November 1, 2010

What Has at least 10,000 L’s & Rs’

And 1078 Ms’?

The answer is; five days of glorious fall riding to the Smoky Mountains Nat’l Park, Cherokee and Nantahala Nation Forests and three states. We traveled a total of 1078 miles in five days and negotiated at least 10,000 turns,  twisties and switch-backs,and up and down numerous mountains.

On the Road Again

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                We began  our adventure on Wednesday, October 27^th leaving home at 8:15 AM under gray skies. Heading down 41A to Tullahoma and then across Arnold’s Air Force base to I-24. While it was in the 60s’ it was comfortable riding in our leathers and we stopped just before Monteagle to gas up, which will get us to Tellico Plains where we’ll base our riding from this week.

About twenty-five miles north of Chattanooga light rain begins to fall, so we decide to find the nearest Cracker Barrel for breakfast, Shirl had talked to our daughter while we were gassing up, she said, “it’s just a narrow band and you should be out of it shortly.” Sure enough, as we finished breakfast the rain had stopped.

That lasted a couple miles and it started raining again, should we put rain gear on or not? It was now in the 70s’ and more mist than soaking rain so we continued on without, enjoying the scenery as we got off I-75 and continued Eastward on 64 toward Cleveland and then 411 North to Etowah and then East again on 310 and 39 to Tellico Plains. This is great section of twists and turns and up and down a few foothills and still had lots of color in the trees to enjoy, just a great preview of God’s handiwork for this year.

We arrived at Caney Creek Cabins about six miles out of T.P. on 360 a little after 1PM. As we arrived, the rain had stopped and we unpacked and settled down for a short rest. About 4:30 PM we decided it was time to go for dinner, having skipped lunch, so we headed North out of the grounds on 360 which runs through the foothills of the Cherokee Forest and twenty miles later we’re in Vonroe at Pizzeria Venti’s for all you can eat salad, drink and enough great pizza left over for the next day for a mere $20.00! With our tummies full we decide on riding south on 411 to Madisonville and then take 68 back to T.P. We make it back to cabin just before dark and settle in for a good night’s sleep as we’re headed to the Dragon’s Tail and the Cherohala Skyway tomorrow.

Thursday, October 28^th

We’re up and having coffee by 7AM, but the mountains are fogged in, so we sit back have another cup of coffee and just before 8 AM the fog starts lifting so put on our leathers and ride into T.P. and have breakfast at the Town Square Café, reasonable prices and good breakfast choices. We head North on 68 again to 411 to Marysville for our run down 129 (Dragon’s Tail). It a great morning for riding and soon we’re on 129 enjoying God’s handiwork again as we have a few more miles of gentle riding before the Dragon’s Tail begins.

Suddenly it’s left turn. Right turn, twisty and then a switchback and this is the way the rest of the eleven miles to Deal’s Gap is,  and 318 curves! Don’t get me wrong the entire 11 miles is more than the curves with some great overlooks to stop and enjoy the views and chat with other riders about their experiences and bikes and then off again to complete the course to Deal’s Gap. We stopped at Deal’s Gap Restaurant/Resort for a short pit stop and rest before heading south again. Didn’t see the Tree of Shame, so don’t know if they took it down or not. It was a good morning to ride the Dragon as not a lot of Crotch rockets to contend with and only one Semi was going north.

The ride south from Deal’s Gap on 129 can be just about as challenging as the 11 miles of the Dragon, but again the scenery and colors are worth every turn you take, hard remember at times you’re on three wheels and need to watch the road, oh, well, I can look at the pictures when we get home and relive the turns, mountains and beauty our creator has given us to enjoy.  Soon we arrive in Robbinsville and miss the sign for the turn to the Skyway, so we continue on south to the junction of 19/74. Not wanting to admit I missed our turn in Robbinsville, I mumble under my breath about getting the atlas out to see if there’s a better way to get to the Cherohala Skyway. It was decided we would go back north to Robbinsville, have lunch, then pick up highway 143 which is the skyway, finally I spy a little Skyway sign hung between two larger route signs so we hang a left and head west on 143, once again enjoying the scenery noticing at higher elevation the trees are devoid of their leaves, the lower elevation still have good color and oaks are hanging onto their leaves. It’s noticeably colder here, but we decide not to put the chaps on. We reach the highest elevation at 5390 feet and then continue our descent into Tennessee on 165 to T.P.

