Off-Road Assault on Mount Mitchell

[mmeiser]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Assault_on_Mount_Mitchell

102 miles, 11,000+ vertical footage.  Sounds like fun.  All I want to know is does anyone have the GPX or route info for this!? 

Seriously, I don't race, but I want to ride this route. My kind of fun.

[mmeiser]

Found the website: http://www.blueridgeadventures.net/oramm/

Shoot... offroad is only 63 miles, but still has 11k vertical feet of climbing

It's no leadville, but it still sounds awesome and more importantly it's in the East.

Stumbled on it while doing blue ridge parkway research. Almost certainly unrideable in January, but I'll probably ride / hike-a-bike up Mitchell's park roads while I'm down there anyway. Snow makes everything more fun.

[6thElement]

I was supposed to do the race this summer, crashing while DHing in Whistler meant I didn't ride all summer 

Here's someones GPS: http://connect.garmin.com/activity/41856103 you'll notice it doesn't actually climb Mitchell.

If you're riding down the Parkway you'll be able to take 128 to the top. Funnily enough I was catching up on my crazyguy bookmarks yesterday and I'd got this one in them, it might have some useful info in there for you:
http://www.crazyguyonabike.com/doc/?o=RrzKj&doc_id=7728&v=So

[mmeiser]

@6thElement: I thought I looked through all the crazyguy BRP trips, I guess I need to dig deeper. It strikes me as I look through their pics that there are a ton of really nice places to stay on the parkway. To bad they'll all be closed in January.

As per the race route, I think I'll try and put it on my GPS, but somehow I don't think it's going to be the least bit rideable. The plan is to take 128 all the way up to the top if it's not to covered in snow. Probably won't be anyone around.

[Emily]

As per the race route, I think I'll try and put it on my GPS, but somehow I don't think it's going to be the least bit rideable. The plan is to take 128 all the way up to the top if it's not to covered in snow. Probably won't be anyone around.

No, we can ride those ORAMM trails all winter unless there's a very heavy snow.  You may well be fine, depending on the melt-thaw and such.  It's pretty hard to find Heartbreak Ridge off the Parkway though, you might want to ride with a local. 
The road spur up to the top of Mitchell should be closed, and it closes at 9pm (I think) even in season.  As for the Parkway itself, check the NPS site.  There are some stretches currently closed to cars but where bikes are legal.  There's also an official foot/bike/auto closure at mile 400-405, due to some hillside stabilization work. I can give you a nice workaround route if you want one.
I was up on the Parkway today, it was pretty effing windy but still beautiful.

[mmeiser]

The road spur up to the top of Mitchell should be closed, and it closes at 9pm (I think) even in season.  As for the Parkway itself, check the NPS site.  There are some stretches currently closed to cars but where bikes are legal.  There's also an official foot/bike/auto closure at mile 400-405, due to some hillside stabilization work. I can give you a nice workaround route if you want one.
I was up on the Parkway today, it was pretty effing windy but still beautiful.

Awesome Emily. That's just the sort of info I've been looking for. Would love to see that workaround.

Now, when you say "closed" about things, how closed are they?  I'm sort of used to pretty much riding anywhere and everywhere in winter because no one is around to care. 

At someone's suggestion I called around and got a hold of someone who works at the parkway. It made me laugh with how useless her info was. She insisted that not only were sections of the parkway were closed but that the whole parkway was closed and there was no camping anywhere along the parkway, and when I mentioned the AT trail shelters that parrallell the parkway she said that those "weren't a part of the parkway", which they're not, but they are still directly parrallel in the north, and that bikes weren't allowed on the parkway in winter anyway.   I swear if I would have asked about asheville she would have told me the whole city was closed as well. Really useful. I've never listened to people who tell me I can't bike somewhere.

Specifically... winter touring... just like urban commuting. It's by necessity always a legal grey area. There are no campgrounds open in the winter and there are no accomidations anywhere, not just on the parkway. We're only allowed to travel by car on the interstate.

[Emily]

Not very closed at all.  If there is actually work underway on the section at mile 400 when you get there, that might be another story.  I don't know, they might yell at you or something.  

There are some shelters in Pisgah and other national forests.  They are generally a ways off the Parkway.  Please don't poach the AT or other hiker-only trails when you are down this way; it may be tempting but the presence of even one tire tread on the trail can cause a lot of issues.  

Have fun and enjoy.

[mmeiser]

Much respect for the AT, only way I'll be on it is if both tires are removed from the frame and the whole thing is packed on my back.

[sherpaxc]

I've done the ORAMM route in January.  It was a great day.  I think finding Heartbreak Ridge is easy enough if you know what mile marker to look for.  Do a search on MTBR and you should find turn by turn directions.  Should be good fun!

[mmeiser]

@sherpaxc: Seriously?  Did you just get lucky and have no snow?  I'll be suprised if I can even ride or hike-a-bike all the way down the parkway let alone do some trail riding.  Well, I'll make sure the GPX is on my phone in case the snow isn't to thick when I get down to Mount Mitchel.

Any other good places to bikepack in the area!?  I'm all ears.

[sherpaxc]

For real.  It's totally possible if it's a dry winter (which it was).  Do a search on mtbr and I think there is a guy named Peter that used to live in that area that did it in January as well. 

Mike Brown could totally help you with areas to bikepack out there.  Ping him. 

[mmeiser]

Actually I have a touring friend in Asheville. He bikes up on the parkway all the time, but I didn't expect that the trails would be open at all.

I look forward to checking them out.  Will google around on MTBR.com for Mike brown