A Dixie Biker Writer rides the Smokey Mountains

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2006 in the Smokies

Unfortunately, Roadrunner and I have missed our annual bike trip through the mountains for the past 2 summers, but we decided early on this year we were gonna make it happen this time, no excuses. We wanted to go back up to Western North Carolina where we spent a good chunk of our 2003 trip ridin’ all over the Great Smoky Mountains. We had loads of the fantastic riding that Western North Carolina has to offer and knew we hadn’t even made a

Dixie Biker Moto-journalists Wile E and Road Runner ride to the Smokie Mountains in July 2006.

By Wile E

Article originally published in the September 2006

issue of Dixie Biker Illustrated.

1700 miles and not a drop a rain. A Miracle!

dent in what might be there.

We rolled up the wide concrete ribbon to Atlanta the first day to spend some time with the family. It was a long, hot ride but we knew comin back home we were gonna be takin the back roads and two-laners, where we could enjoy the ride and see the country… after all that is what it’s all about.

Bright and early Monday morning

we rolled out of Atlanta down the

two lane roads in the north Georgia

Mountains. We were heading to-

ward Stecoah, NC and the Iron

Horse Lodge.

It didn’t take long on the mountain

roads to have our first encounter with a crotch-rocket. We were coming around a tight curve and a blaze of red was in our face riding the double yellow line. It musta scared him to see a couple of Harleys coming at him and he tried to correct (good luck) in the curve by applying the brakes (wrong move). I heard the screech of rubber behind me and I watched him skid off the side of the mountain in my rear view mirror. Sucked to be him. We proceeded down the mountain to a wide spot where I dropped Roadrunner and I went back up to check on him. He was

standing down at the bottom by bike, beat up and bloody talking on a phone. I asked if he needed a hand, he said he would have to wait for help… I would agree, the bike looked pretty twisted and getting it up on the shoulder would not have accomplished anything, he wasn’t gonna be ridin’ it anywhere. He said “thanks for stopping” (I am not sure he realized it was me he almost hit) No one would have known he was down there except for the skid mark on the pavement (and probably his shorts) unless you saw him go over. He was a lucky guy!

In 2003 Roadrunner was looking for someplace special to stay in North Carolina while we were on our bike trip and she ran across a brand new motorcycle only campground that was under construction (right) in Stecoah, North Carolina called the Iron Horse Motorcycle Lodge (http://ironhorsenc.com). It’s located about 30 minutes from Deals Gap, the home of the famous “Tail of the Dragon.” “318 curves in 11 miles” and smack in the middle of all kinds of great mountain ridin’, all you have to do is pick a direction and GO!

Roadrunner and I did the Tail in 2003 and I just had no interest in doing it again. The twisties weren’t the problem it was the MF’ers (Motorcycle Fanatics) on the crotch rockets doing speed runs and passing you on the left or RIGHT on a blind curve, which unfortunately we had the opportunity to experience. Oh yea, I was really hoping to see that MF’er at the bottom…this was no

place to be screwing around showing your ass and endangering mine. He was nowhere to be found. Yea, runnin’ the tail is something everyone seems to want to do…been there done that…but didn’t bother with the T-shirt.

Anyway, that year we ended up being the first guests of John and Charlene Powell, the owners of the new Iron Horse Motorcycle Lodge, and it was barely open. They were running a few months behind on construction due to weather delays and we actually ended up staying in the main house with them. They told us of all the plans they had to take care of the Bikers, and wanted to ensure everyone would have a great experience. They were gonna have tent sites, where you could rent tents, sleeping bags, coolers, so ya didn’t have to haul em, RV sites, cabins, and even a bunkhouse if you are traveling

on a budget. At the center of the site was going to be a Pavilion with covered bike parking, a home theater and a great sound system with a big screen for playin’ movies and concerts, an upstairs loft with a pool table and games. They were gonna be serving home-cooked breakfast and dinner. They just wanted to take care of Bikers and give em a place to start and end a great day of ridin’.

