The planning and background for this is in Ride Planning but I thought it would be better to put all the info here in Dual Sport Rides.
So here's the plan:
Dates: Thursday - Sunday 22-25 October.
Place: Cherohala Mountain Trails Campground: https://cmtrails.com/ (https://cmtrails.com/)
The Plan:
I plan on heading up Thursday, setting up camp and doing a half day ride.
Friday will be another day of riding
Saturday will be the main ride and the day I expect most people to be there.
Sunday: Probably a morning ride and then head home but subject to change.
I called CMTC and the cabins are booked for that weekend but there is no limit on camping.
There is also a street ride scheduled out of Tellico Plains and I hope to hook up with those guys for dinner one night. The thread for the street ride is here: http://www.motorcyclealabama.com/rides/index.php?topic=3925.0 (http://www.motorcyclealabama.com/rides/index.php?topic=3925.0)
Attendees. Here's who is coming as far as I know:
Me - klaviatior
@2372ighost @thinwater @Pepperlady @terryrussell1 & coworker.
@Jwwr @norton73 & Lynn (maybe)
@SoloRider73
The riding will be on legal forest service roads as well as some paved roads. Nothing really hard planned but there is some single track in the area that is legal. There will be some really twisty roads, paved and unpaved and some great scenery.
I haven't really posted this ride anywhere other than this forum but I'll put it on ADV so we may pick up a few more riders. I'm not really looking to make this a huge event, just a fun dual sport ride.
Saturday will be the main ride. There are several routes we could do. I was planning on riding Farr Gap, the gravohala, the gravel dragon and over the snowbird mountains but depending on what everyone wants that could be changed to a route including Farr Gap, and some stuff on the Tellico Side of the mountains to include the UFO landing site, Trail 81 and Joe Brown Hwy.
Lynn and I are tentative.
We were up that way a couple weekends ago. While we were there, a couple friends rode trail 82 and 81. They reported 82 had a few washouts and downed trees from Joe Brown Highway to Buck Bald. Doable, but challenging. Buck Bald to hwy 68 was open, we rode down it with no issues, just a couple short wet spots.
They said 81 had a big tree across it, they did a sketchy ride around the root ball, that about did them in. Rumors are that plans are afoot to go cut it out soon.
Bald River Road is being worked on. Signs said it was closed M-F 9-5 for work. From Smithfield Rd to Lookout Tower Rd was covered in deep loose gravel, not much fun. After Lookout Tower Rd, it was fine.
Bear hunters were everywhere, be sure to stay right on blind turns.
Gravel on Bald River Road;
(https://photos.smugmug.com/NottaRally-2020/i-6sw2CQJ/0/f053ce14/X2/Notta%20Rally%20Saturday%202020-10-03%20023-X2.jpg)
I'm planning on being there. Want get there till late Friday. :(, Really looking forward to this! I know it's going to be good!
Looking at the campground website and it appears you can buy meals there correct? Curious if it is still open bc of covid. Be nice not to have to pack much food.
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Quote from: terryrussell1 on October 15, 2020, 09:02:13 PM
Looking at the campground website and it appears you can buy meals there correct? Curious if it is still open bc of covid. Be nice not to have to pack much food.
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I have stayed at this campground many times before. It's a great place and the owner really goes out of his way to help out his guests. Generally he does offer breakfast and dinner on weekends. I have eaten there before but mostly I just eat dinner in Tellico Plains which is about 5 miles away. I do often eat breakfast at the campground. Lunch will be somewhere out on the road.
I did call the campground to make sure they are open. I stayed there earlier this year. They were open when I called a couple of weeks ago and they expect to be busy the weekend we will be there.
Thanks for the info looking forward to the trip. Chris and I decided to take an annual leave day on Friday so we can leave right after I drop off the kids to school. Maybe we can get there early enough and get some Friday riding in.
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I plan to be there. Still TBD on the bike. I will for sure be there sometime Friday, but fingers crossed I might be there Thursday.
I am going to try and make this if its ok with you? I will be on my TW.
Quote from: TWJohn on October 19, 2020, 10:01:43 AM
I am going to try and make this if its ok with you? I will be on my TW.
Looking forward to seeing you. When are you planning on getting there?
Quote from: klaviator on October 19, 2020, 10:17:48 AM
Looking forward to seeing you. When are you planning on getting there?
I would hopefully leave work early on Friday and be in that evening.
I will most likely end up going to Tellico on Wednesday. I just put a new rear tire on my KLX. I might as well wear some of it away ;D
You all have fun. I was up at Tellico in May so I decided to go to Big South Fork this coming weekend. When I am done finding new roads, or a few years have passed, or I'm on a new bike I start repeating riding areas. ???
Yes, I'm weird. :)
Lynn & I are out.
Her work is kicking her ass this week and she wants to relax. Maybe we'll get a local ride in and another ride report on Monday.
It looks like a couple of people will be joining me on Thursday. Anyone else plan on being there Thursday morning?
I'm still waiting on a tire so Thursday is looking less likely.
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I plan on coming Thurs AM
Quote from: Johnny Tobyone on October 21, 2020, 06:04:08 AM
I plan on coming Thurs AM
See you then. My buddy Steve is coming up from GA so there will be three of us.
Looks like I can%u2019t get there til Friday. Where is the planned lunch stop for your Friday ride? Time?
Quote from: klaviator on October 21, 2020, 12:57:38 PM
What time you going to get here?
Not sure. Probably robbinsville around noon. Subject to change.
I'm here at CMTC now. Lots of ds and ADV bikes here already. It's beautiful up here!!!!
Catch up to you in the dark probably with a tent tonight.
Friday ride meet at the CMTC lodge at 9
The end of another great ride hosted by
@klaviator . The weather cooperated for the rides during the day Friday through Sunday, but the nights were a little soggy. What a fantastic area to ride in. I was glad to make it up. Win does not disappoint on his rides! Thanks Win!!
Thanks for getting this together and leading great rides
@klaviator. It was scenic and a blast.
Great ride with a great group of people. Thanks klaviator for putting this on. (https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20201026/07ea611aa6070b485f8e0532b7720fee.jpg)(https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20201026/99c654a4656b6f077bd46741b337c176.jpg)(https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20201026/3fa9c830aa1d790c22155d753cb6f9b0.jpg)(https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20201026/b4aac71c089639821572f56125bdea91.jpg)(https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20201026/bd97d268234aa723b3a4dfb1843cfd2d.jpg)(https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20201026/6775c648b077f2768c4c3da6e922be57.jpg)(https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20201026/37f7adfb45f10552cd73c671671db3e7.jpg)(https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20201026/bffe9a71f78ff8bf67a921d32be33635.jpg)
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Thanks to everyone who showed up and helped make this such a great event. There were a total of eleven people who participated for at least one day although the most we had at one time was nine.
