My BRG 2011 Trip Report

[Tidrick]

I thought I would post a little ride report from my BRG 2011 trip.

First ? I ACTUALLY GOT TO MAKE THE RUN!!! That alone produced a big grin for me.

This was the biggest trip I have taken so far in my not-so-illustrious riding career. I had an absolute blast and hope I get to do it again.

Just the STATS:

Total of 2,579 miles and 59.7 gallons of fuel over 6 days of travel. Average fuel economy for the trip was 43.9 mpg, high of 46.3 mpg and a low of 42.2 mpg. My highest mileage day was 900 miles the last day, with a close second at 730 miles on day one.

I fully recognize that this is mere child?s play compared to what many of you do routinely, and even what some did on this trip. However, for me, it was a big trip. I do not get these opportunities often.

The FACTS:

I left Katy, TX Wednesday and headed for the Goodwater / Millerville, AL area for my first overnight stop. This was the 730 mile day. I spent the night with some friends I have not seen in over 15 years ? great evening of fellowship and a terrific supper! After a short night before (3.5 hrs sleep) and a long day in the saddle, sleeping in a real bed felt a lot better than setting up a tent and sleeping on the ground.

Thursday morning I sort of got back on my original plan of running back roads as I worked my way NE through the Talledega National Forest. A stop at the top in Cheaha State Park was pretty and pleasant ? I would like to have taken a bit more time exploring, but I did have an afternoon appointment in NE Georgia.

Making my way up to Brenam, GA, I made a needed stop at Walmart for some items I was missing and what was intended to be a quick lunch. This stop was extended for a bit, but finally back on the road and now behind schedule, I decided to reroute to the interstates. I hit I-20 to Atlanta, then took the loop across the north side to 400 which I followed NE to Dahlonega, GA. Ashley Horn and I met in Dahlonega, refueled and rode up to the campground together, arriving shortly after 6 PM ET. Once our campsites were established, we rode in to Waynesville for a bite of supper.

Friday was a ride with the train. Most of the events of that day have already been covered in other discussions so I will only say that it was a good day to ride. My own riding efforts were off pace for my typical capabilities (my sincerest apologies to the riders following me) and I feel fortunate that I do not have to add my own tale of woe to the other rider-down accounts!

Friday evening I had the pleasure of riding down to Greeneville, SC with Uncle Phil to pick up Karl from the hospital. We arrived back at camp around 11 PM and sacked out pretty shortly thereafter.

Knowing my pace was off and not feeling like I wanted to ride briskly Saturday, I chose to sleep in a bit, then ride on my own. For me for that day, it was a terrific decision! I rode extremely casually, and I stopped several times to take a few pictures or just enjoy the scenery.

Saturday evening was the farewell dinner at the Sagebrush and was a good time of visiting, then back to camp and an evening of chatting with friends. Saturday was the second best day of the trip for me.

Sunday, up to a farewell to some friends, then a casual breakfast at Clyde?s with other friends, more farewells, and time to break camp. With the ST loaded, I hit the road for Cookeville, TN via Cherohala Skyway and TN Hywy 30 over to 285 and then 111 to the old home. If you?ve not run those three roads, you owe it to yourself. Sweet riding!

In Cookeville I visited our old home ? lots of emotions in that little cruise, I assure you. Then to my in-laws? place for a shower and off the Sunday night service and more reconnections with friends I have been dearly missing.

I still had two days to complete my trip, but I was pining to see my wife and kids, so I decided to start early and ride all the way through if I could. I had the option to pull off and spend the night if need be, but I was able to meet my goal. I left Cookeville, TN at 5:45 AM and, three fuel stops later I was in my driveway at 8:48 PM after 900 thankfully uneventful miles.

 

[Tidrick]

The STORIES?

As with any trip, there are a hundred little items one would like to share, but I will try to keep it to just a few major ones.

Thursday, as I was riding through the Talledega National Forest, I was climbing up this hill and the crest simply broke against the sky. While odd in retrospect, it did not register with me at first. In fact, I was thinking how cool it would be to snap a picture with the ST parked on the road and silhouetted against the sky when I reached the crest and - I was OUT of the forest! NO trees! On my right was a small roadside sign. When I stopped to read, I learned that the massive tornado system that ripped across Alabama and Georgia had also taken a significant swathe through the Talledega National Forest ? right were I was! I took a few pictures, but these do not effectively display the devastation the forest suffered. The downed trees have been cleared, and the forest service is already working on reforestation programs to offset the effects. A few pictures below (and before you critique my photography skills TOO much, you should know I forgot my little digital camera, so all these shots are taken with my cell phone camera.)





Needless to say, this was a shocking and humbling sight.

Other than this bit of nature?s carnage, the ride through the forest was both beautiful and refreshing. For some reason I have wanted to make this little run for a few years now. I?m glad I did, and hope to do it again.

