trip report: greenbrier off-road adventures llc. @gboffroad #overland #extreme #appalachia
Trip Report: Greenbrier Off-Road Adventures LLC
Gist of the trip:
When we started planning this excursion it was a means to an ends, we were hoping to get out in the woods and have a little fun while filming some footage of the new gear. We also wanted to be able to show off some of the cool things that are in our back yards….literally. Let me give you some details about our hosts, Chris who is the owner of Greenbrier Off-Road Adventures LLC, and Tracy who is one of the instructors and a great resource when we found ourselves in a pickle. They were kind enough to take us out on the trails, which happens to be located on the property of the world famous Greenbrier Resort. Their vehicles of choice are specially equipped Jeep Wrangler Rubicons, and let me tell you they are beefy rigs! These highly trained Off Road Adventures guides accompany and instruct guests on advanced driving techniques necessary to traverse The Greenbrier's private 10,000 acre mountain preserve. The terrain varies from modest unpaved roads to some of the most extreme on the East Coast. The thirty-mile course has rocks, ruts, creek crossings, steep hills, gulleys and mud pits. We felt this was the perfect place for us to test out our skills on this off road course.
Highlights:
We had a great time with Greenbrier Off-Road Adventures LLC! They are a solid group of guys and they love getting out on the trails and showing people how it’s done. They were able to help us cut our teeth as it were using the ARB bumpers with Warn Zeon winches and Maxtrax to help navigate the obstacle that presented themselves, and they didn't take it easy on us either. Within the first hour we were up to our waists in mud pits and rocky rutted terrain. There were several occasion that we got in a little over our head and thanks to the efforts and training of our hosts we were able to get out of the “deep water” we were in and keep pushing forward. The entire trip lasted around 4-6 hours. It was some of the most extreme 4X4 action that I personally have ever seen. We gained a lot of knowledge and experience that will aid us in all of our adventures to come.
What we learned:
Put a tow strap on the bumper first!! Ha, seriously though planning ahead can save you a lot of worry and damage later. As we traveled through the tight terrain and crossed streams, sometimes driving in the creek bed the entirety of that particular leg of the trail we gained confidence in our skills as a team and in our abilities to manage whatever the landscape threw at us. We used the winches a few times and tested out the suspensions and the BFG KM2’s on the Tacoma, all performed great! We learned that there will always be things that are out of our control when in the backcountry but with a little knowledge, teamwork and sound judgment we can conquer whatever we come across.
Final thoughts:
This was one awesome experience, I highly recommend it to anybody that wants to spend half a day on some seriously challenging terrain. The guys at Greenbrier Off-Road Adventures LLC were nice enough to take us out on the trail at no cost to us, however there is a fee for their trips (see the link below for more details). If you want to do something really cool and you’re anywhere the Greenbrier Resort in White Sulphur Springs WV check it out. I promise you won’t regret it.
See more on: Facebook
See more at: http://www.greenbrier.com/Activities/Outdoor-Activities/Off-Road-Adventures.aspx#sthash.op5xgHcr.dpuf
