Looking for the 'lost wayah gap' road

[DavidLSI]

I heard tell that this is a longer maintained road that would be great to ride on my V-Strom.

I do have the "Wayah Gap road, it's a great tour. Take Hwy 129 (the dragon/deal's gap road) all the way south-east to where it ends, on Hwy. 19/74 in Topton. Turn left/north on 19/74 for a short way, maybe less than half a mile, and watch for Wayah road, which will be on your right and goes to Beechertown." on the list of routes to ride, but would love to ride something refered to as "LOST"

Any help pointing me to this would be appreciated...

Thank you,
DavidLSI

[Prubert]

The road is still maintained but it usually full of gravel from the chip seal they put on it.

The directions you posted are correct.  The road is fun, spits ya out in Franklin.

What do you need to know...

[CafeTBird]

Not sure how it got lost - I've ridden it many times.  Of course, people occasionally tell me to "get lost"!

[DavidLSI]

The road is still maintained but it usually full of gravel from the chip seal they put on it.

The directions you posted are correct.  The road is fun, spits ya out in Franklin.

What do you need to know...

I was lead to believe they are two different places, but I could be wrong......

[Scratch33]

Redfox and I rode Wayah Gap Road year-before-last during the FZ1 Rally at Fontana NC.  Another fun road is the Joe Brown Highway (don't let the "highway" part fool ya), from Murphy to the Hiwassee Dam.

[SCED]

David, If you ride Wayah Rd to Hwy 64 you may want to return via Hwy-28, Franklin NC back to 19/74. It's a decent ride in it's self.
Be safe and have a great trip...Ed

[Yankee Dog]

He is talking about a dirt road in the vic of  Wayah.  I think Map Quest calls it Otter Creek but I am not sure.  I have seen it talked about over on advrider.  Ask  over there for better information.  

Yankee Dog

[dlrides]

Seems as though NONE of the previous posters know where it is !  

Send me a PM, I have ridden it many times. Great road, with some little known, forgotten history.  

NEVER post great roads on the internet !

Look what happened to Deal's Gap : internet + hype + "look at me, I'm cool" + squids = bad road

[servicerifle]

Dammit Don!

[dlrides]

Dammit Don!

We can test run that new 950 on this road when you return to the country !

 

[servicerifle]

Will you hate me if I tell you I've got a deposit on a 1200 GS?    

[dlrides]

Will you hate me if I tell you I've got a deposit on a 1200 GS?    

Excellent choice also servicerifle !

More teasers of the road  

1974 & 1971 style


1971 & 1969 style


GSACHIC style


KTM 950 & F650 style

[DavidLSI]

Thanks DLRides PM recieved and hush is the word.......

[CafeTBird]

NEVER post great roads on the internet !

Umm.... you just did, Sherlock.  Smooth move - now everyone here will be looking for it....  

It is impossible to keep a good road a secret for long anyhow.    Give up on it.

[Yankee Dog]

Umm.... you just did, Sherlock.  Smooth move - now everyone here will be looking for it....  

It is impossible to keep a good road a secret for long anyhow.    Give up on it.

no doubt.  Like I said, that road is all over advrider and those folks are much more likely to ride such a road then us pavement pounders on STN.  

Yankee dog  

[dlrides]

Umm.... you just did, Sherlock.  Smooth move - now everyone here will be looking for it....  

It is impossible to keep a good road a secret for long anyhow.    Give up on it.

 

Then send me the directions to it, Sherlock !




Checkmate !!!

 

[CafeTBird]

Bubba, I spent 10 years living in the Cullowhee / Franklin / Bryson City area.  I blazed trails 20 years ago on Wayah Mtn. - there ain't a road on that mountain I haven't been on.  You are no freakin competion in that area AT ALL, and aren't even worth wasting my time on.  

Especially since you seem to to be finding yourself so self rightous in your knowledge of the area that you feel entitled to hide information from other motorcycle riders. That is simply lame.  This forum is for helping other riders.  You guys that are going off on this pitch that your superiority entitles you not to enlighten others come off simply as pompous a-holes.

Deals Gap was already a lost cause before Al Gore invented the internet.  

[stromgal]

I'm the one who gave David the Wayah Gap road directions, I did so after he had heard from others I led down the 'lost road'.

I was unable to pinpoint the lost road, although I've ridden it thrice, because my Zumo has the location and it's on my Strom in a trailer down in Texas. I would have gladly given up the road had I been able to recall without help from the Zumo.  

[CafeTBird]

I would have gladly given up the road had I been able to recall without help from the Zumo.  

...and that is what makes you "Contributor Superior", Stromgal  

It is folks like you that make this forum the to place to be!

[Desmo Demon]

Send me a PM, I have ridden it many times. Great road, with some little known, forgotten history.  

If it were all paved and worthy of a sportbike, I'd know about it. Seeing the gravel tells me why I don't know, nor care, about it.  

[CafeTBird]

Yeah, not that much fun for a full out sport bike like yours and the R1, Desmo.  The front suspension would jar you to death...

