MOTD 2019 Most liked posts in thread: MINIs on the Dragon 2019 May 1st - May 5th

For those traveling down from the NE there are several other good areas to try out more twisities. Off I-81 in Marion Va there is the Claw and the Back of the Dragon (BOTD) and then just down 81 to the east of Bristol Tn is the Snake. For those not familiar a brief unprofessional comparison:

Tale of the Dragon (TOTD): The Tail spans two States, approximately .6 miles in North Carolina from the Deals Gap Motorcycle Motel to the Tennessee line and then 11 miles in Tennessee. The TOTD does not have mountains involved but there are some very minor vertical elevation changes. Several of the hairpins are banked due to these vertical elevation change. There are no homes or farms on the TOTD as well as no crossroads. There are other banked areas but not to the degree that I found on the BOTD. There are numerous paved pull-off areas along the route. The road is well paved, well marked and has a 35 MPH speed limit. A somewhat leisurely pace "going out" from NC to TN allows one to determine where those that hand out "ticket vochures" are staged so that a more spirited trip "back in" can be undertaken.

The TOTD has 311 curves in 11 miles and the only road I have ever been on with more is the Road to Hana in Maui that has over 600.

Back of the Dragon (BOTD): The BOTD and The Claw are in SW Virginia off Interstate 81. http://www.clawofthedragon.com The locals like to say the BOTD is 32 miles long, however, that is the distance from Marion to Tazewell involving allot of "country road" not twisties. The twisties are in three mountain sections. There are basically two runs of five miles and one of four miles. There are several very tight switchbacks where you come to almost a stop due to the steep incline and the corner. The mountain sections are well paved, well marked and many areas are nicely banked leading into the turns, something the Snake does not really have and the TOTD although banked not find to the same degree as the BOTD. The twisties start as soon as you leave Marion with a posted speed limit of 35. This increases to 45 for a short section and then there are no speed signs posted in many areas. From what can be found on the VA State webpage, secondary roads have a speed limit of 55 if not posted but a residential area, that the BOTD has several of is 25 if not marked. There are also sections of limited crossroads and there are several areas of homes and farms. Pull-offs are limited and are not paved. With 3,500 feet of elevation change you can have rain on the west side of a mountain and sun on the other.

The only other road I have found to have banked chicanes such as the BOTD is a road over by Banner Elk near Boone farther up the BRPW in North Carolina. The BOTD has longer chicane sections though.

The Snake: Locals like to say the road is 33 miles long but similar to the BOTD, not everything is "twisitie" driving. The "good" sections are confined to two mountains with runs of approximately five and seven miles. http://www.thesnake421.com/snake-421-ride-information/. The most western section is comprised of several miles of some very poor paving (this may have changed in the past year). The Snake has a very sharp/short hairpin, perhaps more so than the BOTD. The road signage is not as good as either the BOTD or the TOTD. The posted speed limit is 35 in the twisties with some 45 areas between the two good run sections. Similar to the BOTD, there are several areas with limited crossroads and there are also several areas of homes and farms. Pull-offs are very limited and not paved. Like the BOTD, depending upon the side of the mountain you may encounter wet roads.

I would rate The Snake # 3 compared to the BOTD that would be # 2. IMO the TOTD is by far the best if you are into tight turns with very short chutes between exit from one to the entry of another. Both the BOTD and the Snake can surely test your brakes with the elevation changes involved. Some may find the uphill sections of the BOTD and Snake more fun to drive as gravity is doing the braking for you.

All three have large trees, cliffs and rock walls along with sobering make-shift memorials to those that started out to have fun but ended up never coming home.

 

Still in the shop getting some mods. It's been WAY late in getting done. It is supposed to be done by the 17th. Mods---air suspension, water/meth, 380 injectors, front splitter, new wheels, new tail lights. Just a few things

 

Hey errbody, just a reminder that The MINI Skirts' Skirtapalooza this year is a disco with former NFL player, The Big Joker as DJ. There will be Rocket Girl beer, a photo booth, and a trophy for the best disco outfit. And it's all free for you to enjoy! Let's Boogie!

 

I go out every morning to get clean Dragon Runs in! Got 36 runs in this year on Mon, Tues and Weds. over 11,000 turns at max speed! Lol. I found some great hammock trees back at Fontana

 

After one year off, glad to be getting back to see my Dragon Family!

 

To anyone here: I'm leading the Donut Run on Friday morning. We stop at OutMotoring corporate HQ which is 2-3 blocks from MINI of Knoxville. If you need any parts brought back to you on Friday morning, please stop by Cabin 1019 and let me know what I can do (call 'em to place an order and leave me a note, if I'm not there, w/ instructions on how and what to pick up, along w/ delivery instructions to get the parts to you on Friday afternoon (2-3pm ish). You can also email [email protected] or call/text my mobile 214-394-7450, but, well... you know what cell service is like at Fontana.

Aaron

 

R50’s Mini Sleeping Pod........

 

This date and time next month I will already be sitting on the porch of my cabin with a cold beer after a long drive.

 

Leave for MOTD in 28 days!

 

I dug the GP out of storage this past weekend. She turned over a little slow but fired right up. Need to get a few things done before leaving for MOTD like swap brake pads, change fluids, and mount new tires. Might also install an RMW head before I leave. Should be rolling into Fontana on Tuesday the 30th. I'll be stopping in for a beer Dave.

 

Always a suprise at the Robbinsville, NC Mickey Dees.




Off to the Best BBQ in TN at Full Service BBQ in Maryville.



Cracked my windshield.....FFFFFFF !

 

On the nice side of things, Rufus (my current R53 made it out to Kinentech here in Charlotte for a new clutch, LSD install, a new PS pump and a few other bits and pieces. Once he comes home, I'll need to bleed the brakes, do an oil change and I'll be ready for MOTD 2019.


Photos from way back at MOTD 2011:

Tree down across the Dragon... well... near the lake on the far side of the Dragon


Here I am with a huge caravan of cars and the Foothills Parkway is closed because of downed trees... I'm scrambling to design a new route on the fly! Look at the sky!



Dragging the trailer across the Dragon on the way in to Fontana.


All of the crap that was blown down onto the road got immediately sucked onto the wet rear end of the car...


More scary sky

 

Changing the subject a bit, Teddy...I found those rear aluminum floor plates if you still want them for your MINI. They are now in my S and I'll give them to you at Fontana, ok?