Road of Never-Ending Curves

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Look at that title again. 

Roll it around on your tongue a few times. 

Let it enter your deepest consciousness. 

Sounds like a motorcyclist's dream, huh?

Well, there is such a place, named by that fellow, Stretch on the Carolina Rider Forum.  When he was describing the Fields of the Wood Bible Park for the forum tag game back in October of 2011, he also told us about a nearby road that he called the Road of Never-Ending Curves near Murphy, NC. 

Well, when I was up there a few weeks ago, I found the road he was talking about.  Unfortunately, it was raining rather hard when I started down that road, so I had to take it slower than if it were dry and had good visibility.  I'm not too fast anyway, but that day I was especially cautious. 

Nevertheless, let me tell you about it.


After I leave Fields of the Wood, I ride few miles west, over to the Tennessee state line to say that I had been there, thus upping by a third my vast riding area (that previously had included South and North Carolina, and Georgia).  

Just about a mile east of Fields of the Wood, is Hiawassee Dam Road.  That is Location 1 at the lower left on the map below.  Turn toward the northeast there, the only way you can go from NC-294.  By the way, the name Hiawassee comes from the Cherokee word Ayuhwasi, which means "meadow".  

Click here for Bing interactive map

The road goes down hill and curves around nicely.  There is a side road to the left that leads to the powerhouse, and view of the face of the dam. 

There is small park and picnic area just off the parking lot. 

Rain begins.  Lightly.  It has only been sprinkling before. 

Once I leave the powerhouse and continue on Hiawassee Dam Road, I cross over the dam itself.  Here is a picture Stretch took of the dam from an observation point at the far end of it.

Photo by Stretch

The road continues for about 11 miles to the intersection with Joe Brown Road, to the right.  Hiawassee Dam Road continues straight, but it becomes gravel. 


It is Joe Brown Road that Stretch named Road of Never-Ending Curves.  Look again at the map between Location 2, at the top, and Location 3 in the town of Murphy on the lower right.  That is about 20 miles of nice curves -- one after the other with few straight sections.  The scale of the map doesn't do the curves justice.  Click the link beneath the map to view an interactive map that you can enlarge to better see the curvaceous details.  Even then, the real thing is curvier than the map appears. 

From what I can tell in the rain (which has become heavier) the pavement varies from fair to good.  The traffic is very light today. There are surprisingly few driveways and intersecting roads. 

Stretch says, "...this ride alone makes the trip worthwhile. There is no dirt riding on the road of never ending curves: This loop is paved the entire way back to... Murphy, NC.  When in doubt turn right."    


I'll have to go back when the weather is dry to enjoy the Road of Never-Ending Curves more.  See what you think next time you go up that way. 


Other interesting curvy routes I have taken:

• Ridiculously Twisty -- Another of Stretch's finds.  Also at Tail of the Dragon -- But Nearer By
• The Parkway, Some Knobs and Rocks, and a New Twisty Road
• Skyuka Mountain Road
• Rally to Ridgecrest, 2013 -- Days 3 and 4
• Wiggly Roads Nearby
• Sweepers Galore
• Road to Nowhere, and a Good Jumping Off Place
• A Very Twisty Road and a Downhill Technique Tried

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Ridiculously Twisty

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Several years ago, a local rider, the tall fellow Stretch, posted on one of the on-line forums about a "Ridiculously Twisty" road that runs between NC-215 and NC-281.  He has probably ridden most of the roads in the upstate of South Carolina, Western North Carolina, northern Georgia, and well beyond.  He recently switched to a dualsport, so he is probably doing the same on all the gravel and dirt in the area too. 

Anyway, with the end of winter, and the advent of clean pavement without a lot of gravel and sand left over from the ice and snow that sometimes attacks the mountains around here, I finally decided to find the likely road, since he didn't identify it back then.

Google maps is my friend, so I started to explore.  I came up with several possibilities.

• Charleys Creek Road/NC-1756, Neddy Mountain Road/NC-1757
• Wolf Mountain Road/Tanasee Gap Road /Joe House Road/NC-1324
• Silverstein Road/NC-1309

This is the route I mapped out, that might include the Ridiculously Twisty road.

Click here for an interactive map and route details. 

From home, I go first to Pickens, SC.  The road north from here is US-178, and the section between Pickens and SC-11 is mostly sweepers.  I enjoy this part of the road because it is usually clean, isn't too difficult, and it contains A Perfect Curve.

