this is not well-composed. But it expresses most of my hesitance to come up to the mountains to date. Not the mention the fact that I'd hoped that this last TT would be a wonderful and "personal-best" end-of-season testament to my effort to "keep going" and to "move ahead in my life." Unfortunately, and precisely because of "life's requirements" I've had to curtail cycling, and to focus on estate settlement. And so I could neither train for the last TT, nor truly enjoy the ride in the NC mtns this year.

I just hope you all understand how I was caught between TWO hard rocks and a hard place this year.... :o

Maybe sometime next year....

OK, FOR THOSE WITH DIALUP CONNECTIONS...:rolleyes: OR that I am unable to PM.

The Sat. ride will start at the overlook on the BRP at mp 439.4 at 10am. Those in the Sylva/Dillsboro area will meet at the Harris Regional Hospital parking lot (off exit 85 on 23/74) in Sylva at 9am.

The start is located 4 miles from Balsam Gap off 23/74 towards Asheville, which is Parkway North. It is the first overlook after passing through the tunnel.

The ride will be 35 miles in length from Pinnacle Ridge Tunnel to Devil's Courthouse Tunnel.


The Sunday ride will meet in Dillsboro at the Dillsboro Square shopping area on W. Main St. just East of the center of town on Bus. 23 at 9am.

The ride will be on the Burningtown Loop in Macon County near Franklin. The loop is 30 miles of moderate hilly terrain. Because the Sunday group is expected to be smaller we will finalize plans on the Sat. ride.

OK, you clarified--that first meet at 9am for the 10am ride post was a little confusing.

Vega, there's nothing magical about conquering the mountains. You just get in a low gear and plod along until you reach the top.

OK, you clarified--that first meet at 9am for the 10am ride post was a little confusing.

Vega, there's nothing magical about conquering the mountains. You just get in a low gear and plod along until you reach the top.

<shrugs> Well, I knew what I was saying. Isn't that all that matters? :rolleyes:

Thank, VV, from VV. :) Are you there, BTW? And, if so, 'til when? <curious Vega look>

So sorry, BikeWNC. I had to turn off all distractions from "getting my time-sensitive things done." I didn't mean to diss anyone. Just needed to work without gettin' into the otherwise very delightful quagmire that is Foo. :)

I now know I can't make it up for Saturday's ride because of my recent obligation with my sister. We'll see about Sunday, with no guarantees until I see what gets accomplished tomorrow in the way of moving me forward on Monday. Maybe you guys will all be too blown out to care that there's a very slow middle-aged woman boggin' you down? ;) :lol:

Thank, VV, from VV. :) Are you there, BTW? And, if so, 'til when? <curious Vega look>

So sorry, BikeWNC. I had to turn off all distractions from "getting my time-sensitive things done." I didn't mean to diss anyone. Just needed to work without gettin' into the otherwise very delightful quagmire that is Foo. :)

I now know I can't make it up for Saturday's ride because of my recent obligation with my sister. We'll see about Sunday, with no guarantees until I see what gets accomplished tomorrow in the way of moving me forward on Monday. Maybe you guys will all be too blown out to care that there's a very slow middle-aged woman boggin' you down? ;) :lol:

Vega, if you want to come up Sunday, let me know and I will give you the latest info. We will finalize plans on the ride tomorrow for Sunday morning. It might help Wolfpack if you came up as she wouldn't have to go back through CLT. Regardless, I won't be too blown out by Sunday so you better come prepared with your A game. :p BTW, I'm more middle-aged than you and I have the card to prove it. :rolleyes: It's gonna be a laid-back ride.

BTW, I'm more middle-aged than you and I have the card to prove it. It's gonna be a laid-back ride.

AARP FTW, huh? :D Did you get your discount last night? :)

Vega, hope you'll be able to come up for Sunday's ride. It shouldn't be too hard and seriously, if I can do this, you can too. I haven't been riding all that much either since I got hurt in May, but maybe just enough....also, I think, if I don't have any work obligations for the 9th, that I'll try to come down and do the TT...prolly just ride for fun or at least try to do as good as my first one there.

Later 'gater:) - K.

46F :eek:

But, I don't think it'll be all that bad. I'll get plenty warmed up on the climbs, it's the decending that's gonna be cold.

A couple of photos from yesterday's ride along the river...

BWNC (in blue), Polara (in yellow), and rm -rf (in red):
http://i45.photobucket.com/albums/f75/khgulledge/SEBF%20Fall%20Ride/DSC01011800x600.jpg

http://i45.photobucket.com/albums/f75/khgulledge/SEBF%20Fall%20Ride/DSC01012800x600.jpg

and this one of BWNC (don't ask about why it looks as it does - we were taking pics of each other taking pics and when I got my camera out, the settings were whacked (not on auto))...anyways:
http://i45.photobucket.com/albums/f75/khgulledge/SEBF%20Fall%20Ride/DSC01015800x600.jpg

Well...........I'm back from dinner with BikeWNC, Polara, rnhood, & 3mta3 at a nice restaurant in Sylva...I be one tired puppy tonight and slightly sore. Hammies were not happy at all today - way too much cramping:( :mad:. Anyways...I've downloaded the pics I took, I might post a few tonight, well, guess I might as well do that now before I fall asleep sitting here....

Very nice pics, WP. Now I feel really bad that I still had stuff to do down here. :(

*sigh*

Well, I know that if polara can do it, so can I, though I would have to do some serious liquid carb-loading. ;) :p Hopefully, next May ride. :)

Hope y'all have fun tomorrow, and that none of ya's not used to ridin' in th' hills get hurt this last day.... :o

Meh. Next time, hopefully, you won't be so pressed with stuff to do and can join us. Most likely, we will do another one in the spring. And, I'm gonna come up here every chance I get. I so want to move up to this area - it would cut down on all the driving I have to do:rolleyes:

And, yes, if Polara and I can do this, you can do it as well. You'll probably kick everyone's butt too:).

Gotta run now...finish getting stuff together and in the car for today's ride.