Return to the Land of the Dragon

[Therapy]

It's ok...Mo is pretty loose. i'll see what I can do about letting her know we are coming up.

I'll try to relax. We will have a trailer for the bikes.

 

[drdubb]

That is no problem usually, the cabins are the only facilities that need reservations.

 

[drdubb]

Bump...hope some more of you will add this to your calendars.

 

[davidc83]

I am planning on attending; however, I haven't made any reservations (and probably wont until it gets closer). Their website shows they have a bunkhouse (which is ok with me)-if not available when I make a reserve.. I will try to get a bunkhouse at Iron Horse-I can hang with you guys and sleep at IH..

 

[drdubb]

Great...looking forward to seeing you.

 

[drdubb]

I've got a T-shirt designed and plan to visit the printer this week. I'll post the design as soon as the finishing touches are complete.
Make sure to visit the sign up sheet and put in size and number of shirts.

 

[Nofear2trek]

Just put this on my schedule in ink. It will be a busy time for me, HH3 7-10 April in Arkansas, wandering around the East coast until the HU 28 April to 1 May in Virginia, back to Oregon, then this 19-22 May. Maybe off to Key West afterward to start a ride to Deadhorse, AK and a bus ride to Prudhoe Bay?

 

[drdubb]

Well you certainly have the right screen name. Looking forward to meeting you.

I'm off to Colorado, Utah June 1. Maybe our paths will cross again.

 

[TN Thunder]

As long as it hasn't recently rained highway tires will do the trick. One rough rocky area. Will be riding it when they open the gate this year. Rich Mtn. is another good road. North of Knoxville, TN near Sharps Chapel is Chuck Swan State Forest and it is full of roads requiring some creek fording depending on the road. If recent rain don't go without knobbies.

 

[DCTFAN]

I'm working on this itinerary. what do you think?

Hope this map works

 

[drdubb]

Are you laying out a dirt route?

Smokey Moluntain 500 | Adventure Rider

Tellico Adventure Trail | Adventure Rider

 

[DCTFAN]

Just trying to come up with a loop that includes some of the raods/segments I scrapped up here and there.
Telico Rd. Otter Creek TN771, Wayah, etc. as below:

mi. hh:mm:ss ++mi. ++:++:++
1.
(1) stecoah, nc
Head northwest on Hyde Town Rd toward Stecoah Rd 0.05 00:00:19 0.05 00:00:19
2. Turn right at Stecoah Rd 0.02 00:00:10 0.07 00:00:29
3. Turn left onto NC-28 N 2.67 00:04:18 2.74 00:04:47
4. Keep right to continue on Lower Sawyers Creek Rd 0.21 00:00:37 2.95 00:05:24
5.
(2) Lower Sawyers Creek Rd
Head northeast on Lower Sawyers Creek Rd toward Hidden Valley Rd 2.71 00:09:22 5.65 00:14:46
6.
(3) WildCat Gap
Head southeast on Lower Sawyers Creek Rd/Lower Stecoah Rd toward Laurel Branch Rd. 2.51 00:07:38 8.16 00:22:24
7. Slight left onto Gunter Gap Rd 0.64 00:02:10 8.80 00:24:34
8. Turn left onto NC-28 S 8.83 00:10:01 17.63 00:34:35
9. Turn left onto US-19 N/US-74 E 0.17 00:00:17 17.80 00:34:52
10. Turn right onto Needmore Rd 9.06 00:18:58 26.86 00:53:50
11. Turn right onto Tellico Rd 5.77 00:17:52 32.63 01:11:42
12.
(4) 5508 Tellico Rd
Head southwest on Tellico Rd 1.25 00:05:35 33.88 01:17:17
13. Continue onto Otter Creek Rd 4.02 00:10:01 37.90 01:27:18
14. Turn left onto Wayah Rd 3.02 00:05:21 40.92 01:32:39
15. Turn left onto White Oak Ln 0.24 00:01:01 41.16 01:33:40
16. Turn right onto 1397/Cold Springs Creek Rd 0.46 00:01:10 41.62 01:34:50
17. Turn right onto Forest Service Rd 711 7.31 00:23:57 48.93 01:58:47
18.
(5) Forest Service Rd 711
Head southwest on Forest Service Rd 711 7.67 00:25:20 56.60 02:24:07
19. Turn right onto Wayah Rd 1.22 00:02:50 57.82 02:26:57
20.
(6) Wayah Rd
Head northwest on Wayah Rd toward Rainbow Springs Rd 6.42 00:12:59 64.24 02:39:56
21. Turn left onto Junaluska Rd 2.35 00:03:34 66.59 02:43:30
22. Turn right onto Old River Rd 1.07 00:03:35 67.66 02:47:05
23.
(7) Old River Rd
Head northeast on Old River Rd 2.23 00:06:45 69.89 02:53:50
24. Slight left onto Wayah Rd 4.14 00:08:11 74.03 03:02:01
25. Turn right onto US-19 N/US-74 E 7.70 00:10:46 81.72 03:12:47
26. Slight right onto Silvermine Rd 0.02 00:00:11 81.75 03:12:58

