Freeze column: Escaping the heat by bike

One recent Saturday, a friend and I needed to find a place to try out her new bike. Since the temperatures were projected to be in the mid to upper 90s here, it seemed like a great time to go to the mountains. As far as I know, there are few mountain locations to ride that are flat, scenic and have plenty to keep you busy when off the bike. A place that I had ridden before seemed perfect for an adventure.

We took Interstate 77 north to Highway 421 and headed toward Boone. A few miles short of Boone, Highway 221 turns off heading north along the New River Basin. The New River is one of the oldest rivers on earth, and a portion of it flows from Todd to Fleetwood. It is a perfect 10-mile distance, all nearly flat on a narrow paved road that replaced a portion of the Virginia Carolina Railroad Line. It is called the Railroad Grade Road. We started near Fleetwood, which is a sleepy little town with not much more than a church, a post office, several homes and close proximity to the Blue Ridge Parkway. Railroad Grade Road has quite a bit to see besides the river, which is beautiful and tranquil in itself. The remains of old bridges, beautiful resort homes, old homeplaces beautifully restored and acre upon acre of Christmas trees provide plenty of scenery.

The temperatures had climbed to the upper 70s by late morning as we rode toward Todd, is an old railroad town, still full of history and plenty to do. Todd was originally settled in the late 1700s and had a boom in the early 1900s as a lumber mill town. Todd was bigger than Boone at one time. I had a wonderful grilled portobello mushroom sandwich and a brownie from the grill inside the Todd General Store, one of the oldest continually operating general stores in North Carolina. Dining on the back porch while looking up a mountain was fun too. There was a bakery just a short distance away, and to my satisfaction there were a couple more brownies that needed to be sampled.

Our visit was highlighted by a bluegrass concert in the town park early that afternoon. All the while tubes and kayaks were being launched into the river near the bridge on One Big Hill Road. Todd is a great place to people watch, and lots of bicycle riders were entering and leaving while we enjoyed the town. One curious oddity is that nearly every building had stamped decorative tin as siding.

Soon it was time to ride back to the car. We rode along the narrow road, which is sometimes not really wide enough for cars meeting each other. Bikes have priority, and everyone seemed to be casually enjoying their rides. Fly fishing was another attraction for the area. In fact, an occasional trout was easy to spot in the clear river water. Fun for me was watching all the hay being baled in narrow strips on both sides of the river. The same tractor seemed to be working his way upriver as he baled several miles of round bales on a beautiful afternoon.

Upon arriving back at the car, we sat by the river and found it very easy to relax. Mid 80s were easy to take after the searing heat of Rowan County for the past few weeks. A good breeze blew all day. The Railroad Grade Road is a perfect place for bike riders of all abilities. Experienced riders can do time trials in a picturesque setting. Others can just enjoy the casual ride, along with all there is to do in a beautiful river valley. Make sure you sample the brownies in Todd and let me know what you think.

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David Freeze lives in Rowan County.