In Kansas City the weather is simply put, unpredictable. There is no real pattern to it. We can have today's weather of sunny and warm and tomorrow be cold and covered with snow. This particular October day found us blessed with a very warm, sunny day. The forecast for the weekend was more late summer/early fall type predictions than the normal cold and dreary commonly expected for this time of year. We had a large turn out for this dinner ride, in great part, due to this fantastic weather. Tom and I sat and listened to Robert tell of the fantastic "Dragon" in the mountains of Tennessee that made its way into the beauty of North Carolina with its alluring 318 curves in just 11 miles. I had read of this road in some of my motorcycling magazines and had dreamed of trailering my bike there someday and riding the Dragon. Yes, I said trailering. It was a long way to the Dragon and quite honestly I had not convinced myself that I could ride that far on a motorcycle. Life was about to make a very dramatic change! I was about to have one of those moments when my mouth would suddenly develop it's own course of action without first consulting my usually analytical mind. The conversation between myself, Robert and Tom went something like this:
Robert: "We (referring to himself, Tom and me) should ride to the Dragon together someday."
Tom: "Man, that would be awesome!"
Me (remember, mouth in action before brain engaged): "The forecast is good for this weekend, let's leave Friday after work and do it!"
There was a couple problems with my statement. Problem number one was that this was a one way ride, just to get to the area of well over 750 miles. Now, take into account that we would ride once we got there and we would all have to be back at work Monday morning. I had never ridden that far in a day before. I had never been on a road as challenging as the Dragon and had never really ridden in the mountains. I have driven in the mountains and had a very good indication of how tricky the roads could be to maneuver and felt quite comfortable on mountain roads in a car or in an 18 wheeler, wasn't quite sure about a motorcycle. Thanks mouth, I think you may have just lead me to something that I would fail at, and I do not like to fail.
I sat back, surprised at the words from my mouth, subconsciously hoping that maybe, just maybe, they had not heard what had spouted from my lips. They had heard. Immediately the conversation switched from "we should" to here's what we will do".
I think Tom and I pretty much in harmonious synchronization looked "lovingly" at our respective spouses and asked "can I go on a ride with Robert this weekend?" Neither spouse thought that was a real unusual request and granted us our request, then asked where we would be going. Both of them had looks of total wonder when they found out we were doing a weekend ride to Tennessee.
Now I am really obligated. My mouth has surely killed me this time. Since it was my idea, there was no way I was going to chicken out of this, no matter how much my brain tried to convince me this was not a good idea. The three of us immediately got out a map (dinner, forget dinner, this was far more important) and agreed that Gatlinburg, Tennessee would be a fantastic place to begin our adventure. We agreed to leave after I got off work Friday and head out.
I went to work Thursday with a feeling of pride. I was about to ride to the Dragon and spend some time riding in the Great Smoky Mountains. I was about to have a "Robert" motorcycle adventure. My co-worker, having been an over the road truck driver, introduced me to a reality that I had lost sight of. It was over 750 miles to Gatlinburg. If we were going to ride once we got there and be back (another 750 miles, at least), that meant I would be on my motorcycle at least 25 to 30 hours. I had to be back at work Monday morning at 7 am and performing the task of auto mechanic while sleep walking was not safe. He worded it a lot different but that was the message. Wow! I hadn't thought about all that. None the less, my mouth had gotten me in this and I had to do it, after all, it was possible, right?
Friday morning came and the excitement was just indescribable. I showed up for work at 7am and got busy. Being an auto mechanic is a very unpredictable job. Some days each task is a simple one, some days require more mind work than actual physical labor, and then there are the Friday's like the one I was about to have. This was to be a very physical day. I ended up performing not just one but two clutch installations! Now the thing to remember here is that I was of the mindset that I did not need a transmission jack when doing these type of jobs. I just lifted the transmissions out and back in. That was easier and that was the way a young, fit guy would do it. Transmission jacks were for the weak. I was in the process of my second clutch when I got the phone call....
