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Traffic & Parking Information for 2011 “The Bear” race on Thursday

Last Updated on July 5, 2011 8:34 pm

Spectator Parking

Grandfather Mountain will still allow cars with Bear tags to enter (free of charge) at 6:00 pm until 7:00 pm.

Absolutely no alcoholic beverages of any kind are permitted in the Grandfather attraction…the Sheriff’s Department will be patroling the finish area as well as the Parking Areas.

Please Do Not Drive to the Entrance Until 5:50 pm.

Parking will be at the Black Rock parking area and the Nature Museum parking area. We will issue these “first come, first serve”. The race has gotten so big we can no longer accommodate parking for spectators at the top. That area will be for the runner’s finish and all the shuttle vehicles.
Grandfather Mountain will provide shuttles to the top for spectators from the parking lots indicated above. The shuttles will stop going up the mountain at 7:15 pm and remain at the top. They will not bring anyone down until the last runner has made it to the top.

Anyone not getting on the shuttle will be allowed to view the race from the side of the road nearest their parking or walk up the left side of the road to the top. Runners will be
instructed to run on the right side of the road going up.
Spectators and runners will be allowed to walk down the road from the finish area to your parking site (stay to your right as you go down, runners will be coming up on the other side)
Until 8:20 pm only…no one will be allowed down after 8:20 pm…then no one will be allowed to walkd down the road since the shuttles will be moving people down at that time…shuttles will take people to the parking areas and to the registration tent in Linville after 8:30 pm…

Green buses and mini-buses are only for those going to the start line in Linville!!! We have vans for those still at the top that need to go to Black Rock or the Museum.
However, you will not be allowed to leave the parking area where your car is parked until the Trailing Vehicle has passed your parking lot. Once that happens, the parking lot attendants will let you leave.

The Bear
NEW START LINE PARKING RULES
Parking at the Linville Intersection Prior to the Race
In the past, runners have found parking around the Linville Post Office and other areas in Linville. THIS WILL NO LONGER BE ALLOWED! We have been assigned the parking area about 400 yards up the road toward Boone on Hwy 105. The packet pickup tent will be in that parking area as well. Please follow the direction of the parking guides so that everyone will be able to leave easily when the time comes to go up the mountain for the spectators. Shuttle buses coming down after the race will bring you to this area.

You can walk to the grass area adjacent to the start line when race time approaches, BUT CANNOT PARK ANYWHERE NEAR THE INTERSECTION, IN THE BUSINESS LOTS OR LINVILLE POST OFFICE across the street from the start. This is important, it could affect the future of the race. We must comply and we hope everyone will follow this new rule of the race.
Those going to Grandfather for the finish must leave the parking area no sooner than 5:50 pm, but must be through the gate entrance at Grandfather before 7:00 pm. ABSOLUTELY NO ONE, will be allowed to enter the gate after 7:00 pm.

Please do not leave trash on the ground in the parking area. We appreciate you policing your area. There will be trash receptacles in that area.

Due to limited parking and space at the top, no one will be parked at the top except race officials, timing personnel, emergency personnel and shuttle vehicles.
The race is closed and no one else will be entered. Packets and parking passes (you must be a registered runner to get a pass) will be handed out on Wednesday, July 6th from 5:00 pm to 7:00 pm under the East Side stands at Kidd Brewer Stadium on the Appalachian State campus.

Packets and parking passes will be handed out on race day, Thursday, July 7th from 5:00 pm until 6:45 pm at the new location as described above.

Runners will be called to the marshalling area next to the Linville intersection and start line at 6:55 pm.

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