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Ride Date |
Ride Details |
| September 17, 2011 |
To All, We had 7 show up at the Waffle House and 6 make the ride. The list included: Raydawg, Hoss, Doc & Mikey Jr, Stud Dog, Wizard and myself. Wizard came and ate breakfast with us but had to leave and the rest of us headed for Black Mountain & Moe's BBQ, at least thats what we thought. We stopped for a fluid exchange at Mill Springs NC and as soon as we got back on Hwy 9 Mr. Rain showed up and we turned it around and went back down Hwy 9 and headed for the Hwy 11 Cafe by way of Hwy 14 to Forest City and then Hwy 11 to Chesnee. After a great lunch Doc & Mikey Jr split off and the rest of us went over to Harley of Spartanburg to get Raydawg two new tires for the Ultra. Once there Hoss headed home to get ready to go to a wedding and Raydawg, Stud Dog and I set around shooting the bull until Raydawg's tires were on and then we all split for home.
The temp's were chilly, but the food and friends to share it with were great!
Sarge Out!
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| September 10, 2011 |
What a gorgeous day to ride! Best day of the year, in my
opinion, for clear skies and air temps.
We had 6 bikes with 6 riders meet at the Waffle House on 176 & Springfield, one of which was new to our group! Kim Barnette from Harley of Greenville, invited by Doc. The lineup consisted of Ben "Sarge" Rodgers, Mike "Doc" Driscoll, Kim Barnette, Brian "Stick" Hightower, Will "Stud Muffin" Yarborough, and "Big Ben" Steagall. The decision was made in the parking lot to head northwest to Little Switzerland, so at 9:30 a.m. we rode toward Lake Blalock via Old Furnace Road through Boiling Springs, to 221 through Chesnee. After a brief stop at the Hot Spot gas station in Chesnee, we made the long, straight run north on Hwy 221 to Marion, NC. We made our second stop at the Shell gas station at 221 and I-40 in Glenwood to top off the tanks and stretch our legs, then continued on around Marion on 221. We hung a left onto 226 near North Cove and began to wind up the snaky mountain road to Little Switzerland. By this point we were happy to get off Hwy 221; it’s a pretty ride, just long and straight. Heaven forbid the straight hauls… Curvy is much more fun! We took the 11 mile ride to Little Switzerland nice and easy, not having any other vehicles ahead of us, and pulled in to the Mountain View Restaurant just in time for lunch! Before our lunch was served, we were treated to some entertainment by a waitress, who mistook our new rider, Kim, for a petty thief. It seems that Kim had walked in with a “31 brand” purse, and the waitress purportedly had an identical purse stolen from her Jeep earlier that day. Instead of politely asking Kim to verify ownership, the girl blitzed across the deck, got in Kim’s face and demanded to see the purse, claiming that it was hers and that Kim had stolen it from her Jeep. While the rest of our group sat there in awe, I was thinking, “Girl, all that stands between our friend and you are 5 big BIKERS … This may not end well for you! ” But Kim showed great restraint, handed the girl her purse, and we all watched as she scavenged through its contents. The waitress, realizing she had made a grave mistake, tossed the 31 back at Kim and fled the scene in tears. Proving that chivalry still exists, our 1 st Officer, Sarge, had an impromptu meeting with the restaurant owner inside, and the girl eventually came back out to apologize to Kim, and all was well. Case closed. Oh, and the food wasn’t bad either! We were surprised that Kim didn’t get her lunch comp’d, but I suppose the beautiful mountain scenery was enough to make it worthwhile. After our “eventful” lunch, we headed left onto the Blue Ridge Parkway for a breezy ride under the canopies of trees and tunnels, and then another left onto NC 80 (The Devil’s Staircase) back toward Marion. Halfway down, we were captured by http://www.blindkenny.com/ photography! Click on the link to find our pics! (Click on “Find Your Photos”, then on September 9 on the Calendar)We backtracked to the Shell station on Hwy 221 & I-40 just outside Marion, took another butt rest, and decided to head back through Rutherfordton, hang a right onto 64 and enjoy a coffee break at The Rock (Chimney Rock). Big Ben and Stud Muffin continued on 221 for home, and the rest of us criminals rode down 64. We ended our day by enjoying a great coffee break on the back deck of Fibber Maggie’s Riverfront Inn, sharing stories and laughing about The Great 31 Purse Caper , as it will come to be known. Around 5:30 p.m., we all followed the 9/64/74 trail out of The Rock, bared right onto 9 for Spartanburg, and enjoyed the last 20 miles of the ride together before Doc and Kim bared right onto 14 for Landrum while Stick and Sarge continued on Hwy 9 for Boiling Springs and Spartanburg. We covered about 230 miles for the day, beginning at 9:30 a.m. and ending around 6:00 p.m. The weather was clear blue skies, no clouds to speak of, and low 60 deg temps all day. The weather was honestly the icing on the cake for the ride. It definitely put us all in the fall season mood! That puts a wrapper on the Little Switzerland Ride for 09/10/2011. Until next weekend, ride safe, and have an excellent week at work!
