Tail of the dragon our third bucket list ride

[BOOGIEMAN]

Here is the cast of characters for this ride left to right Steve,Rick (me),John and Larry. Steve and I have been friends for nearly 30 years and John and I have been friends for 40 years. John and I are Viet Nam vets with multiple combat tours. John was a K-9 handler in the 25 Infantry Div. I served as a pathfinder team leader in the first Cav Div, second tour company commander in the 101st Airborne Div and third tour SOG project with the 5th Special Forces Group. I was the Halo team leader in the 10th Special Forces Group when I got out. Both John and I continued our service in the New York Army National Guard. John retired as a Master Sergeant and I as a BG. We also served with the New York State Police. John ran the street survival program at the NYSP academy for over 20 years and also the NYSP summer camp for children. I was a K-9 handler for a bomb dog,rifleman,suba diver,firearms instructor and narco inv. I retired with 37 years. John had a large farm and raised clyesdales for show. He had a six horse hitch,which he showed. After a bitter divorce he lost it all. I had tired to get him to buy a bike for many years,but the horses came first. Now he is on his bucket list with steve and I. Steve heart attack,John cancer and I cancer twice. The three of us decided that is was time to get into high gear with life or sit on the deck and wait for the grim reaper. Larry is john's son inlaw and he is a CW2 on active duty with the New York Army National Guard. He has been deployed once and is training to go back next year. Steve owns a heavy duty truck parts store. Steve has ridden in the 70s and then with work and family he stopped riding. After his heart attack he bought a bike. Two days before this trip he went to get a part at the harley dealer and came home with a new bike. On this trip the BMW sat home and I used my 2010 cvo harley. This was I and Steves third bucket list ride. Now it is off the tail of the dragon. ps this picture was from later in the ride taken in TN .

[OneZero]

Based on the bios alone, I'll subscribe to this RR!

[BOOGIEMAN]

ONE ZERO
Team Leader I take it? Thank you for your service.

[OneZero]

I'm not a TL...Artillery Officer who just gave up command of an arty battery actually. I was a military history major and always loved the One Zero callsign...but never came across any ODA TLs using it when I worked with them while deployed, so I stole it for ADVrider. Now that I'm talking to a guy who has probably used that callsign for its intended purpose, I hope you don't mind me using it here! I have extreme respect for Vietnam vets...especially in the SF community, so thank you for your service.

[Irish John]

I/m in. Be sure to ride the Cherahola and the Moonshine

Charlie Mike and watch your 6.

[oldriderny]

Nice job on the intro Rick,if you don't mind I might contribute at times.

[BOOGIEMAN]

That was the team leaders call sign . The recon teams all used their team name followed by one zero for the team leader and two zero and so forth. All recon teams were named after states. I was assigned to CCS ( command and control south ) as a Capt in 1969. When I got there so many capts had been killed on the recon teams,you could not be a team leader unless you were a two zero first. I was a launch officer and flew covey as the commo link with the teams. Here is a picture from the bridge that came into our camp. No I like you using the one zero handle it shows respect and should be used with pride "airborne all the way" Fire for effect capt.



I am the one on the right.

Boy was I young.

Picture in a chopper around the same time.

[Irish John]

your photos bring back some memories, 1/9 1st Cav for my first tour, another organization for the second. You're definitely right, we were young. How the hell did we get so old??

[BOOGIEMAN]

When we started planning this trip, about six months out. I gave Steve the destination and some spots I would like to see. After talking about it he jumped on the computer and used the Harley road planner. Steve plotted the route and after sending me three or four route plans, we had a basic plan. Since we had others along that had never taken a long ride, we did the planning. While on the ride if any one spots something they want to check out the group goes with the flow.
Steve and I have done the same type of planning for all of our rides over the past three years. The largest group so far as been five riders. When we started planning this one a total of seven riders wanted in. However when it got down to the line of departure ,only four went.
We started out at a truck stop in Albany,N.Y. for an early breakfast. Since I had down loaded the trip Steve mapped out into my gps I took the point man position. John behind me, Larry following John and Steve with a new bike ( 125 miles ) rode tail guard, so he could vary his speed and break in his new bike. We decided to vary the rt and take 9W to 209 into PA so Steve could run at what ever speed he wanted to break in at and get the miles on.

[BOOGIEMAN]

Our first stop a coal mine tour off of exit 191B on 81 in Pa



In the 70's my wife at the time wanted a big diamond for christmas . I got her a 29 pound piece of coal. I told her all she needed as a lot of heat,pressure and a thousand years until it would be the super diamond.



We went 1600 feet down in the mine in this rail car.





In the mine













Each miner had nine hours to hand shovel one of these cars full of coal. Team of three = three cars.



Trip back out


When in the mine you walked another 800 feet in after the rail car stopped. This was a great tour, well worth the stop. Starting to see day light on the way out.

[BOOGIEMAN]

What year with the 1st of the 9th?

[OneZero]

That mine gives new meaning to "tunnel rat"!! So did you get a glimpse of how those trapped miners might have felt?

[M Singer]

Originally Posted by OneZero

Based on the bios alone, I'll subscribe to this RR!

Me too. Thanks for your service! Also I'm local to the Dragon. Please let me know if I can be of any assistance on your visit.

[BOOGIEMAN]

I am doing this after the fact. We did the ride 18 aug to 28 aug 2011. Then raced home prior to the hurricane, well we stopped at Jack Daniels in Lynchburg,TN. So we were not racing all the way.

[BOOGIEMAN]

It was damp, cold 54 degs and dark if the lights went out. By the looks of some of the people on the tour they were not having the best time .

Back in the day 1800-early 1900s you started in the mine a seven years old opening the doors for the mule coal cars and keeping the air flow going for .21 cents a day. At ten you could be the mule handler and took care of your mule like you owned it.

When this mine was shut down in the 60s 10,000 people lost their jobs in the coal industry. They worked nine hours a day then and now. If you watch the show on spike "coal" you can see if still is a hard way to make a living. But at $46 per hr miners are still selling their sole. Check it out on line sike tv.