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Gap trip '07: Pics and ride report (long... 56k death!!
Well here they are.... these are not all of them only a select few. For the album click the link at the bottom of the thread. There's 319 pictures total. This is gonna be really long!
Enjoy! :popcorn: ====================================== Friday 8/31 (A little background info) I finish up getting the bike ready and all my last minute packing way later than expected, but got out the door and on my way outta south Florida by 2:30. A nice warm 90+ degree sunny day.... perfect weather for a black non -perforated leather suit! http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y15...p/DSC02620.jpg Beginning odo shot http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y15...p/DSC02622.jpg Meet time was between 5:00 and 6:00 in Orlando. Plan is to meet up with a new group I hadn't met before from cflriders.com. I arrive there at about 5:45 and I'm the 3rd one there. I introduce myself and meet Brad and Kevin. Shortly after that Jason arrives (we were at his house). But we're still missing our last guy, Chris. Apparently he's quite notorious for being late. We all do last minute tire pressure checks and lube our chains, and fill out our emergency contact info sheet while we wait. I took a few pics http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y15...p/DSC02625.jpg http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y15...p/DSC02627.jpg http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y15...p/DSC02628.jpg http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y15...p/DSC02629.jpg 7:30 comes and still no Chris.... everybody is getting on edge as we watch the sky and see dark rain clouds getting closer and closer in the direction we're headed. 7:45 Chris finally arrives. It's now starting to rain, so those that had rain gear put it on as well as put our luggage in garbage bags to protect it from the rain. 8:00 we're off.... we make our way to the turnpike and head north. Our first stop will be Gainesville, FL to pick up another member of the group, Rich and his GF. We get up to Gainesville and meet up with Rich. His GF is driving her Ford Escape, so Chris' GF and Jasons' GF hop off their pillion seats and the 3 girls ride together in the car the rest of the way up. We grab a bite to eat and get back on the road, about 10:00 pm now. This pic was taken several days later, but just to show the group. Oh yea and the best part... ALLL HONDAS!!! The guys from left to right: -Chris and GF - silver '03 VFR -Rich and GF - silver '05 F4i -Brad - red '99 F4 -Kevin - red '98 VFR -Me - red/black '04 F4i -Jason and GF - black '04 VFR http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y15...p/DSC02738.jpg Not pictured above are several riders we'd pick up later... Jeremy (red '02 VFR) and Kevins dad Bob (blue '04 ST1300) We made our way north... boring super slab getting out of FL and southern part of GA. We make a stop for gas in middle of nowhere GA somewhere and take a lil break... it's getting late and we're all getting tired http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y15...p/DSC02631.jpg http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y15...p/DSC02632.jpg Yup, it's that time http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y15...p/DSC02633.jpg Jasons bike took ALOT of gas!! http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y15...p/DSC02635.jpg Ooooooookkk mobile church, lol http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y15...p/DSC02641.jpg We keep heading north, getting very tired we start the countdown... "ok 2 hours left"... "ok 1 hour left"... "ok 30 minutes left". We finally arrive at Kevins parents house in Canton, GA (north of Atlanta) at 5:30 am and dead on our feet. His parents were just getting up when we pulled in the driveway, and came out to greet us. His mom told us to get some sleep and when we got up they'd have breakfast waiting for us. And that we did! Hauled all the gear inside and went right to bed. Saturday 9/1 Woke up about 11:00 to the smell of eggs, bacon, sausage, pancakes, and even some pastries and OJ. Geared up and got ready to head out for the day. Destination: Deals Gap, the scenic route We check and adjust tire pressures and lube chains again before we head out http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y15...p/DSC02643.jpg http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y15...p/DSC02644.jpg Kevins parents.... his dad joined us with his ST1300 http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y15...p/DSC02645.jpg And OMG Dixie is the FATTEST BEAGLE EVAR!!! http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y15...p/DSC02646.jpg Jeremy joins along with us as well (white/grey leathers) http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y15...p/DSC02648.jpg We head out and hit up some twisties. We stop at this little store once we get to the top of Blood Mtn going up US129 http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y15...p/DSC02653.jpg It has a nice overlook too http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y15...p/DSC02656.jpg http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y15...p/DSC02657.jpg http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y15...p/DSC02659.jpg We continue on our scenic route to the Gap, hitting up some