Dan Casey

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The last time I tried to ride my bike to the Peaks of Otter was a Friday afternoon in June 1995. My colleague Jim Ellison and I took a perfect late-spring Friday off: temps in the low 80s, little humidity, and a pure royal blue sky. The object: 43 miles to the Peaks of Otter Lodge in Bedford, where we'd meet our wives and have dinner. They would drive us home.

We left Southwest Roanoke in the early afternoon. White clouds moved in soon after we'd made it to the Blue Ridge Parkway and headed north. About 13 miles from our destination, we climbed high onto a narrow ridge of mountain separating Botetourt County, to the west, from Bedford County, to the east. By then, I knew we were in trouble.

To the left and right, sinister-looking black clouds hung over green fields more than 1,800 feet below. Lightning bolts whipped those lowlands while thunder cracked and ricocheted back toward us. It rained like hell down there. Eerily enough, we were still dry. But it was obvious we weren't going to stay that way for long.

Over 20 minutes, the temperature dropped at least 15 degrees. Paralyzing cramps seized the muscles in my thighs, but after a rest I was able to go on. Torrents of cold rain drenched us just before we began the final two-mile climb to the lodge, and my leg muscles convulsed again.

"Screw this!" I thought. With a groan I climbed off the bike, flagged down a passing pickup, and Jim and I gratefully accepted a ride to the top. It was the most humbling experience I've ever had bicycling, and there have been some doozies.

These thoughts loomed in my mind when my pal Ted Remandaban suggested a lunch ride up to the Peaks of Otter Lodge -- and back. Since 1995, I'd strengthened my legs with thousands of miles on Western Virginia's hellishly steep mountain roads. But a seven-week layoff in the summer (broken wrist) had left me leery.

Ted's plan was to start about 13 parkway miles north of Roanoke. We'd ride 21 miles to the Peaks, eat lunch and then ride back. I agreed -- reluctantly. So on a recent Saturday morning, Ted, Rob Kidder, Mary Nottingham and I met at mile marker 107, the N & W Railroad overlook on the Blue Ridge Parkway.

On the Parkway

The tallest of the three mountains, Flat Top, reaches 4,001 feet above sea level, a far cry from mountains in the western United States. Sharp Top tops out at 3,865 feet. And Harkening Hill, the shortest of the three, rises to 3,375 feet. They're not even the tallest mountains in Virginia. That distinction belongs to Mount Rogers, 150 miles southwest of Roanoke, which tops out at 5,729 feet.

But what makes these mountains unique is the way they stand, in a triangle, with a tiny and protected valley notched between them. The National Park Service surely realized this when it built a small lake (Abbott Lake) and a visitors center. A private company was allowed to build a hotel-restaurant.

Nobody knows exactly where the mountains' name came from, but theories abound. The name may come from the Cherokee Indian word, "ottari," which means "high places." They may have been named for the Otter River (its headwaters are nearby). Or it could have come from Scottish settlers, who named the Peaks after Ben Otter, a mountain in their homeland that resembles Sharp Top.

The ride

Although this may be the hardest road ride on this Web site, it's the easiest one to follow. Load your bike on your car, head out to the Parkway, and drive north to the N & W Railroad Overlook near mile marker 107. Unload the bike, then keep heading north on it. Just about 21 mostly tough miles later, you'll be at the lodge, and halfway done. The good part is that the ride back is a lot easier. I'd estimate that about two-thirds of the ride is climbing on the way up, with one third climbing on the way back.

You do not want to try this ride unless you're a seasoned cyclist. Even then, it helps if you have low gears. You can get by without them, but watch out for cramps!

Notes

Dan Casey | The Roanoke Times

Rob Kidder (left) and Ted Remandaban ride on the Blue Ridge Parkway's high plateau through Floyd County. This 34 mile out-and-back ride features gorgeous scenery, smooth riding and no mountainous climbs.

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For almost all of the Parkway, there is no shoulder, so you'll be sharing the one lane in either direction with cars. Be careful. The National Park Service requires cyclists to wear a helmet and have reflectors on their bikes and/or clothing. None of the road is lighted, so you're safest getting off it if you can by dusk. There are precious few places (none, on this ride, until you get to the lodge) with potable water, so bring plenty of your own. There are also no bathrooms.

The fall is the peak Parkway season, when hundreds of thousands of motorists flocks to the road to view the colors of leaves changing. That means it's also the time of the most traffic. You should be especially careful if you're riding between Oct. 15 and Nov. 15, particularly on a weekend.

Large parts of the Parkway are closed during the winter because of ice and snow on the road.

The Peaks of Otter Lodge has 64 rooms, a full-service restaurant and a lunch counter. The lodge is open year round, with reservations required during holidays and the fall color season. For additional information and/or reservations call (540) 586-1081.

The National Park Service operates a 144-site campground at the foot of Sharp Top mountain, with sites for 92 tents and 52 trailers or RVs. Facilities include water, comfort stations with flush toilets and cold running water sinks, but no showers or hook-ups. Camping is only permitted in established campgrounds.