Last week Renee and I got to ride some of the most famous roads in the Smokey Mountains; the Cherohala Skyway and the Tail of the Dragon.
We had planned to ride in the Smokey Mountains on our way back from visiting family in Charleston, SC, so we were locked in on the days we would be riding. Unfortunately, the weather was very uncooperative on our riding days.
On the first day we started out in the rain and rode the Cherohala Skyway from East to West, then we turned North to Vonore and back South over the Tail of the Dragon. Finally we went past the Fontana Dam. About halfway along the Skyway the rain gave way to partial clouds, so we were able to finish the day fairly dry.
On the 2nd day we started out dry and rode past the Cheoah Dam and Tapoco Lodge on our way to the Tail of the Dragon. This time we rode if from South to North and I think it was a lot more fun in this direction. After the tail, we rode the Foothills Parkway to Townsend, and from there we took a fun road called Little River Gorge Road. It was so narrow that Renee thought she could touch the cliff walls on some of the corners. Very fun!! As we were riding this stretch is started to rain on and off, so the clouds closed in and the views disappeared. We rode out to Clingman's Dome and Dale actually made the 1/2 mile hike to the lookout tower, but the clouds were too thick to see anything. By the time we got to Cherokee the sun was out again, but we could see dark clouds in the distance, so we hustled back to the campground before the rain hit (again).
In spite of the rain, we had a great time enjoying some of the roads we had heard and read about for so long. There are so many more roads that we want to ride, so I'm sure we will be headed back that say sometime soon!
September Driftless Challenge Winner:
The Winner for September's Driftless Challenge is Debra H.! Congratulations Debra!!.
Just a reminder, October is the last month to enter the Driftless Challenge.
2022 Driftless Challenge:
We are already scouting some sites for the 2022 Driftless Challenge, plus we are working on some new twists to make it even more interesting! So be sure to check out the 2022 Driftless Challenge early next spring!! Here is a sneak peak of one of the new sites for next year:
We are still working on some exciting changes to the site, so stay tuned! Until next week, ride safe!!
Dale and Renee
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