Day 2 in Asheville

First full day of riding today. After a good buffet breakfast at the Days Inn everyone headed back to their rooms. Egg wanted to wait a few hours (I really know what he wanted to do --- watch the Tour!). We finally headed up and parked at the French Broad River overlook. I would way it has the potential of being beautiful but it was an overcast/rainy/foggy point. All posed for the beginning picture with all smiles (even Mthd on this one!) Mt Pisgah with SR 151 was the plan for today. Goose headed out was in front - my thoughts Oh God don't let him bonk.

This is what I love about taking pictures along the way - you get to catch the smiles on everyone as they are riding (well OK later in the week I also caught some gritting their teeth to get through the extremely long climbs)

Big Tim is always consistent with his riding - and always has a smile.

Mthd was ditching his rain wear - me I was hoping that he wouldn't need it back later.

Maji bring up the rear also with a smile. He hasn't ridden much this year, but he hung tough.

Everyone was able to regroup at a construction zone. It looked to me they were moving the dirt from one side of the road to the other. But it did enable everyone to get back together.

This one of the points that I pulled over to take a head count and make sure everyone was OK. It was starting to get really foggy and they actually looked cool coming out of the heavy fog. This was Big Tim when he emerged.

I was able to pull over at a point where they had a 4 mile descent on 151 with a grueling climb back to Pisgah. There was a sign where I pulled off saying there was a steep grade and no trucks allowed, so I just stayed put at the top. Egg was going to make a decision when they got back to that point - do they turn right a climb more or go left and head back to the beginning. Motorcycles were coming off the mountain with their flashers on, it was difficult to see the cars until they were right in front of you. Egg made a very wise decision to head back to the van.

I waited on them to take off since they would be hitting a good descent (I can't/won't stay up with them on he descents). When I got back to Mthd's van I turned around to check on Maji. Saw this blur coming down - so I knew he was fine.

After showers we headed to a neat little place - Barley's Taproom and Pizza. Excellent dinner and fun with Doreen, Big Tim, Egg, Mthd, Maji. This is the second day of everyone getting to see the shovel (aka Goose) at work eating.