Stopping at Walmart was an unwelcome necessity as I was missing a few key items needed for my camping excursion. Items acquired, I decided to hit the in-store MacDonald?s for lunch before heading back out. Now, if you know me at all you likely know the Mickey D?s is far from a preferred food stop for me, but it was easily accessed and should be quick and cheap. Please notice I said ?should?.

First of all, while waiting at the counter to pay, a young man walked up behind me in line. I mean RIGHT behind me! He was way too far inside my personal-space radius. Normally a congenial guy, I turned and looked quite sternly at this fellow ? clearly my expression was ?what are you trying to do?? He looked at me a little startled and backed off a step or so. Thank you very much.

Then, the young lady behind the counter entered my order wrong and I didn?t catch it. I like fish sandwiches even less than I like Mickey D?s, and have you ever heard anyone order a fish sandwich with extra mustard? Order completed, the little gal offered me a smile with my ?fish combo?. Uhmm, that?s not what I ordered, I ordered the cheeseburger combo. Consternation set in. Then the manager noted that the fish combo (what I was charged for) was ten cents more than what I actually ordered. You would think they had never had to process an order correction and refund before! Consternation became mass confusion and dismay. When I realized what had the crew in shock and disarray I assured them, ?Ma?am, I don?t care about the dime, I just need to get my order and get rolling!? The look of relief over their faces was quite out of proportion to the financial imbalance. My, my ? I wonder what they do when they are off a dollar at the end of the shift? Anyway, between the mistake with the order, confusion over ten cents and then the delay to make my correct order, my ?quick? lunch stop was a good bit protracted.

Lunch issues resolved and the facsimile of food items available at this venue consumed, I headed out to the parking lot to figure out where to stow the additional items on an already compression packed motorcycle. I had parked the bike about 2/3 of the way out the lot and on the opposite side from the lunch stop side. As I walked out the door I was taken aback by the sight of a stocky gentleman dismounting from my bike at the front door of the store ? oh wait, that?s not my bike. No saddlebags! Heart rate settling back down, I approached him and said, ?Now THAT gave me a start!?

He looked up at me and said, ?Sorry?? I laughed and told him I had a bike almost just like his parked w-a-y over there. He turned and looked, then laughed and said, ?Why, you sure as h*** do, don?t ya?? A friendly conversation ensued which led to us ambling over to my ST and me showing him some of the details relating to my cruise control installation. A few more minutes of warm conversation and I am finally off and running for NE Georgia.

A little aside ? I had always heard ?Dahlonega? pronounced ?Da low NAY ga?. Talking with my friends in Alabama Wednesday evening, I mentioned I was meeting Ashley in ?Da low NAY ga?. Karen looked at me with the funniest look on her face and said, ?Do you mean ?Da LON a ga??? Sheepishly, I accepted her correction (further confirmed by pretty much everyone else I spoke with over the course of the next few days). Ya lives and ya learns.

I mentioned earlier that I met my friend Ashley Horn at Dahlonega, GA for the last little leg up to Moonshine Creek Campground outside of Waynesville, NC. Number one, it was great to see him again! Next, the ride up was a good run, made even more entertaining by a pack of cruisers we fell in behind and who made almost every single intersection choice we made. They actually moved along OK, but the bike in the very back worried me. Now, that guy can probably ride circles around me, but running two-up on a big cruiser and cutting didos IN CURVE APEXES like he was doing was simply begging for a disaster. Fortunately they didn?t crash with us in tow, and Ashley found a cut off road that separated our paths. Good call, Ash!

Friday?s train ride was well led (Mr. Lanman can RIDE, boys!), however in the earlier section I indicated I was off pace. I really rode poorly on Friday ? more so than I can recall in recent history. I genuinely want to apologize to a couple of riders following me ? especially on the leg of 215 coming down from the BRP. I felt I was doing EVERYTHING wrong! Target fixating, stiff arming the steering, poor lines in the curves, riding the brakes and likely a lot of other ?I-know-better? errors! If you were behind me ? please accept my apologies! I really do (usually) ride a bit better than all that? I honestly scared myself a few times and I am so thankful I did not lose it like I felt I was about to do a couple of times.

Due to the day?s events (personal and otherwise) on Friday, I decided to ride by myself Saturday and just relax. I thoroughly enjoyed the day! I managed to spot what I perceived to be picture worthy settings a couple of times and I took advantage of them. A couple of samples for your pleasure (or pain as the case may be):












I made my way back up to the Blue Ridge Parkway. I had a route in mind that was a few more miles and some significant twisties (can you say Franklin, NC then 28 northeast, anyone?), but my casual riding pace and stops threatened to make me late back to camp for the ride to the farewell dinner, so I simply headed northerly back towards camp. A stop at one of the overlooks presented this opportunity:



While soaking this in, an elderly gentleman and his wife stopped to enjoy the view. He shared with me that he had walked all over those hills coon hunting, and there was some good fishing to be done in that lake in the very top of the picture (slightly to the left of center). He and his wife each commented in separate exchanges that they had lived here all their lives but they never grew tired of looking at this scenery. I can understand their affection.

