Category Archives: Cities and Towns

Cities and towns in the Appalachian mountains

Why Is Riding the Tail of the Dragon at Deals Gap So Dangerous?

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Photo - Smoky Mountain Rider and BMW Girl at the Tail of the Dragon

Smoky Mountain Rider and BMW Girl at the Tail of the Dragon

If you’re convinced the Tail of the Dragon at Deals Gap in North Carolina is “too dangerous” or “ too challenging” a motorcycle ride, you’ve been deluded. If you can negotiate a crowded parking lot without panic, navigate city traffic, or confidently explore unknown back roads, you can ride the “infamous” stretch of US 129 at known as “The Tail of the Dragon”.

While riders are killed on the Dragons Tail almost every year (once you visit you’ll know why) it’s not the road that does them in. It’s a great motorcycle road with more than 300 curves in 11 miles. The pavement is nice, the road is well engineered, and it sees little commercial traffic. Still the motorcycle accidents at Deals Gap keep piling up.

Truth is, motorcycle riders crash here due to their own expectations. The Tail of the Dragon near Deals Gap is so hyped as a challenging and dangerous motorcycle ride people believe they have to make it one. Too many bikers push their limits on this great ride to fulfill the myth and prove something to themselves. Those limits of skill and reason are exceeded far too often resulting in motorcycle wrecks that would not have otherwise occurred had the rider not been so persuaded this was the ideal place to test his mettle. Truth is, I can direct you to roads far more dangerous, all of which make for good motorcycle rides you will enjoy and savor if you don’t consciously try to kill yourself.

That said, the Tail of the Dragon may not be for everyone. If your bike was on the showroom floor last week, and your warm license stills smells like fresh plastic, think twice, break in the tires and get a few miles beneath them. The Blue Ridge Parkway will give you all you need, and I’ve mapped hundreds of miles of other great motorcycle roads in the area.

There are certainly TIMES to avoid the Tail of the Dragon. A rally can turn it into a suicidal circus. Weekends bring out the squids and posers. Safest bet is to go mid week, early in the day. Be warned, it’s heavily patrolled by overworked troopers who have absolutely no sense of humor left.

With hundreds of posted videos to choose from, you can be sure I’ll be posting more. Here’s one of the longer ones that not only shows the entire ride, but demonstrates why this good motorcycle ride has earned such a bad reputation. Is it the really roads fault?

For lots more info about the Tail of the Dragon at Deals Gap visit http://tailofthedragon.com

NEW MAP! – The Roads of Roanoke and Beyond

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I’ve just finished the latest map, The Roads of Roanoke and Beyond. It’s the second of the three map Blue Ridge Parkway – Virginia Series and catalogs 90 miles of the Blue Ridge Parkway as well as more than 2 dozen great roads in the surrounding area. There are also more than 20 good “connector roads” which give you shortcuts or the best routes to reach my top rated rides.

It was an exciting moment when I transferred the overlapping data from this newest map to the raw data file of the last map in the series. I’ll be completing it as quickly as I’m able. Once done, America Rides Maps will offer the most comprehensive collection of great rides along the entire 469 mile length of the Blue Ridge Parkway and enough great riding to give you years of motorcycle touring pleasure.

The race is on as fall weather closes in on us. There’s a lot of preparation before I load up and motor north to begin the reconnaisance. Shorter days mean less miles covered and cooler weather will also bring it’s challenges. I need to locate a new base to work out of. There will be challenges, but I’m looking forward to them.

Little time to take a breath or relax, got to keep pushing to get it done. For now, another milestone has been passed.

More Motorcyle Fall Color

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Rain. Sun. Rain. Rain. Sun. Rain.

The weather has been wetter than usual lately so you grab your fun rides when you can. After playing hooky on Thursday, I’ve had to make up for the lost time in the office and the rainy days make that much more tolerable. When the weather broke on Sunday and beautiful blue skies set the emerging fall leaves against a nice backdrop we had to get out for a quick ride to enjoy them.

No agenda, no destination, we just tooled around on some of the local roads close to home. One hand on the throttle, the other holding the camera, I snapped a few photos as we went.

