Bell Mountain Ride--March 11, 2017

Well we had it all, sun, clouds, cold, wind, rain, and snow...but we had a blast.

No sooner than the five of us (Richard, Al, Jarrod, Garrett and yours truly) headed north from Hickory Flat we could see dark clouds forming far to the north. Probably  we thought, that's the rain they forecasted for late afternoon.

Our plan was to ride over to Silver City then up Ga 9 and cross country to catch Ga 115 near Garland on our way to Cleveland's McD to meet Tad and Mel coming up from more eastern areas. But you know about plans. Soon after we got to Silver City we came upon warning signs about a road closure. Sure enough Ga 9 was closed north of Dawson Forest. We changed plans and crossed Ga 400 onto Ga 136 and after negotiating cross country, picked up Ga 115 and headed to Cleveland as planned. In Cleveland we got to study the workings of the McD franchise and interview locals in the parking lot, while Mel and Tad scouted a new route to Cleveland via Tallulah Falls.

Once the seven of us were together we rode toward Helen but wisely turned east at the Indian Mound and again north at Sautee Nacoochee. Soon we were on Smuggler's Road passing Lake Burton and Moccasin Creek State Park, on the way to Lookout Mountain Scenic Parkway (aka US 76). Turning west onto US 76 we rode over to Hiawassee for lunch (Ga Mountain Restaurant)  and talk about what we would find riding up Bell Mountain. Would the grade and hairpin turns be a hazard if jeeps were on the "trail"? Would the three scooters, without engine braking to speak of, overheat their brakes on the way down? These and other concerns were put to rest by Jarrod, who had been up the mountain on his dual sport before, and some of the locals who reassured us as well.

Right they were. Yes it was a steep slope and the switch backs were tight and often close together, but unless you met head on with a four wheeler with a nervous driver, it was very doable, even pleasant. On top the view was fantastic, and if you climbed the new stairs to the very top, a 360 degree view was afforded

(l-r) Garrett, Mel, Al, Bob, Jarrod, Richard, Tad

From on top we could see snow beginning to form on some distant mountains in North Carolina. By the time we headed down Bell, snow flurries were frequent and, and at the lower elevations rain showers started off and on.

Here's a video of the trip:

The ride home was down Ga 75, again bypassing Helen. After a stop in Dahlonega at the top of Ga 400 we were back in Hickory Flat within an hour.

It seems everyone enjoyed the adventure. Total mileage was around 210 (more if you came via Tallulah Falls LOL)