Mid October; such a beautiful time of the year especially up in the mountains of North Carolina and Tennessee. However, with this view means the coming of cooler weather which usually results in the bike getting parked for the winter. However there has been a new addition to the bike closet this week, the Kilimanjaro by First Gear. More details to come later, but I have a feeling my riding season has just been extended by a good month or two now thanks to this jacket.
So just to give a few updates as I have not been keeping up with this too well this year:
Once I got back from the West Virginia ride managed I managed to sneak in a few other day rides around the area before I replaced the Avon Storms which I had put on back in April. I had the tires on the bike for a total of 125 days and put roughly 7000 miles on them! I was extremely pleased with the performance of these tires; however I do wish that their life was a bit longer. With that being said I would not turn anyone away from these tires, I highly recommend them to anyone looking for a longer life “performance” tire. They did very well in the corners and did not give me a single problem in the wet. They warmed up extremely quick and held the heat pretty good as well.
Just before I went back to school I went ahead and put a new set of rubber on, but this time I went the dual compound route. I decided to put on a set of Michelin Pilot Road 2’s. I have heard nothing but good things about this tire especially when it comes to their life expectancy. Once again my goal for a rear tire is 10,000 miles and from what I hear, these should do the trick.
The weekend before school started up I got a little more riding in which included a RTE breakfast in Spartanburg, SC for the start of the Iron Butt Rally. Mike Brown gave me a call earlier in the week asking if I would like to attend and with out thinking about where Spartanburg was, and the fact that this was a breakfast event, I said yes. Then he told me to meet him at the local McDonalds in Harrisburg at 5:30 am… sigh. Yes, I did make it on time and was functioning enough to ride. Thankfully I was still in my sleep pattern from work, so waking up at 4:45 wasn’t too much of a stretch.
I have never felt like such a wimp in all my life! When we arrived at the hotel where the riders for the IBR were staying I was in shock at the number of bikes and gadgets aboard them. Most, if not all the “competitive” bikes were set up with multiple GPS’s, auxiliary fuel tanks (totaling 11.5 gallons of fuel on the bike) radar detectors, intercoms, cameras, hydration systems, etc. I mean seriously, it felt like I was at an Inspector Gadget convention. However it was reassuring to see the number of sport tourer’s running PR2’s on their bikes. If they work for those highway bandits than they should more than suffice for me! There were several people from the WVSR there taking part in the breakfast and snapping pictures, so I made my way trough the group bench racing and talking gadgets with most the riders and “groupies.” Once again, the more I talked to the riders involved in the ride, the more I felt like a pansy… Put it this way, these riders were about to take off on a ride that would last a week an a half and in that time they were going to put more miles on their bikes that I am lucky to get in a year! (~10,000 miles) Imagine a cross country scavenger hunt, in essence that is what this ride is about.
We left Spartanburg around 11 am and I followed Mike and Kevin back up 85 till Hwy 321 when I pulled out and went north to Boone, NC. While at the Rally I was texting Alicia and decided to ride up that way for lunch. And yes, Boone is on the way to Charlotte from Spartanburg…
As I stated earlier, school has started back up and is in full swing. I am now in my senior year with plans to graduate in May. (We hope) One of my major classes this semester as well as the following is Senior Design. For this class each student has the option to come up with their own project or join a team and work on a project as a group for a company in the region. I was a bit tired of doing the team thing for a while and I really wanted to work on something related to motorcycles so I decided to work alone. What I came up with was to design a trailer to be pulled behind my FZ6 that will be able to carry the essentials for a weekend camping trip. This is slowly coming along and is proving to put my knowledge from the past few years to the test. And yes I will be building a prototype and have it completed by the spring. I will have pictures and such posted as they come about.
My riding has slowed down tremendously since this summer; however I have been making trips to Boone, NC on a normal basis now. It is football season and I have been spending every other weekend in Boone to do some tailgating and watch the Mountaineers play. I have been having a lot of fun with this, sometimes too much, but in the process I have reconnected with many people in which I haven’t seen or talked to in years and have made many new ones as well.
Currently I am sitting in Alicia’s apartment watching the rain fall and the leaves fall from the trees. I am on fall break right now and with a series of events going on up here this week I put it together so I could spend my break up here with Alicia. (App State’s Homecoming on Saturday and several concerts within the music department) While Alicia is in class I have been out riding and exploring the surrounding area enjoying the foliage. Friday, I spent the morning/lunch time in Shady Valley, TN playing on The Snake and getting my twisty fix in. Then later that afternoon I picked up Alicia and we went leaf looking up around the parkway and such.
Back to the Kilimanjaro jacket. Last week Dad was able to get a hold of a few Kilimanjaro’s and they have made a nice addition to the motorcycle closet. I brought my jacket up here to Boone in order to test its limits as the weather channel was showing some low temperatures during the first of this week. Yesterday evening I put on my Underarmor, a couple long sleeve shirts and t-shirt. I left the fleece liner in the jacket, zipped up the vents and along with my winter gloves and neck sock I was sweating. I passed a bank sign that had the current temperature to be 53 degrees when I was pulling into Alicia’s for the night. So I am thinking that my limit is now going to be mid 40’s this winter…
I think in a nut shell that is about if for my riding/motorcycle related news. Hopefully the weather will clear up this evening so I can get some riding in tomorrow before I go back to Charlotte tomorrow night. Until next time, ride safe!
Monday, October 12, 2009
Monday, August 24, 2009
West Virginia Summer Mtn Ride
The posts below are a recap of my most recent ride, the West Virginia Summer Mtn Ride hosted by the MTF.
I apologize in advance for the pictures. I am not sure why they are only showing half the images in the blog. If you click on them they will open to full size in photobucket.
Enjoy.
I apologize in advance for the pictures. I am not sure why they are only showing half the images in the blog. If you click on them they will open to full size in photobucket.
Enjoy.
Day 1 (8-6-09)
Not too long back I was browsing through the MTF website and noticed a thread about this West Virginia ride that was coming up shortly. So I spent some time researching it and made a few phone calls to those members who I knew would probably be attending. It didn't take long to figure out that if I got a roommate to split the hotel costs that I would be able to do this event. I had been wanting to get up to WV for a while now and this was a great opportunity to do so. A week or so later I had a roommate lined up and I was registered for the event!
I contacted Mike Brown about when he would be leaving to head that way and what route he would be taking. Well since I was Lexington, he would be heading right through my back yard to get there so we made plans to link up on his way up. Due to some prior obligations, Mike and his group wouldn't be able to make it up till around lunch time. This was fine by me as it gave me some time catch up on my beauty sleep...
