Fancy Meeting You Here...

On Friday, I stopped at a turnoff on the BRP that another rider had already stopped at. His name was Woody and he was riding north from Georgia. We hung out for a little while and talked about our rides, the trips we were on, and bikes, bikes, bikes.

Anyway, I was stopped at the Mt. Pisgah convenience store on Memorial Day and was enjoying a lunch of a Milky Way bar and a Vanilla Starbucks Frappucino (sugar rules!) when I heard the unmistakable sound of a BMW behind me followed by "Hey, you ain't made it to Alaska yet!" Lo and behold, my new buddy Woody just happened to stop at the same store for a little sugar fix as well. We talked for a few minutes, and then a couple rode up on a nice vintage BMW (behind my bike in the photo).

The four of us chatted for a little while and I got the picture above when they started talking about the latest $20k BMW K1200 LT touring whale. Woody's bike, the BMW R1200 RT, is a really nice looking bike and plenty functional, but without being the total whale the LT is. I'd take his bike over the LT any day.

We said our good-byes and I headed west on the BRP. A couple of miles later, I was stopped at another turnoff and Woody came riding up again. He retrieved a map from his trunk and came over to me and told me that I should reconsider the route I was taking. He explained that the legendary Deals Gap was just a short detour away (more on that later) and that I should really consider riding it. He also gave me a recommendation for a place to stay, the Iron Horse Lodge, but it was a little too early to quit riding when I got there.

Anyway, this just demonstrates that there is a fantastic camaraderie among bikers. Some of the coolest people I've ever met I only got to know because of our shared passion for bikes, and my life would be less rich if I hadn't ever met them. Also, contrary to popular myth, bikers tend to be like Woody - bright, cool, and always willing to lend a hand.

Woody, wherever you are, thanks again. I hope you're enjoying a great road somewhere.