Blue ridge

I’m atop the blue ridge parkway ! On the last mountain of the trail I did the last big climb and with no rain.This was, as planned, a very short ride, and with lots of walking. Just above the 30mis/50kms mark. I stayed on the main road to reach Vesuvius, the village at the bottom of the climb. Not a good decision this time ! Usually the main road is flatter but there was lots of ups and down.

I left at about 8, with the odds of rain heavily stacked against me. But I remained optimistic and dressed as usual. I got a few drops at the start but nothing else ! Another very lucky day for me.

And finally I was there ! I saw the last moutain standing in my way It had been covered in mist up to this point. The very last big challenge. But I was feeling way more happy than anxious. I already did quite a few climbs, even if they lied far behind me now.So I started the climb. Very steep road, but with some gentler parts here and there. Quite a physical challenge though. After one hour I was sweating like a donkey. But I reached the parkway ! It was a steep but quick climb, about 3mis/5kms, much faster than Monarch pass (9mis/15kms) or Cedar breaks (14mis/23kms). 2000 feet or 600m up in this short distance. Nice to get the heart rate going.