This is Doc, signing off. Mike “Doc” Driscoll 2 nd Officer, SCRC 313
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| September 3, 2011 |
Well, the SCRC 313 finally got The Sapphire Valley Run under its belt. After a year and a half of making attempts and being rained out, we beat the rain and had an awesome run! We began the ride from the Waffle House at 9:23 a.m. with Mike "Doc" Driscoll, Raymond "Ray Dawg" Nyhart, and Mike "Hoss" Hosom. As we headed down 176 into Inman, we were ambushed by Carl Briles and Diane on the beautiful Black Beauty (Carl's '08 black & chrome Goldwing). We follwed 176 into Camp Pueblo, bared left on 11 and headed for Echo Valley in Cleveland for out first stop. From there we turned off 11 in Pickens onto 178 for Rosman, NC. We had an awesome ride up 178, with no cars ahead of us or behind us! We made our second stop at Jarrett Bros Gas Station in Rosman to top off our tanks and rest our butts. Because the weather was way too nice, we made our stop very short and headed to 64 for Sapphire Valley. This was a bit slower going as we got behind a few carpet baggers that had apparently never driven through mountain curves... They held us at 20 mph under the posted speed limit... Not to worry, as it is a short 16 miles from Rosman to Sapphire, and we were still making good time. We arrived right at noon to the Sapphire Mountain Brewing Company, which is tucked away nicely within the beautiful Sapphire Valley Golf Club. We got a great table out on the covered deck out back with an outstanding view!
After a really good lunch, we headed back out on 64 towards Cashiers and hung a right onto 107. Hwy 107 proved to be a gorgeous path, as we rode along Lake Glenville for a few miles, the hung another right onto 281 to cut back towards 215 and the BRP. Hwy 281 turned out to be an even prettier ride with 1/4 mile long, sweeping curves, and up/down rollers all through pastures and Christmas tree farms! After 9 miles, we then turned left onto Charley's Creek Rd for a hair-raising 10 miles. This road was equally beautiful, but the curves were much sharper and there were twice as many. Doc loved them, of course, but the rest of the group was glad to be off that road. It's actually the only cut-through to Hwy 215 and the BRP, so we had to do it. ;^) We turned left onto 215 for a several miles, then another left onto the Blue Ride Parkway, where we pulled off at the 3rd Overlook for another butt break and to take in the view from Devil's Courthouse. From there we headed to the Pisgah Inn at Mt. Pisgah for a restroom break, and got to take in a bike show. It wasn't an organized show, but about 300 other bikers who decided to make the same stop! We originally planned to take 276 off the BRP and into Brevard/Flat Rock/Saluda, but the group made a unanimous vote to ride to 74-A and into Bat Cave / Chimney Rock for our last stop of the ride. Aside from the usual, pesky carpet baggers poking along, it was an enjoyable ride! We made our last stop at Heavenly Hoggs in Chinmey Rock, where Hoss took off for home, and Ray, Mike D, Carl and Diane had some refreshments at the picnic table and observed the strange wildlife roaming the shop filled street of The Rock. We continued down 74-A to Hwy 9 past Lake Lure and all headed for home. Carl and Diane kept on 9 while Ray Dawg and Doc headed through Horse Country down Hwy 14 to Landrum, where Ray Dawg jumped on I-26 and Doc headed for Tryon. End of our ride was at about 5:30 p.m. We all cover 220+ miles together. I personally covered 250 miles when I got home to Tryon. It was an outstanding day with temps in the high 60's to mid-70's (up in the high elevations), and an amazing ride on some new roads with incredible views. Not too bad for a first run on the new route. We hope the rest of you will be able to make this ride the next time it is scheduled. Definitely a successful route.
Until next ride,
"Doc is out!"