I ended up showing up a couple of days early just because the weather looked great and because I could :)
Wednesday 21 October:
I finished loading my truck and was on the road by around 8. I got to the Tellico Mountain Trails Campground a little after noon.
Tent up, bike unloaded and ready to ride.
(https://photos.smugmug.com/2020-Tellico-DS/i-fsL5pHw/0/653eedae/XL/PA210001-XL.jpg)
I got a pic of the campground as I left. There were a fair number of people there for middle of the week.
(https://photos.smugmug.com/2020-Tellico-DS/i-tbgxdfc/0/d6f58b3e/XL/PA210002-XL.jpg)
I headed through Tellico and out Rafter road.
(https://photos.smugmug.com/2020-Tellico-DS/i-B9b3FqG/0/8cbbce9b/XL/PA210005-XL.jpg)
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(https://photos.smugmug.com/2020-Tellico-DS/i-gvjZn7w/0/e114dbd5/XL/PA210007-XL.jpg)
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(https://photos.smugmug.com/2020-Tellico-DS/i-BxV9MbM/0/29eac7aa/XL/PA210009-XL.jpg)
Very little traffic, scenic and very twisty. This is one of my favorite roads.
(https://photos.smugmug.com/2020-Tellico-DS/i-5xTwTph/0/dfd59e19/XL/PA210011-XL.jpg)
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(https://photos.smugmug.com/2020-Tellico-DS/i-XB2nCNs/0/bb155451/X2/PA210015-X2.jpg)
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(https://photos.smugmug.com/2020-Tellico-DS/i-P3DKHF6/0/0a0e349e/XL/PA210016-XL.jpg)
I turned on to Shaw Mountain Road.
(https://photos.smugmug.com/2020-Tellico-DS/i-PptRdTS/0/d2ab14e6/XL/PA210017-XL.jpg)
Super tight and twisty with pretty rough pavement, this road is best enjoyed on a dual sport or adventure bike.
(https://photos.smugmug.com/2020-Tellico-DS/i-tK5QVWN/0/df28c3b2/X2/PA210020-X2.jpg)
I took a right at the end and went under the Skyway continuing towards River road. This road had some monster potholes that I wouldn't want to hit even on a dual sport bike. It doesn't see much traffic and was green from algea in spots.
I pulled off the road to get a pic of the creek and bridge.
(https://photos.smugmug.com/2020-Tellico-DS/i-fn4VGQW/0/bb70213e/XL/PA210021-XL.jpg)
I took a left on River road where the traffic was surprisingly light. Normally there are a bunch of people headed for Bald River Falls. I was able to stop on the side of the road and take pics without getting run over.
(https://photos.smugmug.com/2020-Tellico-DS/i-hHGZx2D/0/964138da/XL/PA210022-XL.jpg)
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Thanks Win. Wish I could have rode Friday also. But after I went down doing the splits and tearing the groin :'( 1st motorcycle injury (dirt or street) in 40 years :)
I have ridden River road countless times, most recently on my Like. There are some dirt roads that branch off of River road that I have been wanting to explore. My plan for the day was to explore one or more of those roads.
I wasn't disappointed.
(https://photos.smugmug.com/2020-Tellico-DS/i-Hsm6d7Z/0/e63e7cf4/XL/PA210027-XL.jpg)
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(https://photos.smugmug.com/2020-Tellico-DS/i-M3Nkjgk/0/8c12668d/XL/PA210029-XL.jpg)
There was some cool stuff back here.
(https://photos.smugmug.com/2020-Tellico-DS/i-kTPZ9kT/0/a0286484/XL/PA210032-XL.jpg)
The dirt road leading to these was a blast!
(https://photos.smugmug.com/2020-Tellico-DS/i-PWgnGrQ/0/1aeab8b5/XL/PA210034-XL.jpg)
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(https://photos.smugmug.com/2020-Tellico-DS/i-rtbJnxD/0/7ae6332a/XL/PA210035-XL.jpg)
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(https://photos.smugmug.com/2020-Tellico-DS/i-BRqPVfz/0/212c2c65/XL/PA210041-XL.jpg)
Then I came to this :(
(https://photos.smugmug.com/2020-Tellico-DS/i-F3XhdW2/0/3a047baa/XL/PA210042-XL.jpg)
So I had to turn around. I was curious as to the road closure. Maybe I would come back on Saturday and check it out.
The ride back was great and I saw some things I didn't see on the way in.
(https://photos.smugmug.com/2020-Tellico-DS/i-CKq5Wd9/0/ddf4ade3/XL/PA210046-XL.jpg)
The river I was riding along was the Bald River which eventually makes its was over Bald River Falls.
(https://photos.smugmug.com/2020-Tellico-DS/i-nzbw6HG/0/9b4a338a/XL/PA210047-XL.jpg)
Another Bald River Falls.
(https://photos.smugmug.com/2020-Tellico-DS/i-J38fdZf/0/da3d852e/XL/PA210048-XL.jpg)
Back on River road.
(https://photos.smugmug.com/2020-Tellico-DS/i-XXXdqwp/0/6cf21708/X2/PA210053-X2.jpg)
I planned on exploring another side road but my low fuel light came on. I forgot that I had started this ride with 30 or so miles already on this tank ::)
I decided to check out that road anyway. I went in maybe 5 miles and decided the safe thing to do was to turn around. I knew the road went through but I didn't know how far. It was a cool ride anyway.
Back on the Skyway near Tellico Plains.
(https://photos.smugmug.com/2020-Tellico-DS/i-KnkbxcS/0/7f39681c/XL/PA210056-XL.jpg)
I stopped at the Telicafe for dinner and then rode back to the campground.
(https://photos.smugmug.com/2020-Tellico-DS/i-QjmM5Ch/0/fb2f9c25/XL/PA210060-XL.jpg)
I ended up riding around 85 miles. It was a great start to this trip. Four more days to go!
Thursday morning was absolutely beautiful with wall to wall sunshine. My buddy Steve came up from Blue Ridge, Ga to join me for the day. Johnny Tobyone left real early from Huntsville to join us.
Steve and my KLX250s in front of CMTC. His is a 2010 model.
(https://photos.smugmug.com/2020-Tellico-DS/i-fwPxxvJ/0/7ea05e29/XL/PA220003-XL.jpg)
The three of us got on the road around 9:30. It was still a bit chilly but warming up. We headed down Rafter Road and followed it until it turned to dirt. We stopped at a spot where the ground had been cleared. I'm guessing a house will be built here and they will have a great view.
(https://photos.smugmug.com/2020-Tellico-DS/i-n5Z9XZK/0/09681b02/X2/PA220004-X2.jpg)
Johnny was on his old DR350.
Looking in the opposite direction.
(https://photos.smugmug.com/2020-Tellico-DS/i-r5JfR79/0/efbee69b/XL/PA220005-XL.jpg)
My plan was to follow Rafter road and explore the area at the end then head over to River Road. We are riding along and came across a road that turned off to the left. It had a sign for Miller's Ridge. I had never heard of it or even knew this road was there. So we decided to check it out.
We soon came to a fork in the road.
(https://photos.smugmug.com/2020-Tellico-DS/i-q8h3CkX/0/f83b2553/XL/PA220006-XL.jpg)
We took the right fork.
It was some great riding. Real dirt, not gravel. It branched a few more times. Non of the ones we tried went through. They all ended like this:
(https://photos.smugmug.com/2020-Tellico-DS/i-FfWGxpv/0/d12e6f63/XL/PA220007-XL.jpg)
This must be a popular area for deer hunting.
We went back and took the other fork. It went a long way then came to a real dirt road. We had gone through to Citico Creek. Then we swapped bikes and went back up for a mile or so. I rode Johnny's DR, Steve rode my KLX and Johnny rode Steves KLX. We stopped, swapped around and headed back. This time I was on Steve's KLX, Johnny on mine and Steve on the DR.
It was interesting riding the different bikes. Steves KLX has a carb. I can't say the motor felt much different. The riding position was way different. Mine has bars risers, the bars rotated forward and the Seat concepts seat. Steves felt very cramped for me as did the DR350. The 350 did have a lot more power.
Then we rode along Citico Creek.
(https://photos.smugmug.com/2020-Tellico-DS/i-sq2pQxS/0/83d0df65/XL/PA220008-XL.jpg)
We took a left to ride up to Farr Gap. This is a spectacular ride and a blast if you like endless curves and scenic views. I was riding along have a blast on the the curves when I noticed there weren't any lights in my mirrors ???
If anything Steve and Johnny are faster than me in the dirt.
I waited.
Oh, oh.
I turned around. After a few minutes I found then hanging out along the road. Johnny had taken a spill in one of the curves and done a split while dismounting his bike. He was up but in a bit of pain. We decided to take the easiest way back to the campground. If he was in pain now it would only get worse when the adrenalin wore off.
I went ahead to get this pic.
(https://photos.smugmug.com/2020-Tellico-DS/i-ChMCHXq/0/207e3a28/XL/PA220013-XL.jpg)
Then I let Johnny lead so he could set a pace he was comfortable with.
(https://photos.smugmug.com/2020-Tellico-DS/i-KXVp2nk/0/bb4e59eb/XL/PA220016-XL.jpg)
I found out later that he was standing on the pegs a lot because it was less painful than sitting.
(https://photos.smugmug.com/2020-Tellico-DS/i-wQgGxDq/0/f83926a0/XL/PA220020-XL.jpg)
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(https://photos.smugmug.com/2020-Tellico-DS/i-R3S3WNR/0/7f28e396/XL/PA220024-XL.jpg)
There were a couple of these mowers clearing the road.
(https://photos.smugmug.com/2020-Tellico-DS/i-smzbzV3/0/83bd146e/XL/PA220026-XL.jpg)
It was a great ride! Thanks Win for putting this on.
Quote from: Jwwr on October 26, 2020, 04:42:12 PM
It was a great ride! Thanks Win for putting this on.
Thanks for coming!
I hated that Johnny hurt himself but the whole time I was following him back to the camp I was thinking what an amazing ride it was. The weather was perfect and the scenery just amazing. Even though we took the easy way back it was still an amazing ride.
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Well at least I got in several hours of nice riding! It was definitely less painful standing. Or sitting sideways. Could barely move my leg when I got home . Even the local police women that stopped my truck before I got back to the interstate felt sorry for me and let me go :) Using lots of ice and anti inflammatories
Quote from: Johnny Tobyone on October 26, 2020, 07:11:37 PM
Well at least I got in several hours of nice riding! It was definitely less painful standing. Or sitting sideways. Could barely move my leg when I got home . Even the local police women that stopped my truck before I got back to the interstate felt sorry for me and let me go :) Using lots of ice and anti inflammatories
Did you tell the policewoman that it hurt less when you pushed harder on the pedal?:D
When we got back to the campground Johnny could barely get off his bike. We loaded his bike into his truck. It was a good thing he hadn't set up camp.
After he left Steve and I were hungry but decided to just eat a few munchies there then go ride some more. Then we would eat an early dinner and get back in time for Steve to load up and head back to Blue Ridge well before dark.
We headed up the beginning of the Skyway and turned right on to River Road where we got stuck behind some slow moving Harleys.
(https://photos.smugmug.com/2020-Tellico-DS/i-BLtCqkG/0/8dc0bb35/XL/PA220043-XL.jpg)
Luckily we were turning right on to that bridge. I wanted to finish exploring that road I had started up the day before. We went a few miles and took a left to go exploring. That road was a nice ride but it ended at a loop around a Cemetery.
(https://photos.smugmug.com/2020-Tellico-DS/i-X95GRwp/0/0e1313e3/XL/PA220044-XL.jpg)
Then I noticed a little trail off to the right. Time to go exploring.
I rode about 50 feet around a bend and.....
The trail turned to shit ???
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Literally.
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(https://photos.smugmug.com/2020-Tellico-DS/i-QXXnB4k/0/af163db9/XL/PA220045-XL.jpg)
;D
Steve and I rode around exploring for a couple of hours. I only took a few pics.
(https://photos.smugmug.com/2020-Tellico-DS/i-PR2zBDV/0/1b0f51aa/XL/PA220047-XL.jpg)
I remembered this intersection from a ride many years ago. I wanted to go and explore Burrell Mountain road.....maybe in the next day or two. I had been up it before but I didn't remember what was up there.
Joe Brown Highway.
(https://photos.smugmug.com/2020-Tellico-DS/i-ckTp6W9/0/ff6a1380/XL/PA220048-XL.jpg)
We had an early dinner at the Tellicafe.
(https://photos.smugmug.com/2020-Tellico-DS/i-sNkQfp9/0/9cd91ed8/XL/PA220049-XL.jpg)
We rode back to the campground, Steve loaded up his bike and headed home. I rode around 145 miles for the day. We never got more than 20 miles (straight line) from Tellico Plains.
One last pic for the day.
(https://photos.smugmug.com/2020-Tellico-DS/i-2LPWLh2/0/430c2a3f/XL/PA220051-XL.jpg)
What great exploration and incredible pics! Thank you for sharing.
@SoloRider73 ,
@thinwater , and
@Pepperlady all showed up on Thursday night. Here they are at the campground on Friday morning.
(https://photos.smugmug.com/2020-Tellico-DS/i-rSGbdVN/0/6bc65d67/XL/PA230002-XL.jpg)
Our plan was to ride half a day and then come back to the campground to hook up with three more riders who where on their way.
The view in Tellico Plains:
Then it was on to Rafter Road. This is a fantastic road and this was my third time riding it on this trip so I really cranked it up (https://advrider.com/f/styles/advrider_smilies/ricky.gif)
I found myself way ahead of the group so I picked a spot to set up and do my Killboy impersonation.
