Screw Loose Dan

Well, just got back from a trip that won’t soon be forgotten!! 2500 miles of motorcycling bliss!! It was a trip down the Blue Ridge Parkway (BRP) and around the Tail of Dragon/Deal’s Gap area of NC/TN. The trip was made with my good mate Trace (Sportytrace from the XLF).

Most of the roads I’ve been on at one time or another, but the trip was intended to show Trace around (she’s from Australia and was here for two weeks). I had never actually done the entire BRP from top to bottom, but had done most of it several times now.

I had never ridden with Trace before (well she had been a passenger for a day last year), so I was a bit apprehensive and especially with her being on a bike that wasn’t hers. We had planned on heading out on Friday (6/5/09), but my 883 decided to give me some troubles with the back brakes. So, when we got that sorted out (gallons of brake fluid later) we decided not to leave in the pouring rain but wait till morning and get an early start.

Those off you know me may not believe it, but we were on the bikes and rolling by 6:30 am!! That might be a first… But, we wanted to make up for the lost day. And make it up we did!! My plan was to make the first day rather easy for Trace to become acclimated to the bike, just a couple hundred miles of interstate to get to the top of the BRP. Well, being a day behind we decided to push on. The original plan was the 2nd day to get to Willville Motorcycle campground at Meadows of Dan just off the BRP. Well, we pushed out 500 miles the first day and got the whole way to Willville.

Willville campground is a motorcycle only place. If you are on 2 (or 3) wheels and in the area with a tent handy, plan on staying there!! It was an excellent facility. Some of the BEST thought out bathrooms of ANY campground, plain but extremely functional and clean. They had a nice community camp fire (but you might want to bring a camp chair instead of sitting on their logs).

The next day we pushed on. The plan had been to get to the end of the Parkway and to Ironhorse Campground. Well, we stopped late afternoon in Asheville for gas. We decided to eat while there was food around. After dinner, I decided I had enough and we stopped at a hotel. I took a shower and was asleep within moments of my head hitting the pillow.

The next day we got through the lower section of the BRP that I had never been on before. Simply amazing and spectacular views. Also got to the highest point along the Parkway, kind cool (well, literally a bit chilly as well!).

6053 ft (1845 meters)

We stayed at the Ironhorse Motorcycle Campground Monday – Wednesday. I’ve stayed there before and found it to make an excellent base camp for the Deal’s Gap/Dragon area. Great campsites (and fully equipped cabins if you prefer). Extremely clean and fancy facilities. First class kind of place. Always meet super nice folks there. First night in we met a couple of other Sporty riders. Two cool guys who had ridden up from Florida (and of course I can’t remember their names right now).

Monday after setting up camp, we hopped back on the bikes and took a ride into Deal’s Gap (the beginning of the Dragon). As we went through Fontana, the road was very wet from a shower that had just passed. Our pants got pretty wet, but it didn’t rain on us. Deals gap had a LOT of bikes parked (waiting out the rain) for a Monday afternoon. Kind of amazed at the number of bikes. We made a pass up and back on the Dragon.

Tuesday we headed out and went out through the Dragon and took the back way into Tellico Plains (the far side of the Cherohala Skyway). Took one of the best roads I know of in the area from Tellico Plains south. Just a great ride. Made a loop back and took the Cherohala Skyway back to camp. The Cherohala is kinda boring and short if you just road the BRP and stuck behind slow moving traffic. Fortunate for us, it was late in the day with nearly ZERO traffic. Perfectly radiused corners…pick your speed and line and forget it. Absolutely amazing road at 65 MPH. Near perfection. 50 miles of bliss, really.

Wednesday, we headed out going down 128. Got kinda turned around and back to the awesome road south of Tellico Plains. Really not a bad day. A bit of rain here and there, but not enough to really complain about. And to finish the day again with the Cherohala Skyway with NO traffic…perfection.

Thursday, packed up camp and headed to Rider’s Roost in Ferguson, NC (where I go for the XL List East Coast Rally every year). A short ride, but rain clouds were chasing us all day. I hadn’t looked carefully at the map prior to leaving and took a couple wrong turns on the way there and the rain caught up to us just a few minutes away. It stopped long enough once we were there to setup the tent, then rained HEAVY for a bit. Then it broke up in time for us to head into town for dinner. We really lucked out.

Rider’s Roost is an awesome place I love. But, it’s not for everyone. It’s a bit rougher around the edges than Ironhorse or Willville. Also attracts more of a party crowd. It also happened to be Uncle Roy’s Summer Bash weekend…

Thursday evening was fairly mild. A handful of revelers showed up for the weekend early. It was cool. We hung out with some good ‘ole boys and drank “apple pie” from their Mason jar… We are alive to talk about it!

Friday we headed out for a ride. Took a route that Higgy had done for the XL List Rally. Up 181 and across 221. Just spectacular roads. Nice country back roads mixed with some fairly technical stuff and 181 has some of the best sweepers anywhere. We had time, so we also headed out 421 to the infamous Snake. (Those not familiar, this is where Kris/Kribit had her mishap just a few weeks ago.) Tracey had a blast. She rode the 1200R amazingly smoothly. The Snake isn’t quite as technical as the Dragon, but honestly it’s probably more fun. Lots of fun switchbacks.

Friday night at the Roost…we returned to Rider’s Roost to find a full on P-A-R-T-Y happening. We were treated with the best Southern hospitality. Everyone offering food and drinks. There was LOTS of hooting and hollering going on. Everyone was just have a good old time. Trace got to experience how the boys in the South party…part of her cultural experience.

Saturday we packed up camp and head back to the BRP again, but headed North this time. We made it north of Roanoke before deciding to call it a night at a hotel. Sunday was fairly uneventful as well riding the interstates the rest of the way home.

Overall, it was just an amazing trip. Trace was a great travel companion (remember, I’m not always the easiest to travel with). She rode the snot out of the 1200R and didn’t miss a beat. The roads treated us well. We had about perfect weather, warm and clear most of the time. What little rain we encountered really didn’t impact the trip at all. I’ll be smiling for weeks (or at least till I’m back at work).

Tracey Rolling

Here’s a link to all the pictures from my trip.

Here’s some of the routes we took:

• From the Iron Horse Lodge out through the Dragon, back into Tellico Plains, the 70 mile loop, then back to the IH across the Cherohala, here. 224 miles.
• 28 South out of the Iron Horse into Franklin (?), across 64, down into Georgia, back up 68 to Tellico Plains, and across the Cherohala, here. 244 miles.
• Here’s the ride we did from Rider’s Roost including 181, 221, and 421 (Snake), here. 215 miles. (This will look a lot like Gary’s ride on Friday of the EC XL List Rally…because it is! Only real difference is we shot up 421 to hit the Snake in the same day)