Mike "Doc" Driscoll SCRC 313 2nd Officer
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| August 27, 2011 |
To All, We had 7 riders show up at the Waffle House, with 6 going on the Hospice Ride and Hoss heading to the Grand opening of Harley of Asheville. The riders included: Raydawg, Wizard, Hardcore & Cindy, Will and myself. Wild Bill and the Roughnecks out did themselves as always with a great ride through Spartanburg, Union and Cherokee counties, with about 400 to 500 riders showing up. The event moved to Barnett Park this year due to the shear number of riders that came to support a great cause. What I like most about rides with this many folks is all the people that stand out in their yards and wave and cheer the riders on...it is truly good to live in the south!
Note: I am out of town next weekend, but I'm sure someone will step up and get a ride together. So have a great Labor Day and a safe ride!
Sarge Out!
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| August 20, 2011 |
To All, We had a good ride to the mountains this weekend, with 13 riders and 10 bikes. Those riding were: Raydawg & Kathy, Big "D" & Christina, Hardcore & Cindy, Wizard & Donna, Hoss, Will, Carl, Mongoose and myself. We headed for the Twin Dragon at Brevard NC via Hwy 176 to Hwy 11 up Hwy 178 and then Hwy 215 on to the BRP where we had some delays due to a motorcycle accident that the rider had to be air lifted out. Then it was Hwy 276 back into Brevard with lunch at the Twin Dragon. After a very filling lunch we took Hwy 64 to Kanuga Rd to Erkwood Rd and then Hwy 176 back down the mountain with our last stop at the Hot Spot in Landrum, from there everyone starting splitting for home.
Great ride, great weather and great friends to share it with!
Sarge Out!
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| August 13, 2011 |
To All, We had 7 riders show up for what turned out to be a ride to T-Bones at Lake Wiley. The Riders were: Raydawg, Doc, Big Ben, Joe & Christina, David (From Raydawg's work) and myself. Due to the weather moving in from the north we nixed the ride to the mountains and headed east down Hwy 29 with a stop at Blacksburg where David split off and the rest of us continued on down Hwy 29 and then turning off through King's Mountain National Park and then down Hwy 56 to Hwy 557 to Hwy 49 with a stop at T-Bones for lunch. After lunch it was back on Hwy 49 to Hwy 557 to Hwy 5 back on to Hwy 29 to Gaffney and then Hwy 11 all they way back to Chesnee with Ben, Joe and Christina splitting off along the way for home. Doc split off at Chesnee heading to Asheville NC and Raydawg and I hit Hwy 221 and then split for home.
Great ride with good food, nice temps and good friends to share it with!
Sarge Out!
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| August 6, 2011 |
See below Josh's ride report for Saturday.
REMINDER: This Thursday is Club Nite at Fatz's Cafe at Southport Rd starting at 7:00pm! We started out our day at the Beacon for breakfast. Members making it were Sarge, Hoss, Wizard, Wild Bill & Hardcore. After we grazed, Sagre & Wild Bill had other arragements so they couldn't ride. So Hoss, Wizard, & me took off from the Beacon over to Hwy 176. We stopped in Landrum to fuel up & to adjust Hoss' throttle. We took off from there going all the way down 176 into Canuga & on to Hwy 276. We went up through Pisgah National Forest where then we got on the the Blue Ridge Parkway & man did the rain & fog show up with a vengence. We creeped on down to Hwy 19 & then stopped in Maggie Valley for a pretty good lunch at Legends. The rains stopped & we took off down Hwy 19 to Hwy 76 & onto I-40 where the rains showed back up & didn't stop until around Hwy 292 in Inman. Even with the "elements" we managed to have a great time today. As always, great fellowship with no complaining. I won't get to ride this coming weekend. I will be in Washington D.C. for vacation. Maybe I can get up there & straighten that mess up. Will see ya guys the week after next.
Hardcore
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| July 30, 2011 |
To All,
Lot's of info in this report so let's get started: 9 riders make the trek to Dugan's Pub in Brevard NC and the list included, Raydawg, Hardcore & Cindy, Big "D", Wizard, Doc, Steve (Wizard's friend) Will, (Kathy's cousin) and myself. We headed up Hwy 176 and then down Hwy 11 to Hwy 276, up to Caesar's Head for a short stop then back on Hwy 276 into Brevard with a stop for lunch at Dugan's Pub. Hardcore & Big "D" took on the Dugan's Double Dare Challenge which was to eat about 2 lbs of hamburger with fries and fixin's in less than 15 minutes. Hardcore came in at 9 minutes and Big "D" at 13, which got them both a T-Shirt and their picture on the wall at the pub, those boys just like to abuse their bodies (LOL) After lunch the rain clouds were coming in from the north so we headed down Hwy 64 to Hendersonville and then Hwy 25 to MT. Page Rd through the Greenville watershed back to Saluda and then back on Hwy 176 down the mountain with the last stop at the Hot Spot at Landrum where everyone starting splitting for home.
