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Written by Administrator
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Monday, 08 October 2007 |
Bugsplat Joins the USO The Bugsplat Chronicles – The Sage Continues
About 2 weeks ago I received an e-mail from a returning rider who had read some of the Bugsplat Chronicles. He knows someone who knows me and wondered if he could meet Bugsplat. We talked and I discovered he was recently retired military doing a little riding before settling down and looking for a job. He also is retiring along the southern reaches of the Outer Banks which is on next year’s trip agenda so I secured Bugsplat’s approval and agreed to meet him for a ride of the Cherahola Skyway and Wayah Rd.
The directions to the meeting place were simple – meet at the first gas station on TN 68 north of US 64. If I had known the guy was a former officer I would have made it easier for him! He went south and we wound up hooking up in Tellico Plains 2 hours past the appointed time.
After greeting and admiring each other’s bikes we set out for the Skyway. Bugsplat promptly made a left onto TN 30 which was an interesting diversion but not in our plans. After getting that straightened out, it was back to the Cherahola and some interesting riding. We broke for lunch in Robbinsville with the plan of treating Bryan to some good barbecue and ribs since it is impossible to find good barbecue in Eastern NC but we could not find the barbecue place. After lunch it was then on to Wayah Rd. As Bryan and I sat at the entrance to Wayah Rd waiting for Bugsplat to come back after missing the turn, Bryan said “I see why you sometimes refer him as ‘Wrong Turn Bob’.” It was Smokey Mountain Bike Week in Fontana and while the Cherahola and Robbinsville were slammed with bikers, we had Wayah Rd entirely to ourselves. The leaves were changing at elevation, the pavement was dry and gravel free and it was simply a glorious ride.
We stopped at ‘Idle Glory’ on old 64 to say our good-byes and to give Bryan directions back to Maggie Valley. It was a very nice day which was also Bugsplat’s birthday so we had to hurry home for the celebrations planned by the brides.
Sunday found us again on the bikes participating in the Chapter group ride to Suches. This again was a good ride but marred by two motorcycle crashes (not involving our group). At the first one: two Harleys just in front of us crossed the center line going around a right hand curve and the first bike collided head-on with an SUV, the second bike apparently went down when tangled with the first. The lead rider appeared unconscious when we first arrived on the scene but had his eyes open and was stirring as we left. The driver of the SUV was distraught and called on Bugsplat to help her explain to emergency personnel where the wreck occurred (she obviously mistook him for a sympathetic soul who knew where he was). The second wreck involved two sport bikes on Blood Mountain whose riders tried to fit them under a guard rail. This experiment did not end well at all. After socializing over a lengthy lunch at Turner’s Corner, the ride captain could not resist taking us by the pungent chicken houses near Waleska. None-the-less it was a nice day adequately filled with twisties and good friends. Our new friend Bryan is promising an oyster bake in March so I guess our trip to the outer banks is set. |
