"The Gorge" closed by rockslide - again!

[golfhobo]

Well, here we go again! This will screw up my daily run for awhile. :pissedoff:

Rockslide closes both directions of Interstate 40 | Charlotte News, Weather, Sports | WCNC.com | Local News (http://www.wcnc.com/news/local/stories/wcnc-102509-sjf-rockslide.24ff4b278.html)

Anybody wish they were a certain John Christner driver? :eek1:

WCNC.com | Slide Show (http://www.wcnc.com/perl/common/slideshow/sspop.pl?recid=18683&nextimage=6)

(there are other pictures. click just above the pic.)

[Jackrabbit379]

Good grief! That is nuts! It's gonna be several months of cleaning up, before it can be re-opened? :hellno: Wow. I bet that detour is a wonderful drive. :eek1:

[golfhobo]

Good grief! That is nuts! It's gonna be several months of cleaning up, before it can be re-opened? :hellno: Wow. I bet that detour is a wonderful drive. :eek1:

I remember last time it took a couple months at least. Eventually, they will open the eastbound lanes and split them to allow both directions, but that causes one heck of a backup!

The detour, IIRC, adds about 70 miles to the trip. VERY steep hills to climb on I-26 from Johnson City to Asheville. I think it added an hour and a half to my run last time I did it.

[Just checked my old logbook. It was 60 extra miles and about ONE hour more.]

Oh well..... I've been getting frustrated by the slow and rookie drivers going through there lately. Lucky I haven't gotten a ticket yet for passing them!

At least I finally get some variety! :smokin:

[Jackrabbit379]

I can just imagine the hills, and curves. I've never been over to that part of the country, but I don't reckon it's flat. :p

[golfhobo]

IIRC, at the top of the biggest hill, right at the VA/NC border, the sign says you are crossing the Eastern Continental Divide. From there it's quite a downhill run.... with a cop just over the hill by the sign that says "Welcome to North Carolina." :eek2::lol2:

[geeshock]

depends on where you are headed. If 40 is closed down I usualy could take I-77 to I-81 back to 40. from charolate I'd take us 74 to I 26 to I-81 to 40 but I rarely made any stops in that part of NC

[geeshock]

Oh well..... I've been getting frustrated by the slow and rookie drivers going through there lately. Lucky I haven't gotten a ticket yet for passing them!

At least I finally get some variety! :smokin:

Not a rookie but since I don't usualy pass 50 mph through there I might have been one, oh well, to each thier own.

[Syncrosonix]

oh, cool, that means super truckers can play on the tale of the dragon! :clap:

[geeshock]

oh, cool, that means super truckers can play on the tale of the dragon! :clap:

Heh, you do it if you wanna but I'll pass

[Syncrosonix]

Heh, you do it if you wanna but I'll pass

c'mon man, where's your sense of adventure? while going through it, you can scream, "FOR THE ALLIANCE!" to your heart's desire. while going through a tight, blind curve, you can shout it at the 4 wheelers that are stopped.

[golfhobo]

Not a rookie but since I don't usualy pass 50 mph through there I might have been one, oh well, to each thier own.

You know? It's difficult, but I can LIVE with 50 if you can just MAINTAIN it! Fact is, there's not a curve in there that can't be handled at 55 at least.

Now, I don't usually get upset with tankers, cuz you know..... the slosh affect. And occasionally I see a reefer and think he MIGHT be loaded to the roof and be a little topheavy (although I did that for years and could maintain at least 50.)

But..... riding your brakes and barely managing 35 to 40 or MAYBE 45 for about 25 miles.... with 10 - 20 trucks lined up behind you.... and NOT PULLING into the rest area to let the rest of us go by..... well..... just be glad I can't GET TO YOU! :pissedoff: [ESPECIALLY if you're an empty FLATBED!] :angryblue:

Like I said.... it's not ALL the other guy's fault. It's the fact that I have to do it EVERY DAMN DAY!!! The gorge, I mean. Some days I get to breeze through at 50 to 60 mph. Other days, I get bogged down and have to shift into the basement because someone is afraid of a curve.

