Richland Rd alone?

I am in Blowing Rock for a few days & was hoping to do some bike riding on the Blue Ridge Parkway. However the weather is not cooperating this week. Is Richland Rd an easy enough trail/road to do alone. Not worried about getting lost more concerned with any difficult areas that could get me in trouble. I have some experience wheeling & I have recovery gear with me. It has been raining since Saturday & we had some snow last night & this morning, nothing laying on the ground just makes it wet & muddy. Which being muddy makes me more concerned. My FJ is pretty much stock.

Of coarse if there is anyone who would like to go out tomorrow 4-24-12 with me, my daughter, & her future husband let me know. Haven't set any definate plans that we are going.

Wheeling alone really isnt advised but for the most part its just a forest service road. The stuff that can get you in trouble is off to the side if I remember correctly!

Thanks that is what I thought but if its just a forest rd I wouldn't be concerned, I don't want to get out there somewhere where there isn't any other traffic & on some trail that is challenging.

Yep. Darklight ran it in his stock 4Runner. If you have a winch, you'll be fine (you won't need it unless you illegally venture off the trail).

It is simple enough. I would take it alone if noone else was with me.

No wench, I have the manual version, a come a long & 2 recovery straps. But I don't go off the the trail unless its a mistake. Thanks all.

I dunno it might be more exciting if you can find a wench to bring along with you.

pun humor rocks!

If you start from the bottom (Lenoir end), this isn't the first creek crossing but it's not too far from the beginning. You'll want someone to spot you straddling that crevice, OR steer to the right of it. You can always head down from the top and turn around once you feel like you can't go any further. No big mudholes to get stuck in or anything. I've considered running it by ourselves since we head to Boone a lot and I've been jonesing for some 4WD action this year.

Option 1, straddling.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-3ywM2uWlBk

I don't have any videos uploaded of people doing it to the right side, but here's one of a 4Runner w/ no lockers doing it somewhat in the middle. Don't worry, everything looks worse when he's doing it and he was fine!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZKmuWoDnHKA

You can also just take the bridge over that creek.......

So it looks like Richland Rd would require a spotter I can trust. I was not sure what to expect. Some fire roads I have been on were much smoother trails. I think I will let this one go until I can either run it with a group of guys from here or at min have my spotter (my wife) whom I can trust to guide me over anything. Thanks for the u-tube video link. I am not sure my daughter would even want to do this. More of a city/mall crawler girl.

SOOOO WHEN IS THE NEXT RICHLAND RD WEEK DAY TRIP!!!!! I work most weekends & I know most of you work during the week. Some day we will get together.

Yesterday I was out on Sampson Rd which is the top of the mountian end of Richland Rd, next time any of you are out there you need to find State View Rd. Go to the top & check out the view. Not only can you see where you just were, but you can see for miles. Very nice view.

Honestly you can do Richland Rd alone. The creek you can bypass using the bridge and 95% of the rest is dirt road. There are rougher spots, but it is easy. There is one hill towards the beginning that looks bad, just stay to the right side. A rock here or there, but nothing really. A second person to do basic spotting would be fine.

I would go mid week though once June rolls around.

I haven't used any sick days yet this year.......

Mid week in June might be a good time for a run. I am usually off Mon- Thur.

dsbike wrote:

Mid week in June might be a good time for a run. I am usually off Mon- Thur.

I will join you if it is the 18th-21st.

This should work for me as of now. The Wife, I am sure would like to go. Won't know her schedule until mid May. I would like to camp up on the Parkway for a night or 2 if there is any other interest. Price Park has a nice campground & there is a nice stocked lake for anyone who likes to fish. It is about 5 miles south of Blowing Rock. Of course I am open to free camping out in the woods also. National Forest are free to camp anywhere that is at least 25 or 50 feet from any road & not marked "No Camping"

Never a good idea to do a trail alone. You never know what or WHO you will run into out there....and you do not want to get stuck in a bad situation.

You will be all good alone just bring a spare fully charged battery and a pistol or rifle. It is really pretty safe up here in the woods. There will always be a crazy or two in town, very rare you'll run into one in the woods. But bring your gun in case of the worst case scenario. The wife and I have done a ton of remote camping always really nice.