more twisties. Then.... UHH OH! http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y15...p/DSC02662.jpg She clocked Jason at 64 in a 45. She was cool though, and we all were trying sooo hard not to laugh as we sat and listened to him feed her this whoooole line of pure BS. But one way or another she let him off with just a warning I didn't even realize the name of the road where we got pulled over at.... weird coincidence http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y15...p/DSC02663.jpg Started raining in the afternoon, so we stopped for lunch in Helen, GA http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y15...p/DSC02671.jpg Taking a little break after Warwoman Rd, leading to Rt. 28. Damn that's a nice road! http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y15...p/DSC02682.jpg We finally make it to our cabin at Fontana Village Resort a little after dark (this pic taken the next morning) http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y15...p/DSC02688.jpg Sunday 9/2 Todays destination... The Dragon! We arrive at the CROT about 9:00 http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y15...p/DSC02690.jpg Yours truly http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y15...p/DSC02691.jpg Had a quick breakfast at the CROT http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y15...p/DSC02694.jpg As we're eating breakfast Jeremy tells us there was just an accident on the dragon. "Oh great, now there's gonna be popo for sure", we all thought. A few minutes later we see this guy come down from the dragon with his truck and trailer, and what used to be an R1. He jumped gravity cavity and ate it, but somehow managed to walk away from it http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y15...p/DSC02695.jpg http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y15...p/DSC02696.jpg http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y15...p/DSC02698.jpg But we head up anyways, keeping an open eye for the popo. Ended up being only 1, and he didn't bother us. At the overlook http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y15...p/DSC02699.jpg http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y15...p/DSC02700.jpg What a beautiful view! http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y15...p/DSC02701.jpg http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y15...p/DSC02709.jpg I thought this was kinda cool.... parked in the same spot facing one way I get the TN sign, and facing the other way I get the NC sign http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y15...p/DSC02718.jpg http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y15...p/DSC02719.jpg Official dragon water... I wonder if it makes me faster (LOL) http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y15...p/DSC02720.jpg Going up the Cherohala Skyway http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y15...p/DSC02725.jpg Stopped here and by pure coincidence, met up with a small group of sportbikes who also happened to be from Orlando http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y15...p/DSC02729.jpg Made it back to Kevins parents house just before dark http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y15...p/DSC02733.jpg Monday 9/3 Everybody else in the group is getting ready to head back to Orlando. I'm not going with though, I'm staying in the area for another week http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y15...p/DSC02734.jpg So what do I do?? My ass is headed back to the mountains! http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y15...p/DSC02740.jpg Absolutely beautiful scenery... no pictures, videos, or words can due it justice http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y15...p/DSC02750.jpg http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y15...p/DSC02753.jpg This WAS a really nice little twisty and hilly road until.... Uh oh BRAAAAKKKEEESS!! http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y15...p/DSC02756.jpg So I decided to do a little offroading... saw this little road and was curious where it went. It didn't look bad at the bottom... didn't know that in the middle it had some spots that were damn near 40 degree incline http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y15...p/DSC02764.jpg http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y15...p/DSC02765.jpg Interesting trees they have here http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y15...p/DSC02769.jpg http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y15...p/DSC02771.jpg Top of Brasstown Bald Mtn, the highest point in GA (4,780 ft) http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y15...p/DSC02784.jpg http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y15...p/DSC02785.jpg http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y15...p/DSC02787.jpg This little section of Rt. 52 was absolutely breathtaking http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y15...p/DSC02792.jpg http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y15...p/DSC02794.jpg http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y15...p/DSC02797.jpg http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y15...p/DSC02800.jpg I want to live.... HERE http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y15...p/DSC02806.jpg The sun was going down as I made my way back across