Riding Some NC Backroads

Thursday, June 30, 2016, a warm morning to start with and a warmer day to finish.  Due to the heat we started earlier than normal today.  Temp was in upper 60s to start and in the lower 90s to finish.  Meet-up was at McDs at Chapman and Boyds Crk. for 7:45 a.m. departure.  Arrive early, gas up and grab a biscuit and coffee.  Biker friend Paul was leading, friend Robert and I would later meet up with Terry at Deal's Gap, NC.

Sun was already bright and shiny at our departure time.

Rolls of hay in one of the large pastures along US 411 toward Maryville, TN.

De Fence.  Along backroad to skirt Maryville.  This was at the UT Ag Farm.

Grabbed a bit of US 321 over to catch The Foothills Parkway over to US 129.

Looking at the mountains along the Foothills Parkway.  This was the East side of the Parkway.

And this was looking West off the Parkway.

The Foothills Parkway ends at Chilhowee Lake which runs along US 129, the headwaters of the Dragon.

Heading toward the Dragon.  This was the quickest way to get to where we wanted to ride which was roads off NC 28 around Fontana Lake.

The meeting place, Deal's Gap.  Rest stop, coffee stop, BS stop and then ride.  Paul's bike is in the back, front red bike is Robert's Honda VTX 1300, behind it is Terry's Indian and next to the fence is The Redbug.

Terry and Robert discuss world affairs and Paul trying to find something.  Basically 4 old coots having a good day.

We left Deal's Gap riding NC 28.  It runs along Fontana Lake with lots of roads taking off it but often coming to a dead-end.  But at least you know where that road went.  No more guessing.

Some more of NC 28.  We'd drop off this highway onto a smaller road and then find it was a loop coming back to NC 28.  Basically adventure riding.

Some nice valleys and farm sites along the route.

We rode to Cherokee, NC where we branched off, Terry and Robert went across the mountain to Gatlinburt while Paul and I rode on to Maggie Valley and back via I-40 to Sevierville.

We all took a break at Indian Boundary Lake.  A very pretty place to get away from it all but if you do come here, bring everything for it's a long way back to the store.

Robert trying to get his phone camera focused for a picture.

A number of towns have decorated the intersections with flowers.  These look like some kind of lily, all orange in color.

Stretching it out enjoying the day.

Back to some roads with less width and sharper curves.

This was the RR station at Almond, NC.  No longer in use and eventually the Kudzu vines will take it over.

 Paul and I stopped at Soho Falls near Maggie Valley.  Passed it a bunch of times but this time decided to stop and take a look.  There were numerous streams of water coming down at across the rock face and several that you could not see from this vantage point.

That orange spot in the center right is a young woman that climbed up there by the hardest.  Didn't want to wait to see how she was going to get down.

We headed on back toward the house riding US 276 over to I-40 from Maggie Valley.

Some more of those orange flowers.

Paul entering the mouth of the tunnel on I-40.

Inside the bowls of the mountain.

West bound and down.  This is a very pretty stretch of I-40 as it is carved out of the mountains and running along the river.

Scenes from the mountains near Sevierville, TN.

Hazy shot, reason they are called Smoky Mtns.  It was a great day to ride with some good friends.  All returned safely which was the main thing.  For me, it was a 224 door to door ride as I took a side trip by Mountain Motorsports to order a part for The Red Bug.  It will help adjust the handlebars for my riding style.

All in all, a great ride with a great ending on a great day in a great land.