Ride Report - How the Valkyrie can be a Dualsport.................

[KY,Dave (AKA Misunderstood)]

Well I was not able to make the FCR as I was scheduled for some volunteer work I do with my church. Had a building project in Unicoi to go to so we decided we would compine pleasure with pleasure and camp off the bike for the weekend. Left Knoxville about 10:30 Friday morning west on 40 to 81 to Greenville,Tn and jumped off to catch 321 and 107 for some back roads to the Rock Creek campgrounds which is part of the Cherokee National Forest. Only did the interstate to get a jump timewise so we could reach our destination to setup camp at a relaxed pace. Arrived around 2 and setup. Glad to see what we could once getting off the interstate.





Finished up our work on Sat. so we headed home Sunday morning intending to take 107 to 321 all the way back to Walland and some other backroads home. after getting some breakfast at the local McD's we headed into this scenery.


Along 321 entering Cosby we saw a Craft Festival going on so decided to poke around and check things out. After killing an hour there we were back on our way on what we thought was 321..........notice I state what we thought was 321. Problem was the Festival was right on the corner of where 321 turned and since we stopped we never noticed the sign for the turn. When we were ready to resume or travels we were heading out on 32 which I assumed was just a connecting road to 321. Upon my now at home looking at a map it shows 32 to be a light grey line. The legend explains that a light grey line is and I quote " Other road(conditions vary--local Inquiry suggested)" end quote. This road was 9 or 10 miles of twists on some freshly paved and some still waiting to be finished including the tar gravel all over and these twists were tighter then the Dragon with next to NO straight shot before the next twist/hairpin going up the mountain. Nearing the end of the 9/10 miles I saw a sign indicating how far down the road the pavement ended and this was my first idea that we might be on the wrong road, but was hoping a junction for 321 was around the next turn. Eventually I stopped at this point and simultaneously hit the kill button and yelled "YOU GOTTA BE KIDDING ME".


There were a couple forest service vehicles parked there so I talked to 1 guy who told me of missing the turn for 321 in Cosby but that I'd be fine just going ahead for a couple miles as they just recently graded the gravel and most of the washboard is gone.   He said once getting to the pavement again, hang a left and jump on 40 get off on the Foothills Parkway and that would drop me of in Cosby again to catch 321. Sounds good, he seems to be confident it's no big deal so we move ahead only to find this consistently.
 



Never saw another car but saw a lot of Horse droppings indicating what the road was mainly used for. Last thing we saw before hitting pavement was this scene.



Before we see the interstate we come thru an old hydo electric plant. Never did see a name for which duke energy plant it was.



By the time we hit 40 and made our way back to Cosby to catch 321 and we had carved our way up and over the Foothills Parkway on the East side which they never got funding to connect to the one over West in Maryville. This was the final picture I took on the Foothills because by the time we crawled thru Gatlinburg on 321 filled with the leaf lookers and made or way on little river road and to Walland, all I wanted to do was get home and chill. Thought I'd have to pry my clutch hand off the handle bars, but we had a great day in the sun with beautiful scenery to enjoy, so whose complaining. It wasn't Joe's FCR, but we did what we had to do, combined a little bike time and had a blast.
 

[Hoosier Valk]

Looks like a great time, especially the camping with the Valk nearby. Always wanted to do that. Thanks for posting.

[Black Dog]

Nice lil' write up, and some very pretty pictures 

Sometimes the best way home is whatever way ya point the bike.

Black Dog

[Serk]

Very cool, thanks for taking us along! I think I could hear "Dueling Banjos" playing int he background in a few of those pics...

And yeah, the Valk will dual sport pretty well for a fat girl. While I was planning my now postponed Alaska trip I spent a few months searching out all the gravel roads I could find and riding on 'em as much as I could to get used to it...

[HayHauler]

Most excellent ride report.  Dual sport or not, glad you had fun!!

Hay
Jimmyt

[SANDMAN5]

I really like riding around Unicoi. If you had turned right just before getting
to Parrotsville you would have seen the "House with the Purple Porch". I
like to go that way when I can. Just an old white house that looks like
someone had almost enough purple paint to paint the front porch....and
never bothered to go get more. That used to be the main road until they
built the 4lane. Saves a lot of time going to Gatlinburg but not as much fun.
Next time you're headed this way send me a pm.

[MrArn]

Thanks for sharing, looked like great fun.

[hubcapsc]

looks like a good trip... I followed all those roads you were talking about on Google Maps to get an idea of where you were.
We used 107 and passed an electric plant just like the one in your picture, but it was a different 107 (in NC) and a different
plant (in NC as well)... sorry you missed the FCR, and sorry  you had to ride through GatlinUgh...

-Mike

[Big IV]

I used that road on my CB750 once when I was running out of gas. It had a highway number so I figured it would have a gas station. Luckily I was mostly heading down hill because it did not have a gas station. I remember rolling up behind that power station wondering if someone there would give me a lift to the nearest gas station.

I've been down that road since but now I'm always certain to have enough gas to make it to the bottom.

[DarkMeister]

Thanks for sharing - great pics.
The one of the gravel, downhill, 180-switchback - and you pulling the trailer - wow. I get the pucker factor just looking at that photo. Wowser...

[czuch]

Nice ride, great pics. I have lived on dirt roads since the Valk found me. We've been down 8K miles on dirt roads as I figger. They are quite stable and comfy on the dirt.

