Screw that, who sleeps. I'll catch a nap while I drive, geez, quit yer worry'n MOM.

 

Yea you are right! I am gone. Give me a shout tomorrow!

 

have fun drive and be safe (LOVE MOM)

 

Oh we will, I'll make sure to climb a rock or two for ya, take a pause, think about your gimp self stuck at home, and pour a cold one out for ya. It'll almost be like your there, but not.

 

that right that right

 

Looks like I'm not gonna make it, as much as I want to. Gotta work all day tomorrow, and then I'm going to Cookville, and I have to set a salt lick in lebanon on the way back.

 

Ok I just got in from Naples Fl. I'll get up early, promised wife I'd clean carport, then my son "Christopher" and I will head that way eta 16:00est. I called the lady with the cabins and she is gonna leave key and map to some cabin (1.5 miles away?) I'm gonna bring extra food and beverages, so no one goes hungry My cell is 931/510/0853 if you guys think of anything else we can bring....weird it's 12:30 at night and cows are going crazy out side grabbin the shootgun...who says we don't have excitment out in the country haha

 

Just got done finishing up the 4Runner mods. Had to finish up the rear shocks and re-do the front ones and a few other little things. See you guys tomorrow.

 

Anyone know if there is a phone in the cabin?

 

I don't remmeber a phone being in the cabin, but I could be wrong, if my phone gets reception there, your more than welcome to use it. I usually get reception somewhere on the mtn, so anyone neededing to check in with the wife or significant other just let me know, I know how that goes.

 

WOW, I can't believe it. It is finally Friday! I talked to Helen wednesday and she said we could give the number on the website to family or friends for emergency contact. There is not a phone in our cabins but there is a phone at The Grand Cherokee (the big cabin) that we could use if we had a phone card. The number is 828-835-8882. See you guys there.

 

Update: I had to get some sleep, so I am just leaving. ETA 3pm

See ya there!

 

I'm loading some fire wood, and hotdogs etc. Tryin to talk Bob200257 in to just ridin with us. I think he is the one that got this ball rollin? Looks like we should just get out Sunday morning before is starts rainin. May the YOTA be with you

 

I'm back....my runner is dead....I broke the frame and killed the engine.
no broken birfields! woo-hoo!


THE RUNNER IS DECEASED.
She ripped the rear pass side leaf spring hanger OFF the frame completly

I had secured it with a chain before it had completly let go

On the way out of trail 4 as soon as I hit trail 1, I dropped a cylinder....I said to hell with it, It'll go on 3 cyl's....I cruise back...SLOW...to the staging area and as soon as I get behind the trailer I drop another cylinder....DAMN RIGHT! She still got my on the trailer! 2cyl's and a ripped spring.

Here is it's life(as a 2nd gen 'runner-after the cab swap)

She's gonna get stripped, parted, and sent to the crusher.

 

Pics? Videos?

Scott-did you take down Slickrock?

 

I have no pics or vids...I broke bad..It just gives me an excuse to finish my project truck now.

 

Looks like the rust monster got that spring hanger.

 

No Scott did not do slick rock - nobody did except Rob and we winched him completely to the top with the help of some great buggy guys.

Rob broke a CV axle at the bottom and they attempted to put a new shaft in but that was a no go. It was easier to winch him up rather than winch him down. The last ledge on slick rock is almost impossible !!!!!!! That thing must be 6 - 8' now. It took a buggy on 40's with a winch and a tow strap
hooked to Rob runner to get it up and over. Then coming out 5 - the left front bearing assembly started locking up. No parts in Murphy for the fix.

Triple A is coming to get it and deliver it to Knoxville Toyota to be repaired.
Rob will come from Virginia to get it when it's done. Ryker had all sorts of problems - steering went out, fan hitting the radiator, overheating etc.
Both rigs spent the night on the trail - it got dark. Then when Ryker was riding out with Greg - they came up on a 4 wheeler that run off the road
100 feet down - nobody hurt. Greg got into a yellow jacket nest and was stung 10 - 15 times - Scott took him to the emergency room.

The guy that was driving the buggy that pulled Rob up slick rock was up on Peckerwood and was attacked by bee's - he was stung 30 - 40 times in the face. They said that they just swarmed him. Greg and Scott seen him at the hospital.

I lead the other group up 5 and we went the long way around 8 to the top.
Obviously we spent the rest of the day after that extracting Rob. Everybody had a great time and the cabins were a nice change. Air conditioning rocks !!!!! We did a short night run friday night - just into Fains Ford played a little and came out in the dark.

The stock 85 wheeled great - This thing is a mountain goat !!!! My group could not believe how well it did - obviously I knew the correct lines to run and came home without a scratch.

Good Times - with a little trouble thrown in. Slick rock itself is no longer the problem. That upper shelf was denying even the big buggies that were attempting to winch over.

Lot's of beer drinking at night and the occasional story - OK lot's of stories.
No pictures from me - I was busy as hell !!!!!!

 

Wow, sounds like a heck of a trip.

 

We also broke Rob's winch cable loose ( steel ) from the drum. The screw pulled out and the eyelet on the end of the cable was mangled. It took about 2 hours to get around that problem. We finally managed to just stick the end into the hole and wind at least 10 turns on the drum before we could continue. That happened on the flat area above slick rock but before the monster ledge at the top.

While that was happening - Ryker ran out of gas and his spare full cans were back on his trailer at the cabin. We managed to steal enough vacumn lines to siphon gas from another vehicle. Then the vacumn lines were put back on the robbed runners.

I vote we stay the hell off slick rock until we get some better equipment !!!!

What a day - if it had rained even the least little bit and it threatened to,
We would still be there.

I am going to bed now - I am dragging. Scott and his Dad took Rob and Mike back to South Carolina. They did not leave Tellico until about 5:00 this afternoon. Ryker finally got off the trail and could take his trailer to the rig,
not sure what time he left. I left Tellico about 7:30 this morning to get my son back to catch a work truck leaving town.

Lot's of stories will come out of this trip - you just wait on everybody to get home and start posting.