Time Out in Tellico Plains

Ahhh. I do feel better.

Cherokee Slideshow

The above link is to a YouTube slideshow one of the fellas at the KLR650 (for the girls, a KLR is a motorcycle ) "Tour de Tellico II" posted. I ain't in it, but you get the idea.

Something like 80 KLR650's, a couple Super Sherpa's, a couple KLX250s's (one is actually a 330 w/ a Mikuni pumper - WOW!), one DRZ650, two XR650L's, two DRZ200's, three XT350's, a smattering of buckeye's on Beemers all descended on the Cherohala Motorcycle Resort in Tellico Plains for three days of ridin all over the Cherokee and Natahalia National Forests. We climbed mountains, ran "The Dirt Dragon", I rode the "Trail of Tears" (yes, the one the indians were force marched on), crossed streams, rode single track, rode goat trails, rode gravel, rode dirt, rode mud, traveled the Cherohala Skyway twice and resisted the urge to buzz hardleys.

There was only one Life Flight (banged up good - no permanent damage) and one broken arm (poor bastard rode in from Florida only to wreck upon arrival in Tellico Plains). Both of the above mentioned bikes are goners. There were a lot of broken turn signals, mirrors, bent shifters and levers - nothing really serious.

The important thing, though, is I got the dope on where the fun stuff is. Now if Nate ever gets a furlough from his gilded cage and WellDigger ever gets a bike..... We are good to go teach our GPS's some new, ahem, roads.

Lots of bikes were out and about this weekend. Some interesting sightings: a pristine Honda Magna w/ cafe' fairing (thought of you Bill), many Ducati's, a couple of Yamaha twostroke street bikes, a few Triumph Tigers, lot's of V-stroms, a 1985 Honda Ascot with full fairing, a Pacific Coast

Those of you who have not been camping on your motorcycle. Do it. In this order: Lay the wife, pack light, ride hard, eat big, sleep dirty, smoke some, drink a little, tell lies, ride some more, repeat as necessary.





The fella with the map is CherokeeChuck. A local who organized some of the rides and mostly waited for everyone to catch up. That's me with the fanny pack/holster covering my muscular buttocks.

The second pic is one of the trails we rode.

UPDATE:
I heard the Weather Channel reported a dust storm just South of Robbinsvile, NC on Saturday. There were 27 KLR's in one group riding out that way..... Hmmmm.