End of year wheeling event...

[99UZJay]

Guys, we are wanting to do an end of year wheeling event. We had planned on doing a N meets S with ONSC but they are already committed with another event at URE. What I would like is suggestions of places that you would like to go to. We are open from mild to wild, just take ya some extra parts!!! Any ways lets see some suggestions and get this ball rolling...

 

[ClemsonCruiser]

UC has never had an event at Beasely, we also haven't done Hurricane Creek, but I personally would still prefer URE, can't remember the last time we had a good group of UCers up there and it has something for every one.

Are we going to try to do the MLK trip to windrock again this year??

 

[Southeast Overland]

Beasley is a decent option. Not a ton of trails but you can spend a day running 'em. If it's wet though it becomes much more 'fun.' Hurricane Creek isn't much in the line of wheeling but is darn pretty.

If y'all wanted I could work on arranging a trip to Snowbird. I'd need UC to commit ASAP so I can get enough members to go to make room for everyone. We could camp at Crawford's. I'm sure Danny would appreciate it.

 

[ClemsonCruiser]

Beasley is a decent option. Not a ton of trails but you can spend a day running 'em. If it's wet though it becomes much more 'fun.' Hurricane Creek isn't much in the line of wheeling but is darn pretty.

If y'all wanted I could work on arranging a trip to Snowbird. I'd need UC to commit ASAP so I can get enough members to go to make room for everyone. We could camp at Crawford's. I'm sure Danny would appreciate it.

snowbird would be interesting..... do they have a variety of wheeling?

 

[99UZJay]

Yeah kind of wheeling is at Snowbird? That might be something cool, I do like the beasley idea too.

Yeah, i'd like to resurrect the MLK @ windrock thing this year. I think it would be a great time !!

 

[Southeast Overland]

snowbird would be interesting..... do they have a variety of wheeling?

Yup. I need to get up a trip report but I'm buried right now. Hopefully I'll get that done later this week.

Wheeling is anything from trails that a 2WD vehicle could probably manage (well, maybe) to intermediate where when dry you can do open/open but wet a locker really helps, to WE ROCK designed rock obstacles. There is an awesome overlook called Buzzard's Roost where I have done lunch at the past couple times. You have to climb a good ways to get there but that's fun. There is also a plane crash site I want to check out that I haven't been to yet.

There are about 50 miles of trails supposedly. I think there are more. We can take a route where you shouldn't take any body damage but you will get Cullowhee-style pin striping.

There is a $25 fee per person per day to get in. It is member and guests only so we have to have enough members to take everyone. Each member is allowed 5 guests - that's 5 people, not vehicles. It shouldn't be a problem to get enough members together. We had 3 this past weekend which = 15 slots for people and we probably could get 2 more members which = 25 slots.

 

[99UZJay]

They should do a club membership, and allow anyone in good standing affiliated with said club wheel. Maybe we should ask them about that. That'd be a cool alternative to Whee... Even if we had to pay, we could sell donuts or something to raise some money...

 

[Southeast Overland]

They should do a club membership, and allow anyone in good standing affiliated with said club wheel. Maybe we should ask them about that. That'd be a cool alternative to Whee... Even if we had to pay, we could sell donuts or something to raise some money...

Club memberships have been brought up before and are a no-go. Membership is $1,000 per person per year. Each person is allowed 5 guests at a time. Membership is also capped to keep the place from being overrun. I'm strongly considering purchasing a membership...I've got something in the works... I also know several members who with a little bit of notice I can get room for multiple guests. We had 13 people there this weekend not including members.

Crawford's also now serves all you can eat breakfast for $5 including waffles, sausage, OJ and coffee.

 

[99UZJay]

Geez, that is alot of wheeling you'd have to do to recoup that 1g... Man never thought something that was once a venture into the free outdoors would come at such a cost... THANKS TROUT FISHERMEN!!!

 

[GXO]

Remember, Beasley have a winter shut down period. I haven't been to URE and would be game. Lexus is officially on.

 

[Southeast Overland]

Geez, that is alot of wheeling you'd have to do to recoup that 1g... Man never thought something that was once a venture into the free outdoors would come at such a cost... THANKS TROUT FISHERMEN!!!