Rt. 52. Made for a beautiful mountain-scape http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y15...p/DSC02810.jpg I then made my way to Dalton, GA where I'd meet up with Aaron from cbrforum later that night after he got off work. I met up with him and followed him back to his house in Chattanooga, TN Tuesday 9/4 http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y15...p/DSC02829.jpg He has a '93 F2 that's he's doing a full body swap with an '01 F4i, gauges and all. We went and picked up all the bodywork from the painters, and worked on all the wiring and custom work that was needed to make everything work http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y15...p/DSC02819.jpg Wednesday 9/5 I left Chattanooga, TN and headed to Athens, GA where I was supposed to meet up with Mike from georgiasportbike.com. Hit up lots of nice twisties on the way there, and went through the thriving metropolis of 'Talking Rock' http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y15...p/DSC02832.jpg Don't blink or you might miss downtown! http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y15...p/DSC02831.jpg More overlooks http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y15...p/DSC02833.jpg http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y15...p/DSC02836.jpg Got to Athens, but then wasn't able to get ahole of Mike. After waiting for about an hour, I left and just found a hotel for the night. Ended up in Lavonia, GA (almost to SC). This was the only night in a hotel the whole trip http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y15...p/DSC02840.jpg Thursday 9/6 I had my job interview in Winder, GA. I slept in that morning cuz I really needed it. Left the hotel at 11:00 and made my way to Winder. Got some lunch and then went to my interview, which went very well (I got the job). After that I call up another one of the guys from georgiasportbike.com, who happens to have the same name as me (same spelling too), as well as the same bike though different year. So I make my way over to Suwanne, GA over closer to Atlanta and meet up with him http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y15...p/DSC02843.jpg We planned on hitting up a huge well known bike night in downtown Atlanta at a place called "The Vortex". But first we meet up with a few other people. Most of these people were with another group and they all left before we did... it was a pretty big group! Guess this is the gas station everybody meets at http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y15...p/DSC02845.jpg http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y15...p/DSC02846.jpg After hanging out for a bit we head downtown ATL http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y15...p/DSC02847.jpg First stop is a place called "The Varsity". I guess everybody goes here first and hangs out before heading to The Vortex http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y15...p/DSC02857.jpg http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y15...p/DSC02848.jpg http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y15...p/DSC02849.jpg http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y15...p/DSC02859.jpg Unfortunately we never made it to The Vortex. The other guy I was with was having some intermittent charging issues with his bike. He thought it'd be alright, but soon as we got to The Varsity, his bike was dead as a doornail. Wouldn't even bumpstart. Luckily somebody had cables and I had tools, so we jumped his bike off of mine. Luckily it started charging, but we both thought it best to just head home rather than risk getting stranded somewhere. We made it back to his house without incident Friday 9/7 He had to leave for work at a ridiculously early time in the morning (6:30), so Just got up early and head out somewhere. It was my last day up there before making my way back south, so I had to make the best of it. I left his house in Suwannee about 7:15 am http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y15...p/DSC02861.jpg And where do you think I headed?? Come on, take a guess! http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y15...p/DSC02863.jpg Bingo! And back to Deals Gap I go! But first stop along the way... one of my favorites. What an awsome road! http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y15...p/DSC02865.jpg The Joyce Kilmer scenic forest was very cool http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y15...p/DSC02869.jpg Overlook on top of the Skyway... it was about 65-70 degrees up here... felt sooo good http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y15...p/DSC02874.jpg http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y15...p/DSC02875.jpg http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y15...p/DSC02878.jpg Same bridge I stopped at last year... still a favorite http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y15...p/DSC02892.jpg http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y15...p/DSC02893.jpg And here I am yet again... gotta get one last run in http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y15...p/DSC02901.jpg http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y15...p/DSC02902.jpg http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y15...p/DSC02904.jpg WTF?? Kawi ZRX-1200 http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y15...p/DSC02903.jpg