kenbike said:
I planning a week trip in the Deals Gap area the first week of March. What is the typical weather I should expect and will most of the service roads in the national forest be open? Plan on a few days in Robinsville and have a PCV and dynp tune set up from Wheelers and them shoot over to Telico to ride and get fat at Telico grains! Any locals have any advice or recommendations on back roads. I will stay off the single track and running Conti trail attacks so use some caution about to rough or muddy stuff.
kenbike,
I ride a lot in this area. I don't know which way you'll be coming from, but due to recent rains there are several major roads closed in the Deals Gap area. U.S. Hwy 441 (a.k.a. Newfound Gap Road) is closed to through traffic between Gatlinburg, TN and Cherokee, NC due to a landslide at mile marker 22 on the NC side of the Great Smoky Mountain National Park.
The Cherohala Skyway also had a landslide, so I would check on this road too. The Cherohala Skyway Vistor Center telephone # is 423-253-8010.
Here's a good link about about
some road closures in the area:
http://www.nps.gov/grsm/planyourvisit/temproadclose.htm
While you're checking out the above link, look over to the left-hand side of the page and you'll see the Seasonal Road Schedule. Parson's Branch Road is fun to ride, but isn't scheduled to open until March 8, 2013. This road is one way from Cades Cove to U.S. 129 (the dragon).
Also my good friend made several YouTube videos of off-road rides in this area. Just go to YouTube and search: Greg Salyer
There are about 16 videos. He rides a DL650 and made these videos for infomational purposes, not for entertainment; however, I thought they were great to just sit and watch.
Have a great ride.