Belpre can say what he wants, but sometimes the variety of "irregular route" OTR is a blessing. It keeps your blood pressure down! :lol:

[Kevin0915]

I can just imagine the hills, and curves. I've never been over to that part of the country, but I don't reckon it's flat. :p

its not. lucky for me i'm on great lakes dedicated, and the last time i was thru that part of the country was 4-5 mo. ago.

just got a message across my qualcomm from the company about that. they say 50 extra miles, but i sure wouldnt want to be taking that detour in the middle of winter. think i might have to go clear down 85 to 20 and just go thru Dallas. =)

[golfhobo]

think i might have to go clear down 85 to 20 and just go thru Dallas. =)

Of course that would depend on your point of origin. When I drove out of Lexington, NC., the weather often dictated whether I took I-40 west thru the gorge, or down 85 thru Atlanta. If you are GOING west of Dallas, taking 40 to Little Rock and then 35 down to Dallas is actually 35 miles longer than the "southern" route.

However, if you need to turn north at Nashville and jump up to 64/70 on your way to the Northwest.... there is no option. The Gorge IS the shortest route from (central) NC to MOST points out west.

My brother drives out of Mt. Airy, NC.... so, He takes 77N to 81 down to 40 anyway. Lucky him.

[geeshock]

But..... riding your brakes and barely managing 35 to 40 or MAYBE 45 for about 25 miles.... with 10 - 20 trucks lined up behind you.... and NOT PULLING into the rest area to let the rest of us go by..... well..... just be glad I can't GET TO YOU! :pissedoff: [ESPECIALLY if you're an empty FLATBED!] :angryblue:

Like I said.... it's not ALL the other guy's fault. It's the fact that I have to do it EVERY DAMN DAY!!! The gorge, I mean. Some days I get to breeze through at 50 to 60 mph. Other days, I get bogged down and have to shift into the basement because someone is afraid of a curve.

Belpre can say what he wants, but sometimes the variety of "irregular route" OTR is a blessing. It keeps your blood pressure down! :lol:

Heh, then it wasn't me, most curves are 50 a few 45 but I stay at 50 and even sometimes catch myself doing 55. I usualy hit 45 around the tunnels but I think thats more something my brain tells me to do, and yes, once I see the rest area, if I have a string of trucks behind me, I pull in, if for no other reason then to get them off my backside, lol.

[geeshock]

c'mon man, where's your sense of adventure? while going through it, you can scream, "FOR THE ALLIANCE!" to your heart's desire. while going through a tight, blind curve, you can shout it at the 4 wheelers that are stopped.

And how do you know I won't growl lok' tar? lol

[geeshock]

oh, cool, that means super truckers can play on the tale of the dragon! :clap:

Besides, I had my share of fun taking us 64 through lake lure and by the bat cave. That was super trucker enough for me, lol. by the time I got to hendersonville, I could have kissed the road I was driving on. Thats an interesting road.

[VPIDarkAngel]

IIRC, at the top of the biggest hill, right at the VA/NC border, the sign says you are crossing the Eastern Continental Divide. From there it's quite a downhill run.... with a cop just over the hill by the sign that says "Welcome to North Carolina." :eek2::lol2:

I didn't know I-40 ran into VA :confused:

I've only traveled that stretch a few times, but it's not bad at all. I also get annoyed at the guys who can only go 40 on that stretch, but more annoyed by the lane control that we have to endure.

