Writen by Lloyd Swartz - Edited by Ray Sala
Early Monday morning we spent time fixing my other shock, and other minor truck maintenance. We then checked out Green Cove Lake and the Lower #2 trail.
The approach to Lower #2 is technical for sure and the lover sections quite muddy and difficult, BUT, the top is impassible except by winching since some bozo installed a culvert in the road above sending a constant stream of water down the trail.
This will be changed ASAP. I know of several groups that spent 18-36 hours on this 1/2 mile long trail!! Ouch... that's nuts!
We just skipped the last 100ft. armed with this knowledge not even bothering to winch up the nightmare since it was late and we were alone. We turned around (very hard to do) and went back to camp.
Day 3: Tuesday, July 4th
We were ready to get back to business and headed for Upper #2. Hard and tricky downhill at one ledge, it was really tough going up. We helped a lightly equipped group (rare here) down, preventing some serious damage. We then headed to meet some others at #11, the Guardrail!
We arrived at Guardrail first and after talking to some ATV riders, and helping to hoist their ATV's up the stairs, we were ready to try it.
This impressive sucker is a series of 2-3 foot ledges, maybe 8-10 total, straight up, near the top of the ridge.
Hence the reaso for the Guard Rail... keeps people from rolling off the mountain!!
I am told from reliable sources that it does work!!
I simply, and slowly crawled my way up, bumping it and giving it gas once at the top. The ATV guys come up every day to watch the carnage (they were locals) and said it was the smoothest ascent they had seen in years!
It did lift a few tires and get my heart going for sure. At the top, I could hear the rest of my group finally getting there and they were shocked to see me already at the top.
It turns out Upper #2 is "a wheelbase thing". Jeeps are in for trouble. Long wheelbases do fine.
Two massively modified Tellico Jppes joind us along with an advanced Hybrid Rail Car with 4wd.
What's a rail car? Basically a dunebuggy. Huge back tires, tractor tires up front, 2 wd, v8, rollcage and Tractor Steering! You got it, they remove the steering wheel and they use hydrostatic contrals to blast up obstacles.
You'll only see these rigs here, but what a site they are.
Catfish was the driver of this Mad Max mobile. I am told there are crazier vehicles at Tellico I missed like modified John Deere Tractors. Railcars, Pinto's, Bedles P/U's, widened axcles, 38"+ tires were the NORM!! No stockers or certainly anything with as limited a set of modifications as my 2 door Montero.
The other vehicles made it up the guard rail with various degrees of violence.
Next up, the Helicopter Pad! Rumor had it that it was undefeated as of recent! Amazing considering the equipment on the mountain this holiday.
As I approached and started to take the smooth bipass out, our ATV buddies rand down to say rocks had been placed to repair the pad and that I could make it.
Feeling cocky with my domination of the Guardrail, I headed up. The problem is an off-camber, slick, steep ledge that throws you into a huge boulder.
A large rock and some smaller ones had been placed in the washed out area. Without throttle, I could not climb it, and despite my best judgement, I floored it up based on my spotters assurances I would not be thrown into the huge boulder.
WRONG!! I tipped over and slammed full throttle into the boulder, smashing my mirror and destroying my drivers side door.
Everyone said "Just pull the dent out..."
I thought..."Sure!!"
We carfully winched my truck up. Next up, the rail bugy.
He hammered the gas for 2 minutes and finally made it up crashing against the boulder and with the crowds running for cover due to flying U-Joints, and Axles!!
One of the Monster Jeeps tried it but wisely gave up after doing some decent body damage. Our friends turned around to winch down the guard rail (too dangerous to drive down I guess)
At this point you would think I would take the #11 bi-pass right? But what the heck, I already did the most serious damage in my entire extensive four wheeling carreer and a local landmark was just ahead.
Schoolbus hill, a mile long climb with ledged, boulders, mud, off-camber etc.
We watched one group bash and winch their way up a bad ledge before we descended with dire predictions. One guy bounced his Toyota off the embankments to climb the ledge. It took dozens of tries to climb it.
These guys have serious body protection with a carefree attitude towards body damage.
Below that we met another broken group of Jeeps that was a bit frazzled after an 8 hour climb up School Bus Hill. We did pretty good descending but got high centered badly on the way down... and yes Little Joe, we had to winch downhill!