2014 Fall Dragon Run...10/8 thru 10/12

[Klasse Act]

I've been organizing this run down to the Dragon since 2003 and I've gone every year since then. So what is "the Dragon", well alot of info can be had here Tail of the Dragon at Deals Gap, motorcycle and sport car two lane tourism serving Tail of the Dragon at Deals Gap, Cherohala Skyway, Moonshiner28, Devils Triangle, and Six Gap North Georgia. but I guess the best place to start is with the basics. "The Tail of the Dragon" starts at Deal's Gap Motorcycle Resort, intersection of route 28 and 129, which is in North Carolina and quickly goes into Tennessee in about 1/4 mile. There's 318 turns in 11 miles, yes you read that right...THREE HUNDRED AND EIGHTEEN TURNS IN ELEVEN MILES! The road is a two laner, smooth with banked turns but has NO sideroads, NO homes, NO business, so its a straight shot. Recently more "pull offs" have been installed for those whom need to pull over to let a large group to pass you or to catch your wind or maybe even to "toss your cookies", I've seen it happen! When you get close to the end there's a short rock wall on both sides of the road where you can pull over and actually take a break and take in the view, as long as there's noone else doing the same thing or there's a bunch of bikes there, not a whole lotta room. Continuing on from there is about another 2 miles where you'll come to a large clearing, on the right, which is blacktopped and here you'll find plenty of room to let you car/bike cool down, especially your brakes which are usually a shade of blue from the heat, we call this being a member of the "blue rotor club", LOL! At this point, once your rested and your brakes have resumed their normal color, most people turn around and do it again and IMO even though its the same route, going back just seems to be a better drive, don't know why but our group seems to agree. Upon arriving back to Deal's Gap you can visit their gift shop for unique trinkets, get something to eat and/or drink or use the bathroom. There's also aBBQ place across the street, good eats there as well and they also have a great, organized selection of Dragon shirts and stickers and other items. At this point you maybe done with the whole thing but if not, right next to Deal's Gap you'll see another road, route 28, this is called "Moonshiners".

Route 28 aka "Moonshiners" is 103 mile route that goes from N.C. and through S.C. and onto into Georgia. It got its name because it was a route the bootleggers running illegal hooch would take to avoid the law. This road is very similar to the Dragon at certain sections but in other sections the turns are more stretched out and more relaxed, a MUST DRIVE ROAD while on this trip. One of the 1st things you'll wanna see once on Moonshiners is the Fontana Dam, the largest Dam east of the Mississippi, there's easy to follow signs that will lead you right to this modern marvel. You can take pics at a clearing by the dam and once at the top there's plenty of parking where you can walk over and take in the views, this thing is really something to see, imagine this...men made this thing a long time ago, its really BIG! If you take this road far enough down, about a good 1.5-2.0 hrs and following the signs for where in connects and re-connects you'll be rewarded with Bridal Veil Falls, a waterfall you can actually drive under! The part of Moonshiners that leads you here is very tight and curvy, a great leg of the road and a popular place to turn around if you so wish to but rest assured, there's alot more road to drive going south of the falls.

So at this point you'll notice that 2 great roads are connected, route 129 "The Dragon" as well as route 28 "Moonshiners" but there's also a 3rd road that's connected to route 129 and this is NC143, the Cherahola Skyway. The Cherahola Skyway goes from Robbinsville N.C. to Tellico Plains T.N. and is about 57 miles long. These turns are large, sweeping turns with decreasing radius turns, so you've gotta pay attention here as you can really carry some momentum, using a lower gear is a MUST for sure. There are signs that will alert you to the elevation, very important as you do hit 1 mile elevation at Santeetlah (5733 feet) and there's even a sign that says 9% grade for the next 1.5 miles, pretty steep, again, using the lower gear will save your brakes and I can't say this enough, brakes and tires are VERY important on this run! Along this road are places to stop and take scenic photos, they are clearly marked, some places have a bathroom but they are far and inbetween. There are NO homes, NO business' and only a few side roads that lead to some campgrounds, that's it, your out in the middle of nowhere here, literally. If you take this road coming out of N.C. and into T.N. it turns to TN165 and ends in Tellico Plains, a nice little town with everything you need, gas station (biker friendly), touch-free carwash, they've got a little cafe' and clean restrooms, this is all at the Exxon station. There's also a BP and Shell station, Hardee's and up on the hill the downtown area with a nice little restaurant, there's also a bike shop there too. If you like local history there's a museum in town that has items found in the ground dating back to the Civil War, pretty cool place as well. This completes the tour of the 3 main roads that people visit while down there, the Cherahola Skyway can take 2-3 hrs to complete, especially if you stop from time to time, so you'll need to plan accordingly. There is a 4th road but its not connected like these 3 are, it takes about 1.25hrs to get to and is called "The Devil's Triangle" and its NO JOKE!