Found a little suspension bridge on my way back down 129 http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y15...p/DSC02911.jpg http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y15...p/DSC02912.jpg As weird as this sounds, I found all these rocks quite interesting. Looking at the way they were eroded, most all of them were very smooth and rounded, and had huge holes in them. A few others were perfectly flat and HUGE http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y15...p/DSC02916.jpg http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y15...p/DSC02917.jpg Made my way back to Athens, GA to meet up with Mike from georgiasportbike. I got ahold of him to make sure he was gonna be around and he said come on over I loved the driveway http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y15...p/DSC02930.jpg http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y15...p/DSC02927.jpg This dog was freaking HUGE!! Great Dane I guess... it was about as tell as my bike (literally) http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y15...p/DSC02928.jpg Saturday 9/8 Sad to say it's time to start heading home. I leave Mikes house about 10:30 or so and make my way towards Macon. I had called a guy from cbrforum in Augusta, GA but he was busy and couldn't meet up, so I called another guy from cbrforum in Macon but he was at work. So I continued on my way. Stopped in Cordele, GA for gas and some lunch. After filling up, having not looked at the total amount while filling, I look after I'm done filling. Yup, it's a sign, I'm headed in the right direction to go back to hell...errr south florida http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y15...p/DSC02931.jpg Hot sunny 90 degree day + black non-perf full leather suit... what could be better to eat than some greasy Popeyes chicken! http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y15...p/DSC02932.jpg Now this was just downright depressing (the sign that is). Talk about a buzz killer http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y15...p/DSC02933.jpg It's starting to get dark as I roll into the Orlando service plaza. I call my buddy Calvin who lives in Orlando so I can go meet with him http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y15...p/DSC02934.jpg Having previously crossed the FL state line, I found it only appropriate to make this my next stop http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y15...p/DSC02939.jpg LOL actually this was just next to the 7-11 where I was waiting for my buddy at. My buddy showed up a lil while later and I went back to his place, then we met up with a few other people and his brother and all went out to eat Sunday 9/9 Calvin and his new wheels http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y15...p/DSC02960.jpg Calvin builds the real deal flight sims, so he took me over to his work and let me play with these bad boys http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y15...p/DSC02941.jpg http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y15...p/DSC02942.jpg http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y15...p/DSC02947.jpg http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y15...p/DSC02948.jpg http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y15...p/DSC02957.jpg Future stunna http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y15...p/DSC02958.jpg 6:00 pm... time for me to head out. Only 3 more hours until I'm home http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y15...p/DSC02961.jpg Thanks KP! http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y15...p/DSC02969.jpg Finally made it back home safe n' sound about 9:00 pm http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y15...p/DSC02982.jpg Ending odo shot http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y15...p/DSC02975.jpg ====================================== For the rest of the pictures, click the link below to see the album thirdgenlxi/2007 GAP Trip - Photobucket - Video and Image Hosting ====================================== Well there you have it, my week in pictures! Hope I didn't put anyone to sleep, lol. Freakin awsome trip though... can't wait until the next! |
damn. congrats on a successful and totally awesome trip!
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Damn nice pics....glad you had a good time
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Hey, isn't that Katanapilot?
Cool shit man...you definitely with the "Iron Ass" award for all those miles. Great to see everyone geared up, looks like a blast. 28 is a cool road, nice sweepers. Cherohola(sp?) Skyway is a blast as well. Did you notice the orange dots on the road? Locals put them there to indicate decreasing radius turn coming up. Excellent write up and thanks for sharing. |
A wonderful trip and an amazing documentation!
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Awesome pics, kind of cool to get a detailed glimpse of ones vacation/adventure. Thanks for sharing!
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Beautiful pictures and great details of the trip.
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Great ride report!
100k on a CBR :moocow: wow |
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Thanks guys for all the compliments... I'm glad you enjoyed!! :D |
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