News:

Buy official forum merchandise here!

Main Menu

Ride to the Hamptons...

Started by norton73, May 23, 2017, 02:45:07 PM

Previous topic - Next topic

0 Members and 2 Guests are viewing this topic.

norton73

spent last weekend in the Hamptons....



Tennessee.

The reason was to attend Rick's Rendezvous, one of the annual rallies put on by my friend Silke and her helpers over at AdvRider.

http://advrider.com/index.php?threads/16th-ricks-eastern-rendezvous-may-17-21-2017.1182588/

We left Thursday morning, because it was gonna be almost 8 hours according to Google, we pretty much slabbed it.


Up 59 to Chattanooga, then 75 to Cleveland and east on 74 through the Ocoee gorge, where we got lunch at the Dam Deli.
http://www.ocoeedamdeli.com/

then east to the Nantahala Gorge where we stopped at the river put in to take a break.



East to 40 and then up 26 to Johnson City where we rode through Hampton TN and up to the site.

Just north of Asheville, we got drizziled on a bit, not quite enough to put on rainsuits, especially as I could see blue sky ahead and the cars coming the other way didn't have their wipers on

The road into the Black Bear Resort is a tight twisty run over a ridge and past the Appalachian Trail and along side Laurel Fork Creek.



We got there just as thunder started and dinner was about to be served. Got our beer mugs filled, set up camp , and got in line for dinner.

Afterwards, sat around the fire and BSed with old and new friends.



Loose nut holding the handlebars

norton73

There are a bunch of rides sorta planned, trail rides for small bikes, trail rides for big bikes, some people do road rides, and some combination of road and trail.

We decided to head north and ride 58 in VA and then east to 16 north. Both are fun roads, lots of turns, decent pavement, not much traffic on a weekday.

From the campsite, we headed back to Elizabethton and then north on 91 to Shady Valley where we picked up 133 to Damascus, VA.







Damascus was having "Trail Days" , a celebration of the through hikers that hike the entire length of the Appalachian Trail from GA to ME.

http://www.traildays.us/

Because it's mostly for hikers, traffic in town wasn't bad and we picked up 58 east.



https://www.virginia.org/thecrookedroad/

http://www.smithsonianmag.com/travel/a-musical-tour-along-the-crooked-road-49549719/
Loose nut holding the handlebars

norton73

Had a great romp riding 58, very little traffic, most turned off or pulled over to let us by.
Once we got into Volney, VA, we stopped at a resturant at the crossroads of 58 and 16  for lunch.
After lunch, it was looking dark to the west. We talked to two couples on HDs that pulled in as we were getting dressed and they said it looked good to the north. We loaded up and sent about 4 miles and the first rain drops started hitting us. I found an abandoned store front and we stopped to put on raingear.







Loose nut holding the handlebars

norton73

After standing around watching it rain and wondering if it would turn to hail, we started north again to Marion, VA. Filled up with gas and looked at the time and decided we couldn't contine on 16 and still get back to camp for dinner. We jumped on 81 south to 91 and back through Damascus and then south to camp.

More pics of the road into camp;





A great dinner of BBQ smoked on site followed by ice cream bars washed down with beer and then campfire time.
Loose nut holding the handlebars

norton73

Saturday, we decided to go southeast and then north to pick up one of my favorite roads in the area, 19W.

But first we needed to head SE on 321 til we could pick up 194 to Valle Crucis and Banner Elk. 321 winds around Watuga Lake and when we got to the upper end of the lake, there was a road called "Old Watuga River Road" and it looked fun. It wound alongside the river, turned to groomed gravel, and made it's way up the valley.









Across the road from the old mill was this house built using some of the old mill stones;





Loose nut holding the handlebars

norton73

The "Old Watuga River Road" reconnected to 321 after 6-7 miles, we got back on and then picked up 194 to Banner Elk. 194 is a really tight, twisty, barely 1 1/2 lanes wide little thing, full of 1st gear hairpins that climb 20 feet while still turning. We got into it and the first couple cars we caught up to pulled over and let us by.
Then we ran into the bicycles...

