Below, note the large square objects by the Parkway - that's some really big mattresses of some sort that a couple of hikers have strapped to their backs. They were so big that the stiff breeze was pushing the walkers sideways.

Grandfather Mountain.

The Viaduct on the Blue Ridge Parkway is an engineering marvel, constructed to preserve the wild character of Grandfather Mountain.

Hawksbill Mountain, on the east side of Linville Gorge.

After taking the shot above, I surrendered to the increasing chill temps and turned the bike towards home - no more time for pix on this ride. After passing over the viaduct around Grandfather Mtn., I dropped down to Hwy. 221 - for years it was the road that connected the northern section of the Parkway with the southern half. The viaduct section was the last major portion of the Blue Ridge Parkway to be completed, and it might possibly be the most spectacular section as well.
Hwy. 221 is a super-twisty, seldom traveled stretch of highway that holds special memories for me. It was the final stretch of road in the Grandfather Mountain Marathon that I ran back in the 80s. The road race started at the track down in Boone at the Appalachian State University and ended at McRae Meadows at the foot of Grandfather Mountain. The finish was as exciting as any in any marathon that I ran. The last quarter mile or so passed through the site for the Highland Games, with bag pipers and Highland dancers lining the final lap around the track where the Games were held.

Summer winds down as color spreads over the mountain forests, with frost painting the meadows along the roads of the western Carolina mountains. It's time for another season of chill weather riding. We're lucky here in the southern highlands, in that we have ridable conditions nearly every week of the year.

Below, to round out the summer's riding, here's a shot that I ordered from Moonshine Photo - it's from a June ride on the Dragon.