Recap: Roseboro Explorer (NC)
Solo cyclist. 39 miles. 4300+ feet of climbing. Route starts at Brown Mountain Beach Rd. outside of Lenoir, NC. Temps in the low 30’s up to the mid-60’s. Blue skies and headwind all around. Roseboro Explorer Route
I decided to explore a new road off of some familiar roads in the Mortimer, NC area. I parked at the corner of Adako and Brown Mountain Beach Roads and headed up Wilson Creek Gorge. Roads were dry but fresh scattered gravel added to the challenge. I turned onto Roseboro Road and climbed up and over the first hill. The Old House Gap Road is a jeep/overlander road that connects Roseboro Rd to a Forest Road. Old House Gap Rd. features rock gardens, ruts, exposed rock sections and some large obstacles in the form of large rocks. I rode most of the road with the exception of some of the rock garden climbs which hit 20-30% grade. After the peak I enjoyed great sweeping downhills with views of Grandfather Mountain and connected to Gragg, NC and Edgemont Rd. I headed down Edgemont toward Mortimer and stopped at one bend to meet a Smoky Blue Healer and its owner. The dogs owner was none other than Richard Gragg, whose family the town of Gragg was named after. At the junction of Edgemont and Brown Mountain Beach Is Betsey’s Old Country Store. If you are in the area stop in and say hi to Bruce, owner and founder of A Clean Wilson Creek. The shop has some light snacks and drinks and hosts concerts during the summer. Traffic toward the end of the ride was heavy from day trippers and the trout contest taking place on Wilson Creek. Gravel was dry so car traffic caused a lot of dust.
