Trails near RVA

What brand rock rails are you running?

 

All Pro. They were bolt on but I made them weld on. All th other armor is SOS Concepts

 

Fellow RVA member over here . Send a honk/wave if you see me around town! I'm back and forth between Lakeside and Short Pump 75% of the time. I've removed the American flag magnets since the last time I washed it. I also have minimal off road experience and would love to do some beginner trails!

 

State Route 826 at Crabtree falls (Nelson County) is now open!!
Please let me know if anyone wants to meet up and run Shoe Creek. Fantastic wheeling for all levels.

 

Where are you n central VA

 

Charlottesville.

 

Oh hell your just down the road from me and I work in Madison

 

So do you think we could round up a little group and go for a day ride??

 

I've had my truck for four months now, set up for fun. Have not gone anywhere challenging yet, as I don't like to go alone. Hopefully we can stir up some interest!

 

IDK when I'd be able to but also check out Rapidan Wildlife Management area. @caffeinated_medic is there in Madison also I know he'd like to go. I am sure there are some guys that'll want to get together and ride

 

Might be doable, pending the dates for it.

A few of us did a small section of it last year.. Was a nice run. That said, I need to actually take the truck next time out instead of the Heep.

 

i'm in, just say when!

 

Big Levels and the Bald Mt Jeep Trail are great trails up on the Blue Ridge. Very near Charlottesville.

 

Can we organize a day trip??

 

Damn sure try..

Do not plan around myself at all. current days off are Fri.-Sat., but might be changing in the coming weeks/months, to who knows what.. My next 3 weekends are locked up.

 

I am in for whatever. This is my first truck, I am dying to get out there.

 

Nice truck!

 

Unfortunately I am currently working on getting a house renovated for sale. All of my free time is no longer free. I want to get out this summer tho. Hopefully I can get this house moved asap.

 

Out of desperation to use my new truck, I ignored the golden rule... I went out this morning alone. The first part of the trip went well, a quick loop around Upper Crabtree Falls. Then I decided to take the Kennedy trail (Big Levels) from the parkway (mile marker 27 I think) down to Sherando. The trail was tough as any trails up there, very rocky, steep and lots of mud holes. It is a nine mile run and at mile four, about an hour and a half later, I saw a sign for a "short cut" to STRT 42 (Coal Road) two miles. Tried of the beating... I decided to take it. Big mistake! This trail was rougher than the main one and about a mile or so in, it started to close in on me. With my mirrors folded in I kept on as I had no choice. I could only imagine what those laurel branches were doing to my paint. After another grueling mile (almost another hour of going through the "cheese grater" the trail ended! the shotgun peppered sigh said "no motorized vehicles beyond this point" and two bolders blocked the path. You guessed it, I had to back out in low range for several hundred yards until I found a spot where I made a painful twenty point turn to head back to the main trail. So much for the short cut. At least I was done with tearing my paint to shreds. Even though the though the damage was already done.
The next not so pleasent experience came in the form of one of the many mud holes I had to pass through, up to this point they weren't that bad so when I came upon this one in particular I stayed in first gear High, then about twenty feet in the nose of the truck dropped! I floored it, as the water almost started coming in my window and the truck was about to stall by the grace of God it stated picking up revs and the fact that I was getting a shower of stinky muddy water didn't matter I made it out! Thank goodness for Tacoma Toughness! The next dozen mud holes (none nearly as deep) only saw second gear LOW RANGE and high RMP's with the windows closed, but again the damage was already done.
The rest of the ride was uneventful, just rocky and steep. all said it took me over three and a half hours to make the nine mile trip.

I can only hope that I have learned something from this. As I make the appointment for paint restoration.

 

OMG!! Hope you can get the truck back to normal.