Asheville Test Run
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Asheville Test Run
To anyone who's interested,
I'm doing a test run of the Dragon-->Asheville route this Friday. This is the current route: http://goo.gl/XMG1g8 Basically a loop from my parent's house up Highway 63, down the lower half of the Rattler (Highway 209), up Highway 441 through Gatlinburg, to Highway 321, to Newport, to Highway 70, back to the upper half of the Rattler, back to Highway 63, to parent's house. Google says 5:15, so probably closer to 4-4.5 hours.
I'm skipping The Dragon because a. My soon-to-be-inlaws are coming into town that evening, and I need to be back early-ish. b. I've run the Dragon, don't need to do it again.
If anyone wants to join in, it can be modified to allow for easier meet-up, although the roads around here are a blast on their own.
Weather is supposed to be high 40s with no rain. Sadly I forgot my GoPro, but I'll take notes as best I can. It's not going to be a hard run due to the colder temps and first time on the Rattler, but spirited enough.
I'm doing a test run of the Dragon-->Asheville route this Friday. This is the current route: http://goo.gl/XMG1g8 Basically a loop from my parent's house up Highway 63, down the lower half of the Rattler (Highway 209), up Highway 441 through Gatlinburg, to Highway 321, to Newport, to Highway 70, back to the upper half of the Rattler, back to Highway 63, to parent's house. Google says 5:15, so probably closer to 4-4.5 hours.
I'm skipping The Dragon because a. My soon-to-be-inlaws are coming into town that evening, and I need to be back early-ish. b. I've run the Dragon, don't need to do it again.
If anyone wants to join in, it can be modified to allow for easier meet-up, although the roads around here are a blast on their own.
Weather is supposed to be high 40s with no rain. Sadly I forgot my GoPro, but I'll take notes as best I can. It's not going to be a hard run due to the colder temps and first time on the Rattler, but spirited enough.
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Alright, here's the scoop on the drive. First, I'd like to say that it's quite a hoot to drive in sub-freezing temperatures on summer tires. Feeling the entire car slide laterally on a bridge is... interesting. Luckily it warmed up by the time I hit TN, and stayed in the high 40s. Got to put the top down. Yay.
Highway 63 - How did I never drive this when I lived here?! Probably lucky I didn't, actually. There's plenty of high speed sweepers at the beginning; I was doing 45 - 50 MPH in 20 degree weather on summer tires. This goes on for about 3 miles, then it's a tight and crazy hill climb. After that, nice turns, kinda reminiscent of Hellbender. Tons o' fun. Of note, on the way back, turns out it's a hill descent. I will say this, anyone who is doing the downhill on it had damn well better be downshifting, and have upgraded brake fluid. I've got ATE Super Blue (hooray for pre-ban), and they still were scorching hot by the end. I stayed in 2nd for most of the descent.
Highway 209, "The Rattler" - I split this into two parts, as 63 bisects it. 209 runs from Hot Springs down to Lake Junaluska. The northern half (running North) is again a hillclimb, and quite fun. The whole thing is pretty tight, with not a ton of room for speed. The southern half (again, running North) is much faster, and a hell of a lot of fun. It's not much until you get to Betsy's Gap, where a sign proudly informs you that you're entering The Rattler. Quite a lot of 2nd gear turns with the rear end skipping around.
Highway 70 and 321 are pretty much transit from Point A - B. A few fun spots here and there, but mostly just driving.
Highway 441 - This would be an absolute blast, except that it's incredibly scenic, running through TN mountains, and everyone and their mother was on it. Post-Christmas may have something to do with it, but I get the feeling it'll always be busy. Luckily, if you're coming from The Dragon, you don't have to run 441 at all. That said, it's beautiful, as long as you don't mind going 20 MPH. Fun fact, the truck in front of me was blazing suspicious smelling herbal substances for a solid hour. Turns out you can smell things pretty easily with the top down.
Highway 19 from Gatlinburg to Cherokee can be fun in places, but traffic is probably going to keep you from a lot of fun. It's not bad, but it moves at a normal pace, and there's only two places to pass, both super short.
I also learned today that Gatlinburg is always crazy busy. I thought summer was the busy season, but apparently Christmas is too. Also, I had a redneck in a Mazda 3 offer to race me, and then tell me I should take my car to The Dragon.
I smiled, declined the race, and thanked him.
Good run, all in all! Had a great time bombing around by myself; no tickets, just open mountain air. Oh, on tickets/police - there was a town whose name escapes me on Highway 70 that loudly advertised their radar enforcement; Valentine 1 picked up an instant-on K band. First cop I've seen running K vice Ka, but there you go. Don't speed through towns. Other than that, there was a bored looking State Trooper on Highway 441 not running radar. We were all doing 20 in a 35 for most of it, so, yeah... EDIT: Town is Newton, TN. It's apparently a known speed trap.
Highway 63 - How did I never drive this when I lived here?! Probably lucky I didn't, actually. There's plenty of high speed sweepers at the beginning; I was doing 45 - 50 MPH in 20 degree weather on summer tires. This goes on for about 3 miles, then it's a tight and crazy hill climb. After that, nice turns, kinda reminiscent of Hellbender. Tons o' fun. Of note, on the way back, turns out it's a hill descent. I will say this, anyone who is doing the downhill on it had damn well better be downshifting, and have upgraded brake fluid. I've got ATE Super Blue (hooray for pre-ban), and they still were scorching hot by the end. I stayed in 2nd for most of the descent.
Highway 209, "The Rattler" - I split this into two parts, as 63 bisects it. 209 runs from Hot Springs down to Lake Junaluska. The northern half (running North) is again a hillclimb, and quite fun. The whole thing is pretty tight, with not a ton of room for speed. The southern half (again, running North) is much faster, and a hell of a lot of fun. It's not much until you get to Betsy's Gap, where a sign proudly informs you that you're entering The Rattler. Quite a lot of 2nd gear turns with the rear end skipping around.
Highway 70 and 321 are pretty much transit from Point A - B. A few fun spots here and there, but mostly just driving.
Highway 441 - This would be an absolute blast, except that it's incredibly scenic, running through TN mountains, and everyone and their mother was on it. Post-Christmas may have something to do with it, but I get the feeling it'll always be busy. Luckily, if you're coming from The Dragon, you don't have to run 441 at all. That said, it's beautiful, as long as you don't mind going 20 MPH. Fun fact, the truck in front of me was blazing suspicious smelling herbal substances for a solid hour. Turns out you can smell things pretty easily with the top down.
Highway 19 from Gatlinburg to Cherokee can be fun in places, but traffic is probably going to keep you from a lot of fun. It's not bad, but it moves at a normal pace, and there's only two places to pass, both super short.
I also learned today that Gatlinburg is always crazy busy. I thought summer was the busy season, but apparently Christmas is too. Also, I had a redneck in a Mazda 3 offer to race me, and then tell me I should take my car to The Dragon.
I smiled, declined the race, and thanked him.Good run, all in all! Had a great time bombing around by myself; no tickets, just open mountain air. Oh, on tickets/police - there was a town whose name escapes me on Highway 70 that loudly advertised their radar enforcement; Valentine 1 picked up an instant-on K band. First cop I've seen running K vice Ka, but there you go. Don't speed through towns. Other than that, there was a bored looking State Trooper on Highway 441 not running radar. We were all doing 20 in a 35 for most of it, so, yeah... EDIT: Town is Newton, TN. It's apparently a known speed trap.
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