Left on last Wed morn for 400 mile ride down I77 to Wytheville, Va with son John to meet up with a few friends for the 200+ mile ride over to Maggie Valley for a 3 day stay with about 40 or so friends from the about.com motorcycles forum.

The ride from Wytheville to Maggie Valley Thurs turned out to be one of the best parts of the trip.  It included about 100 miles of the Blue Ridge Parkway from Deep Gap to Asheville and was led by Craig and Rick, a couple of retired career Marine jet jockeys on Harleys at speeds up to 70 mph.  If you know the road, it was one great ride.  Craig, Rick, John on 77 naked Wing, Steve on B12, and myself on mighty GS ran together and only stopped a couple times for the sane ones to catch up.  A great day.

We left Maggie Valley for Deal's Gap Fri morn and John had a little mishap.  Happens to the best and he is one of the best riders I have ever ridden with.  In John's own words as posted on about forum:

"On Friday morning as we were heading up to the Dragon, I had a brain fart. My dad and Bill T had pulled off from the group, and I was looking back to see if they had caught back up. I checked a couple of times, and the last time I must have been turned around just a little too long. When I looked back up, I was heading for the side of the road. I'm not sure if I caught the grass, or the white line which was still slick from the rain. Next thing I know, I'm sliding down the road on my side. After everone stopped (my thanks to all who assisted) & got the bike back up, I rested for about 10 - 15 minutes. When the initial pain seemed to be gone, I rode the bike the few miles left to the Crossroads of Time at Deal's Gap. I was trying to decide if I felt good enough to continue, and leaning towards going on; but when I went to the bathroom and saw blood, I knew right away I was going to a hospital. When everyone gathered for some group pictures, I went with, but by the third camera or so I started feeling light-headed. I decided then that I wasn't going to ride myself to the hospital, and asked somone to call an ambulance. After a very uncomfortable ambulance ride, an MRI, and some x-rays, the verdict was a lacerated kidney. Fortunately, the tear is such that surgery wasn't necessary, but the doctor doesn't want me on a bike for three months. He doesn't want me driving to work for three weeks (this is NOT a recommended way to get extra vacation), and he didn't want me to travel home in a car. I caught a flight from Asheville to Cleveland through Atlanta on Sunday. I'm currently sitting around the house feeling like I just auditioned for the job as the Cleveland Browns tackling dummy."

Spent rest of the day following John to hospitals, but had great dinner and get to gether back at Maggie Valley with the gang.

Fri morn we took off for a group ride on the BRP to lunch at the Mt Pisgah Inn.  Five of us moved out ahead for a bit of fun riding.  Bill on CB1000, Steve on B12, Scott on Voyager, and myself on the little GS ran great together for about a half hour or so till the rains started.  Keith on Kat 600 who only has ridden for a couple years dropped back, so we took a couple breaks to keep him in mirrors.  We continued thru the heaviest rain imaginable to Pisgah for lunch.  Group rode back to Maggie Valley in clearing skies after lunch and I split off to go to hospital in Sylva to see John.

Had a great Sat evening cook out with the whole gang, except John, and borrowed a Suburban from friends to take John to the airport in Asheville on Sun morn.  Rode to Wytheville Sun afternoon and home alone to NE OH on Mon.

That's how I crashed in 2000 too...looking in my mirrors instead of at the road...
Cool.
Srinath.

Sounds like you had fun on the BuRP ride! Hope John heals quickly. Good to see you back. Seems like you've been away much longer.

I am very jealous Jack :mrgreen: I want to go to Deals Gap. It sounds like quite a hoot. Hope your buddy mends quickly.