Is this the Dragon between Tennessee and North Carolina, highway 129? Did you go up or down the Dragon's tail" From 129 in Maryville, Tennessee you're only about 40 minutes from my house and if you went up the Dragon into Robbinsville, NC, then you could have taken the Cherohala down the mountain into Tellico Plains and only been 6 miles from my place.
Looked like a nice ride, safe and sound, not like some of the crotch rockets I've seen coming down .... I've actually only gone up the Dragon from Maryville once (in my car) and haven't had any desire to do it again. I've been over the Cherohala a couple of times, but usually only go about half way up and then turn around... we stay pretty much on the Tennessee side. My son lives in Georgia just over the mountains, but we usually go up 68 and turn before we get to the Georgia line to run through NC and back into GA... closer to his house that way. Only about an hours drive.