Since you have family in Canton, you presumably know what the mountains are like in western NC. They are not for the timid or once-in-a-while cyclist. wahoonc has it right--the rest of the trip, from Hickory on, could be delightful. However, central NC in August is quite hot and humid. I happen to like it that way, but folks from up north tend to be caught off guard during the summer and really suffer.

Carolina Tarwheels is a good organization, so the other person (I'm not going to try to type that) is right on with that suggestion.

Good luck and have fun.