This was another HHHHHOOOOTTTT one, but as always great roads, great food, and great friends to share it with!
2 Notes: Steve Peacock that rode with us has joined the chapter, so make sure you welcome him at the next ride or Club Nite! Don't forget that this Saturday we will meet at the Beacon for Breakfast and weather permitting we will ride afterwards!
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| July 23, 2011 |
To All,
We headed to Moe's BBQ in Asheville via Hwy 9 through Lake Lure, across Black Mountain, up I-40 with a stop at Asheville Harley, then it was back on I-40 to Hwy 25A with lunch at Moe's. After a great lunch it was down Hwy 25 to MR Cycle for some shopping and then on to Hendersonville to Hwy 176 which we followed down the mountain with a last stop at the Hot Spot in Landrum before everyone started splitting off for home. Members attending were: Raydawg, Hoss, Hardcore & Cindy, Wizard, Wild Bill, Big Ben and myself.
It was a good ride with cooler temps (High 80's , low 90's) in the mountains until we headed back down, then it got down right HHHHHHHHHOOOOOOOTTTTTTT!!!!! But as always, good friends to enjoy it with.
YSBKYITAIYMTO!
Sarge Out!
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| July 16, 2011 |
Today's ride was all about exploring back
roads. Big Ben road captained and Big Daddy tail gunned, I was the
only other rider. We left from the Waffle House and headed towards
T-Bones on Lake Wiley. We stopped off at Kings Mountain for a
stretch. I forgot how Big Ben likes to do marathon rides... ;-) Lunch out on the deck overlooking the water was great, it was cool and breezy, and a little overcast. We headed home a different way and swung by Cherokee Falls, it was a nice little twisty road. We stopped at the Kangaroo in Gaffney and split for home from there... I can't even begin to tell you which roads we took, but it was a fun ride! 165 miles and never got above 75°. AWOL (Asian Woman Of Leisure) |
| July 9, 2011 |
To All,
We had 5 riders show up for the ride to Side Street, the list included: Raydawg, Big "D" & Christina, Hardcore and myself. We headed up Hwy 176 to Campobello and then Hwy 11 to Hwy 25 to Hwy 225, back through the Greenville Watershed to Saluda. Due to Coon Dog Days, we had to detour through the back streets of Saluda and wound up coming out beside I-26. After a break at the Marathon Station, we headed down Howard Gap Rd back into Tryon and then stopped for lunch at Side Street. After lunch and since it appears the rains were coming in from the north, everyone starting splitting for home.
Great short ride, with good friends to share it with!
Sarge Out! |
| July 2, 2011 |
To All,
We had 8 riders show up for breakfast at the Beacon, which included: Raydawg, Hoss, Wizard & Donna, Hardcore & Cindy, Chief and myself. We headed down Hwy 176 all the way to Irmo and then Hwy 6 over the Dam with a lunch stop at the Dam Bar & Grill. After lunch Hoss's 6 year old battery finally retired and after a push off or two we headed to Harley Haven to get it replaced and do some shopping. Harley Haven was having it's 4th of July shindig with music and the local Hooter's girls washing the bikes. Once Hoss was back up and running, we headed for home and the rains showed up to join us for the ride, so from Columbia to Newberry our pretty chrome got a good washing and then the sun was back out in full force for the rest of the ride home.
This was a hot one (go figure Columbia hot in the summer...who would have thought it, LOL)The food was pretty good and there was great friends to share it with!
Sarge Out!
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| June 25, 2011 |
To All,
We had 7 show up for the ride which included: Raydawg, Hoss, Chief, Wizard, Hardcore & Son and myself. We headed up Hwy 9 to the "Rock" and then did the Mini Dragon around the back of the lake on the dam side and then back through the "Rock" with a stop at Heavenly Hoggs. Then it was Hwy 64 to Hendersonville NC over to Hwy 25 through the Greenville Watershed to Saluda with at stop at Green River BBQ for lunch. After lunch it was Hwy 176 down the mountain to Landrum where everyone started splitting off for home.
The weather and roads were great and the food was good,(but they need to put more meat on the bun)and some great friends to share it with!
Note: We plan on riding this Saturday, 7/2/11 (weather permitting). I know it's July 4th weekend, but if you don't have plans come out and join us! I'll have us a route by this Wednesday and I'll post it then.