"Hey Frank, what are you doing?" It was Tom on the other end and I could tell from the tone of his voice he was not working. There was the hint of joy in his voice.
Now I have to interject here that the weather in Kansas City on Thursday was good but the weather on Friday started out more like June than the end of October but deteriorated very rapidly so that by noon I was looking at a very cloudy sky with temperatures rapidly falling. This was not what I was expecting, and quite honestly, neither was the next thing I heard.
"Man, I'm working, just like you are, right?" I replied, even though my gut told me he was not at work. "We're still on for leaving this evening, right? Tom, just where are you?"
Amongst the many things that intrigued Tom and I about Robert was that Robert was a member of the Iron Butt Association, an organization that was all about long distance riding. The minimum qualifier to become a member of this elite group was you had to do a documented and witnessed ride of no less than 1000 miles in less than 24 hours. Robert had done this more than once. This was one of the quests that Tom and I had talked about many times, and would someday do.
"Robert and I are in (honestly I don't remember where he said he was, I just know he wasn't anywhere near Kansas City) on our way to Gatlinburg, the long way around."
What? Seems that the weather was too nice Thursday and Tom and Robert had a far more flexible work schedule than I did, end result, Tom and Robert had taken off Thursday and headed out on an official Iron Butt Saddlesore 1000 so that Tom could get his official membership in the Iron Butt Association. This really changed the stakes. This meant that I would have to ride to Gatlinburg by myself. To really make matters more dismal, it was now starting to drizzle outside and the temperature was now in the low 40's, not the upper 60's like the beginning of the day. Tom sensed my mood change.
"You're not going to come now are you?"
"I don't know, I am tired, having two heavy jobs in one day and the weather is becoming quite miserable, I don't know right now."
"I'll give you a call when we get there and check in. Got to go, talk to ya later."
I could bow out and not feel bad about not going on a trip that was my idea. They would understand, I was physically tired, and too in-experienced to make such a trip by myself so yea, I had a legitimate out. I had almost convinced myself to not go by the time I got home, sometime around 530 or so. I was really down, I had been looking forward to at least attempting to do this and now it seemed that it just wasn't meant to be.
I was greeted by my loving wife, a woman that can read me better than I could read any printed page. She sensed my depressed mood and was trying to assure me that I should go ahead and make the trip, then the phone rang, a phone call with a challenge that would be the beginning of my motorcycling future!
"Hey man, how's it going? The weather get any better?" Tom was sounding a bit tired but I could hear in his voice that he had accomplished the ride and was not boasting but wanted to convey his victory.
"Weather sucks here. Cold and drizzling, I don't know. Where are you?" I asked, trying to sound interested but not too, holding my feeling of disappointment back.
"We're in Gatlinburg! I did my Saddlesore 1000. We are going to get some food and then rest."
I hesitated to answer, then came the challenge.
"You are not going to come are you?"
Challenge? What challenge? That question doesn't sound like a challenge. Oh, but it was. It wasn't his words or the way he said them but my ears heard it as a challenge!
"Sure I'm coming! Give me the name of your hotel and I'll see you in the morning!"
There goes that running mouth without prior brain engagement again!
We kind of bounced back and forth on no you're not with my yes I am for a bit. Finally I told Tom I had to get going.
I was mounted on my motorcycle and finally headed out of Kansas City at 630 pm, central time. The weather was miserable! I thought more than once during the trek across Missouri about turning around and just quitting. The weather radio on my bike kept telling me that this was what I had to look forward to all the way to St. Louis, maybe even beyond. There would be no disgrace is playing the safety card and just going back home. If you know me, you know that I don't comprehend the word "quit".
I rode on across Missouri, adapting to the conditions and starting to feel more excited about what I was doing. I had driven in worse, in a car or truck. This was new to me. Riding in the elements that were not shielded from me. Exposed to feel the cold and dampness. No, I was going to meet this challenge!
