North Carolina Mountains

27 Comments

A cold snap hit, just for a couple of days, but enough to bust out the winter clothes and convince us it was just about time to get moving south.

Max Patch is a bald mountaintop along the Appalachian Trail, and would no doubt be a wonderful place to spend a couple hours with a picnic if the wind weren’t blasting freezing temperature winds at 30 miles an hour across the top of it.

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Chimney Rock.

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Marshall, North Carolina, is where we rented a little house for our family visit. Main Street is about three blocks long, and mostly deserted, but it does include this gem. Reminds me of the occasional homeowners who wouldn’t sell-out to developers in big cities.

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The Blue Ridge Parkway. Sunday? Sunny? Fall colors? Stay as far away from the Blue Ridge Parkway as you can. Traffic, lines, queues, seven people in a minivan—maybe not our most well thought out plan.

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Biltmore Estate. Ever heard of this guy named Vanderbilt? Again, lines, lines, and more lines. Ali and the gang quickly escaped to the outdoor grounds, where there was also plenty to see and do. Want to see fifty pictures of a donkey, we have them. There is only one holdout who refuses to vote for hauling a small trailer with a donkey in it.

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Thanks for coming to visit us! And for putting up with a lot of leaves, and spotty cell service, without complaint.

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And then we were back in the woods again.

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Getting pretty good at building a fire.

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Sometimes my children’s innocence astounds me. Ouest plays tic-tac-toe with fairies, taking a turn each night. She also builds them houses, feeds them, and writes them letters. And if you don’t think that is adorable, there is something wrong with you.

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I just love this door hinge. It’s about ten times more robust than it needs to be. It’s like metal art—at least to me it is.

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While we were here we sold the rooftop tent and the ARB fridge to a really nice family. We are happy to have two-hundred and fifty pounds off the truck, not to mention regain some of her beautiful lines.

After the last update I got a lot of comments recommending that I learn how to double clutch. I’d never heard of double clutching before, but a quick search led me to the videos. I’m happy to say that I got it on my third attempt. I haven’t mastered it yet, but I’ll get it.

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27 Comments on “North Carolina Mountains”

  1. Glad you are enjoying the area. I’m from Brevard, NC. Got detention in elementary school; had to organize National Geographic Magazines from 1800’s to then present in a big closet.

    It was like striking a match.

    12 years in Antarctica, 48 US States on old Airhead BMWs (still in the house), along with NZ, OZ and Canada. Got to Germany a couple years ago.

    Asheville is home, but I’m always thinking “where next?” preferably low and slow or on an old BMW.

  2. “Double clutching”? Good to see you got it, it can be hard on the clutch starting a heavy load from a dead stop on a steep grade, makes it smell, too.

    Shift early, in case you miss the first one, “Gentle” is the key word. Enjoy your site

  3. Yikes!!
    Time to head to Mexico!
    Haven’t seen that much clothing on the kids since Minnesota!! 😀

  4. Your whole rig is metal art. Lowe laying a campfire reminded me of the time my Jolea schooled 4 grown men (1 a fireman) and 12 Cub Scouts in building the perfect campfire. She was 8 and that was the day Girls Ruled. I love how you guys are raising your kids.

  5. The family looks great – healthy and content. Enjoyed the recent pics of the trailer. There were cute little waifs here at Ghost Ranch last summer who built houses for the fairies, but I don’t recall them putting out food. I guess our fairies went hungry. I’ll be gone most of Dec, in TX, and good chance when you go through NM it will be the southern part, but if not then come visit. Our fairies will be thrilled to finally get a meal and so will the dinosaurs we keep corralled back in the Paleo museum. (rawr)

  6. Western North Carolina is beautiful. But it is crazy during leaf season. I love living here, and enjoying all that you’ve seen…but I’m thinking about moving on….

  7. Years ago we did the Blue Ridge Parkway in our motorcoach, towing a car. No tourists when we were there (early spring) and we had a lot of fun (er… nail-biting time) driving right down the middle of the tunnels. Beautiful part of the country, but as you obviously know, this country is filled with beauty. Hello from DT and me.

  8. Honestly most of the year the parkway is quiet with hardly any traffic. This is probably the busiest time of the year.

