user 10225
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Moved here from the Southeast Forum...
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Ok, so I'm back in ATL after a nice 2 1/5 days of play. In a show of mercy, the Motorcycle Gods kept the weather nice, cool, and sunny for the most part. I got we a couple of times, but nothing too bad. The route I had planned included the Cherohala, Deal's Gap, the Devil's Triangle, and then an attempt at Johnson City on JeffAshe's recommendation for a BBQ dinner.
I packed light, intending to camp at least one night of the two. Last year I bought a Frank Thomas mesh jacket and I wanted to see how it held up in the cool mountain mornings. The jacket has a nylon over that fits in a small built-in pouch in the lower back, accessible from the outside. In my never ending search for the most versatile gear possible, I wanted to see if throwing a couple warming layers on underneath my mesh jacket and then allowing the waterproof cover to double as a windbreaker if necessary would turn my summer jacket into a viable three-season jacket.
I brought along an inexpensive single-person tent that I got from Academy. I have a great Walrus 2-person for hiking, but since I was by myself and wanting to go even lighter, I figured I'd give a cheap one-man tent a test drive before taking the plunge and buying a good one. That went strapped onto the luggage rack.
In the saddlebags, one side had a liner with two day's worth of clothes, overnight kit, and polypro top & bottom warming layers. The other bag carried my sleeping bag system and my fleece pullover. In my tankbag was all the misc. crap that doesn't fit anywhere, my travel atlas and local maps, fleece beenie and neck gaiter, camera, ipod, gloves, and clear visor. Oh...and my small towel and cleaning spray.
Day 1 Map: CLICKY
I left ATL at about 1400 on Friday and struck North for Tellico Plains. My plan was to overnight at a hotel, but little did I know that there was no hotel in that sleepy little town. I took all backroads and minor state highways, because it really didn't matter where I spent the night - so I took my time and enjoyed the ride.
I took Hwy 19 out of Cumming, GA all the way past Dahlonega where it picks up US 129. Before Blairsville, I split off of US 129 and took some local roads north and picked up Hwy 76 just south of Young Harris. From there it was Hwy 66/Old US-64 across the SC state line and into Murphy... and that, my friends, is where the ride started to get interesting. At Murphy, rather than head west and pick up Hwy 68, I decided to ride through Nantahala National Forest, skirting the north side of Hiwassee Lake. The further up in the mountains I got, the more interesting it became. Please reference the following, Exhibit A:
Many of the houses (or housing-like buildings) looked like they'd been there since the early 1900's - except now there was an occasional window-unit and modern vehicles in the driveways. About 3/4 of the way across I met a nice family who were all sitting outside enjoying the weather, and after talking with them for a few minutes I had a decision to make. Did I head back to Murphy and pick up a highway, or did I continue on down Joe Brown road and blaze down the 12-mile dirt road that this dude had just told me was waiting for me.
Well, 45-minutes and 15 miles later, I emerged from the somewhat packed gravel road unscathed and picked up Hwy 68 into Tellico Plains. The sun was already starting to set, so my chances of finding a good campsite were dwindling quickly - and I still hadn't eaten dinner. I ate a quick dinner at the Hardee's at the intersection of 68 and 165 there in town, and then asked a local police officer if there was a hotel nearby. He said the closes one was in Madisonville, about 20-30 minutes to the north. Well, I didn't want to ride another 20-30 minutes just to get to a hotel, so I decided to head up the Cherohala and look for a spot to camp.
I stopped at about the 5th scenic overlook and decided to call it a night. I pulled the bike up near the half wall and laid by sleeping bag in between the bike and the wall so I would be harder to see. Satisfied that if anyone pulled up and showed an interest in what was going on that I would wake up, I went to sleep.
I woke up about 0630 as the sun was coming up, and spent the next 20-30 minutes waking up and getting ready.
