The Most Epic 1-Day Roadtrip Yet - NC>VA>TN>NC
Yesterday's drive covered 240 miles, burned up 8 hours, and may have been the most epic I've had to date. I met my Lance ('99 Miata) and Stew ('13 WRX) for breakfast at Cracker Barrel, in Boone, NC. Stew is currently between Miatas (and looking) but has been putting a lot of time and effort into his WRX, and it runs pretty well.
After breakfast, we went toward Jefferson, NC via NC 194, 3-Top Road and NC 88. We had a completely clear run on the twisty 3-Top Road, and it was so much fun I could have been happy calling it a day at that point.
Reaching Jefferson, we followed Old NC 16 beyond the point it crosses under the "new" 16, and made a brief side-trip to run ***** Road (I would rather this road not become well known). Then continued on Old 16 to Grassy Creek, Virginia. Old 16 is a mix of "racetrack" and "tarmac rally" pavement. As you near Virginia, the road gets narrower, and decidedly rougher. It is very challenging at a "spirited" pace, like we were running.
Somewhere off Old 16
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Old 16 runs out at VA 16. We followed VA 16 through Sugar Grove (past the creepy cave house) and Marion to Hungry Mother Park. Hungry Mother Park is the south end of the "Back of the Dragon", which is the area is hoping becomes a destination for sports cars and bikes. It's long and very curvy road, and should be driven with some caution, as the 10 MPH turns come up quickly and downhill. The Back of the Dragon crests three summits, but we turned off before reaching Tazewell, VA.
Back of the Dragon, near Marion, VA
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We took Road 601 (Freestone Valley Road) west toward Broadford, VA. This valley looks like time stopped many years ago, and it's very beautiful. From 601, we detoured briefly to follow the very narrow Tumbling Creek Road up through the gap, then doubled back over the mountain on VA 91 (Veterans Road). This portion of Veterans Road was incredible, and very little traveled as evidenced by some sort of fine dust on the first portion. The dust, which we were unable to see until it billowed up off the tires, made for a couple of seat-sucking moments into the first few corners. It felt like fine sand, but was invisible on the pavement.
Freestone Valley
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We rolled on down VA 91 to Saltville, where we managed to find the old grist mill with water wheel. Very cool. We had lunch in Saltville (a very historic town) before continuing west via Poor Valley Road. At lunch, Lance and Stew were very happy with the ride, and wondered if we would go home by retracing our path. I told them I had a quicker path in mind, so on the adventure went.
Poor Valley Road dead-ends into VA 80, at Hayters Gap - the road I had come to see. We waited in the shade building a large gap, and an older gentleman came down from his house (the last on the road) to see if we were alright. We chatted a bit, and he told me it was a great road, and the three miles to the summit, and two miles down the far side we would really like. I thanked him, and we started up the road (my phone mounted in Stew's car collecting video). WOW! What a road!! There was some fine gravel near the edge, so you had to drive a little closer to center. The road is sort of a mix between Shulls Mill Road, near Boone, NC and 226A, climbing to Little Switzerland. There are no houses, and almost no other cars. The corners come one after the other, for the most part. Certainly a Miata road. We did catch a pickup just before the bottom on the far side, but I was actually thankful for the brake cooling and adrenaline drain. The return trip was a bit more sedate, but a blast, too.
VA 80 south from Hayters Gap is a fun road the entire way to I-81, near Abingdon. Still coming down from the adrenaline, it was hard to appreciate how nice this road really is, as it snakes through valleys and farmland.
A stop for fuel in Abingdon, and we agreed to take a shorter route back, which led us through Damascus, and Backbone Rock. We stopped for a few photos at Backbone Rock, and stopped again at Shady Valley Store, in the middle of "The Snake" portion of US 421. If you haven't ever run the Snake, you should.
Backbone Rock
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After running most of the Snake, we stopped below the area known as "the playground" and watched the bikes making speed runs. It was pretty intense and entertaining. One rider asked why we moved behind our cars when he was braking into the corner. Yeah, umm, scared!
The Snake
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It was quite a fun day. One of those that I will spend a long time trying to match, kind of like shooting your personal best round of golf. I place it up there with my first trip to Miatas at the Gap, and my first run through the Snake.
