First solo mountain ride (pic heavy)

[Soupskin]

So I decided I wanted to run the Dragon to celebrate my birthday.  Due to scheduling difficulties and changes, no one else could make it.  I decided to make it an extra long ride and do it solo.  I've had this fear of doing mountain runs solo.  The thought of going over the edge with no one in sight makes me wonder how long I would be down a cliff before someone finds me.  I put my fears aside and pushed on.

I had planned on getting up at 5:00 AM to make it out of town before sunrise.  Being the perpetual procrastinator that I am, I ended up not going to bed until 1 AM Saturday night/Sunday morning.  Since I knew it wouldn't be wise to do a 430 mile run in 12 hours with only 4 hours of sleep, I set the alarm for 7 AM instead.  So Sunday morning, I get up and have my usual breakfast of Greek yogurt, a chopped up banana and 1/4 cup of granola that I've had EVERY. SINGLE. DAY. since January.  I hit the road and was gassed up at 8:00 AM. (Point A on the map)



Heading out of the city.  It was sill a bit chilly, in the upper 40s.  Long boring slab to get to the fun.



Yours truly



Finally a curve!



Friday night there was some nasty weather up here.  This worked out in my favor since many rallies canceled for the weekend and the crowds were minimal.  Most of the waterways were filled to capacity.



Finally!  The fun stuff is on the horizon.





First stop was Rider's Hill.  They have gear and bikes for sale.  There is also a cafe and tire ship here.  It's point B on the map above.







Leaving Rider's Hill and heading to the real fun.

[Soupskin]

The was the former site of TWO, Two Wheels Only Campground.  They are now closed.  They used to serve some of the bet hamburgers.  It was a great place to meet and hang out with other local riders.



Ventured on through scenic rural Georgia.







Made my way up 60 and 68 to Tellico Plains, TN.









I had planned on heading north from Tellico to the TN side of the Dragon and ride it down.  But when I saw the sign for the Cherohala Skyway, I just couldn't pass it up.  It was still early and I knew it would only take me 3 hours most to get home from KSL if I wanted to hurry.  So what the hell, I hung a right and went for it.







Once you start seeing all the memorials, it's hard to miss them.  There was a nasty wreck on this curve last year when we were up there.  There was a wreath there today.

[Soupskin]

From Cherohala I took a road called Joyce Kilmer on the north side of Lake Santeetlah to 129...  it sucked.  Avoid this road at all costs unless you are on a dual sport.  It was covered with gravel and full of potholes.  I had to practically crawl down it to stay safe.

Stopped at the dam on 129 for a photo and then made my way to the top of the Dragon.



Had a good Dragon run on the way up.  Cagers pulled over and cruisers flagged me by.  My Killboy photos aren't up yet but here are some http://www.us129photos.com/ snaps.  One the way up this Pontiac was ripping it.  I could smell his brakes burning though.



Snaps from the top.  The Pontiac is up there too.







It was clear all the way back down!  I think my Killboy shots will be better though...



Stopped at the store on the way back down to gas up and get some stickers.



Cruisers on one side.



Sports on the other.



I then headed back down to visit Mo.





There were downed trees everywhere.  They had all been cleared from the roads though.

[Soupskin]

Our favorite vacation spot!



Mo sends greetings to everyone!  I chatted with her for a bit while she was cooking dinner.  The beans with ham hock were smelling fantastic!  She gave me a bag of cold grapes to snack on my way back home.  She also said she is looking forward to all of us visiting next month.



I headed out and back down towards home.



I was filthy by this point.



I took 28 all the way down to Walhall, SC.  I didn't get any shots of it though because it demanded 100% of my attention and skills.  This sign gives you a pretty good idea of what was ahead.



It's a terrible photo, but the moon was amazing as I got back to my 'hood.



After 430 miles and 12 hours, I totally earned this.

[ariwhiteboy]

Sorry I missed it... I see you got a lighter, stronger, carbon fiber dragon

Oh and T.W.O. is closed?! WTH?!!  That was one of the best places ever...

[hockeyhawk]

Nice report Soup, great pics, and one hell of a great ride. Nicely done.

[Soupskin]

Sorry I missed it... I see you got a lighter, stronger, carbon fiber dragon

Oh and T.W.O. is closed?! WTH?!!  That was one of the best places ever...

