TLCMC

Saturday morning, August 10th, Dave, Dennis, Larry, Mel and Richard met in Ball Ground for a leisurely ramble to Blue Ridge.  Their early meetup provided beautiful morning temps for their ramble N along Grandview, Sunrise and Double-head Gap (perennial favorites).  Their rest on the porch at Van Zandt’s in Dial was extra peaceful since the owners were on vacation and the joint closed.  Oh, well, lunch is just around the corner at the renowned Toccoa Riverside Restaurant on Aska Rd.  But first, why not check out a waterfall just a couple miles away from the restaurant off a supposedly-paved road?  So they headed up Aska to Stanley Gap Rd.   They were pleasantly surprised to find Stanley Gap road nicely paved until just a ¼ mile from the Benton MacKaye trailhead (the road bikes had no issues with the gravel, thankfully).  The trailhead was quite busy with area vacationers.  The hike was about ½ mile (uphill!) and they were feeling the day’s extra heat and humidity.  The Fall Branch Falls were rather light (which is odd with all the rain we’ve had this summer).  Our recommendation is to save this one for after a large spring deluge.

With Hurricane Barry sending loads of tropical moisture our way, the forecasts for our July ride were bleak at best.  But if we could start early enough and get back before the skies boiled, we could still ride.  Larry, Dave and Dennis met early in Ball Ground for a pleasant ride to some familiar haunts.  In the cool morning temps, we meandered north thru Grandview, and Burnt Mountain to [a scenic respite which shall remain nameless].  Yes, this place is so special, some would prefer to keep it secret.  It’s a place so high you can envision eagles resting in it beautiful shelters and was once the start of the Appalachian Trail – oops, I hope I didn’t give it away.  Ask a club member and give them the secret handshake and they’ll let you in on it. 

Truth in advertising prevailed… Dave, Larry, and Mel had a big adventure enjoying the best roads and trails Western North Carolina has to offer!  Although the forecast for this 4 day, 3 night moto-camping extravaganza ranged from iffy to awful, they persisted and were rewarded, and are ready to do it again soon.

Larry and Dave left on a Wednesday morning and rode peaceful backroads to the N Ga mountains and met Mel at Neels Gap.  From there, they enjoyed a beautiful trip to WNC on mostly empty roads – weekday travel has its perks.  After a hearty lunch at Creekside Deli in Franklin, they headed to Wayah Rd (curviest in the land!) and the Nantahala gorge, but not without rain gear.  Was the ominous forecast true?  They encountered just enough light rain to tamp down speeds on the Dragon-like Wayah Rd.  But with the clouds trying to lift, they headed up the Forest Service to Wayah Bald and its fabulous lookout built by Roosevelt’s CCC – a must-see on any sunny day, but mostly socked in then.  On thru the gorge and a well-earned rest at the Nantahala Outdoor Center to watch the (chilly) rafters.  From there they took the needs-no-introduction Blue Ridge Parkway to their camp for the night – Mile High Campground about 20 miles outside of Cherokee.   Yes, that’s a couple of elk monitoring traffic on the road to camp.  Glad they didn’t charge at us - they were HUGE.  What Mile High lacks in services, they make up for in beauty.  After a full day of riding, the men used backpack stoves to make surprisingly good hot meals before enjoying a great evening campfire.