Note to self: When camping on the bike, make sure to purchase some bottled water the night before. That will come in handy when it's time to brush your teeth.
Day 2 Map: CLICKY
Back on the bike Saturday morning, I continued up the Cherohala in an effort to make it to Robbinsville for breakfast, which would place me within striking distance of The Dragon hopefully before all the bikes started to show up. Unfortunately, about 2-3 miles before the NC state line I ran smack into a wall of fog. I only had about 30ft visibility, so I pulled over for a few minutes to see if the fog was just settling in or on its way out. However, since I couldn't even see the sides of the road there was really no way for me to tell...
So rather than continue to wait it out and risk arriving at Deal's Gap after the crowds arrived, I turned on my hazards and finished off the rest of the Cherohala at about 25-30mph. I kept my eye out for the turn where I wrecked last year - I was going to take some reunion pictures - but it was so foggy that I didn't realize when I passed it until I was already two turns down the way. Too bad, though. I wanted to do this "One Year Later" photoshoot... like a "where are they now" kinda deal. Me with my shiny FJR, and the fateful turn with its rusted and dented guardrail.
Anyway, with a mental nod to the place where my K12GT passed away, I said a quick prayer for the fallen and reassured the FJR that I wasn't so much having second thoughts about where we were in our relationship, I was just taking a moment to reflect on the past - which allowed me to be thankful for the sequence of events that eventually brought us together. It might just be my imagination...but I think the brakes were a tad bit more responsive once we had that little talk.
Breakfast at the Huddle House on the edge of Robbinsville, and then up to position myself at the Deal's Gap Resort for the morning's events. The clouds were rolling in, and they were bringing rain, but it just couldn't decide whether or not it was going to REALLY rain, or rain just enough to piss you off and keep you from going fast.
By the time I pulled up at the Resort, the rain had stopped...at least at the Gap. Another dude in a red CBR600 pulled up next to me and we started talking shop. He said that the sun was already shining on most of the Dragon, and that the road was mostly dry as he came through. Add to that the fact that the road is already pretty forgiving in terms of traction...and off I went. I had time to run the Dragon four times before the crowd started to roll in, so I gave it one more go (I had to get to the other side anyway) before heading for Oliver Springs and the fabled Devil's Triangle.
I had been through Deal's Gap once before when I came through last September on my way to Gettysburg, PA. However, I had picked up the FJR about three hours before and I was being quite cautious on my way across - especially after having personally witnessed the complete disregard the tow-truck driver had for solid lines of either color. This time, however, by the third and fourth run I was feeling pretty good and I was scraping pegs with confidence on that 5th and final trip through. Most of the cruisers let me pass and we exchanged friendly waves; there was only one pair of HD's who tried their damndest to make sure I could not pass. They took up as much of the lane as possible, and sped up enough on the short straightaways that I couldn't reasonably pass them. I knew I could pass them...what I didn't know was whether I'd have room to scrub off enough speed before entering the next turn. Oh well... it takes all kinds.
Now, I've heard a lot about local 116, aka The Devil's Triangle. I didn't get to ride it last year while I was out this way, but I made sure that it was on my flight plan for this trip. In my humble OPINION - I enjoyed Route 116 more than I enjoyed the Dragon. Now, don't get me wrong - the Dragon kicks much ass.. but it's crowded, it's short, and the cops are all over the place. It's almost like standing in line for two hours at Disneyland just to ride this awesome 2-minute roller coaster.
However, Route 116 is several miles long... although my sense of time could be skewed, I think it took me almost two hours to go all the way around. That's two hours of nothing but twisties - and a handful of badass switchbacks thrown in for good measure. In a way, I think that the aptly named Devil's Triangle is potentially more dangerous than the Dragon, with the steep switchbacks, huge drop-offs, and zero protection on the curves. Needless to say, I loved every second of it.
