KW Dragon Thread.

[Bigevildoer]

Hey guys...
Here's the thread for the Dragon trip organization.

Copy and paste of the message I put up earlier...


So, anyone decide for sure if they're in or out?
1 Week trip - Somewhere between July 14-29 (sorry, that's when I get my holidays, and they can't be changed due to shop shut down).
Leave mid-late afternoon Saturday, drive half way, hotel/motel OR leave super early Sunday morning and drive straight through.
Return the following Friday on a straight through drive.

(Pretty Much) Confirmed:
SpyRadar (100%)
Gary (Very Likely)
Smergy (Very likely)
Bigevildoer (100%)

Waffling:
Katatonic

No hotels etc have been booked as of yet. Let me know which of the 2 weeks works best for you guys....
Looks like we'll be staying at the Fontana Village Resort by the dam.

[smergy]

subscribed, as I asked before, does anyone have an objection leaving either early on a sat/sunday morning and coming back the following sat/sun? 1 shot drive is probably best, no riding either of the travel days. What do we have for vehicles/trailers?

I'm a maybe until we get some concrete details down. As i said before 5 scheduled riding days would be my minimum to go.

all of this would be subject to availability at fontana, we may not be able to get weekends, we'd have to find out, in which case stop somewhere on the way, get groceries. the cabins are nice becasue you can make your own breakfast/dinner without having to eat out every meal.

Let me know what you guys think

[Gary]

subscribed, as I asked before, does anyone have an objection leaving either early on a sat/sunday morning and coming back the following sat/sun? 1 shot drive is probably best, no riding either of the travel days. What do we have for vehicles/trailers?

I'm a maybe until we get some concrete details down. As i said before 5 scheduled riding days would be my minimum to go.

all of this would be subject to availability at fontana, we may not be able to get weekends, we'd have to find out, in which case stop somewhere on the way, get groceries. the cabins are nice becasue you can make your own breakfast/dinner without having to eat out every meal.

Let me know what you guys think

(subscribed)

As of now, I have room for one rider / bike. (I have ramps).

How's this sound?
Leave July 14th mid afternoon.
Return July 20th. (rates are better Sun - Fri)
I'd like to leave July 14th - cross into Kentucky & bunk down for the night @ any hotel along the slab. That way, we'd only have about 3 hrs drive to Fontana Village next day & still be fresh enough to ride. Unload (15 minutes max) gear up, and ride for the rest of the day - jump in the pool at night.

I'll stay at the lodge. Pool outside my door to enjoy after long days of riding / wi - fi down the hall in the lounge.
I'll be on holidays = NO cooking . (tasty french toast every morning down the hall works perfect for me & some NC bbq somewhere on the road daily, or w/e).
If anyone wants to split a 2 queen size bed room - chime in.

This allows for 6 days of riding & head home in one shot on the 20th.

p.s I'd like to book asap too.

[smergy]

Gary, what kind of vehicle/trailer do you have out of curiosity?

I have a 2 bike 5x8 open trailer, but my car can't pull 2 bikes in those hills. BigEvilDoer whats your truck rated at? I might be able to swap my trailer to a friend for an enclosed 2 bike trailer. I'd prefer to have a place with a kitchen to make food, but would consider options.

How many others are there and what vehicles/trailers do we have?

[smergy]

Are you for sure gary? Sounds like bigevildoer is for sure and spyradar is for sure. 4 people fit into a cabin nicely, 5 or more is too tight, but then could do a room and a cabin or something. Anyone else coming? I like making my own food, because I'm a cheap SOB and don't really like greasy road crap for a week straight. I find good food helps keep you focused on those windy roads

[spyradar]

Hi guys,

July 14th to 20th sounds good. I dont mind when we leave, as long as we leave on 14th. I hope I can contribute some sort of transportation, but all i have is bike and pos convertablie.

[smergy]

any objection to riding on the friday, packing up then going to a motel a few hours outside, then doing the remainder of the drive on the saturday? Would save traffic in the major cities, and get a bonus day of riding + split up the drive home. Thoughts?

[Bigevildoer]

Hey guys...
I've committed to taking SpyRadar down. I have a trailer borrowed from a co-worker, so we're set that way (Jin - you OK with pitching in $25 for the trailer? I figure giving them $50 is fair between us).

