Hi, Colin. Just saw your post ( I don't sit at my keyboard enough. Sorry.)
I hope you did make your ride. And, from one who has done the Dragon once (just to say I did it....) your choosing to do it during the week was a very good option. Saturdays and weekends up there are actually quite crowded.
I see you live in the Dawsonville area. I lived in Dahlonega for four years and the access to great roads is phenomenal. Moved to Athens almost six years ago to be near my aging mom (she'll be 102 in a few weeks), plus I have an on-call part-time job which keeps me close to home until at least 10 a.m. each weekday.
Hope to meet you at a Club gathering soon. You'll meet a few other riders who are free to ride during the weekday. Hey, be sure to join up for the Oct. 24 Club Ride up to Long Creek, SC (see the Forum Calendar for details) and the annual meeting and election of officers.
Thank you for joining the Club!