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I live in Nashville, Tennessee, and my buddy John “Boz” Bosworth lives in Charlotte, North Carolina. That puts the famed Deals Gap and the Tail of the Dragon almost exactly half way in between us. For two years now we have talked of hooking up and riding the area together.

This past weekend the stars lined up. Boz and I both were able to get “family hall passes,” and Boz’s friend RJ was able to wrangle one last free weekend before his impending wedding. On Thursday I took off on my R and they set out on Honda VTX 1300s. We all hooked up at Tapoco Lodge late Thursday night. The lodge was within a mole of the dam that was Harrison Ford jumped from in “The Fugitive.”

Fugitive Dam
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There was some Scotch drinking, some cigar smoking, and lots of planning for Friday’s riding.

Morning Ritual – Boz Cleans the Bling
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We decided to take advantage of weekday traffic levels and “ride the loop.” This includes both Cherohala Skyway and the Tail of the Dragon. The Skyway runs over 40 miles through national parks and it offers unbelievable views. It’s just too bad we couldn’t see them. Though it was nice when we left the lodge, rain and fog accompanied most of this leg. The highlight of the Skyway was the Bald River Falls. The road leading to the falls follows a great trout stream. The riding and the views were awesome!!

Fog on the Cherohala Skyway

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Bald River Falls

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After lunch in Tellico Plains and a quick run along the surprisingly pleasant route 360, we were ready to slay the Dragon. Unfortunately, about half way through our first run we got behind a tour bus. Boz correctly called for a mulligan, and back we went on a northerly run. This time there were just too many cars. Going was slow. The third time was the charm. We were able to make a clean run without running into slower traffic (though a couple of sportbikes did pass us). We didn’t set any records, but the GPS said we had average 39.9 mph though the Dragon. This was a fun, challenging pace, but not outside our limits.

The Overlook at the Beginning of the Dragon
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The Gang after Slaying the Dragon

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Saturday we hit the “Little Dragon” (Hwy 28) then ran over to Cherokee and the southern terminus of the Blue Ridge Parkway. None of us had ever ridden this section of the BRP, and we were eager for the experience. From start all the way over to Asheville we encountered great roads with magnificent scenery, and several fun tunnels. The only downer was passing through the remnants of a serious accident that happened shortly before we rode through. We heard different versions of what happened, but they all indicated that one motorcycle rider was seriously hurt.

Along the BRP

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After a very late lunch in Asheville, Boz and RJ headed back to Charlotte. I took my time meandering back to Tapoco to spend one more night. After one last run through the Dragon Sunday morning, I hit the road for Nashville.

All-in-all, what a great weekend!! Boz and RJ were just great to ride with. The roads were fun and challenging. The versatility of the R was very evident. It was great on the slab, and it was fun in the twisties. I had such a good time that I think it may have helped with the new bike fever I have had lately.

The best line of the trip came from a guy I met Sunday morning at the Deals Gap Motorcycle Resort. I was telling him how sweet his decked out Harley looked (which was the truth). He looked at his 900 pound Harley then glanced at my R and said, “Your bike sure looks like it would be hard to ride.” I just smiled.

Glad you had a great weekend. I'm heading there myself next week!

There is something magical about western NC. When I show people pics of that area along the BRP, they have a hard time believing that such rugged terrain exists east of the Mississippi. Riding the Cherohala Skyway is like riding on top of the world. I actually prefer riding it to the Dragon, which is clogged with ditherers (people who ride it slower than me) and crazy maniacs (people who ride it faster than me)


Thanks for the pics.

Yong - Let me know when you are in the neighborhood!

Nice ride report. I don't make the 2 1/2 hour ride to the Gap. Too many other good roads between here and there. I'll show you some if you come visit. But I won't put them out in cyberspace!

RIDERS BEWARE! The Rangers on the Parkway around Asheville are cracking down on bikes! Including the use of guys on foot hiding in the bushes radaring unsuspecting riders and radioing to the Ranger car parked out of sight. I have even seen them using Ghili suits like snipers in the bushes! If a long straight looks too good to be true, it may well be!

I went to Pisgah Inn on the BRP yesterday morning for breakfast and took some back roads up to minimize my time on the Parkway because it is soooo hard to ride at 45!

Hey Valueman... ...nice.....thanks

DJ

Valueman


Nice ride and narrative - thanks for "bringing" us along with you in pictures and a ride report. Good Job


Chris