Mt. Pisgah, North Carolina

A visit overdue, i made plans with my parents to meet them somewhere for a bike trip. My father, the avid biker, chose Mt. Pisgah for our meeting place. Mt. Pisgah is just 26 miles south of Asheville, part of the Blue Ridge Parkway. Close to Mt. Mitchell, the highest point east of the Mississippi river, Pisgah offers an incredible summit view.

Our campground was at the top, with trails, a camp store and cabins. We met around noon and decided to take a test bike ride. we rode away from Asheville for a few miles. Dad and i stopped to watch artist, Scott Boyle finish a beautiful painting of Cold Mountain the views were great, and being mostly downhill...at least until we turned back to camp, it was a day of easy riding.

the bike trip started early in the morning. The clouds were low, and the mountains looked like a postcard. since we were at the top, it was easy to get very fast. I quickly regretted not bringing a helmet while flying down the mountain at such high velocity. It was great! The trip had a few uphill sections, and we made 26 mile journey in approximately 2 1/2 hours! We visited the Folk Art Center in Asheville. It has great examples of Appalachian crafts. Mom, of course, was interested in the quilts. I studied the pottery, and Dad was anxious to get back on the trail. He knew we were in for a long trip home.

the trip back to the camp took the rest of the day! There were very few downhill sections. I quickly learned why bikers choose light bicycles and don't carry backpacks full of art supplies. We were lucky to have a light rain to keep us cool the entire uphill climb. the rain only got worse. after sleeping through a steady downpour, we all woke up and quickly packed up to drive down the mountain and into the sunshine. It was a great trip!