I stopped after one particularly pleasing series of turns and HAD to take a picture. Three, actually. The first picture is the first two turns in the series; I'm looking back uphill. Second picture is the rest of turn 2, and the third picture shows my bike on the side of the road and turn 3 just starting. Pictures just don't do it justice...
After wrapping up the good times on Route 116 I started to head East for what I thought was my next target. JeffAshe had recommended a little BBQ place in Hampton, just southeast of Johnson City, TN. I figured if I made it there I could eat dinner there and then spend the night before heading back to ATL on Sunday.
Turns out, I had mistaken Jefferson City (ENE of Knoxville) for Johnson City (which is at the intersection of I-81 and I-26 at the north edge of the Cherokee National Forest). When I got to Jefferson City and couldn't figure out why the map I had wasn't showing the right roads, I asked a gas station attendant where Hampton, TN was and got a blank stare in return. It was then that I realized my mistake and simply said "thank you" and went on my merry way.
I decided not to try the 2-hour highway ride into Johnson City, and chose instead to begin heading south to set myself up for Sunday's return ride into ATL.
I took Hwy 92 out of Jefferson City until it connected with SR-25 at Dandrige. I figured that I could make it to Hot Springs before finding a hotel and calling it a day. I was tooling along SR-25 and started to question whether or not I would even find a hotel in Hot Springs. I was really wanting a shower, a beer, some dinner, and a good night's sleep - and I was wondering whether I was going to be able to find any of those things before the sun went down.
All of the sudden, an oasis appeared out of nowhere:
This little place had places for tent camping, a bath/shower facility, and - most importantly - a saloon. It's as if the great Genie of Motorcycle Paradise had read my thoughts. I paid for a spot and pitched my tent most expeditiously, and then headed straight for the showers.
Feeling nice and clean, I squared away my campsite and walked the grueling 50ft to the saloon. I took a seat at the bar and was promptly greeted by Jessie, who promptly made it her job to introduce me to every person she could think of. Looks like I was the only new guy in a bar FULL of regulars.. and they were all pretty damn nice. She and her husband - Bob - owned the place and had spent the last 5 years turning it into something relatively nice. At 1900 a live band started up, and they didn't suck - so I stuck around and had a few more beers, met a few more people, and had a genuinely good time. About 2200 it was time for me to get some sleep - so I said goodbye to my new friends and walked across the parking area to my temporary home. I got my gear ready for the morning and racked out.
Day 3 Map: CLICKY
After I woke up and got everything ready Sunday morning - by which time I had implemented my "bring bottled water" plan borne of the lessons learned from the previous night - I noticed a great photo opportunity sitting not 40-50 meters from me. I submit Exhibit B:
Because, really, if you're lucky enough to come across two orange and black port-o-potties with big fat HD emblems on them... you better damn well park your Yamaha in front of them and take a picture. In my own mind, that was the best picture of the weekend...
I headed towards Hot Springs and had breakfast at an awesome little diner that was right on the Appalachian Trail. It was so close, in fact, that several groups of hikers came in for breakfast while I was sitting there enjoying my coffee. I subdued my normal instinct to choke hippies on sight - after all, I think Hippie Season is still a few weeks away. And, even though there were some wierdos, there were some normal people and some locals there as well...and they were all cool to talk to. I don't speak Hippy... so I didn't try to talk to them. I figured the normal talk SLOW and LOUD would work, much like it does when I go to Canada, especially since all I would have asked are simple questions like "Where are you from?" and "How long have you been hiking?"... but I figured the overpronouced words and loudness would annoy some of the more quiet locals. I decided to avoid talking to the Hippies altogether, just to preclude any chances at either a misunderstanding or a situation where I had to lie to a NC law-enforcement officer at some point in the future.
Hippies notwithstanding, the breakfast was great and the perfect way to start out a morning. Hot Springs appears to be a city right out of the 60's - no McDonalds or WalMart - just local drug stores and diners... and a few churches. Very cool.
