Ride With Tank

0927081323.jpg, originally uploaded by Tank Mobile.

Today is starting out overcast and drizzly but I am hoping it improves. It was a sad overlook coffe this moring because it is the last one of the trip. The mouuntains looked great with all the fog and I will post up some pictures when I get home.

Unfortunately we had a Gold Wing trike crash this morning and both people got helicopter rides out.

Friday afternoon, originally uploaded by Tank Mobile.

The gas crunch appears to be continuing today. Instead of coolers on their trailer hitch racks the Gold Wingers are carrying gas cans on them.

The drizzle does not seem to be scaring people away today. The parking lot roght now is full of Harleys and Gold Wings.

We lucked into getting a room for the rest of the week. We thought we were going to have to stay in Maryville for the rest of the week and we were not happy about it. The guy in the room next to us said “Why dont you just go buy a cheap tent and camp the rest of the week?” We thought about it and realized we could buy everything we needed for less than we would spend on the room and decided it was a good idea. Since a room opened up we did not have to do this, but he thinks he deserves a helmet sticker for coming up with the idea. I am no sure he deserves one so I posted it up here. Send me a text message and let me know if you think he deserves a helmet sticker for this idea.

Friday morning, originally uploaded by Tank Mobile.

Well it looks like my run of perfect weather has finally come to an end. It is cloudy today and spitting a little rain every now and again to keep the road damp. I really can’t complain because the weather has been so perfect, but I will complain if it is not gone by tomorrow.

I got a little riding in last night and it was a lot of fun. It was also a good night at the campfire hanging out with a couple of guys from New Jersey and the pinstriping guy. They had me out at the fire ring pretty late which caused me to sleep in a little bit this morning, but I was on the road around 7:30.

The Harleys are really starting to flow in for the thing at Fontana and there are also a ton of Busas down here.

The police have a “DUI” checkpoint setup down by the foothills parkway to catch all the drunk drivers that are out in a dry county at 9:00AM.

It seems like I am also seeing a lot of guys on BMW LT’s and I have to say that most of them appear to be riding well above their skill level.

Thursday night, originally uploaded by Tank Mobile.

Well here I sit at the overlook, ending the day much the same as I started it. It is almost totally dark now and I sit here listening to all the critters out in the forest. Every once in a while I can hear the wail of a sport bike off in the distance.

Times like now are the times I live for. This is the most perfect spot on the face of the earth. If I had to live the rest of my life without going further than 50 miles from the spot I sit at now I really don’t think I would ever miss the rest of the world. It is easy for me to understand why they called it the Trail of Tears when the Cherokee indians were removed from here. We took paradise from those people.

Thursday morning, originally uploaded by Tank Mobile.

Today I made my earliest and coldest coffee run of the week. I saw my thermometer drop down to about 44 on my way up here and it really felt quite brisk.

This morning I saw a sedan coming the other way driving like a madman so I slowed down a little because we were going to meet in the hairpin. It turned out he was not driving like a madman: he was, in fact, a madman – it was Ben.

There were a couple of unusual guys camping at the CROT this week. One of them found a warm place to sleep last night. He spent the night in the Robbinsville jail on drug charges.

The gas shortage seems to be getting pretty bad down here. Brad told us to avoid going south because there is just no gasoline. Asheville is basically shut down today because there is no gasoline. Everything is closed, the whole city is closed. So far this has had no affect on us at all and I am hoping it stays that way.