With each passing day the leaves move further towards their final demise with the explosion of color that signals fall is upon us. You can see the changes from day to day. We’ve yet to have any really chilly weather though it’s sure to come soon. In the mean time it’s grab-it-while-it’s-good.

Blah, blah, blah, this is all just filler to give the photos something to hang on to. The pictures are from the lower elevations near Waynesville, Bethel, and Canton and you’ll still note a lot of green on the trees. That won’t last much longer. Even today the understory is far more pronounced with reds and oranges coming on strong to join the yellows and purples that came out a little earlier.

And so the show goes on and we hope for drier weather so we can get out more often and enjoy it. In the mean time, the view from the office windows and the porches will do quite nicely when too wet for casual riding.

Wayne@americaridesmaps.com

>> Go To America Rides Maps.com – http://americaridesmaps.com

A Fall Color Motorcycle Tour

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It was a good day to play hooky and who wouldn’t have done the same given the opportunity. When a college buddy called to let me know he was in the area and had brought his motorcycle along with him, I needed little more to tempt me into getting out of the office for a day and enjoying fall as it nears it’s peak of glory. It was a truly great day to be riding though what day isn’t?

George is new to motorcycling and from Florida. Either of those two factors means mountain curves are intimidating. When combined, I was assured this wouldn’t be a day spent testing the edges of the tires and sane riding technique. That’s a good thing really as I’m still riding out the years probation I’m under for abusing my privilege to stay within the DOT’s suggested speed recommendations on our wonderful roads. His choice of rides, a Honda Pacific Coast, also did not lend itself to carving up the corners. It’s one of those giant scooter-looking things, and while it has 800cc’s of grunt, it lacks the attitude to apply it – it’s more of a rolling tupperware party with barely a hint of metal meanness showing anywhere. No problem. With a spanking new tire on the front of my bike, an easy ride to scrub it in would be just the ticket before I put it to proper use another day.

I’d been looking for an excuse to revisit Hot Springs, one of the classic rides in the area. It was fall cool this morning and I threw the heated gear on just in case, though I never needed to plug it in. A quick breakfast at Duval’s in Waynesville, then out NC 209 into the countryside. Blue skies, crystal clear air, and clean roads welcomed us to one of the nicest close-in rides found around here.

We wound through the gentle curves of the pastoral valleys then climbed into the serpentine course through the higher passes. Were it one of my regular rides it could have been a morning of frustration. First a delay due to road work, then mowing, then a farm tractor, then a heavy truck easing down a grade in low gear as we worked our way north. Today these delays simply allowed more time to soak in the surroundings and gave George a chance to get accommodated to the roads without having to maintain a constant push to the edge of his comfort zone.

We paused in Hot Springs and I took a few minutes to explore the town anew. It was once one of my favorite local runs as it is a great ride to get there, and is surrounded by a wealth of fantastic two lane back roads. I’d make the hour trip out, amuse myself with loops through the mountains of North Carolina and Tennessee, then circle back into town for a beer and buffalo burger at the Paddler’s Pub. The pub was always filled with bikers and the parking lot was a showcase of machines from near and far. It burned down last winter and has yet to be rebuilt, though I was encouraged to see piles of new cinder block stacked where it once stood.

I’ve yet to try any of the other small cafés that inhabit the tiny town, and this morning it was too early to give any a test run. The Iron Horse Station looks promising. I told George some of the history and errata of the place. There really are natural hot mineral springs here you can visit and soak in. It was a refuge in early days for those who came to enjoy them for “health” reasons, but the grand old spa resort had also succumbed to fire years ago. The town had served as an internment camp for German prisoners during WWII. The Appalachian Trail, that 2000 mile long footpath that stretches from Georgia to Maine, passes right through the heart of it to cross on the bridge over the French Broad River. It’s a popular place for whitewater rafters who come to ride the challenges of the rapids found on river. The surrounding national forests are full of hiking trails. That’s an awful lot of attractions for a town so small it doesn’t even have a traffic light.

We continued north along beautiful NC 212 as it traces the river where fly fisherman often outnumber the trout, then I detoured off on one of my secret little back roads to head into Tennessee. Climbing, dipping and carving through the hillsides, George convinced me this road was so good I had to add it to my Hot Springs map. I suppose he’s right, I’ll revisit that map and beef it up with a few more of roads I’d kept to myself up until now.

From Rocky Fork, Tennessee, we turned south to return to North Carolina and lunch called for a stop in Mars Hill. We landed at the El Dorado Latin Grill to satisfy my craving for a Cuban sandwich, though George’s chicken thighs with blueberry chipoltle sauce was the special of the day and he reported it was excellent.

I-26 filled the short gap between Mars Hill and Weaverville where George had stayed with relatives. I wanted to show him a good road right in town then get up on the Blue Ridge Parkway to give him the full monty on our one day tour. You can tell leaf peeping season is upon us as soon as you hit the parkway.

We plodded along through the boring section of the Blue Ridge Parkway that encircles Asheville. The road declines from the higher mountains north to reach a low point south of the city as it fords the French Broad River on an elevated causeway. From there it becomes far more interesting as you climb to it’s highest and most scenic section. As we gained altitude the turning of the leaves played out in colorful splendor.

If you know just where to look, you can get an awesome view of the Biltmore Mansion sitting castle-like amongst the surrounding forests, though I didn’t stop to share the view. We passed through tunnel after tunnel each time bursting out into the bright sunlight and just a little more color on the trees as we climbed higher and higher to reach Mt. Pisgah. I paused at selected overlooks to enjoy the panoramic views which stretched far into the hills of South Carolina and Great Smokey Mountains National Park to the north. The Pisgah Inn, Graveyard Fields, Looking Glass Rock, and The Devil’s Courthouse all had full parking areas as we stopped to enjoy them. Already at the higher elevations the peak of the color may have passed. Graveyard fields was a spectacular red and brown, though looking down on the ridges below showed much of the seasonal rainbow was yet to appear in the forests. Only the tips of the ridges had been touched by the paint brush of autumn and plenty of yet green leaves wait for their final curtain call.

Completing our loop we left the parkway at NC 215 wanting to share my wife’s favorite local road with my good friend and rolled through the never-ending curves of color that led us back to Waynesville and then my home. Jackie was home from work and we enjoyed the premier local past time of sitting on the porch reveling in a good days travels and the tales that go with them.

As he prepared to leave George thanked me for the days tour. “You know, the Blue Ridge Parkway was really nice, I’ve seen it before from a car and it’s a whole new experience on a motorcycle. But those little back roads you took me on were what really made the day, I’ve never done anything like that, it was the best experience I’ve ever had on a motorcycle, I enjoyed them more than anything else.”

Safe travels George. Good to see you again and even better to spend a day riding with you. You know we’ve always got a room ready for you when you get the chance to come back.

Wayne@americaridesmaps.com

>> Go To America Rides Maps.com – http://americaridesmaps.com

You Never Know Until You Ride It

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I‘m back from my most recent trip mapping Virginia. It was one heck of an expedition averaging more than 500 miles per day on my motorcycle, mostly on two lane back roads. Areas I thought would be really good turned out to have little appeal. The area I thought would largely be a waste of time turned out to be one of the best. You never know until you ride it, that’s why I do what I do.

I revisited some sections on the last map which overlap into this one which revealed previous roads connected to fabulous new roads. I’ll be making some minor changes to “North Carolina / Virginia Border Rides” to reflect these new discoveries. There are some outstanding rides you really shouldn’t miss which cross the borders of these two maps.

The central point of this second Virginia map is the city of Roanoke. The Blue Ridge Parkway cuts through the heart of the map touching on the very edges of the city. I explored a few roads close in to the city. While most of us don’t get on the bike to ride the urban landscape, should you be staying near, there are a couple rides in close you may want to do to catch a nice view or a sunset from up high. Surprisingly few paved roads connect to the Blue Ridge Parkway on this map, so knowing where they are and which way the closest gas station is will be helpful.

The highest ridges of the mountains and the Blue Ridge Parkway run in close to the city. The character of them changes as you move north leaving the rolling hills of southern Virginia behind to enter the more mountainous and scenic peaks north of the city. Roads to the south side quickly entered rolling but relatively flat country and while there are more roads, I found fewer and fewer of them engaging me and making me want to come back and ride them again. I have a lot to eliminate based on this reconnaissance.
On the other hand, north of the city is the place I enjoyed most. Here the various mountain ranges are distinct, separated by long valleys. The roads which run through these long vallies are far more curvy than they appear on a map and some of the views are wonderful. Be warned though, I’m going to try to describe some of these roads as “adventure” roads. Some will like them better than others.
As I ripped along them on a bike built for this kind of terrain, bouncy, tight, sometimes technical in demeanor, I thought about what it would be like riding shotgun on a big cruiser, fully loaded, doing more hanging on than enjoying the beautiful scenery. I think your passenger might find the experience a bit demanding if done at a hurried pace. I’ll try to identify these roads for you. On the other hand, at a relaxed pace and with the camera handy, I felt like I was riding through a national park at times. I can’t help but recommend them.

There’s one more map to go in this series to fully cover the entire range of the Blue Ridge Parkway and the surrounding areas. I’ll do my best to crank this one out by the end of the week. For the first time this year I plugged in my heated gear and really needed it as I climbed the high passes from Tennessee into North Carolina on the midnight ride home. It’s going to be regular kit from now on. I have once again paused on the West Virginia border and stared into what looks like the promised land. I’m pretty sure I know where the sequel to these maps will lie.

Wayne@americaridesmaps.com

>> Go To America Rides Maps.com – http://americaridesmaps.com

The 2009 Fall Rally in the Rain

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Photo: We had it all – Daisy the Pig, Hank the Bear, Moonshiners, Biker Girls …

I suppose it’s my fault for posting that TV Pilot video from a couple years ago that showed the best we could do during the rains of the 2007 Fall Rally in the Valley in Maggie Valley, NC. It must have reminded someone to open the faucets again. At times, I should have had a boat, not a booth.

Still, the crowds came out. Not as many as we would have liked, and I can’t blame those who bailed on the event, though at times a little help bailing from those who didn’t would have been appreciated. The rain started days before the event and grew progressively worse. By the time Friday rolled around, we were already pretty saturated. There were breaks in the weather, and when they came we were busy and tried to put on a good show.

I think we represented Maggie Valley well. A last minute effort from the lodgers and merchants of AllRoadsLeadToMaggie.com, we pooled our resources to purchase a vendor spot at the event. We passed out a good bit of literature from the Haywood County TDA and visitor guides from the Maggie Valley Visitors Bureau and Chamber of Commerce, raffled off a 3 day, 2 night, food / lodging / guided tour package, sold a good bit of Popcorn Sutton Moonshiner memorabilia, guided a lot of visitors to some great local rides, and I sold a lot of maps.

Daisy the pig (shown in the photo) was a big hit, as was 7 year old Ellie in her black leather chaps and pink Harley-Davidson gear. While she tore up the dance floor in the evening, she was too shy to get on stage, though the crowd urged her repeatedly. Hank the Bear got a much needed bath. I got a tremendous amount of support and volunteer help from Joanne at the Mountaineer Restaurant, Gabie and Rob at the A Holiday Motel insured I was fed, Phil and Tammy from the Clarketon Motel made sure I didn’t waste any time making trips to the beer tent, and numerous other All Roads Lead To Maggie.com people who came out and volunteered their support and assistance. I even made freinds with the fine ladies at Biker Bettys Apparel and Accessories next door who were so impressed with my maps they’ve offered to take them on the road with them.

Thanks to all who braved the weather to travel to the mountains and spend much of their weekend riding in the rain. I hope I’ve helped make your trip worthwhile and opened your eyes to the vast number of undiscovered roads that lace the surrounding mountains. When you come back, be sure to visit allroadsleadtomaggie.com to get the best vacation packages and room deals for your next visit. The best of our riding season is just starting.

Wayne@americaridesmaps.com

>> Go To America Rides Maps.com – http://americaridesmaps.com/

Scenic Motorcycle Rides – Backbone Rock, TN

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photo - motorcycle cruises through Backbone RockI went back to Virginia this weekend to revisit and explore some of the sights I’d passed while mapping the area

I’m pretty much all business when mapping – I only stop for three things; gas, to take notes, and when “nature” forces me to do so. Eating is a luxury typically left for the evening to make the most of the time on the road. This trip was to go back and savor some of the gems I’d just blown by previously.

One of my favorite loop rides is found near the point where North Carolina, Virginia, and Tennessee meet, a 103 mile jaunt that takes you on some of the twistiest and most scenic roads. It’s listed on America Rides Map #4 – “Great Roads Near Boone, Banner Elk, and Blowing Rock.

Heading south from Damascus, Virginia, on SR 133, you soon enter the National Forest in Tennessee and signs for Backbone Rock Park start appearing along the road. Round a curve and you find yourself zipping through the quick yet dramatic tunnel through Backbone Rock.

I stopped in to investigate.

The Empire Mining Company blasted through Backbone Rock in 1901 to lay train tracks for the Tennessee Lumber Company. Long gone, the rail bed became the roadbed which continues on towards Mountain City.

The ridge is about 75 feet high and 20 feet thick, though it narrows near the top. There is a steep trail from the parking area on the right just after you pass through the rock, though if you have any aversion to heights and walking near the edge of a cliff, you’ll never make it to the section of rock which straddles the road.

There are several hiking trails, picnic tables and campsites, a waterfall is about 0.4 miles on a foot trail. The area is popular for fishing and kayaking.

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Wayne Busch

Wayne Busch - Cartographer

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– Wayne Busch lives in Waynesville, NC, where he produces the most detailed and comprehensive and up-to-date motorcycle pocket maps of the Blue Ridge and Smoky Mountains to help you get the most of your vacation experience. See them here – AmericaRidesMaps.com

Wayne is an advanced motorcycle instructor for Total Rider Tech teaching Lee Parks Total Control Advanced Rider Courses. It’s time you looked into advanced rider training to ride more confidently and safely, it will change your mountain riding experience. It worked so well for me I became an instructor! Total Rider Tech

America Rides Map #4 – “Great Roads Near Boone, Banner Elk, and Blowing Rock

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Update on the Blue Ridge Parkway Repairs

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Photo – Waiting to pass a construction zone

Somehow I must have set the GPS to “find the most traffic” and it was working fabulously. I suppose everyone else had done the same as I hit one logjam after another on my way home from Virginia earlier this week. Still, as I left Banner Elk, I though it might be a while before I passed this way again and I was curious to see how the construction on the Blue Ridge Parkway was progressing.

I’d already bypassed the detour near Boone and Blowing Rock. No need to visit that section anyway. They are replacing a section of roadbed and there’s no way to get a close look at what’s going on, nor did I want to take the time to ride up and see how the bridge work was coming to the north. The big project however was more or less on my route home – at least it was now. Anything to get off the clogged roads and unwind.

The section I was interested in lies between Mt. Mitchell State Park and Asheville. This section of the parkway was closed all of last year when a piece slid off the mountainside. That portion has been rebuilt and the project has now shifted to repairing the adjacent areas of road which had deteriorated badly. Layers of pavement had peeled away like old paint and there were some areas where small sinkholes had left huge dips in the roadway. Honestly, it was getting pretty rough and it’s nice to see it receiving the attention it needs.

I was initially under the impression the job was mostly just resurfacing. This visit revealed there are many areas where the entire roadbed is being rebuilt. It’s being done in a piecemeal fashion, probably the worst sections getting attention first. Cruising down the southbound lane, the worst of the two, I was pleased to hit gloriously smooth portions that had already been repaired. These would be followed by others which had yet to see attention and still more which would probably not require much of anything. Sporadically, I came to construction areas, most of which were flanked by idled equipment this late into the evening. A few of the overlooks had been resurfaced along the drive.

It was pretty easy going until I passed Craggy Gardens. The last of the crews was still going full steam on a good sized section of road and I found myself pulling up to a line of stopped traffic waiting for the pilot vehicle to take them through the single open lane. It was just a few minutes until it came by with a long line of cars in tow. I waited my turn then fell into the queue behind our chaperon. As we passed, the opposite lane was being filled with fresh subsoil as the road was rebuilt from the very base. Work this extensive should endure. I doubt this will be anywhere close to finished until next spring season.

I left the Parkway near Asheville only to get caught up in another traffic jam on the south side of the city. Didn’t matter much anymore. I’d been on the bike since 4 AM and I could see the familiar mountains of home on the horizon. I’d get there soon enough.

Freakin' Rain

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Lubed up, oiled up, aired up, filled up, loaded up, new tire, new brakes, new plans, the bike sits aimed towards the horizon in the driveway poised and eager to depart, a mere key turn from hundreds of miles of open road adventure. I am so ready to go – nowhere.

“You’re not really going tomorrow are you?” my mother queried incredulously when I called her to babysit my pooch. “Have you seen the forecast?”

“Looked at it a few days ago” I answered. “Thursday appeared to be the best of the week.”

“Let me check the Weather Channel again”, she replied, ” I’ll call you back”.

My wife, just home from work, overheard the conversation. A few minutes later she commented with cautious hesitation, “You’d better take a look at the weather”. I shuffled the newspaper around on the kitchen table looking for the forecast. “ON THE COMPUTER“, she urged with more authority.

“I can handle a little rain, it’s got to be better than the last trip”, came my retort, tinged with some irritation that my well laid scheme may be going awry. “I’ve got to get this map done!”

She walked over to her desk and woke up her laptop.

“What cities do you check?”, she asked from the other room.

“Pull up here, and Roanoke, Virginia”, I called out in reply. I tried to ignore the potential disappointment that was theatening to intrude into my private universe and challenge my intentions.

“You’d better come look at this”, she called out a few minutes later.

I went into the den and sat on the couch where I could look over her shoulder. She had the Weather Channel pulled up and started the video of the forecast. I listened and watched as the commentator confirmed just how screwed I was. Rain covering much of the eastern United States. The moisture from the storm in Florida had been caught between two cold fronts bringing still more rain and storms. Dry and clear weather moving in from the west in a few days.

Expletives were muttered with the usual eyebrows raised in response. Not one to give up gracefully, I constructed a male ego preserving response to reinforce what I tough guy I really am.

“If I didn’t need a photo for the map cover, I’d still go” I said with irritated bluster. “I can handle a little rain. Still don’t have a good shot that represents the area well, though. Can’t get that picture if the weather is bad”. Culpable excuse ticked off the disappointment list.

“You can go over the weekend once the weather clears” my wife stated with female reason and clarity. “It’s just a couple of days”. I’ll never know what it’s like to live without testosterone. How does anything get done?

Mom called back. “You’d better look at the weather again”

“I know, I know, you don’t need to watch the dog tomorrow” I informed, “Looks like another day of doing chores here. I’ll go in a couple days”.

Freakin’ rain. Better get outside before it comes full on and get something manly done.

Wayne@americaridesmaps.com

>> Go To America Rides Maps.com – http://americaridesmaps.com

Notes From The Road – Virginia – 7/16/09

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The Hardware Co. Restaurant, Hillsville, VA.

I’ve returned to familiar ground. It was getting late, I hadn’t eaten all day, and I’d planned for this eventuality. I laid out my routes so I’d make a couple passes through Hillsville, VA. It was one of the places I stayed previously on my scouting trips. I knew I’d get a good meal, go back to the same motel, and I’m ready to crash for the evening.

394 miles today. Not all that impressive. A little under 100 were spent on highway or major roads. I did spend some time on gravel roads which slow progress considerably. Easier to go on through than route around them.

More of the day was spent in North Carolina than expected. Due to the reconfiguring of the maps, more of North Carolina is included as I criss-cross the border. I didn’t expect to find as many good roads as I did. Those I thought wouldn’t be suitable proved true. Nonetheless, got to check them all. I still need to revisit some more of North Carolina to compare the roads I’ve discovered to the roads I already know. I should wrap that up in the morning then spend the rest of the time in Virginia. The only fair way to compare them is to ride them all and judge them fresh.

Amazingly, the predicted rain held off. It’s now supposed to move through tonight. That would work out well. It’s a lot hotter than I expected. Should have packed the mesh gear. Hard to relate to the lower altitudes when you live up high. Coming down a couple thousand feet has a big effect.

With luck, I’ll reach Roanoke by tomorrow evening. I’m pretty tired. I’ll get this first map finished up by mid-day and should knock out a good portion of the next. While it would be nice to finish two, I’m not so convinced it’s going to happen. If I get inspired, I brought along the third. For now, I’m sure I’ll get only one.

Wayne@americaridesmaps.com

>> Go To America Rides Maps.com – http://americaridesmaps.com