  9. Great pics and, yes, the fairies are fortunate to have a friend like Ouest.

    Damn, being old is overrated when I see “I’d never heard of double clutching before . . .” But then I remember when my kids (now late 20’s and early 30’s) found a dial phone. Watching them poke their fingers in the holes and thinking that would make the phone work was a revelation and a hoot.

  10. The next trick is to not use the clutch at all, just the gas. I drove a 36′ truck without synchro, so double clutching was required, until I was taught to skip the clutch. Starting in gear, I could go all day using one foot. Rear wheel mechanical breaks required advance planing, but that’s another subject.

    1. Alan – this puzzles me, can you explain a bit about starting in gear? Do you not use the clutch at all? And going all day using one foot?
      Thanks!

      1. Arlie. I sometimes do it with an empty truck but hauling too many tons now to do it loaded ….. yes just slip it into 1st and crank the key, a well loved motor will just fire up and pull away. You only have to find the right balance between accelerator and speed so that you dont flood it or bunny hop. To change/drive with no clutch sort of figure out what the motor would sound/rev like at that speed in the gear you want to go to and change the gas pedal to make it suit, either rev up or let it rev down a bit. My mentor told me it was like getting to “know’ your G/F …. slowly but purposefull application of the hand and you will get where you want HaHaHa. Yes you can do it in a synco box too, you learn a lot more about the sound and feel of your engine. Gently slide it out of gear, adjust your revs by about 250-300 rpm either up or down and slip it in. Remember tho that you are sitting off center to the gearbox ( you yanks even sit on the wrong side of the box!!)so you need to lift your elbow to get your hand going square with the gate on the gearbox. Boy it feels odd when you concentrate too much, just be a Jedi and use the gentle force. Hard part is to change the diff on older eatons while grinding up hill, google youtube 3 stick truck changing or similar to see real lever surgeons at work. I learned to drive on a triple stick brownie box and forgot it as soon as I could. Still have if anyone ever asks.

  11. If you head to Charleston next the aircraft carrier/submarine/destroyer on display makes for a great kid day. You’ll be wiped out from climbing ladders if you explore top to bottom and back again.

  12. If you are going to have campfires, you really, really need to clear the leaves from around the fire pit. That looks like an out-of-control fire waiting to happen.

  13. Arlie,

    What I learned from another truck driver, was to stop at a light, turn off the ignition, put it in 1st, and when the light turned green, turn the key and away you go. Can’t say it’s great for the battery/ starter. Shifting without the clutch was easier than double clutching. It’s just a matter of timing.

  14. I learned to drive on 1937 Ford 1-1/2 ton farm trucks; with no synchromesh. As for starting out in first or reverse with the engine running – the clutch disc should stop spinning a few seconds after you put the clutch pedal down – if the vehicle isnt moving. The friction between the internal shafts and the bearings inside the trans case is what does it. At the right moment, the shift lever should slide into 1st silently. The length of time for this to happen may vary a little, depending on the temperature of the oil in the transmission and the idling speed of the motor.
    Keeping track of the oil level inside the transmission (and the differential) should be a regular maintenance item until you know they arent losing fluid.

  15. Great pictures “as always”, Even though it is cold, it looks like the mountain colors make it “almost” worth it. We just got back from Sardinia, where the leaves were also changing. Not near as beautiful as your pictures, but in the upper 70’s and lower 80’s, it is hard to say what is better. The beaches for sure. The most pristine I have ever seen. I can’t believe you had never heard of double clutching. Have fun practicing!

  16. Did your kids do anything special for Halloween? Even more appropriate, since you spent so much time in Mexico, are you honoring Dia de Muertas? I don’t know if you listen to Pandora, but they have a channel up right now with music for the holiday. Check it out!

  17. I found your blog! I talked to you today in Fort Valley, Ga., in front of the grocery store. I just wanted to say again, I love your set-up! I also wanted to remind you of Top Sail State Park. Great place to stay with the kids.

  18. Love your pace of traveling where you stop for a while in an interesting spot and rent a house or apartment for your stay. I’d also like to do this. Could you pass along what sources you use for finding rentals? Or is it just good ‘ol craigslist?

  19. Congrats on the big win! I know you are not all about sports but I am guessing there is a little thrill for you hearing the Cubs did it. Best wishes to the whole family.

  20. I admire those who have to double de-clutch a truck with the stiff clutch and motors that don’t want to rev. When you master it it is great, but wait until you try it with the Porsche. Shifting down is much more fun (and mandatory on old Alfas)

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