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Re: 2023
Reply #120 - 09/10/23 at 05:05:43

Stewmills and I are headed to see the Fiddies races on the 16th. We will be driving down on Thursday the 14th so that we can get a full day of riding on Friday.

I emailed the Kick Stand Lodge to reserve a spot to camp....as their website says they now require reservations (I don't remember that being on their website in prior years). I got an email within a couple hours that stated they are closed for the season and they cannot provide us a spot to camp. I believe Mo and Bobby are easing into retirement and cutting back on the number of campers they take......the Kickstand Lodge may not be an option for camping for too many years. That is unfortunate as the folks we mt at the Kickstand were always friendly and laid back, the bath house/showers were always clean, and Bobby and Mo are very nice people.

I looked at the website for the Iron Horse campground that is on the road behind the Kickstand Lodge, and they are open all year. Reservations are not required for camping and it is "first come -first serve" - I tried calling them and left a message about us coming.....they have not called back. I assume they just don't feel the need to return a call when we are just going to be camping in a tent. Stewmills, MMRanch and I rode back there once and looked at the place - it is really fancy!

Last week I went for a ride a few hours south of here around Grayson, Kentucky. There are some great roads in that area - next summer I am going to have to explore the area east of Lexington.....the motorcycle maps show great riding down there, and it is only a few hours from my home.

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MMRanch

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Re: 2023
Reply #121 - 09/11/23 at 19:13:57

Hay Dave ,

Last week I went for a ride a few hours south of here around Grayson, Kentucky. There are some great roads in that area - next summer I am going to have to explore the area east of Lexington.....the motorcycle maps show great riding down there, and it is only a few hours from my home.

Find us a camp site in the area , I hope next year I have a lot less "Home-Life" going on ? And I hope to have either the Super Meteor or a Performance cam in the 350 Meteor ? Not sure which one yet , but either way I should be able to keep-up better next year.

Ya'll be safe and have fun this weekend !

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Dave

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Re: 2023
Reply #122 - 09/16/23 at 05:09:04

I drove down to the Iron Horse Motorcycle resort on Thursday. I left right at noon and with the fuel and food stops along the way I arrived just before dark. The place was a bit confusing to learn in the dark, and it was even harder to set up the new tent for the first time in the dark (by myself). The new tent attaches to the 10x10 Pop Up canopy and is easy to do alone....the previous big tent I had was really hard to set up alone. This tent is really nice as it is tall, and the roof is fully waterproof. Ventilation is good and moisture doesn't build up inside at night. It is great for car camping - definitely too big to pack on a bike. Stew left after work and arrived around 11PM.

The Iron Horse is a great place. They have covered parking for your motorcycle, the showers and bathhouse are clean, the kitchen/dining area is open every morning and night adn the food is great. The place is only about The place is only about 10% occupied this weekend and it is very peaceful. I imagine the place could be really busy and perhaps hectic on a weekend where the place if fully occupied.

Yesterday we rode up through Cherokee and rode the Rattler = it was a ride I had never done before. Along the way when we stopped in Maggie Valley for fuel, a woman airing up her car tires told us her favorite road is the Devils Drop.....so we added that to the ride. We rode the Rattler and it was a very nice ride and ate lunch in Hot Springs. We turned around and rode back on the Ratterl to the Devils Drop (151) - it was a very nice curvy road through a thick forext with lots of cuvves and steep grades.

We then navigated through the outskirts of Asheveille and got on the Blue Ridge {arlwaul bacl tp Cjerplee amd cpmtomed home.

The day was great with temps from 59 to the mid 70's. It was dry although on the way home we hit some damp pavement from a previous spotty shower. We rode about 300 miles.

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Ruttly Serious Thumper Offline Thumpers Rule Posts: 4997 Manteca , CA Gender:	Re: 2023 Reply #123 - 09/16/23 at 10:52:53 You guys riding Savages this ride ? Hey Dave tell Stewy I said Hi .
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Re: 2023
Reply #124 - 09/17/23 at 05:34:57

Yesterday Stew and I headed to the Dragon first thing so we could ride it before it got too busy. As we passed the Deals Gap hotel the parking lot was about 1/3rd full all ready. We got about 1/3rd of the way up before we decided to turn around and abandon the area. The Dragon was already so crazy that is was just not safe to be there. There were sport bike guys riding crazy fast, lots of cars.....and a few tourists in SUV's all mixed together. Fontana Village was hosting some kind of car event and there were a lot of European cars with numbers pasted on the doors...we saw these cars spread onto every road and suspect they were having some kind of road rally event as part of their event.

When we left the Dragon we rode down to the Nantahala Outdoor Center and had lunch - then a check of the weather showed we needed to head back to the Iron Horse where we were camped to avoid the rain headed our way. The rain drops on our visors as we turned into the campground confirmed we had made a good choice.