The ride up was rather uneventful aside from Mike threading his bike along with the trailer between a truck and a bridge guard rail and then again in Mt. Airy but this time is a light pole and a car. (he was going slower this time)
A few hours later we were at the hotel unpacking and introducing ourselves to those that were already at the hotel. We spent the evening in the meeting room having a few drinks and "bench racing." I learned a lot that evening about the street bikes from back in the day...
I contacted Mike Brown about when he would be leaving to head that way and what route he would be taking. Well since I was Lexington, he would be heading right through my back yard to get there so we made plans to link up on his way up. Due to some prior obligations, Mike and his group wouldn't be able to make it up till around lunch time. This was fine by me as it gave me some time catch up on my beauty sleep...
The ride up was rather uneventful aside from Mike threading his bike along with the trailer between a truck and a bridge guard rail and then again in Mt. Airy but this time is a light pole and a car. (he was going slower this time)
A few hours later we were at the hotel unpacking and introducing ourselves to those that were already at the hotel. We spent the evening in the meeting room having a few drinks and "bench racing." I learned a lot that evening about the street bikes from back in the day...
Wednesday, August 19, 2009
Day 2 (8-7-09)
In the past week, Mike Brown and I had been discussing some places to go visit while on this trip and one of those was the Green Bank Radio Telescope. Mike felt that our first day out would be a good time to do visit it and on the way in we could stop by the Greenbrier for a banana split. I have never turned down ice cream before, so why start now…
Friday morning it was surprisingly warmer than I thought it would. So I left my long sleeve shirt in my tail bag as we headed off towards Green Bank with a planned stop at the Cass Railroad for lunch.
The group for this ride consisted of Mike and his wife, Kevin, Rick and his wife on a Gold Wing, John and Rick with the FJR and me. Now like I said before it was warm at the hotel, however as we started working our way up the mountain it quickly became much cooler, to the point where I was starting to get the shakes. Thankfully, we were approaching the
For the life of me I can’t remember how we got there, but some how we did through a series of winding
A couple hours later we ended up at the Cass Railroad to grab some lunch. In this small area there were several shops a nice diner and a train ride that would take you around the area. This place was a play ground for the cameras so we spent some time and snapped a few shots before heading in for lunch.
The food was good but the service was a bit slow. But with that crowd slow service really isn’t a problem. Mike is never short a story or two… and knows how to embarrass us all. He had the waitress laughing so hard she ran into a pole behind the table.
It took us about an hour to finish lunch and we worked our way back out to the bikes. On the way out we heard the train whistle blowing in the distance. We stood around waiting for it to show up and as it rounded the bend it greeted us with its steam whistle.
While watching the trail I noticed a good spot to pull the bike up on the tracks for a couple quick shots…
On the way from Cass to Green Bank a song came on my iPod that I hadn’t heard in a long time. “A Hymn for the Lost and Living” by Eric Ewazen. This piece was written after the 9-11 attacks as a tribute to those that perished and a promise to carry on. Our high school was one of the first schools in NC to play this after it was published and I had forgotten how emotional this piece was. If you would like to listen to this you can below. I was a low brass guy, so the 5 minute mark is what got to me that and I can still remember hearing Drew and Will, my best friends who played trumpet, playing this piece and seeing their emotions as well.
http://www.imeem.com/cornydog/music/A2GamV9v/eric-ewazen-a-hymn-for-the-lost-and-the-living/
I know this has nothing to do with the ride and I know it is bringing the mood down, but for some reason this song just really got to me that afternoon. I think I listened to it like 3 times back to back. Something about that country side at a slow pace and that song just went hand in hand.
But anyway, it was a short ride over to Green Bank and once there we went inside and looked around the exhibit area and snagged a few pictures from outside. Rick on the wing needed to take a break to get his blood sugar up, so Rick (FJR) and I went to a few other exhibits before heading back on our way to get some of the world’s best ice cream at the Greenbrier.
Kevin and I stopped on the out of Green Bank to get a few more shots of the satellite from a distance. I would really like to return there at some point and take the guided tour around that massive thing! The dish alone apparently spans over 2 acres!
It was a nice country ride over to the Greenbrier where I was in for some more culture shock. We pulled up to this gated area and had to park in lot across the street and wait for a shuttle to pick us up and take us to the hotel. Why you ask? Because the motorcycles bother the polo horses… On the way up Mike begins story telling and fills me in on what his place really is. (I had never heard of it till that day)
When we walk into this place I immediately felt way out of place, apparently Kevin did, too. Let me set the scene for you….
Nice plush dark green carpet, silk drapes with chords of all colors everywhere. The staff was wearing the green suit coats while the female guests were wearing nice Lilly dresses and heels and the guys were sporting the polo’s with khaki shorts and Sperries. Then in walks a group of 8 people, 6 men and 2 women. Most wearing ball caps and wearing Kevlar and Cordura based pants, motorcycle T-shirts and heavy boots. We stuck out like a sore thumb to say the least…
We end up at the ice cream parlor in the back of the mall down stairs; yes there is a freaking mall in the bottom of this place! The wait staff was extremely friendly and they got a kick out of our special ice cream trip. Most of us all ordered the banana split, John was the only smart one, he got a milk shake. The split was huge…
Our shuttle driver filled us in on the prices for that hotel as we were leaving. For a basic room at that place it costs around 400.00 per person, per night! Like I said, I was way out of place!
Back on the bikes we were now heading to eat dinner with the crowd at a rib shack. (Are you catching a pattern here?) We took Hwy 60 back towards
Well fortunately I was able to stay awake. Hwy 60 turned into a three lane mountain road with two of the lanes going my direction! I got on the radio and told Mike that I would meet him at the top, I’m was coming around. As I went by, John and Kevin both jumped out and tagged along for a spirited run. I looked in the mirror as I came up to the first tight corner which was going left to see John working his way up towards me. A quick look over the shoulder to judge his position, kicked it down two gears, a bit of throttle and tucked her in dragging the foot peg all the way through. I didn’t look back again till I was at the top. Ah, what a rush! That section of Hwy 60 was a hoot and to my surprise Kevin, who was on a Gold Wing wasn’t too far behind me and John only a couple corners back from him! I was impressed.
We ended making it to the dinner right as everyone was leaving, due to our other eating stops, lol. But that was fine by me. We talked a bit with everyone as they were leaving while we waited on our tables to be available. I got to meet the “Mama Bear” for the first time (Grizz’s wife) and got to see the new scoot as well. Once inside I ordered my first set of ribs, yes my first. 22 years old, born and raised in NC and I was eating ribs for the first time. They were very good, along with the baked beans and potatoes. Keep in mind we just got done eating that massive banana split about an hour or so ago.