(http://ronnie%20on%20his%20moto%20guzzi%20v85tt)
He only recently got this bike and was riding a bit tentatively.
(https://photos.smugmug.com/2020-Tellico-DS/i-pTXFSVn/0/be449603/XL/PA230006-XL.jpg)
Stephen on his RE Himalayan.
(https://photos.smugmug.com/2020-Tellico-DS/i-kwFfPTf/0/b72cad73/XL/PA230008-XL.jpg)
And Natalee on her DR200.
(https://photos.smugmug.com/2020-Tellico-DS/i-ZQDBZ2B/0/633062c2/XL/PA230010-XL.jpg)
Farther down the road.
(https://photos.smugmug.com/2020-Tellico-DS/i-3rTLh5N/0/7aea7a08/XL/PA230011-XL.jpg)
Even with the overcast the colors were still beautiful.
(https://photos.smugmug.com/2020-Tellico-DS/i-d96ZGD6/0/83f8f7ca/XL/PA230012-XL.jpg)
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(https://photos.smugmug.com/2020-Tellico-DS/i-kHkmppz/0/c255010b/XL/PA230014-XL.jpg)
Nice write-ups.
At the turn for the road Steve, Johnny and I had discovered the day before.
(https://photos.smugmug.com/2020-Tellico-DS/i-B3LbDsV/0/2f77f34d/XL/PA230016-XL.jpg)
Stephen and Natallee.
(https://photos.smugmug.com/2020-Tellico-DS/i-qPXbzKH/0/a14601c5/XL/PA230018-XL.jpg)
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(https://photos.smugmug.com/2020-Tellico-DS/i-kR2kqrp/0/c55a79dd/XL/PA230019-XL.jpg)
Ronnie's Guzzi is gorgeous. If I win the lottery I'm buying one of these!
(https://photos.smugmug.com/2020-Tellico-DS/i-K9kfwgt/0/db06de8b/XL/PA230021-XL.jpg)
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(https://photos.smugmug.com/2020-Tellico-DS/i-vzVQ5wN/0/f27713cb/XL/PA230022-XL.jpg)
At this point Natallee is still riding slow enough for me to get good pics of her.
(https://photos.smugmug.com/2020-Tellico-DS/i-LhwmKLG/0/38ad8519/XL/PA230023-XL.jpg)
I just loved this road.
(https://photos.smugmug.com/2020-Tellico-DS/i-Jp3kbh4/0/80b477bc/XL/PA230025-XL.jpg)
Natalee was picking up speed and was getting hard to focus on ;D
(https://photos.smugmug.com/2020-Tellico-DS/i-DtdHTxW/0/913c0b5b/XL/PA230028-XL.jpg)
I was cruising along, not paying enough attention when suddenly this 10 foot deep, giant mud sinkhole appeared out of nowhere:D So I hit the front brake and "layed er down"
One reason I sold my KLR and bought this was so I would have a bike I could pick up by myself. Yes it was easy to pick back up.
I wasn't thinking right so I picked up my bike before taking a pic!
I guess I could have layed it back down and taken a pic?
Instead I took a pic of the "giant" mud hole.
(https://photos.smugmug.com/2020-Tellico-DS/i-RfGG8hs/0/d3fb8f68/XL/PA230029-XL.jpg)
:D :D
It was actually bigger than it looks in the pic but I should have just blasted through it. I doubt it was much more than a foot deep.
Thank you Klaviator for putting this on. This is such a fantastic area. I am already thinking about when I can get back and do some more exploring.
Quote from: TWJohn on October 27, 2020, 08:49:11 AM
Thank you Klaviator for putting this on. This is such a fantastic area. I am already thinking about when I can get back and do some more exploring.
Thanks for coming. It is a fantastic area. There is so much in such a small area. I looked at a map after I got home. The entire 5 days I was there I never got more than 20 miles from Tellico Plains except for one time when we got maybe 23 miles from Tellico. It would be easy to spend a whole week there and stay within 25 miles. I am also looking forward to going back, possibly in November but more likely in the spring.
We continued on and took a right at Citico Creek.
(https://photos.smugmug.com/2020-Tellico-DS/i-f4gRmFt/0/1fc2f207/XL/PA230031-XL.jpg)
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(https://photos.smugmug.com/2020-Tellico-DS/i-89Lnfv8/0/afb854e8/XL/PA230037-XL.jpg)
Guess I didn't lay mine down correctly :-[ Although I have had some practice though out the years on the dirt including the KDX over the bars into the creek bed ( must of been a lot younger then) ;D
Quote from: klaviator on October 26, 2020, 07:53:13 PM
Did you tell the policewoman that it hurt less when you pushed harder on the pedal?:D
Yeah I was pretty pitiful !!
Quote from: Johnny Tobyone on October 27, 2020, 03:11:39 PM
Guess I didn't lay mine down correctly :-[ Although I have had some practice though out the years on the dirt including the KDX over the bars into the creek bed ( must of been a lot younger then) ;D
Johnny, someone on ADV had a great suggestion. Check it out: https://advrider.com/f/threads/full-throttle-touring-150-through-the-rocket-city.647784/page-197#post-41119471 (https://advrider.com/f/threads/full-throttle-touring-150-through-the-rocket-city.647784/page-197#post-41119471)
We turned up the road to Farr Gap.
(https://photos.smugmug.com/2020-Tellico-DS/i-N5HTPsB/0/0ae41177/XL/PA230038-XL.jpg)
This is a very curvy road with a lot of places where there are giant switchbacks where you can see the road on the other side of the switchback. I took advantage of one of those spots to stop and get some pics.
(https://photos.smugmug.com/2020-Tellico-DS/i-TJX8fmz/0/6aead8cf/XL/PA230039-XL.jpg)
Ghost rider?
(https://photos.smugmug.com/2020-Tellico-DS/i-K3wWv88/0/95650a52/XL/PA230040-XL.jpg)
Natalee was going so fast her bike just disappeared ;D
(https://photos.smugmug.com/2020-Tellico-DS/i-dhdJnW2/0/e426c18c/XL/PA230043-XL.jpg)
(https://photos.smugmug.com/2020-Tellico-DS/i-dCWQ82x/0/917929ad/XL/PA230044-XL.jpg)
She must have pushed the Ludicrous speed button just after the pic above. If you haven't seen the movie "Space Balls" then you need to watch this video to get what comes next:
Yep, she was definitely at ludicrous speed!!!
(https://photos.smugmug.com/2020-Tellico-DS/i-4GhS6Tz/0/47450046/XL/PA230045-XL.jpg)
Another fantastic ride report. You really have a way with making a trip down a dirt road through the trees look amazing. Could you have picked a better week to go? I don't think so.
