77GreenMachine
Phillip Talton
- Joined
- Mar 30, 2010
- Location
- Trinity, NC
So i just got back in town from Gulches. I don't know where to begin. I've been wheeling since i was 14, (24 now) and it started with a few local mud holes and trails, then i got in to going to URE all the time. Had a few different rigs, became a huge jeep fan and the rest is history. Now I'm starting to get more and more advanced and consider myself a pretty good driver, so me and a buddy decided to step it up a bit and head down to Gulches since we were just plain sick of URE. If you've never been i highly urge you to go! This place is amazing and has a pretty good selection from mild to wild. I saw several stock rigs, one that was brand new (dudes wife wasn't too happy considering they hadn't made the first payment yet lol). The layout of the park is great and easy to navigate after a quick tour with one of the rangers, then they turn you loose. You can get to anywhere in the park in 10 minute usually, but there is still plenty to do. There are bypasses to anything you don't want to do, and all of the trails are clearly marked. Skip, the owner, was extremely nice and made us feel very welcome. I had a lot of fun sharing stories with him and a few of his rangers. We done a little night wheeling with one of the rangers and a group of about 10 rigs, which was awesome cause we got to run a few of the one way trails backwards. We rented the cabin for the weekend (well worth the $35/night and having heat) and its the perfect little place if you don't feel like staying in a tent. Within 30 minutes of being turned loose in the park me and my buddy headed straight for Palmetto Crossing, probably my favorite trail, and blew out the spider gears in the front. Not to worry though,thanks to Skip having a welder we took care of that and kept wheeling. I caved in my rear quarter panel on the passenger side down in the TnT Renegade Rock Garden, left some nice blue paint on the side of the big rock (figured the place could use a little color) and then my buddy that we welded the diff in the front broke a front axle but we kept wheeling anyway. All in all, i had a blast and it was by far the best wheeling trip of my life so far. it was great to wheel with a few people that had been doing it for many more years than me, I learned a lot and i will be going back for sure. I have a few pics I'm going to put up. Mine is the blue XJ and the white one is my buddy Ed and his GF Brittany. If you were there and we met, speak up so i know who you are! we will being doing full width swaps next month and heading back to Gulches or maybe TN around January-February.
Skip and his volunteers really do a lot to make this place what it is and keep it going, it's well worth the money/drive to enjoy this place so check it out and be sure to take the tour they offer.
Skip and his volunteers really do a lot to make this place what it is and keep it going, it's well worth the money/drive to enjoy this place so check it out and be sure to take the tour they offer.