(8) Nantahala Outdoor Ctr
81.75 03:12:58

 

[drdubb]

I just noticed some FS roads. I think some of that is on the TET route.
I've got several ride maps of the area which I'll bring. Butler maps now has one for the southern applachians and America Rides maps has several.

 

[DCTFAN]

I'm getting my 1st set of Shinko705's fitted on the NC as I post.
Plan on getting good use out of them when we ride those tracks.

I just need to stay away from knee deep creek crossings.
For some reason, at these crossing, gravity seems stronger and pulls the bike down

 

[drdubb]

I think it's the density of water warping the magnetic field.

I've ridden River Road past the water falls into the "gravelhala". There's only one tricky section on the eastern slope where the gravel is fist sized on a downhill with a 90 degree turn. I'd hate to climb it on the NC. I thought about riding up that way or riding Parson's Branch road. I think that could be done on street tires as long as it's dry. I also want to ride up to the firetower on Wayah road,

 

[670cc]

I think it's the density of water warping the magnetic field.

I've ridden River Road past the water falls into the "gravelhala". There's only one tricky section on the eastern slope where the gravel is fist sized on a downhill with a 90 degree turn. I'd hate to climb it on the NC. I thought about riding up that way or riding Parson's Branch road. I think that could be done on street tires as long as it's dry. I also want to ride up to the firetower on Wayah road,

Our first southern annual get together group rode up to the fire tower off Wayah. It was wet but the four of us had no problem on OEM Metzelers. However, the wash boarded road grading will show you how bad the rear shock can be.

On the second annual outing, bamamate and I did Parsons Branch. Piece of cake on street tires even with the water crossings, but the water level was pretty low.

 

[drdubb]

Thanks for the info Greg. Maybe a few NC's will wander into brush. I usually try to plan where I'm going, but this year I'm going to fly by the Seat of my pants.

 

[dduelin]

Last weekend I added another nice FS road to ones I know about - the Kimsey Hwy between TN 315 and TN 68. It's about 18 miles of gravel and hooks up to great twisty paved roads on either end. I don't go to the mountains to ride just dirt roads but I like to mix it up a little between good paved roads and TN 30/315 from Tellico Plains to US64 is one of my favorites. A nice loop would be 28 from Stecoah to 143 onto the Cherohala Skyway then from Tellico Plains take 39 (Mecca Pike) to 315 to Reliance TN, then FS68 (Kimsey Hwy) over the mountain to Ducktown on 68. North on 68 back to Tellico Plains. TN 360 to Venore, 411 to 72, 72 to 129 and the Tail of the Dragon back to 28 and Stecoah. That's about 210 miles with 10% gravel.

 

[drdubb]

I gotta write that one down. I want to ride Joe Brown highway too.

 

[drdubb]

I heard from Bobby at KSL via email today. If you want to reserve a cabin or have a question, you can email at [email protected]

Currently we have about a dozen riders from either this or the nighthawk forum signed up. I'd love to hit about 25 or so. Heck, I might even get a banner made.