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Etennuly
| | Posted on Monday, December 12, 2011 - 11:28 pm: | 
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When they were building the Interstate system in Appalachia during the late 50's to the early 70's, my uncle was a truck driver in a short single cab with a 38' van trailer. His job.....deliver dynamite to the road construction mountain sites of Southern Pennsylvania, West Virginia and Virginia.
He said the roads to get to the construction sites were tough then. Gravel and dirt, very steep, no place to turn around. The roads were not nearly ready to open to traffic yet, often he needed a dozer to pull him up a mountain cut road where they would use two dozers, one to push the trailer sideways around a switch back rock corner, and the other to hold the tractor in place while he was in the cab with up to ten tons of dynamite in the trailer. This on cliff side cuts where he said if they lost his truck off an edge it might tumble 500 feet before it would even hit a tree.
He said his job at the trucking company paid three dollars a day more than the over the road guys got! He would have welcomed a road like the Dragon for his driving job.
Before the Interstate system was all over the place, there were many many roads just like the Dragon. They were and are nearly anywhere there were mountains and rivers or lakes.
The wagon trails of the 1800's followed the easiest flat level routes along water and through passes in the mountain ridges. In order for the roads to be usable they could not be too steep so they would be cut into the edges of the mountains to follow the terrain making for lots of turns.
As time has gone on with better equipment, more money, commerce and progress in general made roads straighten out over the years as needed for traffic growth and faster vehicles. The roads going from nearly nowhere to nearly nowhere did not improve much as commerce dictates where money is spent to improve roadways. The Dragon did not fare too well in needing to be a road for commerce, but I bet it was there doing just that for the local folks long before a throng of motorcyclists made it popular.
The Cherohala on the other hand, was made as a National Parks type road, with no commercial traffic allowed. It is just awesome that they made it as they did. Wider, more sweeping turns that are fun to drive even at the posted 45 mph.....well in a cage at least. It is nice that it is opened up more than the Blue Ridge Parkway, which is more for the tree hugging, flower hunters than for folks who like to drive. |
Crackhead
| | Posted on Tuesday, December 13, 2011 - 08:37 am: |
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Etennuly, I disagree with you on the last part.
The BRP and Skyline drive are the perfect roads for a weekday cruise drive/ ride.
When I last road Skyline Dr, I put the Blast in 2nd and left it there. My buddy on his Blast did the same thing. It was the perfect cruise to help clear his mind. We where going easy enough for him to flip his chin bar up and smoke. The trip was 1 year after he was back from multiple tours in the sandboxes, and the first time I saw him walk around relaxed, like before he was deployed. |
Etennuly
| | Posted on Tuesday, December 13, 2011 - 10:22 am: |
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Well I am not saying they aren't beautiful relaxing rides. I agree with you. It is much harder to lope a Uly along at 35-40 mph for miles on end when it wants to get out and breathe! The BRP is patrolled too heavily to cut loose, and further, to do so would be to disrespect the folks who are just there to enjoy natures scenery. |
Ulyranger
| | Posted on Tuesday, December 13, 2011 - 06:39 pm: |
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I agree, it's an extremely dangerous road. Let's remove the National highway status and stop funding this madness....... |
Paint_shaker
| | Posted on Tuesday, December 13, 2011 - 07:17 pm: |
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I am quite certain there are federal roads with local regulations throughout the US. Or the feds could regulate the roadway.
Unfortunately a small portion of motorcycle riders have contributed to the image that ALL motorcycles are double yellow line crossing speed demons out to set a "track record" at the dragon... |
Mr_grumpy
| | Posted on Wednesday, December 14, 2011 - 01:55 am: |
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The fact that the best known website associated with the Dragon is called Killboy doesn't do much for the image either. |
Etennuly
| | Posted on Wednesday, December 14, 2011 - 09:06 am: |
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The fact that the best known website associated with the Dragon is called Killboy doesn't do much for the image either.
 You are right about that!
