EMAIL: INFO @ TAILOFTHEDRAGON.COM

Nov 10 - Another rock slide, this time blocking US64 between Cleveland TN and the NC border in the Ocoee River Gorge. Looks like it will be a couple months before US64 is open again. Click here for Article. There is an AMAZING video of the second slide as it occurred Click here for video. Photo from timesfreepress.com

Rockslide on I40 at the TN/NC state line closes both lanes. NCDOT reports that getting 2 lanes open using the eastbound side will take up to 4 months, and the entire cleanup could take 5 months. Click here for Article. Photos from Asheville Citizens Times

November 7: A few 18 wheelers continue to come through the Dragon each day. Traffic has slowed, but the weather is still good for riding with daytime temps in the 60s.

October 29: Six or seven 18 wheelers on the Dragon today. Several got hung up causing traffic delays. Be extra careful in the next few months due to the closing of I40.

October 27: The season is winding down as the colors peak in the mountains. It has been rather busy the last two weeks with a wide variety of visitors to the area. Lots of touring bikes, cruisers, dual sports and some great looking cars. This past week-end saw a lot of Corvettes, Vipers and classic older cars. There were also a number of smaller groups that made for a steady parade.

There is still good weather ahead. We suggest keeping a close eye on the weather web sites and pick your times to get in a few more days at the Dragon before winter sets in. We have even had some good riding Christmas and New Years.

The coming months are also great times for the cagers (cars) to have the local roads to themselves. The Dragon is at a low altitude and is not affected by snow as much as the Cherohala, Blue Ridge Parkway and Great Smoky Mountains. The Tail of the Dragon will post when road conditions are bad.

There has been some discussion about a political dispute between two adjoining counties in western North Carolina over emergency responses in a small area near the Dragon (not on the Dragon itself). The issue deals with emergency coverage on 10 miles of NC 28 and US 129 located in Swain County, North Carolina. This particular area south of the Great Smoky Mountains is an isolated section of Swain County which actually adjoins Graham County. It is 21 miles by road (NC 28) from the nearest point in greater Swain County.

Graham County has been providing emergency services to the area under a mutual aid agreement with Swain County for a number of years at no charge. With the increase in tourism traffic there has been a proportional increase in emergency responses to the area covered under the agreement. Graham County has asked for financial assistance from Swain County to cover the increased expenses. Swain County so far has made no offer acceptable to Graham County. A request to annex the land into Graham County has been tabled by the Graham County Commission. There are also a number of tax issues, subsidies and government grants involved.

There is much more to this matter than many might think. Don’t let some uninformed bloggers who ignorantly rant and resort to name calling sway your thinking.  
No decision has been made in settling the question of who will cover this area in the future. Tail of the Dragon has been monitoring the various political moves but will wait for the final decision before offering our opinions to the public. Any opinions that we have now will be offered directly to the commissioners who will be making the final decision. And we will be professional in stating our position. It is never productive to attack and resort to name calling.

We have seen posts that blame Graham County Commissioner Odom for the BMW fiasco of 1997. Melvin Howell was sheriff at that time, not Odom. And BMW has recently featured Graham County as a motorcycle destination in their 2009 ROA rally book. They have also approached Fontana Village with plans for future rallies.
Graham County is one of the best motorcycling areas in the United States. Graham County also features some of the most motorcycle friendly accommodations and businesses that any rider could imagine. Don’t let the current disagreements keep you away.

We have heard a lot of unnecessary uproar over this issue even though the events have had no effect on the current emergency services for the area in question or for the Dragon itself.

Nancy and I do want to share some of our positive thoughts on safety wherever we ride.

1. We always assume that medical care will not be available in time to save us in case of serious injury. That keeps us alert and riding as safe as possible. The Dragon and Cherohala Skyway are remote areas with long response times even in the best of conditions so you should ride as safely as possible.
2. We assume the risks involved with riding and everything else we do. We have ridden on rocky trails knowing that help was hours away, but we assumed that risk.
3. We prepare ourselves for emergencies. Both of us have had EMT training and know what to do in case of an accident. Take first aid training if you can.
4. When riding unknown roads we always “lay back” a bit preferring to be overly cautious rather than take any chances.
5. We always try to stay positive in everything we do. Life is too short to be negative.

____

Some new signs have been installed by North Carolina DOT. Tail of the Dragon provided input to identify some of the problem areas on the Hellbender and Cherohala . The new signs hopefully will help riders be more aware of dangerous corners. Remember !!! WHEN YOU SEE A WARNING SIGN SLOW IT DOWN AND BE ALERT.