After breakfast I headed down Route 209 southbound to Lake Junaluska. About halfway through, just where the road started to get really good, it started to rain. And not just a little, mind you. No, for I would have it no other way... when I'm on a section of downhill road with several miles of -25mph curves... I want the most rain I can get. Needless to say, I'm much more comfortable than I was when I started this trip with the bike on wet pavement...downhill....in continuous curves.
At Lake Junaluska I picked up SR-23 westbound. I grabbed the Balsam Gap entrance to the BRP, and since it was still early enough in the morning, there was really no traffic at all, so I was able to have a little fun on the corners - especially since I knew there were no surprises. By the time I got to the Yellow Face overlook, fog had started to roll in.
The fog was moving rather quickly, so I pulled over to see if maybe it would blow over. After about 15 minutes, I noticed that the fog was staying just above the treeline...about 10-15 ft above the road. So I got back on the bike and headed the rest of the way into Cherokee. It was a pretty cool thing to be riding directly under this thick cloud of fog, but visibility was great at road level so I cruised right on through.
There must have been some kind of rally somewhere. Starting from Cherokee and all the way down US-411 I passed what seemed like a hundred big groups of HD's going the opposite direction. I tried waving at the first several groups, but after being steadfastly ignored and even flipped off once, I figured that since they were all out playing with their friends that I wasn't going to get a polite response from anyone...so I kept my friendly waves to myself until I had put a bit of distance between myself and the dudes that were too cool for me.
I caught quite a bit of rain as I brought her the rest of the way in to Atlanta - but I couldn't have cared less. I was still a happy dude inside my helmet, because I could not have planned a better way to spend a weekend, and I could not have gotten luckier with the choice of roads (some planned, some impromptu).
Anyways, except for those few moments, everyone I met over the weekend was awesome, and - as usual - the guys and girls on bikes are always great to talk to. Big ups to the crew at Bobarosa for the kick-ass spot they have going on and for all the hospitality towards the dude on the sport-tourer.
Ride safe -
Dave
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Ok, so I'm back in ATL after a nice 2 1/5 days of play. In a show of mercy, the Motorcycle Gods kept the weather nice, cool, and sunny for the most part. I got we a couple of times, but nothing too bad. The route I had planned included the Cherohala, Deal's Gap, the Devil's Triangle, and then an attempt at Johnson City on JeffAshe's recommendation for a BBQ dinner.
I packed light, intending to camp at least one night of the two. Last year I bought a Frank Thomas mesh jacket and I wanted to see how it held up in the cool mountain mornings. The jacket has a nylon over that fits in a small built-in pouch in the lower back, accessible from the outside. In my never ending search for the most versatile gear possible, I wanted to see if throwing a couple warming layers on underneath my mesh jacket and then allowing the waterproof cover to double as a windbreaker if necessary would turn my summer jacket into a viable three-season jacket.
I brought along an inexpensive single-person tent that I got from Academy. I have a great Walrus 2-person for hiking, but since I was by myself and wanting to go even lighter, I figured I'd give a cheap one-man tent a test drive before taking the plunge and buying a good one. That went strapped onto the luggage rack.
In the saddlebags, one side had a liner with two day's worth of clothes, overnight kit, and polypro top & bottom warming layers. The other bag carried my sleeping bag system and my fleece pullover. In my tankbag was all the misc. crap that doesn't fit anywhere, my travel atlas and local maps, fleece beenie and neck gaiter, camera, ipod, gloves, and clear visor. Oh...and my small towel and cleaning spray.
Day 1 Map: CLICKY
I left ATL at about 1400 on Friday and struck North for Tellico Plains. My plan was to overnight at a hotel, but little did I know that there was no hotel in that sleepy little town. I took all backroads and minor state highways, because it really didn't matter where I spent the night - so I took my time and enjoyed the ride.
