My Last Ride of 2005

[Boxer]

The Yahoo weather predicted 60s and clear today in north Georgia, so I decided to venture out and try to find a road I've been wondering about. The one I wanted to find is the one with the arrow at the top and highlighted in orange.

http://r1150r.smugmug.com/photos/49810812-M.jpg

I left at about 10 oclock and it was already 47 degrees out. I knew it would be cooler up at the higher elevations so I dressed appropriately. Not for 60!
I made my way up the 515/76 super highway (highlighted in purple) and found highway 5 just north of Blue Ridge. I turned on 5 and was very careful as I looked for that gray road going over through the Cohutta Wilderness Area. I never really saw what should have been a gray road type road, so I turned around and took a couple of the local streets heading in the general direction and at about the right distance from highway 515 on highway 5. I found one and took it approximately 6 miles before it turned to this.

http://r1150r.smugmug.com/photos/49810831-M.jpg

So I turned around again, convinced I had not found the correct gray road. I didn't won't to go any farther on clay and gravel in the middle of a wet winter that we've been having, even if it was above 40 degrees F.

http://r1150r.smugmug.com/photos/49810833-M.jpg

I retraced my route back down 515 to just south of Ellijay and took 382 to the west over Doll Mountain. It was a nice day to visit the lovely Carters Lake so I rode down to a picnic area on the east side of the lake.

http://r1150r.smugmug.com/photos/49810819-M.jpg

Very nice and quiet place today.

http://r1150r.smugmug.com/photos/49810823-M.jpg
http://r1150r.smugmug.com/photos/49810837-M.jpg

I stopped for a minute and took a couple of pics and used the restroom. Then I had a chat with a very nice fellow cleaning his truck. He adored my bike!:-) No matter where I go, there's always somebody wanting to talk about this great bike I have. It just looks so cool!

http://r1150r.smugmug.com/photos/49810828-M.jpg

Then it was back home again via 136 west and 61 south. 216 miles and 218 smiles.

[1MPH]

Thanks, nice write up and pictures. Cool map. It looks like it's brisk, hope you stayed warm.

Jack