A Skyway and a Loop
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Day 2: August 14, 2022 A Skyway and a Loop Comment via blog |
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Most of those nearby restaurants serve breakfast most days but none are
open on Sundays. Fortunately, I was able to secure a good Carolina
breakfast when I bought gas.
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The Cherohala Skyway is pretty curvy but its curves are gentler than those
on the Tail of the Dragon and some of the great views can be seen without
stoping at a designated overlook. I assume those views are due to it being
closer to the sky.
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The front windows were open. I heard a thump slightly behind me then felt
something fall onto my lap. Apparently a bee had attempted to fly in the
window and made it halfway. I thought it was dead until I saw it start to
move. There are no shoulders on the Skyway so I began to nervously look
for a place to pull over while a stunned bee began to come to life on my
right thigh. I did find one and stepped out of the car and brushed off the
bee as soon as I could. I have my doubts about his or her full recovery
but its movement seemed to still be increasing as I left.
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OK, so there are a few shoulders on the Skyway but they are scarce and, in
my experience, always unoccupied. I snapped this picture because I was
quite surprised to see this row of parked cars. It is the only one I got
because cars were soon parked on both sides with people walking in and
near the roadway. At the far end of the gathering, a man was waiting, I
think, for a women to cross the road with a couple of unruly youngsters. I
stopped and ask him what was going on. It was a reunion of some sort, he
told me, that happens yearly on the second Sunday in August. He wrapped up
his explanation with, "It's a religious thing."
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Scenery and curves continued all the way to Tellico Plains.
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We were told to arrive "30 minutes prior to departure". I
arrived 38 minutes prior to departure to find a field full of cars and
everyone already seated in my car but me. I had expected to have some time
to take a few pictures of the train but I was on the train before I knew
it. It left the station at 1:30 as scheduled.
The train spends considerable time beside the Hiwassee River and it really is rather scenic. Lots of kayaks and rafts were in the water but lots of trees were along the banks so it was good for viewing but not so much for photographing. Switchbacks were originally used to help the train make this 900 foot climb but they were replaced by a loop in 1898. At that time, Bald Mountain really was bald from logging but not now. The sun didn't help with my picture passing under the trestle but I got a little better shot when we crossed over it a bit later. There is a nice report on this ride with some great pictures here. |
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At the top, switches and a parallel track allow the engine to be moved to
the other end of the train. I was in the last car going up but will be in
the first car going down. The blurry critters in the second picture are
the last of a group of feral pigs scurrying across the tracks in front of
the engine. This was the only wildlife I saw on the trip other than birds
and butterflies. We "unloop" by passing over then under the
trestle.
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Even back at the station, there was no opportunity to photograph the
locomotive. I did get a shot of the observation car which is the one I'd
been riding in.
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