My first run on the "Dragon"

[Mr Bogus]

Leaving Vonore TN on a Wednesday morning to head for Spartenburgh SC, I look at my maps and spy my choices. Have done this a 2 dozen times but I guess I will always look at my maps before making a run.

I can run north for an hour and run my normal route through Knoxville and then up the Gorge (a technical road in its own right) and about 210 miles or I can take this route that runs on the "other" side of the national park... Hmmm looks shorter and I have run the top route at least 20 times...( l later find out is is 11 miles shorter, how prophetic)

This new route looks to be a couple inches shorter on the map and looks easy enough... 129 to 74 and over to 26...

Zip up my jacket, check the tires and off we go.... The first few miles are scenic and run along the water.. Hmm nice choice of roads here buddy, this is going to be a nice distraction...

10 minutes later we hit the first of the hairpins... Oh my.. this looks rather technical.. and look theres another one right in front of it.. and another, and another holy crap, what is this road.??

I am picking my lines carefully, and whether I like it or not I am going to be using the entire road...

For what seems an hour I am swinging back and forth across the roads and at times it would appear my tires are off the road... I am beginning to really regret this "new route"

I emerge 30 minutes later completely worn out, stressed out and so glad that I have not seen a soul on this road...

I find a wide spot in the road and figure I better do an equipment check and water a bush...

A careful inspection shows no damage on the 53' stepdeck trailer or the tires on a 10' spread.. 70' of tractor trailer unscathed! whew. what a relief...

Let me tell you what, running a tractor trailer up the "Dragon" is NOT how one should learn about this road... I am not sure how they made this road 11 miles shorter.... maybe it is magic..

Anyway, this route took over an hour longer....

 

[Don Hardcastle]

HAHAHAHA, very nice Randy.


Don

 

[twotonevert]

 

[Rayabusa0818]

Dragon Slayer

I hope you got a decal for the tractor

 

[Projekt]

Dang, you had me thinking it was on a two wheeler..

 

[GSXRFANN]

<------ Would love to drive a tractor-trailer.

 

[frisbee]

Could you imagine if he did that on a day with alot of bikes around . Talk about scary, seeing a trailer coming at you in your lane .

 

[ks-waterbug]

Whew had me worried there for a minute Brother.... Wait, I'm still worried!

 

[Mr Bogus]

I might add that there was not a single sign/warning or any other indication of what that road was back then...

Today? only a single small sign that is after the point of no return (unless you back up the highway)..

 

[zukracer]

yeah, that run was prior to the "dragon" really being as popular a place as it is today. If you tried that these days I imagine the results would be quite different. Unfortunately there are big rigs across the road at least once a day, even on weekends. They now have signs at the ends that suggest alternate routes

 

[fsusux]

Great story! Thanks for sharing.

 

[Rayabusa0818]

yeah, that run was prior to the "dragon" really being as popular a place as it is today. If you tried that these days I imagine the results would be quite different.  Unfortunately there are big rigs across the road at least once a day, even on weekends.  They now have signs at the ends that suggest alternate routes

Check out this hypothetical situation...

and this real one...

 

[99'busa]

man you had me goin so good i had to read the line about the 53' stepdeck 2x. I was like WHAT IS THIS KOUK TALKING ABOUT?

good one