Now on a adventure touring bike, it would be a blast.  The back roads up there were alwasy a lot of fun on my old Bonnie, which was basically set up to handle that kind of stuff.  Seeing them again has me thinking about a Triumph Scrambler...  

If it were all paved and worthy of a sportbike, I'd know about it. Seeing the gravel tells me why I don't know, nor care, about it.  

[Yellowstrom]

I though it was as good if not better then the Gap, Way less stupid riders and you get to eat breakfest in Franklin and ride back 28 toward Bryson City.

Some loose and wet sections but great for the "V".

But almost every road up there is great for the "V".

Another one of my favorites is 276 out of Robbinsonville heading south to FOREVER...

[Desmo Demon]

Another one of my favorites is 276 out of Robbinsonville heading south to FOREVER...

 

You mean Waynesville?......or a different road....like Hwy 28?.......Hwy 276 is good going south until you hit Hwy 11 in SC, and Hwy 28 dies a dismal death a few miles before you hit Wahalla, SC.  

[CafeTBird]

Yeah I was wondering on that too.  When you are coming up from FLA, they are all good here, ya know....

 

You mean Waynesville?......or a different road....like Hwy 28?.......Hwy 276 is good going south until you hit Hwy 11 in SC, and Hwy 28 dies a dismal death a few miles before you hit Wahalla, SC.  

[SCED]

Hwy 129 is what I concluded he meant. Only two roads of any size leave Robbinsville and the small roads end up back to one of the two, second being 143. Of course it was 4:00am when he posted this LOL.

[CafeTBird]

Hwy 129 is what I concluded he meant. Only two roads of any size leave Robbinsville and the small roads end up back to one of the two, second being 143. Of course it was 4:00am when he posted this LOL.

143 is the only one that heads south-erly.  129 heads west.  Of course, as you said, is was 4 in the morning....

[Yellowstrom]

Yes Waynesville, I stand corrected.  We always stop at the HD shop before heading south on 276.  South on 276 is always the best direction to ride it. Couple great water falls on 276.  Wondering where I got Robbinsville from?

[CafeTBird]

The Dragon stop off, no doubt Strom.  Next time you go to Waynesville, travel a little farther down 19-23, and travel up highway 151 to the BRP.  It hits the Parkway on the north side of Mt. Pisgah, then you can take the BRP down to 276 and finish your ride.  Let me assure you, it won't disappoint!  It is about a knarly as the Dragon, only uphill.  Not as much fun coming down as going up though.  Also, watch for a little debris in the corners at times.

Scot

Yes Waynesville, I stand corrected.  We always stop at the HD shop before heading south on 276.  South on 276 is always the best direction to ride it. Couple great water falls on 276.  Wondering where I got Robbinsville from?

[mustang28027]

When I was in college at WCU I went  car-camping with a friend at Wayah Bald.  Was a wierd place, almost like  the highlands of Scotland. I was in my  VW Jetta and my buddy was in his GTI. Went down the mountain and nearly fried our brakes. At the  bottom my brakes were spongy and pulled over to check on them... they were smoking pretty good! I still kick myself because I went to college about 30 miles from the Gap and never knew about it.  Dogh!

[CafeTBird]

Went to WCU too, mustang.  What year?

[mustang28027]

1982 to 1986... young and dumb! You?

[SCED]

You should let Scot show you some local roads around WCU sometime. He Knows!

[CafeTBird]

1982 to 1986... young and dumb! You?

LOL - 1981 - 1985.  We may have passed each other on the road.  You live in a dorm any of that time?  I was in Reynolds and Harrill, before moving out into some ramshackle shacks falling off the sides of hills....

One of my favorite runs was out of Speedwell (always loved that name) and up over to Hwy 28 via Cullowhee Mountain and Ellijay Road.  My shakedown run used to be 107 up to Glenville Lake and back, tearing up as much asphalt around Cabbage Patch as possible.  You could always check out your suspension set up riding up to the airport!

[mustang28027]

We were probably eatin and partying together! I was a Leatherwood for the first two years, then joined Delta Sigma Phi frat.  The lived at Moss Apartments for the last year. I was  into hiking then, so would go out and backback a lot...  Shining Rock and Whitewater Gorge...I did get a bike in my last year, a 1981 Honda CM400.  It was a blast to ride back then, I would ride down to Rabuns Gap and have fun down there...

And I used to live on Stillwell road( the frat)! Loved going up to the airport, too! Damn! we might actually KNOW each other!

[CafeTBird]

Could be, Mustang.  I had friends that lived in those apts when you guys were living down there.  I was a GDI, but hung out with the TKEs on occasion.  I lived across from the Hot Stuff restaurant for a while, also some apartments off Speedwell Road, and a house at the top of the hill where Central Drive and Old 107 came together.

You should come down to Euro Bike Night at Mac's Speed Shop next month and we can figure out if we ever crossed paths.  It's the 2nd Tuesday of each month

[mustang28027]

Will do!