Tray Mountain, Georgia... sometimes you just have to go for it

[Thelgord]

After the latest repair of the VX, it seems to be running quite well, and I am still itching to get it on some trails. The problem? Georgia sucks *** for trails. At least around Augusta and further south anyway. I came across one trail that Georgians seem to brag about, Tray Mountain Road. It is essentially a forest service road. From the top of the mountain headed west it is (by all accounts) just a well maintained dirt road that a Honda Civic could make it through. However, the eastern side is the fun side. The forest service may have stopped maintaining it, I really don’t know. Even then it is still listed as a moderate trail. After watching a few YouTube videos it seems there are only two really bad spots, and even then, they dont seem like anything the VX couldn’t handle.

After I get home from work tomorrow I will be on vacation for two weeks (the Army is making me take leave before the end of the fiscal year). I am thinking about a trip to try “Georgia’s Toughest Trail” (or at least the most popular trail) on either the 1st or 2nd of September.

It’s a three hour drive from my house to the eastern end of the trail. From there the trail itself (counting both side) is just over 14 miles long with the hardest part being measured in yards. Honestly my biggest concerns are rain (Georgia mud is quite slippery) and the east side of the trail being closed. The forest service closes that section from time to time without explanation, but usually opens back up again within a week or so. As of earlier today it is currently open.

Aside from those, and after watching the videos, I am fairly certain that in the hard part I will need to use 4-Low to get through it. Not because of any real difficulty, but after my experience in sand, the TOD doesn’t like to engage at slower speeds. So to have the front engaged fully while going over (what seem to be) the one real obstical I will need 4-Low.

There are several videos that show a stock H3 and stock Jeeps running the trail with little to no issues (many with street tires), so I am confident the VX will make it.

This will be my thrid off-road “test”, and probably the best trail for testing the VX off-road without crossing a state line. Granted I live next to one and I can find trails in both North and South Carolina, I really want to see what Georgia has to offer durring my time in this state. This will also be the longest “endurance” drive since I got it. Six hours round trip, plus probably an hour or so actually running the trail. At just over 300 miles round trip (including the trail) I am looking at two tanks of gas.

I know, it seems silly to drive three hours, just to drive a trail that is only 14.1 miles long just so I can drive three hours back. But, this is Georgia, and I need to get to where the dirt is. I really need to move back west...

[Thelgord]

Change of plans, sort of.

I am heading to Charlotte, NC in the morning for my first Overland Bound meetup. I will be taking the VX. Think this trip, and no real trails, will work well to let me know of I can trust it driving just about as far to go on a trail, then drive all the way back.

[ipd]

Just take the speed bumps on base at speed.

...I may or may not have gotten airborne off a train crossing recently. XD

[Thelgord]

Hahahahaha!

[ipd]

Hey, if there's one vehicle I trust to take bumps at speed, it's a VX. I won't be stupid about it; I won't try to superman everything I see. But so long as you're not hitting travel limits on the suspension, I don't see the problem.

[Thelgord]

That was a fun trip, and yes, then roads felts like they had speed bumps in them! LOL!

[EDIT]

The VX performed flawlessly!