Afterward it was a nice late evening cruise back to the hotel. The communal cooler came back out and the B.S.ing began. After all that food, I slept good that night!
Thursday, August 13, 2009
Day 3 (8-8-09)
Last night after coming in from dinner, Rick and I discussed going out towards the New River Gorge Bridge again. Both of us wanted to get down below the bridge and get a closer look at it. (That and harass the troll’s family members.) Fortunately, someone had put together a nice “flower sniffin” route that went out that way and in addition the loop went by an old grist mill and something called Sandstone Falls. The route also looked like it had a few roads that would put some miles of the sides of the tires, too.
Saturday morning, Rick and I gassed up and headed out towards the New River Gorge Bridge. I was told by my father that if I go right out of the parking lot of the info center at the bridge I will end up on a small (paved) goat path leading down to the river and crossing on the old bridge. Well wouldn’t you know it, Dad knew what he was talking about; it was a goat path for sure. Fortunately the park has this marked so that it was mostly one way traffic, which was nice. I am assuming it rained a bit the night before as the goat path was covered in mud runoff and rocks in several of the 180 degree off camber corners which could have been a bit nerve racking on some of the larger touring bikes.
To spare some details and typing for hours, Rick and I stopped several times on this road to take a few pictures. I think we actually spent around 2 hours riding down that road taking pictures as we went. Here are a few:
Saturday morning, Rick and I gassed up and headed out towards the New River Gorge Bridge. I was told by my father that if I go right out of the parking lot of the info center at the bridge I will end up on a small (paved) goat path leading down to the river and crossing on the old bridge. Well wouldn’t you know it, Dad knew what he was talking about; it was a goat path for sure. Fortunately the park has this marked so that it was mostly one way traffic, which was nice. I am assuming it rained a bit the night before as the goat path was covered in mud runoff and rocks in several of the 180 degree off camber corners which could have been a bit nerve racking on some of the larger touring bikes.
To spare some details and typing for hours, Rick and I stopped several times on this road to take a few pictures. I think we actually spent around 2 hours riding down that road taking pictures as we went. Here are a few:
From there Rick set the GPS up to lead us on this loop around to The Grist Mill and Sandstone Falls. Now I had a print out of this map including turn by turn directions in my tank bag just incase we were to get separated for some reason. Well, the GPS did a good job of keeping us off the main highways that day and to be honest that is probably the nicest thing I can say about the darn thing… Don’t get me wrong, I am sure they can be very handy, but I be damned if that thing didn’t lead us down several miles of gravel roads. Now, gravel roads don’t bother me as long as they are fairly smooth and not chewed up and muddy. The FZ has a decent ground clearance and with its upright sitting position it is fairly easy to control in dirt road situations. So bouncing down those gravel roads really didn’t bother me that much, I was actually having fun with it. But after the GPS told us to turn left on a path that I would have enjoyed taking the KX down, Rick and I had enough. So we turned around and went back down the way we came, and I do mean down. The last path we took was an uphill climb for about half a mile, so coming back down that was fun to say the least.
Where we came from..
What was ahead...
Where it wanted us to go...
We managed to get ourselves back on a main paved highway, Hwy 60 I believe it was. A quick stop on the side of the road to look over the map and attempt to adjust some settings on the GPS and we were off again. This time we were able to stay on paved roads to our next stop which was The Grist Mill.
No thanks, Im good up here. Tubing...FTL.
It was around lunch time and we were both getting hungry, however, restaurants are few and far between in this area of WV so we were pretty much S.O.L. It looked as though the road was going to be twisty coming out of the Grist Mill so I took point and led us on down to Sandstone Falls near Hinton, WV. Not sure exactly what path we took to get there but man it was fun aside from the random repair jobs that left the bottoms of the right hand corners rough which cause the bike to become very unsettled at very bad time… The only road in and out of the falls was pretty neat, too. It ran along side the river for a couple miles going by camp grounds and several small houses along the way. It dead ended for the most part in the parking lot for the falls. Rick and I weren’t too sure about this would work as it looked like the falls were a bit hidden from the road. Turns out there was a nice “cat walk” that led to the falls and around the island. We took some pictures and joked about my lack of desire to ever go tubing in water like that and then saddled back up to find some food.
Rick turned the GPS back on and searched for a small hot dog stand there in town. Well turns out it had been shut down, so we headed towards the next item on the list, Pizza Hut. A few minutes later, Rick has us down some small road beside some rail road tracks behind an auto body shop. He stops and says, the Pizza Hut is supposed to be here. The GPS let me down, again…
Rick ended up asking a local where the closest restaurant was, which turned out to be just down the road about half a mile, including the Pizza Hut. So we pulled in and got ourselves a pizza and some bread sticks realizing that our dinner with the MTF crowd that night was going to be Italian and we were to be there in a few hours. Oops.
After lunch we set a path home, however we took a route a little bit different from what the route had suggested. Ken, one of the local riders had suggested taking Hwy 3 instead of 64 to get back home which was fine by me. Hwy 3 looked as though it would be twisty and would take us through the woods of WV, so off we went.
Sure enough, the road was twisty and was well maintained too, much to my surprise. I went around Rick to take point and he let me know I had 10 miles to play before the next road change.
Shortly after this I came up on small burgundy car following an S-10 up the road. About the time I got up to them the car had snuck out and passed the S-10 to make its way up the mtn. A few hundred yards later I had a safe opportunity and followed suit. The corners were tight, marked at 15-20 mph which means fun for me. So I was out doing my thing, off the bike and diving into corners and after a while of doing this (1 mile or so) I realize I haven’t caught up to that burgundy car yet. No sooner that I got that though through my head I round the next corner to see that car stuck behind a Suburban. It turned out that small car was a Pontiac Vibe GT. It had been lowered and was sitting on a nice set of wheels and really didn’t look that bad for a Vibe. A couple corners later the Suburban pulls over and the Vibe takes off. Ah what the heck, lets see what he’s got….
