• Wear a bicycle helmet
• Be sure your bicycle is in good operating condition.  Carry a spare tube and tools for minor repairs.
• Wear high visibility clothing.  It sets you apart from the scenery and more visible to motorists.
• Carry a cellular phone to report emergencies but remain aware that there are many dead spots with no cell coverage in many National Park areas.  You may need to change locations to make a call.
• Avoid riding during periods of low visibility.  Fog and rain may occur unpredictably.  Reschedule your trip or allow time for flexibility to ride during periods of better weather conditions.
• Use caution when riding through tunnels.  There are 26 tunnels in North Carolina and 1 tunnel in Virginia.  It is recommended that you have an illuminated light on the front of your bike and light or reflectors on the rear.
• Temperatures vary greatly with elevation and aspect changes in mountainous areas.  Wear clothing in layers.  Hypothermia can be deadly, so take precautions to prevent it.
• Safe drinking water is available on a seasonal basis at park facilities.  Many parks will winterize water lines and systems by the end of October.  Be sure to check on what facilities are open and bring adequate water with you.  Do not drink unpurified water from streams and springs within even the most pristine park areas.  There are no areas within the United States now free from bacteria that will wreak havoc with your digestive system.
• Make an honest evaluation of your abilities before beginning a bicycle trip.  Do your research and determine what elevation changes you will be challenged by.  As an example you can find such information for the Blue Ridge Parkway at: http://www.nps.gov/blri/planyourvisit/loader.cfm?csModule=security/getfile&PageID=238496
• When cycling with a group, adjust your spacing to be single file and allow for motor vehicles to pass safely.

If driving a motor vehicle rather than pedaling a bicycle, be alert for cyclists and be sure to

Although most roadways through National Park areas do not allow commercial vehicles and large trucks you will still encounter tour busses, motor homes, and vehicles pulling trailers.  Be alert for such traffic and always assume that a possible hazard may be around each blind curve.

There are the obvious facilities in this section; the Otter Creek Campground with its new entrance bridge and Kiosk, the concession operated Otter Creek Restaurant, and the James River Visitor Center.  But there is so much more.

The inquisitive visitor will discover the Otter Creek Trail.  This 3.5 mile trail meanders along the creek and Parkway motor road from the campground to the visitor center.  The trail is easy to walk and crosses the creek numerous times on stepping stones and pedestrian bridges.  Sharp rock bluffs, mountain laurel, redbud, and bird life are abundant.  At State Route 130 the trail travels through an underpass of the road.  If you are observant you will see what appears to be a ditch that follows the edge of the trail.  This is the remains of what was once a large mill operation that was obliterated when the present bridge for 130 was built.

The trail forks and makes a loop around Otter Lake.  At the north end of the loop you will find the skeletal chimney and foundation of what was once the Nathaniel Sledd Cabin.  This site is believed to have been the home of the first European settler in Amherst County, Virginia in the early 1700s.  He was drawn to this location to trade with Native Americans for beaver pelts.  Otter Creek was a heavily used travel route from the mountains above to the James River and above the threat of flood.  Otter Lake did not exist at that time being built when the Blue Ridge Parkway came through in the late 1950s.  Beaver still live in Otter Creek today.  Hikers can see their handiwork in dams and the stumps and bases of trees that they have felled for food and construction materials.  Trees around the trail have wire mesh around their base to protect them from the industrious rodents.

Beyond the James River Visitor Center you will find a remnant of our Country’s transportation history.  On the opposite bank of the James River is a fully restored canal lock from the Kanawha Canal System that served as the main commercial transportation from the Shenandoah Valley to Richmond, Virginia before the Civil War.  Looking up river you will be looking into the James River Water Gap, a geological feature left from a millennium of the river cutting its way through the Blue Ridge Mountains.  This makes the James one of only two rivers that flow from west of the Blue Ridge toward the Atlantic Ocean.

So the next time you are driving through this area stop and get out of your vehicle and see what wonders await you.

To view the video in its entirety, go to the YouTube link below:

You will note in the video that the bison gave several warnings that he was uncomfortable with the approach of humans.  First he tried to move away and place a tree line between the threat and himself.  When the person still came on through the trees the bison then lifted his head and looked at him with his head moving up and down.  The bison then kicked his heels up lowering his head and the woman still kept filming him.  Finally the wild animal stressed by the perceived threat had to revert to flight or fight mode.  Since the threat had kept moving toward him even after he attempted to calmly make flight from the area he most likely felt he had no choice but to fight and attack.