Last year I snapped a picture of Chuck with his ST1300 and me with my Blackbird at the highest point on the Blue Ridge Motorway sign. An obligatory snapshot with the ST was in order. I offered to take a picture of a young couple together at the sign and they were kind enough to return the favor so I could be in the picture with my bike.



Yeah, I know ? it would have been better with just the bike?

At dinner that evening, I enjoyed visiting with Ashley, Randy (Treemuncher), Bill (BleST), and Chuck (Skunkape) and his wife Linda. Following dinner, Ashley and I continued our visit with Chuck and Linda at their camper before turning in for the night. Good friends, good times.

Sunday - camp site cleared and bike packed - found me enjoying more of the beauty and riding pleasure in the hills as I made my way over Cherohala Skyway. A quick stop in Tellico Plains enabled me to procure a new pair of mesh riding gloves to replace my worn out ones, then Hywy 30. Ahhh, Hywy 30. Yet MORE scenery, twists and turn. Light traffic and beautiful weather made for my favorite kind of riding.

Sunday evening was a special visit back with our church family in Cookeville. I had not been able to get back to TN since we moved in May, so this was a poignant and somewhat emotional visit for me. As I noted to my (former) pastor, it is strange to feel like a visitor in a place one knows so intimately. Such is life.

Monday was a blitz run. I was ready to be reunited with my family in Katy, TX. I rolled early, and, except for the first stop (cold, sleepy, hungry and wanting coffee - I figured it best to make a short stop rather than a crucial error), I rolled tank to tank. I arrived home almost exactly 15 hours and 900 miles after leaving Cookeville.

One little run home related funny: I discovered ? 1,000 miles too late ? that I brought my son?s rain shell jacket instead of my own. I hit a few little sprinkles along the way Monday and just rode through, but then somewhere between Texarkana and Lufkin, TX I hit a pretty good rain shower. Well, wet I got? Fortunately there was enough daylight and warm temperatures left on the day to dry out my jacket on the roll before temps started dropping with the sunset.

All in all it was a great trip. I have really done minimal riding this year due to the relocation process to Texas. This trip scratched a deep itch to do a major little trip, camp a bit, see some friends now out of my normal circle, and remember that not all roads are straight and flat. Now, I am glad to be safely back at home with my family. Hummm? when is BRG 2012 again? :-0

 

[Tidrick]

I forgot the forum doesn't allow the pics to be embedded with the text (or at least I don't know how to do it...). Here are a few more of the pics:

 

[970mike]

Nice report and pictures. You can enter your pictures with the text if you use the icon next to the envelope that says to insert image, I have found if you preview your message click and open your attachment (your picture) right mouse click and copy the picture and attach image and that is how you can then insert them in the text. I hope that helps.

 

[Rick Gibson]

Thanks for posting, I really enjoyed it. Nice pictures!

 

[Uncle Phil]

And thanks for riding shotgun over to Greenville to pickup Karl! It would have a long, tough ride going over without the company, not to mention the navigator function while we were trying to find the right hospital. ;-)

 

[BleST]

Enjoyed the report and pics. What a beautiful area. Looking at pics by others and myself really shows the diversity. None look the same! Was nice meeting and talking with you Keith.

 

[Tidrick]

970mike - thanks for the 'structions. I'll give that a try when I get a chance and see if it works for me (I have a pretty impressive ability to fail to accomplish the obvious sometimes...).

One little tidbit I forgot to include in my ramblings: My ST1100 rolled 70,000 miles very shortly after leaving Cookeville, TN Monday AM. I am slowly - oh, so slowly - creeping up on my 50k on one bike award. Maybe I'll get there a little before the bike hits 20 yrs old. :-0

I am 750 miles shy of 70,000 miles motorcycle riding, and this is after 8 years. BDonald (and a few others of you) does more than that EVERY YEAR! Sheesh... :bow1: :bow1:


I reckon I'm gonna have ta try a LOT harder...

 

[stgolfer]

Great report and pictures, Keith. It was a pleasure meeting you and riding with you.

 

[Lanny]

Good one Keith. I hope to see you next year!

 

[Ashley]

Not sure why I am just seeing this report, overlooked it somehow. Great report, wish I could get into writing enough to do it justice but I'm just not a writer. Love reading though. Really enjoyed seeing you Keith and I hope to see you again before next BRG somewhere.