[KY,Dave (AKA Misunderstood)]

Nice ride, great pics. I have lived on dirt roads since the Valk found me. We've been down 8K miles on dirt roads as I figger. They are quite stable and comfy on the dirt.

Maybe but wasn't comfy on gravel, 2-up and pulling a trailer. 

[scoot]

Thanks for sharing. Some of my most memorable rides have been only shared with my wife.

[Smokinjoe-VRCCDS#0005]

We ride up to Hwy.32 several times a year just to rip our pegs off    Did you see the ROCK at the stateline?

[hubcapsc]

  Did you see the ROCK at the stateline?

I had to google that 

That rock is mentioned in the summary of this lawsuit from 1900, on pages 532 and 534...

http://books.google.com/books?id=8Fk4AAAAIAAJ&pg=PA534&lpg=PA534&dq=nc+ten+1821+rock&source=bl&ots=LxrR_5Mu70&sig=6W-1HQSf2A_5IwoYklT8DUpR0v8&hl=en&ei=U7-cTraaCsbw0gG32aCTCQ&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=3&ved=0CCUQ6AEwAg#v=onepage&q=nc%20ten%201821%20rock&f=false

[KY,Dave (AKA Misunderstood)]

We ride up to Hwy.32 several times a year just to rip our pegs off    Did you see the ROCK at the stateline?

Missed the rock. You guys ride it thru the gravel too?........thanks for warning a guy. 

[KY,Dave (AKA Misunderstood)]

This is the one I'm talking about and didn't see any stone ? Watch till the 1:59 part

Co Rd 32 South of Cosby Tn - Dragon to Nowhere	powered by Aeva

[dubsider]

the http://advrider.com/

crew got nothing on you . . .

[KY,Dave (AKA Misunderstood)]

the http://advrider.com/

crew got nothing on you . . .

Not competeing here. Wouldn't do it on purpose ( the gravel ) and actually was gonna turn around at 1 point, but really no way to turn around with the rig I had on that road. 

[KY,Dave (AKA Misunderstood)]

We ride up to Hwy.32 several times a year just to rip our pegs off    Did you see the ROCK at the stateline?

After reading BamaDrifters post of how you avoid gravel and me not seeing the rock or stateline sign, I'm thinking we were on different sections of 32 Joe.

[RTaz]

 

[old2soon]

Deadhorse.com kinda of a cool old dude!! Looks like he had a lot of info to share. RIDE SAFE.

[thewoodman]

Ain't that a hoot. We were just up that way last week and were wondering where rt 32 went. A local UPS told us the pavement ended 10-12 miles up there and I'm saving that little gem for another leaf ride trip for another year. Gravel doesn't bother me too much, but my wife isn't that used to riding in gravel, so it'll be a solo run for me. Doesn't like to get her purty Harley all dusty and dirty and all.

[Mountainman]

       

Thanks for the ride report thats the way to go. Camping off the Bike and trailer.
It was nice to see that ( my ) ...." old fat girl " was put to good use. The way my health is going
it would just be sitting down in the garage collecting dust, .... and that just ain't right.

I hope to see more ride reports with photo's in the future.

[KY,Dave (AKA Misunderstood)]

      

Thanks for the ride report thats the way to go. Camping off the Bike and trailer.
It was nice to see that ( my ) ...." old fat girl " was put to good use. The way my health is going
it would just be sitting down in the garage collecting dust, .... and that just ain't right.

I hope to see more ride reports with photo's in the future.

They'll be coming 

[Smokinjoe-VRCCDS#0005]

      

Thanks for the ride report thats the way to go. Camping off the Bike and trailer.
It was nice to see that ( my ) ...." old fat girl " was put to good use. The way my health is going
it would just be sitting down in the garage collecting dust, .... and that just ain't right.

I hope to see more ride reports with photo's in the future.

They'll be coming 

No sir we are on the same road and yes we have rode the gravel back to the powerhouse and I-40. I even took Big Mike and a few of his buddies up it when InZane was in Johnson City however that trip we did turn around at the top . Did you see where  the Appalachian Trail crosss ( a sign ) ? Its right where the pavement stops...The ROCK is to the left up in the woods .

[popsix]

Awww, man! You were so close to Buzzard's Roost it's not funny. I ride by there several times a season on my KLR.

A pic of my KLR ridin' buddy, Mike, umm... takin' a pic. 


Exposure's whacked but anyway...
 

Enjoyed your report about some of my stomping grounds! 32 is a hoot, ain't it?

[KY,Dave (AKA Misunderstood)]

   

Thanks for the ride report thats the way to go. Camping off the Bike and trailer.
It was nice to see that ( my ) ...." old fat girl " was put to good use. The way my health is going
it would just be sitting down in the garage collecting dust, .... and that just ain't right.

I hope to see more ride reports with photo's in the future.

They'll be coming  

No sir we are on the same road and yes we have rode the gravel back to the powerhouse and I-40. I even took Big Mike and a few of his buddies up it when InZane was in Johnson City however that trip we did turn around at the top . Did you see where  the Appalachian Trail crosss ( a sign ) ? Its right where the pavement stops...The ROCK is to the left up in the woods .

I'll have to go another time without the wife and trailer to see something besides the road. The combination of everything has eyes on the situation at hand to stay upright.

[Willow]