Text 5 and get 2 yes's.
Meet up with Ian and Keith at a McDonalds in Canton GA to head to Robbinsville, NC.
5 miles from home and realize I don't have my camera hanging around my neck. So not many photos.
Backroads to Ellijay and then Hwy 52 up and over Fort Mountain. Quick heart rate increase rounding a tight bend to see a young buck standing in my lane. He doesn't move until I've come to a quick stop and used my horn.
A boring section of straight Hwy 411 crosses the TN state line and a few back country miles brings us to a right turn onto Hwy 64 east. This runs past Lake Ocoee and the 1996 Olympic canoeing site.
I turn left onto the forest road that leads up to a couple of good overlooks. it's been a few years since I've been up here and the road is now paved albeit with some suspension challenging bumps and lumps.
https://goo.gl/maps/tep8CtRD97oLake Ocoee marina
Keith silhouette
Traces of ass wipe humans
Looking northwards
We ride to the end of the road and I find that there's been parking lots and camp ground built since ,y last visit. The parking lots are overflowing. It must be such fun to go for a country visit to spend time jammed in with other humans. We are a funny lot.
On to Greasy Creek Rd. This runs north to Reliance TN and then Hwy 315 towards Tellico Plains and is a fun twisty road with a few gravel corners.
https://goo.gl/maps/odmGWy4nTZM2The Tellico Cafe is slammed as is the Burger Barn at Tellico Beach. Kat's Deli is the last eating place headed east on the Cherohala Skyway and this is a first time stop for me.
I give it 2 thumbs up.
Club on ciabatta bread.
So many bikes and groups of cars zoom by us whilst we sit at an outside table I tell Ian and Keith we will need to have our patient heads on as we ride the Cherohala Skyway.
After lunch we ride to the overlook where we will be in August to view the total freaking eclipse of the sun. We will be right in the middle of the path of the eclipse. Hats off to Whiskey Dude for mentioning this on the forum a while back.
Ian sees a group of cruisers getting ready to roll and tells us we need to "GO NOW" so we will be ahead of them.
Alas a Corvette and Mustang that just pulled in to the overlook roll through the parking lot and keep going back on to the Skyway.
By the time I too am on the road they are out of sight.
Yee-Ha the chase is on.
The Gods of Speed smiled on us. I had them within my sight after a couple of minutes and I can quite categorically tell you that saving fuel was the last thing they planned to do that afternoon.
Not one other vehicle slowed the 3 of us down until we were a couple of miles from the Joyce Kilmer turn. I saw my speedo needle go past TDC a few clicks on the straight away by the highest point on the Skyway.
That was one of the best Skyway runs I've had since I scrubbed off a front Avon on my previous Valkyrie back in 2004.
Checked in at the Phillips Motel in Robbinsville. Unloaded luggage and then rode Yellow Creek Rd over to Hwy 28.
https://goo.gl/maps/Nvs8ZtvZYpD2Yellow Creek Rd is a bit of a goat trail in places with some section that have tar smeared on them which makes for a slippery surface when warmed up.
The store at Deals Gap was slammed at 5pm.
We bought some drinks and watched the weeble wobbles of the V twin parade in the parking lot.
A discussion had the 3 of us agreeing to ride to the overlook and back. Shouldn't have bothered. As usual too many cruiser parades making 22 steering adjustments for each bend in the road. It's painful to watch.
Getting back to Robinsville we head straight to the Mexican restaurant and as usual the food is pretty good. They too were very busy with a couple of car groups also dining.
I had Mexican chicken soup. This is something Duffy turned me on to at a previous lunch.
Beers were consumed at the motel and that was the end of a 340 mile day.
Breakfast at the Huddle House. Mine was good apart from the goop they covered it with.
I led us homewards over Wayah Rd with a side trip on Forest Service Rd 711.
https://goo.gl/maps/QzGbJ3tmQXyHeading south the first 7 seven miles are broken pavement with some sections of gravel. Ian on his BMW dual sport was happy. Keith on his 1800 Wing not so much but he's followed me on dirt roads before and kinda knows what to expect.
I took them on 711 so we could get to an overlook to view Nantahala Lake.
Unfortunately the weeds and brush have grown too tall.
However from the overlook the road has been recently paved and is smoooooooth. Yee-Ha.
A zoom west over the mountain on NC Hwy 64. Gas stop in Hayesville and a zip, zap, zoom along Gum Log Rd. to Blairsville
https://goo.gl/maps/af8g9KFXcQQ2Lunch at
http://twowheelsofsuches.com/ is good as usual.
Then more back roads before a final short dash down the 4 / 6 lane to Roswell.