Quote from: Mulley on October 27, 2020, 05:59:47 PM
Another fantastic ride report. You really have a way with making a trip down a dirt road through the trees look amazing. Could you have picked a better week to go? I don't think so.
Thanks. We definitely hit the leaves at their peak colors.
I'm trying to not post too many pics but it was so beautiful it was almost impossible to take a bad pic!
(https://photos.smugmug.com/2020-Tellico-DS/i-tGJX5xP/0/3038e992/XL/PA230047-XL.jpg)
This was the same road that Johnny crashed on but we took it a little easier this time.....well except for Natalee going ludicrous speed ;D
(https://photos.smugmug.com/2020-Tellico-DS/i-6kXPZBz/0/7569c43f/XL/PA230049-XL.jpg)
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(https://photos.smugmug.com/2020-Tellico-DS/i-L7gC8J3/0/7393fd80/XL/PA230051-XL.jpg)
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(https://photos.smugmug.com/2020-Tellico-DS/i-ngZ6wsB/0/72b29d52/XL/PA230052-XL.jpg)
This road climbs way up on a mountain ridge and has spectacular view. Off to the left you can see the lake at the bottom of the dragon when the leaves are off the trees. The Skyway is too the right but you can't see it.
(https://photos.smugmug.com/2020-Tellico-DS/i-qgjKFZP/0/acde94a1/XL/PA230053-XL.jpg)
The pictures all make the road look smooth but it's actually pretty rough, not difficult just a rough ride.
(https://photos.smugmug.com/2020-Tellico-DS/i-gnNhZQv/0/59c0131b/XL/PA230054-XL.jpg)
The colors were so brilliant I couldn't stop taking pics, most of them as I was riding.
(https://photos.smugmug.com/2020-Tellico-DS/i-ZJhd5Kw/0/73c8f0f8/XL/PA230055-XL.jpg)
I guess I could get a GoPro but I doubt it would show the colors the way my camera does. Stephen was shooting video so we'll see.
(https://photos.smugmug.com/2020-Tellico-DS/i-GDKtbTq/0/fd83e46b/XL/PA230057-XL.jpg)
Taking a break.
(https://photos.smugmug.com/2020-Tellico-DS/i-pxHpRxt/0/4d5533c5/XL/PA230060-XL.jpg)
Shortly after our break we got to Farr Gap where the road makes a 90 degree right turn and heads back down the mountain running along a creek until it gets back to Citico Creek.
(https://photos.smugmug.com/2020-Tellico-DS/i-kKdWLfN/0/59f2f496/XL/PA230062-XL.jpg)
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(https://photos.smugmug.com/2020-Tellico-DS/i-jR9JdMb/0/27694c41/XL/PA230064-XL.jpg)
Back at Citico Creek.
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After a few miles the road turns away from Citico Creek and goes uphill past Indian Boundary and ends at the Cherohala Skyway. We took a right at the Skyway and went past one of the US129 Photographers. I took his pic.
(https://photos.smugmug.com/2020-Tellico-DS/i-BzHWHdw/0/9af06bac/XL/PA230076-XL.jpg)
And he took several pics of each of us. You can check them out here, just scroll down to 11:45: https://xtremesportsphotography.photoreflect.com/store/Photos.aspx?e=10603478&g=0QAK03TI06&gf=true&page=0 (https://xtremesportsphotography.photoreflect.com/store/Photos.aspx?e=10603478&g=0QAK03TI06&gf=true&page=0)
After a few miles we got off and picked up Shaw Mountain Road. It's a much more interesting and fun to ride route than the few miles of the Skyway we bypassed....actually I like it better than the Skyway, period.
(https://photos.smugmug.com/2020-Tellico-DS/i-MLz35dz/0/cca780f0/X2/PA230077-X2.jpg)
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(https://photos.smugmug.com/2020-Tellico-DS/i-STBJkd9/0/2d31d61b/XL/PA230079-XL.jpg)
Back on Rafter Road.
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(https://photos.smugmug.com/2020-Tellico-DS/i-8B4rWfj/0/c1fc5633/XL/PA230084-XL.jpg)
More pics of Rafter Road.
(https://photos.smugmug.com/2020-Tellico-DS/i-qB6ZnHP/0/d3228464/X2/PA230085-X2.jpg)
Why so many pics of a paved road on a dual sport ride?
(https://photos.smugmug.com/2020-Tellico-DS/i-bJtS3tR/0/effbedab/XL/PA230086-XL.jpg)
One reason is the colorful leaves.
(https://photos.smugmug.com/2020-Tellico-DS/i-ccDq3Zd/0/b8a7b9c3/XL/PA230088-XL.jpg)
Another is that its such a fun road!!!!
(https://photos.smugmug.com/2020-Tellico-DS/i-NcrZcJW/0/1f1bde82/XL/PA230092-XL.jpg)
And my idea of DUAL sport riding is having fun off as well as ON the pavement. My KLX is more fun than a sportbike on most of the paved roads we were on.
Soon we were back in Tellico Plains where we ran into Rich
@2372ighost . We stopped at Subway and got some food to take back to the campground where we expected Terry
@terryrussell1 and Chris
@RoosterGarfield to be waiting for us. At this time Chris was not on the forum but he has joined since.
Quote from: klaviator on October 27, 2020, 08:19:25 AM
It was actually bigger than it looks in the pic but I should have just blasted through it. I doubt it was much more than a foot deep.
I did that with a large hole on a chip and seal road in Lincoln County. I now have a nice dented front rim on the Himalayan. I'm still riding it but am not happy about it.
I guess, it is better than going down which might end my riding for good.
Sure enough Terry and Chris were at the campground setting up camp. We all ate lunch and talked a bit and then headed back out.
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Rich was on his Bashan Brozz 250. Yes, it's a "cheap China Bike" but had performed well on a DS ride in middle Tennessee a few weeks back. This would be a better test of its capabilities. Terry was on a DR650 and Chris a CRF250 Rally.
We took a right on 315 and then took the first left. We stopped and looked at ther campground that hosts March Moto Madness.
(https://photos.smugmug.com/2020-Tellico-DS/i-6qQkJkB/0/7780bef3/XL/PA230094-XL.jpg)
Then we took a right. It was paved road but one of many super fun twisty roads in the area!
Got this next pic while stopped at an intersection waiting to regroup. On my group rides we always do "ride your own ride". This means we get pretty strung out and then re group at all turns.
(https://photos.smugmug.com/2020-Tellico-DS/i-vLJLgz8/0/ccee934c/X2/PA230096-X2.jpg)
We took another left. I know that as the ride leader I should have these routes all planned out but in reality I was just winging it ;D I had a generally idea of where we were going.
I passed a road on the right. Were we supposed to turn there? I stopped and U turned and turned on that road. It turned out to be a fantastic paved road that I had never been on before !
We stopped at the end and waited for the others. A minivan turned in, stopped and rolled down its window. The lady asked "What are you doing riding this road?" I told her we were "having fun". I it would not be fun for most people in a car. Being twisty and narrow and with steep drop offs it would be a slow drive.