North of SC-11, the location of a biker meetup place, the Holly Springs Country Store, the road becomes much more technical, with many tight turns, and lots of elevation change.  You need to use your best look-where-you-want-to-go technique here.  This part of the route ends at Rosman, NC, but there is an even better road that starts here.  It is NC-215, recently paved, and with lots of tight curves as well.  I have used this route many times to get to the Blue Ridge Parkway, only 51 miles from home. 

Today, though, I turn left onto Charleys Creek Road, at Pushpin B on the map above.  I have not been on this road before, and almost right away, the road begins to show itself as ridiculously twisty, and keeps it up to its end, at Pushpin C.  The pavement is broken in places, there are a few patches of gravel and sand, and some of the curves are very tight.  Naturally, this being a rural route, there are no speed advisory signs, so you are on your own.  There are some Christmas tree farms and other nursery operations, but not much else through here.  I ride moderately, enjoying the trip through the hills. 

I turn south on Canada Road NC-281/NC-1758, for a few miles, an enjoyable road with some interesting curves, eventually passing over the T. Fields Dam on Wolf Creek, where I have stopped before.  I take a break, then continue on to Wolf Mountain Road/Tanasee Gap Road /Joe House Road, at Pushpin D.  This road is a bit twisty in places, but not a much as Charleys Creek Road was. The surrounding hills are still enjoyable to look at. 

I have seen quite a few bicyclists out today.  There must be an organized ride.

Why a lot of them insist on taking up the whole lane on a twisty road, I don't know, though. 

There is a pack of them at Pushpin D who run the stop sign there just as I am arriving.  Two of them, the one on the black bike and the one following him, almost bite the dust as they see the error of their way too late and turn in front of me.

Fortunately, I miss them. 

Pressley Fields Road takes me back to NC-215, then on to Macedonia Church Road.  I turn into the Pisgah Astronomical Research Institute (PARI).  I am surprised that the gate is open on a Saturday.

This is the former spy satellite tracking station, turned education facility.  It is truly an unexpected sight here in the mountains of North Carolina, and it was an important, top secret tool in the cold war.  They are having a once-a-year open house today.

I wish I could stay, but I have been here before, and I must move on today, because I have chores to do at home. 

The last twisty road nearby (besides US-178 that I will be using to get back home) is Silversteen Road.  This is a very twisty route that some say rivals the Tail of the Dragon.  It is far less busy than the Dragon, and quite entertaining.  Watch what you are doing, however, because it is not well marked for the turns either.  I have ridden this one before as well -- seven passes on one day.  (I couldn't help myself.  It was great fun.)

I meet this group of BMW riders, booking it through the Silversteen turns.

They're having fun too, it looks like.

Silversteen ends at US-64 not far west of Rosman.  I go back into Rosman, and head down US-178 again to Pickens, retracing my route, now from the opposite direction.  Downhill is a bit more challenging, but I make it through just fine.

I think I found Stretch's ridiculuously twisty road today -- and then some.

I have ridden only 138  miles, but, boy, those roads were sure contorted!  Try my route some time, and let me know what you think. 
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Skyuka Mountain Road

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A while back, I heard that retired local professional cyclist George Hincapie and lots of other bicyclists like to ride a certain road up near Columbus North Carolina, about 55 miles from home.  Its name is a bit unusual, as you may already have noticed above -- Skyuka Mountain Road.

From SKYUKA.ORG website: "The name Skyuka is used to identify the mountain ridge rising to the north of Tryon, NC, consisting of Warrior, Round, and Miller Mountain to the west, Tryon Peak, and White Oak Mountain to the east. One or more of these mountains were named for the Cherokee chief Skyuka who signed a treaty with the British in 1767 defining this mountain ridge as the line of demarcation between Cherokee and British territory."

Now you know.

I Googled the road and gazed at its tortured path.  Since it wasn't far away, I mapped out a route to see this wonder of roadbuilding expertise.  I have been to Columbus, Tryon, and some other towns nearby before on the bike, so off I went on this route.  The roads of interest are around Pushpins D through G:

View Larger Map


From home in Easley South Carolina, the route starts out easy on SC-135, SC-186, then SC-414 to Pushpin B on the map.  From there it is a few miles on US-25 to Old US-25, heading to Saluda North Carolina at Pushpin C. 

