The Cherohala Skyway was opened and dedicated in
1996 and cost over 100 million dollars to construct.
The road has been designated a National Scenic Byway and crosses
through the Cherokee National Forest in Tennessee and the Nantahala
National Forest in North Carolina. The Skyway connects Tellico Plains,
Tennessee, with Robbinsville, North Carolina, and is about 40+ miles
long. The elevations range from 900 feet above sea level at the Tellico
River in Tennessee to over 5400 feet above sea level at the
Tennessee-North Carolina state line at Haw Knob.
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Some of the beautiful views of the ride. |
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Shadows of the clouds on
the valley below. |
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More senic views.
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and more....
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Connie enjoying a rest from
the ride. |
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Views from the road. |
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Leaning into the corner. |
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motoring along the Skyway |
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High above the The Overhill
Cherokee valley. |
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more The Overhill Cherokee
views. |
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The Overhill Cherokee |
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My wife and I enjoying the
wonderful ride and sunshine. |
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A few more clouds moving
in. |
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On the road again....
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I think there is a song in
there somewhere. |
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Cherohala Skyway map |
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Deals Gap - "The Dragon" -
Designated US
129, the road is bordered by the Great Smoky Mountains and the
Cherokee National Forest. The road features 318 curves in 11
miles and is considered by many as one of the world's foremost
motorcycling and sports car touring roads.
As we made
our turn off the Cherohala Skyway north on US 129, the weather
started to take a turn. The skies darkened, and rain could be
seen in the distance. By the time we arrived at the Tail of the
Dragon resort, liquid sunshine had started to fall.
We
decided to grab some lunch at the resort and explore the gift
shop and try to wait out the rain. But after looking at the
local forecast and radar images, we would be waiting for quite
some time. So on went the rain gear and we started our journey
north through "The Dragon".
The first couple of miles
provided only light rain, but it picked up by mile 4. By the
time we got to mile 7, we had a full on downpour and fog had
started to encase the mountain. Speeds slowed to 10-15 mph as I
negotiated the many curves and elevation changes with my
rain-soaked windshield and helmet visor.
Having made it
through "The Dragon" unscathed, we stopped at US 129 Dragon
Harley-Davidson to wring out the gloves and wipe the visor dry
before we completed our trip back to Knoxville. This was not the
way I wanted the first ride on the dragon with my wife aboard
the Goldwing to go, but I've now added a new skill set to my
resume.
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The resort. |
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Rich and Darci taking in
the scenery. |
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Rich and Darci with the
Dragon |
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The metal "Dragon" |
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The Tail of the Dragon
shop. Great place for T-shirts, buttons, patches and pins. |
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Shots from the road.....
Hi Mr. photographer. |
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no traffic at all... |
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beautiful winding corners |
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Connie saying hello to the
photographers |
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no roads like this in
Michigan |
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The rain gets heavier |
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and darker |
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only a hundred or so more
curves to go. |
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now the fog starts to move
in |
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the new LED headlights look
great and works well in the rainy conditions. |
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off to finish the rest the
The Dragon..... |
