Here the road leaves the bare plateau and drops into the valley of the Lotru, a long, wooded corridor threaded by one of the main rivers of the Southern Carpathians. The river has been tamed for hydroelectric power, with large dams and reservoirs, notably Lake Vidra, and from the road you catch glimpses of still, deep blue water between steep slopes of spruce. After the exposure of the high pass, the forest comes as a relief, with the smell of resin and damp earth.
The area is thinly populated. Small villages like Voineasa and Obârșia Lotrului sit among clearings of hay meadows, with timber houses and haystacks, and the pace of life seems slower than in the lowlands. In summer, shepherds bring flocks up to the high pastures, and you may pass them on the road, with their dogs and a small caravan. Sheep's cheese cured in a wrapping of spruce bark is a speciality of Romanian mountain communities, and it is worth asking after in a roadside shop.
For the rider, the road in the valley is a pleasure, with a more relaxed rhythm than the high section. The corners are long and flowing, the gradient is gentle, and the forest shelters you from the wind. But it can be damp and shaded, with moss and fallen needles on the surface, and sections remain rough, so keep your speed within the limits of what you can see. Watch for logging trucks and for bears, which live in these forests and sometimes cross the road at dusk.
Services are limited. Voineasa has a few small shops and pensions, but hours are short and supplies may run out, so plan to fill up in Petroșani or in the town of Brezoi down the valley if you can. Cash is useful, since small places may not take cards.
The best time to ride is from June to September, when the road is clear of snow and the weather is mostly fair. In late September, the beech and maple turn gold and orange, and the valley glows. Keep a rain jacket handy, because afternoon storms are common, and the forest road can be slippery after rain. If you find a pull-off beside the lake, stop for a while, and listen to the wind in the trees.