Writen by Lloyd Swartz - Edited by Ray Sala
Our Arrival: Saturday evening. July 1st
We arrived at 8:30pm on Saturday July 1st. It took 26 hours (including some stops) from Albuqurque, NM. Since no one locally would be able to come out and get a spot early on Friday, we new we were in trouble since it was the 4th of July holiday weekend.
Most camps, including the planned Stateline campground were stacked 4-5 vehicles deep! Yikes!! Only the very last Stateline campground was off the road at all.
So, we went back to River Camp #2 and the only spot we saw open. Right next to the entrance road and compact, but right on the river and no fee.
Later we found some really killer spots further in this area and we'll keep them in mind for future visits. We also figured in case anyone surprised us by showing up, we would be easier to find being right by the road with our pop-up camper.
On the way in we met a non-Mitsu person who had wanted to ride with us but had to leave due to an emergency.
Day 1: Sunday, July 2nd
On Sunday, we got up late and headed for trails 1 and 6 (recommended by Eddie, a club member as an easy first day.
I soon realized he may have given us Wrong Directions! (found out later that they were correct). Everyone else was going the other direction and we caused a few backups.
Soon after hitting the trail, I also realized that I had installed the washers on my front shocks wrong, and would fix each one over the next two mornings as time/breaks would allow me to.
These trails were easy and had a couple of really nice waterfalls along the way. The only challenge was no optional obstacle off to the side, which I tried to ascend, but gave up!
This was to be my first lesson in my Tellico education.
A small series of ledges and bumpers that an open diff'd Montero could wallow through if we were in the west, but I could not crawl over with both lockers locked!! I would find out later that this was not a fluke!!
These easy short trails only took a couple of hours so we headed back to camp for a late lunch. Just as we arrived, so did Mike in his Isuzu Trooper since his 2 door had been stolen. He was not staying since he had no trail truck but wanted to show us his favorite trails....
What a nice guy.
First he took us to #5, and the "River Crossing". As we pulled up, dozens of people were watching dozens of trucks attempt the crossing. Each side with LARGE moving boulders to get over. I crawled through with the greatest of ease and one small backup on the far side which required CRAZY angles and articulation to surmount with body contact or getting high centered.
After this I found a new line coming down that was quicker but burried my Rocker protection into the boulders every time. This would not work ascending of course.
One time I thought my engine was smoking, but realized it was just the rock being ground up by my rocker protection!!
Just above the river crossing are 2 giant rocks that high centered me each time I passed until the last day!!
A push always got me going.
After some other fun stuff Mike had me turn onto 8 and then 9 at which time he said "You are going to hate me now."
Ahead appeared a 100 yard stretch of 10 ft. deep washed out gullies that pitched you into the bank which was full of boulders, stumps and roots. On wrong move and kiss your body work goodbye.
We SLOWLY crawled up at a 45 degree angle with the truck 2-4 inches from the embankement even lifting tires occasionally! What a ride! We made it without touching and Mike seemed to know the trail so well he could predict what would happen at every spot along the way!
After that he said we would get to the hard stuff!!! (And that was not hard?!?!!
Oh, and you might not want to go there if it's wet.
Next up is the grand finale, Slick Rock Hill.
A couple of Toyota Pickups and a Jeep joined us. It started out as a rockslide of medium to large rocks for a couple of hundred feet, with a hughe slab of slickrock at the top.
At first I went NOWHERE!! My trusty ARB had blown the fuse again and I had to stop and repair it while others attempted the climb.
One spot in the boulders foiled everyone and required various recovery. The slickrock dome is amazing. In Utah, a Honda would climb it, but here, the rock is a different composition and always wet to some degree.
I watched some jeeps nearly roll, and eventually winch up after a change of shorts!! Then a Toyota made it Full Throttle but nearly rolling! Arghh, my turn. I made a couple of futile attempts and slid back from 3/4 of the way up with the brake pedal to the floor!!
I said "The hell with that" and floored my way up the far left agains the embankment as other told me I would not make it. Half way up I tore a tire sidewall, which Mike plugged nicely for me at the top.
The last Toyota nearly rolled also and required another shorts change followed by another winching.
Welcome to Tellico BABy!!
We arrived back in camp around 9:00pm and cooked up a spaghetti dinner for Mike, his wife and their son.