I just finished a similar exercise on mapmyride. It looks like the counter-clockwise climb is around 5 miles at about 3.8% vs 2 miles at 5.2%. I'll keep these in mind. I'll be driving south on the BRP on Sat to ride to MM, so I'll be able to assess that grade on the way. And, I'll see the other hill on Friday, although I'll be driving down it, on the way to the campground. Going counter would eliminate the concern about getting mixed in with the B2B riders, but I suspect there's something to be said for going clockwise and getting thrrough Blowing Rock as early as possible. Anyway, I don't have to decide until I get ready to head out on Sunday. The route you laid out is simple enough that I won't need to print a cue sheet.