My truck's good for 2 bikes on the trailer, but no more in the mountains. I'd consider 3 bikes (trailer and bed) for shorter flat road distances (i.e. GB or TMP tracks).

I'm good to go anywhere in the dates I specified earlier.

Gary/Smergy -- you're both good guys. Think you'd get along well on the rides down/back. We can also change passengers half way down/back as well to mix things up.

From what I've been told/researched, showing up for riding Monday-Friday is the best down there - the weekend traffic dissipates, and the po-po a little more too.

If we leave on the Saturday, I'd prefer it to be in the afternoon...

[Bigevildoer]

I hope I can contribute some sort of transportation, but all i have is bike and pos convertablie.

Your money is always appreciated for transportation...
And an S2000 is hardly a POS....

[killerkeith]

Don't believe the weekend hype. Killboy just made a video de-bunking the "weekends are too busy" myth. Long weekends...that another story.

[Gary]

Gary, what kind of vehicle/trailer do you have out of curiosity?

F-150 Scab / 5'X8' trailer.
(tried getting my bike and a 636 on my trailer last yr, and it wasn't happening - like me, my bike's too fat, so I will have room for 1 bike in the truck's bed).

Are you for sure gary?

ok........(I'm retired)

any objection to riding on the friday, packing up then going to a motel a few hours outside, then doing the remainder of the drive on the saturday? Would save traffic in the major cities, and get a bonus day of riding + split up the drive home. Thoughts?

Depending on check out time, it could be a pita, but I've been with guys that get up at 6am on the last day to hit the dragon a few times.
Usually, I just want to get (straight) home after a week down there, but I'm down for almost anything.

[Bigevildoer]

Don't believe the weekend hype. Killboy just made a video de-bunking the "weekends are too busy" myth. Long weekends...that another story.

70 degrees at 12:05pm... what time of year was this shot? Definitely not middle of summer during prime vacation time...

So, you in Keith, or what?

[killerkeith]

70 degrees at 12:05pm... what time of year was this shot? Definitely not middle of summer during prime vacation time...

So, you in Keith, or what?

It was shot over last weekend. I'd love to go but I'm going with a different group in May.

[smergy]

I can ride with gary, if your good with that gary. Just bought the 5x8, its brand new, currently working on putting wheel chocks in it for the track. Your truck and my trailer maybe? Put your bike and gear in the back of the truck, I'll put my stuff in the trailer, all we have to do is hook it on, good to go.

http://www.stirlingpowerproducts.com...48-084-TLR.jpg

maybe in april the weekends aren't busy, but in july, even the week will be busy/busier I think. Last year we went in may and it was really good, but the weekend was definitely busy. During the week was better, but I would not call it dead, it was moderate. What kind of bike you riding gary?

So back to the original schedule, kind of depends what we can get at fontana as to how the last day works out. As for going down there, if were going to leave, I'd prefer to leave early in the am on sunday, be locked and loaded the night before, last year we left in the pm and drove through the night, it was a terrible idea, I'd never do that again.

Any objection to a cabin of 4 for accomodations? Gary can get his french toast at the lodge, whoever wants to make food can make food, everyones happy?

[Bigevildoer]

Still waiting on hearing back from Katatonic... he'd be #5...

[smergy]

for sure, let us know when he makes a decision, just want to get all the details clarified before I make a decision on whether I'm going or not. We also need to check availability once Kat figures out if he's interested. I'm a stickler for details before deciding. If I say I'm in, I'm in 100%, but not until all the details are known.

[Bigevildoer]

Well, we can work in Katatonic if he decides to come along one way or another.
I don't mind the plan Gary proposed...

Leave July 14th mid afternoon.
Return July 20th. (rates are better Sun - Fri)

Depending on weather forecast etc, we can always ride half day on Friday, July 20, then start the drive home. Stop off somewhere at a cheap motel and then finish the trip on the next day.

How's that sound Smergy?

Oh, and for those who don't know each other ---- Gary = Gary (obvious I hope), Smergy = Randy, SpyRadar = Jin, Bigevildoer = Tim.