These same behaviors can been seen in any wildlife you may encounter in a National Park even if  it is a  bear, deer, or chipmunk on the Blue Ridge Parkway.  Always give wildlife their space.  Revel in the opportunity to view animals in their native habitat, but do not crowd or stress them into instinctual reactions.

This incident once again illustrates the lesson I have told several times on this blog and in my book, “A Park Ranger’s Life”, that park visitors should always enjoy viewing wildlife from afar.

Today at 12:00 noon ET, the National Park Service opened the last closed stretch of the scenic roadway near Asheville, NC from MP 399 at Bad Fork Valley Overlook to MP 405.5 near NC Route 151.  This section of the Parkway had been closed since October 2009 because of a potential rock slide.  Only one lane has opened, but the Parkway can now be travelled from end to end again, detour free.  A traffic light will help control the flow of traffic. 

During the construction, Parkway travelers had to take a 40 minute detour to get around the unsafe area.  Both lanes of this area are scheduled to be open around the beginning of September, just in time for Labor Day weekend.  This is especially helpful for travel during the fall leaf season which attracts hundreds of thousands of sight-seers each year.  In the Blue Ridge region, peak fall color activity occurs in early October.

This year has been a difficult one for Parkway travelers.  Following a Christmas Day ice storm in 2009, most of the roadway in North Carolina had been closed.  Contractors and volunteers have worked diligently for half of 2010 to clean up debris, fallen trees, and potential rockslides.  Clean-up will continue for months along the roadside, but maintenance officials only foresee occasional traffic delays.

Because of the 2009 ice storm, potential rockslides, and various construction projects preparing for the 75th Anniversary of the Blue Ridge Parkway, this is the first time that the Parkway has been open for uninterrupted travel in 18 months.  It will be nice for Parkway visitors to have all 469 miles open for travel again.

The Parkway is a beautiful place to spend your summer but it’s not like most other roads so take some time and precautions while driving. Slow down and enjoy the view, use the overlooks to let traffic that may back up behind you get by. And as we often tell visitors, enjoy the view but watch the road.

The Blue Ridge Parkway is a National Parkway and All-American Road in the United States noted for its scenic beauty. The Parkway winds for 469.1 miles (755 km) from the southern terminus of Shenandoah National Park’s Skyline Drive in Virginia to U.S. 441 at Oconaluftee in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park near Cherokee, NC. It runs through the famous Blue Ridge Mountains, a major mountain chain that is part of the Appalachian Mountains. There is no fee for using the Blue Ridge Parkway.

For more information on the Blue Ridge Parkway, including Parkway maps, a virtual tour, news & events, and more visit VirtualBlueRidge.com.

Here are a few tips that will help you understand the dynamics of deer movement and how to avoid collisions that can cause serious property damage and at times personal injuries.

• Deer are most active at dawn and dusk.  This is when they like to feed so you are most likely to see deer on road shoulders. 
• Remember that deer can also be encountered any other time of day.
• Drive the speed limit or below when in areas frequented by deer.  This applies to most park areas.
• Be alert scanning tree lines and road shoulders for deer including the reflection from their eyes at night.
• Once you see deer or the reflection of eyes, slow down, and stay alert for movement.
• If you see deer running across the road in front of your vehicle, do not follow where they are going with your eyes.  Instead look to where the deer came from.  Deer do not travel alone and more deer may come from the same direction.
• At times deer will run down the road in front of your vehicle in a zig-zag pattern.  Drivers are often confused by this behavior.  Their natural instincts are kicking in and this is how they attempt to escape a predator.  If you stop your vehicle, they will finally run off the road.
• Should a deer jump into the road in front of you, hit your brakes and stay in your lane.  More extensive damage and more serious injuries can result from swerving to avoid the deer and striking a tree, rock, or oncoming vehicle.
• You will see devices sold that you can place on your vehicle that make whistling sounds to scare deer away.  It was my experience that these do not guarantee safety and I saw many vehicles with this equipment in place still have collisions with deer.

