Rick's Rendezvous 2013, May 15-19, Hampton, TN

Be fun to ride with you. Lets plan on at least one day, Got a big bike and a small bike so I'm flexible.

Do you still have the 525 I sold you? That was a fun bike.

That'll give you something to do while you're waiting for the tow truck...

Yep, I ride it more then any of the others. Got the 17's on it right now.

Not mine. My Airhead is indestructible, can't say the same for my buddies. He just got it back on the road today after his drive shaft blew up

.....and here I was thinking that you must have made the switch to KTM!

Lookinng forward to it.

added a few more pics to the "Points of Interest for the RDV" thread

linky

Planning to make it out for the first time this year. Looking forward to meeting you folks.

I'll be probably be hammock camping if it makes any difference. Save me a couple big 'uns.

I'm leaning more towards being able to make it. My daughters Graduation in May 21, so I can make the rally and then head over for her graduation.

Anybody up for a scout ride on Sunday? Riding trails, steep & rocky if that's good for whoever responds, or "not so" steep & rocky if you'd rather explore trails and help me try "connect" a few trail systems between Mtn City & Watauga Lake.

I rode some today and the rain hasn't hurt the trails. Went up a creek/trail that I'd expected might be roaring after all the rain, but it wasn't bad at all. Also, I met some loggers who were fine with us riding there & even gave me directions....well, general directions anyway. They said the "old trail" runs the entire ridge, but I'll need help finding it. Just shoot me a PM if Sunday's good.


Also, I went to the Mountain Trail Riders Assoc. meeting. They are planning a fundraiser on Saturday Sept 22 at Doe Mountain, with free tours of the trails & free hot dogs.
Mountain City is planning to become "ATV friendly" like the Hatfield & McCoy area and is going to allow ATV (and I think dirt bikes) to ride throughout the town! Yeee Haw!!

Thanks for the update on the trail system Sounds like we'll have plenty of area to "play" next May.

This weekend is a no-go for me, but a bunch of us are planning on camping at Black Bear next weekend (prolly Saturday 9/15 only).
Come on by and join the

I guess I need to get on here and read before I take off to explore in my spare time on the weekends. Glenn, you ever hear of Iron Mountain Trail, between Shady Valley and Mountain City? Looks like it hasn't been used in years. I need to make a machete sheath for my DRZ. Easy way to clear the small stuff.

I'd been eyeing Cross Mtn Road on googlemaps, but had'nt made it over there yet. The map can be misleading, things which "used to be" passable years ago appear on the map, but you can barely find them now, and sometimes they are gated or non-public now.

How far have you been down Iron Mtn Trail? I assume you entered from the Shady Valley side? Will bigger bikes be able to ride it after the machete work?

The weather looks perfect all week, maybe we can get a ride in later in the week?

Cross Mountain Road is paved. Nice fun road, the old tar and chip stuff.

Every trail in Shady Valley is gated except for one trail to the east just below Backbone Rock. The park service does open some of the gates in the fall/winter for hunters (I'm assuming) but they don't go anywhere.

There is a fun little gravel road that runs on the west side of Iron Mountain from Bristol side of 421 up into Damascus. Starts out paved, though, across 421 from Little Jacob's Creek Road. The only other unpaved, non-gated road goes from about halfway up this road east over Iron Mountain and comes out in the big right hander at the bottom of the hill headed to Backbone Rock, right there at the bridge.

"I hate gates"!!!

All Right!!!
It looks like you guys are really moving ahead with the scouting.

I need to find more possible places to eat lunch(es). :dg You know, little greasy spoons that don't require riding into a traffic laden town....there's so many nice country roads that it would be great to have 'out of town' lunch stops too. Anybody have some spare anti-cholesterol pills they can send me while I scout?