TheBanyanTree: Holy Mother of God!

[Sachet]

I just rode through the worst storm on my motorcycle!

Since I had checked radar before I left home tonight, and didn't see a
storm, I thought the lightning I saw in the distance was just going to be a
beautiful light show to enjoy on the ride home from Maggie Valley.

I was ok with the rain when it started. I've ridden in rain enough not
to be scared by it now. Just kinda wished I had gotten to the Shell
station before I got wet. But I put my Frogg Toggs on under their roof
and was all set. It was only raining a little bit there and then I hit a
long dry spot, so again thought it was magnificent to be able to see the
lightning from this new perspective.

Then it started raining harder so I was really glad I had put my rain
jacket hood up under my helmet this time. (The last time I rode in the
rain I didn't do that and the rain trickled down my neck.) The sheets of
rain were even kinda ok, because I could still see well enough and I
felt confident that I had control of my bike by not going too fast or
too slow; to maintain good traction.

The wind as I headed up Rushfork Ridge was a sudden surprise.
Wow! The word "buffeted" took on a whole new reality. At that
point, on the side of the mountain, steeply climbing to 5000 ft.,
there is no where to pull off safely and that's when it got a
tad scary <----- massive understatement). But when I didn't have
any viable options I just kept going forward as best as I could
using the experience I've acquired by purposely riding in the rain
and at night and a whole lotta muttering under my breath and
praying that I would be able to stay on the road.
(Whomever invented the middle of the road reflectors should be given a
national holiday in their honor!)

I knew once I got past those couple of places (where the snow drifts
so badly because the wind blows so hard across the road) that I would be
ok, but it seemed to take FOREVER to get to that more sheltered area.
And then the thunder and lightning got incredibly worse. And THEN the
fog hit. Geesh!!!!!! Thankfully, *exactly* when I needed it most, a car
came up behind me and very nicely drove back far enough so as not to
make me feel crowded, but close enough to help me see the road ahead of
me, because coming down RF at night, in a storm, with fog is like riding
blind. I had to flip my visor up a little bit to be able to even see the
road in reassuring glimpses.

Once I got past the first curve the fog thinned out and that helped a
lot. Then it was just a matter of finishing the ride home in the rain.
Talk about an adrenaline rush overload by the time I got up the driveway!

I am sooooo looking forward to the Highway Patrol motorcycle safety
class in September. A motorcycle officer rides with you to evaluate your
riding skills, then you have class time, followed by more road work with
the officer. All for free!