Geocaching is a growing recreational activity throughout the United States.  Participants can obtain the geographic coordinates of caches hidden by others and then use handheld Global Positioning System (GPS) units to find them.  It is similar to a high tech scavenger or treasure hunt.  Caches can consist of secreted containers with small items that can be taken as souvenirs and or the chance to leave a token behind.  Virtual caches can lead the hunter to the answer of a puzzle or riddle.  Many Geocache enthusiasts then share their finds on the web site; http://www.geocaching.com/.

 The Gems of Rockbridge County Geocache Trail showcases the county and communities adjacent to The Blue Ridge Parkway and their cultural and natural relationships.

 This Trail fills a niche of interest that cannot be satisfied on The Blue Ridge Parkway since geocaching is prohibited in National Park Service Areas.  This fun activity is enjoyed by individuals and families.  There will be 10-12 caches secreted in the Rockbridge County area.  Participants can pick up a passport with information that will lead them through the trail at the Buena Vista and Lexington Visitor Centers in Virginia.  The first two hundred people to locate all the caches will receive a commemorative coin.

 For more information go to:

http://www.blueridgegeocaching.com

There are road closures still in place due to downed trees and debris in the roadway. While National Park Service personnel have been working hard to ensure that the remaining cleanup is completed as quickly as possible, contracts are also being accepted from small business contractors to help with the volume of work.

For an updated look at road closures you can visit our dedicated Blue Ridge Parkway Road Conditions and Closures page on Virtual Blue Ridge, or call the Parkway Hotline at 828-298-0398.

Today the National Park Service released a schedule of anticipated cleanup and opening dates for the remaining closed sections of the Parkway. Read the full press release and schedule on Virtual Blue Ridge.

Motorcycle Warning Sign

The Blue Ridge Parkway has consistently been described in motorcycle media as one of the best rides in the country if not the world.  Although not a motorcyclist myself, I do not doubt this judgment for the views, lack of large commercial trucks, and interesting curves are not to be found anywhere else.

Unfortunately the increase in motorcycle traffic is accompanied by a significant number of serious motorcycle crashes.  A number of years ago Park Rangers became concerned about the significant increase in motorcycle crashes resulting in injuries and fatalities.  Statistical research of crash scenes and drivers was conducted and several theories were developed as to the causes. 

One consistent condition was found to be a factor in many crashes.  They were occurring in areas where the Parkway had been engineered with descending radius curves.  When the Blue Ridge Parkway was designed the purpose was to adhere it to the land providing for the least destruction of the landscape while providing for the best views.   The 1930’s and 40’s were not times when motorcycles or motor homes were commonly used by the visiting public.  Very few if any roadways in the United States today have descending radius curves and consequently most motorcyclists have never driven through these types of challenges.

A traffic safety program was designed to step up traffic regulation enforcement, educate the public, and to place more aggressive signing at locations of repeated wrecks.  Through these efforts the number of motorcycle crashes sharply decreased.  In the District where I worked in we had a curve that had seen eight motorcycle wrecks in one year.  Once the warning signs were put in place the follow year there were zero wrecks.  However, other duties and constraints of budgets have made the park staff step back from these programs.

Curve Warning Sign

Ultimately it is the operator of a motor vehicle that is responsible for their own safety.  If you operate a motorcycle on the Blue Ridge Parkway, observe the following safety tips:

• Observe the speed limits that are posted.  In most areas it is 45mph.  In some developed areas it will drop to 35mph.
• Watch for curve warning signs and take them seriously.  They are few and far between, but mark the most dangerous areas.
• Be aware that even though you may have years of experience operating a motorcycle, you will encounter curves and road surface elevations that you have not experienced before.
• Maintain full attention to your driving at all times.  Many instances in the past operators have been distracted by the view and just that split second of inattention has gotten them in trouble.
• Watch for wildlife in the road.  You are in their neighborhood and they are in the road often.
• Do not pass on the double yellow lines.  There are many blind curves on the Parkway that come up fast.  You never know what is beyond your view; a motor home, a deer, or a car full of kids.

