06-16-2019, 09:15 PM
So Wednesday, June 12th, it finally happened! A group of 5 of us rode up from Helen to Deals Gap. Despite the early rain, which cleared off relatively quickly, it turned out to be an excellent day trip. I'm sure the conditions contributed to the light amount of traffic in the area.
We waited out the rain at the Pit Stop gas station, then headed up to the Dragon. First run through was in the wet (!) at a sensible pace. The pavement was smooth and imperfections were marked with spray paint. Treating the road with the respect that any unfamiliar road demands made the ride very enjoyable. 129 resembles quite a few of my local routes, close to home, minus the intersections, driveways, etc. My friend Kent had a small mishap on the return run back to the store. But not so much as to keep him from making another trip up and back after lunch. I've started to see a common language among motorcyclists. The word "spirited" comes to mind :-) Which describes the pace of the next (dry) run up and back while following Bruce and Dawn. I couldn't wipe the smile off of my face! At one point, Bruce says "How is it that I have to come all the way from Minnesota to lead you on a road in your own state?" A legitimate question which had me truly laughing out loud.
Honestly, the roads and scenery on both of the day trips out from Helen (to Hendersonville and Deals Gap) were spectacular.
We waited out the rain at the Pit Stop gas station, then headed up to the Dragon. First run through was in the wet (!) at a sensible pace. The pavement was smooth and imperfections were marked with spray paint. Treating the road with the respect that any unfamiliar road demands made the ride very enjoyable. 129 resembles quite a few of my local routes, close to home, minus the intersections, driveways, etc. My friend Kent had a small mishap on the return run back to the store. But not so much as to keep him from making another trip up and back after lunch. I've started to see a common language among motorcyclists. The word "spirited" comes to mind :-) Which describes the pace of the next (dry) run up and back while following Bruce and Dawn. I couldn't wipe the smile off of my face! At one point, Bruce says "How is it that I have to come all the way from Minnesota to lead you on a road in your own state?" A legitimate question which had me truly laughing out loud.
Honestly, the roads and scenery on both of the day trips out from Helen (to Hendersonville and Deals Gap) were spectacular.