I’m piloting my Yamaha Tenere 700 briskly in a westerly direction on Alabama 281, also known as Cheaha Road. I can’t shake a disorienting feeling of déjà vu that I have been here before. Maybe it just feels too familiar to many rides in Georgia or North Carolina, but at roughly 33.47 degrees of latitude north of the equator, my T7 and I are resolutely south of both Atlanta and Birmingham. Yet I’m still in the Appalachian Mountains? How can that be?
I freely admit that, in evolutionary terms, I’m pretty much a talking monkey. This realization benefits me in two significant ways. First, it keeps self-expectations sufficiently low, minimizing disappointment(s). Secondly, it gives me the freedom to have virtually no fear of looking like an idiot and as such I’m not embarrassed to share that my primitive brain is having trouble with the current spatial reality. Probably because for 30 years I’ve been telling anyone that listened there is no good riding until you get many miles north of Atlanta. Boy have I been wrong.
I often listen to music when riding. I accept the risk of distraction especially on longer rides where I need to be distracted from being uncomfortable both mentally and physically. If I find myself in a situation that requires absolute focus, I stop the music by telling the smart phone digital assistant to, “stop music.” In my case, the digital helper is Siri.
In the Apple ecosystem, Siri is the voice-activated digital assistant that performs various tasks such as playing music, making calls, sending messages, setting reminders, getting directions or answering questions. Siri can recognize natural language and respond to commands or queries using a conversational tone. Amazon offers Alexa, and I’m sure there is a corresponding tool in the Android system. I’m not recommending one over the other. I just happen to have an iPhone.
This ride started with a GPX file provided by a colleague and a voice command, “Hey Siri, play ‘For Those About to Rock’” and she/it dutifully begins playing AC/DC. One of the features of Siri is that it can learn from your preferences and habits then suggest songs that you might like based on your music history, location, time of day or activity. For example, if you often listen to rock when riding, Siri usually plays other genre appropriate songs for you when you are on your bike.
German philosopher and poet Frederick Nietzsche said, “Without music life would be a mistake.” While I’m often branded a pessimist, I try not to be nihilistic, but I agree with old Fred. As far as I am concerned, music is a basic human need and much of this ADV ride is set to a soundtrack the algorithm selected for me.
Not-so-random selection
While AC/DC kicks off the soundtrack, Siri is busy on the backend analyzing previous choices, activity, time of day, location, available databases, and statistical data then builds a playlist. The software is spot on with song choice No. 2. Heading north through the Talladega National Forest, I smile as the digital magic plays, “Spirit of the Radio” by Rush. “Off on your way hit the open road there is magic at your fingers.” Perfect.
At the current latitude I’m parallel to the city of Talladega. The word Talladega comes from the Muscogee people’s language who were the native inhabitants of this region. Talladega means “border town” in Muscogee, referring to the historic location of a former settlement near the boundary between what were the Creek and Cherokee nations before the forced relocation during the Trail of Tears. The language is still spoken by some of the descendants of the original Muscogee people, who now live in Oklahoma and Alabama.
As if on cue Siri plays “Know Your Enemy” by Rage Against the Machine. Adrenaline fueled, I’m going way too fast as the lyrics issue warnings about “compromise, conformity, assimilation, submission, ignorance, hypocrisy, brutality.” I believe the Cherokee would agree. Right on, Siri.
On a less morose note, in the late 1800s this area became an important mining resource. The Talladega Marble Quarry is a historic site that showcases some of the oldest rocks in the forest formed over a billion years ago when North America was part of a supercontinent called Rodinia. The marble contains fossils of ancient marine organisms, such as algae, corals, and brachiopods, as well as veins of quartz and other minerals.
The quarry operated until the 1970s, producing high-quality marble used in building construction and decorative applications. Some of the notable and even iconic buildings that used Talladega marble include the Alabama State Capitol, the U.S. Supreme Court and the Lincoln Memorial.