It was warmer as we rode into Tennessee and warmer as the elevation dropped down, Tennessee side has much nicer colors and great overlooks to enjoy the scenery, we found the same was true with the color last year with TN having better colors, even the higher elevation has great colors. It was almost too warmer for the jackets as we got back into T.P. Not a lot miles today, 180 miles compared to 240 for yesterday, but this was a real work-out with the 1,000’s of curves, twisties and switchbacks, worth every mile and tired muscle for we have the greatest places in world to enjoy the great outdoors on two or three wheels.

Friday, October 29^th

We want to get an early start this morning, but heavy dew and fog surrounds us and we wait a bit for the sun to peek over the mountains to warm the valleys and dissipate the fog. A quick stop at the Bakery on the Square a Homemade Cinnamon roll and Cherry turnover and washed down by coffee gets us ready for our ride into N.C. today. Soon we’re heading south out of T.P. heading south on 68 to Ducktown. We starting enjoying the fall palette as we cruise through Coker Creek and into the deep pine forest, really cool here, as sun hasn’t yet reached down between the tall pines but the leathers do their job and we ride in good comfort as we make our way through Farner and Turtletown into Ducktown. We’re now heading east on 64 and shortly will be in N.C. it’s great road with easy riding makes it a quick ride to Franklin and then we’ll turn south on 441 to Otto.

Shirl wants to make a brief stop at her friend, Rae’s house in Otto, but she’s not home, so we continue S. into Dillard, GA to 106 to ride up to Highlands. Not a long ride, but very scenic and keeps you on your toes. We take a brief break at Glenn Falls and continue on into Highlands, sure looks like an expensive place to live, as they say, “location, location, location.” We pick-up 28, passing Scaly Mountain Ski Area and stopping at Bridal Veil Falls for a couple quick pics before continuing on to Franklin. We stop for lunch and find out later, Shirl’s friend & daughter were having lunch across the road from us about the same we had lunch at the Huddle House.

We pick up 64 again going west back to 68 at Ducktown and north back to T.P. It’s always amazing how different the scenery is going the oppose direction, the colors seemed to be more numerous and bright and the sky bluer than when we came east earlier. It’ getting to be late afternoon and it’s getting cool, so we stop and slip are chaps on for a comfortable ride back to Cabin at Caney Creek.

It makes you wonder year after year how the colors can be  so splendid but always different each year. The old expression really applies, “you had to be there to appreciate the grandeur of our mountains.” A marvelous 270 miles today, we’re off the Smoky Mountains Nat’l Park tomorrow, wonder what it will bring?

Saturday, October 30^th.

We are up later this morning, it’s cold and heater is running in the cabin as there’s heavy frost outside covering everything. Would guess it to be 30 degrees, but will warm up fast as sun gets above the mountain tops. We leave after having coffee and toast at 10:30 AM heading N on 360 to Vonroe and 411 to Marysville. We take 321 to the park veer right towards Cades Cove in itself is a great ride, slow with scenic views of  the many colors of fall along side of us are rushing waters that tumbles down off the mountain.

The eleven mile circle through Cades Cove is worth the drive, but this time of year with the color changes it will over two hours to make the circle. You’ll spend most of you time in 1^st & 2^nd gear and watch out for the frequent stoppers! The views of the meadows as they run off into the distance to meet the mountains is worth the trip and you will never know what wild life you will see. This time we only saw six deer, early this year we spotted bear up in the trees, turkeys, deer and various other birds, but no either time were there any elk.

Leaving Cades Cove we exited the park at Sugarlands and headed up 441 to Gatlinburg, just how do describe the beauty you see, every imaginable color of reds, yellows, greens, browns  and other shades and then throw in rushing water with lots of rapids and you have the eighteen miles to Gatlinburg. It’s not a fast drive as there plenty of curves and tight turns to keep the speed at about 35-40 MPH, but who cares, your eyes almost get tired looking at the hills & mountains sides as slip pass you they show off their many colors.

We find the Old Mill Restaurant we ate at this summer and still lots of people waiting to get in, the food was just as good as this summer. Leaving the returant we stop at the corner  to browse the Leather outfitters before heading N. on 441 to 411  and back down through Marysville to Vonroe and 360 S. to our Cabin. A lot of seat time today to cover the 220 miles. Early to bed as we head home tomorrow.

Sunday, October 31^st

We’re up by 7AM, pack and have a couple cups of coffee and elect for a late breakfast on the north-side of Chattanooga. About 11:30AM we have breakfast and gas up the trike in S. Pittsburgh and 1 ½  hours later we home. The ride from T.P. to Cleveland was quiet and serene with the colors holding on for one last show. From Cleveland to Monteagle there’s lots of traffic so I can’t enjoy the scenery quite as much. It was one of the best 1078 miles of five days of riding we’ve ever done, the only thing to make it better would have been a dozen or so bikes and trikes with familiar faces on them.