Sarge Out!
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| June 18, 2011 |
To All, Sorry I'm just getting around to writing the report, but here goes: We had 8 make it for our trek to Maggie Valley NC which included: Raydawg, Carl & Diane, Hardcore & Cindy, Hoss, Big "D" and myself. We headed up Hwy 176 to the Hot Spot in Landrum where Big "D" left us to take care of a problem at work and the rest of us went up Saluda Grade to Hwy 25 over to Erkwood Rd then to Kanuga Rd to Hwy 64. Then at Brevard NC we headed up Hwy 276 to the BRP and then we followed it to Maggie with a stop at Legends Sports Grill for lunch...and then the rains came to greet us. After waiting them out for a bit we headed over to I-40 to I-26 at Asheville with the sprinklers on high for the whole route, then down the mountain with folks splitting off for home along the way.
Not a bad ride on the way up, but it really sucked on the way back. Still we had good friends to share it with!
Note: Weather Permitting we will ride this Saturday (6/25/11). I have to be back early so I was thinking of doing a short ride in the hills and ending up at Side Street Pizza for lunch, but as always I'm open for suggestions!
Sarge Out
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| May 27,2011 |
To All,
We had a good group turn out this Memorial Day weekend and the list included: Raydawg & Kathy, Big D & Christina, Hardcore & Cindy, Wizard, Hoss and myself. Hardcore had gotten some Harley Gloss inside his helmet and made it unusable, so we headed up Hwy 176 to Old Furnance Rd to Hwy 9 with a stop at Red, White & Biker at Lake Bowen to get him a new one. After a little shopping we got back on Hwy 9 and headed to the "Rock" and then over Black Mountain on to Hwy 25 with a stop at the new Harley of Asheville (use to be Parkway Harley) after more shopping, Big D took lead and got us to back to Moe's BBQ ( I know we went there last week, but but this is some good grub) After another great lunch, Hoss had to split off for home and the rest of us went to Discount Shoes so the ladies could check out the shoes and Raydawg & Big D could look at the Harley boots. Then it was back on Hwy 191 into Hendersonville and then Hwy 176 back down the mountain with Wizard, Hardcore & Cindy splitting off to Greenville to Powersports and the rest of us heading for home.
As always, great roads, great food and great friends to share them with!
Todays Notes:
1. I asked Hoss this morning to become our first chapter Chaplain and he accepted. Hoss has been blessing our rides for many months and I felt he would be the perfect person for the job...Thanks Hoss!
2. I would like to wish everyone a most blessed Memorial Day and to the vets in our chapter I would like to thank them for their service to this country. To most folks this is just another 3 day weekend, but to a vet it is a day of remberance to those we gave us the right to enjoy this 3 day weekend...from the bottom of my heart and soul, thank you!!
Ben "Sarge" Rodgers MSgt, USAF (Ret) 1st Officer, Chapter 313
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| May 21, 2011 |
To All,
It was a great day for riding with 7 bikes and 8 riders making what turned out to be a trek to the Asheville NC area. The group included: Raydawg, Big D, Hoss, Hardcore and his son, Pastor Dan, Big Ben, and myself. We left Sparkle City and headed up Hwy 176 to Hendersonville and then Hwy 25 to Asheville with a stop at MR Cycle where Raydawg had a coupon to demo the new Yamaha Stryker and the rest of us did some shopping. The GM at MR and I were chatting and he informed me that they had purchased Parkway & Ghost Town Harley just that week because after Gene Lummius's death last year the dealerships were about to go under and MR Cycle wanted to expand into a chain of dealerships. After shopping we headed to Moe's BBQ for lunch, now this was a new place for the group, but the guys & gal at MR said it was some good BBQ and we were not disappointed. Big D had to split after lunch and the rest of us got on I-40 down to the Hwy 74A exit and headed for Lake Lure with a stop at Heavenly Hoggs and then on down Hwy 9 where Raydawg & I split for Harley of Greenville to pick up some chrome and the rest of the group headed for home.
Great temps, Great food and great friends to share the road with!
Note: If the weather holds we will be doing a Black Mountain NC/Moose Cafe run next weekend, with according to the ladies a little shopping at Discount Shoes on Hwy 191 in Asheville.
Sarge Out!
