Sunday, September 25, 2011

Ironhorse Motorcycle Resort Part Deux



"It's like deja veux all over again."
                                             - Yogi Berra


1 Week Later

I have never done this before. This weekend was one of "firsts." I have never camped two weekends in a row (except when traveling), and, I have never camped at the same campground two weekends in a row, no matter how great the campground may be. But as Roo and I were riding home from Ironhorse last weekend,
we felt our time spent there was incomplete. It was a nagging feeling we both felt all week. It just didn't feel right, and so we felt the need to make it so. But, the only weekend we had left open between now and mid-October was this one, and Roo had already  made plans for a girl's night out. So, she gave me her blessing (permission) to go back to Ironhorse solo and make it right for both of us. Don't need to tell me twice!

By Friday the beaST was packed and chomping at the bit to be on the road again. Saturday morning was oh so gorgeous as I rolled down my street at 8 AM. I followed the same route as last week up to the Blue Ridge Parkway, where I took a break for a snack and to shoot some pics:



A beautiful day



Stunning vistas


Looking over at NC Hwy 215 from the BRP
 So, a beautiful ride along the southbound Blue Ridge Parkway took me back towards Great Smoky Mountain National Park. But this time there would be no tourist traffic gridlock for me in Cherokee, NC. I made an early exit off the Parkway onto the Smoky Mountain Expressway (NC Hwy 74), a nice, big four lane highway that gets you where you want to go fast, without feeling like you're on an interstate. I shoot past Bryson City, and in no time my exit for NC Hwy 28 north is in my line of vision. This road is a beautiful four laner with sweeping curves and constantly changing elevation that makes you feel like your motorbike is floating under you. A real pleasure to ride. Just past where 28 funnels into two lanes is my turnoff for Ironhorse. A few twisty curves in and I roll onto Ironhorse property. Home again, home again!


I checked in (felt like I never left), and secured my tentsite. After setting up camp, I ate my lunch and prepared to get on the road. The plan today was to ride north on NC Hwy 28 to Deals Gap, home to the Deals Gap Motorcycle Resort and the infamous "Tail of the Dragon", NC Hwy 129. Hwy 28 up to Deals Gap is a beautiful, challenging  ride in itself. It even has it's own tag line: "The Hellbender." I don't know who thinks these things up. Anyway, a great ride up to Deals Gap, I roll into the throngs of motorbikes and people and noise, park the beaST, and start shooting pictures of this over-hyped motorcycle circus.

  As much as it is over marketed and played up ad nauseum, I love this place! The sounds, the smells and the atmosphere of nothing but bikes and sports cars is fantatstic. A real moto circus atmosphere.


I took this shot from waaayyy back on the property. The real
motorcycle mayhem is up front by the entrance!

The "Tree of Shame"
Broken bits of motorcycles that have crashed on this road through the years
A testament to the road's difficulty (not), or stupidity (my vote)?
If you have not ridden this road, do it. It really is a great scenic ride.What makes it dangerous, and thus attractive, is the other users, the Ricky Racers who make it there own personal race track. So avoid weekends. Take a day and do it during the week. It really is a blast. Then stop into the Deals Gap store and get your T-shirt and dragon sticker for your motorbike ( Yes, the beaST has one). You are now a Dragon Slayer, provided you're still upright, in which case if not, you'd be a candidate for the "Tree of Shame." Shame on you.



 Leaving Deals Gap, I head south on NC Hwy 129, descending down to the Nantahala Gorge. A couple of real sharp twisty curves to start with, and then the road opens up to beautiful long sweepers with breathtaking scenery taking me down to NC Hwy 74 and into the Gorge.

The Nantahala Gorge is a beautiful place. Nantahala is the Cherokee word for the phrase "land of the noonday sun." Mid-day is the only time the Gorge gets full sunlight. The Nantahala River flows through the Gorge, and is a haven for whitewater rafting and kayaking. The Gorge is loaded with river rafting businesses and slow moving raft buses on weekends, and exudes a great bohemian atmosphere. Kayak and raft central is the Nantahala Outdoor Center (NOC), my favorite place on the river and where I learned to whitewater kayak 15 years ago. NOC has a great outfitter store, bicycle shop, and two fantastic restaurants with great food. If you want to see elite and pro kayakers playboating on the old Olympic kayak course, check NOC out. It's amazing to watch.