The ride slowly got better. I proceeded across interstate 64 and as I neared Mt Vernon Illinois, I could see some stars. I headed south on interstate 57 and the further south I went, the warmer it got. This was going pretty good! I began to forget the miserable conditions from earlier in the day and was starting to get into this ride. I was monitoring the CB radio, never a bad idea when you are trying to make some time. The CB talk soon took on an avenue that I really didn't like, the talk of rain ahead!
I was more accustomed to riding in the rain than in my "rookie" days and the rain itself did not bother me. The thought of rain and the fact that I was getting tired did bother me. I kept going, I had come too far to turn back now.
To my relief, the rain never happened. The skies cleared and the stars again made themselves brightly visible in the moonlit sky. I careened down the interstate, again starting to enjoy the ride when I was made aware of another obstacle that I had not thought about. Now since most of my riding experience up til now had been during the daylight hours I had never really thought much about the sudden appearance of Bambi and the catastrophic results of motorcycle meets deer but as I rode on during the night the high number of deer carcasses that I saw along the interstate suddenly made me aware that this was a force to be reckoned with. Now, even though I was getting tired, I had to focus and be alert for deer on the highway.
I am glad to report that I did not meet Bambi that night. The motorcycle and I continued on our way. The only stops we made were for fresh fuel for my machine and a fluid exchange for me. I rode on through Nashville. Quite a new experience for me. I have driven through Nashville and other big cities many times but motorcycling through an unfamiliar big city is a demanding task, even if the traffic is light. People don't look for motorcycles and in the wee hours of the morning it has been my experience that the majority of the drivers are not very alert, be it due to fatigue or substance, either way, I was on my toes and alert. I did not want to get squashed after making it this far.
I grabbed interstate 40 out of Nashville and was now headed east. I was beginning to encounter the foothills of the mountains. The weather was getting really nice and my adrenaline was still rushing from riding through Nashville. I was beginning to enjoy this trip!
My 97 Goldwing was equipped with a Tulsa tall windshield. I had never really given much thought to this when I bought the bike but I was soon to learn that this was not a real good thing all the time. I have always liked looking over the windshield of my motorcycles but with this one, I had no choice but to look through it. Not normally a big deal but tonight I learned to not like this tall screen. I began to make my way up the Cumberland when the combination of engine heat and moisture and surrounding temperature resulted in total loss of visibility through the windshield due to rapid condensation. I rode on in my upward assent by standing on the foot pegs and looking over the windshield. This slowed me down a bit but I figured it was better to see where I was going than to to encounter a more solid object at speed.
My motorcycle and I continued our journey. Each mile was more proof that I was destined for this kind of riding. The traveling that has always been in my blood was now meeting up with the excitement of motorcycling and the two together were about to become a positive mindset that would take me places, that would entice me to do things that challenged me and show me a whole new way to enjoy living!
The departure from the interstate onto highway 441 towards Gatlinburg found me very tired. I was struggling to keep awake and having difficulty maintaining speed. I managed to get one more burst of energy and made it on into Gatlinburg.
The sun was starting to change the hue of the eastern sky. The time was 630 am Eastern time! I had just covered over 750 miles in eleven hours by myself! (yes I did the math, speed may have been exceeded just a little) I was excited, to say the least. I found the hotel that Tom had told me they were at and proudly knocked on the door.
They could see that I was tired and honestly I really think they were surprised to see me at all. We made some small talk and since everyone was up, they went to grab some breakfast and I took the opportunity to get about 45 minutes sleep while they were gone.
This was going to be a great day! I had been awake since 6 am Friday morning. I had done some very physical work, I had met the challenge of rotten weather, I had missed the rain, missed Bambi, traveled through Nashville and climbed the mountains, in 45 minutes I would be headed out on the Blue Ridge Parkway, headed for the famous Dragon, seeing the majesty of the Cherahola Skyway and having the time of my life with two very treasured friends. Yes, this was the beginning of a lifetime of living!
Watch for the second part of this adventure to come soon. Thanks for reading and remember life is for living!
This ride became an annual tradition, every fall from 2003 through the fall of 2008, then again in 2010. I will post more pictures in part 2 and beyond. I urge everyone to find their passion, motorcycling is mine. May God Bless!
