Some roads are practical, some roads are built to take you places, some roads are scenic, and then some roads defy explanation.  Welcome to the Dragons Tail, 11 miles of how the hell did they build this thing and why?  If you own a motorcycle then you have probably heard the rumors; route 129 is America's favorite motorcycle riding challenge.  318 turns in 11 short miles makes this road curvier than Marilyn Monroe and just about as sexy.   I am not talking about long, lazy curves that you might encounter on most of the highways in the U.S.  The curves on Route 129 are switch backs (180° turns) winding up the mountain then down the other side.

One look at the Google map zoomed in will convince you that this is no ordinary road. The road is located on the southern end of the Great Smoky Mountains National Forest.  The real fun begins at Calderwood, Tennessee and intensely goes until the border of Tennessee and North Carolina where you can stop at Deals Gap Resort.  The Post at Deals Gap has limited lodging, huge gift shop, and a restaurant.  You will see hundreds of bikes from all around the world pull into Deals Gap on any given day.

We took a drive to Look Rock which according to a forum post on TradGirl is the only place in the Gatlinburg area to do any type of climbing. It's over an hour drive but a pleasant and scenic drive. The guys at Smoky Mountain Outfitters told us to check out the area below the parking lot and another area a half mile hike up to where the ranger tower is (the actual attraction at Look Rock). We hiked up there first for the view and then poked around for the trails leading to the rocks but the paths were fairly overgrown with poison ivy so we headed back to the parking lot. There are several trails heading down to the rocks below but the easiest and one least likely to force a climb down is at the far east end of the lot.

The crags are probably better for top roping since the ground beneath is still steep and jagged with rock making a high jump or fall onto a crash mat still dangerous. My wife was my only spotter so I took it easy but enjoyed a good workout. We didn't explore the whole area and got right into climbing where we came down the trail so we only hit a fraction of the routes. Not my favorite place to climb but not bad considering the lack of other options. ('Read More' for additional pictures)

We hiked on up the trail which leads to the top of the mountain. The terrain remains the same but the views from higher and higher up are clearer as you proceed above the trees you were earlier buried under. We didn't reach summit mostly because there was a football game I wanted to watch. We turned around and made our two and a half hour descent back down the mountain. All told, it was about a 7 mile journey and worth every inch.

And a highlight for my wife, we saw a black bear cub as we were driving out of the park - the second bear of the trip which is ironic because we spent early, early mornings and many hours scouting bears in Shenandoah National Park and came up empty.

On this hike I trail tested the Vibram Five Fingers - Read the Gear Review Here

My wife, Lisa, and I took a Monday and traveled to Greensburg, IN to skydive. This was Lisa's first jump and we opted for the video embedded here.

Ok, this is not exactly a trip report but rather some thoughts about trips and life in general.

Every parent at one time or another has probably encountered the dreaded "Are we there yet?" question from a bored kid in the back seat.  Who knows how long that question has been around?  The "Are we there yet?" interrogative may have been occurring since the horse and buggy days.  Even as adults we often miss the point of traveling.  We confuse the destination with the goal of traveling.

Modern society always has to be somewhere at a very specific time and the process of getting there is viewed as an annoyance that should be shortened.  The trip is dull, but unfortunately the destination often sours too.  We go all that way only to be disappointed.  We pictures our selves at our destination having fun with various activities, but the anticipation of the arrival often is too high and we are left with a flat feeling about our trip. 

If rock climbing is your thing, then Indiana is not the best place to setup a basecamp. There are still climbing options, well, bouldering options. My favorite spot is in North Vernon, Indiana at Muscatatuck Park. Muscatatuck is managed as an Extreme Sports park and has some bike trails too but I've only visited to boulder. They have over 350 routes going up to difficulties of V10. There are a lot of easy routes too so the area accomodates climbers of all skill levels. The park is well maintained and managed by Greg Martin, an avid climber and all around good guy. The park has camping and other amenities so make a weekend out of it.

This is a guest post by Adam Beck of Becknology Climbing Guides.

I recently spent five days in Kentucky's Red River Gorge. The Red is one of my wife's and my favorite places to visit/climb. We arrived on a Thursday afternoon. The weather was perfect! We headed up to Roadsite Crag and got in a few routes before dinner at Miguel's Pizza. We camped out in the gorge on Thursay night. We planned to shoot a climbing video with some friends of ours on Friday. Although we had read the weather forecast, we were hoping and praying that the meteorologists were wrong. They weren't. It rained on Friday and Saturday. It didn't rain on Sunday but was still cold. Monday was cold in the morning but turned out nice in the afternoon. I was glad for that because we were meeting some clients on Monday. Although it rained on Friday, we were still able to get some good video footage by climbing under natural roofs and overhangs.

As your raft drifts in the current you tuck in your feet, ready your paddle, and listen to the rumble of the rapid below. As your pulse quickens you begin to feel your heart beat in your ears and the faint taste of iron fills your mouth. This is pure adrenaline. This is why you came. The sound of the rapid, like a runaway train, grows louder and closer as the current quickly picks up speed. Your raft enters the rapid and your guide shouts commands as if they were a half-mile away. Paddles fly in a frenzy as water crashes the bow of the boat and surrounds you from all sides. Crashing through a giant wave, your stomach is entrenched in your throat on the ensuing natural water slide.More waves, seemingly endless water and paddling. Suddenly the water calms, your guide quiets as smiles and the sense of accomplishment abound. You share a paddle high-five with your crew, and look downstream, ready for more. Have fun..Go Rafting. Gauley Dates 2007Twenty-six miles, 668 foot drop in gradient, more than 100 rapids. Simply put, the Gauley River is world-class. Defined by big, steep and technical rapids the Gauley River is enveloped by rugged mountain scenery and divided into two equally impressive sections, the Upper and Lower Gauley. Songer Whitewater offers a wide variety of full-day and overnight Gauley River adventures including some of the most hair-raising high adventure trips commercially available. Are you ready to accept the challenge of the Gauley River? Feel the adrenaline-rush and sense of accomplishment of running one of the most famous rivers in the world. Reserve your Gauley River adventure today.

June 2007 I engaged in an activity I have wanted to attempt for a long time – rock climbing. It was everything and more than I expected. Long story short, I got connected with a guide named Adam Beck (company is Becknology). After emailing back and forth and riding out the winter months, I got on the calendar for June 2nd and my wife and I loaded up the car with our daughter and half a million things to entertain her and headed to Clarksville, TN, home of King’s Bluff, a beautiful climbing area that sits along the Cumberland River.

I met Adam in the morning and after thoroughly reviewing the equipment, safety procedures, and methodology I ascended my first climb on a 5.4 route (Yosemite Decimal System), then a 5.7, and next a 5.8. After a number of climbs Adam instructed me on repelling and we setoff down a 100ft. vertical. He nudged me to climb back up but the height was higher than any I had yet encountered and that fear got the better of me.

That is the life lesson I learned from climbing - In order to continually improve, you have to push yourself into the realm of the uncomfortable until it feels comfortable and then keep moving up. Next time, I will make that climb.