I took Hwy 19 out of Cumming, GA all the way past Dahlonega where it picks up US 129. Before Blairsville, I split off of US 129 and took some local roads north and picked up Hwy 76 just south of Young Harris. From there it was Hwy 66/Old US-64 across the SC state line and into Murphy... and that, my friends, is where the ride started to get interesting. At Murphy, rather than head west and pick up Hwy 68, I decided to ride through Nantahala National Forest, skirting the north side of Hiwassee Lake. The further up in the mountains I got, the more interesting it became. Please reference the following, Exhibit A:
Many of the houses (or housing-like buildings) looked like they'd been there since the early 1900's - except now there was an occasional window-unit and modern vehicles in the driveways. About 3/4 of the way across I met a nice family who were all sitting outside enjoying the weather, and after talking with them for a few minutes I had a decision to make. Did I head back to Murphy and pick up a highway, or did I continue on down Joe Brown road and blaze down the 12-mile dirt road that this dude had just told me was waiting for me.
Well, 45-minutes and 15 miles later, I emerged from the somewhat packed gravel road unscathed and picked up Hwy 68 into Tellico Plains. The sun was already starting to set, so my chances of finding a good campsite were dwindling quickly - and I still hadn't eaten dinner. I ate a quick dinner at the Hardee's at the intersection of 68 and 165 there in town, and then asked a local police officer if there was a hotel nearby. He said the closes one was in Madisonville, about 20-30 minutes to the north. Well, I didn't want to ride another 20-30 minutes just to get to a hotel, so I decided to head up the Cherohala and look for a spot to camp.
I stopped at about the 5th scenic overlook and decided to call it a night. I pulled the bike up near the half wall and laid by sleeping bag in between the bike and the wall so I would be harder to see. Satisfied that if anyone pulled up and showed an interest in what was going on that I would wake up, I went to sleep.
I woke up about 0630 as the sun was coming up, and spent the next 20-30 minutes waking up and getting ready.
Note to self: When camping on the bike, make sure to purchase some bottled water the night before. That will come in handy when it's time to brush your teeth.
Day 2 Map: CLICKY
Back on the bike Saturday morning, I continued up the Cherohala in an effort to make it to Robbinsville for breakfast, which would place me within striking distance of The Dragon hopefully before all the bikes started to show up. Unfortunately, about 2-3 miles before the NC state line I ran smack into a wall of fog. I only had about 30ft visibility, so I pulled over for a few minutes to see if the fog was just settling in or on its way out. However, since I couldn't even see the sides of the road there was really no way for me to tell...
So rather than continue to wait it out and risk arriving at Deal's Gap after the crowds arrived, I turned on my hazards and finished off the rest of the Cherohala at about 25-30mph. I kept my eye out for the turn where I wrecked last year - I was going to take some reunion pictures - but it was so foggy that I didn't realize when I passed it until I was already two turns down the way. Too bad, though. I wanted to do this "One Year Later" photoshoot... like a "where are they now" kinda deal. Me with my shiny FJR, and the fateful turn with its rusted and dented guardrail.
Anyway, with a mental nod to the place where my K12GT passed away, I said a quick prayer for the fallen and reassured the FJR that I wasn't so much having second thoughts about where we were in our relationship, I was just taking a moment to reflect on the past - which allowed me to be thankful for the sequence of events that eventually brought us together. It might just be my imagination...but I think the brakes were a tad bit more responsive once we had that little talk.
Breakfast at the Huddle House on the edge of Robbinsville, and then up to position myself at the Deal's Gap Resort for the morning's events. The clouds were rolling in, and they were bringing rain, but it just couldn't decide whether or not it was going to REALLY rain, or rain just enough to piss you off and keep you from going fast.
By the time I pulled up at the Resort, the rain had stopped...at least at the Gap. Another dude in a red CBR600 pulled up next to me and we started talking shop. He said that the sun was already shining on most of the Dragon, and that the road was mostly dry as he came through. Add to that the fact that the road is already pretty forgiving in terms of traction...and off I went. I had time to run the Dragon four times before the crowd started to roll in, so I gave it one more go (I had to get to the other side anyway) before heading for Oliver Springs and the fabled Devil's Triangle.
