I took Jack Conrad’s Suggestion !!

edroelle · December 12, 2009, 07:15:05 AM

I took Jack Conrad's suggestion to drive the back roads.

Wednesday, we were on our annual trek to Florida in the bus, to avoid the Michigan cold and snow (none too soon). We travel through Asheville, NC, to spend a couple of weeks with our son, Jason. Usually, we take I75 to Knoxville and I40 to Asheville. I40 is similar to Jack's back roads, as it winds through the mountains, through mountain tunnels, along a river, at 40-50 MPH. I asked my wife, Janet, a couple of times, if she could read the portable electric signs, since I was concentrating on driving. But, she was reading a book, so she missed them. I had just commented, on how nice a drive it was, with very little traffic. Clue 2 – While driving east, I said, "I wonder why those 2 truckers are parked on the west bound shoulder looking at maps?"

Five miles further, I40 was completely shut down at the NC state line. Our options were to backtrack, or, pull to the side of I40, put out the awning, and start camping. Well, it was ONLY 5 miles back, to a "highway", that went right by our son's house. But, we had to detour, off the detour, because of a 10 ton limit on a bridge. The detour roads appear to be real narrow, BECAUSE THEY ARE. I would have liked to stop on the road and measure the width. But, based on looking in my mirrors, our 102" wide bus was traveling on a 101" wide road! Did I mention STEEP? My SilverLeaf VMSpc, that Jim Shepherd sold me, said I was using ALL my rated horsepower to maintain 25 MPH.

Well, we arrived safely. Those back roads are LOVELY, Jack.

Ed Roelle
Flint, MI

cody · December 12, 2009, 07:33:44 AM

Ed, lol I'm having a hard time figureing out if the idea was a good one or not lol. We've got back roads up here that are absolutely beautiful but I'm not sure if the bus would handle them, some are the kind that allow you to check your own tail lights as you round the corners lol.

uncle ned · December 12, 2009, 02:01:41 PM

Ed That is the reason I keep my 04. When I went to BK'S it took me 5 days to cross Kentucky. From on state park to another.

Was running across one small road when we crosed a hill and a sign said ferry ahead. The ferry would only hold one pickup truck.

They only looked up and shook their heads when pulled up. Had to backtrac about 40 miles to get around. But loved the great ride.

uncle ned

jackhartjr · December 12, 2009, 02:08:28 PM

Ned...thast little ferry has a lot of history to it! My pickup looked big on it! It was a Valley View, near Nicholasville.
Jack
Are you and Wilma coming to Bussin10?
Jack

James77MCI8 · December 12, 2009, 02:51:17 PM

Give me a shout if you head down I 26 East I am at exit 10. 864-804-8077

JackConrad · December 12, 2009, 03:01:24 PM

While we tend to stay on non-intersate highways, we are very careful when selecting non-interstate highways in mountainous areas. OK, maybe to those that live out west in the REAL mountains what we have back here ain't mountains, but to me they are mountains. The first thing we do, is check our mountain grade book for grades and slow curves. Then, if any question about the route, we check with locals we know or friends that have traveled that route. Better safe than sorry.
Ed, does your steering wheel now have new indentations in it from your fingers? Did you get a chance to test your Jakes? Jack

BUR · December 12, 2009, 03:29:18 PM

I love to run the backroads, but not the back back roads. My wife got me on a road in Utah one night that kept getting narrower as we went. By the time I got turned around I swear I could here banjo's playing lol. I use a trucker road atlas that shows the truck routes, if a truck can run the road I know I can. Good busin' BUR

niles500 · December 12, 2009, 04:30:25 PM

40 will be closed for at least another month due to rock slide repairs - FWIW

ruthi · December 12, 2009, 07:41:19 PM

Two or three months ago, we were in Va. We had our navigator on and it told us to take an exit, we did, and from there it all went uphill, and downhell,lol. It took us up a road that got smaller and smaller, and total hairpin turns, and yes, steep

I kept waiting to see a low clearance tunnel. We had to take up both sides of the road and barely made it then. so we get up to the top, and it tells us to turn left. No possible way. So, this is about 12 at night. Well, we just sat there for a while trying to figure out what we should do. About this time, this kind, older, country...... gentelman came out of his house and asked us what the heck we were doing. He then told us the best route out. All the years of traveling, and even living in the mountains in Colorado, even driving on ice, I have never been as freaked out as I was that night. Needless to say,now, if in doubt, dont do it.

Tenor · December 13, 2009, 06:28:09 AM

Ed,
I'm glad to hear you and Janet got out of Michigan!

Glenn

edroelle · December 13, 2009, 07:46:21 AM

Yes Jack, white knuckles and indents in steering wheel.

Jake worked good. Thankfully, no smoking brakes.

North Carolina needs to plan their landslides better. I have now heard that I40 will be closed for 6 months.

Ed

JackConrad · December 14, 2009, 04:05:37 AM

Quote from: edroelle on December 13, 2009, 07:46:21 AM
North Carolina needs to plan their landslides better. I have now heard that I40 will be closed for 6 months.
Ed

I saw a news feed last week. As they were filming the clean-up, you see the camera shake and another slide happens right next to the first one. Looks like they are not only cleaning off the road, but removing part of the mountain to prevent further slides. "It's not nice to mess with Mother Nature". I found a website, but forgot to save it, that had a live camera on the clean-up site. We have noticed several places in the Eastern Mountains that have chain link fencing fastened over the rock and/or chain link "catch fences". Jack

jackhartjr · December 14, 2009, 05:57:11 AM

The problem with I-40 is that when they originally blasted roughly 40 years ago, they used too much explosive. They will more than likely have slides forever!
Jack

uncle ned · December 14, 2009, 11:24:21 AM

Also us 321 north of Lenoir is closed because of slides.

Our mountains may not be as tall as the ones out west. But we have some steep short climbs.

We go to Utah to ride four wheelers and the steepest and longest climb is black mountain from old fort to the tenn. line

uncle ned

white-eagle · December 14, 2009, 05:52:55 PM

Ed,
Most of jack's suggestions are wise, worthy of following. taking the backroads in the hills of WV, TN, NC or any other mountain area isn't one i'd follow.

especially not in a 45ft Prevost.

ask for a gps map software package that downloads the latest traffic and construction road data for Christmas.

We hope to see you safely and soon. We'll be in Jack's area later this week and looking forward to it, as well as seeing a lot of you at Bussin.

I took Jack Conrad’s Suggestion !!

cody