Jackie and Wayne rode this route on July 17 seeking a way to get from home to the Hotel Floyd on small backroads.
Jackie and Wayne rode this route on July 23, 2021 seeking a way to cover the distance without getting on major roads. It went well overall. The area around Greenville, TN needs some work.
From Wayne's house, west on US 74 to the NC 28 junction then on to the Dragon at Deal's Gap. A run out the Dragon to the Calderwood Dam overlook, then drop down US 129 into Robbinsville to deliver maps to The HUB. Most direct route home from the restaurant.
Jackie's going to knock off early on Thursday. We'll leave for the Snowbird Lodge in the afternoon. The more time we have, the more varied the ride out as it's only 1.5 hours to the lodge. There's time to meander and enjoy some twists.
The lodge provides dinner, usually 3 entrees to choose from, and the bar is well stocked with good wines. We'll spend a warm night on the porches or a cold one by the fireplace. The lodge provides breakfast, and will pack you a picnic lunch.
The next day is for riding back east to home. I've chosen a southern route that takes us on several of our favorite twisty back roads, then through the waterfalls on US 64. There several lunch options to choose from along the way. I've included a new road to evaluate which bypasses Highlands, NC if we choose to take the time. Arrival home in Waynesville late afternoon.
Exploring the unpaved roads and a few others on the west side of Lake Jocassee. I need to ride one section of Horse Pasture Road on the east side of the lake, and verify another road does not go through which eats up a lot of time. With the short winter days I'll probably get about 3-4 hours of decent exploring time.
Explore the roads on the west side of Lake Jocassee making a complete pass through from north to south.
Mount Evans Scenic Byway:
The route begins at Idaho Springs, where it heads southwest away from the center of the city and follows the Chicago Creek. After exiting the city, the route begins climbing in elevation, ultimately reaching an elevation of about 10,000 feet,[2] where it meets State Highway 5, at Echo Lake Park. Together with Highway 5, the route to this point forms the Mount Evans Scenic Byway,[3] the highest paved road in North America. Then the route continues through Squaw Pass, along the upper end of Echo Mountain Ski Area and on to its terminus at County Route 151. Past this point, the highway is not marked by CDOT, but the rest of what is called Squaw Pass Road descends toward Evergreen