May 2-4 : Probably the busiest week-end so far this year with MiniCoopers dominating the area roads. A power failure in the Deals Gap/Fontana area made things a little difficult on Saturday. We heard NCHP were active on the Cherohala and on the 4-lanes. Remember, the 4-lanes are prime target areas in North Carolina.>> CLICK HERE FOR MAP

April 28: BULLETIN Motorcyle death on the Dragon - A 21 year old Hayabusa rider from Maryland became the first fatality of the year on the Dragon Monday night. Speed is said to have been a factor in the one vehicle accident near Parsons Branch.

April 25-27: A very busy Friday and Saturday with mostly motorcycles on the area roads. A large group of Busas were crossing the Cherohala Friday morning when one went down and the following bike hit it. Two riders were flown out with serious injuries. Sunday rains slowed traffic. We actually heard that a THP Unit ticketed two semis for crossing the double yellow on the Dragon Friday. Thanks THP !!

April 18-20: A busy week-end on all area roads. We have heard that several bikes were ticketed for passing cars that slowed and waved them around. We advise that you be very careful and wait until the vehicle ahead of you pulls off the road. There is also an unmarked white BCSO Expedition cruising the Dragon and calling ahead to marked units to pull over passing bikes and ticket them. They also have an unmarked black Explorer and black Crown Vic or Mercury Marquis. We have also heard of tickets issued for 42 and 44 mph in the ridiculous 30 mph area. Remember that North Carolina has many great roads where the LEOs are not so unreasonable. Watch your speed on the 4-lanes.

April 16: Snow on the Cherohala April 15 at 5000 foot. This can happen at any time this month.

April 11-13: It turned-out to be a good week-end in spite of the weather predictions. Lots of bikes took advantage including a large number of KLRs. There were two serious accidents in the area. Two riders in a single accident were air-lifted off the Cherohala last week after high-siding at mile 11 on the North Carolina side. Injuries did not sound life threatening. A female rider rode off of US 129 into the Cheoah River on Friday. Speed was not a factor but for some reason she overbraked and went off the road and into the river. PLEASE RIDE SAFE AND STAY ALERT
ON THESE TRICKY ROADS.

April 4-6: Rain on Friday and Saturday kept many riders away, but the VWs and Crossfires were here enmasse. Sunday was clear and the roads finally dried by early afternoon. Heard of a few warnings being issued by BCSO. They will be here every day so ride/drive accordingly.

MARCH 21-23: Some great spring weather brought out many bikes and sports cars to the area. Friday and Saturday were perfect with temps in the 60s. Sunday a little chill in the air with expected highs in the 50s.

MARCH 14-16: Rain on Friday and Saturday, but clearing on Sunday brought out some riders.

MARCH 7-8: Friday brought heavy rains to the area. TDOT salted the Dragon in the afternoon, but much of it washed away before the cold and snow arrived Saturday morning. We stopped at Santeetlah Dam which had both sides flowing heavy making the Cheoah River a real froth. Oddly Cheoah Dam near the Dragon was not open.

MARCH 1-3, 2008: After some severe winter weather the skies cleared and temps rose into the 60s over the week-end. Hundreds of riders were observed on area roads taking advantage of the lull. Nancy and I fired up the KLRs and headed south into Georgia. We returned on SC 28 and US 64/NC 28. This route is great when traffic is light. We had a ball on the twisties. CHECK OUT THE VIDEO HERE

FEBRUARY 26-27, 2008: A winter storm, has dropped six or more inches of snow on the Dragon and several feet on the Cherohala. Looks like even more is coming. Get out the snowmobiles. Only traffic on the local roads will be snow plows and emergency vehicles. Stay home for a day or two.

FEBRUARY 2-3, 2008: Temps were back up in the 50s but we saw very little activity at the Dragon. This is a great time for cars to have the road to themselves.

JANUARY 28, 2008: Temps expected in the high 50s at the Gap ...let's ride.

JANUARY 22, 2008 All area roads are in bad shape today as cold weather and sleet has iced the roads. The Cherohala is likely impassable and the the Dragon is very slick. STAY HOME

JANUARY 2, 2008 Snow blankets the mountains and the Tail of the Dragon overnight. with accumulations of up to 3 inches. US 129 was not heavily affected except in the Topton area near the intersection of US 19/74. We advise visitors to stay off of the Cherohala unless you have 4-whell drive vehicles. There may be icing anywhere with the temps in the low teens. SLOW DOWN.

WINTER 2007-08: The season is slowing down so the Dragon is not very crowded if you want to come and enjoy the road just about to yourself. The chilly mornings and shorter days have reduced the good riding time to a few hours. Be alert with the shadows making it more difficult to see obstructions in the roadway. The sun can also blind you this time of year, especially in the afternoon.

Tail of the Dragon will continue to report on any information that might be of interest to riders/drivers, but weekly updates will not resume until late March. We will be having a few winter contests so watch the site for some interesting stuff. Be sure to check-out our Holiday Sales.

The next few months are a great time for cars to have some unobstructed fun here. Many of the local motels and vacation rentals have plenty of open rooms in the fall and winter. Remember .... the Dragon is at a low elevation (under 1800 feet) and is clear most of the winter. The Ceherohala, Blue Ridge Parkway and US 441 are over 5000 feet and can be tricky at times with ice and snow. Check on conditions before trying these roads.