[Syncrosonix]

And how do you know I won't growl lok' tar? lol

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v96/Syncrosonix/WoW/OrcBaby.jpg

[geeshock]

lol, off subject i know but I do have an orc hunter alt :)

[Syncrosonix]

lol, off subject i know but I do have an orc hunter alt :)

http://i319.photobucket.com/albums/mm473/XxGyromancerXx/gaming/WoWScrnShot_052509_213419.jpg

[Hawkjr]

IIRC, at the top of the biggest hill, right at the VA/NC border, the sign says you are crossing the Eastern Continental Divide. From there it's quite a downhill run.... with a cop just over the hill by the sign that says "Welcome to North Carolina." :eek2::lol2:

are you refering to I-77 crossing into NC from VA going down that huge hill??

[geeshock]

lol, well, I've seen a cop on I-77 becuse of the weight station there and one right at the border on I-26 as well becuse of the mandatory pull off. They are both quite a run. I-77 becuse of fancy gap, an 8 mile run down or up hill depending on the way you are comming, and I-26 becuse of the grade.

[golfhobo]

lol, well, I've seen a cop on I-77 becuse of the weight station there and one right at the border on I-26 as well becuse of the mandatory pull off. They are both quite a run. I-77 becuse of fancy gap, an 8 mile run down or up hill depending on the way you are comming, and I-26 becuse of the grade.


Okay, sorry for the confusion guys. For VIP and Hawk Jr...... THIS is what I was talking about. We were talking about the DETOUR when I mentioned the border of VA/NC... which is on I-26.

There IS a mandatory brake check at the summit, but I think the cop is there to catch 4 wheelers that like to crest the mountain at speeds well above the posted limit.

I just thought it was funny how he "welcomed" drivers to NC. :badmood:

[Mr. Ford95]

Okay, sorry for the confusion guys. For VIP and Hawk Jr...... THIS is what I was talking about. We were talking about the DETOUR when I mentioned the border of VA/NC... which is on I-26.

There is no I-26 in VA ;) It starts at the border of VA/TN and goes south but in VA it becomes regular old US Rt. 23.

[golfhobo]

There is no I-26 in VA ;) It starts at the border of VA/TN and goes south but in VA it becomes regular old US Rt. 23.

Yeah, yeah.... you got to it before I could get home and correct myself! :lol2:

I don't know WHY I keep thinking that area is part of VA instead of Tennessee. I'll bet some Tennesseans wish I'd quit trying to give away the best part of their state! :eek1:

Some reason I keep confusing Bristol with Johnson City.... and thinking that stretch of I-26 is in VA. It's NOT. I've only been through there a few times myself, and keep getting it wrong. Oh well. Can't be perfect ALL the time. ;)

So, if I haven't already confused everyone to the point they are hijacking my thread with Sci-Fi crap....

It is the TN/NC border.... just not the one down in the gorge! :lol2:

Btw... I saw the cops up there today, and one WAS sitting right there at the entrance to the "info station" to make sure we all pulled in. The leaves are near peak through there right now, and it was beautiful today!

[GMAN]

Some reason I keep confusing Bristol with Johnson City.... and thinking that stretch of I-26 is in VA. It's NOT. I've only been through there a few times myself, and keep getting it wrong. Oh well. Can't be perfect ALL the time. ;)




Perhaps you are confused because Bristol is actually in VA and TN. The city is divided between the two states. When you go to that part of the country you need to decide whether you are going to Bristol, VA or Bristol, TN.

[GMAN]

By the way, I heard something about another mud or rock slide along I-40 in the gorge. There was also something about a small earthquake in east Tennessee. Man.....I am beginning to think that I live in California. :confused:

[Dejanh]

I am beginning to think that I live in California. :confused:
..but then when you wake up you realize that it was just a dream.

What a relief, ha?

[GMAN]

..but then when you wake up you realize that it was just a dream.

What a relief, ha?


Yea, I don't think that I could live out there again. There have been too many changes. One thing that hasn't seemed to change are the mud slides, fires and periodic earth quakes. ;)

[1catfish]

By the way, I heard something about another mud or rock slide along I-40 in the gorge. There was also something about a small earthquake in east Tennessee. Man.....I am beginning to think that I live in California. :confused:

what about 25-70 out of newport over to 26 and down to ashville,nc.;)