The final day should be a minimal effort as compared to the previous days. Departing from the Pisgah Inn @ MM408 and finishing our journey in Cherokee @ MM469. We woke to the fog and clouds set in with light rain/drizzle. We ate an excellent breakfast at the Pisgah Inn and headed out. Today’s highlight would be the highest elevation on the BRP at Richland Balsam, which is at 6,053′ @ MM 431. There is also the 9-mile climb from Balsam Gap to Waterrock Knob. We rode an easy pace since he fog and wind were pretty strong. The only glimmer of sunlight was descending down to Balsam Gap. We could see it was sunny in Waynesville, but we would get none of that on today’s ride. It seemed to only be rainng on the descents, but that is likely due to the speed of the water hitting us. As we crested the final climb several miles from Cherokee, it was literally all downhill from there. A few tunnels to negotiate and we would be done. Mother Nature threw us one last blow when a deluge of rain hit us with about two miles to go. I just laughed out loud and pressed on. Nice try Mother Nature, but I am sure she was just letting us know she could have been tougher on us for the entire route. Gibbs’ dad picked us up at the end of the BRP. We quickly loaded up and changed into dry clothes. We stopped for a nice little buffet lunch in Cherokee at the Brushy Mountain Smokehouse and celebrated our accomplishment.
Thanks to Gibbs and Chris for joining me on this wonderful ride. Special thanks to our wives, Heather and Stacy, for providing all the logistical support. Kudos to Motion Makers Bike Shop in Sylva for getting us ready for the trip. Shout out to Boone Bike & Touring for getting Gibbs going again. I hope everyone enjoyed the trip summary!
Heading out on the final day!
6,053' - Highest point on the BRP
Finished!
Day Five Stats:
Distance: 59.88 miles (476.44 total)
Ride Time: 4:19 (34:47 total)
Elevation Gain: 6,237′ (47,226′ total)
Garmin Data: http://connect.garmin.com/activity/10259834
Projected Profile:
Actual Profile:
