I don’t know what possessed me to ride through Great Smoky Mountains National Park on a warm, sunny, Saturday, but then I’m kinda getting in the spirit to do more dumb things on my motorcycle this week – more on that plan later. Nonetheless, I had a new tire to scrub in so I took off for the Dragon at Deals Gap to do the deed. Arriving early in the afternoon, I found it pleasantly low in traffic. Most everyone had already made their passes and headed out to explore the surroundings and I had a good run through it thanks to my brother riders who waved me to slow down when approaching the police stationed along the route. I arrived at the overlook with the new front tire looking like someone had taken a cheese grater to the shoulders and satisfied with the performance of the new Michelin Pure rubber which now adorned both ends of my ride.

I stopped in to see Jody at the Punkin Center Motorcycle Campground who was deeply engaged in a mid afternoons relaxation on the porch, and had to pass on the cool one offered as I had miles to before I reached home. We talked briefly of roads and riding, then I set out for the Foothills Parkway which runs along the Northwest border of Great Smoky Mountains National Park .

A view from the Cades Cove Loop Road which rings the valley in Great Smoky Mountains National Park

The Foothills Parkway has never impressed me much, but then my standards of comparison are skewed from all the time I spend on the Blue Ridge Parkway. I passed through Townsend, then fell in line with the cattle herd that staggers it’s way through the park. Regardless of the speed limit, there is always some plod who thinks the posted speed is at least 10 mph too fast and there are a dozen cars in front of you. Oblivious to the landslide of perturbed drivers riding up his bumper, he motors right past pull off after pull off where he could let the traffic pass. It’s all part of the experience.

Freshly paved, the scenic loop road around Cade's Cove is a great place to see the wildlife that is so plentiful here

The purpose of my visit was to lay eyes on the newly paved sections of road so I made a detour out to Cades Cove to see the Loop Road. I started, stopped, started, stopped, started (you get the idea) out the freshly paved single lane but quickly realized at this pace I could throw away my watch and use a calendar to figure when I’d get home. I took the first opportunity to shortcut the loop with Sparks Road, an unpaved cut more or less straight across the valley. Nearing the South end of it, I saw the first bear up in a cherry tree gorging on the summer fruit and stopped to snap a photo.

One of several bears I saw on my short visit. They were high in the cherry trees gorging on the summer fruit.

Reaching the south side of the loop road, I fell back into the herd which was held up by another bear spied in another cherry tree at which point people just abandon their cars in the road and walk out to stand beneath the bruin for a telephoto of the bears ass. It’s all part of the experience.

Just one of a long like of bikers on River Road in Great Smoky Mountains National Park

The ride back from Cades Cove, along River Road, then across the park on 441 need not be detailed, it was as was already described. All the way. All the time. I finally escaped onto the Blue Ridge Parkway scooting around the next plodder who was doing 20 mph in the 45 mph section with a quick twist and flick, then fell in with another bike that was obviously not a tourist. I felt it my duty to ride along at a matching pace as a safety backup just in case his enthusiasm wasn’t matched by the talent it took to lay a bike through the turns like he was and someone had to make a 911 call. I’m always there for you bro.

Which brings us back to more dumb things to do on your motorcycle. One day this week I’m going to ride the 469 mile long Blue Ridge Parkway from end to end. In one day. That’s really dumb, like seeing how fast you can have sex. The goal is not to see how fast I can do it, though my competitive nature would naturally lead to that extreme.  Nor do I want to establish a benchmark which will invite challenge by setting a time. I’m building in a safeguard to prevent me from giving in to that temptation. I’m going to force myself to stop once every hour, take a photo, and tweet my location and situation when I have cell phone reception.

I was hoping to go south to north on Tuesday, but the morning fog has been so heavy lately it might not only delay me, but the photos I take will show nothing but white for the first couple hours. It looks like I’ll come from the North end south on Thursday instead. Don’t ask why, it’s something to do with the summer heat no doubt.

Plan on following me on my Parkway-in-a-day tour this Thursday.

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Wayne Busch - Cartographer