Remember as the Blue Ridge Parkway Traffic Safety Program says:

    ENJOY THE VIEW – WATCH THE ROAD

Carolyn Tyree Feagans – author

We have driven the entire Parkway 3 times, plus have spent approximately 450 days on the Parkway – including some of our honeymoon. Much of this time is spent in research for the books that I write — historical fiction set in the Blue Ridge. We have driven around the U.S. in our RV – but have yet to see anything more beautiful than the Blue Ridge Parkway.

The Blaine Family

As a result of our October 11-19, 2005 trip, we fell in love with the area around Floyd and Meadows of Dan so much, that we purchased 14 acres on top of a mountain, complete with mobile home, pond and stream. Our love of nature and mountain music, as well as our “getaway home” have enabled us to truly experience the mystique of Floyd and Patrick counties. It all takes you back to a simpler place and time, and in this crazy world we need that every now and then.

The Andersons as campground hosts at the Peaks of Otter

My wife and I began traveling the Blue Ridge Parkway soon after we were married in 1950. Since then, we have been on the Parkway in excess of 40 times and traveled on it from Cherokee to Waynesboro or vice versus over eight times. In October 2007 we traveled the length of it from south to north. We have just returned from a trip from Waynesboro to Roanoke this month. We were fortunate enough to have been campground hosts at the Peaks of Otter for eight years (our favorite place along the Parkway). We have traveled all 50 states, either by car or motorhome and have seen many beautiful sights, but the Blue Ridge Parkway is the greatest stretch of roadway in the country. We have had too many wonderful experiences and seen too many beautiful things to list them.

The Andersons

(the black dog is "Schipp" and the beagle is "Schoot" -- Skip and Skoot)

Using “Guide to the Blue Ridge Parkway“, I traveled from Rockfish Gap to the Oconaluftee River. My trip started September 30, 2007 at Milepost 0 and ended October 4, 2007 at Milepost 469. I traveled with my two dogs (the black dog is “Schipp” and the beagle is “Schoot” — Skip and Skoot) and we stopped at every overlook and exhibit. I photographed each stop. The next time I take this trip, and there will be a next time, I will give myself a minimum of 7 full days.

Enjoy the View but Watch the Road

We recently collected an end-to-ender story where a group of friends who are all motorcycle buddies did the whole Parkway in a day!

Whew!

We do not recommend this, simply from the safety issue and the overwhelming physical exertion. I know! There is something called the iron butt club but this not the way TO SEE the Parkway.

For anyone that is seriously considering this, I will buy you dinner to try and talk you out of it.

“Enjoy the View but Watch the Road”. You can’t do both when you are tired.

Steve Elliott, Parkway End to Ender

Two friends and I traveled the entire Parkway prior to graduation from Wake Forest University in May 2004. It was a wonderful trip highlighted by hikes at Apple Orchard Falls in Virginia Devil’s Courthouse in North Carolina.

Answer:
Road detours and closures can certainly make traveling the Blue Ridge Parkway a chore rather than a pleasure. The best way to avoid these situations is to plan ahead before venturing out onto the Parkway. Virtual Blue Ridge has a dedicated page to keep you updated on the latest road conditions and closures. Click here to visit this page. It is updated frequently Monday-Friday as information becomes available from the NPS.

Unfortunately, most of the closures on the parkway are due to unforeseen events, making it more difficult to anticipate a detour. The National Park Service provides a hot-line that you can call before your travels. This hotline is updated daily with information regarding new road closures, repairs and detours by mileposts. The number is 828-298-0398.

Joel, Jannell, Josiah, Jonathan, Jordan and Joshua

I always insist driving when my wife and I are on the Parkway, not because I am a road hog or control freak but because we keep our camera loaded between us, ready to aim and fire. Some of our best Parkway photos are those prospect shots that you see out of the corner of your eye driving at 45 miles per hour. I have learned to stop sharply, but safely to avoid the inconvenience of having to go down the Parkway to turn around and come back to find that the shot has been lost.

One recent case was the classic family photo that was being set up at a popular overlook, tripod set with all the family members tightly grouped sans dad. Whoa! “Would you like for us to take that shot for you?”

What greeted us was not the perfunctory, “well, yeah,” but “this place is great and we want this photo to be the one to go on our Christmas card.” We always ask where people are from but it was obvious from the get-go that they were from “Minnes-soda” and that this was their first trip to the Parkway. “Actually, we were looking for Panera Bread (Hiway 25 south and the Parkway in Asheville) and we discovered the Blue Ridge Parkway! Wow, what a place!”

