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Riding Double Island Road in January
Riding Double Island Road
The Roan from Double Island Road
I have wanted to ride Double Island Road, which runs from Micaville, NC north
to near Green Mountain for more than a year. I have ridden past its Micaville
end many times, but never when I had the time to explore this interesting
looking road. Finally, coming home to Asheville from the Bicycle Inn which is
near Bakersville, I got to ride most of it.
Michael, from the Bicycle Inn, rode with me and showed me a nice gravel road
that starts near Toecane and intersects Double Island Rd a few miles from its
northern end. That road was very nice riding, but a bit snowy in one section.
Michael took this picture of me coming up a snowy hill. Neither of us realized
just how slippery that hill was until we stopped near the top and had to walk
our bikes up above the snow to get going again!
A train coming around a peninsula formed by the Nolichucky River
Tocane was an important place when trains and rivers were the major
transportation methods for the area. It is located on the river and on the
railroad less than half a mile from Loafers Glory. The gravel road we took, NC
1314, follows the river for a mile and a half or so beyond Tocane before
climbing up, in another mile and a half, to Double Island Road
Speaking of climbing, there is a lot of climbing on Double Island Road. The
Picture above shows Michael heading up one of its shorter and gentler hills.
The picture below is the South Toe River, with a railroad track alongside, as
seen from Double Island Road near is southern end. It is a long way down to the
river and Double Island Road, over its 11 mile length, climbs that distance
many times over. This isn't a good road if you don't like climbing, but it is a
beautiful ride if you do! The road climbs and falls as it winds it way through
some of the most stunning country in the USA. Nice riding, even in the middle
of the winter!
