Deals Gap and Back tour | GTAMotorcycle.com

Deals Gap and Back tour

Adli

Adli

Well-known member
Ive got another week and a half before work starts, and im put together a road trip from here, down the skyline, down Blue Ridge Parkway, over to Deals Gap, and then hit the slab back up to Canada...

going to be 4-5 days total,

Day 1: Uxbridge, ON to Fort Royal, VA (start of skyline)
Day 2: Skyline Drive to Blowing Rock, NC
Day 3: Pass Through Deals Gap - to Newport, KY (Might shorten spend time at the gap)
Day 4-5: Head back to Canada

I will be starting each day about 8-9am and ending at 6-7, plenty of breaks in between.

I was going to camp the whole trip, until I realized 80% of the campground don’t open till May, so Super 8 will have to do...

Weather looks alright, the worst will be on the way down and on the way back...

Any input or suggestions are welcome!
Cheers,
A
 
When you going?
 
I'd go tomorrow. Just for kicks.
 
I'm there 29-6
 
Here's a ride report with some info you may find handy: http://www.advrider.com/forums/showthread.php?t=623927 and read up / do a search on ADVrider for a wealth of information.

Sounds like a fun trip! Aside from the slab, some of the roads you are going to be on are simply too twisty to maintain high speeds for the entire day, not to mention that the speed limits are reduced along the skyline Drive (35mph) and BRP (45-55mph) - so plan your mileage accordingly on twisty roads - (ie 500 miles can be a long, long day - if you plan on taking breaks).

Perhaps think about getting yourself a crampbuster or some sort of throttle device to ease the wrist strain from doing long days on the bike. Especially if you are planning on taking slab all the way home.

If you have a little bit of extra time heading to Skyline Drive, the ride south along parts of the US219 is nice. Allow extra time for border crossings each way. Gas up before you park for the night, so you can wake and ride for a tank before eating and taking first break.

Ride safe and hope your trip is great!
 
excellent advice right there.
shanekingsley said:
Here's a ride report with some info you may find handy: http://www.advrider.com/forums/showthread.php?t=623927 and read up / do a search on ADVrider for a wealth of information.

Sounds like a fun trip! Aside from the slab, some of the roads you are going to be on are simply too twisty to maintain high speeds for the entire day, not to mention that the speed limits are reduced along the skyline Drive (35mph) and BRP (45-55mph) - so plan your mileage accordingly on twisty roads - (ie 500 miles can be a long, long day - if you plan on taking breaks).

Perhaps think about getting yourself a crampbuster or some sort of throttle device to ease the wrist strain from doing long days on the bike. Especially if you are planning on taking slab all the way home.

If you have a little bit of extra time heading to Skyline Drive, the ride south along parts of the US219 is nice. Allow extra time for border crossings each way. Gas up before you park for the night, so you can wake and ride for a tank before eating and taking first break.

Ride safe and hope your trip is great!
Click to expand...
 
Awesome Advice guys,

Just finished moving out of my house at school, moving back tonight, so im planning on leaving either Sunday or Monday.. still gotta do some maintenence.

Yea i was reading about those wrist supports, its definitly a good idea.
Just picked up a FrogTogg Rain suit ($26 at Royal!! the "duck" model) and a 12v Adapter kit.

looks like Deals Gaps going to see partly cloudy, mid-20's for the next little while, but theres a big system on the Atlantic states, hope it doesnt **** me.

Anyone is welcome to come, wouldn't mind..

Still need to get:
-Tire repair kit
-collapsible jerry can (Extra fuel cant hurt)
...ear plugs..

I used Microsoft streets and trips to do the planning, so it should take into account the speed limits.. i have it set on driving at average or slightly faster per the speed limit.

~3200km round trip. should be fun.
Thanks for your input and suggestions.

Cheers,
A
 
Five days should be a good amount of time, I'll be doing the same thing in a couple months time. I wouldn't make firm plans for hotels as weather and fatigue can quickly change your daily mileage and destination. Make sure to layer your clothing so you can be as warm as possible, the air is much much colder in the mountains at high elevation compared to sea level. Just think of how cold it is in Toronto right now at 600 ft above, imagine how cold it's going to be at 6000ft above.

My plan would be three days to get there, three quarters of the day riding the roads and then hit the slab and knock off 4-500km, day five all slab and you're home at a decent time.

I'd skip the jerry can, if your bike can do 300km to a tank you've got nothing to worry about. Just be sure to fill up before Skyline Dr as there is only one gas station that is likely closed, BRP has many turn offs to get gas
 
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Adli said:
Day 1: Uxbridge, ON to Front Royal, VA (start of skyline)
Day 2: Skyline Drive to Blowing Rock, NC
Day 3: Pass Through Deals Gap - to Newport, KY (Might shorten spend time at the gap)
Day 4-5: Head back to Canada

I will be starting each day about 8-9am and ending at 6-7, plenty of breaks in between.

I was going to camp the whole trip, until I realized 80% of the campground don’t open till May, so Super 8 will have to do...
A
Click to expand...

I usually suggest Luray Cavens http://www.luraycaverns.com which is only 25 miles further south from Front Royal.. I camp at http://www.countrywaye.com/ then go to the first tour of the morning at the caves.. 9 am iirc.
the campground is very clean .. and the caves are something you shouldn't miss imho

oh,, via Skyline it is about 45 miles further.. about 70-90 mins more, and you would want to arrive there before the sunsets.
It usually takes me 9 hrs to get to Front Royal from Cambridge.. and the extra miles from Uxbridge will add some time too.. which would make for a long first day. I leave very early to beat the traffic to the border,, and after that I have never had to worry about traffic.
hth
 
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This looks like a great ride down.
I've been twice this year but we put the bikes on a trailer.
I have a week off in May starting the 12th
would love to look at this further.

Shane pm
 
I rode back with a friend last year up the blue ridge parkway. We left the tree tops resort http://www.thetreetops.com/ about 10am and arrived in Willville about 5 or 6 that night to stay at http://www.willvillebikecamp.com/. It was a great Day of riding, The BRP was awesome, although looking to your right and realizing you had 10 feet of runoff then a long drop was a sobering reminder to take care. Your not going to cover a lot of distance so plan accordingly. We were moving along above the limit for most of our ride and were wiped by the time we hit Willeville.

I slabbed it from Willeville to meet the wife up in PA that afternoon so I missed the rest of the Parkway and skyline, hopefully this year I'll do it.
 
Here's my input for your trip: http://www.advrider.com/forums/showthread.php?t=606499

It's a real biatch to get to Front Royal through Pennsylvania since there isn't a road that takes you straight there. The ride from Front Royal along the Skyline is a slow one and it's best to obey the speed limit because the cops in that area need the revenue badly (this I gleened from people that live in the area). It will take you a long time to get to Blowing Rock so you may want to plan an alternative somewhere in or just after Roanoke.

The Skyline-BRP doesn't look very long but all the stops will add up, and you will be stopping often.
 
Another trip I would love to do. I am in Ottawa but could do the same route essentially just with long first and last days.

If anyone wants to do it later in the summer keep us informed, I may join!
 
Hey Adli

Just wondering, how was your trip went? I'm planning to do a similar trip at the end of June.
 
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