Sunday May 3,2020
Day 7
I had a great night’s sleep and I awoke to another beautiful day. So far I had been able to ride in fantastic weather. The jog up to Big John’s was perfect as it kept me behind a cold front that was going across the country.
The weather behind a cold front is some of the best you can get. It’s clear and crisp and in deep summer can be a break in the humidity. Being May humidity was not an issue and I was enjoying some brilliant sunshine all week.
One of my thoughts for the east and final leg home was to incorporate some of the Mid-Atlantic Back Road Discovery Route into my ride. The folks at Back Road Discovery routes have put together off pavement routes that run through a bunch of states. They started out west and I have enjoyed some of their routes on AGALOS rides; I rode some of their Idaho route about 16 years ago. They have put together some great routes and they keep them updated, all by volunteers. They also have some educational programs (Ride Right) that are a great compliment to their routes. I am proud to be a lifetime supporter of the Back Road Discovery Routes.
From Ashville to New England one easy route is the Blue Ridge Parkway which is a great way to spend a relaxed day but with the random closing of sections I decided to avoid it. There are also some excellent roads to the west of I-81 which can be utilized for a pretty effecient non-slab route. The challenge of the MABDR is it would be pretty slow. While I had the green light from my wife to take as long as I wanted I wasn’t really in the mood to add an extra day or two to my ride.
I decided on a hybrid route to the west, using the BDR when it was going in the proper direction and avoiding some of the loops that would add time.
I also wanted to visit Paint Bank, Virginia and the General Store. Paint Bank is a wonderful spot on a wicked twisty road (VA 311). They have gas, a general store and a very nice restaurant in the back. The General Store holds some fond memories for my wife and I and it’s on the way. Plus to get there you have to ride twisty roads.
The MABDR would be considered the easiest of the bunch. Easy is relative and like all the routes (or any ride) one must pay attention and remain engaged. It’s easy to get going quite fast when the ride is considered “easy” but even on an easy route bad things can happen. I’ve enjoyed the MABDR before and the first time I noted that there was a bit of traffic. Being an easier route using established forest roads, the MABDR has plenty of opportunities to meet an oncoming car, jeep or truck so paying heed to the Ride Right campaign here can make a huge difference.
One thing I love about riding in the Northeast is any dirt road will be very different depending on the time of year. In the spring the dirt is soft, wet and anything in shade will be slick and soupy. In the summer everything firms up and the speed goes up too. Come fall the roads get blanketed with leaves which make obstacles harder to spot along with a slick base if they’re wet.
For this ride I was on Michelin Anakee tires which are a 50-50 tire (pavement / dirt) and not the least bit aggressive in the tread department. A great tire for August or a pavement cross country ride but not the first choice for wet dirt or mud. I kept this in mind as I set off and each time I jumped on a section of the BDR.
I had a ball in the woods. I love this kind of riding, the scenery is fantastic and it’s wonderful to go where few people venture and the ones that do have a purpose. I kept a very relaxing pace only to wish for knobby tires when I was in the shade, mud or wet.
Spring on the BDR. That trench behind the bike is a waterbar. Hitting that at speed would be very bad. 
I continued north and took a slight jog to the east so I would be on the bestest, funest and twistiest part of 311, the road to Paint Bank. This road holds a special signifigance as a number of years ago some friends formed a club, chartered it with the big BMW National club and our assigned number was…….
311.
I motored on to Paint Bank and the General Store. The store was open but the restaurant was closed. I expected this yet I still arrived with room in my tummy for a good lunch. Thankfully they had a few pre-made sandwiches and a place to sit.
From Paint Bank I had a bunch of choices. I could go Northwest to Cumberland, Maryland or Northeast to Winchester, VA. Both had Hampton Inns and I was hoping the experience in Ashville would not be repeated.
Winchester held more appeal is it was on the more direct line home but it would be a little more challenging to put together an enjoyable route.
I selected Winchester. The Hampton Inn was most accommodating and the local Chinese place delivered a nice dinner.
Ashville, North Carolina to Winchester, Virginia
495 Miles in 12:40
Next: Homebound