Tuesday 2008-09-16 Mountain Ride Report
September 16th, 2008UPDATE: Camera details added to the Monday article.
We started out with breakfast at “The Prospector” restaurant in Tellico Plains. This is a new place opened in 2008 located one block east of hwy 68 where hwy 39 intersects 68. Fantastic food at a reasonable price!
After an hour riding out of Tellico Plains north on hwy 360, then east on hwy 411, then south on hwy 72, whereupon we turned onto 129 and headed toward Deals Gap. However, at the base of 129 we turned left for a short jaunt up the “Foothills Parkway” and found this scenic overlook. FULL SIZE PICTURE IS HERE.
Soon afterward we were at the overlook on the Tennessee side of Deals Gap:
Today’s conditions were good enough to get a decent shot of the dam from the overlook. FULL SIZE PICTURE IS HERE
This is “The Store” at the North Carolina end of Deals Gap. As you can see here, it was a zoo there today and many animals had escaped from their cages. While we enjoyed a refreshing beverage, I witnessed an 18-wheeler pulling a 53 foot trailer going up the hill. Not long after that we could hear the stories of the truck’s wheels hanging off the edge of the mountain from the riders coming back through from the other side. There is no way in hell to get a 53 footer over that road and I think only the very best drivers would make it with a 40 footer.
Looking in the opposite direction from the store, we are contemplating the run down hwy 28. As you might suspect, this turned out to be a very spirited section of the ride.
On the way down hwy 28, we took a short detour over to see Fontana Dam. FULL SIZE PICTURE IS HERE
And I managed to get this shot of two of the best looking motorcycles on the planet. My Suzuki GSXR-1000 and Rick’s Honda Hawk. FULL SIZE PICTURE IS HERE
Lunch in Robbinsville! Food was excellent. Rick claims the onion rings were the best he’s ever had.
On the return leg of today’s trip we found ourselves on the Cherohala Skyway. Then Rick noticed a great spot to stop for photos and videos:
Plenty of fall colors are starting to appear at these higher elevations. FULL SIZE PICTURE IS HERE
Tom on his Suzuki SV650. FULL SIZE PICTURE IS HERE
Video of Tom coming from the other direction:
Me on my Suzuki GSXR-1000. FULL SIZE PICTURE IS HERE
Video of me coming from the other direction:
Rick on the Honda Hawk. FULL SIZE PICTURE IS HERE
Video of Rick coming from the other direction:
Another photo of the world’s best looking motorcycle. FULL SIZE PICTURE IS HERE
It was chilly up here. Perhaps 55 degrees - cloudy and overcast.
This is pretty much what we had to deal with all day long: 
And finally - Yesterday Rick’s tag fell off on a bridge on 411 as we were returning from a gas station. We noticed it missing 100 miles later. Tom claimed he knew exactly where it fell off, but didn’t realize at the time what it was he saw bouncing on the road. We went back late this afternoon, and sure enough, it was EXACTLY where Tom said it would be:
