Iron Horse Lodge and Western NC

[wncbmw]

I managed to take 5 hours to do a 2 hour ride (not the direct route ) and arrived at the Ironhorse Lodge shortly after noon. The campground is nice and the Lodge, with the dining hall, big screen TV and pool table is in the background.

http://h2oman.smugmug.com/gallery/905913/1/41193884

After setting up, I did Deals Gap, no pictures but lots of crazy riders and sports car drivers. Then on to the Cherahola Skyway. Check out the Skyway along the ridge in the background.

http://h2oman.smugmug.com/gallery/905913/1/41193888

Michael (machew01) arrived Friday night and the next morning, there were two Roadsters in the camping area.

http://h2oman.smugmug.com/gallery/905913/1/41193891

The next day's attempt at the Skyway was not as scenic!

http://h2oman.smugmug.com/gallery/905913/1/41193893

We had to abandon the attempt and rode Highway 28 (lots of curves, no pictures!) to meet Boxer (Phil) for lunch at Fat buddies BBQ.

http://h2oman.smugmug.com/gallery/905913/1/41193899

Boxer went back home from lunch. Yes, he just took a long ride through the mountains to meet us for lunch. Michael and I took off for the "road-which-will-not-be-named" for some nice curvy riding. Again no pictures, but I will be glad to show anyone this road in person! Just don't want it known out in cyberspace!

This is a shot from Wayah Road from Franklin. This is the first in a three shot sequence shot from the same spot in the span of about 10 seconds. Michael does the honors as the rider/subject.

Shot 1

http://h2oman.smugmug.com/gallery/905913/1/41193904

Shot 2 - turn 90 degrees

http://h2oman.smugmug.com/gallery/905913/1/41193906

Shot 3 - turn 180 degrees

http://h2oman.smugmug.com/gallery/905913/1/41193909

A little bit of fall color on Wayah Road

http://h2oman.smugmug.com/gallery/905913/1/41193913

And Michael does the riding again on a bridge on Wayah Road.

http://h2oman.smugmug.com/gallery/905913/1/41193916

As usual, not enough action shots, but on the good roads, either there is not a safe place to pull over or we are having too much fun to stop!

Good weekend and good company. Till next time!

[Boxer]

Nice Fall getaway pics! I would post the pic of the 3 Fat Buddies...I mean the three at Fat Buddies, but the girl who took the pic didn't give it time to focus properly and it made me look even plumper than I am in real life! So It was a no show!

I really enjoyed the lunch. I took off down 441 all the way through Clayton and down to Hwy 52 which I took over almost to Dahlonega. From there it was a quick bypass over to GA 400 and down to 369, 20, and home. It was close to 140 miles each way. I didn't really clock it, but thats what Delorme said.

I'm glad I don't have to travel 140 miles to lunch every day!

[mnnden]

wncbmw, What a great place to take a fall ride, All the pics are nice but I really like the one with the bikes in the fog, I know it is a "Bitch" to ride in but, I think it gives a nice finnish to a photo. Den

[machew01]

It truly was a great 900 mile weekend. Great scenery, fantastic riding, scrumptious prime rib at the Iron Horse, and I didn't get my a$$ whipped by the little brunette from Alabama - which she threatened to do.

mac

[kbc68]

Thanks for posting the photos , there's nothing like a fall ride .
The smell of the leaves . Those curves look awesome !

I haven't been that way in a long time . I should try and make my way down !

Bikes look great too !

[wncbmw]

Hey Michael - if she had known LSU beat Auburn in OT, she really would have been in a bad mood!

Anyone coming to the area, let me know and I will give some of the secret places to ride!

[machew01]

Vann, I can't imagine her in a bad mood. I'll have to go back to staying at the Rider's Roost with the patch holders. It's safer there.

mac

[DJ Downunder]

Very nice...I like that shot looking down on Wayah road...it looks like you had to climb a tree for that one..

DJ

[Boxer]

No DJ, I'm sure he was on the side of the road around the turn...what we call a "switchback" here in the mountains.

It is a cool shot!

[JCsman]

Boxer went back home from lunch. Yes, he just took a long ride through the mountains to meet us for lunch.

Are you sure he didn't have lunch with you just to take a long ride through the mountains?

Great ride. Jealosy reins.

[wncbmw]

Bill - you are right. Boxer's ride was the reason, not us. Or the BBQ!

Next time I go with some people on the Wayah Road, I will go ahead before that switchback and shoot some more shots. It was perfect, with the road climbing steeply to allow the downward angle, then a simple turn to the right to get the switchback and turn around to shoot the going away shot.

[Boxer]

I went one route to get up there and another to get home. 140 odd miles each way. On the way up was north Georgia nirvana, passing the last of the warm Fall colors along challenging twistie roads and two passes through the lower Blue Ridges. The best was zipping by Brasstown Bald and circumventing Lake Chatuge into North Carolina. There it was smooth sailing along the beautifully scenic NC highway 64 into Franklin...and pulling into Fat Buddies, just seconds behind Vann and Michael......

Oh! And how dare you suggest I rode to meet you guys just to make the ride!

[sshallen]

OK Vann, so it seems Killboy snapped a zillion photos of you on Friday:

http://tinyurl.com/deqdf

Yet only three of me on Saturday, though I passed him FOUR TIMES:

http://tinyurl.com/azwyk (I'm pics 13 through 15).

The fog wasn't THAT bad on the Skyway... 38 degrees at 4,000 feet and about ten foot visibility. Colder and denser than that at the top.



This was shot at about 10am!!!

[wncbmw]

Hey Sam, I am actually on page 11, 12 and mostly on 13 of the link you posted. The first set, I was pretending to stifle a yawn for the camera since I was caught behind cages but it didn't work!

http://www.photoreflect.com/scripts/prs ... 1130783881

About the fog, we slowed down and felt like we were creeping along, then I glanced at the speedo in a curve and realized I was still speeding!

[boxermania]

Van....nice outing. The Iron Horse camp is definitely a place to stay. Im glad that brother Boxer and Machew joined you......

I still remember the ride during the first day of Beakster Bash I when a few of us ventured out late on the first day to Fat Buddies for dinner via Hway 28....and what happened to tthe leaders....chuckle....chuckle.....do you remember that far back......

That was a very enjoyable time and I shall cherish it for the rest of my life.....

[NoRRmad]

Wow. I was riding the Cherohala Skyway four days later, and it was much nicer.




But there was ice and snow at the top.



What a nice place for a ride!

[wncbmw]

boxermainia said:

do you remember that far back......

Al, my oldtimers isn't that bad! I remember it well. And who the "leaders" were on that ride!

NoRRmad - you were in the neighborhood and didn't give me shout!? Hey man, we could have skipped all the Playhouse fun and I'd show you some good backroads!

[NoRRmad]

Sorry; I was letting the weather determine my route. Wanted to ride the Appalachians going south, but the weather kept closing in as I went -- about an hour-and-a-half behind me, with fog on the Blue Ridge. I was in Nashville going west, thinking about finding the Big Bend ride, when the weather showed rain ahead, and clearing behind me, so I turned around and went up the Cherohala/Blue Ridge/Skyline roads. I didn't have a computer with me to PM anybody.

Next time!

[sshallen]

Wow. I was riding the Cherohala Skyway four days later, and it was much nicer.

Beautiful shots... Bald River Falls?

Four DAYS later? It can look 180 degrees different four HOURS later!!!

[NoRRmad]

Thank you!

Yes, Bald River Falls.

(If you want to see them full-size, they're here:)

http://r1150r.smugmug.com/gallery/943326

Select 'original' size when you click on the pix. I'll try to upload some more soon. (Whoops, I just tried to view them; maybe you should select 'large' instead. They're pretty big.)