Now I know this kind of stuff should be left on the track and I am fool for even doing this on the street, but just bear with me here. We take off down this mountain road and I realize that at a playful speed this guy is pulling me; so it was time to get serious. I step it up a bit and start pushing the bike a harder through the corners getting the bike down a bit lower each time and accelerating hard out. However after one corner I pull the trigger as the road opens up and realize that I just clicked into 4th and I have never been on this road before. I maybe dumb, but I am not about to play that game. I shut off and wave the guy on motioning with my hand I would rather do twisties that straight line stuff. To my surprise, he slows down and waits on me until we get to the next set of corners! A mile or so later, we are back at it and still I can’t do anything. Even if the road was wide enough that I could pass, I could not get around this guy! However at this point I know I am beginning to push him a bit as he starts to break double yellow by 6 inches or so in a couple of the left hand corners, but this only happened a couple times! Several corners later we come up behind a small blue car coming down a hill an into a left hand corner. To my surprise he down shifts and takes off which looked like he was going to rear end this car in the middle of the corner! It turned out there was a passing lane at the end of that corner. It was then that I realized this was a local and he knew the road, I was screwed. The rest of the way down this Hwy 3 it was all I could do to stay on his back bumper. I was impressed and disappointed at the same time to say the least. At the road interchange I waved to the driver of the Vibe and gave him thumbs up and a few moments later Rick shows up and we carry on back to the hotel.
When we got back to the hotel we had about an hour or so before we had to head out to dinner. However, after my little run with the Vibe I was still pumped up and I honestly felt like I didn’t spend enough time enjoying this beautiful country side. So I geared back up, gassed up again and picked up a West Virginia and Virginia map and picked a direction to ride.
I ended up continuing down Hwy 3 headed west and after a few miles on this great road I sent a text to one of the MTF members saying, “Having too much fun, Ill catch you later this evening at the hotel.” Hwy 3 wound its way though parts of coal country which meant several small towns following the rail road and a river of some sort. I remember seeing this when we came up several years back doing the off road thing however at the time I was maybe 15 or 16. Six years later I have grown up a bit and have a better understanding of what it takes to survive and how hard money comes and how quick it goes. It was eye opening to see this situation over and over as I made my way down Hwy 3. There were a few coal mines with large silos and conveyers along this stretch as well, but to my surprise I only met a couple large trucks and the road surface was clean. 40 some miles later I came up towards the end of Hwy 3 in a small town that still used the old stop lights that covered 4 directions with one lamp and was still set up on a timer. You could hear the relays clicking as the bulbs changed.
From Hwy 3 I got on Hwy 119 to Hwy 85 which was not quite as clean as Hwy 3 and had a bit more wild life moving around. I came up on a few deer from time to time on that road, which was really my concern now as the sun was starting to set. Once again, like Hwy 3, several small communities or rows of houses all within a few miles of every coal mine. While these people weren’t living high on the hog, from what I keep hearing they are doing quite well compared to the southern coal country. I can’t even imagine.
Off Hwy 85 I made a left on to Hwy 99, what a hoot that was. This road started on top of a mountain and it was latterly cut into it. I mean the road was lined on both sides with rock walls! It was freshly paved and the lanes were wide with nice flowing corners that were marked around 30 to 40 mph. I still can not get over how nice a road that was! It ended up leading me back to Hwy 3 just outside of Beckley. I had ridden roughly 150 miles in the past couple hours and I had missed dinner (so worth it). So I pulled into a Wendy’s got a quick bite and headed back to the hotel for the evening to B.S. with the group. Now the day was complete!
Tuesday, August 11, 2009
Day 4 (8-9-09)
Sunday: Time to head on home. I slept in a bit that morning, maybe an extra 30 minutes or so and then went through my normal morning routine. I drug my feet a bit slower that morning trying to avoid the fact I had to begin packing to head home. This area was just nice and I felt like I didn’t spend enough time enjoying it. However, I needed to get on my way as I had plans for later that evening.
Once my bags were packed and ready to be secured to the bike I picked up my tank bag along with my iPod and charger to take on down to the bike. I wanted to get a good charge on it before I headed out. I stuck my hand my pockets to make sure I had my bike key, but it wasn’t there. I panicked, fearing that I had left the key in the bike last night when I was talking with some of the guys after my evening loop. I hurried out the door to make sure the bike was still there and to my relief it was, however the key was not in the ignition. But there was a note…
Once my bags were packed and ready to be secured to the bike I picked up my tank bag along with my iPod and charger to take on down to the bike. I wanted to get a good charge on it before I headed out. I stuck my hand my pockets to make sure I had my bike key, but it wasn’t there. I panicked, fearing that I had left the key in the bike last night when I was talking with some of the guys after my evening loop. I hurried out the door to make sure the bike was still there and to my relief it was, however the key was not in the ignition. But there was a note…
I am still not sure who left it and I have managed to start a mystery case on the forums about it. All in good fun of course, as it was a pretty good joke. My bike key turned out to be in my jacket pocket for some reason… so a sigh of relief there.
I went back inside after hooking up my iPod to the charger and went into the restaurant for breakfast. Mike and Joanna were sitting there talking with Claye about various destinations. Grizz suggested I talk to Claye about the note as she was apparently being quite the prankster this weekend. She denies any involvement with it but she also had a very suspicious grin as well.
I ate my breakfast and said my goodbyes to those that were in the restaurant and went back to my room to grab the rest of my luggage and to look over the map to find a route home that avoided the toll booth. Fortunately Hwy 19 runs along side of Hwy 77, it looked to be a fun road and it got me around the $2.00 toll. From there it was 77 to 52 and home. It was roughly 200 miles to get from the house to Beckley with a couple detours on the way up. So I figured if I went straight home by coming down the mountain I could probably get this done on one tank of gas. This would be a great time to do some Iron Butt training!
So that’s what I did. I topped off the tank and headed down 3 to 19 into Bluefield and then on down the big road to the house. I got a neat picture going through one of the tunnels on the way down. But other than that it was rather un-eventful. I made it home in 3 hours rolling slightly over 200 miles when pulling into the basement and I did this with out a stop. I wasn’t sore and I really wasn’t ready to get off the bike, other than it being hot. That definitely boosted my confidence that I am ready to complete a SS1000 soon.
I went back inside after hooking up my iPod to the charger and went into the restaurant for breakfast. Mike and Joanna were sitting there talking with Claye about various destinations. Grizz suggested I talk to Claye about the note as she was apparently being quite the prankster this weekend. She denies any involvement with it but she also had a very suspicious grin as well.
I ate my breakfast and said my goodbyes to those that were in the restaurant and went back to my room to grab the rest of my luggage and to look over the map to find a route home that avoided the toll booth. Fortunately Hwy 19 runs along side of Hwy 77, it looked to be a fun road and it got me around the $2.00 toll. From there it was 77 to 52 and home. It was roughly 200 miles to get from the house to Beckley with a couple detours on the way up. So I figured if I went straight home by coming down the mountain I could probably get this done on one tank of gas. This would be a great time to do some Iron Butt training!