We took a left on 315 and soon crossed the Hiwassee River at Reliance.
(https://photos.smugmug.com/2020-Tellico-DS/i-H572v5p/0/72eb57e3/XL/PA230099-XL.jpg)
We took a left on 30, rode a bit then took a left on to a dirt road.
Normally we re group at turns but this was a long road and I didn't want to get too strung out. We took a break and I got some pics.
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This was a fun road and I wicked up the pace(https://advrider.com/f/styles/advrider_smilies/ricky.gif)(https://advrider.com/f/styles/advrider_smilies/ricky.gif)
Rich was right there behind me and Ronnie was no longer tentative on his new Guzzi and was right on our tail!
We came to a T intersection.
(https://photos.smugmug.com/2020-Tellico-DS/i-VJtcZbK/0/850c8728/XL/PA230102-XL.jpg)
I noticed the road sign to the right was missing something so I fixed it ;D
(https://photos.smugmug.com/2020-Tellico-DS/i-SnQn4S3/0/0d15f02c/XL/PA230103-XL.jpg)
Our next stop was the UFO landing pad in the middle of nowhere.
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There was a couple laying in a tent just behind the car and they had their underwear hanging on a clothes line ::)
Didn't they know this was a historical site and a common stop for dual sport riders coming by?
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Then we rode a few hundred yards to another historical site.
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I think this used to be a small powerplant. Maybe it was used to recharge the alien spaceships?
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I wasn't the only who wanted a pic of my bike in front of this "historical site". I think it was a bit more work to turn around a 500 pound bike than my 300 pound KLX.
(https://photos.smugmug.com/2020-Tellico-DS/i-Lpgsvhd/0/5d7facca/XL/PA230113-XL.jpg)
We did some more really nice dirt road. I didn't get any pics, probably because the pace was not conducive to taking one had off the bars. I did miss one great pic opportunity. We had stopped and Rich and his bike fell over as he was dismounting. His bike fell on top of him and I ran over to help get the bike off of him instead of taking some pics. What was I thinking? ;D
Eventually we ended up back on the pavement.
(https://photos.smugmug.com/2020-Tellico-DS/i-R2GdH39/0/ba4b2ced/XL/PA230114-XL.jpg)
Remember that I said I was just winging it? Well I had sort of planned to ride up to Buck Bald. On the way up those who wanted to could ride trail 82 down and back up. Well we went right by the beginning of trail 82 on 68 so I decided to just go up it. I didn't stop to explain what we were doing.
Trail 82 is a single track trail legal for horsed and motorcycles. It's pretty gnarly, at least it is for a rider of my limited off road skills. I stopped at and easy part and took this pic.
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The pic doesn't show all the rocks, mud, ruts and tree limbs laying at weird angles across the trail.
Eventually trail 82 comes out on the gravel road to Buck Bald.
Here comes Chris.
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Most of us made it through in one piece.
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We were missing Natalee and Ronnie. Stephen decided to go back and check on Natalee. We heard that Ronnie decided to not ride the trail. There were posts at the ends of the trail to keep out larger vehicles and with the wide bags on the Guzzi it might not have fit.
The rest of us rode up to Buck Bald.
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We headed back down. Since Stephen had ridden back down Trail 82 I decided it would be best to check the trail to make sure he had made it. Terry and I rode back down and then rode up 68 to meet up with Rich and Chris who took the easy route down. We all rode back to Tellico where we had dinner at the Tellicafe.
I got one last pic in Tellico.
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We rode back to the campground which was really packed with several groups choosing to come this weekend. There where a of of motorcycles as well as an overlander group with their 4wd drive vehicles. Most had some kind of tent on top of their roofs.
We hung out for a few hours. Two more riders joined us. Jeff
@Jwwr came up with his KTM350. Later John
@TWJohn showed up with his TW200.
I think me and the Guzzi had tempted the Motorcycle Gods enough on the previous day without a fall. Unlikely that I could ride with a fall on wet muddy trails. I was pretty happy with the Guzzi's performance off-road. Of course it still weighs 500lbs so you feel it when you stop in the rough areas.
I had a great time and thanks for organizing.
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Quote from: SoloRider73 on October 28, 2020, 05:12:10 PM
I think me and the Guzzi had tempted the Motorcycle Gods enough on the previous day without a fall. Unlikely that I could ride with a fall on wet muddy trails. I was pretty happy with the Guzzi's performance off-road. Of course it still weighs 500lbs so you feel it when you stop in the rough areas.
I had a great time and thanks for organizing.
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
I enjoyed riding with you on Friday. I think you made the right choice for Saturday. I think your Guzzi would have done fine on the Saturday ride if it had more dirt worthy tires. With the tires you had it would not have been fun on some of the roads we did.
Hope to ride with you again before too long.
Day 4, Saturday October 24.
It rained overnight and was forecast to rain much of Saturday. It looked gloomy in the morning.
(https://photos.smugmug.com/2020-Tellico-DS/i-XbMk2sp/0/38535489/XL/PA240123-XL.jpg)
I have been bringing my pop up shelter along when camping but this was the first time in years I set it up. I'm glad I did because otherwise we would have been sitting out in the rain.
Another view of the campground.
(https://photos.smugmug.com/2020-Tellico-DS/i-gXp65wk/0/19f7011c/XL/PA240125-XL.jpg)
That toy hauler trailer would be nice to have.
There were now nine of us but Ronnie decided to go off on his own and do some street riding. That was probably a good call as some of the dirt roads we would ride were wet and slick and the street oriented tires on his Guzzi would have been an issue.
So there were eight of us for today's ride.
Getting ready to go.
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The weather forecast had changed to no rain until late afternoon. We headed through Tellico Plains.
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And on the Skyway.
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We turned on River Road.
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Normally this road has a fair amount of slow moving traffic but we lucked out.
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With the wet leaves on the road we weren't exactly going real fast anyway.
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We were enjoying the stunning colors.
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We stopped at Bald River Falls. We were spread out enough for me to park my bike and run out on the bridge and get pics of the last four riders as they rode by.
Natalee.
(https://photos.smugmug.com/2020-Tellico-DS/i-mbRpHbj/0/7ed7fd54/XL/PA240140-XL.jpg)
Chris:
(https://photos.smugmug.com/2020-Tellico-DS/i-qndgRfj/0/c9c2bf61/XL/PA240141-XL.jpg)
Terry.
(https://photos.smugmug.com/2020-Tellico-DS/i-LhWFczg/0/5ae11a99/XL/PA240142-XL.jpg)
Stephen.
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Group pic. From the left: John, Jeff, Rich, Terry, Chris, Natalee and Stephen.
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We continued on River road for a ways and then turned right on the gravel road I had explored on Wednesday. I enjoyed it so much I was happy to ride it again. We stopped at the little lake.
