Saturday April 4th, Barry Meade and I rode the Cherohala 200k permanent route, administered by Jeff Sammons of the Harpeth Bicycle Club. For those of you not familiar with these roads, the beauty of this area cannot be adequately described with words.
It includes the "Tail of the Dragon", a section of Highway reported to have 318 curves in 11 miles which gradually climbs up to Deal's Gap at the North Carolina / Tennessee state line. There you pass Deal's Gap Motorcycle Resort and Cheaoh Dam (the Dam that was featured in the movie The Fugitive).
At the start of our ride, the temperature had been 38 degrees,but by the time we reached Deal's Gap, it was starting to warm up and we began peeling off our arm & leg warmers.
After a short descent we began climbing again into Robbinsville North Carolina - mile 73 of this ride and our lunch stop. As we rolled into town, my rear wheel was developing a really bad wobble that could not be corrected by adjusting spoke tension.
Since we were about to begin climbing the Skyway I knew that I would not need a rear brake for a while (to stop while climbing the Skyway one does not need to brake, one only needs to stop pedaling - gravity does the rest). So, I completely released my rear brake caliper so that I did not have to
fight a rubbing rim all of way up Cherohala.
As we started the climb, we had several trucks fly by us at high speeds. Our initial response was to become upset at their disregard for traffic laws. But, it turns out that they were volunteer emergency responders going to the scene of a motorcycle accident another mile up the Skyway. As we passed by the scene I overheard comments that lead me to beleive that, while seriously injured, the rider was going to survive. We pressed on, turning our attention back to the tough climb and great scenery.
The Skyway crosses through the Cherokee and Nantahala National Forests thus the name "Chero...hala". The main climb is 11 miles long and tops out at over 5,400 feet. For most of the climb you can look out across the gaps and see the Skyway ahead winding up and over ridge after ridge. Similarly, as you near the top you can look back far down below and see the roadway behind you winding downward - it is a great sight that you have to see in person to fully appreciate.
A photo of the Cherohala Skyway from the skyway website
At the Summit we paused for a couple of photos and I re-tightened my brake caliper enough to allow me to use my rear brake to slow down. We then
crossed back into Tennessee and began the long descent back to Tellico Plains. Dropping from 5,400 feet to 900 feet elevation on the way down there are plenty of long, winding curves with spectacular views, interupted briefly by two one mile climbs along the way.
It is a definite "Must-Do" ride!
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