Inconvenient Iron Butt

1000 Miles on the Blue Ridge Parkway

Marisa McInturff

12 min read

The distance between Cherokee, NC, and Waynesville, VA, is 476 miles if you travel along the Blue Ridge Parkway. Make it a round trip ride and your total comes to 952 miles—only 48 shy of a grand.

Most riders take three or four days to complete this ride at a leisurely pace, but Caleb and I aren’t most riders. Having completed our first Saddle Sore 1000 only a few months earlier and knowing that each of these attempts must be more difficult than the last, we knew what we had to do: a Saddle Sore 1000 on the Blue Ridge Parkway.

Straddling a pair of Yamaha Tracer 9 GT+s, we began this long-distance ride in Hot Springs, NC. The town is approximately 50 miles from the Blue Ridge Parkway’s southern terminus, and almost exactly the distance we needed to tack on to make our 1,000-mile dream come true. Our official start time read 10:20 a.m.

Feeling fresh at the start of our ride, we made quick work of taking the obligatory photo at the southern terminus of the Blue Ridge Parkway. Our ride was only beginning.

Ask any accomplished member of the Iron Butt Association how they typically start off their attempts at a long-distance ride like this, and they’ll likely say “get a strong start.” You should start your ride at a place where you can maintain a higher rate of speed and tackle as much distance as you can while you’re fresh.

We didn’t do that.

Motorcycles & Gear

2024 Yamaha Tracer 9 GT+

Helmet: HJC RPHA 11 Pro
Jacket: Klim Marrakesh
Pant: Klim Outrider, Klim Betty Tapered
Boots: Gaerne Balanced Oiled
Gloves: Klim Dakar
Luggage: SW-Motech Legends Gear Tankbag
Comm System: Cardo Packtalk Edge
Camera: Nikon Z 6II, 24-70mm F2.8, GoPro Hero 12 Black

Naturally, we started our undertaking on one of our favorite twisty mountain roads—SR 209. This 36-mile stretch is so curvy, it’s been nicknamed the Rattler.

Before we could begin our journey along the Blue Ridge Parkway, we had to tackle nearly 300 curves. At least our tires would be warm.

The Poor Farmer’s Market in Meadows of Dan, VA, was a welcome pit stop. We picked up a couple of quick snacks, like locally made cookies and beef jerky.

11:00 a.m., Cherokee, NC—Mile 51

Once in Cherokee, we topped up our fuel tanks and grabbed a photo of our receipts and odometer to mark our southernmost point for this ride. What lay ahead was 952 miles of scenic, non-stop highway following ridgelines through southern Appalachia.

Alas, as we turned onto the Blue Ridge Parkway, our delays began—we had to stop for photos with the sign. Even though we made quick work of it, I estimated that this trend of stopping to document our ride likely added about an hour and a half to our overall time. You’re welcome.