2016-05-22 The Great NE Corner +

[kdtrull]

The timing was great.  I needed a long ride to get some miles on the new KLR.  Al and Melony were looking to ride.  Perfect recipe....ride SE to meet the Goodwins, head NE to have some fun, make a big loop up near Johnny's place before they booger up the road, ride back SW to part ways, then ride NW to get back home.  sctparker had asked to join in and I said "heck yeah!".  I left out about 07:30 and we all met up at the Waffle House in Priceville at 09:00 and I believe we were rolling by 09:40.

Allen was good enough to get us east of Huntsville without having to go through Huntsville....bonus.  I used to know how to do that a few decades ago but knowing Al, I figured he'd have some premium roads that I couldn't remember even if I'd been that way before.

Once we got near Paint Rock, I made sure we had, at least, one good unplanned u-turn and we were soon on our way into the hills.

We made a fair number of stops but I didn't get very many pictures.  Once I realized the photo negligence, I started rolling video so's to have, at least, something to put on the board.  I did get a couple stills but mostly video and a few frame grabs.

Gonna' start with a video.  I really have a hard time keeping my head still while riding at a faster pace but I tend to scan side-to-side quite a bit.  I can't help but try to take in the sights no matter what the speed.  I tried to edit most of the scan-pans out.  Have a look....there is some truly beautiful scenery in that part of the state.....some of the best IMHO....and the roads ain't bad either.

Until I started going to the Rally in the Valley events, 65 and 79 were about all I knew about that area.  That condition is quite better now.

Anyways....here goes Part 1....more later:

[Chuck A.]

Kept it coming,,,, ;)

[kdtrull]

Well, I really flopped on the photos and the videos this weekend.  I'm gonna' blame the excitement of adjusting to a new machine....even if it is just like the last two.
I missed a lot of nice areas, moved and jerked around too much, didn't aim the camera properly, and my stupid jacket got in the way.... a LOT.
And I may have been a little intimidated.....It ain't every day you get to ride out front of a ride leading legend  ;D. 
This will be the last short video and I'll follow up with a few stills.  This one has all the same deficiencies as the first....but I think, most of all, it just needs some more cowbell:

[kdtrull]

I don't know if anyone took many pics outside of Orme.  But that is one cool little historical community.  I took a couple at the old depot too.





Free sodee-pop to who can guess whose dragging hardware 2-up (at least it looks that way from my POV):



I am a little sorry for the frame grabs....but not much....we were having a good time at a fairly fast pace.  We covered a lot of ground considering all the time we spent chatting and goofin' around:



I WILL get a better camera soon.  These shots could be tolerable with some better capture hardware (I guess...just IMHO):



You might get a creek-crossing extravaganza over in my neck of the woods, but you will never find this kind of topography in the NW corner:



Parker's ride has some nice protection.  I have some on the way....and am fairly certain I will need it.  Going to Tellico this weekend, unprotected....pray for my plastic and radiator.



It's almost Wednesday and I've been on a Yosemite Sam kick of late:



I have a few from the previous day's solo ride to post if I don't fall asleep first.  Southern middle TN is dang near as good as it gets if you like isolation and good scenery too.

[kdtrull]

Last post.
On Saturday, I took a ride back into southern middle TN.....dual sport Mecca.  On the way to one of my favorite roads, I came across this baby parasite farm:



He was almost as slow as a Galapagos Tortoise and, by the time I passed him, turned around and came back, he'd managed to traverse the 8 inches to the grass where he thought he was hiding from me:



We don't have the big hills like you southern and eastern folks do but we have some pretty rolling hills with nice views:



If you've seen any of the other area ride reports, you know we have an abundance of water.  Lawrence county is no exception.  Here, on Dave Mt. Road is a great example.  I may be off by a county east or west but google will help you find it.  It's a great place to stop and play in the creek....big rocks, cool water, and just far enough out to give some peace and quiet.



Water, water everywhere....and some of it clean enough to....well splash through anyways.  This is fine, gravel-bottom, creek crossing:



I have a little video from this area but I'm out of time.   Gotta' sleep, go to work, come home, and pack up for a nice long weekend in Tellico.

Thanks for stopping by.  And have a great long weekend.

p.s.  You may never see this KLR this clean again!!  ;)

Go ride, have fun, take pics, and be kind enough to let us see some of it.

kdt

[Nice Goat]

...where he thought he was hiding from me...

Looks like a baby dragon ... they are fairly stupid ... or so you have said.   :D

[kdtrull]

Looks like a baby dragon ... they are fairly stupid ... or so you have said.   :D
[/quote]

I just repeated it.  The rootin'est, tootn'est, dog-gone' shootn'est, cow-poke in the west said it first!  :D

 

[Chitza]

Fellas, that's not a dragon. It's possum on the half shell :)

[norton73]

Great report!  I gotta get up there sometime and get you and/or Randy to show me around.
Can't wait to see what you post next week after a Tellico Plains trip.

I had never seen a live possum till last year. All the one's I'd ever seen were roadkill.  Then one morning I was looking out a window at home and saw 2 live ones. And they were chasing each other around,  I never knew they could move so fast!

[kdtrull]

Great report!  I gotta get up there sometime and get you and/or Randy to show me around.

You come on over any time.  If The Warden is happy and I ain't workin', we'll take the grand tour.

[griff]

Did you ride up Orme Mountain Rd?

[kdtrull]

Did you ride up Orme Mountain Rd?

Yes.  And quite sadly, someone is clear cutting up there.  But it's still nice in most of the way and the road is on great shape.

[griff]

Doesn't surprise me. Last time we rode through there, a dozer was sitting beside the road. I wondered if it was there to cut some logging roads. It was kinda big for just a drive way.

[kdtrull]

There's an older fellow that lives in the house across from the old depot, came out and have us a good history lesson...very cool old dude.  He said the whole community is p/o'd about the logging.