I'll be in Asheville week after next with the family and am planning on getting a ride on on Monday the 26th. @Harold posted in another thread about ride start times and the random summer storms in the mountains. I am excited as I am renting a Transition Scout, which is on my next bike shortlist, but I don't have a viable option to pick it up or drop it off other than the ride day. This means I am stuck on the shop schedule and they don't open until 10.
This puts two issues in play: crowds and weather. The crowds are what they are and I am hoping being a Monday makes it manageable but the weather is out of my hands. I was in Rocky Mountain National Park last summer and was shocked to see how many people were starting their hikes as I was finishing up a 10 mile out and back just under 13k summit at 11:30ish AM. The clouds were already rolling in and most of the hike was above the tree line. It was not a place I would want to be in any kind of weather.
My two plans of attack now are Trail Ridge if solo or Dupont, targeting Ridgeline, if a friend from Charlotte comes by. For the locals, how bad is the late start time going to be for either of those two places? Any alternative suggestions would be great as well. I need to have the bike back to Brevard around 5ish so with drive time I only really have ~5 hours for a ride.
Thanks!
This puts two issues in play: crowds and weather. The crowds are what they are and I am hoping being a Monday makes it manageable but the weather is out of my hands. I was in Rocky Mountain National Park last summer and was shocked to see how many people were starting their hikes as I was finishing up a 10 mile out and back just under 13k summit at 11:30ish AM. The clouds were already rolling in and most of the hike was above the tree line. It was not a place I would want to be in any kind of weather.
My two plans of attack now are Trail Ridge if solo or Dupont, targeting Ridgeline, if a friend from Charlotte comes by. For the locals, how bad is the late start time going to be for either of those two places? Any alternative suggestions would be great as well. I need to have the bike back to Brevard around 5ish so with drive time I only really have ~5 hours for a ride.
Thanks!