Ready for Spring?!

Coming soon: March 20th marks the first day of Spring in 2009. There have been a few warm days already here in the Midwest and we've taken advantage of them...fully. The bikes have been out quite a bit during this wintery beginning to 2009, but we're reeeeeally looking forward to milder temps and salt-free roads.

Hey, if anyone reading this is planning a trip to the Dragon for the first time, check out Why They Ride. It'll give you a nice preview of what to expect. And, if you've been to the Dragon, our moto-documentary is sure to get the blood pumpin' and remind you why you're gonna return to Deals Gap!

Here are some scenic pics we recorded on our journey through the Deals Gap area that are sure to have you pining for the Smokies:

The Dragon via Google Street View

After viewing killboy.com, a blog we religiously visit, we learned that the infamous Dragon at Deals Gap has made the cut in having its own Street View within Google Maps. This, to us, is very, very cool. Not trying to oversell it here, because it still requires patience to slowly click and creep through the highway, but what a neat way to peruse the curves that are much praised and debated. Check out these pics and read more below...


Above: Our good friend and Dragon photog, Darryl Cannon shot this in 2007; the very car whose funky 360-view, 11-lens camera recorded Highway 129 on both sides of the North Carolina/Tennessee border.


Above: This "view" shows a portion of the inviting asphalt, consequential shoulder, and flowing curves.


Above: This shot beckons me. A nicely cambered roadway tucked right into the Smoky Mountains; hard to beat. Contrary to much negative assumption in the riding community, you can actually experience views like this without hundreds of bikes, campers, or leaf-watchers in your way (more on that below).


Above: One of our favorite scenes. Over a decade ago, this was one of the views that most impressed us. It really sunk in why this road was gonna be memorable. The bend above shows how tight some of the curves are (this one is near Parsons Branch).

So what will come of this news that the Dragon is viewable on Google Map's Street View? First, it'll get a lot of "hoorays" and "hey, that's cool!" But, of course, as we have found with our moto-documentary, it will stir up a lot of debate. For some reason, when the Dragon reaches the headlines, the scoffers emerge. Some folks will click through a curve or two and self-confirm their opinion that there are a million better roads in the country (though they've never ridden the Dragon). Some will spend time critiquing the driver of the camera car, accusing him of crossing the double yellow...not knowing the camera also shoots backward, making it look like it's traveling the wrong way. As this news makes its way across blogs and forums, irrelevant comments will quickly appear about how there is no way to ride this road without a parade of Harleys holding up others, or that there are too many sportbikin' squids that will kill you by lane crossing at every turn. Sigh.

Hopefully folks will learn from honest motorcyclists that while there is danger (which is important to be aware of), the Dragon can wholly be enjoyed when its quiet, when there are no police, and when there are only a few vehicles found on the entire 11-mile section of 129. In Why They Ride, you'll see a segment that warns of danger and you'll see views of the road where no cars or bikes are seen for curve after curve after curve. There are no claims that it's the best road in the universe either, but we believe it must be one of the most special motorcycling roads out there. There, you'll find the intimacy of you, your bike and the road (pure motorcycling), but just as fun is the fellowship with the many motorcyclists who see the value of the Dragon and its surrounding area. Often, the focus is placed on the mere 11 miles...not the hundreds of miles of roads immediately around them and the good people that ride them.

If you're curious about what it would be like to walk the Dragon, check out its new Street View and watch out for squids riding 100mph crossing the double yellow on blind curves and don't click too fast because one of the 50 police cars may ticket you. Just kidding. :) Enjoy the sunshine, the curves, the trees, and the mountains...

Back to the Gap 2008

Our annual trip to the Smoky Mountains fell on July 10th through the 13th this year. In the pic below, you'll see our bro-in-law, Chris, our dad, Darryl, myself and Casey. It seems like a short span of time but we crammed in hundreds of miles of beautiful mountain roads and definitely got our fix. It was great to see many of the people we met during the making of Why They Ride as well as some of the local characters we've known for years.

We were glad to see Ben and Jessica at the Deals Gap Motorcycle Resort and it was a treat to see the brand new baby girl of Brad and Beth, owners of the Resort. Congrats!!! This will bump the population to 8 now? :) These folks are always very hospitable, helpful and offer a mean Dragon Burger (order the onion rings with it...mmmmm).

Of course, a ride through the Dragon wouldn't be complete without seeing Darryl Cannon and his team of Killboy photographers. When we stopped to talk with him, he had just taken a break from action photos to shoot pics of a fella proposing to his gal on the Dragon. (She said yes!)

We also stopped in on Francois at his new shop, Dual Sport Touring, in Friendsville, TN. It was great to catch up with him and check out his inventory. We tried on riding pants, rain gear, looked through catalogs, etc. He gives great advice and steers us motorcyclists in the right direction.

We're reminded of why we make the annual pilgrimage by how welcome we feel every time we go. Even a quick run-in with a Forest Ranger at high speeds ended with a handshake and a smile. While there will always be controversy and debate about the Dragon and Deals Gap, we'll always claim it as our motorcycling home away from home. There's just too many miles of roads, good people, and wonderful little towns sprinkled throughout those mountains to drown out skeptics who only focus on the minute negative aspects. I think I'll go watch the movie again to relive the scenes and trigger more moto-memories.

Deals Gap: Where's the Apostrophe?

During the making of Why They Ride, we learned a lot about the history of the Dragon and Deals Gap, NC. One of the more interesting, trivial things was why there's no apostrophe in "Deals Gap" on maps and road signs. It was indeed intended to be a possessive title. Since its inception in 1890, the U.S. Board of Geographic Names (we'll call it "The Board") has discouraged the use of the possessive form.

The Board gives no reason for this decision; it's a geographical mystery. There are myths and theories, of course, one being that apostrophes will look too much like they're indicating a formation in the topography. Their own website suggests the reason is "ownership of a feature is not in and of itself a reason to name a feature or change its name." I reckon they take that possessive thing seriously.

If you're still intrigued, check this out: In the last 118 years or so, only five natural features have been approved by The Board to use apostrophes. Martha's Vineyard was allowed the use of an apostrophe after the residents fought for it in 1933. The other apostrophe recipients seem to rightfully deserve one as it may change the way it's read: Ike's Point, John E's Pond, Carlos Elmer's Joshua View (overlooks a stand of Joshua trees), and Clark's Mountain (referring to the importance of the Clark of Lewis and Clark fame). Pikes Peak does not contain an apostrophe on maps or signs either.

So, if you're typing or writing the location, Deals Gap, I wouldn't worry so much about the apostrophe. Grammatically you'd be correct in saying that it was Mr. Deal's gap in the mountains and geographically you'd be correct if you left the apostrophe out. Seems the The Board just doesn't want to allude to Mr. Deal owning the gap but will acknowledge that people call it his gap.

To learn more about the history of the Dragon at Deals Gap, see our special features here. Our interviews with Doug Snavely are more about how motorcycling evolved there than grammatical details, I promise!