So that’s what I did. I topped off the tank and headed down 3 to 19 into Bluefield and then on down the big road to the house. I got a neat picture going through one of the tunnels on the way down. But other than that it was rather un-eventful. I made it home in 3 hours rolling slightly over 200 miles when pulling into the basement and I did this with out a stop. I wasn’t sore and I really wasn’t ready to get off the bike, other than it being hot. That definitely boosted my confidence that I am ready to complete a SS1000 soon.
This past weekend had been extremely fun and packed full of smiles. I saw a lot of neat places and spent some time on several amazing roads through what I now consider one of most breath taking states in America. While I had been through WV before this trip, it was a completely different experience being on a motorcycle. I am ready to go back next weekend
Wednesday, July 15, 2009
To Catch Back Up
So it has been a while since I have posted up about a recent ride. This hasn't been due to lack of riding, in fact I have been on the bike every weekend for 8 straight weeks, going on 9! Since the Deals Gap Ride, which can be found below, I have started a new job which is going great and Dad got a new bike (2007 FJR 1300). I really haven't had much time or felt like sitting here in front of the PC. However, I did finally get around to taking care of it...
In addition to the ride report there are videos of the runs we made on Deals Gap and pictures that I have yet to purchase from some of those runs. At some point this summer I am going to reformat my hard drive on this 4 year old PC. Once that is done I will be able to edit the videos and hopefully with some software better than Windows Movie Maker. I will be sure to post those videos and images as they come about.
So if you have some free time, grab a class of your favorite beverage and work your way through the Deals Gap Ride 2009.
In addition to the ride report there are videos of the runs we made on Deals Gap and pictures that I have yet to purchase from some of those runs. At some point this summer I am going to reformat my hard drive on this 4 year old PC. Once that is done I will be able to edit the videos and hopefully with some software better than Windows Movie Maker. I will be sure to post those videos and images as they come about.
So if you have some free time, grab a class of your favorite beverage and work your way through the Deals Gap Ride 2009.
Day 1. Wednesday, June 3rd
Well it was finally June! I had been waiting on this day for 6 months. It was time for the second annual Deals Gap Meet with the FZ6 International Forum. I had reserved my spot around the first of the year and in the past couple weeks I had managed to get Josh and John to come along as well.
After my little accident the week before, I spent a lot of time going over the bike checking lines, hoses and hardware for possible failures. Nothing seemed out of place except the scratches that came as a result. Once I had my bike prepped for the trip I began working on Jon’s GSXR-600. Jon hadn’t been around much due to other priorities at the time, and I felt that his bike needed a good once over to be sure it was road worthy. After all, he was riding with Josh and I, if his bike broke, we were all screwed. There weren’t any loose screws, and all his fluids were good and the tires were in decent shape. However as I made my way around the bike I noticed that his rear brake pads were toast! I made a few phone calls before heading off to work to let Jon know that his pads were shot and that they needed to be replaced before we left. Fortunately he was able to find a set of rears and we installed them later that evening while packing up the last minute items.
8:00 AM, we were fueled up and heading west. The horse play started early as Jon reached over and shut Josh’s bike off at the intersection leaving the gas station. We thought it was funny, Josh didn’t. (Surprise) Our route took us down 85 to 74 to Lake Lure and then on down 74 Alt to Asheville. We made our first stop at the bottom of Lake Lure to stretch and let some traffic go on ahead. A few minutes later we headed on up to make the cleanest pass on 74 ever. We had never had such luck coming up this road, we honestly had it to ourselves! Past Chimney Rock we continued across 74 passing where we normally turn down Hwy 9. Shortly after this intersection of 9 and 74 the cars that we got behind started moving over and waiving us by. We were really at a loss as to why they were doing this. The three of us waved as we went, trying to figure out why everyone was being so nice. About a mile later the curvy road signs showed up and we were thanking the cars about a mile back! 74 Alt ended up twisting its way damn near all the way to Asheville! It was a good stretch of road with some nice curves and as they got tighter I could see Jon in my mirrors all over my rear end needing some more room. So I waved him on, only to see him again once we got to a stop light just shy of I-40.
Once in Asheville we stopped for gas and grabbed some lunch at a BK there off the highway. I looked over the map while inside, double checking the fact that I was really unsure on how exactly we were going to get there…
Sure enough once we were on the road I got us side tracked and turned around some where around Silva and that area. A couple hours later, after running all back roads were ended up in Robbinsville, NC. We stopped at a small gas station there on the skyway to ask directions as to where The Treetops were located, to be greeted by a family of chickens that were living somewhere around the gas station. The Treetops was a couple miles down 143 on our right, I was afraid I was going to miss it as the road was so darn twisty, I really wasn’t looking for a small gravel road on the shoulder… However we did end up finding it and pulled into what we would call home for the next few days. Anthony, Brian and Nick (I think) were the only people there at the time. Shaggy (Mark) showed up a bit later as we were unloading.
After we got unloaded and talked with the guys a few minutes, Josh and Jon were eager to get up to the infamous US129 to see what it was all about. They really had no clue what was coming.
We stopped at the store to look around for a few minutes and check out the tree of shame. I mounted up the cameras as I gave them the basic run down of warning signs and what to look for and we took off heading north.
After the first pass I pulled off at the gravel trap at the north end with Jon right on my tail and Josh not too far behind. I quickly took off my lid and watched their expressions as they dismounted. Ear to ear grins for both of them. Jon seemed to be in awe and didn’t say much more than, “that was amazing” while Josh couldn’t stop talking about it. We looked at each others tires joking about the chicken strips when I noticed something interesting about my tires. I had gotten the Avon’s pretty darn hot and I had the “rubber buggers” accumulating on the sides like the road race guys! I took a few shots and the three of us headed back down to the store. We took a different order this time trying to get everyone on camera. Jon took point with Josh in the middle and the FZ bringing up the rear. A bit later we were back at the store to pull the cameras off and B.S. about the last run. We headed back the house to call it a day and eat some dinner that Anthony was working on before we left.
The guys were stoked…
After my little accident the week before, I spent a lot of time going over the bike checking lines, hoses and hardware for possible failures. Nothing seemed out of place except the scratches that came as a result. Once I had my bike prepped for the trip I began working on Jon’s GSXR-600. Jon hadn’t been around much due to other priorities at the time, and I felt that his bike needed a good once over to be sure it was road worthy. After all, he was riding with Josh and I, if his bike broke, we were all screwed. There weren’t any loose screws, and all his fluids were good and the tires were in decent shape. However as I made my way around the bike I noticed that his rear brake pads were toast! I made a few phone calls before heading off to work to let Jon know that his pads were shot and that they needed to be replaced before we left. Fortunately he was able to find a set of rears and we installed them later that evening while packing up the last minute items.