[Gary]

I can ride with gary, if your good with that gary. Just bought the 5x8, its brand new, currently working on putting wheel chocks in it for the track. Your truck and my trailer maybe? Put your bike and gear in the back of the truck, I'll put my stuff in the trailer, all we have to do is hook it on, good to go.

http://www.stirlingpowerproducts.com...48-084-TLR.jpg

maybe in april the weekends aren't busy, but in july, even the week will be busy/busier I think. Last year we went in may and it was really good, but the weekend was definitely busy. During the week was better, but I would not call it dead, it was moderate. What kind of bike you riding gary?

So back to the original schedule, kind of depends what we can get at fontana as to how the last day works out. As for going down there, if were going to leave, I'd prefer to leave early in the am on sunday, be locked and loaded the night before, last year we left in the pm and drove through the night, it was a terrible idea, I'd never do that again.

Any objection to a cabin of 4 for accomodations? Gary can get his french toast at the lodge, whoever wants to make food can make food, everyones happy?

My trailer is brand new too - used once to haul a bike from Hamilton - Toronto and back.
Just like this one (with cage ramp), & with a spare tire.
http://www.kangarootrailers.com/the_...x_trailer.html
I have 2 wheel chocks. I also have ramps to get a bike in the pick up bed, but my bike (a fat GSX1300R) will be on the trailer.
Since both our trailers are identical in size, we won't get both bikes on (comfortably).
My F150 is a Scab (supercab), so there's plenty of room for all our **** in the back seat area.
I'd still prefer leaving Sat afternoon, bunk down along I75 for the night, and not waste Sunday on the road all day - we can be @ Fontana by 12pm - 1pm Sunday, and ride.

I'll get a room in the lodge. If anyone wants to share it, that's cool, if not I'm ok with that too.

[smergy]

if we want to split the drive down into 2 days, we'd want to leave late morning on saturday, drive 10-12 hours, sleep then do the rest of the way sunday morning to be there by the noonish mark. Leaving saturday afternoon would mean you could do at most 8 hours or half the distance, meaning we'd still have to put in quite a bit of driving sunday, wasting almost 2 days.

I'm ok riding a half or full day friday then heading out and staying somewhere, but I think just staying the friday night at fontana (if possible) and just doing a straight trek back saturday morning is the simplest.


Gary wants a room, what do you guys want? I don't really care what it is as long as I can make food and don't have to eat out for a week straight.

My trailer is brand new too - used once to haul a bike from Hamilton - Toronto and back.
Just like this one (with cage ramp), & with a spare tire.
http://www.kangarootrailers.com/the_...x_trailer.html
I have 2 wheel chocks. I also have ramps to get a bike in the pick up bed, but my bike (a fat GSX1300R) will be on the trailer.
Since both our trailers are identical in size, we won't get both bikes on (comfortably).
My F150 is a Scab (supercab), so there's plenty of room for all our **** in the back seat area.
I'd still prefer leaving Sat afternoon, bunk down along I75 for the night, and not waste Sunday on the road all day - we can be @ Fontana by 12pm - 1pm Sunday, and ride.

I'll get a room in the lodge. If anyone wants to share it, that's cool, if not I'm ok with that too.

[Bigevildoer]

Looking at room rates on the website...
Standard Room, 1 King or 2 Queens, $109 Sun-Thurs, $129 Fri-Sat
Magnolia or Azalea 3 Bedroom Cabin (if available), 1 King, 1 Queen, 2 Twins, $229 Sun-Thurs, $269 Fri-Sat
Cedar 2 Bedroom, 1 Queen, 2 Twins, $149 Sun-Thurs, $159 Fri-Sat (pretty basic cabin)
Taxes extra.

I've got a Dragonslayer discount card (same as Gary -- what percent off is it Gary, you know?) if they'll take it (not supposed to in the summer time, but might get lucky)

If we get the cabin for the rest of us, could I ask a favour? A friend of mine from Atlanta is hoping/planning to come and visit for 1 night. Would it be possible to give her the Queen bed that night? She may have her baby along - still uncertain of that... I'll sleep on the floor... If it's not OK with you guys, I'll just get her another room in the lodge for that night.

Fair enough?