Heading north on County Road 839, I encounter inhospitable road conditions. It has rained recently, and the unpaved sections are sloppy in places. This is what the T7 was designed to do. The stock tires are not great off road, but no matter. I’m going anyway. If we go down it won’t be the T7’s first or last dirt nap. Moto-adventures often create a feeling of uncertainty that takes me out of my comfort zone, but isn’t that the point?
“I rode through the forest for a couple days during the Barber vintage bike races and rode more than 200 miles of 50/50 paved-unpaved roads with three friends. All four of us agreed this was great riding. It was a blast,” said Mike Sumner, an avid long-haul rider who makes regular cross-country trips on his Triumph Tiger 1200 Explorer.
On the move again, Siri has selected “Jerry Was a Race Car Driver” by Primus, once again spot on.
Escape to the lake
I’m haunted by childhood memories of the lake I grew up on. I have not been back there in nearly 40 years, and I still dream about it regularly. When there is a lake to be seen on a ride, I make the time. Coleman Lake is a picturesque lake that covers 21 acres and offers recreational opportunities such as fishing, boating, swimming, and camping. The lake is surrounded by hardwood and pine forests, and provides a habitat for assorted wildlife, such as birds, fish, turtles and frogs.
Coleman Lake is part of the Hollins line fault, a major geologic boundary. This is the type of fault where one rock unit is pushed over another, resulting in a change in elevation and rock type. These are mountain forming processes and the terrain created is what we ride upon. The fault is named after the unincorporated community of Hollins, located on the line where the fault cuts the surface. I find it interesting that my ride today was made possible by geologic processes on a timescale difficult for my monkey brain to even imagine. Yes, I’m a nerd.
Later, I arrive at the summit of Cheaha Mountain, the centerpiece of Cheaha State Park, the oldest state park in Alabama and established in 1933. The park covers just shy of 2,800 acres of land and offers a variety of recreational and educational activities, such as hiking, biking, camping, picnicking and wildlife viewing. The park also features a lodge, museum, and a tower that provides a spectacular view of the forest and the surrounding valleys.
Running through the park is also a part of the Pinhoti Trail, a 326-mile hiking trail that connects Alabama with Georgia and the Appalachian Trail. Highly motivated and ambitious hikers can walk from central Alabama to northern Maine given enough time and intestinal fortitude. This park is also a place of cultural and historical significance, as its name comes from the Creek word for “high place.” Cheaha was a sacred site for Native Americans, as well as refuge for settlers and soldiers during the Civil War.
The state park also offers cabins and camping, but I credit-card camped at the lodge. The lodge is starting to show its age a little, but it was comfortable and offered impressive westerly views of the forest. A vast green forest with rolling hills resembling a cliched circus image of elephants lined up trunk to tail on the horizon is what I see. Below the lodge is beautiful Cheaha Lake with a swimming area and playground that can be seen from the lodge observation deck. This park is a wonderful recreational resource worth the time taken to visit.
As Gonzo journalist Hunter S. Thompson advised, “Buy the ticket, take the ride.” I suspect you won’t be disappointed.
For me mountain riding vacations are usually north of the Atlanta metro area. Circumnavigating that metastasizing urban hellscape that sits between me and my happy place in north Georgia is challenging. I now have a different mindset regarding access to mountain riding.
From my Florida home, Two Wheels of Suches is 345 miles door-to-door. It is a trek that either takes me through or around Atlanta. Contrast that ordeal with 265 miles door-to-door to Cheaha State Park with no Atlanta congestion, similar terrain and riding. My riding partner Elio Dimacali often visits the Talladega National Forest.
“Great mountain bike trails in the area and moto riding. I have camped at Cheaha and the lodge is good and camping facilities are very nice,” Dimacali said. “It makes a good base camp for adventure.”
Also, Barber Vintage Motorcycle Museum — one of the greatest motorcycle museums on the planet — is a 60-mile side trip from the state park.
After some wonderful riding in Alabama’s faint edge of the Appalachian Mountains, time came to turn south and head home. Talladega National Forest has much to offer riders and should not be ignored. As if on cue, Siri selects one of my favorites, “Wish You Were Here” by Pink Floyd.