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| May 7, 2011 |
To All,
12 bikes and 17 riders, this was the largest group that we have had in a while for our trek to Highlands NC.The group included: Raydawg & Kathy, Hardcore & Cindy, Carl & Diane, Chief, Doc & Sidewinder(Mikey Jr), Charlie, Jim & Trudy, Wizard, Brian J (my friend from work), Gary G. & Miss Betty (Chief's friends from work)and me!
We headed up Hwy 176 to Hwy 11 and then Hwy 178 up the mountain to Rosmon NC and the Hwy 64 all the way in to Highlands with a stop for lunch at Flipsides Burger's. My cousin Randy and his wife Chris, with friends Rick & Steve rode up from Georgia to met us at the grill and I got to do a little family bonding while we ate. After a great lunch we headed back down Hwy 64 to Hwy 281/131 with a stop at Whitewater Falls and then on to Hwy 11 again for the ride back home with folks splitting off along the way!
As always great roads, great food and great friends to share it with!
Note: Next Saturday (weather permitting) a bunch of us are going to do a one day trip to Myrtle Beach for bike week, and everyone is welcome to join us. We will meet at the Waffle House at Hwy 221 & I-26 near Dorman HS at 7:00am sharp! This is about a 4 1/2 hour trip down and back, so we will be riding hard with only a few stops until we hit the beach. It should be a fun day so come if you can!
Sarge Out!
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| April 30, 2011 |
To All,
What a great day for riding, temps in the mountains were in the 70's with plenty of sunshine. We had a great turn out with 10 bikes and 13 riders which included: Raydawg, Big "D", Hoss, Wizard, Hardcore & Cindy, Big Ben, Carl & Diane, Chris, Charlie and his friend Robin, and me. We left Sparkle City up Hwy 221 to Marion NC and then Hwy 226a around the city to 226a up the mountain to the Mountainview Grill at Little Switzerland NC. After a great lunch we got on the BRP and went up on Mt.Mitchell where for the first time in years there was not a cloud or fog bank in the sky and the temps were in the high 60's. Big Ben had been having some throttle problems on the way up so he and Big D had dropped of on the parkway before Mt. Mitchell and did some quick repairs, so we met them on the way back down with everything working good as new. We then back tracked on the parkway to Hwy 80 and took it back down into Marion and then it Hwy 221 back home with folks splitting off along the way!
As always great roads, great food and great friends to share it with!
Note: Weather looks good for a ride this Saturday and I'm thinking Highlands NC with lunch at Flipsides (used to be Don Leon's) If your interested, I will see you at the Waffle House at 9:00am.
Sarge Out!
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| April 23, 2011 |
To All,
We had 6 bikes and 7 riders show up
Saturday: Raydawg, Steve, Daniel, Josh &
Cindy, myself and my friend / co-worker
Betty. Roads were a little wet in the
morning so we headed east (not sure how the
weather would be in the mountains) out to
Jefferson for some BBQ. After our first
stop in Lockhart, Daniel had to head back
due to time constraints for the holiday
weekend. We took Hwy 9 to Pageland then
headed to Smokehouse Grill for lunch. After
lunch we headed back out Hwy 9 towards
Spartanburg making out last stop in Lockhart
everyone starting splitting off for home
along the way.
Weather turned out nice by lunch and as
always a Great Ride, Great Food and Great
Friends to share the day with.
Happy Easter to all!!
Chief
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| April 9, 2001 |
To All,
We had 4 riders show up Saturday: Raydawg, Doc, Big Ben and myself. Instead of heading to T-Bones we wound up going to the open house at Cherokee Trikes in Greer where Doc and Raydawg demoed some Victory bikes and all of us got to meet the Godfather of the custom cycle and his son: Arlen and Cory Ness. After checking out the displays we headed over to Quaker Steak & Lube for lunch with Kierstin and a friend and then we left Doc with the girls and headed over to Hwy 14 and then down Hwy 11 where Ben split for home and Raydawg and myself headed to Spartanburg Harley. After some shopping and a cigar we hit the road and split for home.
Great ride, Great food and of course great friends to share it with!
Sarge Out!
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| April 2, 2011 |
To All,
We had six riders make the trek to the Rock House Cafe in Linville NC, the list included: Raydawg, Big D, Hoss, Doc, Big Ben and myself. We took the scenic route up Hwy 221, to Marion NC and then Hwy 70 to Morganton NC Hwy 64 to Hwy 181 to Hwy 183 ending up at the Rock House at Hwy 221. Now let me tell you the temps got down right cold hovering in the high 40's on the mountain with a 45 knot wind gust, during lunch we even got some snow flurries. During lunch Doc agreed to take over as the 2nd Officer, so Raydawg will retire as soon as I can get State and National to approve the change. After lunch it was back down Hwy 221 all the way to Spartanburg with folks splitting off along the way.
