Wife & I went to Deals Gap today. I was pleasantly surprised at what we found. First off, the riders overall are more "behaved" than in recent reports and experiences. And secondly, the cruisers & baggers outnumbered the sport bikes at about 9 to 1. I couldn't believe the numbers. It was almost like the sport bikes were off somewhere else doing their thing. Oddly enough, we were rudely passed twice on the Cherohala Skyway by sport bikers, but didn't have any experiences like that on 129.

BTW...we had lunch at Deals Gap Resort, and I would estimate that there were 75 or more bikes in the lot. I only saw 6-7 sport bikes there. All the rest were HD and cruiser riders. And they were DEFINITELY spending money there.

Like I have said before....the tamer and safer this place gets, the better off EVERYONE will be.

And we only saw 1 THP car on the entire trip.

 

Glad you had a good ride!!!

 

Well I was up on 421 the Happy Valley area and there was 3 THPS up there. I talked to some other riders who were rideing there all day and they said the number of bikes was way down. I only seen maybe 2doz on 91 abd 421, but it sure was a great day to ride and tomorrow will be great too!!

 

Heading up that way next spring, can't wait! Jrsess

 

Did we see you? We rode the dragon yesterday, also. There were 2 state troopers camped out when we came through. Then someone waved us down because an 18 wheeler was trying to make his way up. We were the last bikes through before he jacknifed across the road. Didn't stick around to see how that went. I way enjoyed all the other great roads around here more than that piece of the day. In the past, we've been on it during the week when no one else was around and that's how it'll be in the future!

A bike was down on the Cherohala when we came through there, but the guy didn't seem too horrible and 3 nurses were already taking care of things, so we moved on. Didn't need our help or more of an audience. . .

RaftGyde always moves himself to the right and when he does, I know to slow down behind him. We wave the sports bikes around-no point in holding them up and having them ride your azz. . .

 

We probably DID see each other.

When we got to the end of Cherohala at Santeelah, there were several Sheriff patrol and an ambulance in one HELL of a hurry going back to the Skyway. Someone later said it was a sport bike down. Don't matter WHAT it was, I hate to see anyone get injured. We were at Deals Gap Resort eating lunch around 2:00. Were you there around that time?

 

The accident we stopped at was a Road King and further back. We saw the ambulance you're talking about, too. RaftGyde snapped a pic of it going by when we were sitting at the bottom of the Cherohala. I think it was about 5 or 5:30 when we were on the dragon. . .

 

so ,, how was the waving????

 

There have been more deaths on the Cherohala than the Dragon. I reckon folks think that the Cherohala is tame, when actually, it isn't.
Glad you had a good ride.

 

That's true. When we are ridng 129, we are always aware that we can get into a curve "too deep" and end up in a bad place. It seems that the Cherohala is easier, but coupled with the higher speed limit, it gets just as bad if you aren't paying attnetion and get too relaxed. Good observation.