trip report: gettin' somewhere - #tennessee #northcarolina #gettindeeper #appalachia
Trip Report: Gettin’ Somewhere
This trip was to be one that took us deeper into Tennessee and the heart of North Carolina and it was looking like it was just the 4 core members of MSO. We had hopes of a plus one to take along in the way of a writer for Roads and Kingdoms Online Magazine but he couldn’t join us on the trip due to last minute responsibilities. Like all plans in life they sometimes don’t work out the way you want….but in the end are still pretty awesome anyway! We had slated to start out somewhere near Erwin TN and then end up somewhere near Asheville or Brevard NC. We also planned on trying to go to a few truly unique locations in NC, sort of a hunt for folklore and interesting places if you will.
Gist of the trip:
When we started planning this trip we wanted to seek out some unique locations, maybe a legend or 2 and a little folklore and then put it all into a couple killer videos. We also wanted to get in some epic off-road driving adventure too of course. We hoped to really take the filming and video aspect of this trip up a notch as Gaby was bringing along his new drone to help take it to another level. As we headed out to meet up with the other guys in Wytheville VA the familiar sound of the pavement under our tires was playing our song, its almost a soothing sound to us because we know that it meant another trip was underway. We met at the first coffee house we could find and loaded up on java and grub, then headed toward Tennessee! Unfortunately before meeting up we saw some of the havoc that the heavy rains were causing in the way of harrowing accidents on the roadways, one was actually flipped over on its roof. Thankfully it appeared that nobody was injured and we were able to keep moving, so with our spirits high and minds focused on the trip ahead of us we wondered what grand obstacles we would face, and thus we headed toward our destination with adventure in mind!
Highlights:
One of the big highlights was definitely having the whole team back together for this trip, Gaby wasn’t able to go on the first trip and season opener, 4 States 4 Days. His camera work and drone piloting will definitely make the upcoming videos something to behold. We affectionately have dubbed him Maverick…you know from Top Gun. Another highlight was at Pounding Mill Overlook, it was awesome and the drone flying around really drew a crowd as people passed by, they couldn’t help but stop and watch. Yet another highlight was getting to go to the Brown Mountain ORV Park, they have designated “Jeep Trails” there for the larger vehicles to use. Those of you that are wondering, yes you can run Toyotas on “jeep trails”, although I’m pretty sure that several of the other trail users would have preferred not to have had to deal with us being in their way. In their defense though it is slightly more of a playground for 4 wheelers, motor bikes and the like. We spent the night near the trails that evening and jokingly talked about the Brown Mountain Lights, hoping to see something but secretly glad we didn’t! Hammock were the big hit and are a must on a trip, I think we are all going to be sporting them from here on out I’d bet! There are more highlights but I don’t have room to list them all, you’ll just have to watch the videos to get more.
What we learned:
That you don’t want to fly your drone between trucks and into the wild blue youder…off side of the Pounding Mill Overlook….if there are tree limbs in the way. Ha, poor Gaby had to traverse a hundred feet of practically vertical terrain in order to retrieve the drone. Although to his credit he did it with determination and resolve and only had a few scrapes and bruises to show for it. That hammocks are our friends at the end of a hard day on the trail! There are so many great recipes that you can make on a Tembo Tusk Skottle. I am still amazed at its versatility and pretty much am starting to believe that it will be the main cooking tool on trips. Look for another BackCounty Cooking episode to see it in action! We learned that Judaculla Rock is both a unique soap stone boulder found in the middle of a field, and that there are hieroglyphics on it that you can’t find anywhere else in the world!
Final thoughts:
In planning for these types of trips it’s good to be flexible and to really try and keep the true meaning of what you are doing in mind. In our case we wanted to get deeper into Appalachia and see some cool sights along the way and get some good film for you guys so that when we put the video together it would be something worth watching. My advice to all or you out there is simple, get out there and find a place where the pavement ends and the trails begin and make some memories of your own….and don’t forget to watch ours as well….we hope that you learn some things and enjoy watching them and that they inspire you to take hold of life and have your own adventures too!
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By: Jamie