I have been to Saluda many times.  The road going there is steadily uphill, and mildly twisty.  My friend Ryan showed me the way one day back in March of 2008, about six months after I started riding.  Unfortunately, the road surface is not very good, with lots of bumps and one or two heaves that threaten to throw a rider off his bike if he doesn't happen to be holding on very well.

I turn right in Saluda onto NC-176.  If I were to follow this road for a few miles it goes down the Saluda Grade to a place called Melrose.  This section of road is much more fun going the other way -- up the grade.  It is wide in many places with slow vehicle lanes, and the surface is good enough to promote some spirited riding.  Be careful, though, there are some pavement defects that can step your tires sideways, and give you more of a thrill than you expected. 

Today, I elect not to take 176, and, instead, turn right onto Pearson Falls Road.  It immediately becomes well-groomed gravel that is easy to ride on almost any bike.  There is little traffic, and it winds its way through a forested area roughly parallel to the railroad track that is the steepest in the United States.  I've been through here before, so I know what is ahead.  There is an interesting tunnel under the tracks that is also a bridge carrying a creek beneath its roadway.

2009 photo

Another direction I could have gone from Saluda is on the most contorted road I have ever been on, Green River Cove Road.   My then new friend Ryan lead a group ride about three weeks after my first trip to Saluda with him that included Green River Cove Road -- and he took us downhill on it! I recall forcing myself to look almost backward around the hairpin bends.  I wobbled down with a death grip on the bars, but finally made it to the bottom, and onto a much easier stretch.  Oh.  In addition to Ryan, the other riders in the group included a fellow, Don, who was 74 years young at the time.  He was quite a good rider on his standard bike. 

Back to today's ride.

Pearson Falls Road passes Pearson Falls, a little private park with a nice waterfall, then connects again to NC-176, and I head east toward Tryon.  This stretch of road has pavement heaves every few hundred feet, so it is not a pleasure to ride it.  Soon enough, though, I reach NC-108, and the start of Skyuka Road, which connects me to Skyuka Mountain Road in about a mile, just after crossing over I-26/US-74.  Skyuka Mountain Road begins with a steep upgrade, and the switchbacks start almost immediately.  This one is just after Pushpin D on the map: 

Click on the link beneath the map to enlarge it so you can see how twisty the road really is. 

Here is a video done by Golden Carper in July of 2010, going the same way I went. 


I reach the top, and this wonderful panorama unfolds before me:

Click the pic to see it larger.

These views are at Pushpin E, where Skyuka Mountain Road ends and White Oak Mountain Road begins.  Somewhere down there is Holbert Cove Road, where I've ridden before.  

 

I stay a few minutes to take in God's creation below me.  Right next to this little gravel pulloff, there is a large house...

...with this sign:

I understand, even with the poor grammar.  ...and I don't plan to stay the night anyway.  

I continue on a short way, and find another great view, across the road from a large group of condominiums. The view:

Click the pic to see it larger. 

That is Columbus North Carolina down there.  I again stop and drink in the scenery.  Wow!  This is at Pushpin F.  

The condos:

There are a lot of other roads up here, but most of them have gates across them to keep the likes of bikers out.

Before the houses and condos were built was the thirty-two room Skyuka Hotel.

Photo from GoUpstate article by Linda Conley

It was built in the 1880s and torn down in the 1940s. 

On its foundation, a Dining and Recreation Hall was built for the later YMCA Camp Skyuka.   The camp opened in 1954, but closed in the mid-1980s. 

A few of the buildings that were part of the camp have been converted into houses and to other uses, including the Skyuka Mountain Lodge.  The former Dining and Recreation Hall mentioned above is currently for sale -- $579,000 -- if you are interested. 

The location of the lodge is right here:

View Larger Map

A history of the area may be found in an article on the website for the homeowners association of what is now called Camp Skyuka. 

Back to the ride, the trip down. 

The road from Pushpin F, White Oak Mountain Road, is not as long or as twisty as Skyuka Mountain Road, but it is just as scenic, maybe more. One neat thing is a large waterfall, right next to the road. 

This is Shunkewauken Falls, which drops 500 feet down the mountain.

Photo by Zarrendragon on Photobucket

That is a much better picture of the falls than I took because the trees obscured the view, but there was much more water when I was there because of recent heavy rains.   Be careful if you stop to look, as there are few places to park safely. The spot where the photo was taken is at the sharp turn to the right and below Pushpin F, below. 

View Larger Map

By the way, there is a short stretch of one-lane road to the left of Pushpin F.  Apparently there was not enough room to make it two lanes wide. 

