'banjo's blogtastically stooopid day trippin' picture thread

[knybanjo]

Originally Posted by Brown Dog

Me too Kev. Me too

Crane invited me many times, but I stupidly didnt go

Double bummer...at least I got to ride most of it a time or three. Actually the Ruff Butt loop may still be open, but I wouldn't swear to it.

[knybanjo]

This gang of hooligans that I've gotten myself mixed up with generally stay in Robbinsville but so many are making the pilgrimage to mecca now-a-days the we couldn't find a room there even though we started looking more than a month ago.

Also there is usually at least 4 or more of us but we had one rider sitting at home recovering from an on the job injury. I was afraid one of these guys might try to make me their little spoon so I split off to go pitch my tent at the Iron Horse and would meet them later in Andrews for dinner.

Fontana Lake on the ride up 28.







Taking Gunter Gap to the IH







Plenty of folks trailer to mecca now-a-days...or so it seems.




I pitched my tent next to the creek across from the lodge.




Looking back from the foot bridge.




It was still too early for anyone to be hanging out on the back porch or around the fire pit.







Well I too had some more riding to do and first up would be a shortcut over the Snowbird mtns.







Yup...Tatham Gap was built for the sole purpose of getting rid of the Indians that lived here.




The Trail of Tears




zoom, zoom, zoom







After a nice ribeye dinner I slabbed it back to camp and arrived after dark....my tent blocked the view if the fire from my picnic table though.




I hung out on the back porch and around the fire til after midnight and even met the rider of this blinged out ride.







Stars




Tomorrow we visit mecca and buy T-shirts.

[knybanjo]

Sunday morning leaving the Iron Horse










It was looking like it would be another great day weatherwise...




I took a different way to Andrews to meet the boys, a rapid on Old River Rd.




...and a very old looking pipeline...




Soon we would be heading up 129 but we were also heading up into the clouds.




Shortly after passing this dam at the bottom of the climb to Deals Gap I met a familiar looking yellow GS.




Sure enough It was Chris Land! He recognized my bike and came back up the hill.




It was good to see Chris again.....it had been since WestFest when we rode out to explore a ghost town in Montana this past July. CLICK HERE for some pics from that ride.




The pilgrims arrive at motorcycle mecca!!




...maybe the light is better from the other side....




The Tree of Shame.....riders come from all over the world to sacrifice parts of their bikes to this road, something we hope to avoid.




It actually wasn't too crowded for a Sunday morning.




Don't let the Dragon's Tail put the squeeze on you!




Well I guess this is what we came here for....and of course the T-shirts.




Wave back to the rider known on some forums as hondapotomus.










Now if I can chase him down!




I decided to take some pics of zeefoto.....these photogs sit here all day taking pics of riders, I figure somebody should return the favor.




I don't think that this old guy has discovered that Al Gore invented the internet yet.....no screen name.








We were in a foggy mist up at the Calderwood overlook.




Now you have to admit...that's one handsome bunch right there!





Leaving the infamous 11 miles we got behind a group that I had met at the IH the night before....




...we decided to loop around to Tellico Plains by riding up to 72 then down 360....the weather was starting to look a little iffy.




The crowds were non-exsistant on the Tn side.







Once in Tellico Plains we found them at mini-mike's place, Tellico Motorcycle Outfitters.




Stay tuned to see what happened after lunch.

[knybanjo]

Originally Posted by knybanjo

I decided to take some pics of zeefoto.....these photogs sit here all day taking pics of riders, I figure somebody should return the favor.

zeefoto.com's view







Besides, what else are you gonna do in parade traffic?




There's too many LEOs on that road to be doing a lot of passing anymore

So I just pull over for a little while and then jump out in front of the next parade, that at least lets you run a few corners before getting stuck in traffic again.

[red bud]

we take pic's of some of the same things (i'm trying to decide if that worries me)

i bought my honda on top of cold mt no really

while at the iron horse did ya met a bmw ridd'n, bald headed peacher?

[knybanjo]

Originally Posted by red bud

we take pic's of some of the same things (i'm trying to decide if that worries me)

i bought my honda on top of cold mt no really

while at the iron horse did ya met a bmw ridd'n, bald headed peacher?

Yes, be afraid be very afraid

No, I don't think that I met him.

[knybanjo]

We heard from some riders that had just crossed the h that it was completely socked in with fog up top, cold and wet. Not what we wanted to hear but we decided to head out that direction and have a look anyway.

Bricks across from mini-mike's place.




1st we had to get past another dragon!




Conditions looked good on the road out to Bald River Falls.



















Short story longer is that it was still yucky up top so we elected to head down 68 and loop back around through Murphy.

But first I needed to fuel up.




I should have stopped and taken a good shot of this thing!




The boys spent another night in Andrews and I kept on riding headed for home.

Next up........the rest of my ride home.

[ShadyRascal]

You are livin' the dream, babe.

[knybanjo]

Originally Posted by ShadyRascal

You are livin' the dream, babe.

Sometimes I think it's a nightmare!

I should have stopped and taken a good shot of this thing!

My friends were not in as big of a hurry as I was and snagged a couple shots of that beast!




I don't know the story....but it looks to be ridable!!






Anyway I didn't get too many more pics on my ride home and the ones that I did take suck even more than usual....but as usual, here they are anyway.

I slabbed it over to Sylva then took twisty back roads to Saluda before slabbing it the rest of the way home in the dark.


Fly by of the Nanthala Outdoor Center and rafting take-out point.





Downtown Sylva with the courthouse on the hill.




These really do suck and not in the Hayduke kind of suck either.

Train



Lake



Earthen dam that made lake



Fun road



Forest road



John's Rock



Downtown Flat Rock



That's all for last weekend's day trippin'

(I warned ya that those pics really sucked)

[kitesurfer]

you know that LAND is a hanger don't you? if you two ever plan a ride and hang, i'd like to invite myself along :)

[red bud]

see told ya i was scared







was built on a tv show called "Big" they built biggest popcorn popper....etc, during the chopper craze they had to built the biggest chopper. the picture on the tank are the builders. Billy lane showed up during the built and had alittle spiff with one of the other guys

dale at wheels of time had it for awhile and i guess he sold it to cheorkee choppers

[knybanjo]

Originally Posted by red bud

see told ya i was scared







was built on a tv show called "Big" they built biggest popcorn popper....etc, during the chopper craze they had to built the biggest chopper. the picture on the tank are the builders. Billy lane showed up during the built and had alittle spiff with one of the other guys

dale at wheels of time had it for awhile and i guess he sold it to cheorkee choppers

Cool I didn't realized that.....I think that I may have seen the beginning of that show but never caught the whole thing.


killboy however did catch my super top secret pic takin' technique.

[gnuse]

It's always fun to see your favorite places from another's eyes. Thanks again for sharing the ride.

[IBGONE]

Kevin,

7 of us rode down to Two Wheels Only, all over that area and Home on sunday and were surprised that we couldn't find any Fall color any where along the way. Sunday was blustery and chilly, but we only had a light mist around Tellico Plains. I took about 5 or 6 pictures . . . of people working on their friggin' broke down Shovelheads . . . kinda takes the edge off of things if you take 3 hours to go 55 miles.

[EbarDP48]

looking good Kevin.
This coming year we need to plan a reunion ride. Those Iron Horse pictures brought back some good memories.
Bert