8:30am Alleghany County mtns 53 miles, 5500' climbing

A Fourth of July ride on the cooler, quiet back roads in the mountains of Alleghany County, NC, about 2-1/2 hours from Chapel Hill. Bring your climbing legs and/or low gearing.

Route: https://ridewithgps.com/routes/51405316
**Note**: RWGPS is not updated to allow routing on the Blue Ridge Parkway from mileposts 229-241, which recently re-opened. At mile 16 of our ride, we will turn right on the Parkway, continuing to climb for 3 more miles (mp234-237, total climb 4.5mi.), to Air Bellows Gap, before returning to Mahogany Rock Rd and picking up the route again. RWGPS route shows 46 miles, total mileage will be 53 miles w/ BRP.

Park at Glade Creek Elementary School, corner of Glade Creek School and Glade Valley roads. Convenience store rest stop around elapsed mile 30 in downtown Sparta.

Planning for a B17-18 effort to yield 13mph, finishing around 1:30pm.

Optional post-ride lunch at Los Queretanos Taqueria/Tienda, a quarter-mile from the start/finish.

Backup rain date of July 5th, weather permitting.

Your responsibility as part of the group is to RSVP and supply your own cue sheet or download the GPS file.

It is Tarwheels policy for all riders to sign the ride waiver before coming out to the ride.
*** WAIVER *** http://tarwheels.net/ewaiver
MEMBERS need only do this ONCE a YEAR. NON-MEMBERS are required to do this before EACH RIDE, please consider becoming a member.
Please consult the Tarwheels website for Ride policies (http://tarwheels.net/wp/policies/) and the BikeWalkNC website for guidance on riding in pacelines. Group Bicycling Best Practices: Skills and Techniques (http://www.bikewalknc.org/group-bicycling-best-practices-skills-and-techniques/).