I left my place at about 9:30 planning on starting my 48 peaks in 48 weeks trip. Today my goal was Clingmans Dome, the highest point in Tennessee. I left my place to an absolutely beautiful thanksgiving morning. It was probably 50 degrees and the sky was a bright blue and I was excited.After getting gas I took my normal 15 mile back road to the blue ridge parkway where I would ride south to the Cherokee area. The bad news is that they close the blue ridge when it snows. No one ever told me that. Not to be defeated I made a u-turn and headed to Cherokee the boring way. Cruising about 60-65 miles an hour the air felt great, more like a spring day than late fall. Exiting for Cherokee I weave my way through the tourist trap of a town and head for the smokey mountain park. In general I like this road but have some very mixed emotions about it. It is a beautiful drive as you follow the twists and turns of the creek that runs next to the road for several miles before starting our gradual climb towards the Tennessee border. But it is usually flooded with lookyloos meandering and pointing at trees as their brake lights flicker around ever small bend in the road. This annoys me because of my propensity for taking the turns kind of fast. I was rationalizing today would be different because of the Holiday. While it was still not tourist free, it was much better than normal.
The stream that wanders next to me that usually leads me into the cave of leaves and lush growth now lazily points me toward an empty shell of the normally green forest. Tiny waterfalls and mountain spill offs that are not present in the middle of summer, split the hillside in random spots. Stopping to take a picture I realize that a lot of the folks in cars think I am crazy to be riding. The look on their face as they pass me is all of the assurance I need of this fact. Oh well it is not the first, and probably wont be the last time i am though of like that. Walking on a narrow semi-muddy path down to the creek I cant help but notice how thick the moss is on the stones. 
I begin wondering if it has always been this thick but the normal green leaves distract me from tiny growth on the rocks.I hop back on the bike and catch up with the slower traffic within a matter of seconds. Winding up the mountain i suddenly become thankful for the cars in front of me. Without them I would probably have been going to fast when I hit the first patch of salt placed on the road to make the snow melt. As the elevation raises the temperatures drop quickly and the wind picks up. Knowing that I have to deal with only 5 or 6 miles of the semi wet, gravel covered roads I press on wishing that I would have put on my heavier gloves at the last stop.
With the leaves missing from the trees you can see for probably a hundred miles on a day as clear as this. Mountain ranges stretch out before me creating green valleys with white side. The colors are a gradient of green to white as you look at them from top to bottom. Looking hard enough you can see a small patch of red or yellow that has refused to give way to mother nature and let go of their nutritional source for the year.
I stop at an overlook where kids and adults playfully join together and build tiny anorexic snowmen, and toss loosely packed balls of snow at each other. Pulling into the parking lot I get hit in the helmet by an errant snowball from a kid that finds it funny, and a parent that laughs equally hard. Without the tiniest bit of an apology i continue to a parking spot and dismount. I talk to a few people about the roads ahead and find out I should be fine. Settling in on a dry bench I take in a breath of the fresh cool air and relax and stare off at the scenery. With the leaves gone I can see the winding ribbon of a road that led me to this lookout.
Saddling up and putting on the heavier gloves this time I slide on the gravel as I approach the first of the peaks I hope to see in a year. About a mile before the turn that will lead me up to the infamous UFO shaped lookout an orange sign tells me that the road and the pathway to the lookout are closed for construction. None the less I stop at the pull off and snap a few pictures of the snow capped mountains, and icicles. More people of all ages play with the snow acting like tiny children in their first ever witnessed snow covering . It was a sight to see though. A lot of laughter and light hearts.
I slowly pull my bike off of the snow covering and slide the back tire onto the road to head back down the same side of the mountain. Knowing I was in for some slick spots I slowed my own pace and tried to focus on the roads. Once the temperature pickup again I relaxed and picked up my pace again and my normal riding smile took hold. At the bottom of the mountain I saw a sign for an old mill and decided to stop in since I am so found of Mabry Mill in southern Va off of the blue ridge. I take the small leaf covered path back to the mill and snap a few pictures. I find a nice bench that is being covered in sunlight and read the first picture of my book. I look up occasionally to see the water way that carries the water into the mill that is still fully functional and serving cornmeal, and flour. Kind of neat to see. Water flows over the sides in spots creating a man made waterfalls that have smoothed the pebbles below to a nice smooth shine. I walk inside and talk to the ranger about the history of the mill patiently for about 15 minutes before I manage to escape. Walking back o the bike I think how great of a day this has been and decide my way home.
Being the way I am I cant take the same way back as I came so I decide to take route 19 over into Maggie valley and then waynesville. The stretch of road between Cherokee and Maggie is nice and curvy. I pass the casino, in Cherokee and remark to myself on how much this town grows every time i get here. Newer hotels, always more additions to the casino, and just more signs and tourist shops. Twisting over the mountain i enjoy the last few curves I will be riding for the day. My gas light comes on and I know I can make it home and relax.
Before hitting the couch at my apartment I fill up and grab a drink. Not the best day of riding i have ever had. But the roads were good, and the scenery was great, especially when the green faded into white. 125 miles to add on tho my contest with ed - which started today. Roads twisting, and diving, even though they were covered with salt, and ene some snow and ice at times.
Happy turkeyday ya'll
