The Tail Of The Dragon

April 20, 2008
We headed to Cherokee, North Carolina to ride the Blue Ridge Parkway and The Tail of the Dragon at Deal's Gap. Due to the temperature forecast we decided to ride The Dragon first.

The morning was April 21, 2008, the temperature was 68° and sunny. A beautiful day for riding with leathers on, which proved to be a blessing later. We enjoyed the ride there immensely, cruising along Route 28 and stopping to see Fontana Lake & Dam.

Upon arriving at Deal's Gap and the start of The Dragon, and seeing that there was little traffic, we wasted no time in starting our adventure on US-129. The rest remains somewhat of a mystery. We do not know how far we got.

Mary remembers seeing a car coming around a curve heading directly for us in our lane. The next thing she remembers is being slammed to the ground. After being briefly knocked out, she stood to her feet. She saw Kenny a short distance away laying on the ground unconscious, with his legs under the bike. A group of bikers stopped and came to our aid. Kenny had a concussion and we were both transported by ambulance to The University of Tennessee Medical Center where Kenny was admitted.

Mary was treated and released. Kenny was kept overnight and released the next day. We looked like we had been in a brawl. Mary had a black eye and Kenny's face was scratched. We had no broken bones or stitches.

God had surly protected us. Thank You Jesus.

We also want to thank the bikers (which included a nurse and a paramedic), the ambulance personnel, the hospital staff, Butler Towing Service, El Camino Motel, and our 3 daughters who came to our aid when we needed it. God Bless You All.