Today's adventure introduced a friend of mine to the Devils Triangle loop which includes TN 116, TN 330 and TN 62 from Oliver Springs, TN to ... Oliver Springs, TN via Petros, TN (that's pronounced pee-traus for you Yanks). I have ridden this loop several times this summer clockwise, but today I opted for the counter clockwise loop just to be different. We hit 330 from Oliver Springs, TN and headed North toward 116. 330 is a nice flowing road and I always felt it was a great wind down road going the other direction. Turns out it's a pretty good warm up road going this way. It's roughly 7 miles to the 116 junction so there's plenty of time to get some heat in the tires and loosen up before the madness begins.
At the junction we pointed our motorbikes toward the mountain and set off. The road immediately begins snaking up the foot hills of the mountain. There are some really nice flowing switchbacks through this section but as the road shoots skyward things get a bit more interesting. What's the easiest way to gain elevation quickly while keeping the gradient manageable? I'm glad you asked. The answer is: SWITCHBACKS! These little nasties are a staple on mountain bike trails around the East Tennessee area and the builders of 116 took a page right out of Trailbuilding 101. This nasty little section of 116 contains some of the most extreme switchbacks I've seen. Sharp and steep, I capitalized on some MTB moves to negotiate them. Once through them the roads turns back into a typical mountain road over the crest of the mountain and then the Triangle presents its next obstacle.... Coal (and logging) trucks.
Coal Trucks run this road constantly through the week creating a plethora of rolling road blocks and moving chicanes. They run from the top of the mountain where the mining is done down to a processing plant just the other side of the "tip" of the triangle. Not only do these trucks drive slowly but they WILL CROSS LANES... constantly. Today I was nearly run off the road twice by lane crossing coal trucks. The trick is to stay to the outside of the lane and watch your speed. Give yourself plenty of room to let the behemoths pass. Another side effect of the truck traffic is POOR PAVEMENT. The trucks really put a beating on the road leaving it rough and potholed. The DOT has tried to patch it but the patches themselves can be just as sketchy. Again, keep the speed moderated and just ease through until you pass the coal depot.
From there the road gets quite a bit better and reveals her true beauty. The 5 mile stretch of road from the Anderson Co. line to Brushy Mountain is some of the best motorcycling this side of "the hill" (US 129 through Deals Gap). Quick flowing switch backs and perfect pavement await that just begs to be ridden hard. There are handy gravel pull offs on both ends which make for good turn around spots for extending the play date with the twisties. From Brushy Mountain the road straightens out and jaunts happily back into Oliver Springs about a quarter mile from where we started.
FINAL THOUGHTS: Although the Triangle has a bit of hype I must say that this road is NOT FOR BEGINNERS or motorcycles with clearance issues. Sections of the road are in very poor shape and truck traffic makes it worse so avoid the upper section during the week (trucks don't run on the weekends). For sportbikes and motards the real jewel is the 5 mile stretch from Brushy Mountain to the county line. Be sure to stop in and see Bob at BK Motorsports in Oliver Springs. He's a cool dude and has some cool Devils Triangle gear for sale. Check out the map below for the route.
D out.
View Devils Triangle Loop in a larger map