We also have two new members, Jim & Trudy Moran from Boiling Springs SC, please welcome them at the next ride or meeting they attend!
Sarge Out!
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| March 19, 2011 |
To All,
WOW...13 bikes and 15 riders!! This was the largest group of riders we have had in about a year. We had 8 members and 6 guests, our group consisted of: Raydawg, Big Ben, Big "D"& Christina, Hoss, Hardcore & Cindy, Carl B. and myself. The guests included Pastor Dan & his friend Al and the rest was a gang from Michelin.
We headed up Hwy 176 to Landrum and then continued up Saluda Grade to Hendersonville and then Hwy 64 to Brevard and then Hwy 276 to Hwy 23 stopping at Bogart's for lunch. Dan & Al split and headed back home and the rest of us made a stop at Ghost Town Harley for some shopping and then it was Hwy 74 to Hwy 19/23 back through Clyde NC and then Hwy 191 to I-26 where we hit some hit and miss rain (mostly hit) all the way back home with riders splitting off along the way!
All in all a great ride with great friends & food!
NOTES: 1st: Charlie, Ben has your back tail light cover that fell off on your last ride. 2nd we plan on riding next weekend to either Little Switzerland NC or the Rock House Cafe in Linville NC, riders choice!
Sarge Out!
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| March 12, 2011 |
To All,
We had 7 bikes and 8 riders show up for the ride to Dugan's Pub in Brevard NC, which included: Raydawg, Big Ben, Big D, Hoss, Charlie, Doc & Mikey Jr.and myself. We headed up Hwy 176 to Hwy 11 to Hwy 8 across Ceasar's Head into Brevard and Dugan's and after a great lunch we took Hwy 64 to Hwy 178 back down the mountain to Hwy 11 where everyone started splitting for home.
Ride, food, weather and company was great as always!
Note: We are planning to ride next Saturday with a forcast for temps in the 80's under sunny skies!
Sarge Out!
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| February 26, 2011 |
To All,
Before I start the ride report I have some bad news to pass on first, Steve "Mongoose" Eplee was involved in an accident on his bike this weekend. I'm not sure of the details, but the it appears that a cell phone using cage driver has found another victim! Goose is posting on facebook so I assume the injuries are not to bad (?????) hopefully someone will chime in and let us know what happened and how bad he was hurt ( Wizard, Wild Bill). Anyway please keep Goose in your thoughts and prayers for a speedie recovery.
On to the ride report: This was a great ride with 8 riders making the trek to the Moose Cafe in Asheville NC to include: Raydawg, Hoss, Charlie, Greg, Ben, Big D, Pastor Dave and myself . What made it so great is that Ben Stegall our former 1st Officer and SC State Officer was once again back in the saddle riding with the group. Ben has been on a break from riding for about 4 years, but he has purchased a great looking V-Star 1300 and brought it out to enjoy the wind with us...welcome back my friend, it's great to see you back on the steelhorse again!!
We headed out Hwy 176 over to Parris Bridge Rd and then on to Hwy 9 to the "Rock" for a stop at Heavenly Hoggs and then over Black Mountain with a stop at Parkway Harley-Davidson and then on to the Moose for lunch. After a great lunch, Big D got a call from work and had to head back, so Raydawg and Greg went along for protection (you know how them mountain boys think Big D's pretty) and Ben, Hoss, Pastor Dave, Charlie and myself headed down Hwy 191 into Hendersonville and then Hwy 176 down the mountain to Landrum and the Hot Spot for our last break and then everyone split for home!
It was a great ride with good weather and awesome friends to enjoy it with!!
Last Note: When my daughter got married in September, I informed my new son-in-law that he had to ride a bike to stay in my good graces, well as of today he is the proud owner of a new Black Harley Softail Deluxe and the newest member of the HOG club...congrets John!!
Sarge Out!
