Riding the Diamondback to Little Switzerland
Day 3: Fancy Gap – Little Switzerland (245 km)
When people ask us how our trip along the BRP went, we may end up having to say that we should have brought a canoe instead!
It was raining this morning, but we were better prepared today. In addition to my new rain pants, Angela had pre-staged her three(!) pair of gloves so that she could change from one to another like F1 pit crews change tires whenever we stopped.
Hopeful that the rain would eventually stop, we headed out. While we saw virtually no fog today, the rain was steady, moderate and relentless. After two hours, a short prayer and a long rest stop at a ranger station, the rain finally let up, and the rest of the ride was far more pleasant as the sun came out and the roads, and ourselves, began to dry. Somewhere along the way, we also managed to cross into North Carolina.
And with the sun came an increased appreciation for the stunning scenery that surrounded us. Winding along the mountain range, we were amazed by the never-ending kaleidoscope of colours, and every now and then we had panoramic views that demonstrated why this route is so popular.
We managed to see several more deer, a rafter of wild turkeys and a bunch more marsupial roadkill.
We finished the day arriving in the early afternoon in Little Switzerland, where we found a café that served some awesome tomato basil soup and hot apple cider. Well, we thought that we had finished the day. As we were leaving the restaurant, we discovered that state highway 266A, which runs through Little Switzerland, is actually a 200 curve 17 mile loop called the Diamondback, and is very popular among sports car drivers and motorcyclists. Well, we couldn’t just ignore that, now could we?
35 minutes later we were back where we started, and pulling into our accommodations for the night, thankful to have enjoyed the route and ready to relax.
Angela found us a mountainside inn, and the view from the humble room is stunning. Apparently, the window faces the sunrise, and we don’t even have to get out of bed to enjoy it. Not sure we’ll like that so much, but we suppose if we get to bed early tonight it won’t be so bad.