Well…we rode back in 3 years later and it was all there…everything they said there were gonna do and even more! The place was loaded with

bikers havin’ a ball. People were camped by the creek, bedded down in the bunkhouse, RV spots were full-up as were the cabins. The pavilion had a full load of bikes under the covered parking and the sound system had music playin while we sat around the huge fire pit smellin’ dinner being prepared in the kitchen. We walked up to the loft where they had the free pool table, checkers, and chairs for kickin’ back and watchin’ the giant screen ( this thing had to be 10 or 12 feet…it was huge) home theater playin’ movies and concerts. John and Charlene really came through! But be sure and make reservations before headin' up cause they stay VERY busy during ridin season.

We were ready to head out the next day and see some of the sites. Mountain ridin is something else. Ya never know what is gonna pop up around the next corner. Could be an awesome view with nothing between you and the wide open space ‘cept for guard rail just high enough to stop your scoot and launch you out into the nothingness like a cannonball. Or there could be a

black lab the size of

a bear waiting to

catch him a biker

(Long story, I won’t

go into it). It was the Fourth of July and John and Charlene wanted to take some time off and ride. So a few of the guests, John, Charlene, Road-runner and I sad-dled up and headed out- John was leadin’ us to some of his favorite ridin’ spots…and he has lots of them. We passed Bridal falls (right) and saw Mother Nature had her way with the spot. A very large section of the drive thru-area behind the

falls was closed due to a huge chunk of rock (arrow, above) that had fallen and was blocking part of the driveway. Bummer.

One of my favorites was the ride to Bald River Fall in the Cherokee National Forest. As

you approach the end of the Cherahala Skyway (you are in Tennessee now) you cut off to

the Ranger station and follow the narrow two-lane road runs along a rapidly flowing river. If you

aren’t paying attention you may end up bouncing off trees all the way to the raging river below.

The view at the falls was just awesome. How often can you sit on your bike and look at a waterfall? (Wile E and Roadrunner below.) Way cool.

Speaking of the Cherahala Skyway, now this is a “must do” ride! (Pictures below) Long, comfortable, sweeping curves with awesome views the whole trip- this road does not bear the kind of traffic you will encounter on 441 going through the Great Smoky Mountain National Park, which is bumper to bumper (or rubber to rubber) most of time. We ended up ridin’ the Cherahala twice during our few days there.

Roadrunner and John Powell at Bald River Falls

The end of the Cherahala was in Tellico Plains, Tennessee and we wandered back south and then east toward Murphy NC. We found an interesting spot about 18 miles west of Murphy called Fields of the Wood (Below left). It was completed in 1945, and regardless of your religious inclinations, the 10 commandments spelled out in 5 foot tall letters on the side of a mountain are something to see. John and I were looking up at that thinkin’ Dang, I am not sure I wanna walk up that steps…I couldn’t imagine the work that went into hauling all that concrete up there.

After a few more days of picturesque mountain ridin’ it was time to head home. We had a great ride south outta Stechoah on 129, catching 28 down through Franklin and Highlands and slowly watching the mountains flatten behind us after many hours. We continued on the two laners through North Carolina, South Carolina, back into

Georgia and finally on back to Daytona. 1700 miles and not a drop of rain. Who’d a thunk it? (We are gonna pay for that someday).

“Whatever y’all do, you owe it to yourself to get out on the two-

laners and through the small towns and taste this country. Stop

where you think, why would I stop here? Go into a hardware store

or small grocery store in a “one horse town”. Look around; ask

questions; you might be treated to something you will never forget.

Take a chance, the only thing you have to lose is a little time, what

you might gain you can’t measure.” I said that 4 years ago, and it

still holds true today. The journey is what you make it.

'Runner and I are looking forward to Bainbridge Bike Fest in

Bainbridge, GA. It is only a month off! We are hopin' lots of you

will be lookin' ta join us. It's gonna be a great time YEA! Y'all ride