Kinda like if that "Sons of Guns" show on the Discovery channel would have been named "Personal Weapons of Mass Destruction" in helping to promote proper registration and gun use. |
Thumper74
| | Posted on Wednesday, December 14, 2011 - 10:12 am: |
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Etennuly, I have one of their AKs and love it!
They've turned away guys trying to push the Class III stuff before... |
86129squids
| | Posted on Wednesday, December 14, 2011 - 10:23 am: |
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FWIW, "Killboy" was a domain ID Darryl Cannon used on another site before he started his Dragon pic site... |
Jaimec
| | Posted on Wednesday, December 14, 2011 - 10:23 am: |
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I've never had a problem cutting loose on the Blue Ridge Parkway. However, I did get a written warning for doing 35 mph on the Skyline Drive (Speed Limit 30). After seeing all the DEER that walk right up to cars (damned tourists have taught the deer that people in cars are a source of food) I can understand the slow speed limit.
Could've been worse... could've been BEARS. |
Timo31
| | Posted on Monday, January 09, 2012 - 04:34 pm: |
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Just saw this on FB and thought some would like to know.
"BULLETIN: North Carolina has done what Tennessee won't do ...... ban trucks heading to the DRAGON. It is now illegal for trucks longer than 30 feet to operate on US 129 anywhere from US 19/74 all the way to the NC/TN State Line. They are also banned on NC 28 from NC 143 all the way to US 129. Also on the ban list is the entire Cherohala Skyway in North Carolina."
http://www.tailofthedragon.com/ |
Jcjohnson33
| | Posted on Monday, January 09, 2012 - 05:00 pm: |
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Tenn. doesn't have to now since if a truck enters on N.C. side he is subject to a ticket and fine as soon as he crosses the state line. And if there's no place to turn off or around then the trucks won't enter on NC side |
Froggy
| | Posted on Monday, January 09, 2012 - 05:17 pm: |
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Bump to the front, that way this gets some exposure. |
86129squids
| | Posted on Monday, January 09, 2012 - 05:28 pm: |
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Commercial traffic has always been banned on the Cherohala...
Thanks for the bump Frogs. When was this news announced?
Our governor's family runs Pilot Oil. (Insert Gomer Pyle saying "SURPRIIIISE, SURPRISE!!)
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Chadhargis
| | Posted on Tuesday, January 10, 2012 - 06:01 pm: |
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I think banning the trucks is a bit extreme. Simply create a few local jobs and require an escort. That big flashing yellow light and sign on the escort vehicle would be fair warning that something wicked this way comes. |
Rick_a
| | Posted on Thursday, January 12, 2012 - 01:39 am: |
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quote:Just ride it like a great road, not a racetrack.
Yeah, I'm about sick of hearing all these Wingers talking about how fast they were on the Dragon and how many "sportbikers" they spanked.
The truckers can't completely be faulted. I've been on a bus on some very hairy roads through mountainous regions of California. If there was another way, it surely would've been taken. Some Georgia roads we've drove through have been very similar.
Image from the Triumph Rat forum.
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Swordsman
| | Posted on Thursday, January 12, 2012 - 10:54 am: |
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Pshh, you'd have to give me hazard pay to set wheels on the Dragon. Even if I was a professional rider, there are too many "slayers" out there with no common sense. I might be able to handle my own shit, but dodging idiots that think they need my lane (or better yet, totally lose it around a corner) isn't on my to-do list.
~SM |
Mikef5000
| | Posted on Friday, January 13, 2012 - 06:40 pm: |
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Unless it's truly changed since the last time I was there (3 or 4 years ago I believe?), some of you guys blow The Dragon out of proportion worse than the TN Highway Patrol! I've been to the dragon about ten times (ten weekends, multiple 'dragon runs' I mean), and I've seen WAY more local idiots casually strolling up the road on the wrong side of the line, than I've seen "Slayers" out of control.
Good thing about the Truck ban though! |
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