My brother where do you intend to go tonight
I heard that you missed your connecting flight
Most of my valued readers are not Fleet Foxes fans and will not recognize the opening lines of “Blue Ridge Mountains”. I spent this weekend in Tennessee and North Carolina, working on a comparison test for an upcoming issue of Road&Track. Any guesses as to the car in the picture?
Well, there’s your answer. Two very fast cars, one considerably faster than the other.
Speaking of fast cars, if you have yet to see my Viper ACR review for WIRED you can catch it here. This week I’ll be reviewing a much more prosaic mode of transportation for you over on TTAC: the lash-up bitsa-mobile known as the Jetta TSI. It’s better than it should be, just like the Viper ACR. The two cars in the photo above? For what they cost, they should be perfect.
Is that the quivering forest down below? Where the shivering dog rests?
Yes. Later on I expect that the river will get frozen, and the house will be snowed in.
I would imagine Deals Gap and Hwy 129 was on the itinerary?
You know, DeMuro once tried to outrun sheriff’s deputy there with a pontoon boat, whatever that means.
If you’re ever in the Nantahala Nat’l forest/Nantahala Lake area (heart of the GSMs in western NC, quite close to the Tail) for an extended amount of time doing road tests, do drop me a line. I’ll fly down and meet you there — maybe even Bark could make his way over from KY. Will explain in greater detail should the opportunity come up.
“I would imagine Deals Gap and Hwy 129 was on the itinerary?”
It was explicitly *not* on the itinerary. I’ve avoided that place since 2006.
Care to elaborate on the reason for X’ing out that area?
I will bet that there is another very interesting story involved.
As to pontoon boats, I believe they might in this context refer to boats with air-filled pontoons on each side of the hull, and with a high rear-pushing fan on the back end. Though I have also seen boats with those same pontoon-edges on the hull, that had one or more large outboard motors mounted.
(I suppose if you wanted to be trendy, you could get the pontoons filled with nitrogen.)
Only that the “Dragon” has become a very heavily regulated and observed low-speed loop for touring motorcycles.
Ten years ago you could still go there during the week and make time.
Last year, my boss, Larry Webster, went and he had to basically run it in the last of the twilight just to have low traffic.
The Dragon has become the Disney World of driving roads in NC. The last time we were in the area we went through at night as it was just too busy during the day. There also a lot of idiots that are inexperienced and like to cross the yellow line which does not bode well for them as ambulances usually need almost an hour to get there. The only good factor that recently reduced some of the congestion and accidents is the fact that trucks over 30 feet are no longer allowed on the trail.
I am sure I will go drive or ride the trail at some point again since I am fairly close but there are much better driving and riding roads in NC with almost zero traffic and great scenery that will keep me entertained for quite some time.
Yes, as to the definition of a pontoon boat. It’s just the statement of using a pontoon boat on a mountain road to elude police makes no sense (which, being DeMuro, is par for the course).
As one approaches TotD from Knoxville, there are lakes along the road complete with boat launches, fishermen, etc. However, this area is not technically the TotD. Perhaps DD jumped out of his car mid-pursuit and onto a pontoon boat in this area in order to avoid a ticket, which would be stupid (more course parring).
Anyway, yes, I agree, the Tail has become clogged with sight-seeing Harleys, minivans slowing to a near-stops in the corners, and deputies who’ll ticket you should you put a tire on the double yellows. Much of the fun of a Tail run is gone.
And yes, you can find remote roads throughout the GSMs that’re are just as fun to drive with almost little or no traffic. A significant side project there has allowed me plenty of time to explore…now to get the old 911 down there for some real fun.
Moonshiner 28 is a favorite in that area.
Curious to see whether your GTS vs. GT S review shakes out like every other magazine/outlet has concluded.
One of my favorites on that album. I probably repeated it a couple dozen times when I drove the Parkway this year.
If you are ever on the other side of the mountains near Knoxville I will supply you with jar of personal rocket fuel.You either feel better or just don’t care about whatever the problem was.
Jack,
Thanks for bringing me back to my late cold war era naval officer days with the Ekranoplan reference
The introductory reference to Anubis in the Wired article was classic. Just started to read it, but had to say that hook is epic.
And of course, knowing you, there wasn’t much suspense as to whether or not you’d hit 5th gear. It was almost a given, because Jack B.
And there really wasn’t much suspense as to whether or not you’d get it to go, because RR, the head engineer, plus his team.
But to the average reader, it would have been a hell of a lot of suspense.
As it was, it was a great read, greatly enhanced by the terms in which you couched it, the weighing of the heart. As always, the question is never, will it be good? The question is only, how good will this one be. And I am never disappointed.
I honestly believe you are destined to go down in auto journalism as one of the all-time greats, in the narrow group that everyone mentions when they want to give an archetypal example.
The only thing that holds you back at all is the fact that you have only been doing it for a relatively short time, compared to the “immortals” such as Setright. But your day will surely come.
Seconded! I feel like his lack of PC, the willingness to give a car a bad review when it deserves one, and the openness/honesty about his personal life will hamper him though. Which is a damn shame, because all that’s a large part of what makes him such a great writer in the first place.
Lovey photo , I wish I’da been there in that chair , watching the sun go down .
-Nate
If you ever get the chance try Western Massachusetts starting with Rte. 2 in Greenfield, the “Mohawk Trail” and some of the back roads of that, including one that leads to the site of the “Bloody Pit” aka the Hoosac Tunnel.
Running the local road that runs alongside the Mad River in VT is a nice drive, too, and at least back in the day, was lightly used, especially at night.
One of the nicest rides I ever took was down that road, and later down the Saw Mill Parkway, on my way back to my then home in Brooklyn, on a winter night with a full moon, in a car with a sunroof. The moon overhead, and a desirable companion riding shotgun.
All was not right in the world, just as it never really is, but all was right in my world that night..a very challenging but peace inducing ride.