The goal today was climbing, and we got it, with about 7k total feet in about 3 hours! The ride started with a steady climb up Elk Mountain, then we dropped down Ox Creek and headed to Barnardsville and Dillingham. This is when I started to look for a spot to get water. Unfortunately Sunday's aren't a great time to be looking for open stores in rural WNC! I figured I'd just get by until we saw a BP just before we started our ascent to the BRP. I wanted a drink and an oatmeal cream pie (kind of a tradition when I climb up to the Parkway). No luck on this front, but when I asked the clerk if he had any, he just pointed to a basket of Twinkies and Ding Dongs and said 'we got those'. I said 'oh well', he said 'They're FREE', we said 'THANK YOU' as we shoved a couple into our pockets. OK, so Twinkies aren't Paleo, but seriously how can you refuse one of these for free on a Sunday. I think it may have been a sign from God telling me to take one, so I did OK?However I worked on my delayed gratification and decided to wait until Craggy Gardens (the top of our climb) before I indulged in the heavenly cakey goodness. The climb started benignly enough with a steady, paved false flat, and then the road abruptly ended and turned to rocky service road, before turning into a tree-strewn, gated-off steep portion. It seemed fun enough, until about 45 minutes later when we were STILL CLIMBING. It wasn't the grade, or even the length, but the fact that you just had to grind it out on the rocky, dirt surface for such an extended period of time. I can tell you that the reward at the top was worth it though . . .
Best Twinkie EverEric and I dropped back down to Asheville on the Blue Ridge Parkway and headed home for beers and some good food with friends in front of Paris Roubaix as we watch Fabulous crush all comers. I hope you got to enjoy a great ride and the storming performance as well!
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