Leaf alert, Parkway partial closing (Asheville, Henderson: 2009, shop, buses)

[gigimac]

Leaf lookers,
I just heard about a Parkway closing on the news yesterday, from the part of the Blue Ridge Parkway heading west across the south of Asheville at the point where it goes over the French Broad River, and proceeding further west on up to Mt. Pisgah. It will be closed from the Arboretum entrance off Hwy 191, all the way west/ southwest up to the Pisgah Inn at the top of Mt. Pisgah. This is because of landslides, as the rain has loosened up a lot of rock. Leaf lookers love going up there via the Parkway, so I'll also tell you their alternate route that will take you up to the Inn and beyond, which they said they'd try to put detour signs for that way, plus I've personally been the route up to and from Pisgah Inn. Get a map and study this:

If you're on the Parkway and get to the NC Arboretum exit and Bent Creek part of the Parkway where the French Broad River is, and the Parkway is blocked, just exit down onto the regular road that runs south under the Parkway along the French Broad River, Hwy 191, and head SOUTH on that road away from Asheville, like you're going to Hendersonville... pretty drive with the river there. Hwy 191 becomes Hwy 280 near the Asheville Airport and Mills River, stay on Hwy 280 and bear right to Brevard (this junction is about 6 miles total from the Pkwy), which 280 continues away from Hendersonville and goes west/ southwest towards Brevard, nice rural drive.

Just before you come into Brevard, it gets woodsy, and on the right heading north is Hwy 276, the Pisgah National Forest entrance, which is marked that way. That nice mountain park road will take you past some waterfalls and on thru some switchbacks, up to the other end of the blocked Parkway. The Pisgah Inn is at the top, on the Parkway, a few hundred feet to the east/ northeast, so just hang a right onto the Parkway and you'll see the Inn perched up there. Lots of parking for tourist buses and cars, you can eat lunch there and shop in the souvenir store, nice views. And of course if you want to continue west/ southwest on the Parkway, you turn left at the top of Hwy 276. If you cross over the Parkway going north, that goes thru Cruso and on into Waynesville.

By the way, down here in the valley of Asheville, the leaves are just starting to change, no really huge show yet, but tinges of yellow and orange amongst the still-green leaves, which it's now Thursday, 10-15-2009. It's cloudy this morning, but supposed to clear some this afternoon; I don't know what the weather over the weekend is, tho. Have fun everybody! GG