This road isn't really for noobs if I'm honest and we've only done it once, this past fall and its really hardcore. This road has homes and business' on it, so you've gotta pay attention, not to mention the soft shoulders, some are a foot deep and in some places there are NO shoulders, just a rock wall that greets you at one of the apex's. We were told by the owner of the place we've been staying at since 2012 (I'll get to that place later) to run The Devil's Triangle counter clockwise and we did and its a good thing we did! There's THREE, uphill hairpins, if that makes sense, where we all had to use 1st gear to get up, let me repeat this, HAD TO USE FIRST GEAR TO GET UP! I couldn't believe these turns, one was crazy but we had 3 of them, just insane!!! This road isn't as smooth as the others, has some loose gravel but has many, many, many switchbacks, did I mention it has MANY SWITCHBACKS! We ran this road twice, the same way, so we have NO idea what its like going down those 3 turns the other way and honestly, don't know if I want to because if you mess up there going in too hott, your in BIG trouble!

Ok, now that I've got your attention, I should tell you that I don't endorse any "hotdogs" out there, this is public road with other people on it doing the same thing we are, some are like us and some are not, both good and bad. Because your dealing with the public there's a level of stupidity out there, just like in life, "common sense is not so commom" is a good rule of thumb to observe out there. Yes it can be frustrating to get behind Maybill and Joe going into town but remember, its a public road. Its also scary at times to have someone behind you thinking he's the next Sebastian Loeb as well, for those guys its best to just pull over and let them by, when you can and let them be on their way, this goes for all the roads out there, its just not worth it. Don't let anyone bully you out there, you need to drive within your limits, no matter what you're driving or what he thinks he's driving. The best advice I give noobs to our run is this, pretend Grandma is in the front seat with you, take it easy, learn how the road is before you even attempt to "take it up a notch", even if you've got track experience just take it easy at first, its in your best interest, trust me. To date, noone in our group has been involved in an accident and for that I'm grateful. We did have one guy who didn't heed our warnings, a noob to the group that noone really even knew and went in too hot into a corner, lost braking and ran a bike off of the road, the biker was ok but this guy went back to his hotel, got his stuff and went home, seriously! The car he was driving, an Olds Alero w/ a turbocharged engine and no front bumper, a real clown IMO. This person doesn't represent our group at all, our group is made up of Dragon vets, but we always seem to get a noob from time to time, noobs are welcomed but we really like people "who get it". The make up of our group is very diversified, various ages, backgrounds, jobs, ethnic make up and vehicle types. Our groups will vary from low power hybrids (yours truely), factory hot hatches, modded cars like EVO's and Miata's and everything inbetween. Its not about having a fast car out there but rather having a car that you can enjoy and know its limits, the saying about driving a slow car fast is very, very true out there, no doubt about it.

Now about where to stay, well we've been staying at the Dragon Pitt Inn (Maryville T.N.) since 2012 and we've been VERY well taken care of by Dennis and his wife. Rates are very fair, $65.00 a night the last time I checked but as you know that can change at anytime but its not going to be that much more. There are many places to stay in the area, so if the place gets booked up its no biggie, there's other places to stay. Our first 9 yrs we stayed at Caney Creek Inn (Tellico Plains). Caney Creek is owned by Dixie, a very nice lady who will also take good care of you but her place has a gravel road that's a little low and bumpy but noone has ever ripped off their bumper getting in and out, just using common sense will take care of this, The Dragon Pitt Inn has smooth gravel as well as paved parking as well. The Dragon Pitt Inn is about 10 miles from where the Dragon starts, or ends depending which way you look at it, so its not too far away for sure, Caney Creek on the other hand is 3.5 miles from the beginning of the Cherahola Skyway, so you've got options for sure. We're happy at the Dragon Pitt Inn and see no need to try another place, so that's where our group will be staying.

Now I've posted the dates being Oct 8th (Wed) thru Oct 12th (Sun). The 8th is used as a travel day getting to and the 12th is used as a travel day going home, this basically covers everyone in our group, which has people coming from Detroit, Chicago, Tenn, Florida, S.C. to name a few, noobs are always welcome....wanna join our group, let me extend a warm welcome

Now I'm not sure if this will be getting a sticky but I'll be subscribing to it and answering any questions you may have, or concerns because there are those as well. Speaking of that, I really hope I don't scare anyone away who's been thing about doing this but I'd rather your prepared than scared. This is a rewarding drive, a "must do" thing if your into cars, or bikes, no doubt about it. FWIW I'm pretty safe out there and tend to not push my car too hard, especially on the Skyway, I tend to be more conservative or drive below my cars limits which aren't all that great anyways (2011 Honda CR-Z) and my plate is CPT SLOW and still have a great time. That said, on the Dragon I'm more comfortable, its "point and shoot" out there, lower speeds, tight turns, more control!

Lastly I'd like anyone who's interested in joining our run to reserve their room starting January 1st, 2014, that's when Dennis, the owner of the Dragon Pitt Inn, said he'd be taking reservations for the upcoming year. You'll need to pay for 1 or 2 days to hold your room and is refundable as long as you cancel 30 days before the run, pretty simple. Wanna come in sooner, no problem and infact its a good way to see more and do more in the area, its YOUR vacation! Gatlinburg and Pigeon Forge aren't too far away, just sayin'.

Questions, comments and general banter is all welcomed here! If it has to do with the run, stories of going out there already or whatever, please feel free to share with the group, THANK YOU

[tpr1634]

Been there a couple of times, it really is something. Beautiful country it's fun and dangerous something for the bucket list.

[MadMerc]

Something for me to think about. After my trip there last June, and the mods that I'll have done by Spring, I'd be game for this.

Broadcasting from an undisclosed location.

[custmsprty]

Youe best post ever KA, thanks for all the great info!

[Klasse Act]

Youe best post ever KA, thanks for all the great info!

...and longest too, LOL! I could've gone into more about my passion for these roads but I needed to limit things somewhere, LOL!

Our groups have been large at times and even though a noob from AG may not know anyone please don't this keep you from thinking about our run. Everyone in our group is a pure car guy, some even geeky (like myself) After the days run we build a bonfire and those whom drink will do so and we go on and on about cars and "stuff", plus we like to go out for dinner at the local Mexican restaurant too, called Poncho's on nearby route 411.

MadMerc, we'd love to have you out there, looks like the Dragon bug has bitten you last year but I should tell you there's NO CURE! You really got it, suspension stiffening, pretty hardcore if you ask me, especially when you consider you've done this to a Fuzion! What tires are looking at now?

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[MadMerc]

...and longest too, LOL! I could've gone into more about my passion for these roads but I needed to limit things somewhere, LOL!

Our groups have been large at times and even though a noob from AG may not know anyone please don't this keep you from thinking about our run. Everyone in our group is a pure car guy, some even geeky (like myself) After the days run we build a bonfire and those whom drink will do so and we go on and on about cars and "stuff", plus we like to go out for dinner at the local Mexican restaurant too, called Poncho's on nearby route 411.

MadMerc, we'd love to have you out there, looks like the Dragon bug has bitten you last year but I should tell you there's NO CURE! You really got it, suspension stiffening, pretty hardcore if you ask me, especially when you consider you've done this to a Fuzion! What tires are looking at now?

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Well, if I go with new wheels, I'll probably go with Continental DW's as I will keep the old wheels for winter.
Which car club do you go out there with?

Broadcasting from an undisclosed location.

[Klasse Act]

We don't really have a car club persay but when I had my first new car, a 2000 Ford Contour SVT, I was an active member on www.contour.org and that's where things got started back in 2003, we had 3 cars and 3 guys. Every year since then its grown except last year where I got married and our "regulars" decided to skip out, although we had 5 cars and 5 members show up last year, 2 from FLA, one from Mich, Tenn and myself.

I've been on various car forums since I sold my Contour back in 2005, invited various people with pretty good sucess, so I expect AG to be no different, we've got a variety of cars and people here. I actually expect a good, mature showing from AG to our run. Btw, if anyone has a "six figure" car, please bring it out, even at 12 yrs in we've never had one in our group, along with a couple other "firsts" we're looking for.

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[Shane731]

How about a noob in a Ford Taurus? I've ridden shotgun a time or two with a friend on Deal's Gap. Also, Deal's Gap is about 1 and 1/2 hours away from me.

[MadMerc]

How about a noob in a Ford Taurus? I've ridden shotgun a time or two with a friend on Deal's Gap. Also, Deal's Gap is about 1 and 1/2 hours away from me.

Why not. As long as your car is in good shape and you know it's limitations (and yours), go for it.

Broadcasting from an undisclosed location.

[Klasse Act]

I see nothing wrong with it either, the cars state of tune and like Merc said, knowing your limitations is key. What year Taurus is it and is it a SHO by chance?

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