I guess it was a century ride, lots of riders, but because of the climbs, were barely moving. Getting around the bikes wasn't bad, but when there was a car too, we couldn't pass them. Some of the turns and climbs were so tight, the bikes were almost stopped, as were the cars, and we were doing trackstands in the road.
On the plus side, you would have to be in very good shape to do this ride, and some of the scenery in lycra wasn't bad to have to follow for short distances.  ;D

We made it to Banner Elk, were the bikes took a different route out of town and we headed off the mountain to 19E. This is a bit faster road, winding along the Toe River valley. After 20 miles or so, we crossed a bridge and saw this;



Lunch!

http://www.blindsquirrelbrewery.com/burnsville-outpost/

Went inside and was told there was a 45 minute wait for a table. I asked if we could sit at the bar and order food and the answer was affirmative, so in we went and ordered a beer, plenty of water, and two Trout Po' Boys.



A bunch of other bikes were there too;






Loose nut holding the handlebars

norton73

After lunch, we continued east on 19E till we got to 19W. 19W is the old road that used to connect Asheville to Erwin TN. It starts by following the Doe River and then some of the headwaters. Down in the valley, it's nice sweepers, then as it leaves the river, starts over the mountain and does some climbing with tighter turns.









Loose nut holding the handlebars

norton73

After 19W, we rode into Erwin and picked up the road to Poplar NC, the put in for the Nolichucky River. The road is another fun one that climbs out of town and then down to the river. From there it continues back up another mountain and finally joins 197 and goes north up a valley then to 321 which we took back to Hampton and the rally site.

The before dinner activity is the den00bing.
n00bs are first timers to an Advrally and required to wear a dress and answer questions about the forum. Wrong answers get a smack on the ass and probably even correct answers get paddled anyway.









Some people took more pride in their dress than others;







after another great meal, door prizes were awarded.



Then another evening around the beer trailer and campfire

Loose nut holding the handlebars

norton73

During the day while we were out riding, there was downhill races on Big Wheels. Somehow 4 of 5 survived;




When I went to bed Saturday night, it was clear. When I woke later to relieve myself, it was still clear.

I was sorta surprised to wake up Sunday morning to a heavy rain.

We went and got coffee and breakfast hoping for a let up in the rain to pack up.
it finally did, and about the time we had the sleeping bags and contents of the tent packed, it started again. We ended up packing the tent in the rain and said our good byes and hit the road home.
Because of the rain, we decided to go north on 26 to 81, 40 to Knoxville, then 75 to Chattanooga and home on 59.
It rained hard until we got just east of Knoxville. Then it got hot and humid and we stopped at the third exit on 75 for lunch and to shed our raingear.
Made good time home and arrived about 4;30 , spread wet gear all over the house, garage , attic and showers, then a pitcher of margaritas.
Loose nut holding the handlebars

klaviator

Quote from: norton73 on May 23, 2017, 04:01:58 PM
......................................., and some of the scenery in lycra wasn't bad to have to follow for short distances.  ;D


So where are the pics???   ;D


klaviator

Looks like an interesting ride and rally.  I have ridden some of the roads you did.  Great area to ride.  I need to get back there.

Thanks for posting.

Guidedawg

Thanks for the report.  I need to go wash my eyes out, but thanks all the same :)

klaviator

Quote from: Guidedawg on May 24, 2017, 03:42:50 PM
Thanks for the report.  I need to go wash my eyes out, but thanks all the same :)

That was an ADV rally.  Spend any time on that forum and you will learn to keep the eye bleach handy :o

norton73

Quote from: klaviator on May 24, 2017, 03:14:59 PM
Quote from: norton73 on May 23, 2017, 04:01:58 PM
......................................., and some of the scenery in lycra wasn't bad to have to follow for short distances.  ;D


So where are the pics???   ;D

I tried to take some, but I can't seem to push the on/off button with gloves on.

The few I took were blurry and useless.

I must have tossed half the pics I took on this trip, my hands must have been shaking alot.

Red Bud has a camera that looks just like my Fujifilm XP60, but has much larger buttons.

Might have to look into getting one, I was drinking when we were comparing cameras and forgot which model he has.

Just to make up for it, here's a pic stolen from one of the guys that did one of the off road rides;

Loose nut holding the handlebars

norton73

#14
Quote from: klaviator on May 24, 2017, 03:49:05 PM
Quote from: Guidedawg on May 24, 2017, 03:42:50 PM
Thanks for the report.  I need to go wash my eyes out, but thanks all the same :)

That was an ADV rally.  Spend any time on that forum and you will learn to keep the eye bleach handy :o

Just stay out of Jo Momma and you won't need to. Now Red Bud's rides through Helen GA and the tubers is a different story, you will look forward to his posts. ;D
Loose nut holding the handlebars