RC79NC001 Posted February 3, 2021 Share Posted February 3, 2021 May 28, 2018 Revised Feb 2021 Quiet Contemplation... It was a beautiful place, a thick canopy of trees, the still languid quiet afforded by rain that had already fallen . Hard to imagine this natural cathedral was on a public road, not any road, The Blue Ridge Parkway to be more precise. The side of the road where I had stopped, welcoming as it was, did not qualify as a designated parking area. Like so much of life, this moment of quiet and stillness passed quickly. It would be the final act of a 4 act play . Act 1; Thunder Ridge via Haro Extreme 1992 In 1992 I was a flat lander living in Fort Lauderdale with my pretty wife. Having grown up in the foothills of the Appalachians, South Florida's lack of hills ( and curves ) was appalling. My boss assigned me to a project in Lynchburg VA and I ended up spending most of the year there. Lynchburg is appropriately nicknamed the Hill City and is close to the Blue Ridge Parkway (Bonus) . At the time, I rode my new Haro Extreme Mtn Bike everywhere. Getting to attack hills in Lynchburg was a welcome change of pace. My first ride on the BRP was astride the Haro. I parked my car at the James River Parking Lot, pulled out the bike, flipped a coin, started pedaling South, and within a mile began climbing ( unbeknownst to me at the time) to one of the highest points on the parkway. The descent back down to the River was exhilarating, tucked in tight at over 45 mph, knobby tires growling like a jeep, with only 2 millimetres of spandex between me and disaster. Like a magnet to iron, my strong attraction to this place had begun. Act 2; Restraint in the eyes of old age and preservation Present Day, I’m aboard my Honda VFR on a training ride. The ride includes enjoying the portion of the Parkway between VA Hwy 8 and VA 501 near Big Island VA. Then it’s on to Lynchburg and the meander back home. It’s a “training ride” because in a few weeks the VFR and I are off on the epic ride to Cali but, for now let’s get some miles in and if it rains occasionally that’s fine too.. The BRP speed limit is 45 but, I’m not doing that...not crazy like 100 but, more like 60. I know that The US Park Rangers are out there randomly with radar and write tickets so, the 45 mph limit is being discretely bruised. I’m coming down Thunder Ridge ( as described in Act 1 ) the road is damp and I’m not sure if it’s the “good” damp from a thorough washing or the “bad” damp from just enough moisture to make it greasy . I’m being cautious and 50 mph is fine. Ahead In the distance around a few corners I can see a Corvette traveling slower than me. As I draw closer to the Corvette it bellows, squats and accelerates away in a fine display of American firepower. My 61 year old self is content to enjoy the show ( Hey I like Corvettes and this is a New Gen 7 dark green ZO6... ) but, the Corvette driver wants to play and slows down to a sub 45 pace. What to do ? The road is wet, there are lots of blind corners, and my long game is to sleep in my bed at home tonight. An adrenaline charged round of cat and mouse with a potent car on this slick road is out. The Corvette slows and pulls off at an overlook. I know this game, better to be the pursuer than the pursuee. I pull off too . We could have paused the aggression ,dismounted , taken a break and talked but not today. The Corvette almost immediately pulls back onto the parkway and continues it’s descent. I wait 5 more minutes before resuming the ride. Old age and low T has it’s benefits sometime. Act 3; You may be older but, you are never too old to be a dumb ass... The Corvette problem seemingly alleviated, I continue to drop down Thunder Ridge heading north. My turn off is getting closer ( to Big Island VA ) so my brain is thinking about my history with this portion of the Parkway. When it’s dry the drop down the ridge is a hoot. It’s also a time for a bit of self congratulation. “Great job fella, your inaction against that uber-engined muscle car was the right thing to do...well done”. Well, as it turned out, there was still plenty of time to screw things up. Now I’m catching a guy on a dual sport motorcycle going slower than my desired pace. He’s prudently adhering to the speed limit and that’s just not going to do. The road straightens a bit , I zoom past ...and immediately notice a white SUV on an adjacent road. Of course the SUV proceeds to pull onto the Parkway and turn on blue lights....for me. Act 4; But officer I was only.... Mentally all of us go through the moment we see the blue lights in the mirror. Denial, guilt and also just DOH ! I’m slowing down deciding where to pull over since it’s going to be on the grass and it’s wet. I stop, kill the engine, take the key out of the ignition and slowly take off my helmet and ear plugs. The officer is out of his vehicle and behind my motorcycle. He’s asking for my driver’s license and I explain it’s in my wallet inside the small dry bag strapped to the rear seat. My motion is slow and deliberate, although I’m not feeling any tension. The officer takes my license and proceeds to check my credentials with the database. I can get a good look at him, early 30’s maybe, a beard. Body Camera. I didn’t notice a gun. “You passed that motorcycle on a double line” he said. He was right. I said that the dual sport rider was accommodating me by pulling to the right. It was a good day for me. I didn’t get a citation. Or shot. The Officer was calm and polite. There are many places these days where the result is different. Leaving me, alone on the side of the Blue Ridge Parkway in a moment of quiet contemplation. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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