BIKER BABES 2012

The Biker Babes are back on the road.  Since it's been a year, I should remind you that I am NOT a Biker Babe.   I am a Biker Babe Sherpant.  As is Sandy.   The 4 Biker Babes are Beth, Annie, Mary Dudley, and Jackie.  They are riding the entire length of the Blue Ridge Parkway, one segment at a time.  We are now on their second to last segment.  We finish this up next fall.

Tonight we start where we left off last year. . . .At a hotel/resort called Little Switzerland on the Blue Ridge Parkway north of Asheville, NC.  This is the greatest place.  The rooms are huge, the view spectacular, and as sherpants, the Biker Babes insist on paying all the bills.  What's not to like about this deal?

I awoke at home at 5:45 this morning and was at Sandy's by 6:45.  We then drove to Jackie's where we got into the two cars and headed south to North Carolina.  We're driving Beth's Subaru, and Mary Dudley's Forrester.  The only issue is that MD's car is stick shift.  Sandy, who is brave enough to walk the Appalachian Trail for 10 days by herself at the age of 70, and to go into the jungles of Uganda to see the gorillas at 71, is too chicken to attempt to relearn driving stick shift.  So since it has only been 35 years since I drove stick shift. . . I got the job.  And to be honest it came back to me in a heartbeat.   Although today when we got into the mountains it was quite a challenge.  I anticipate being better at it tomorrow.

We dropped the Babes off on the Parkway about 15 miles south of Little Switzerland and they rode north to where we are staying.   Sandy and I drove to Crabtree Falls where we took a 1.5 mile hike to the falls and then 1.5 miles back.  It was all downhill to the falls, and all uphill on the way back.  So a great workout.  The falls were fabulous.  The weather crystal clear and in the mid 60's.  Saw some color in the leaves in Virginia, but down here, not so much yet.    With our hike we arrived at  Little Switzerland right about the time the BB's arrived.  They had brought dinner.   We drank wine and ate dinner on the deck overlooking the mountains.   A year ago when we stayed in this same unit, the weather was so misty and foggy that we barely knew there was a view.  What a treat to be able to come back!   After dinner we donned out bathing suits and braved the cold to walk the 150 yards or so to the hot tubs.  Quite a few guests were amazed that anyone would be in the hot tubs in this cold weather.  And then Sandy and MD went in the pool!  God knows how cold that was.  Sandy is heartier than I am!

So we're back in the room settling in for the night.  Tomorrow. .. Mount Mitchell!   Who in their right mind would want to bike Mount Mitchell.  Well. . . there are 4 women in the next room that are going to give it a shot tomorrow. Glad it's them and not me.

Crabtree Falls!