I couldn't find a video showing the route down, but here is a video from LetsRideClyde (Terry Taylor), going up, the opposite of the direction I rode.  For reference, the waterfall is at 7:05, the one-lane section is at 8:29, and the condos are at 8:53. 


I make it down and travel on my way toward home.  The views from on high are still fresh in my memory.

The roads back are pretty easy, and I am enjoying them, too.  You can grab and move around on the map below to see other points of interest.  If you have time, don't miss Poinsett Bridge and Pleasant Ridge County Park along the way. 


Recap Map:

View Larger Map and Scroll Around

I only rode 129 miles today, but I saw some great sights.  Come along next time for more interesting roads and sights in the Upstate of South Carolina, and in western North Carolina. 


Other Riders' Rides Up and Down

• Golden Carper rode up White Oak Mountain Road in 2010, opposite of my route.  (He misnames it, in his title.)  The one-lane section is at 4:48, and the crest is at 5:26. 
• kalafroski rode up White Oak Mountain Road in 2010 on his supermotard, the reverse of my route.  The waterfall is at 4:10, the one-lane section is at 5:28, the summit is at 6:28.  
• Terry Taylor of LetsRideClyde rode down Skyuka Mountain Road, opposite of the way I came, starting from Pushpin F.  The previous overlook, the one with the ungrammatical sign, is at 2:03 in his video.  
• Terry Taylor's website, LetsRideClyde, has GPS overlays that show good motorcycle routes and Points of Interest [POI].   There are also ride videos on roads in North Carolina.  

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Wiggly Roads Nearby

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Well, I'd just finished doing my taxes, so I went out for a ride Saturday.  I needed something to get my mind off of other people spending my heard-earned money!

Some of the motorcycle forum posters have been posting of late about a couple of roads in the nearby mountains, so I decided to renew my acquaintance with a few of these roads.

I start out in temperatures in the mid-30s, from home in Easley South Carolina, and go over to Pickens via. a nice but featureless road.  I pick up US-178 in Pickens, and the curves start in.  First some sweepers, that include a perfect curve.  A few of the sweepers are back to back the closer you get to SC-11 near the Holly Springs Country Store, a place where bikers of all shapes and sizes stop to link up for rides in the area.  It is also a place to gas up and grab a breakfast or snack.  I reach the store there are no others there, so I move along, across SC-11, and get to the curvier section of this highway.

 This is a favorite section for maniacal and not so maniacal bikers ranging from bicycles, to scooters and giant cruisers.  The road surface is in pretty good shape -- and clean today, but watch the advisory signs, as there are a couple of tight bends -- for me down to 2nd or 3rd gear.  The road straightens out about half way to the North Carolina state line, but tightens up again further north. 

Lets look at the map. 

View a larger map of these wiggly roads
 
We've been talking about the sections between Pickens at the bottom, and Pushpin B near the top. 

Click the link to see a larger version of the map, and move around by holding down your mouse button.  Zoom in by selecting the + box.

Just after Pushpin B, lies Rosman North Carolina.  You can get gas there to continue your journey if you need it. You can continue north on NC-215 and reach the Blue Ridge Parkway (as we did on this ride) and beyond.  

Today, I seek out a gentle road I have not been on for a while.  I make my way on it over to Pushpin D, at US-276.  If you follow 276 toward the south, you pass Dupont Forest and Caesars Head before descending the Blue Ridge Escarpment.  If you go north, you find some almost straight roads to Brevard North Carolina, then some nice twists and turns and great scenery further north, to the Blue Ridge Parkway, passing Looking Glass Falls and the Cradle of Forestry on the way. 

Be certain to keep your eyes peeled at Pushpin C.  Watch especially for some wildlife advisory signs on the north side of the road.  I don't think you will ever have seen such signs anywhere else. 

Also, watch for two very tight right handers just before Pushpin D.  Neither is marked. 

Just a mile down US-276, stop at Pushpin E, Connestee Falls.  There is a small parking lot and a picnic table.

A two minute walkway lads to an overlook where you can see two falls converging from almost right below your feet and from across the valley.  On the map:


View Larger Map

Picturesque.

 

I eat a snack and drink some water here.  After another mile and half, I turn onto East Fork Road, at Pushpin F.  Except for a few tight bends, this is mostly sweepers, and the road surface is a nice, mostly uniform color and surface texture.  ...and there are not very many driveways along here.  Watch for some part-lane patching, though there are no major edge traps. 

