Deal's Gap and more...

[NashuaMatt]

Hey gang,

I'm headed down to TN/NC with a few buddies in the next few weeks. Was wondering if anyone had route suggestions. I plan on obviously hitting the tail, the cherohala, devil's triangle, moonshiner and hell bender. Was looking at the snake but it seems to be quite a ways away. Would it be worth the ride over there? Anyone have any other secret roads hidden up their sleeves? Thanks all. (i'll be there for 5 days riding so no time to screw around on lousy roads!)

p.s. also taking suggestions for good places by knoxville to drink!

[Half Squid]

Hooters in Nashville is the only close place thats decent/lively, there are a few other bars about 10 minutes further east, but have no memory of the names if they are still even there.

I will gather up some of my routes from down there and can either PM you or PM me your email.

I know a lot of good roads and have routes made up with the amount of miles. Riding down there is a completely different world. It's almost as much work as a track day so when I give you routes that are 250-300 miles it's because thats all you will want to do!!! LOTS OF Non-Stop Twisties!!!!!!

Mike

[PainfullySlow]

blood mountain?

[Cerberus]

http://www.motorcycleroads.com/route.../GA/GA_4.shtml

Suches Loop in Georgia?
bit of a ride, but well worth it imho

[DoubleRGirl]

there's a lot of good roads in northern ga and western sc too. the snake is good but it's pretty similar to the dragon (tighter twisties with a couple of switchbacks). i don't know if it would be worth going all the way over there just for that. the skyway is beautiful and so much fun

[FireboltEric_MA]

wolf pen gap is a great ride without the aggravation of the traffic enforcement you will see on the gap

[Currently]

There are literally hundreds of good roads down here.

You will be here 5 days, not a lot of time. You will have your hands full with the few that you mentioned.

Here is something you may want to keep in mind ... most people that come down here and do some drinking typically feel like crap the next morning and their day starts at 11am to 1 o'clock which is the hottest part of the day and the time with the most LEO enforcement on the road.

The early morning rides are surreal ... no traffic, little LEO enforcement and incredibly beautiful. Can't stress enough, get an early start and you will have a vacation of a lifetime.

These mountain roads are very technical and starting off dehydrated and hungover is a good way to ruin your vacation.

The roads are incredible ... you will get high just riding them. The people are great, southern hospitality is not an act.

I would not do the Devils Triangle. It is greatly over rated. The road is in poor condition and there are a lot of bad spots with gravel and potholes in bad areas such as in the middle or exit of a blind curve. Coal trucks are very hard on roads. Plus you got to go through Oak Ridge, the photo enforcement capital of TN ... just there for revenue generation.

Stick with TN/NC Smokies and Northern Georgia. You will have your hands full.

I fell in love with this country and moved down here after two vacations to the Smokies.

TIFWIW ...

[NashuaMatt]

Thanks for all the suggestions guys, especially about the triangle. I was down there last April and May and had an incredible time. I made my way down to Hiawassee, GA so Suches Loop def unrealisticly far. I'm too excited about this trip haha!

[nilez]

Have fun down there and ride safe! I've ridden Rt. 441 through the Smokies down to the Dragon twice on different occasions and had a blast. I hope at some point I can get back up to that area and expand my horizons a bit. Wolf Pen Gap sounds like a fun ride.

[clyons]

I actually just got back from this trip, stayed at the iron horse lodge and primarily did skyway and the dragon...that was enough to keep me busy for the two free days I devoted to staying there.

As others have said, if you get a chance explore the area do it. We could have spent weeks just exploring TN, NC and SC. The entire trip was like being on a never ending roller coaster...absolutely fantastic.

Also word of advice, if you are on the skyway and hot, find the waterfall.

Regarding the trip down, I did skyline drive to Blue ridge pkwy. I would absolutely recommend the brp. Only seeing three cops the entire pkwy allowed for some incredibly spirited riding. Skyline was also great but limited to 35mph and lots of slow traffic.

Have a blast though, its an absolutely fantastic area and one I look forward to visiting every year.

[DoubleRGirl]

fyi don't speed on the parkway it's a federal offense now

[markbvt]

For whatever it's worth, if I had to choose between the Snake and the Dragon, I'd take the Snake any time. Longer, much more variety, everything from tight, technical twisties to big sweepers, with plenty of elevation change. I thought it was way more fun than the Dragon.

The BRP, especially the southernmost 80 miles or so, is awesome riding as well, although DoubleRGirl is spot on about the speeding. Federal offense. Besides, even doing only 50-55 (speed limit is 45 in most areas) you can still have a lot of fun -- plus the scenery is so beautiful, and there's so much wildlife around, that speeding through is a bad idea because you'll be too focused on the road itself to notice what's around you. That's a shame when it comes to missing the scenery, and downright dangerous when it comes to missing a critter about to jump out in front of you.

--mark

[clyons]

Agreed to all the posts about speeding on the BRP, from what I've heard its not the smartest idea, in fact someone was arrested earlier for doing 55 mph.

[DucDave]

When are you going? We're heading down to West Virginal August 14 - 21. We're going no where near any of those roads but maybe we'll cross paths!

[Sprock]

Take in the Skyway "Cherohala" early in the am. We were based in Tellico Plains
and rode it everyday we were there early !!!!!!

[NashuaMatt]

yeah were gonna be staying in the tourist trap known as pigeon forge. when i went last year i stayed in Stecoah at the end of the hell bender at the tuskeegee. it had no cell service, had to drive 30 minutes for beer and there was 3 channels on the tv and only 2 worked haha.

Dave, we're headed down this tuesday early in the am and headed back in the afternoon on sunday. Can't fluckin' wait!!! This is worse than Christmas eve haha

[Currently]

There is no cell service in a lot of places up there.

Pigeon Forge and Gatlinburg are touron (tourist-moron) hell holes ... stay away and you will have a great time.

[Epee]

I'm recently transplanted "up here" from out at the beach in NC.

I'll echo what others said about get started early. It's light very early down there now.
Keep an eye on your gas gauge too, can get on vapors easy on a small tanked sportbike, way out in "banjo music BFE".

One thing not mentioned, watch the weather a couple of days before. If there are downpours, it runs down the mtn's onto the intersections and at valley spill ways. This leaves gravel, debris, wet pine needles (NC ball bearing on twisties) wet leaves all over, takes days to get cleared up.
Awesome routes like WarWoman are very susceptible to this.

Have fun, are you catching the Suzuki White Lightning AMA @ VIR?