(https://photos.smugmug.com/2020-Tellico-DS/i-s6KXv2t/0/4e86ae99/XL/PA240146-XL.jpg)
I think the colors were better than on Wednesday.
(https://photos.smugmug.com/2020-Tellico-DS/i-XMg47QC/0/2a5d21d5/XL/PA240147-XL.jpg)
To fish at this lake you need to be 65 or handicapped.
I moved my bike to get it in the pic.
(https://photos.smugmug.com/2020-Tellico-DS/i-CWcLD2t/0/45df56d4/XL/PA240148-XL.jpg)
After the lake we headed down the dead end to the Cemetery.
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Then we turned around.
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We headed down Bald River Road.
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We went past the sign that said the road was closed 7-5 weekdays. We quickly saw that the reason for the closure was major road construction. They were clearing away trees but the road itself was awesome. Hard packed dirt and twisty as hell as it snaked its way up the mountain!!
Then the road got to the top of the mountain and started down. They had covered it with really thick and nasty gravel ???. It sucked riding on it although the views were spectacular. I stopped once to take a pic.
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We passed a group of adventure bikes coming up. They looked like they were struggling. I found out later it was a group staying at the campground and two of them dropped their bikes in the nasty gravel.
I don't think I'll be riding that section of road for at least a year. maybe by then the gravel will have been packed down some.
We stopped at the end of the road.
(https://photos.smugmug.com/2020-Tellico-DS/i-PhZ2CfK/0/fe4b8ff1/XL/PA240163-XL.jpg)
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Peak tourist season and Saturday but there was still almost no little traffic out here.
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While we were taking a break I realized I had a flaw in my plan (or lack therof). I knew the area I wanted to go riding but there were no gas stations or places to eat there. It was a bit early for lunch but we decided to go find a gas station that would hopefully also have some food. We had a nice ride out to 68 then headed South. It took a bit longer than I expected but we eventually found a gas station. I topped off my tank and headed inside. As I was looking for something to eat a gal asked what I was looking for. I said something for lunch and she replied that they had hot dogs, burgers and BBQ.
Perfect.
We all got something to eat.
(https://photos.smugmug.com/2020-Tellico-DS/i-F4Vxqvm/0/46785bb1/XL/PA240167-XL.jpg)
While gas station food is often overpriced and not very good I have found the opposite is often true at family owned country gas stations. While not exactly gourmet I was happy with my lunch.
Soon we were ready to go ride some more.
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We headed back North on 68. As we approached the bridge over the Hiwassee River I thought it would be a great photo spot. It turned out we were turning right after the bridge and I got my chance.
There is a bike and rider in this pic.
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Our next destination was the Hiwassee dam which has a nice visitor area. It was a great ride there but I didn't get many pics.
Got one while waiting to re group.
(https://photos.smugmug.com/2020-Tellico-DS/i-5pXdrcX/0/e4203493/XL/PA240172-XL.jpg)
Got the next one on the Hiwassee dam access road while riding.
(https://photos.smugmug.com/2020-Tellico-DS/i-khwVP6T/0/78297f53/XL/PA240175-XL.jpg)
I discovered this road back in the 90s while riding my EX500. Its an awesome sportbike road and has very little traffic. I guess I had a flashback to those old days because I pinned the throttle and let er rip. For the first time on this ride I left Rich in the dust!
While the KLX doesn't have the power my EX did it still makes a great sportbike on twisty paved roads and can fly around the curves!
When I got to the dam I found the visitors parking lot gate closed.
(https://photos.smugmug.com/2020-Tellico-DS/i-wFsLMv8/0/fd43a7a5/XL/PA240176-XL.jpg)
No problem, we found a place to park and checked out the view.
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(https://photos.smugmug.com/2020-Tellico-DS/i-P5MLhMq/0/43cefa4f/XL/PA240178-XL.jpg)
Its a long way down!
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We headed back in the direction we came from. As we were riding along I noticed a dirt road off to the left. I had never ridden it before. I had no idea where it went but it looked interesting so I pulled U turn and we rode it.
What a fantastic road! Super twisty and beautiful. I was having too much fun ripping along to get any pics until I stopped at the end.
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Then it was back on the pavement again but still a fantastic ride!
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We got back on dirt and I found the bike squirming around. Did I have a flat tire? I stopped and checked. It was just the road. Rich thought he might have a flat too but then he saw my bike was moving around too. It was just the road. A combination of ruts and slick mud.
We stopped at the same spot Steve and I stopped a couple of days earlier.
(https://photos.smugmug.com/2020-Tellico-DS/i-pCDQ9rv/0/7a4a825e/XL/PA240191-XL.jpg)
When Steve and I were here on Thursday we had limited time so we took the Joe Brown Higway back to 68 and then back to Tellico for an early dinner. This time we had time so we went up Burrel mtn Rd.
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We came to an intersection.
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We went straight and followed the road way up the mountain until it started getting gnarly. Jown was all for going on because he loves riding through mud holes. I didn't feel like it so we turned around and headed back down the mountain.
While riding I glanced in my mirror and saw Rich and his bike go down.
Oh Oh!
I pulled quick U turn.
(https://photos.smugmug.com/2020-Tellico-DS/i-hBrdWCq/0/4231d323/XL/PA240194-XL.jpg)
Thankfully Rich was already back on his feet.
(https://photos.smugmug.com/2020-Tellico-DS/i-B7RxbZ3/0/0766d1af/XL/PA240195-XL.jpg)
The bike looked fine as well. Despite being a "cheap China bike" with a carb it fired up immediately!
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We continued on and took a left at the intersection we rode past on the way up.
We continued on until we got back to the Joe Brown Highway. I know its called a highway but its a twisty as hell, two lane paved road in NC and a twisty as hell gravel road in TN. I guess back in the days of horse drawn wagons it would have been considered a highway.
My original plan was to take Joe Brown to 68 and back to Tellico. We still had plenty of time so why not follow it towards Murphy and then cut back over the mountain to River Road? We decided to do that. We rode towards Murphy and soon rode into a rain shower. It didn't last too long. We hung a left on Hanging Dog Road. I didn't remember if we needed to follow Hanging Dog or take a right somewhere so I pulled into a gas station to find out.
BTW, this was the only time in 5 days of riding that I got mare than 20 miles away from Tellico Plains. I think that we were around 23 miles away at the intersection of Joe Brown and Hanging Dog.
(https://photos.smugmug.com/2020-Tellico-DS/i-MXWRMJw/0/856583b6/XL/PA240199-XL.jpg)
We got directions, took a break and enjoyed the view.
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Then we took off. We took a ride on Davis Creek and the road soon turned to gravel as it went over the mountain. This was another great ride!
(https://photos.smugmug.com/2020-Tellico-DS/i-TMLnxWx/0/2a2fc245/XL/PA240201-XL.jpg)
There were a number of 4wd vehicles up here. This used to go through the Tellico OHV area which was very popular with the 4 x 4 crowd before they shut it down years ago.
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(https://photos.smugmug.com/2020-Tellico-DS/i-C4R3s6h/0/753e6fd2/XL/PA240204-XL.jpg)
Gravel gave way to pavement but the fun factor was still there.
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I stopped to regroup and to enjoy one of my favorite views.
(https://photos.smugmug.com/2020-Tellico-DS/i-tZSg5L4/0/8252e7b2/XL/PA240206-XL.jpg)
No that isn't the view.
This is:
(https://photos.smugmug.com/2020-Tellico-DS/i-HQczhkQ/0/961912c2/XL/PA240207-XL.jpg)
I tried to get my bike in the pic but It just wasn't as good.
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(https://photos.smugmug.com/2020-Tellico-DS/i-pS8dPP6/0/5cab6c81/XL/PA240211-XL.jpg)
We continued towards Tellico on River road.
(https://photos.smugmug.com/2020-Tellico-DS/i-rNhpKvC/0/f860cdae/XL/PA240215-XL.jpg)
This road crosses the river several times so sometimes its on the right, sometimes the left.
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I pulled off on this bridge to re group and discuss plans. Terry and Chris were headed back to the campground to pack up and head back to Birmingham.
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The rest of us were heading to the Tellicafe for dinner.
(https://photos.smugmug.com/2020-Tellico-DS/i-wNTPPKC/0/5f6f481b/XL/PA240227-XL.jpg)
What a fantastic day of riding(https://advrider.com/f/styles/advrider_smilies/wings.gif)
I consider myself lucky to have such great people to ride with.
We had a good evening hanging out at the campground. There were a few of us planning on riding for a half day on Sunday. We were just hoping for some good weather.
Sunday morning was really gloomy......and then it started raining again :(
Actually, it wasn't that bad. I was pretty tired from four days of riding and it was fun just hanging out. I have to agree with Rich when he said that this wasn't just about riding. The camaraderie and hanging out with like minded people was a big part of the experience.
Eventually it started looking better and the forecast called for no more rain. We suited up and got on the road around 10:30. We started by heading south on 315.
Even the gloomy weather couldn't hide the beauty of the countryside.
(https://photos.smugmug.com/2020-Tellico-DS/i-WkRGNM4/0/5ee1b963/X2/PA250005-X2.jpg)
And 315 is a fun road!
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Just before the Hiwassee River we turned left on to Childers Creek Road. Then right on powerhouse road which led us to this scenic overlook of the Hiwassee River.
(https://photos.smugmug.com/2020-Tellico-DS/i-MWcFsFk/0/a833daee/XL/PA250013-XL.jpg)
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(https://photos.smugmug.com/2020-Tellico-DS/i-gMzfQpR/0/541684ec/XL/PA250014-XL.jpg)
And then we rode along the river.
(https://photos.smugmug.com/2020-Tellico-DS/i-qhF5Bdf/0/30fd8c12/XL/PA250015-XL.jpg)
At the end we stopped. I rode ahead on the way back to get some action pics.
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We backtracked on Powerhouse road.
(https://photos.smugmug.com/2020-Tellico-DS/i-fsVQN7f/0/37ca8d7b/XL/PA250027-XL.jpg)
The road was wet but didn't have a bunch of leaves on it.
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Then we went right on Childers Creek road and eventually another right. That road turned to dirt but I knew where we were going................until I didn't ???
The road started fairly smooth then got much rougher and narrower. I had never been on this road. Where were we? We came to another dirt road. This was a wider more travelled road. We took a right and it looked familiar.
(https://photos.smugmug.com/2020-Tellico-DS/i-65DD7n3/0/bd2128eb/XL/PA250032-XL.jpg)
I thought this might be the road Steve and I rode last year but were stopped by a tree blocking the road. We followed it downhill for a while to a sort of cul-de-sac and took the biggest trail off of that. After crossing a big mud puddle we came to this:
(https://photos.smugmug.com/2020-Tellico-DS/i-LB68JDT/0/dd454028/XL/PA250033-XL.jpg)
Looking at Google Maps afterwards I'm pretty sure this was Wildcat creek. It was a cool spot and we spend some time there.
There was a bridge there.
(https://photos.smugmug.com/2020-Tellico-DS/i-GpdN8Kh/0/6717072c/XL/PA250035-XL.jpg)
The view from the bridge looking back towards our bikes.
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Another view of the bridge.
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I risked life and limb climbing out on some rocks in the creek to get this view of the bridge.
(https://photos.smugmug.com/2020-Tellico-DS/i-kBr5SLB/0/b0957c86/XL/PA250045-XL.jpg)
And our bikes from the same spot.
(https://photos.smugmug.com/2020-Tellico-DS/i-qMwH3hW/0/7b487277/XL/PA250046-XL.jpg)
There is a campsite there.
I went ahead to get some action pics on the way out.
Rich:
(https://photos.smugmug.com/2020-Tellico-DS/i-dmZ2vhf/0/f0bb18ad/XL/PA250048-XL.jpg)
John:
(https://photos.smugmug.com/2020-Tellico-DS/i-TcPQ4Ch/0/91616711/XL/PA250050-XL.jpg)
Jeff:
(https://photos.smugmug.com/2020-Tellico-DS/i-rBgS5fn/0/a8509f02/XL/PA250052-XL.jpg)
Rich and Jeff like me went through the shallow side while John went for the deepest part!
As we headed back out I soon realized that this was the same road Steve and I rode last year and I knew exactly where we were going next. We rode a bit, parked our bikes and went for a short hike.
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This was Coker Creek falls.
(https://photos.smugmug.com/2020-Tellico-DS/i-NcmQ4bQ/0/d68b1335/XL/PA250059-XL.jpg)
It's not actually one falls, its a series of falls in a short distance.
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Really wanted to make this ride, but had a mountain bike trip to Bentonville, AR planned for that weekend. The colors in Tellico were incredible compared to the dry and drab colors in Bentonville.
These falls were pretty when Steve and I came here in march 2019 but the colorful leaves put it on a whole other level of gorgeous!
(https://photos.smugmug.com/2020-Tellico-DS/i-jmwV4fc/0/3a7c1032/XL/PA250063-XL.jpg)
The hike along the falls was probably more dangerous than the motorcycle riding we had been doing!
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When we got back to the parking area I decided to take a pic of the ATV tire John had on his TW.
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Time to head back to the campground.
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The sun was coming out and the roads drying out!
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I don't think you could find a bad road around here if you tried!
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And just like that we were back at the campground and five fantastic days of riding were over.
You need to write a book. You are very good at these ride reports.
Quote from: TWJohn on November 04, 2020, 01:59:21 PM
You need to write a book. You are very good at these ride reports.
It would have to be a picture book since I'm not much of a writer.