Tobacco Road Harley-Davidson recently led a group of eager riders on an old-school motorcycle camping trip to the Blue Ridge Parkway. The ride left the Raleigh, NC dealership Friday afternoon and headed off to the High Country Motorcycle Campground in Ferguson, NC. Riders set up their tents, enjoyed some burgers, and rested up for the long day of riding ahead. Saturday, the crew rode on to Little Switzerland for lunch before dropping onto the Diamondback. After crushing the serpent, it was a wet ride back to camp for a delicious round of tacos. Unfortunately, the rain appeared to follow as we had quite the downpour and were forced to seek any dry refuge we could for both ourselves and our meals. Eventually, the storm did pass and it was back to the tents for the night. The next morning the group went their ways with some deciding to stay in the mountains an extra night to enjoy the Fourth of July holiday and others rode on back to Raleigh.
Around 3 pm Friday, July 1st, it was a pretty standard packed parking lot at Tobacco Road Harley-Davidson of Raleigh. However, there were about a dozen bikes that stood out from the rest. It was pretty clear who was about to head to the Blue Ridge based on the assortment of bungee straps and extra gear attached to their rides. As the remaining riders rolled in, everyone began to get acquainted with their fellow members of the party. Riders talked about gear, motorcycles, and their experience until about 3:30 when the pre-ride meeting began. Mark Hendrix, General Manager of Tobacco Road Harley-Davidson, and the ride leader introduced himself and began going over the route and the road rules. Once everyone was on the same page about what to expect, it was kickstands up, and off to the mountains.
The ride to Ferguson, NC was surprisingly uneventful for a Friday afternoon before the Fourth of July. The worst traffic was getting out of Raleigh and getting through Greensboro but all things considered, we were able to keep moving at a good pace. The most exciting part was trying to avoid the massive rain storms just to the South of us. Somehow we managed to avoid getting into any rain Friday despite the ominous thunderheads all around. We made our first gas stop outside of Siler City and our next stop at the Valero outside Wilkesboro. Here, we topped off our tanks to give us one less thing to worry about Saturday. On the final stretch to the campground, we got one of our first views of the mountains. Between the setting sun and the mountains in the background, the picturesque riding was the perfect prelude to the views ahead. We got our first taste of mountain riding on the small country road that connects the highway to the campground. That 9-mile stretch of pavement stays pretty gnarly and lets riders learn the type of riding to expect on the Run to the Ridge.
Once we had all passed through the first test, the final left turned the road into
gravel and we were riding into the large open field of the High Country Motorcycle campground. Through the dust kicked up by the riders ahead, I could see the Tobacco Road tent and our communal area already set up. The advance team (Jerry) had everything already unloaded and unpacked so we could get started on dinner. But with the setting sun, we all went ahead and started setting up our tents and hammocks. Everyone spread out and sought after what they thought was the best piece of real estate. As I drove the last stake in for my hammock’s rainfly, I realized I had unknowingly set up between the exact two trees I had claimed on the last Run to the Ridge. With the hammock jungle established on the top hill, we headed down to help set up the communal area. Lights were strung, burgers were grilled, and people were able to relax. The campfire was lit and riders swapped stories around the crackling orange glow before heading to their tents for the night.
After a warm night in the hammock, Saturday was started with warm pancakes and hot coffee. As the camp slowly began to stir, we were slinging hot cakes, waffles, bagels, and coffee for those fueling up before the ride. One by one, bikes began to line up as we prepared to take on the Blue Ridge Parkway. Then, from all corners of the campsite, you could hear the distinct sound that could only be a group of Harley-Davidsons, and one Honda, starting up and rolling out. We aggressively attacked the turns between us and the highway, then after a quick trip down the 4 lanes, we found ourselves on the Blue Ridge Parkway. Traffic wasn’t bad and the weather was perfect as we followed the gentle swoops of the road. We made a quick stop at an overlook for a group photo. From our vantage point, you could see the mountains for miles and miles.
