2003 Steelhorse/Dragon
Run:
Shirley, better
fill these folks glasses and keep it coming, this might take awhile ...
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Folks on the Deuce Owners list
planned to run the Dragons Tail this last weekend. I posted it on r.m.h.,
and Bob Carroll said he'd love to, but couldn't as he was hosting a bunch
of local netscum in Nashville for the Steel Horse Rally. Well, that sounded
like a lot of fun too. So ZombyWoof and I decided to try and combine the
two in a long weekend run. Bob responded with a warm invite to stay at
Casa del Carroll.
This was gonna be my first multi-day
trip in a lot of years - so I had some outfitting to do. I ordered a pair
of throw-over saddlebags, a tank bag, scored spare plugs, fuses,
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bulbs, various fluids and a tire repair
kit. Bungeed a duffle bag, sleeping bag and pad on the passenger seat and I
was ready to go.
Did I mention Mary had to work so I
would be going stag?
Plan was to stay off the slab and ride
all the great highways between northern VA, TN and NC. All this was very well
planned. MS Streets and Trips is good for that - great plans ... The execution
is 'nother thing! The first change in plans came at about D minus 1 when ZombyWoof
called to say he couldn't go. Hurricane Isabelle left his home without power
and he couldn't leave his wife and kids behind - Besides, his bike's in the
shop and the shop's still all boarded up!
Wednesday morning,I headed out US 15
to Warrington where I picked up US 211/Lee Hwy west to the Blue Ridge Mountains.
This is a beautiful drive through rolling farm land and wine country. Historical
markers reminded me that these peaceful fields were the battlefields for the
campaigns for Manassas.
As I approached the mountains, the
road changed from gentle sweepers to a series of hairpin curves. Shoulda been
a great warm-up for the mountain driving to come, but the first tight right-hand
turn I came to, my rear tire slipped to the left! The smell of diesel was thick,
and I saw a drizzle running down the lane. Apparently, some trucker left his
fuel cap off 'cause every right turn had a slippery slick.
The Blue Ridge Parkway was closed from
hurricane damage, so another change in plans had me continue down the west side
of the range. Found a good restaurant and had a big country breakfast of eggs,
biscuits, grits and good salty Virginia Ham. I was running behind so I hit I-81
and blasted down the Shenandoah Valley to Bristol, TN, with a few side runs
down US 11 for gas and relief from the boredom.
(Ever notice that on US Hwys, historical
markers invited you to stop, read a vignette from the history books, adding
historical and cultural context to the trip, but on the slab the signs read
"EMERGENCY STOPPING ONLY - Don't even think of fuckin' stopping!")
From Bristol, I rode 11E and US311
through the Tennessee valley and northern Smokey Mountain foothills till it
started getting dark. I bailed on the rest of the planned route and blasted
up to Kingston, TN to a motel within striking range of Nashville.
Hit the road at 0500 to be in Nashville
in time to make the Jack Daniels run at 0800. Ran hard in the cold, dark, foggy
pre-dawn on I-40 across the Cumberland Plateau - At dawn, the warmth of the
sun on my back felt good. Made it to Casa del Carroll in plenty of time.
After introductions and coffee, Bob
and I took off to Logan's Roadhouse to meet up with several of his local riding
buds for the JD run to Lynchburg. The route took us through some pretty rolling
countryside.
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It got hot and we had to make
several stops to shed linen and replace lost electrolytes. By the time
we got to Lynchburg, the main pack had killed all the BBQ that Logans
had set up. So we hit a small BBQ joint in Lynchburg's main square. The
lovely Tina got up and played waitress for us. We picked up requisite
souvenirs and headed back to Franklin by another route through the country.
Roger Elmore rolled in from Martin,
TN, followed by Bama Mike on a bike that didn't *look* like it had been
through the hell he had posted in his down report.
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We consumed adult beverages
and smoked fine cigars while Willa whipped up a pasta salad and
Bob charred cow flesh stuffed with jalapenos and blue cheese. We
ate, drank, smoked and retold lies till our eyes got too heavy and
we rolled into our beds for the evening.