I had been through Deal's Gap once before when I came through last September on my way to Gettysburg, PA. However, I had picked up the FJR about three hours before and I was being quite cautious on my way across - especially after having personally witnessed the complete disregard the tow-truck driver had for solid lines of either color. This time, however, by the third and fourth run I was feeling pretty good and I was scraping pegs with confidence on that 5th and final trip through. Most of the cruisers let me pass and we exchanged friendly waves; there was only one pair of HD's who tried their damndest to make sure I could not pass. They took up as much of the lane as possible, and sped up enough on the short straightaways that I couldn't reasonably pass them. I knew I could pass them...what I didn't know was whether I'd have room to scrub off enough speed before entering the next turn. Oh well... it takes all kinds.
Now, I've heard a lot about local 116, aka The Devil's Triangle. I didn't get to ride it last year while I was out this way, but I made sure that it was on my flight plan for this trip. In my humble OPINION - I enjoyed Route 116 more than I enjoyed the Dragon. Now, don't get me wrong - the Dragon kicks much ass.. but it's crowded, it's short, and the cops are all over the place. It's almost like standing in line for two hours at Disneyland just to ride this awesome 2-minute roller coaster.
However, Route 116 is several miles long... although my sense of time could be skewed, I think it took me almost two hours to go all the way around. That's two hours of nothing but twisties - and a handful of badass switchbacks thrown in for good measure. In a way, I think that the aptly named Devil's Triangle is potentially more dangerous than the Dragon, with the steep switchbacks, huge drop-offs, and zero protection on the curves. Needless to say, I loved every second of it.
I stopped after one particularly pleasing series of turns and HAD to take a picture. Three, actually. The first picture is the first two turns in the series; I'm looking back uphill. Second picture is the rest of turn 2, and the third picture shows my bike on the side of the road and turn 3 just starting. Pictures just don't do it justice...
After wrapping up the good times on Route 116 I started to head East for what I thought was my next target. JeffAshe had recommended a little BBQ place in Hampton, just southeast of Johnson City, TN. I figured if I made it there I could eat dinner there and then spend the night before heading back to ATL on Sunday.
Turns out, I had mistaken Jefferson City (ENE of Knoxville) for Johnson City (which is at the intersection of I-81 and I-26 at the north edge of the Cherokee National Forest). When I got to Jefferson City and couldn't figure out why the map I had wasn't showing the right roads, I asked a gas station attendant where Hampton, TN was and got a blank stare in return. It was then that I realized my mistake and simply said "thank you" and went on my merry way.
I decided not to try the 2-hour highway ride into Johnson City, and chose instead to begin heading south to set myself up for Sunday's return ride into ATL.
I took Hwy 92 out of Jefferson City until it connected with SR-25 at Dandrige. I figured that I could make it to Hot Springs before finding a hotel and calling it a day. I was tooling along SR-25 and started to question whether or not I would even find a hotel in Hot Springs. I was really wanting a shower, a beer, some dinner, and a good night's sleep - and I was wondering whether I was going to be able to find any of those things before the sun went down.
All of the sudden, an oasis appeared out of nowhere:
This little place had places for tent camping, a bath/shower facility, and - most importantly - a saloon. It's as if the great Genie of Motorcycle Paradise had read my thoughts. I paid for a spot and pitched my tent most expeditiously, and then headed straight for the showers.
