Doing Some Tellico Plains, TN Backroads

Thursday, March 9, 2017, temps starting in mid-40s to end around 71 for the day.  Definitely dress in layers.  All dressed up, bike full of fuel.  Time to push out of garage and meet biker friend Paul at Seymour, TN McD's for breakfast before departing.  I got there a bit early so I was finished eating before Paul arrived.  Yacked with "Elderlies" while Paul was sopping up all of that gravy with his biscuit.

We pulled out a little before 9 a.m. heading south to meet up with biker friend Terry at Vonore for about 10:30.  Taking some back roads to get there.

Everybody needs a wee bit of breakfast before heading out for a day of riding.

It was an absolutely gorgeous day, just enough brisk in the air to make you feel alive and all the color you could expect at this time of year.

There must be a billion Bradford Pear trees in this area and all are in some stage of blooming now.

Pretty old farm house.  Trees was trimmed about two years ago.

Country road snaking around through the farm land with winter brown still well implanted.

Love the little streams that run beside the highway, well maybe not highway, let's just say The Road.

Barn has seen it's best days but is still being used to this day.

Sunshine playing with the shadows as it filters through the leafless trees casting ghostly shadows on the road way.

Must remind myself to raise camera a tad bit more so I won't catch the mirror in my shots.

The various backroads like Goose Gap, Butterfly Gap, etc., finally brought us up the road that leads to Top of the World, a settlement that was partially developed to include a very pretty lake up on top of a mountain.

And the same road took us over to the Foothills Parkway and onward to where the Dragon starts, but just a little farther west.

The Chilhowee Dam having some work done to it.

Along he way a couple of tractors were trimming the brush away from the side of the road.  Good way to get a flattop hair cut.  No flaggers on the front side of the tractors, just in back of them.

How big is the sky?  Big enough that it makes me think I'm in Montana.

And these little huts aren't for friers, they contain fighting cocks.

We did run across another one of those government missile sites.  Here's 3 silos very close together.  And they think they're fooling me about not having missiles here.

Different roads but then they all look similar.  The just all don't go in the same direction.

In Vonor we picked up friend Terry and his big Indian which he rightly named "Scout".

We're going to run backroads to Tellico Plains where a Hardee's is located for our break and probably lunch.  We're loaded with coupons.

Horses still wearing their winter coat and it's a good thing as snow is expected this weekend with cold weather all next week.

Without their leaves the trees look rather scraggly, sort of Halloweenish.

Are those Bradford Pear Trees?

Beautiful rolling hillside farms here.

Yep, Paul has changed directions again.  This is a one laner road.

At this point we left friend Terry as Paul and I was going to travel on some gravel roads through the mountains.  Terry turned around and headed in another direction.

These roads don't give you many second chances so you really have to concentrate.

No guard rails and that drop will land you about a hundred feet below after you've bumped a few trees going down.

This, at one time, was a Conoco gas station.  But that's been a while back.

We're back on a paved road heading for the second gravel road of the day.

We're in a National Fores and stopped at an overlook.  That is the Hiwassee River and those are rocks you see in the water.

A closer look at the rocks.  During the late Spring and Summer you don't see them as you're tubing, rafting, kayaking down the river.

Not too far from where we stopped at the overlook was a farm house or maybe just a house that seemed to be very lonely here.

And there were some strange architectural structures also.  This house is very near the railroad tracks.

Meanwhile, after a few miles of gravel, we arrived at a National Forest shooting range.  Paul wanted to stop off and do some plinking.

After meeting several guys with some high-powered rifles and being dusted off with the concussion of them shooting (I did have ear plugs), Paul ran out of ammo so it was time to ride again.  This time several miles of gravel from that point out to US411.

If you see a man that looks like this or see a picture like this on a poster, take utmost care, for it is Pistol Paul, a member of the Backroads Biker Gang.  He could be flopping around in a large mud hole if he fails to negotiate the crossing.

The scenic roadway along the river.  Between the rock spots and the gravel it didn't give you much time to take pictures.

Dusty Trail Riding.

And then we hit the paved highways that were leading us back to the house.

Large hay fields, rolling hills and big blue sky.  Great scenic view.

This old house had been embellished with several gallons of red paint..  The garage didn't seem to fair out so well.

Big fields and most with electric fences.  Don't want to run off the road and fall onto one of those.

Then Paul took me by the airport near Athens, TN to see the Swift Plane Museum.  They were constructed in Saginaw, TX, just north of Fort Worth.  No longer being constructed this museum is also serves as the major parts supplier for those that are still flying.  It is a very neat two place flying machine.

Old style tail draggers.  Not too great in a cross-wind landing but a very neat little plane.  Next time I want to spend a little extra time there.

From here we hightailed it back to Seymour and on to the house.  About 20 or so miles of gravel, some nice mountain roads, great friendship shared with Paul and Terry and 217 miles for me door to door.  Another great day for riding and all done rather safely.

So until the next Valkyrie Adventure, I hope you and yours to be well and enjoying life.  Take advantage of seeing great and beautiful things in this The Land of Milk and Honey.  It has a lot to offer and not all of it costs money to look at.

Cades Cove In The Late Winter

It was Saturday afternoon, March 4, 2017, bright sun shining with a beautiful blue sky.  What better conditions could prompt a short afternoon ride.  So I donned my riding gear, pushed Redbug (Honda NC700X) out of the garage and took off.  I ran the back roads over to Walland and Townsend entering the Park from the Townsend side.  Traffic was reasonably light considering such a great afternoon.

Quickly turned off Chapman Hwy. onto Titsworth Springs Rd.  Nice rolling hills with the Smokies in the far distance.

Then another little tree/shrub lined back road for a change of scenery.

Later another turn and we're following the Little Pigeon River on one side and the Univ. of TN Agriculture site on the other.  And lots and lots of blue sky.

Came into Townsend form the Walland side and as I was leaving Townsend I passed by one of my favorite restaurants, The Riverstone.  I had lunch already or I would have stopped in for one of their Grilled Ham and Cheese sandwiches and beer battered fries.

Not far up the road you enter the Smoky Mtn. Nat. Pk. and you follow the river or stream all the way to Cades Cove.

 It is quite relaxing running this route and people often use the pull outs to take the time to "smell the roses" as they say.  In this case it's to listen to the water rushing over the rocks.

Low water this time of the year but levels will pick up once the Spring rains start.  They you'll see the kayakers and tubers floating.

Not far from the Townsend entrance is the tunnel, the only one going this direction.

In the summer it is not rare to see sunbathers laying out on the rocks taking in the rays.  And along the grassy sides of the river as well.

Wednesday mornings and Saturday mornings the Cades Cove Loop Road is closed to motor vehicles.  It is for hikers and bikers (the pedal type).  You often see them riding the roads in the Park.  Care must be taken as the width of the roadway is rather narrow and in most cases no shoulders.  Patience is called upon.

Shortly after entering the 11 mile loop road several deer are grazing.  In the background to the right are a couple of people walking out in the pasture.  Hope they remember the animals are wild, not pets.

Past the churches and on the backside of the Cove are large fields that once helped to sustain the families that lived in the Cove.

The mountains in the far distance make it appear they are way way off.  And if you were walking, they were way way off.

 They have been doing some controlled burning in the Cove the last few weeks which is a good thing as it causes new grass growth, gets rid of some unwanted brush and keeps the fuel for fires at a lower level.

It is so peaceful here in the cove.  A great place to bring a chair, a good book, and just let the body unwind, the soul be at peace and the mind in solitude.

The road is curving around an area that once had a homestead off to the right.  Winter makes the trees look like dead sentinels standing duty.  Leaves are not far off.

A nice long stretch where no vehicles are in front gives a great opportunity to shoot a pic that makes the road look as if it ends at the base of the mountain.  I'm all fenced in.

One of the many vantage points where you can take some great scenic photos of the mountains, quite often the animals and even funnier, some of the visiting people.

Ahh, the mountains.  Blue-grayish color from the rays of the sun makes a great backdrop for the pasture in the foreground.

I don't care which time of the year you come to this place, it is beautiful.

Split-rail fence and the house of a one time family of Cades Cove.  Back then work was really work.

The house, sheds and barns were not elegant but built stout and durable out of the materials they had at hand.

The storms of last year and this past winter have taken their toll on the forest of the Park.  Parson's Branch Rd. which is on the south side of the Cove was closed late last year due to fallen trees across the road or trees that were leaning over the roadway.  Due to lack of money it will stay closed all of this year as well.  It is a gravel road that 4 x 4 vehicles and bikes use.  The other end of the road comes out on the Tail of The Dragon.


Taking a last look across the pasture land at the mountains before entering the tree area.

Serenity, about all you can say about this picture.

The Cove, a gentle place most of the time but it can become quite cold and isolated depending on Mother Nature.

Well, the loop has ended and now it's decision time.  Do I take a right and stop in at the Campground Store for a treat or take a left and head back towards Townsend.  It was a right turn and then after a bottle of water and a snack carried along, I headed back to the house.  A great way to spend a lazy Saturday afternoon.  Door to door, 90 miles of pure pleasure and fun.

Ever get a chance to come to this part of the country, make sure you plan a trip to Cades Cove.  And bring your camera with the intent to stay a bit.