When the rain eased up in the afternoon we got back on the bikes and headed toward the Cherohala Skyway to ride as the rain appeared to be to the north. We rode into rain as we approached Robinsville and dediced not to ride the Skyway. We rode some local back roads and they turned out to have wonderful paving and nice scenery....speeds were reduced as the roads were wet....and then we headed toward Deals Gap for the races.

We arrived at Deals Gap around 7:45PM and we were surprised to find dry roads as we approached the hotel. They said it has rained a bit around 3PM but stopped and had been dry since........seems you can't trust the weather radar to give an accurate account of where the roads will be dry. The races were great and a lot of fun to watch. The little 80cc bikes were fast and there was a lot of tight racing and a couple of crashes that resulted only in a few lost races positions....no injuries. It is something we need to repeat next year!

Ruttly: I washed the Savage and was going to take it - at the last minute I changed my mind. The morning rides were going to be just a bit too cool I thought, and as it turned out too wet! We had to ride in some rain yesterday, and it rained a lot overnight......it is likely we won't be able to get out on the roads until 11 AM this morning when the rain leaves the area. Stew brought his new Honda NC700X as he wanted to see how well his bigger windshield worked. We both stayed pretty dry during the wet rides even before we stopped and put on rain gear.......Stew's kneecaps and our arms were the only things that got wet while we were moving.

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Re: 2023
Reply #125 - 09/17/23 at 17:20:03

It rained pretty good this morning from around 4AM to around 9AM. We got breakfast at the lodge and then slowly got ready to ride as the roads dried, We headed out about 10:30 and were able to ride the Dragon "north and then south" safely. The traffic this morning was far less crowded and folks were riding at reasonable speeds. As we rode north we saw a State Trouper headed onto the Dragon.....on the way back we saw he had 2 Porsche cars pulled over.

After we left the Dragon road south from Deals Gap and ate lunch at the Tapico Lodge. We had a Pizza and it was the best food we had the entire trip. We then rode south on 129 to the Cherohala Skyway. The Skyway is closed about 40 miles in near Tellico - so traffic was very lght and we rode both ways with only a few passes being made to slower cars or motorcycles. We then rode back to the Iron Horse and got Stew loaded up and he is headed home - I am staying one more day so I can pack up the tent and get loaded up for home....I am likely to take a short ride in the morning as the tent dries out.

The trip was nice and the only damper was the light rain and the damp roads on Saturday. You just have to accept that when you ride in the mountain of TN/NC/GA you are likely going to get wet at some point. I was told that this area is the second wettest area in the US - I love having a clean bike but I need to learn that a dirty one still rides just as well.

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stewmills

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Re: 2023
Reply #126 - 09/18/23 at 11:21:52

Ruttly,

I heard you were trash talking me so I had to resurface and create some boundaries. I'll try to me more combative... I mean social. Still have the savage (will never sell it) just haven't been on the forum much but Dave keeps me in regular check on our rides. You need to make a trip to this area one day (it'll be too cold here in the next month or so) and we'll attempt to treat you to some great riding. Treatment will be directly related to your attitude and behavior Grin

My new (used 2012) NC700x. Odd but interestingly fun little bike I found on a whim after I sold my little Ninja 250 earlier this year.

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Re: 2023
Reply #127 - 09/18/23 at 14:49:43

Well I should have kept my mouth shut , just opened myself for more abuse and badgering. Ya know when you stopped posting I thought you just cut your other hand off and I just wanted to compliment you on you typing. Must be tough typing with your feet ( glad I’m not your keyboard ) but then again I forgot your feet are equipped with thumbs. Ah but I see you are out riding after the recovery. I know it’s useless to say it , ride safe and stay away from sharp objects !? Roll Eyes

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Re: 2023
Reply #128 - 09/19/23 at 07:44:24

Those are fake arms strapped inside my jacket and just there to keep me upright. I have a bluetooth steering system and I just tell it where to go and it does the rest. I tried steering with my feet but they get too cold without boots on and the wind fills up my pant legs and parachutes me off the back of the bike like a parasailer. Fun for 10 seconds until you make that abrupt landing Shocked

I have learned (or "learnt" as some say) my lesson about saws and guards...I still have all my phalanges!

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Re: 2023
Reply #129 - 09/19/23 at 18:15:03

Camping Wake Up Call:

This weekend camping at the Iron Horse was a bit of a wake up call for me. The Iron Horse is a very nice place with an exceptional dining hall and lots of covered parking, and great breakfast and dinner meals at reasonable prices (no lunch).

I first started going on trips down to TN/NC/GA with this group in 2012. Cabins that the group rented were simple and had 2 twin sized beds and rented for $40 a night at the Blue Ridge Motorcycle Campground......we could fit 3 people in as MMRanch would sleep on the floor! Camping in tents was around $20 a night for 2 people, and extra folks over that were around $5 each.....we packed a bunch of folks in a tent a few times.

