Lynchburg Living

Body

By Mitchell Malcheff

The calendar has once again turned to fall and as he has done every year since 1977, David Boullin is flying to Virginia. The 79-year-old Englishman is a retired physician and an avid bicyclist. He stores his bike in Roanoke and calls the Blue Ridge Parkway the best place in the world to ride a bicycle.

Boullin’s annual pilgrimage is just one story of hundreds or even thousands that have woven a rich tapestry of stories that wreath the Parkway, much like an early morning fog that shrouds one of the many overlooks on the serpentine road. The Parkway is once again writing a new chapter in its long history as it turns the page on 75 years of history. To celebrate, communities up and down its 469 miles that connect the Great Smoky Mountains National Park of North Carolina to the Shenandoah National Park are rolling out the welcome mat to hikers, bikers and other Parkway enthusiasts, 17 million in total.

“When the Parkway celebrated its 50th anniversary, it saw a 50 percent jump in people the following year, so marking the 75th anniversary, while it’s garnering a lot of attention for the Parkway … there’s a tremendous halo effect that will benefit communities on the Parkway, and near the Parkway for years,” Elizabeth Sims of Blue Ridge Parkway media relations said.

The Parkway is also the perfect place to get the whole family up and moving. Biking, hiking, swimming and just plain exploring are all easy and cheap ways to get out of the house. There’s no telling what you might find. No other national park in the entire country can claim to have a more diverse range of wildlife and vegetation.

Events have been going on all year but September is the month that marks the actual date of construction for the Parkway. Begun on September 11, 1935, at Cumberland Knob on the North Carolina-Virginia border, the Parkway was designed to put people back to work and preserve the culture of the region, as well as provide a gateway to the Appalachian communities that were, at the time, mostly isolated

While Lynchburg may not be directly on the Parkway, it is close to the Plateau Region, which is located between mileposts 107-217. With such a close proximity to the Hill City, getting away from the ring of a cell phone or the ping of a Blackberry is easy to do on the Parkway.

“The Parkway is nature’s playground, and certainly a fantastic biking venue,” Sims said.

The Parkway can accommodate the hardcore cyclist or runner as well as those who prefer a slower pace and a chance to drink in the ever-changing canvas of scenery from milepost to milepost.

“The aesthetics of the road are very well thought out, and if you drive the length of the Parkway, you realize just how much thought went into the design process,” Sims said. “About every mile or so it’s like you have a little surprise, either an overlook, or a historic structure or some natural thing of beauty.”

One event that highlights the natural beauty and is designed for all ages and abilities is the New River Trail Fall Foliage Bike Ride in Galax, Virginia, on October 16. The organized ride winds through rolling farmland and along both Chestnut Creek and the New River.

If you’re an adrenaline junkie, there are events that are much more challenging. Perhaps the most challenging of all is the Blue Ridge Relay, a 208-mile race that stretches from the base of Mount Rogers in Grayson County–the highest spot in Virginia–to downtown Asheville, North Carolina. Ken Sevensky started the race in 2005 along with his wife, Kristin. A lifelong runner, Sevensky started the race to highlight the mountains around his hometown.

“I just wanted to do something in the North Carolina mountains and really showcase the beauty of the place that we call home … just give people an opportunity to come out and see what I had the opportunity to go out and run on every day,” Sevensky said.

If the idea of running 208 miles straight intimidates you, don’t worry–you won’t have to run all 208 miles by yourself. There are two categories, the ultra and regular. The ultra category is for 4 to 6 teammates and the regular is for 7 to 12. Incredibly, one man did run the relay alone last year. Scot Hayward, of Hudson, North Carolina, became the only solo competitor to run the relay and finished in 57 hours and 31 minutes. Sevensky says most teams usually finish in around 30 hours. Norm’s Maggots, a 12-person team from Asheville, won the relay last year in 21 hours and 42 minutes, a course record.

Sevensky says the race is one of the harder relay races in the country for obvious reasons. All told, the race encompasses 27,000 feet of elevation change, roughly 12,000 of that in gain. Despite its challenges, the relay continues to expand and this year will have up to 120 teams.

“They love getting out on the small country roads, getting away from traffic and enjoying the views,” Sevensky said of the race participants. “We don’t want to scare anyone away from it thinking that they can’t come here and run the race because they certainly can … it’s one of the more challenging races in the country because of the constant elevation change and the constant hills.”

The course hits the Parkway for three different sections. Already in its sixth year, Sevensky feels that the race would grow even bigger if they were willing to change the course. However, Sevensky says that would mean giving up what makes the race so unique.

“We really want to showcase the one lane dirt roads going through a little mountain hollow. … I don’t want to lose that, so even though there may be an opportunity for us to grow bigger, the sacrifice would be to sacrifice what the Blue Ridge really is and that’s to showcase the beauty of the place; the Blue Ridge mountains that we call home,” Sevensky said.

If 208 miles is a bit much, you can also test yourself closer to home at the Blue Ridge Marathon on the Parkway. Created in conjunction with the 75th anniversary celebration, the marathon bills itself as America’s toughest road marathon. Marathoners took part in the inaugural race in April 2010 and organizers are already gearing up for the 2011 edition.

These events are just a handful of the myriad festivals and community celebrations that are taking place up and down the Parkway. The celebration will continue into 2011 as the Shenandoah National Park celebrates its own 75th anniversary. The events calendar is constantly being updated at blueridgeparkway75.org.

Whatever your pace, the Blue Ridge Parkway can accommodate it. Now, during the Parkway’s 75th anniversary, why not start your own annual family outing or tradition? Who knows, maybe like Boullin, the Parkway will lure you back every year, beckoning you to be part of the next 75 years of history.

Fall Events on the Blue Ridge Parkway

For more information on these and other events on the Parkway, visit http://blueridgeparkway75.org/events/.

September 10-12

The Parkway’s 75th Anniversary Festival, Cumberland Knob Recreation Area

This is the granddaddy of all the area’s celebrations. This three-day event will feature regional music and crafts, antique cars and lots of local food. Best of all, it’s free.

September 25-26

22nd Anniversary Wine Festival, Smith Mountain Lake

Twenty-seven wineries and 90 food and craft vendors will be there along with live music all day. Take advantage of the lake and rent a boat or jet ski.

October 1-November 9

40 Days + 40 Nights of Arts and Culture along the Blue Ridge Parkway, Roanoke

Roanoke is the largest city that borders the parkway and will host live regional music as well as displays featuring local artisans and other regional attractions.

October 9

The Vinton Fall Festival, Vinton, VA

Before filling up on local goodies at the farmer’s market, take part in this annual festival’s 5K race.