Spring Ridin' 'n' Hangin' Roundup

**Land** · 06-03-2011, 19:21

I've been out for a few motorcycling-and-hanging trip this spring -- and one boat-camping trip -- but have been a bit slack in posting trip reports. I'll remedy that with this little roundup.

I was on spring break from my teaching job the week leading up to Easter. After piddlin' around the house for the weekend and Monday and most of Tuesday, I fianlly got the bike loaded for a trip into the mountains.

I had planned to get into the mountains and set up camp that night, but I stopped in to see my parents about 45 miles up the road, mom offered to cook me supper, and I ended up spending the night there.

I got up the next morning with a vague idea of hanging at the Deal's Gap Motorcycle Resort that night. I had a good ride into the mountains and did a little dirt-road riding.

The skies were threatenin'.

I got off that road just as a thunderstorm was starting. I feel lucky to have not gotten light'nin' struck.

After some good curvy pavement and some more dirt and gravel ...

... I arrived at Deal's Gap, had lunch and set up camp. I set up in exactly the spot that I have used a few other times there, using my WBBB 1.7 double, my big ol' JRB tarp with Tarp Flyz, my poncho liner topquilt and my Winter (yes, winter!0 incubator.

I rode the Tail of the Dragon a few times that evening and the next morning. It wasn't as busy as I had feared it would be, and I had some pretty good runs. I hung out by the big fire pit and visited with the other folks staying there in th evening.

Stay tuned,
Chris

**Land** · 06-03-2011, 20:01

The next morning (Thursday), I got up, packed up and went explorin'.

I cruised through Cherokee ...

.. and went into Great Smoky Mountains National Park.

The view from up top at Newfound Gap was pretty good that day.

A few miles before the Sugarlands Visitor Center, a black bear was about 30 feet off the road watching the tourons from a rock outcropping about 15 feet higher than the road surface. I didn't stop for a pic.

I stopped in at Sugarlands, then turned around to head to my resting place for the night.

I set up camp at Blue Ridge Motorcycle Campground, which is on the Pigeon River in Cruso, NC.

I really like the Tarp Flyz.

I went to meet my wife, Mary Elizabeth, in Hendersonville, NC. I took the Blue Ridge Parkway.

It was a bit foggy in places.

We had a great lunch, then caravaned on US276 back to Cruso.

We took a cabin at the campground for the rest of the weekend.

We wrapped up the weekend at a family Easter gathering. I had a couple more weekend trips in the plans.

Stay tuned,
Chris

**Land** · 06-03-2011, 21:06

After going to a Friday-night function here in town with my wife, I spent the weekend that linked April to May at the BMW Motorcycle Owners of Georgia's Georgia Mountain Rally on Lake Chatuge outside Hiawassee.

From trading PMs, I knew that leeinmemphis would be set up there somewhere.

I found him -- or at least his setup -- pretty easily.

Since Lee wasn't around, I got myself set up, checked out the vendor area, and grabbed a burger for lunch.

A while later, I noticed some movement in the leeinmemphis hang spot, so I went over to introduce myself.

Here's LeeInMempisInGeorgia

:

We hung out with a few other guys most of the afternoon and into the evening.

Then we went to cook our supper.

After we ate, we went to the bonfire.

The next morning, I had breakfast with a buddy from from an Upstate SC dinner group that we have, then we parted ways as he headed home and I headed for as many curvy roads as I could find.

Tornadoes had gone through a few days before, and the evidence of that was everywhere and very sobering. It was the same system of storms that did so much damage in Tuscaloosa and other areas.

That day's ride included Blood Mountain.

I often wonder if any HF members are out there in the woods when I cross over the AT and other hiking trails.

I headed home from there with my next trip hanging out there like a beacon.

Stay tuned,
Chris

**Land** · 06-03-2011, 21:33

My next trip was scheduled for May 21-23. I had planned to take Friday off and head up early that morning with my wife to enjoy the weekend.

Then our school's softball team made it into the state championship series, lost one, won one and was scheduled for the final game for Friday. A good number of the players on the team were on my yearbook staff, so I really wanted to be there for them. I cancelled my day off, stayed in town to work, and Mary Elizabeth and I headed to the game right after I got through with the school day.

They won.

Mary Elizabeth decided that a relatively long ride on Saturday followed by the reverse trip the very next day was not what she wanted. (Yeah, she's smarter than I am.

) I left mid-morning Saturday to go Laurel Springs, NC, for the advrider Eastern Rendezvous.

It was a good time.

I made a large part of the trip home on the Blue Ridge Parkway. I found a nice little spot to take a little nap since I hadn't spent nearly enough time in my hammock the night before.

That wrapped up that weekend. Memorial Day Weekend was on the horizon.

Stay tuned,
Chris

**BLUEFIN 774** · 06-03-2011, 21:49

Hey Land.

Thanks for sharing such beautiful photos and a trip report with us.

**Land** · 06-03-2011, 22:18

Thanks for the kind words.

The latest hang I went on wasn't a motorcycle trip (though I did ride a motorcycle to get there

).

My brother scouted out an island camping spot on Lake Hartwell, loaded up his wife and four kids

, the boat and the two Waverunners and headed to the island the Friday before Memorial Day. I joined them Saturday afternoon with my camping gear. (Mary Elizabeth came out for a few hours Saturday, too, before heading home to pack for a trip to Florida to visit her parents.)

It was a fun weekend. My youngest brother and his girlfriend and her daughter joined us and camped Sunday night. Several groups of friends joined us Sunday and/or Monday. I rode Waverunners most of the day Sunday and Monday. A lot of that time was pulling the kids on the tube. It was fun being in constant uncle mode for those few days.

Here are some pics from the weekend. I hung my WBBB and Superfly to sleep in and put up my ENO DN not far from the fire as a lounding spot for everyone. The ENO get a lot of use.

Some pics:

Mary Elizabeth and me

This is my youngest nephew and me:

My brother T.J.

My brother Adam

A wee goofball

Adam found a hat in the lake

(That's our friend's daughter in the background. It's a funny-lookin' pic of her. Her mom is taking her off the Waverunner.

)

T.J.

That wraps up the roundup.

Happy hangin',
Chris

**jraffini** · 06-03-2011, 21:22

That's some beautiful country! Those pictures are wonderful! I love the picture of you hanging from a tree that says 'tent camping only'. That's a keeper. Looks like you had a great time!