Country Roads Group Ride

Saturday morning, Dec. 2, 2017.  I backed Sweet Thang out of the garage and headed out for Exit 407 of I-40 to the McDonald's there.  I was going to meet up with the Country Roads Group Riders for a trek to take in some really good roads.  There were 16 bikes all together.  Got to meet several people that I had not met before and to renew some past acquaintances.  We pulled out at 9:30 a.m., taking back roads up to Hot Springs, NC, run The Rattler, run over to Cherokee,NC and come back through the Smoky Mountain National Park via US441.  At Sugarlands visitor center we all split for individual homes.

My old school house in a light fog.  It was a chilly mourning with a bit of ground fog but a good day to ride.

Riding up Boyds Creek Hwy. to TN 66 and then across I-40 to Dumplin Valley Rd. and Micky Ds.

I got there early enough to grab a breakfast burrito and a cup of coffee.

 Some of the other riders had the same thing in mind.

We had a bit of everything riding today.

And I think the average would have been 65.

Dumplin Valley Rd. is a neat narrow ride with some curves that were sweepers and a few sharpies.  Those were thrown in just to keep you attentive.

We road up and crossed the end of Norris Lake.

As you can see, the lake is way down on the amount of water.

Old house on the hill.  Seems a shame to just let it go.

Heading toward the mountains, those far off in the distance would get a lot closer before the day was gone.

Bush's Bean Plant located at Chestnut Hill.  

A stop about an hour after departure just to make sure everyone was okay.  Dan Harvey, the man facing on the left, is the leader of the group.

Here's a pose of Sweet Thang in her resting position.

And we had a trike or two, a Spyder and a few different brands to go around.  It's not what you ride, it's just ride.

And a lot of stories and tales of sorts.

We took various routes but US 25/70 is a great road to ride.

 Crossing the French Broad River.

The mountains are getting a bit closer.

Then we get to this one laner that parallels a railroad track.  River is on left, train tracks on right, mistakes must stay in the middle.

And the sun is having a difficult time trying to burn its way through the morning mist and clouds.

Finally, some blue and a very pretty bridge built in the past few years.

Scenery is the word here.

Here you can see the golden color of the remaining leaves of the pear trees leading up the driveway to the house.

Just a nice road scene.

Now we're running among the pine trees more than the hardwoods.  We are climbing in altitude but have a ways to go.

Running parallel to another river and riding in the dark shadows of the mountain.

An old tobacco barn, remnants of an almost by gone era.

Going to church, well, going by the church is better said but it wasn't Sunday today.

Winter has come as most of the trees have lost their leaves.  Yet a few seem to hold on to them until almost Spring.

A nice quiet valley.  Road noise will not bother those folks.

Riding by a rock farm.  Yep, lots of rocks mean less grass and sore backs hauling them to make fences, road markers, etc.

Then we take the road back home.  A great day to ride and a good group to ride with.

For me it was 149 miles door to door.  Enjoyed chatting with the folks, sharing a meal with them in Hot Springs, and getting out into some of the created nature we have.

Until the next Valkyrie Adventure, look around a bit whether on two wheels or four.  Stay safe.