That's right folks the leaves are gone and so are most of the Buicks, RV's and Minivans. Despite the early snow we had last week the Parkway is open around Asheville.

With fairly mild temperatures forcast for the coming weekend, you'll have at least one more chance to enjoy the undulating blacktop, albeit without the glorious leaf color. Once we get a healthy snow or enough downed trees, the Parkway is usually closed to motor vehicles until April.

I was up there Sunday morning just after sunup. At 57 degrees it was 7 degrees warmer at the 4,000-5,000 ft. Parkway elevations than down in the valley. This is typical. It was also desoalte. As the morning wore on, I encountered some bicyclists but very few cars.

Enjoy it while you can.

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Sent from my Hewlett-Packard 75C, using the Flying Merkel motorcycle app.

Stromin'Nroman NC28729, USA

DL650A K7 (Greywolf Moto Lab's R&D test mule) June 1, 2012 - present
DL650A K7 April 23, 2007 - January 6, 2012, RIP

"Look here brother, who you jivin' with that cosmik debris?" Frank Zappa, 1975

When do you reckon its too late to ride up there? Or is it a crap shoot based on the weather? I sure enjoyed tearing up and down those roads!

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New Crispy Snack Cracker To Ease Crushing Pain Of Modern Life

The Parkway will close after it gets a good snow and it will stay closed until Spring. The roads crossing it generally stay open but can be dangerously icy in spots.

Remember US276 following the river? That stays open, but I've hit ice on it with unfavorable results.

You can pick a nice day or three which become less frequent the further we get into winter. We'll get the occasional sunny Winter weekend in the 60's. However, I wouldn't plan vacation time around a visit here after Halloween or before Easter. The weather could go from sunbathing on the deck to shovelling snow in 24 hours.

This weekend looks okay.

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Sent from my Hewlett-Packard 75C, using the Flying Merkel motorcycle app.

Stromin'Nroman NC28729, USA

DL650A K7 (Greywolf Moto Lab's R&D test mule) June 1, 2012 - present
DL650A K7 April 23, 2007 - January 6, 2012, RIP

"Look here brother, who you jivin' with that cosmik debris?" Frank Zappa, 1975

Yes, the part following the river was definitely my favorite. It was also the most sphincter-clenching since we were just warming up on the curves, you couldn't see much ahead, and the transitions from light to dark were very new to me. Oh yeah, and you were hauling ass.

Aside from all that, it was great!

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New Crispy Snack Cracker To Ease Crushing Pain Of Modern Life

The Parkway stays open all year up here (middle Va.). It closes temporarily for bad weather. Sometimes only short stretches are open, but certain stretches are always open. It's a mixed blessing. You can come flying around a corner on a warm day and hit ice from water coming off the rocks and didn't melt on the shady side of the turn.

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2009 DL650

It's my part of my need-a-break loop.

Two years ago, in early December, I went up there after the first snow to a closed Parkway and came back down, perhaps a little too blithely.

It was another light/dark situation.

The dark, shaded areas are where the last patches of ice hide.

Next time you come up, I'll show you many more roads like that and I'll just tell you go about 27 miles until you get to a stop sign and we'll meet there.

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Sent from my Hewlett-Packard 75C, using the Flying Merkel motorcycle app.

Stromin'Nroman NC28729, USA

DL650A K7 (Greywolf Moto Lab's R&D test mule) June 1, 2012 - present
DL650A K7 April 23, 2007 - January 6, 2012, RIP

"Look here brother, who you jivin' with that cosmik debris?" Frank Zappa, 1975

I was just up there two weeks ago and took Hwy 43 to Buchanan. That was a great road. I suppose there are plenty others like it to and from the Parkway in the area.

__________________
Sent from my Hewlett-Packard 75C, using the Flying Merkel motorcycle app.

Stromin'Nroman NC28729, USA

DL650A K7 (Greywolf Moto Lab's R&D test mule) June 1, 2012 - present
DL650A K7 April 23, 2007 - January 6, 2012, RIP

"Look here brother, who you jivin' with that cosmik debris?" Frank Zappa, 1975