By ANSLEY HAMAN
Scripps Howard News Service
Wednesday, August 01, 2007
Kevin Tillinghast lifted the remains of his rearview mirror from beneath the scratched, red sport bike.
The broken metal became the Indiana man's offering to the "Dragon," a spiny section of Southern road named for its resemblance to the back of the mythical monster.
"This is my 'Tree of Shame' ornament," he told three buddies as they snapped photos of the ditch crash scene on one of the more than 310 curves in the 11-mile stretch of U.S. Highway 129 that ties Tennessee to North Carolina.
Tillinghast donated the mirror to a shrine to Dragon spills -- a part-covered sweet gum tree at Deals Gap Motorcycle Resort in Graham County, N.C. Pieces of helmets, gloves, Big Wheels, engine parts and boots hang from its trunk and branches.
"It's our safety reminder to folks," said resort owner Brad Talbott.
The collection grows annually as tens of thousands of motorcyclists and car enthusiasts from across the globe make pilgrimages to the Dragon.
Tillinghast, a single drop of blood spilling down his mud-caked arm, was lucky. Some riders -- mostly from out of state -- begin on the Dragon and end up in the emergency room.
In the first 11 miles of Tennessee's portion of the road, the Tennessee Highway Patrol reported at least 29 crashes by July 1 this year. Three people died within a week this month.
The winding, green-canopied highway along the Little Tennessee River gorge has been popular among locals for decades. The Internet has broadened its appeal.
Ron Johnson, a retired firefighter from South Florida, first drove the Dragon in the mid-1970s on a family trip through the mountains.
"I've loved the Dragon from the first time I went over it, even in a family car," he said.
He and his wife, Nancy Johnson, chose to retire in Graham County because they liked the area. In 2000 they bought bikes. The couple quickly noticed other riders' interest in pins, patches and T-shirts.
The Johnsons began selling souvenirs and formed a Web site, www.tailofthedragon.com. It contains safety information, tourism suggestions and maps drawn by Ron Johnson. At first, the site received five or six hits a month, he said. Now, it is up to about 1.5 million unique hits a year.
The Johnsons' business isn't the only one booming.
"This was a fried bologna and cheese sandwich shop 30 years ago," Talbott said of his motorcycle resort, which now has an eight-week waiting list for rooms.
Ben Steinberg, resort manager, said the Dragon is a worldwide destination now with groups from Brazil, Eastern Europe, North Africa and Israel.
Part of the road's appeal is the camaraderie between sport bikers and cruisers, Huston said.
"Everybody interfaces," Talbott said. "They'll switch out bikes in the parking lot."
Visitors are almost evenly split between riders of sport bikes and cruisers, Johnson said. People come to ride the Dragon as early as March if the weather is good, he said. He sets up his souvenir stand from April to October.
At least 60 group motorcycle and car events are scheduled on the Dragon this year, according to the Deals Gap and Tail of the Dragon Web sites. In June, Honda Hoot drew more than 10,000 riders to the road on one weekend.
Trauma nurses at the University of Tennessee Medical Center say they prepare for the weekend by checking Dragon Web sites for big events.
Lifestar, UT's aeromedical service, frequently picks up riders at the ends of the Dragon. UT's trauma unit is a destination for many victims.
Helicopters try to get patients to the trauma surgeons within a "golden hour," said Lifestar Outreach Coordinator J.R. Gore. The drive from the Dragon takes about 45 minutes. The chopper flight is 10-12 minutes.
This year the Blount County Rescue Squad created a satellite substation at the Punkin Center Motorcycle Resort near the roadway's Blount County end to reduce response times, said Chief Tommy Bowers.
Most victims end up on spine boards. Some are combative. Some are unconscious.
"The greatest thing we see is head injuries in our motorcycle crashes," said Brian J. Daley, a UT trauma surgeon.
Injuries to lower extremities are also common, and many riders lose layers of skin to road rash if they aren't wearing Kevlar or leathers, Daley said.
Treating a motorcycle victim's broken leg costs about $50,000. That includes the airlift, treatment and hospitalization for three days, according to estimates from Daley and Rhonda McAnally, UT trauma coordinator. The figure doesn't account for multiple injuries or a stay in intensive care.
While many motorcyclists riding expensive bikes have insurance, Daley said the hospital generally absorbs costs of caring for those without it.
Driver error is a common cause of Dragon crashes, he said. The speed limit for most of the roadway is 30 mph, which still proves difficult for some riders.
"It's usually not the people who are from here," McAnally said. "They (locals) realize how windy the roads are."
Many regulars of the twisting road say they appreciate police patrols, so long as their efforts don't turn to bullying or targeting only motorcycles.
"The presence is beneficial for the 5 percent who still think this is a racetrack," Talbott said.
Earlier this month the state's Governor's Highway Safety Office granted the Tennessee Highway Patrol and the Blount County Sheriff's Office about $60,000 each to step up patrols on the Dragon through the end of September.
"We're not trying to keep people from riding this road. We're trying to keep people from riding this road illegally," said Kendell Poole, director of the safety office. "You're talking about saving lives. There's no price on that."
Last year, there were 124 Tennessee Highway Patrol-reported crashes and two fatalities between miles one and 11. Of those crashes, 99 involved motorcycles and 50 involved cars. Drivers were from at least 15 states and two countries.
"When you get a mix of that many motorcycles and that many cars, it's just a recipe for disaster," said Sgt. Randall Ailey, head of the Blount County Sheriff's Office's traffic safety unit.
While eliminating fatalities is the state's goal, the greater challenge is reducing the high number of wrecks with serious injury, Ailey said.
Ailey wants to reduce the Dragon's cost in terms of crashes and hospital bills, but his purpose is not to stop people from legally enjoying themselves on the road.
The Blount County officer loves the stretch of highway.
Some summer afternoons he finds himself rambling down the Dragon's spine on a motorcycle.
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