just puttin' around in WNC

[pentonfan]

I'd like to talk to the guy riding the BMW GS on that Sunday ride. Alan, I believe? The company I work for needs some information about BMW 1150 GS. You can PM me

thanks, Jeff

[Cuttle]

my day started out nicely with a quick grab of the NC Tag

figured, best thing to finish it off the workweek is a nice ride, and maybe a new tag location. My "eastern commuter" route should have given me plenty off, locations - till I realized I passed at least 4 previous tags . Either way, good day to ride:

Elk Mountain Road - past the twisties around the mil dollar homes:



this old farm just does not budge to all the development - gorgeous location



signs you are still close to Asheville: graffity rocks (tagged before)







past the BRP, down Ox Creek, right on Reems Creek, and some birthplace of a guy named "Vance" (tagged before)





corner to Maney Branch (don't ask me what this is )





down to Barnardsville, right on Highway 197



the "Highway" on the Buncombe County side:



my kind of hiking trail (you gotta pass little butt, before you get to big butt) - the trail goes past the butts to the BRP



Yancey County side (I put a tag up there in the snow once )



Pensacola (tagged before)



these guys tried to take me out





I skipped Burnsville pics- it's ugly, and the construction on Hwy 19 is even uglier

Windy Gap to Laurel Valley (close to home) - don't ask me how many times I blew the last turn already



since I still had no tag I carried on... more later once the tag is grabbed

[advtenn]

[mxbundy]

Whats the background story with the Transalp?
That bike is bitchin!

Bundy

Originally Posted by Cuttle

great turnout

1st off, thanks Russ for a great ride. All in all, I ended up with about 100 miles of gravel and connector roads.

I didn't take as many pics this time, mostly just at the stops, but here are some:



Mills River campground at 10am (I was fashionable late - but at least I was not last ). 12 bikes total.



"collecting" after the first road



some stopped a few hundred feet earlier





Horseshoe Rock:









Wolf Mountain Road (my new favorite road in this area)



on the new Tiger





FancyIndigo



a bit later Joe's bike decided to disintegrate: first his exhaust fell off, then he lost his kickstand spring



since he shouldn't be caught in the woods without a spark arrestor, we suggested to him to take the parkway home (he'd fit in just fine with the Harleys )

well, one mile down the road we caught up with them: flat tire (sorry - I should not laugh)

we left a tube and pump behind and carried on



the last "survivors" (people dropped out at various stages)



To bad the road I found was voted down as "we would get the bikes impounded"

[Cuttle]

Originally Posted by mxbundy

Whats the background story with the Transalp?
That bike is bitchin!

Bundy

That Transalp belongs to clockwatcher (aka Russ) - he has a few of them. And he's fast.....

[Cuttle]

A good day for riding! To bad, Fancy (the instigater or this ride) didn't get the bike done in time - sorry girl! So our group was small (perfect) and truly a mixed bag of bikes:

Alan on the GS, lgajohnymac on a plated 250 two-smoke, and my DR



Rich Mt. Fire Tower:







and off to some little "side road"



stopped to clean some hitchhikers of the bike (note the burn marks)





I didn't stop at any of the rocky sections to take pics, so all you get it mud



got around the corner to find the GS pointing my way (I did want to help - really - after I took a pic )



I had my change to help a little later on...



mud puddle (low level)









ran into some familiar faces just starting the way up, on the bottom of the trail. Hi Ralph and Lenny



a dirty bike is a happy bike!

[advtenn]

Looked like a great day!

The fire tower was awesome!

[knybanjo]

...but I don't know if I'd have wanted to ride a GS down the "A" road from the tower....if that's what you did!

[Cuttle]

Originally Posted by knybanjo

...but I don't know if I'd have wanted to ride a GS down the "A" road from the tower....if that's what you did!

yup, and it was quiet slippery (more than I remember)



gotta fix my pics - uploaded in a wrong size

[lgajohnymac]

Thanks for getting my good side cuttle! Both times.

[Cuttle]

Originally Posted by lgajohnymac

Thanks for getting good side cuttle! Both times.

sorry

as I said, you were to fast for good pics...

better?

[fancyindigo]

Nice! We definitely got a late start...but make it we did! 422 and I had a long discussion...she no longer has my number!

I will admit that seeing where your tire tracks went in the mud and where they came out was a helpful guide! Great day!

[Cuttle]

Originally Posted by fancyindigo

...she no longer has my number!

'bout time girl!!!

3 times a charm???

[ETrider]

Nice seeing you folks sunday on 422A.

[advtenn]

Originally Posted by ETrider

Nice seeing you folks sunday on 422A.

Great shot Ralph!