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The Thrill of the Gap

It was broad daylight. I squeezed my man's ribs with my thighs and screamed "oh my god!" again and again, reveling in the pleasure of the moment.

"Settle down!" he told me playfully, "Enjoy the ride."

I was. Well, sort of. The Tail of the Dragon, with 318 twists and turns in 11 miles, has certainly earned its reputation for being one of the most exhilarating motorcycle rides in the US.

Wayne and I were among ten motorcyclists in our group that traveled to Deals Gap, Tennessee. The ride on the Cherohala Highway to Great Smoky Mountains National Park was incredible.

The fog was hanging on the Smokey Mountains and the air thick with humidity. We rode for nearly an hour with only the occasional car passing in the opposite direction. Every turn proved to be more scenic than the previous and a stop for a photo op at the peak was breathtaking.

We received our riding orders from Chris "The General." He pulled over and gave last minute instructions as we approached the dragon's tail. " Take your time, ride to your experience and we'll see one another at the bottom."

Chris pulled away with a huge smile on his face. A kid-in-the-candy-store smile!

Wayne and I started down and I could sense his delight in attacking each turn with love and gusto. Switchback after switchback, turn after turn, and before I knew it we were at the bottom. One after the other, we rolled into the parking lot of the souvenir shop where grown men and their machines lined up, comparing their tales of whoa! We all proceeded into the shop and, you guessed it, bought t-shirts.

The twisty, turny highway was the Holy Grail, no doubt. But as everyone knows, it's not just the destination that merits description, it's the journey, as well. This is how our journey began.

After months of planning, the big day finally arrived. Our friends, Susan and Marlin, (a couple I met learning to ride in our subdivision) and Wayne and I packed up the bikes with as much gear as we felt the bikes could safely hold. We set off on Ontario's 401 out of Kitchener-Waterloo at 6:00 am, planning to ride about 750 km that first day. Our destination today was Babcock State Park in West Virginia. We were determined to ride hard on interstate highways and put on as many miles as we could.

Stopping only for gas and a bite to eat (lucky I didn't write that in reverse), we made it to our destination by 4:00 pm. The park was beautiful and fees split between us amounted to US$7.50 per couple. This gave us accommodations in our tent, a warm shower and flush toilets. We had packed our dinners and so after an early meal and a stroll around the park, we crashed.

Day two was about the same as far as distance but the heat increased dramatically. The temperature hovered around 30 Celsius (95 Fahrenheit) and would remain this way or hotter the entire length of the trip.

We headed south on I-75. For the last leg we switched leaders, Marlin rode out front, Susan following and we rode behind.

Suddenly, a loud, explosive bang blasted in front of us. We soon saw a dump truck immediately to our right had blown a tire. It was now unraveling at about 120 km per hour!

I lifted my right leg instinctively to block the tire and ducked while Wayne tried to maneuver the bike. Thankfully, other drivers saw the rubber and our predicament and slammed on their brakes, enabling us to change into a safer lane and speed up out of the way. My heart was racing as I praised Wayne for some terrific riding. I was now particularly glad I had chosen not to ride on this trip. Initially, I reasoned that I could better enjoy the scenery from the back seat. Besides, Deals Gap is known, as I mentioned earlier and must mention again, for 318 twists and turns in 11 miles. My nerves were not ready for that. I think my nerves were similarly unprepared for exploding tires on dump trucks.

Fortunately, Sue and Marlin were completely unaware of the incident, which was good, considering an experience Sue had last summer in Sturgis, South Dakota. Another motorcyclist rear-ended her bike, slamming her forward into Marlin's. That driver was badly injured, particularly because he had opted not to wear a helmet. Susan, who was stopped on the highway to make a left turn, suffered only minor injuries and her husband faired even better with just some scrapes. Their bikes had to be trailered home for major repair. Needless to say she is still somewhat wary riding. This tire episode may have cut short her courageous comeback.

Late in the day, we arrived at Tellico Plains, Tennessee and the KOA Campground. We had reserved a kamping kabin for the next five days. Our friends, who had trailered their bikes earlier in the week, were all in the pool cooling off. They whooped and hollered as we rolled in.

The general already had plans for our next day. Deals Gap and the Tail of the Dragon, he told us, is safer on a weekday than on the weekend when everyone would be riding. The General has ridden it before; we went along with our fearless, yet cautious, leader's suggestion.

A quick dip and shower was all we needed before collapsing in our air-conditioned cabin.

That was the beginning of our dragon adventure, but more spills and chills lay in wait for us. Check back in an upcoming edition of the Ladies' Room for more details. In the meantime, if you're curious about this amazing location, check out www.tailofthedragon.com for more information.