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| February 19, 2011 |
To All, We had four riders (Rick, Wild Bill, Brian and me (Big D)) show up for one of the best February days I have ever seen. We thought long and hard about heading north to the mountains and the twisties but we simply could not forget the “Icy Mud Run” over Black Mountain. So, we decided to head in a direction we had never been before. We headed down Hwy 176, then over to 221 South. We followed 221 to Hwy 72 just outside of Greenwood. Then we headed west on 72 until civilization ended, just for the record; that’s at the west side of Abbeville. We continued west into Calhoun Falls, which is a town smaller than the four-lane highway running through it. After asking where the best chow in town was, we were informed that there was two options: Mindy’s Café &Bakery and microwaved pizza at the gas station. Opting for the best (and only) café in town we made the (literally) 400 foot drive to Mindy’s. Upon entering the dirt parking lot with the burned-out mobile home at the back, we knew we had hit pay dirt. This was defiantly our type of place. The siding was rough-cut planks and there we plastic bags stuffed in the overhead vents for added insulation. We entered and demanded to see Mindy and was informed that see was outside on a smoke break (classy). Once Mindy returned, we ordered some really great burgers and wings. I, of course, sampled a hot dog which wasn’t bad, but was no Chimney Rock Dog. After finishing up we headed up Hwy 81 to Anderson and home on 85. Brian and I stopped at the Harley shop because it’s the Harley shop and then onto the house. The weather was perfect and the ride was awesome, a little flat and wide compared to some of our favorites but the views were great. A good time was had be all and any day on two wheels is a great day. Good friends, good roads, good food and good weather (in that order), enough said. Joe Big D
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| February 12, 2011 |
To All,
With no ride in mind until we met Saturday, it turned out to be a pretty good ride in the edge of the mountains. The following members made the trek: Big "D", Hoss, Chris (Hoss's friend from work, Wild Bill, Doc, Raydawg and myself. We headed out Hwy 176 to Campobello, them Hwy 11 to Echo Valley for a pit stop. With Big "D" now in the lead we turned at the F-mart and he wound us through the back roads with what was going to be a stop at Roscoe's (Six Oaks) but when we pulled up there was Fire trucks and cops everywhere, it seems that Roscoe's had burned down during the night. So Joe took a left on the old Hwy 25 and we headed to Flat Rock with lunch at a new place (for us anyway) called the Southpark Grill. After a great lunch we headed back down the mountain via Hwy 176 with our last stop at the Hot Spot in Landrum, where everyone started breaking off for home.
Temps were cool that morning, but warmed up nicely during the day with plenty of sunshine. As always a good ride with good friends to share it with!
Note: At Thursday's Club Nite it was voted to leave it at Fatz for now, but when the day's get longer to rotate it to other places in town and in Greenville.
Sarge 1st Officer, Chapter 313 Spartanburg, SC
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| January 29,2011 |
To All,
Had a good group show up for what turned out to be a ride to the Dam Bar & Grill in Columbia SC. The list included: Raydawg, Hoss, Wizard, Josh (new member), Big D, Greg "The Dragon" Lancaster, Wild Bill and myself. We headed down Hwy 176 all the way to Ballintime SC and then Hwy 6 across the Dam, stopping for lunch at the Dam Bar & Grill. After a great lunch we headed back across the Dam down Harbinson Blvd to I-26 and then up one exit with a stop at Harley Haven. After checking out the shop and a test ride, we headed back to I-26 West back to Sparkle City where everyone started splitting for home.
The weather was great with temps in the 60's with lots of sunshine and a great bunch to take in the warm air with!
By the way we have a new member, Josh Robinson who rides a 2011 Road King. Wizard brought him on a ride back before Christmas and he has now joined our merry band. Make sure you welcome him at the next Club Nite or ride he attends!
Sarge 1st Officer, Chapter 313 Spartanburg SC
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| January 8, 2011 |
To All,
Since Saturday's ride started out at 27 degrees, it qualified as a Polar Bear Division ride. Riders included: Wild Bill, Hoss and myself with Big Daddy showing up to have breakfast with us. We made this a short one with a ride up Hwy 176 to Landrum and then through "Hunting Country" back over to Hwy 14 all the way to Forest City and then Hwy 221 back to Chesnee and then out by the Cowpens Battleground to the Hwy 11 Cafe for a great lunch and some much needed heat. After lunch we headed back up Hwy 11 to Chesnee and then on to Hwy 221 towards Spartanburg, along the way Wild Bill split off for home and then Hoss and I took a detour through the country over to Parris Bridge Rd, where I split off and Hoss headed for home.
I think the high on the ride was 39 and using Bill's formula for temp/speed on a cycle, the wind chill was about -5 or so (give or take a few degrees) when we were doing 55 to 60. But where most folks think were crazy to ride when it's that cold, I love it! (It gets the blood flowing and reminds me that I'm alive) So as always, Good roads, Good food and Great friends!
Sarge 1st Officer, Chapter 313 Spartanburg, SC
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Past Rides & Photos 2011