I had to take my own classic photo with them grouped around the overlook sign and as I was filling out the photogrpahy model release which we do with all of our photography (the parents names are Joel and Janell), the mom began to list the name of her five boys. “Josiah, Jonathan”, …and let me guess where this was going, all the rest of the names would begin with ‘J’ … “Jordan and Joshua”.

Yes, a Blue Ridge Parkway Perfect Family. I hope they will come back!

A detailed history of this unique bridge can be found here.

Alan Hollister, who oversees federal highways projects for the parkway, said the bridge’s structure will remain intact but the road surface and deck will be replaced and the bridge rails and steel will be repainted. The $2 million contract was awarded to Taylor & Murphy Construction Company of Asheville. Work could begin as early as March 1, though it’s possible it won’t start until April 1.

Hollister said signs notifying of the pending detour have been uncovered this week and a closure is in effect. “That section of the parkway could be closed for two seasons,” Hollister said.

“We hope to open in December, but it depends on the progress of the contractor.”

According to the parkway’s road information hotline, the only sections of the road in North Carolina that are open are from milepost 234 to 305 near Grandfather Mountain, milepost 344 to 355 near Mount Mitchell, and milepost 376 to 394 near the French Broad River. For updated parkway road conditions and closings, call (828) 298-0398.

The Peaks of Otter on the Blue Ridge Parkway at Milepost 86 in Virginia is probably the most known area for viewing deer. They have almost become regarded as a nuisance and for years visitors would be inclined to hand feed them which is strictly against park regulations. To alter this behavior, the park service began an extensive poster campaign titled “Dead Doe” which convinced the observer that a fed deer was a dead deer. Deer are not domestic animals (except in the rarest of circumstances) and should be always be regarded as wild and unpredicable.

Approaching wildlife is dangerous … and not a smart move.

Remember to view wildlife at a distance. Not the way this guy did! Close up nature films are best seen on the National Geographic Channel.

A deer, my bumper, and I ...

I grew up in the Blue Ridge in the small town of Waynesville. My weekends were spent in the woods with my dad and granddad, learning the natural history of wildlife — part of which was the behavior of deer. I remember being coached many times “where there is one, there will probably be two — or more”. That advice gave me my first buck at the age of 8.

The same advice still applies as I coached my wife after we were married in 1993 and she began to follow me on her BMW motorbike on the Blue Ridge Parkway. You learn to scan the shoulders of the road, for not to do so could prove fatal. She always follows far enough behind to do an emergency controlled crash stop; for whenever we see a deer on the shoulder, we prepare to come to a complete stop.

My park service friends in high deer population areas like Floyd County Virginia are always reporting their close and real encounters and their hoods and front bumpers are testiment.

My time finally came because I was focused on a glorious sunrise; deer on the shoulder was at the lowest level of consciousness. I saw the motion belatedly and slowed instinctively. The first deer bounded successfully across; the second was not so lucky. The third and fourth that I saw in my rear view mirror were luckier still, as they had not yet made the decision to cross to the other side.

My best advice? Where there is one, there will probably be two — or more. Be prepared for anything.

A view off the escarpment ...

I enjoy solitude and the Parkway can provide it – particularly in winter.

Early one morning my decision was to get on the Parkway at Hiway 80 near Burnsville, NC. No one would normally go here because the Parkway is closed north towards Little Switzerland (because of downed trees) and the Parkway is closed south of the Mt. Mitchell turnoff (because of a fallen retainer wall at Craggy Gardens). The evening before I was a guest of Bill and Judy Carson, proprietors of the Orchard at Altapass. And from their front porch at Little Switzerland and looking south off the escarpment, the valley above Marion was a literal sea of sloshing cloudcover. We could see blue sky above and the the tops of the South Mountains below — an occurrence of visuals which only happens maybe once a year.

If only this would wait until morning …

In my round trip to Mt. Mitchell the next morning, I did not encounter one automobile — only a deer which proved fatal only for her. It almost spoiled my day, but what I was to behold was a unique sunrise that must have been prepared just for me.

Share the Journey!