Yeah I have CF accents from the PO.  I wanted something subtle and this matched the other stuff.

The land owner of TWO passed away and it's inheritors decided not to renew the lease with the people that ran it.  Lots of people here are rather pissed about it.

Nice report Soup, great pics, and one hell of a great ride. Nicely done.

Thanks!  It was a spiritual experience.

[Burgi]

Looks like a great day. You sure got your lean on! 

[fishball]

Wow Soup that is a great ride.  Loved the photos, beautiful scenery even in early spring.  Wish I could ride with all you folks down there.

[cmyers]

Fantastic ride, thanks for sharing.

[luckylindy]

Great ride report and pix.  Had to be a fantastic day.  The Rider's Hill Cafe looks like a motorcycle version of Cracker Barrel.

[SirSeanSean]

Great photos and it looks like you had a blast.

[JB1290]

Great report, Soup. Looks like a great trip. 

[bajakirch]

Looks like fun.

I know you initially intended to do that with a group, but I'm a big fan of solo rides. You start when you want, stop when you want, ride as fast/aggressive or slow/wussy as you want. While it's fun to be part of the pack at times, sometimes it's just really good to be the lone wolf.

AROOOOOOOOO!!!

[ariwhiteboy]

sometimes it's just really good to be the lone wolf.

AROOOOOOOOO!!!

[harrisonfaulkner]

I've made that same drive many a time with 4 wheels, but I don't think I'm ready to add anything off my bike to the tree of parts yet.

[hppants]

Great report - preview of what's to come for many of us.  I saw some familiar curves in those pics.  Gets me stoked for the Rally.

Thanks for sharing.

[Soupskin]

I've made that same drive many a time with 4 wheels, but I don't think I'm ready to add anything off my bike to the tree of parts yet.

Welcome to the forums!

When you get up there, the most important things are to ride your own ride and don't push your skills beyond 75% of your limit.

If you think your're going slow and holding others up, just move aside and flag them by.  Be sure to always save that extra 25% of skills to take evasive maneuvers.  You never know when there may be debris in the road or when some jackass will cross the double yellow right in front of you.

Feel free to send me a PM if you ever want to meet up and ride or if you need a hand wrenching.  I'm just south of you in Lilburn.  I've got equipment to sync carbs and change tires at my house.

Check out the rally we have scheduled next month too.  It's going to be tons of fun.

http://nighthawk-forums.com/index.php/topic,8301.0.html

[harrisonfaulkner]

I've made that same drive many a time with 4 wheels, but I don't think I'm ready to add anything off my bike to the tree of parts yet.

Welcome to the forums!

When you get up there, the most important things are to ride your own ride and don't push your skills beyond 75% of your limit.

If you think your're going slow and holding others up, just move aside and flag them by.  Be sure to always save that extra 25% of skills to take evasive maneuvers.  You never know when there may be debris in the road or when some jackass will cross the double yellow right in front of you.

Feel free to send me a PM if you ever want to meet up and ride or if you need a hand wrenching.  I'm just south of you in Lilburn.  I've got equipment to sync carbs and change tires at my house.

Check out the rally we have scheduled next month too.  It's going to be tons of fun.

http://nighthawk-forums.com/index.php/topic,8301.0.html

Thanks for the welcome, the one thing that got me interested in the forum was the sheer amount of georgia based owners.

You should be careful about offering a hand wrenching, this bike has been nothing buy problems so far and there's not enough beer in the world to make up for it haha.

Sorry to threadjack.

[isleofmanfan]

Note to self:  Ride Deals gap region this season, and get sticker to prove it.

[coffee_brake]

28's my favorite, too. I pick it up a mile from the house and follow it to Walhalla. Then the fun starts!!!!

[Soupskin]

Here's my Killboy shots..

http://www.photoreflect.com/store/ViewAlbum.aspx?a=801917

[Hawks_Nest]

Great RR and great pics. It seems you are taking pictures while riding. How do you set up your camera on the bike?

Envy you living so close to the Dragon. It will be a day and half ride for me just to get there.  Will do it someday.

Happy Birthday!!!   So you are now 19?

[Count de Monet]

Great report!  I envy all you guys living near mountains.  If I want a change in elevation, I have to find a pothole! 

[fortyhourdays]

If I want a change in elevation, I have to find a pothole! 

You should have no problem finding those in Jersey