8:00 AM, we were fueled up and heading west. The horse play started early as Jon reached over and shut Josh’s bike off at the intersection leaving the gas station. We thought it was funny, Josh didn’t. (Surprise) Our route took us down 85 to 74 to Lake Lure and then on down 74 Alt to Asheville. We made our first stop at the bottom of Lake Lure to stretch and let some traffic go on ahead. A few minutes later we headed on up to make the cleanest pass on 74 ever. We had never had such luck coming up this road, we honestly had it to ourselves! Past Chimney Rock we continued across 74 passing where we normally turn down Hwy 9. Shortly after this intersection of 9 and 74 the cars that we got behind started moving over and waiving us by. We were really at a loss as to why they were doing this. The three of us waved as we went, trying to figure out why everyone was being so nice. About a mile later the curvy road signs showed up and we were thanking the cars about a mile back! 74 Alt ended up twisting its way damn near all the way to Asheville! It was a good stretch of road with some nice curves and as they got tighter I could see Jon in my mirrors all over my rear end needing some more room. So I waved him on, only to see him again once we got to a stop light just shy of I-40.
Once in Asheville we stopped for gas and grabbed some lunch at a BK there off the highway. I looked over the map while inside, double checking the fact that I was really unsure on how exactly we were going to get there…
Sure enough once we were on the road I got us side tracked and turned around some where around Silva and that area. A couple hours later, after running all back roads were ended up in Robbinsville, NC. We stopped at a small gas station there on the skyway to ask directions as to where The Treetops were located, to be greeted by a family of chickens that were living somewhere around the gas station. The Treetops was a couple miles down 143 on our right, I was afraid I was going to miss it as the road was so darn twisty, I really wasn’t looking for a small gravel road on the shoulder… However we did end up finding it and pulled into what we would call home for the next few days. Anthony, Brian and Nick (I think) were the only people there at the time. Shaggy (Mark) showed up a bit later as we were unloading.
After we got unloaded and talked with the guys a few minutes, Josh and Jon were eager to get up to the infamous US129 to see what it was all about. They really had no clue what was coming.
We stopped at the store to look around for a few minutes and check out the tree of shame. I mounted up the cameras as I gave them the basic run down of warning signs and what to look for and we took off heading north.
After the first pass I pulled off at the gravel trap at the north end with Jon right on my tail and Josh not too far behind. I quickly took off my lid and watched their expressions as they dismounted. Ear to ear grins for both of them. Jon seemed to be in awe and didn’t say much more than, “that was amazing” while Josh couldn’t stop talking about it. We looked at each others tires joking about the chicken strips when I noticed something interesting about my tires. I had gotten the Avon’s pretty darn hot and I had the “rubber buggers” accumulating on the sides like the road race guys! I took a few shots and the three of us headed back down to the store. We took a different order this time trying to get everyone on camera. Jon took point with Josh in the middle and the FZ bringing up the rear. A bit later we were back at the store to pull the cameras off and B.S. about the last run. We headed back the house to call it a day and eat some dinner that Anthony was working on before we left.
The guys were stoked…
Day 2. Thursday, June 4th
Looking at the radar last night it looked as though the rain would be rolling in sometime after lunch for sure. So we made plans to make a short loop in the morning, come back for lunch and see what the weather was doing. A few of the guys that showed up early, Todd, Brian and Mark were ok with this and joined us for our early morning departure.
We headed out going west on 143 (Skyway) taking it all the way down to Tellico Plains, TN. The morning fog hadn’t quite lifted yet when we rolled through so it got a bit difficult to see up around the peak. (5000 ft) We pulled off at the top overlook, I snapped a few pictures as everyone wandered around and talked. When we headed back down out of the clouds, the sun poked through for a bit before the impending rain clouds moved in. This was the first time I had been on the Skyway with out a passenger so the speed that I was able to carry through the corners was nice. Heading west bound there are no decreasing radius corners and everything is very open. This road allows a rider to build confidence in every corner and I was starting to get some miles in on the sides of the tires! The road was clear for the most part, turtles seemed to be the debris of choice though. As I found out later, it was mating season which would make since I suppose. In then end I believe we dodged 3 or 4 before we got to Tellico Plains.
We headed out going west on 143 (Skyway) taking it all the way down to Tellico Plains, TN. The morning fog hadn’t quite lifted yet when we rolled through so it got a bit difficult to see up around the peak. (5000 ft) We pulled off at the top overlook, I snapped a few pictures as everyone wandered around and talked. When we headed back down out of the clouds, the sun poked through for a bit before the impending rain clouds moved in. This was the first time I had been on the Skyway with out a passenger so the speed that I was able to carry through the corners was nice. Heading west bound there are no decreasing radius corners and everything is very open. This road allows a rider to build confidence in every corner and I was starting to get some miles in on the sides of the tires! The road was clear for the most part, turtles seemed to be the debris of choice though. As I found out later, it was mating season which would make since I suppose. In then end I believe we dodged 3 or 4 before we got to Tellico Plains.
40 miles later we had arrived in Tellico and we turned right, heading north on 360. We pulled in at a small gas station; I figured some of the guys would like to take a little stretch break. We chatted for a few minutes before heading on our way. On the map 360 looked like a nice twisty road, but in actuality it was a nice little farm road. There were a few nice corners but the scenery was the real highlight. I forget now how long this road was, but it didn’t take us too much time to get up on 441.Now the plan was to take 441 up to 321 and bring the Foothills Parkway down to 129. I started rethinking this idea as we worked our way down 441, a four lane highway. Off in the distance I could see the clouds beginning to work their way in. I wasn’t a 100% on the amount of time it would take to do the FHP and since I had never rode with these guys before I wasn’t too sure about their feelings towards rain. I think it was something like 20 miles down 441 and we came up on the 129 intersection. There was a small service station there on the corner so I pulled in there. Josh, Jon and Mark topped off the tanks and we discussed the route situation. Brian was about fed up with the highway and the general consensus was to head back towards the house. Judging by the movement of the clouds, this was probably the best idea.
We dodged another turtle, this time he was on his back rolling around trying to get himself upright, poor fella. Eventually we got to the upper dam there at the lake on top of 129. Mark mentioned that he wanted pictures of the dams so we pulled off there for a few minutes and I snapped a few shots as well.