Prices have gone up considerably since those days. The tent site at Iron Horse was $35.99 for 1 occupant and each extra was $8 a night. The Kick Stand Lodge is still $20 a night for the first person in a tent and $5 for each extra person - however they are not doing as much maintenance as they used to and although the bathrooms are clean - the buildings, picnic tables, pavilion and clubhouse are not in good shape. Earlier this year I stayed at Tellico Plains at the Cherohala Mountain Trails Campground - it is still a bargain if you want to stay in that area as the small cabins are $60 a night and tent camping is $12 a person each night. Two Wheels of Suches is also still a bargain with camping at $20 a night for 2 and each additional is $8, RV or camper parking is $30 a night.

The cost for a cabin is $100 a night or more at a large number of places if the cabin/room has a bathroom inside.......that number is a bit less for cabins that require you to walk to a bath house. Parking sites for parking a camping trailer or RV are $40 or more ($80 for a full hookup site at Iron Horse).

I may go back and look at the Simple Life campground in Robbinsville and see if it is an option. They still have 2 bed cabins for less than $50 a night with camping at $24 a night for double occupancy. The place is on a steep hill and they don't have any kind of food service or clubhouse - but they are on the north edge of Robbinsville and all the stores/restaurants.

Trying to camp at a State Park is difficult - as they most often are reserved far in advance. I much prefer being able to get a camping site with no advance notice - that gives me an option of going when the weather is good and staying home in bad weather. For tent camping your don't need any advance notice at the Iron Horse, Two Wheels of Suches or The Cherohala Mountain Trails Campground - however the Kickstand Lodge website now states they require reservations (a call to Bobby/Mo may be all that is needed to get one).

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Re: 2023
Reply #130 - 09/20/23 at 18:20:46

Thanks goodness for Two Wheels of Suches !

I like the place as much as anything in the area.

Hay , how about those places along the river at the bottom of the Blue Ridge ? I'm trying to think of the name of the area but drawing blanks.

There were a lot of campgrounds along the river ... surely all of them didn't wash away ?

I'll see if I can find some pictures from there .

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Re: 2023
Reply #131 - 09/21/23 at 09:58:36

The Blue Ridge Motorcycle Campground is the name of the place we used to go. Their website and Facebook page have not been updated to provide any information on how the bridge construction is going and when they may be open again.

The Google Maps page shows Camp GiGi is across the street and just a bit up the road - they don't have a website but a phone number is listed: 864-710-8752

I don't see any other campgrounds along that road. One campground downstream was hit hard int storm, and I believe 4 people were died in the flood.

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Re: 2023
Reply #132 - 09/26/23 at 09:56:32

i was looking to see where that big water pipeline goes to...the one that you drive under when you are on 129 south of the Dragon, and you can see it does down the hill to the power plant on 28 between Deals Gap and Fontana Village. It turns out the pipeline goes to Lake Santeetlah! They take the water across a couple of mountains and valleys to get the water some elevation so they can make power!

But what caught my eye was a marker on the Google Map that stated: "Start of the Chasing the Dragon Hllclimb". What.....that sounds like my kind of place!
https://www.google.com/maps/@35.3701152,-83.9138706,14.54z?entry=ttu

I tried to do a Google Street View to see what the road looks like - but it is not posted. I then did a YouTube search:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rMpQ3kAX_U8

Looks like we have another road to explore! Stew and I were just down there last weekend, and we were on the Joyce Kilmer road....we were so close to this road and didn't even know it was there!

We have found some other roads that are a lot of fun to ride. The Rattler and Devils Drop are great roads!

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MMRanch Serious Thumper Offline Evil flourishes if Good Men do Nothing. Posts: 5724 LYNCHBURG TN Gender:	Re: 2023CHEATED Reply #133 - 09/26/23 at 10:53:07 Hay that person in the video driving the car is Disqualified ! If ya don't stay in YOUR LANE then your time DON'T COUNT . The person CHEATED !! When will they learn ? .......................... I don't remember seeing road 1127 ? But I'll be looking for it next time I'm in the area .
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Re: 2023CHEATED
Reply #134 - 09/26/23 at 12:23:53

MMRanch wrote on 09/26/23 at 10:53:07:

Hay that person in the video driving the car is Disqualified !

If ya don't stay in YOUR LANE then your time DON'T COUNT . The person CHEATED !! Sad

I don't remember seeing road 1127 ? But I'll be looking for it next time I'm in the area .

I don't believe it is cheating when the course is closed to other traffic and you are in actual race conditions.

You get to 1127 by going off 129 and onto the Joyce Kilmer Road. It is something you need to look at a map to find. It is amazing how many small local roads are fun to ride........especially useful when you find too many folks riding the Dragon and you need to ride somewhere else!

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