Blasting out of the Nantahala Gorge, I'm now motoring towards my favorite town in the area: Bryson City. I exit off Route 19 and head into town, making a beeline for my favorite coffee house.

I park the beaST around the corner and walk to Mountain Perks. Closed. After 5 PM. Crap. But the owner is inside sweeping up getting ready for their open mike night starting at 8. He unlocks the door, apologizes up and down, and directs me to another coffee house a couple of blocks away. Who does that anymore? Fantastic. I thank him and off I go, walking across town.


This place is really cool. A coffee house and wine bar. Get jacked up on caffeine, then mellow out on a bottle of your favorite fermented grape juice. Fantastic concept! The Cork & Bean is a more upscale establishment, with decor that is a combo of contemporary and Victorian styles, and probably caters more to the tourists and well-to-do residents, where as Mountain Perks is much more laid back with more of a bohemian atmosphere. I dig on them both. Hey, I can fake it anywhere. After relaxing on a great latte and chocolate brownie to die for, I strolled around this quaint mountain town for a while.


Downtown Bryson City



Downtown Bryson City


Ruth's and my favorite Italian eatery in Bryson City


The Nantahala River flows right through the middle of town.

Another draw to Bryson City is the Great Smoky Mountain Railroad. It's really cool, especially if you like trains. They do day excursions and special dinner trains that are lots of fun. Roo & I did a Mystery Dinner Train one year and had a blast!
A short story: Way back in the last century, 1996 to be exact, I took NOC's whitewater kayak course for a week. The Smoky Mountain Rail day excursion passes through and stops at NOC. By the time it gets to NOC, people have been on this thing, with screaming kids, for a few hours. One day, during my stay at NOC, we were getting our kayaks loaded up and ready to paddle when the train pulled in. My instructor stopped working and said "OK guys. Here comes the zombie train." The zombie train? "Yeah, watch these people as they get off that thing. They walk around like the zombies in Night of the Living Dead." And damn if they didn't. To this day, Great Smoky Mountain Railroad is now affectionately referred to as the Zombie Train by Ruth and myself.


The Zombie Train


A Zombie Train locomotive
 Walking back to the beaST, I bid farewell to Bryson City and  scoot back to Ironhorse. By now it's time to unpack the cooking gear and prepare dinner over my Pocket Rocket stoves. No gourmet lodge food for me tonight. Camp food is my choice when camping solo. After dinner and cleanup, I stroll over to the firepit that has a blazing fire going in it by now, pour out a glass of wine, sit down and chat it up with fellow moto enthusiasts under the stars next to a warm fire (it's chilly up here at night.) A couple of hours later, I'm off to my tent for a night's sleep.

The next morning everyone is up and packing. Time to head home. As I am loading up the ST, there is a fellow parked next to me on a Triumph 800 that was a unbelievable sight to behold. I laughed as I asked him, "Are you by yourself?"  He said, laughingly, "Unfortunately, yes."


This guy was traveling alone, and he only lives in Tennessee!
Everyone gave him a wide birth as he rolled out.
And yes, I did see the kitchen sink in there!
 Everyone gave him a wide birth as he rolled out and watched as he climbed the fairly steep drive up to the road. A collective sigh of relief from all of us was heard as he turned the corner and rolled on the throttle safely. We thought for sure he would just topple over. Thankfully, he did not.
Finished loading up, it was time to head home. Waving goodbye to other riders, I rolled out of Ironhorse. This time I felt good, making right last weeks trip that got cut short. My only wish was that Roo was here to share in it also. So I took a quicker, but very scenic route back home to get to my little fam that much sooner. Another great overnight moto trip that felt longer than it actually was.


                                                                             END
                                                         THANKS FOR READING!















 


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