The traffic had started to pick up a bit since yesterday but it still appeared light compared to years past. A few people flashed their lights in warning as we headed south down 129. There at the gravel trap there were two THP sitting and watching the bikes go by. Josh had asked to get some pictures from the overlook at some point, so once we got there we pulled off again. Several bikes were gathered on both sides of the overlook, but there was still plenty of room to move around. We mounted up the cameras again, to take another stab at some video since Jon erased the ones from yesterday accidently.
We made a clean pass down only seeing two more officers sitting in the construction area; however we were warned about these two by a couple guys at the overlook. When we stopped at the store we ran into Anthony and some other guys from the meet. Mark and Todd headed back to the house from there while Brian stayed with us to complete the loop down 28 to 143. Oddly enough, when we were about to leave, the guy who warned us about the THP was carrying a welcoming slip (Ticket).
We continued down 28, literally, down with a 9% grade to Fontana Village. The road was nice and smooth and the turns were predictable. We all wished we were heading north at this point as the twisties are easier to carve when going up hill. A few turns shy of Fontana Village and we were hit with a down pour, the rain had caught us. I hurried up and pulled under the covering at the gas stop there on the corner of Fontana Village. We got off the bikes and talked with a couple guys on SV 650’s that had beaten us to the shelter.
The rain wasn’t letting up too quick so we went on inside the store and each got a couple hot dogs and a coke for lunch. We figured since we were hogging their pumps we should at least support them. We sat out the rain for about 20 minutes and the rain started to slowly let up. It wasn’t too much further to 143, so we suited back up and headed out.
On the way in we got behind a couple slower bikes and a local in a car who was tail gaiting the heck out of the bike in the rear. When she found a spot to pass there was a large Ford truck coming at her that was moving along pretty good. I laid back hoping this didn’t get ugly and watched as that lady squeezed her way in between that large truck and the lead bike.
A bit later the bikes motioned us on by and we eventually caught up to the crazy car, she was stuck behind a slower car this time. At this point we were in Robbinsville and apparently the local grocery store must have had a sale on milk or something. She passed the slower car on her way through the turning lane, only to get stuck with on coming traffic. I scooted over in my lane, got right up on the side of car and let 139 db of ear piercing goodness go. I like my air horn. There was no since her behavior, especially around bikes.
By time we got back to the house it was getting to be close to dinner time. I took an extra run down the Skyway escorting a Semi to Tellico. He really didn’t need it, but the driver asked for one when I started talking to him via the CB. I figured I owed The Bike God’s one after my little incident the week before.
Back to the house with my good deed done, Josh was washing his bike and the rest of the guys were playing pool and having a few cold ones. The rain came in late that evening and hung around till morning.
Day 3. Friday, June 5th
Jordan’s Great Uncle Jesse, lives in Cullowhee, NC which is the home of Western Carolina State University. Jordan’s Maw-Maw and Uncle Jesse and I believe Jordan’s mother, Susan all grew up in the house that Uncle Jesse still lives in today. When Uncle Jesse came to Lexington for His/Jude’s first birthday party I mentioned the bike trip to him and said that we should get together for lunch at some point while I was up that way. Cullowhee isn’t too far from Robbinsville, so while I was over it would be a great time to get over that way and spend some time with him and to get some riding on that side of the mountain. Turns out that Maw-Maw was heading up to visit on Friday, however her times were certain at that point, but we would call each other Thursday and figure it out.
Thursday evening was a wash out once we got in and it looked as though it was there to stay for a while. Maw-Maw called rather late that evening to my surprise to inform me that she would be there a little sooner than expected and that we could meet up at Uncle Jesse’s around lunch time. From there we would contact each other as the day went on because the weather was still looking a bit iffy.
Friday morning, I awoke to the sound of rain hitting the roof top. A quick check of the weather channel showed a small area of moisture was over Robbinsville while the rest of the front had moved on. The cloud got stuck… Looking at the hour by hour it seemed as though it would be gone within the hour, so I went ahead and started packing up the rain gear and got Josh and Jon up. A little bit latter they were ready to go, but the rain hadn’t really let up. I am not opposed to riding in the rain; I just really didn’t want to leave in it. So we played some pool and killed another hour until it started to let up. Time was against us at this point as we needed to be near Silvia by lunch time.
I talked they guys, mainly Josh, into leaving and assuring him that it would be dry at the bottom and explain the whole cloud stuck on the mountain scenario. I think all the other guys in the house though we were nuts, but I knew this moisture was not everywhere, I had experienced this before.
So we went towards The Gap, heading north on 129. We quickly came to realize that the moisture was still there as well. We stopped at the store and took a few pictures on the loading dock since no one was there. The rain picked back up so we went inside for a bit to let it die off again. Josh’s jacket was extremely well vented and in this moisture he was not only cold but wet. The rain/moisture wasn’t too bad so I let him use my rain coat to help him out and we took off down 28 again in the rain..
Thursday evening was a wash out once we got in and it looked as though it was there to stay for a while. Maw-Maw called rather late that evening to my surprise to inform me that she would be there a little sooner than expected and that we could meet up at Uncle Jesse’s around lunch time. From there we would contact each other as the day went on because the weather was still looking a bit iffy.
Friday morning, I awoke to the sound of rain hitting the roof top. A quick check of the weather channel showed a small area of moisture was over Robbinsville while the rest of the front had moved on. The cloud got stuck… Looking at the hour by hour it seemed as though it would be gone within the hour, so I went ahead and started packing up the rain gear and got Josh and Jon up. A little bit latter they were ready to go, but the rain hadn’t really let up. I am not opposed to riding in the rain; I just really didn’t want to leave in it. So we played some pool and killed another hour until it started to let up. Time was against us at this point as we needed to be near Silvia by lunch time.
I talked they guys, mainly Josh, into leaving and assuring him that it would be dry at the bottom and explain the whole cloud stuck on the mountain scenario. I think all the other guys in the house though we were nuts, but I knew this moisture was not everywhere, I had experienced this before.
So we went towards The Gap, heading north on 129. We quickly came to realize that the moisture was still there as well. We stopped at the store and took a few pictures on the loading dock since no one was there. The rain picked back up so we went inside for a bit to let it die off again. Josh’s jacket was extremely well vented and in this moisture he was not only cold but wet. The rain/moisture wasn’t too bad so I let him use my rain coat to help him out and we took off down 28 again in the rain..
Towards the bottom 28 the sun began to poke through and the light bounced off the wet leaves and road as we came through this tunnel of trees. It truly was breath taking to witness this. A mile or two later we entered into a valley to witness the clouds lifting off at the lower elevation. At the next wide spot, which was a small store, we pulled over so I could get some pictures of this clouds moving away.
