The Dragon

[Lizooki]

Since I'm still in Covid recovery mode and the doc wants me moving around, the wife decided it would be a good idea for us to get out of the house for a couple of days.
We are geocachers ( www.geocaching.com ) and are working on a challenge of all NC counties.
We needed the western tip of the state so we packed our bags and the dog and off we went.
In the process of looking at were we would be, mostly places we've never been, I realized we would be near The Tail Of The Dragon.
So when we got close I mentioned it and a side trip was in order.
It was kinda late so we didn't get a chance to check out the T-Shirt Shack and we still had a ways to travel and find dog-friendly lodging for the night, but it was still pretty cool!
The wife was driving ..... I rarely drive her car on the way out and it took 40-ish minutes.
She knew ..... she knew .....
I drove back.
With her fussing and complaining the whole way and the dog sliding around the back seat, mile marker 12 to the NC state line .... 16 minutes!
Not even really pushing it , just a little mario kart action.
I even had a couple of cars pull off to let me by! lol
And the fotogs were out on a Thursday evening.
When we left there we punched our next destination into the gps and it actually (totally by accident on our/MY part) took us on The Rattler (some call it The Gambler).

The Tail Of The Dragon ( in the SnotRocket!)

Yes I'm gonna buy pics .... I'm NOT a pirate!

 

[ponykilr]

Did it years ago on my Gix 1000.

Great fun, looks like you had a blast.

 

[Ron]

Used to have a weekend mountain cabin, actually a single mobile home on a half acre lot in nearby Robbinsville.
Other than opening Trout weekend you could spend all weekend up there back around say 98-00 and see maybe 10 folks all weekend.

It was a 40 minute ride to the trail head at tellico and an awesome spot to relax. Back then the TOD was just known as Deals gap...then the notoriety and now it just sucks imho.
I sold out in 2011.
Crotch rockets and ricers screaming exhaust all hours of the day.

 

[CasterTroy]

With her fussing and complaining the whole way and the dog sliding around the back seat, mile marker 12 to the NC state line .... 16 minutes!

I use to love Deals gap!!


From 2000-2008 I use to stay at Fontana Village 3 times a year and stay for a week at a time

Knew Daryl (Killboy) personally before he even started taking pictures



Then it got over-run

Use to....you could start out on a friday about 10am and rail the shit out of 28 to the CROT...then eat lunch and then rail the gap 5 or six times...then head over to cherahola for a nice loop and not see but 4 or 5 people. But by 2008 you couldn't even do that on a tuesday and not get caught in mad traffic.

Stayed at the roach motel there at the CROT a few times...but it was just above sleeping in a tent



Once there got to be so many people on the road that riders started making dangerous passes....we stopped going

Last time I went I was with my old boss on a trip to Tullahoma to visit the Dickel distillery (he use to go there twice a year on bikes)

 

[doc]

I've never been on the Dragon - someone did try to get me to drive it (as a shortcut home) w/ a crew cab, long bed Super Duty pulling a deckover w/ a fullsize Bronco on tons & 44's...hard pass.

 

[Loganwayne]

Once there got to be so many people on the road that riders started making dangerous passes....we stopped going

THIS.

we went a few times and i said id never go back when we passed 2 Harleys and a guy on a full on race bike passed us on the on coming white line going into a blind corner while we were passing the Harleys.

 

[Loudmouthbass]

Took our diesel Excursion on the Dragon...man, that was a fun ride

 

[Lizooki]

Then it got over-run

Yeah .... It was more or less just a country road the day we were there (Wednesday), but I could see a weekend not being a funday.
I definitely would not want to be on 2 wheels there on a weekend.
I only saw 5-6 bikes pushing it ..... 1 Harley Cafe Racer was really hammerin'.
A couple other cars were playing a bit.
The funny of the trip was 4-5 slammed Miatas .... NOT going fast ..... they were bouncing around all over the place so bad I bet it loosened their teeth!