Riding the Dragon for the first time is very much like losing your virginity. Full of anxiety and anticipation of the thrill – only find that it’s everything you ever thought it would be.

My first dragon slaying was solo – on my first bike, a 883 Sportster. I woke up one morning and decided that I was going to become a biker that day, so I played hooky from work and took off for the Dragon. Ok, so I was only about 100 miles away, but it was still quite an adventure for a new rider all by herself.

After doing some online research, I planned my route and decided to ride up the dragon from the Tennessee side. I figured that I was much better at curves going up than down, so this strategy gave me a tiny bit of confidence. I don’t think I got above 30 mph the entire way – but I did it! What a rush. About midway, an approaching car blinked their headlights at me. OK, what’s coming up? A cop? An accident? I was so not prepared for what I encountered. After slowing to a crawl, I was primed to stop when the semi, jackknifed in the tight turn, came into view. Why would any semi driver in their right mind attempt a narrow twisty mountain road with bikers buzzing all around? Really glad I wasn’t one of those sport bikes with a need for speed at that moment.

After safely passing on the gravel shoulder (gravel still gives me gooseflesh), I was on my way to the top. I stopped at Deal’s Gap Motorcycle Resort in NC and purchased my proof of dragon-slaying – a pink dragon sticker for my helmet.

That first run was like the first ride on a new roller coaster – when can I do it again? I opted to take the Cherohala Skyway home and was rewarded with grand mountain vistas and gentle swaying curves.

Since that first ride on the Dragon, I’ve been back twice on my current bike – a 2000 HD Heritage Softail. The second ride was with a group of friends and was a lot more fun. I had more riding experience and handled the new bike much better. The most recent experience was with my hubby on a 2700 mile vacation trip we took in 2007. It was his first Dragon-slaying.

Like my favorite roller coaster – I’ll keep coming back.

What’s you’re favorite challenging ride so far?