Sharing some notes for those who may be interested. The Ironhorse weekend proved to be another outstanding event. Weather was perfectly dry, warm days with bright sunshine. Cold nights but no wind and no complaints either. Fall colors were resplendent with only the very highest elevations having seen their peak.
Friday: Home to Ironhorse. Jim B, Jim M, Joe B and Rojer P and me assembled at the QuickTrip at Exit 10 on Ga. 400 for a 11:00 a.m. start that was only slightly delayed by me needing to top-up gas. First part of the route was Ga. 400 north to Browns Bridge Rd., then west to pick up Dawsonville Hwy north, west in Dawsonville to Ga. 183 then that to Ga. 50 into East Ellijay. Did have a deer sprint across the road a way ahead while on Ga. 183 that only me noticed. Stopped in East Ellijay to pick up Maurice K, which was also a useful opportunity for Jim B to top-up with gas. His X650 being “blessed” with a 2.6 gallon gas tank meant we would be making frequent stops, which meant more very welcome “comfort” stops for all. We continued through Ellijay to pick up Boardtown Rd which parallels US 76 northeast. Always delightful and an often ignored option to riding the main drag. That led to taking Ga. 5 to McCaysville then Tenn. 68 to Tellico Plains for a gas, snack, and comfort break. After a quick review, the consensus was to route via the Cherohala Skyway to Robbinsville as a shorter, prettier, and probably less crowded option than via “The Dragon.” Was a good plan, but single lane working with a pilot car convoy system on the Tennessee side along the route, which Jim M has alerted us to expect, meant we were stood near the Turkey Creek overlook for ten minutes (although it felt like forever). We’d actually followed a truck toting gravel to the roadworks for a mile or two before our forced wait that only really slowed us on the very steepest grades. Past the roadworks and we kept up a decent social pace. On the very highest elevations it was a little chilly and the splendid fall colors we enjoyed pretty much everywhere else on the ride were absent as the trees were denuded of cover. Gas stop in Robbinsville from which the crew spilt with Jim M heading for the Quality Inn, Roger P to the Two Wheels Inn and the rest of us to Ironhorse. Day total for me from home was 208 miles with 4 hours 50 minutes ride time.
Saturday: Joined the ride that Ian F led. See his notes for that.
Sunday: Ironhorse to home on a slightly unconventional route. Got underway at 10:30 a.m. with the intention for the first leg to take NC 28/US 76/NC 28 southeast to about four miles north of Franklin. Got stuck behind a slow long legion of Harley-Davidson’s shortly after the start of the second NC 28 section that I was never going to be able to pass. So, I diverted via Tellico Rd/Lower Burnington Rd/Saldeer Mountain Rd/Rose Creek Rd/Bennet Rd to rejoin NC 28 just south of Sanderstown Rd. Figured if I was going to be slow I’d make it interesting. That was not really unconventional but taking Sanderstown Rd and continuing to head southeast probably was. Meant reversing a little of the route we’d ridden the day before, and also joining the Sunday crowds on US 64 into Highlands. The latter is a road I would normally avoid at the weekends at this time of year but the opportunity for some premium leaf-peeping drew me in and other than being a little slow past Dry Falls traffic moved along anyway. Continued through Highlands and onto Walhalla via NC 28. It seems I more often ride this route north than south, so enjoyed the change and light traffic as well. SC 183 to Westminster then US 76 to Toccoa for a gas and snack stop. Ga. 106 and Ga. 320 out of Toccoa meant I was still headed on a less than direct route home, just because I could. “Cured” when I picked up I 85 at Exit 164. Easy thereon with some slowing through the road widening sections on I 85, which really meant traffic was traveling at the speed limit, and my PeachPass allowed me to scoot past the slower, and sometimes crawling, streams on the typically heavier trafficked sections towards I 285. Total 207 miles with 4 hours 26 minutes ride time.
Tracks GPX and map attached.
Mark
1993 R100R
2001 R1150GS