The tightest turns come at Big Hill, marked at an advisory 10 MPH.  Of course, you can go faster than that on the bike.  Unfortunately I am coming down the hill, so it is not as much fun as going up.  I use a little of the downhill rear brake technique I learned a while back.  I helps you feel more in control, but don't forget that it works safely only when you are also applying power. 

Just below Big Hill are the bears and the yellow arthropod with a very hard exoskeleton. 

We will follow East Fork past the point where we will eventually turn sharply left onto Glady Fork Road to head toward home.  This stretch, toward Pushpin G, intersects with US-178 just below Rosman.  I travel there, then back to Glady Fork Road.  Be very careful along here, as the turns are tighter than on the previous part of the road, and there are several sharp 90-degree turns that are unmarked.  East Fork Road follows the East Fork (surprise!) of the French Broad River most of the way.  For a sedate change of pace, there is good fly fishing in this stream. 

I turn around and go back the other way on East Fork.  It is a different ride, but watch for the tight turns again.  This time, I bear right onto Glady Fork Road.  This has a good surface and not many driveways, too.  There is a series of small waterfalls on the left side along here. 

Soon enough, I reach the stop sign where the road to the highest point in South Carolina, Sassafras Mountain, is easily accessible.  I turn left and find the newly-paved road to the top.  There is no center line, so watch for slaloming cars coming the other way.

At the top, Pushpin H, I park and note that the new observation platform they erected in 2010 is gone, replaced by an ugly, expensive, out-of-place monstrosity.  This is the old new one: 

 This is the new new one. 

I'll bet your hard earned tax dollars went to tear out the old new one and put this in.  What a waste.  Oh, by the way, it isn't for handicap accessibility either.  The old new overlook was at ground level for smooth wheeling.  The new new one is about a foot off the ground at the start.  Convenient, eh? 

My just-finished tax returns flash to mind again.  Darn, I was just starting to get over that.  Why does our government do this to us?

I spend a few minutes looking at the scenery, then head back down.   Except for one hairpin, the road is pretty mild.

I turn left onto F. Van Clayton Highway and wend my way back to US-178 at Rocky Bottom, Pushpin I.  From there, I head back down the hill toward SC-11, and then to Pickens and home. 

I have only traveled about a hundred miles, but almost every mile was enjoyable. The temperature has warmed up to about seventy, and the sun has made God's creation scenic. 

Come along next time, and see these sights with me.

....and see if you can spot those interesting signs I mentioned.


Edit: find an update on Sassafras Mountain here.  

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Tail of the Dragon -- But Nearer By

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I have never been to the famous Tail of the Dragon at Deal's Gap, but many bikers go there to experience what is claimed to be 318 curves in 11 miles.  I've heard that it can be very busy with auto and motorcycle traffic, with the occasional semi tractor-trailer thrown in for an element of increased danger. 

I may get there some day, but I have found a place that a few have said is better.  And it starts about one third of the distance to the Tail of the Dragoon from home.  The best-paved section is 5.6 miles long with seventy-four curves, if I have my count right, or 13.2 curves per mile.  Tail of the Dragon has 28.9 per mile. Higher density on the latter, but I made up of the lack of curves per mile by taking seven passes at it before I left.

I couldn't help myself. 

It was a bright, clear day.  The temperature was in the high fifties, and there was no traffic to speak of.  The road surface was almost spotless with only a scattering of gravel in a couple of places, and a little half-lane patching that could create an edge trap in a few places.  The sight distances around the curves are adequate in most places, too.  There were some piles of pine needles that can act as little rollers for tires to slip on, but they were easy to see and avoid. 

The route is also rather scenic, but you have to watch the road unless you are just putting along.  I did a little putting, just to see the purdy leaves and to scope out the road, but I also took a few runs at higher speeds, though not as fast as I am sure many others can go on a road like this.  By the way, the speed limit is 35 miles per hour.  The fall colors were a little beyond their peak, but there was still enough to be inspired.


A view from the road.  

Views of the road. 

The curves are nicely spaced so the rider has enough time to prepare for each as it comes, for the most part.  I had the road almost to myself for the entire time I was on it.  Only a couple of cars were seen.  What a great opportunity to practice and to enjoy the curves! 

Once I had fed my addiction to this road, and time had flown away, I reluctantly headed back to more familiar -- and much busier -- roads to get home again.  

What a great day of riding and discovery!  I will have to go back again soon.  Winter, stay away a little longer. 
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