We wandered a way down 28 over to 19 and some how got in around Cherokee. I thought I knew where I was going, but I didn’t. At every stop Josh was wanting to do a burn out or was revving his bike, doing those squid things. So Jon and I decided that Josh would really be better off on a Harley. All he wants to do is rev up that bike, do a burn out and complains every 100 miles about being tired. To top it all off, every evening when we came in he would wash his bike. It had rained every day up to this point. Jon and I thought it was very funny, Josh didn’t.
We eventually made our way into Silva and down into Cullowhee. Now when you start getting close to the school the DOT have the side of the road marked with a separate small lane for bicycles on the shoulder. To my surprise when get to those, Josh comes rolling up beside Jon and I in the bicycle lane! I guess his Schwinn was equipped with a motor?
We stopped in front of the school, before climbing the mountain to Uncle Jesse’s house. There is no cell service up there, so I went ahead and called his house to see if he was available. He was and had been waiting for us to arrive. I called Maw-Maw real quick to let here know where we were and to find out her ETA. She was closer than I thought, so we just headed on up to Uncle Jesse’s.
Once up top, Josh and Jon were amazed at how quiet everything was up there. The loudest noise was that of the creek running across the road from the house. Uncle Jesse greeted us and pointed out the large tree that was missing. Turns out only a sliver of that large tree was still living before the power company cut it, the rest had rotted away! It was a wonder the thing was even standing before they cut it.
Maw-Maw showed up a few minutes later and we headed back to Silva to eat at the Jarrett House. This place is always good, and we usually eat there every time we go up that way, which doesn’t bother me! Josh and Jon were in for a real treat. An hour or so later we left after Josh had stuffed himself full of Catfish and Jon indulged on the vinegar pie (which was actually really good). We were so full we struggled to get back in our gear and had to rest for a while in sun shine to let our food settle for a bit! Yes, I said sun shine. It wasn’t raining where we were!
We eventually made our way into Silva and down into Cullowhee. Now when you start getting close to the school the DOT have the side of the road marked with a separate small lane for bicycles on the shoulder. To my surprise when get to those, Josh comes rolling up beside Jon and I in the bicycle lane! I guess his Schwinn was equipped with a motor?
We stopped in front of the school, before climbing the mountain to Uncle Jesse’s house. There is no cell service up there, so I went ahead and called his house to see if he was available. He was and had been waiting for us to arrive. I called Maw-Maw real quick to let here know where we were and to find out her ETA. She was closer than I thought, so we just headed on up to Uncle Jesse’s.
Once up top, Josh and Jon were amazed at how quiet everything was up there. The loudest noise was that of the creek running across the road from the house. Uncle Jesse greeted us and pointed out the large tree that was missing. Turns out only a sliver of that large tree was still living before the power company cut it, the rest had rotted away! It was a wonder the thing was even standing before they cut it.
Maw-Maw showed up a few minutes later and we headed back to Silva to eat at the Jarrett House. This place is always good, and we usually eat there every time we go up that way, which doesn’t bother me! Josh and Jon were in for a real treat. An hour or so later we left after Josh had stuffed himself full of Catfish and Jon indulged on the vinegar pie (which was actually really good). We were so full we struggled to get back in our gear and had to rest for a while in sun shine to let our food settle for a bit! Yes, I said sun shine. It wasn’t raining where we were!
After a few minute nap, we were on our way to Franklin, NC and Hwy 64 to head down Wayah Rd. Some where on 64 I think it was we came up on a large advisory sign for trucks and motorcycles showing sharp corners and a posted speed limit of 35 mph. Well we were on a highway of sorts and it was a 4 lane so we knew it wouldn’t be that bad. We were all in the right lane as we approached the corners. The were just good sweepers! I ended up behind some small car entering the first corner in the right lane and I as went to pass I looked in my mirror to see Josh on my inside with a knee out and gaining quick. As he passed I flipped him off and then ducked in behind. The three of us started our way down a rate much quicker than the advised. Several corners later we came into a left hander we were still in the left lane, Josh pulled away a bit as he accelerated a bit harder out of the last sweeper. He dove in and gave it all she had but he wasn’t able to maintain his line. He leaned has far as he could, I mean that bike was down! I backed way off expecting the worse, he drifted over into the right lane and was headed to shoulder. Thankfully the corner opened up and he pulled it off with out dropping it. He dropped way back shaking his head as were pulled into Franklin. I motioned to him asking if we needed to stop, he waved me on so we kept on rollin.A few miles later we were on Wayah Rd. Things had changed a bit since I had last been on it. They had spread small pea sized gravel all over the road for the first couple miles. It was rather odd to say the least. I am not sure if they are working on the road of if they did it to prevent bikes from going so fast in the “rural” area of that road. Eventually the gravel let up, right before the best part actually. The road surface isn’t the best on that road so it is hard to really push the bike through the corners. There was a lot of gravel and busted pavement, but the scenery was great! We came up on a lake towards the end of the road and pulled off on a wide spot for some pictures. This particular spot had a nice ladder going down the embankment leading to the lake.
We were running short on time because we had a group photo scheduled with Killboy at 6 on top of the skyway. Once we got back into the Robbinsville we noticed the clouds and the damp air felt like rain. It seemed as though we made a good choice to leave. A quick stop by the house on the way up the skyway to discover that one of the riders and fallen hard and got pretty banged up. The fog was very thick at the top and several had come down because there was no way to get a decent photo in that fog. I got online looking for a number or some contact info to try and get a hold of Darryl. The rest of the group was still at the pull off waiting and as I was leaving to go up there with them, Darryl pulled in. He decided to move it down to the first overlook on the skyway so I went on up to the top to bring the rest of the guys back down.IT WAS FOGGY! The ceiling was about 3800 feet and once you were in it, it was cold, windy and wet, but no rain. I told the group what was going on and thanked them for staying up there, took a couple quick picks and headed back down.
After the group photo, the three of us headed back to The Dragon to try, once again, recording Jon from the front. Darryl said the road was clear and dry for the most part so we headed that way.
He was right, it was clear and we finally got some good footage! Videos to follow later. We got to the top, tired and worn out. Chatted with a few guys at the top and then eased our way back down working on lane/line position. We got home a bit late for food, fortunately there was still some chicken Alf redo pasta stuff that Steve made on the stove. We ate the rest of that and then crawled in the hot tube to close the day.
He was right, it was clear and we finally got some good footage! Videos to follow later. We got to the top, tired and worn out. Chatted with a few guys at the top and then eased our way back down working on lane/line position. We got home a bit late for food, fortunately there was still some chicken Alf redo pasta stuff that Steve made on the stove. We ate the rest of that and then crawled in the hot tube to close the day.
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