It's worth the price. 3,600 acres for hunting, fishing, hiking, camping and wheeling. I've only seen 2 other people out there in two full days of wheeling. A typical hunting lease for a year is $1,000 at a decent site nowhere near this large.

Thanks to NGA-FJC (Eric) here is some video of the trails. Most of the video (I quickly watched it - its long) is the easy stuff. The buggy stuff is in 'The Bowl' and not on the video.

Snowbird video from 9/27/11

PS: Tellico wasn't free. Snowbird is also awesome trout fishing grounds with some serious trout fishermen out there. It's not all trout fishermen that pushed for closure of Tellico.

 

[ClemsonCruiser]

URE closed mid- december as well

 

[the gimpey one]

$25 day for wheeling + $150 for gas + 20-40 for food= me staying home and rebuilding my front axle

 

[Southeast Overland]

$25 day for wheeling + $150 for gas + 20-40 for food= me staying home and rebuilding my front axle

It definitely hurts the wallet every time I go off for wheeling.

If we are doing this trip before the end of the year then I see our options as being:

• Beasley - some camping and day's worth of trails. $5/vehicle/day. Probably will run into others.
• URE - camping and ~ 1.5 days of wheeling. $10/vehicle/day IIRC.Will run into others.
• Durhamtown - camping and a good number of new trails I've heard. $20/vehicle + $5/passenger/day. Night riding extra if I read their website correctly. Will run into many others.
• Hurricane Creek - not any real wheeling. 1 group sized camp site that is first come first serve. Some additional FS roads up further north into NC and west into TC but no 'real wheeling' as most can be done in 2WD. Cost = $0. Might not run into anyone else except at Max Patch and some of the FS roads.
• Linville Gorge area - basically the same as Hurricane Creek. FS roads, no cost except camping if you stay at a FS or private campground. Only one road that you need 4WD for and it is an easy FS road.
• Snowbird = several days of wheeling. Camp at Crawford's. Cost = $25/person/day. Might not run into anyone else.

 

[steenh]

$1,000 per year could be recouped like this.

8 trips a year.

Bring 5 guests each time and charge them $25 each

8 trips * 5 guests * $25 = $1,000

Go 12 times and you have paid the membership and have $500 for gas, food, beer etc...

I was there this last weekend and it's a fantastic place. I'd probably never go anywhere else. My problem, right now anyway, is finding 8 times a year to go wheeling. Couple of years from now that will change and I could see myself signing up.

 

[ClemsonCruiser]

I was there this last weekend and it's a fantastic place. I'd probably never go anywhere else. .

Man it must be amazing...... how did the scenery compare to the whee?? I am thinking Virgo Gambill Architects need a membership for it's employees

 

[Southeast Overland]

I was there this last weekend and it's a fantastic place. I'd probably never go anywhere else.

I'm glad you had a good time. I always want to make sure that everyone has a good time. Soon I'll be taking more up there hopefully for several days at a time.

 

[Trollhole]

Man it must be amazing...... how did the scenery compare to the whee?? I am thinking Virgo Gambill Architects need a membership for it's employees

That sounds like a really good idea. As well you might be able to get some friends to chip in on that.

I'm glad you had a good time. I always want to make sure that everyone has a good time. Soon I'll be taking more up there hopefully for several days at a time.

Steve do you have a membership?

 

[Southeast Overland]

Man it must be amazing...... how did the scenery compare to the whee?? I am thinking Virgo Gambill Architects need a membership for it's employees

Scenery is awesome. The best view doesn't have a camp spot b/c it is a rock outcropping but it is a great lunch spot.

Membership is on a per person basis. That is the person whose membership is in their name has to be out there anytime a guest is on the property. Mgmt is very strict about that. Oh, and no flip flops allowed.

Steve do you have a membership?

I don't but I've been up there the past two weekends checking it out. If I didn't have to work I'd be back up there this coming weekend. I'm strongly, and I mean strongly, considering it.

 

[GXO]

hmm, I think I need to look into that. My dad is looking for property and I need a place to wheel, camp, fish with the family. $1000 a year isn't that bad.