TAT-2016 Post 25 – Thursday, 17 March 2016 (TAT Day-1)

It’s almost 10 pm and we just finished a few beers and pizza we had delivered to the hotel. Why so late a dinner you may ask? Because today was another epic adventure for this gang of 4. It was actually Day 1 of our TAT ride even though it has been 8 months in the planning and execution.

Day 1 started early with a 5:30 am alarm for me and meeting for breakfast at 6:30. After breakfast at the Huddle House next door to the motel we started loading the bikes hoping for departure shortly after sunrise. 36 degrees made it bit cold during the loading but forecast was sunny and warm so we expected it to warm up quickly.

We spent way too much time trying to get our Sena Intercomms to sync up. No matter what we tried only three would sync. That left one of us off line all the time. I plan on calling Sena as soon as I get home to express my total displeasure with their product.

The start of the TAT is just across the highway from the Motel. We finally got started around 9 am and the trail quickly changes from paved road to single lane dirt/gravel road climbing up the mountain. There are so many switchbacks you can’t believe it. It is totally beautiful but unnerving how tight the blind switchbacks are. Meeting someone coming down the opposite direction would be crazy with little room to pass especially if one were a pickup truck. This day 1 ride drops you into some serious maneuvering from the very start. Nothing to report until we got to a section called Santeetlah Gap (2660 ft above sea level). The road we were supposed to take at this point had a locked gate. Luckily there was a scenic bypass at the same location that eventually reconnected with the TAT route after about 10 miles.

We finally got back on the TAT route and were about 10 miles from Tellico Plains, TN when we came to a marker saying the road was closed for controlled burning. We started studying the maps trying to decide; do we back track, do we take a chance and use the road or do we take another junction on a road we had no idea where it went. About that time two motorcycles came down the road to the unknown. They were local boys and said the road they came in on would get us to Tellico Plains but would be a pretty long ride. They actually suggested that we take the closed road and plead ignorance if stopped. We agreed this was the best approach considering we still had a long rider to Ducktown, our stop for the night. After about 10 miles we came to a closed gate just short of a paved road. It had another sign saying the road was closed. I didn’t notice at first but soon realized the gate’s lock wasn’t locked. We were about to push it open when a Forest Ranger drove up to a gate on the other side of the paved road. He hadn’t seen us. I walked across the highway and when he saw me and the 4 bikes on the other side of the gate, his first words were, “You boys are really screwed!”. I really couldn’t tell if he was serious our not but then he grinned. Turned out to be real friendly and he walked back to our gate and pulled it open. He gave us directions to Tellico Plains and we went on our way.

Didn’t get to Tellico Plains until around 2 pm. This was 75 miles from the TAT start at Andrews and it took 5 hours; that is about 15 mph average. We still had another 75 miles to get to Ducktown so that put our ETA at 7 pm!! That would have been if all went normal which it did not.

Too many things to go into great detail so I will summarize what happened.

3 River crossings; 1^st one shallow and next 2 at least 1 ½ ft deep. I made it across the 1^st deep crossing but it was very dicey with the mud. Both Terry and Steve also made it OK. The situation was now Woodrow on one side and the rest of us on the other side. I knew Woodrow was not going to be able to ride across so decided to park my bike and give him a hand. As I parked my bike the kickstand went deep into the soft road and over goes my bike. I just left it for now and headed back to the river crossing. As Woodrow was trying to decide what to do I started walking across the stream in the shallow section because my new boots were waterproof; NOT! They leaked. About this time Woodrow dropped his bike. He wasn’t going to be able to pick it up so I walked through the deep water to give him a hand. Now the water was above my boots so of course they filled up. Terry also had wet boots so he came over to help. After getting Woodrow on his bike we walked him across the stream.

I got some help lifting my bike and we all finally got rolling to the 2^nd deep water crossing just over the hill. As I rode up two of the guys were stopped short looking at the crossing. I didn’t even stop but headed across what I thought was a sand bottom but turned out to be rock ledges covered with moss. My front tire hit one of the ridges and down I went hard with bike on my right foot and my left foot pushing against the seat trying to keep the air intake from sucking water into the engine.

Terry came out and lifted the bike off my foot (no injury) and he and I walked the bike across. We then walked Woodrow’s bike across and Terry and Steve road across after I showed then the area not to use. I am now drenched head to foot including boots full. This was around 4 pm. It gets better.

We kept riding even though I was in pretty miserable condition with wet riding gear. This section was again lots of switchbacks but added baby head size rocks embedded in the road so lots of dodging and then areas of mud sections. I’m following Woodrow when I see him hit one of the mud sections and immediately go off the road down the very steep slope down the mountain. I immediately stopped and jumped off my bike and slid down the muddy slope to where Woodrow was laying next to his bike but no injury. He used up one of his nine lives because he is one lucky dog. That could have been a very serious accident but speeds were slow and he basically just slid down the slope.

We unloaded the bike to reduce weight and started coming up with ideas how to get this bike up 25 feet of steep and slippery slope. It was also pointing down hill. I had a 20 ft tow strap so we managed to spin the bike to point up hill then drag and pull the bike uphill until we could tie the strap to his bike and also to the rear of Terry’s ole mule formally known as the KLR650. I can’t fully explain how hard it was to get this bike back on the road with three of us on the bike and Terry pulling with the mule. We took a few picks but they don’t do service to the difficulty of this effort. Only damage to Woodrow’s bike was slightly bent rear brake lever and broken right-hand guard.

This all happen 9 miles from Ducktown. We finally got off the mountain and rode to Ducktown to find our hotel. We then find out our hotel is 12 miles away in Blue Ridge, GA. It is getting late and cold and I am still in damp riding gear. I’m freezing but no choice but to ride it out.

We got to the hotel, unpacked the bikes, I stood in the bathtub washing the mud off my boots and riding pants and finally dinner at 10 pm.

Wonder what Day 2 will be like.

Everything in this post happened in the 143 miles from 74 to 131.