Blue Ridge Parkway in early Nov
 

I ride the Parkway more and more but mainly in the warmer months. I am going up there for a few days over the first weekend in Nov this year and am curious what you guys are wearing to stay warm without getting overdressed.

My favorite climb is the Folk Art Center to Craggy Gardens and I picture myself cooking on the way up and freezing on the way down.

Any suggestions appreciated, right down to the brand name if you can.

Thanks !

Mike

i live in greenville south carolina, about 30 miles from the mountains. i'm a skinny guy. i wear my gore fleece softshell jacket with wind protection panel technology into the upper 30s with only a jersey underneath. the lower 30s start to get my arms cool, so i wear a long sleeve jersey.
i recommend having this arrangement so you can get cool going up the hill (unzip jacket), and get warm going down the hill (zip jacket).

i don't know the name of the gore softshell jacket, but i got it on sale for about $80, and it was probably $150 or more retail price.

Where is the blue ridge parkway? I'm assuming blue ridge GA of course. I've got a family house in the chatahoochee national forest and am interested in any interesting places to ride near BR.

Starts in Waynesboro, VA, and goes.... about 400-some miles :) Google knows.

The Blue Ridge Parkway starts near Cherokee, NC, and the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, and heads northeast into Virginia following the main line of the Blue Ridge Mountains.

how much trouble is it to ride off the parkway property to camp in the woods? i read there are fines and jail time if you camp on the property.

On many parts of the parkway, there's not a lot of "woods" on either side. Unlike actual national parks like Shenandoah that have similar roads, lots of the parkway has very little dedicated land on either side. For example the area around Roanoke, VA basically goes through the neighborhoods, and local roads and housing developments run right up to the parkway. When it goes through the national forest area it's more like a park. I don't know the situation with wild camping. I rarely even camp in the campgrounds, let alone off in the woods with the b'ars :)