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Friday, May 15, 2015

Day 1 on the TAT!

A beautiful morning in Tellico Plains and we were out the door at 8:00.  Witt road is the start and in the 1800 it was a trail for wagon trains.  It has worn a bit.  You could see where storms had dropped trees across and someone came through with a chain saw.  My best description is that at best a jeep could travel it. Lots of ruts and rocks and then there are the 4 water crossings.
The first I hit a bit too fast and water splashed up over the windshield then over my head!  But the bike kept going and I made it through and was followed shortly by Keith?  Then the second was the 20 yard wide pool so I slowed down a little and as the bike met resistance I accelerated and BOOM!  Buried in the middle was a rather large rock and the bike rose up and rolled over on me, pinning my right leg! Ouch, my first fall!  Keith came running and we were able to get the bike up and started first crank.  I got across and by now Keith had discovered is trunk open and many things were gone.  Rather than cross he doubled back to search for items on the trail.  He found most of it but in the process dropped his bike 3 times.  The damage report:  1 smashed metal bag on his bike, a broken windshield and rear view mirror on mine!
Sorry I didn't have the Sena camera on my bike but it was a pretty ugly fall resulting in one very sore right foot.  The bike is all wet and so was I.
The first 50 miles was challenging but beautiful.  The following 150 was on gravel roads and paved roads so bad that you wished they were gravel.  The worst so far is the roads paved 40 years ago with tar and pea gravel that hasn't been repaired since.  People continually wave at us and at stops want to find out what we are doing.  We are not expecting this amount of challenge tomorrow but we are expecting stormy weather.  We did have one detour today.  We were on the right road but popped over a hill and came on security gates blocking the road!  The guard walked over to us to let us know we weren't going through!  We figured that out.  Since our maps were drawn up a chemical Co had bought 500 acres blocking the trail.  He told us we had to find a way around the plant.  He also wanted us to tell everyone to stop coming this way! A great day and we got through the challenges.

Thursday, May 14, 2015

May 13, 2015 - Tellico Plains, TN

Just got in!  The weather has been great.  Spent one day riding up to Asheville stopping to have lunch with my friend Duncan in Winston Salem then dashed up Old Fort Mountain.  It was a hot ride with temps approaching 90 but after Statesville a cold front caused the temperature to drop 10 degrees and was very nice.  Stayed in Asheville with my good friend since childhood Larry Rosenberg and his wife Kathy.  A great 2 days catching up and touring Asheville.  Had Lunch with Judy Carver at a great Thai restaurant on Charlotte Street.  Wish I could eat there tonight.  Visited the cemetery to see the placement of Robin's and Bill's headstones and they did a great job.
Left Asheville this morning at 10:00 heading to Murphy, NC then Rt. 68 North to Tellico.  Nantahala Gorge is a must see on that ride and the rafters were already in the water.....Brrrrrr!  I am settled in at the Inn doing laundry and waiting for Keith to arrive from Southern Pines and we will start the Trail tomorrow.  The first day has 3 water crossings and the third one is treacherous.  Wish me luck!

Hurricane Isaias gave me a couple of perfect days for service

 Yes, a couple of days with rain, wind and high 60’s.  This also included 12 tornadoes in central NC but the closest one came was 3 miles aw...