Feeling nice and clean, I squared away my campsite and walked the grueling 50ft to the saloon. I took a seat at the bar and was promptly greeted by Jessie, who promptly made it her job to introduce me to every person she could think of. Looks like I was the only new guy in a bar FULL of regulars.. and they were all pretty damn nice. She and her husband - Bob - owned the place and had spent the last 5 years turning it into something relatively nice. At 1900 a live band started up, and they didn't suck - so I stuck around and had a few more beers, met a few more people, and had a genuinely good time. About 2200 it was time for me to get some sleep - so I said goodbye to my new friends and walked across the parking area to my temporary home. I got my gear ready for the morning and racked out.
Day 3 Map: CLICKY
After I woke up and got everything ready Sunday morning - by which time I had implemented my "bring bottled water" plan borne of the lessons learned from the previous night - I noticed a great photo opportunity sitting not 40-50 meters from me. I submit Exhibit B:
Because, really, if you're lucky enough to come across two orange and black port-o-potties with big fat HD emblems on them... you better damn well park your Yamaha in front of them and take a picture. In my own mind, that was the best picture of the weekend...
I headed towards Hot Springs and had breakfast at an awesome little diner that was right on the Appalachian Trail. It was so close, in fact, that several groups of hikers came in for breakfast while I was sitting there enjoying my coffee. I subdued my normal instinct to choke hippies on sight - after all, I think Hippie Season is still a few weeks away. And, even though there were some wierdos, there were some normal people and some locals there as well...and they were all cool to talk to. I don't speak Hippy... so I didn't try to talk to them. I figured the normal talk SLOW and LOUD would work, much like it does when I go to Canada, especially since all I would have asked are simple questions like "Where are you from?" and "How long have you been hiking?"... but I figured the overpronouced words and loudness would annoy some of the more quiet locals. I decided to avoid talking to the Hippies altogether, just to preclude any chances at either a misunderstanding or a situation where I had to lie to a NC law-enforcement officer at some point in the future.
Hippies notwithstanding, the breakfast was great and the perfect way to start out a morning. Hot Springs appears to be a city right out of the 60's - no McDonalds or WalMart - just local drug stores and diners... and a few churches. Very cool.
After breakfast I headed down Route 209 southbound to Lake Junaluska. About halfway through, just where the road started to get really good, it started to rain. And not just a little, mind you. No, for I would have it no other way... when I'm on a section of downhill road with several miles of -25mph curves... I want the most rain I can get. Needless to say, I'm much more comfortable than I was when I started this trip with the bike on wet pavement...downhill....in continuous curves.
At Lake Junaluska I picked up SR-23 westbound. I grabbed the Balsam Gap entrance to the BRP, and since it was still early enough in the morning, there was really no traffic at all, so I was able to have a little fun on the corners - especially since I knew there were no surprises. By the time I got to the Yellow Face overlook, fog had started to roll in.
The fog was moving rather quickly, so I pulled over to see if maybe it would blow over. After about 15 minutes, I noticed that the fog was staying just above the treeline...about 10-15 ft above the road. So I got back on the bike and headed the rest of the way into Cherokee. It was a pretty cool thing to be riding directly under this thick cloud of fog, but visibility was great at road level so I cruised right on through.
There must have been some kind of rally somewhere. Starting from Cherokee and all the way down US-411 I passed what seemed like a hundred big groups of HD's going the opposite direction. I tried waving at the first several groups, but after being steadfastly ignored and even flipped off once, I figured that since they were all out playing with their friends that I wasn't going to get a polite response from anyone...so I kept my friendly waves to myself until I had put a bit of distance between myself and the dudes that were too cool for me.
I caught quite a bit of rain as I brought her the rest of the way in to Atlanta - but I couldn't have cared less. I was still a happy dude inside my helmet, because I could not have planned a better way to spend a weekend, and I could not have gotten luckier with the choice of roads (some planned, some impromptu).
Anyways, except for those few moments, everyone I met over the weekend was awesome, and - as usual - the guys and girls on bikes are always great to talk to. Big ups to the crew at Bobarosa for the kick-ass spot they have going on and for all the hospitality towards the dude on the sport-tourer.
Ride safe -
Dave
