So we are on our way to the Tail of the Dragon.... we pass only a few other bikes all the way up I-75 from Alabama, through Georgia, and into Tennessee. As we near the turn off onto 129 about 10 miles south of Maryville we are seeing a few more bikes coming at us and feeling the anxiousness as we approach! The whole road is fun and we hardly realize when we have reached the infamous parts of the Dragon from the website pictures! We stopped for a few shots before we headed into the really windy hill area as we are closer to sea level. Note the purple and yellow beach towels are still attached to the seat for Erin! Doesn't she look happy?
I tried a different setting on the camera as I took a shot of this cabin across the road. There have been so many old barns I would have liked to stopped and taken shots of like this..... but we had so far to travel today... another 600 mile round trip, so I didn't dare keep stopping. We did stop a lot along the Dragon though. We got to the first overlook and DAM!!! Well on one side of the road you could see the dam... he he he
Here we are at the overlook. Thanks Erin for the picture!
Then we hit the road and Erin is shooting pictures the whole way while trying to hold on. Mostly we got MPEGS to show the road twisting and turning. Hopefully you will have the bandwidth to open and view some of those below.
Next stop is Deals Gap to get out Dragon T-shirts and decals! Read all about this place at www.tailofthedragon.com.
We buy our stuff and hit the Dragon heading back to Tennessee.... and then we turn around and come back! We ran it three times while there. See some MPEGs by clicking on the pics below.... these may be large as some of the files go up to a full minute!
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| First Run | Gonzo Run | Dave Run | Gonzo Run2 | Dave Run2 | Last Start | Dave Almost Looses it! |
We decide to go see the Cherohala Skyway on Doug's suggestion. At this point it is about 6:30p.m.. We figure it is a direct route back towards 411 or 75 south into Chattanooga. We start on our way and stop at the first overlook and read about the road we will be on. We watch a curtain of rain obscure the behemoth mountains across from us.... only a minute away if we were a hawk.... but miles to get to by land. We hit the road hoping that those clouds will be gone and once again we will deny the rain gods their bounty on us! Nope. We didn't get two miles before the rain started pounding us. Now mind you, we lightened our load and left the saddlebags at my sister's house.... in those bags was our rain gear. We did bring some light jackets we were already adorning due to the drop in temp at 3000 feet (the beginning). The rain is soaking us and it is getting dark. Water is running into my boots as it runs down my jeans. It is getting into my jacket and wetting my tank top shirt. The temp is dropping even more and it is getting even denser and darker on the road. I see a sign that says 4000 foot elevation. Lightening and thunder are echoing around us in every direction. We are breathing the dragons breath, its revenge is upon us. I can only make out the reflectors on the road as they approach from about 8-10 feet out. Erin is shivering so much I am about to fall off the bike! I loose sight of my brother in the clouds ahead of me. I am desperately praying for an end to the rain and this mountain road but we are still climbing. We see a car's lights on the side of an overlook waiting out the rain. There is no place to take shelter. We pass several picnic area signs but not one shelter up there.
5000 feet and still almost zero visibility but I catch up to my brother enough to make out his taillights and can see which way he turns up ahead to give me warning of the road direction. The only way I could tell we were crossing a bridge was when the gusts of chilled air blasted us from the left.... I was hoping guard rails would greet us if I ventured off course.... the lesser of two evils. Finally a slight break in the rain as it lightens up only briefly, but enough to loosen the grip on my bars momentarily. I feel the road changing as we start to descend.... finally another sign and we are back down to 4000 feet. My ears pop. You can actually tell when you are soaked head to tow, the difference in altitude vs. temperature. 3000 feet and getting warmer. I can actually make out trees on the sides of the road. We finally are on flat ground and pull into a gas station. Cappuccinos all around! I take off my boots and dump the water out... my toes pruned like large raisins. Another big blast of rain comes and we wait it out. It starts letting up and we opt for some $8 rain gear off the shelf of this gas station. I also accessorized with a sweatshirt with a motorcycle on it to help warm me up... I put it on over my tank top. Then I had on the cheap plastic rain jacket over that and then my soaked windbreaker. The rain gear pants went on over the wet jeans and retained some body heat. I went to mount my bike and blew the crotch out immediately! Crap! Not two miles back onto the road and the pant legs were fraying on the sides from the wind, looked like flames shooting out of a dragster! I laughed hard every time my brother pulled up next to me and I saw his shredding jacket and pants! I could feel Erin laughing behind me.
We never hit anymore rain that night! Never needed that cheapo gear but it was piece of mind... at least for a couple miles. We stopped for Taco Bell on the way back somewhere in Tennessee and David only had shorts left out of his rain pants! We ripped them off in hulk fashion and tossed them in the garbage.
The rest of our trip down 75 was deserted except for a few rigs we passed. We held a steady 95 mph most of the way back hitting 100+ a few times, it all seemed to be pulling us downhill. My mileage decreased from 111 miles until reserve to 98. I have never and think I shall ever again fill my bike up so many times in one day. We reached my sister's house in Bessemer about 2:30a.m. and hit the sack. Next day we were up around 10 and took some family photos at my sister's overlook. Click on Page 3 below to read about our next adventure.