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Morning comes, as it does, and we got
ready to cruise to the rally site to check out the vendors and to pick up trinkets.
Nashville Jeff and Bear pulled in just in time for the trip. Great photo ops
- Bear on a miniature Capn America Chopper, Nashville Jeff on a bar stool powered
by Briggs & Stratton, even something special for Roger the Chrome Whore.
Mike's S.O., Debra, caught up with
us, and we took off on an "eat to live, live to eat" run through rolling
hills and twisty roads to Puckett's Grocery Store at Leipers Fork. A BBQ pit
in the front, a serving line, a few tables, and a recently acquired liquor license.
Biker heaven, or what? Bear even found himself a new girlfriend!
Back to CdelC to meet Turbo, Mudpie
and Bama Bob. More introductions, a few more beers, and we set off for the Bikini
Beach Bar in Nashville. Bikini Beach is a biker bar on steroids. Two outdoor
stages, cold beer, a hot blues band, the annual best ass contest, yuppies, patch-holders,
gimps and scantily-clad wimmin frigging the pillion of a loping softail.
Sigh ...
A midnight run back down the highway
to CdelC for a nightcap of Woodford's and a concoction Evil Twin made with peaches
and, his, uh, left nut. If you made it this far, take a healthy pull off that
bottle of Woodfords and I'll wind this up.
Saturday I was heading for the Smokies
to meet up with the afore-mentioned folks off the DOG list and to ride the roads
the folks in this fine establishment suggested. The wx report for Saturday was
for rain. The front came through that night with a vengeance. Bob pulled up
a radar image which looked promising as the wx was heading NNE and I was heading
ESE. Bob filled me with coffee, helped me fill my tires ... hell, he even offered
to crease my chaps!
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I found myself wondering how such
a southern gent could get the nick "Evil Twin" - till he figured
out that this was essentially my first IRL. His eyes narrowed and glowed
green, his smile turned wicked. He said to Bama Bob, Turbo and Bear "and
you know what *that* means", and they all chuckled. We said our goodbyes
and I was off. |
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As I rode out of town, I noticed some
kinda snot on my windshield - green and slimy like. Some on my tank too. Hell,
it was oozing out of every nook and cranny on my bike and was all over my leathers
too! The more I wiped it off, the more it oozed! Left a trail all the way down
70S and 30. Started to rain, but that didn't help. In all those mountain villages,
children screamed, women swooned, dogs barked, and men went to fetch their guns
... I stopped for gas and a snack, and the salty potato chips made my lips shrivel
up into a hideous mess ...
Ok, I can be a little thick, but I
put it together, plans went to hell, can't tolerate salt ... Evil Twin had slimed
me ... I'm a slug! Better let me have another pull on that bottle ...
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Did I mention it rained? All
the way to the Cherohala Skyway, which made for slow going through the
mountains through which TN30 passes. But the rain then tapered off, and
I only had a little fog to deal with, so the beauty of the skyway was
not lost on me. I got to Deal's Gap as the sun was going down. Two of
the folks off the DOG list were still there, so we got to talk Deuces
and I was offered a bunk for the night.
Sunday morning I was up, packed
and ready to go at first light.
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I rode the Dragon north and found it
to be not a whole lot different from any of the other roads around there. Great
marketing though. And the area is great riding. One could easily spend a week
cruising all the great roads.
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Easily one of the most beautiful
spots on earth. I continued up 129 to find the Foothills Parkway closed,
so I rode 311, took a ride on Little River Road to Gatlinburg - Pure heaven.
Highly recommended ...
But I had to get my ass home,
so I headed straight north on 441 to get back to the slab. Several hours
of mind-numbing slab-blasting and I was home safe and sound.
Gotta thank Bob and Willa for
their gracious southern hospitality. I met a lot of good folk, ate lots
of good BBQ, rode hard, imbibed a little, and had a great time.
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Steelhorse
Stampede Rally Site
Tail of the Dragon
Site
RIP EvlTwin
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