Lots of Twists and Turns Today

Day 4, June 12, 2018

One word for today – wonderful!  Bernie joined Don, Todd and me at 8:30 AM heading southwest to Cherohala Skyway.  Had the directions written down and gave them to Todd so he could help me make the right turns.  After maybe 25 miles on 4 lane highways we made a right onto country roads with 2 lanes, no shoulders, and gentle curves that soon turned into tight twisties.   Climbing to 5000 ft elevations and descending at 8% to 12% grades with a few switchbacks here and there to keep it interesting.  Lunch in Tellico Plains, TN at the Tellicafe at the end of the skyway and then off we go heading back to the hotel by way of the Tail of the Dragon.  A few miles on open highway and then again we turn onto the sweet back roads with no shoulders and tight curves.  We passed rivers, lakes, dams and more eye-catching scenery than you can imagine.  God has certainly given us a beautiful world.  I don’t know how but Todd can fall asleep in the hot sun and rocking of the bike.  At one point he grabbed my arm and yelled “I lost the directions”.  He had fallen asleep and they flew out of his hands.  Ha Ha  I told him not to worry I  had the GPS.  

We entered the Tail of the Dragon from the TN side; 11 miles of tight turns, switchbacks and hairpin turns.   It was tense, and Todd said he would rather not do that road again it was a little scary if he looked over the edge of the road.  There are signs posted at both ends of the Dragon that no trucks were to enter but at mile marker 2.5 we met a tractor trailer.  My first reaction was to yell No you can’t come up here.  But what was he to do at this point?  There is no turn arounds and no side roads off the Dragon.  He had made the first few curves, but he had no idea what was still ahead of him.  I radioed back to Don that a tractor trailer was come right at him.  He said when the driver reached the section of the Dragon where he was Don stopped and pulled his bike as far over into the grass as possible and the truck was inching his way and the trailer was on Don’s side of the road and missed hitting his bike by an inch.  He still had not reached the hairpins or switchbacks.   A dozen or more bikes passed us heading in the same direction as the truck with no idea he was blocking the way.  205 miles today; we left the hotel at 8:30 and returned at 3 PM.  I asked at both ends of the Dragon if anyone wanted to stop at the gift shops and Bernie and Don both said no so we kept moving; 2 hours before we could find a location for a rest stop.  BUT when we got back Bernie said he wished we had stopped and maybe we can ride back!  Probably not but I’m willing.

Todd and I got into the pool for about an hour and a half and then we all walked to the Chinese Restaurant across the parking lot for dinner.