Gauging interest in organizing some offroading events

[Kompresshun]

I know a lot of our events are centered around racing and car shows, like Carlisle, JCCS, and NOPI but are there any of you out there interested in possibly attending some offroad focused events?



To begin with they would likely be held in the southeast, but if enough interest is shown then we can look at adding more over time. I'm looking at a place I found near Gatlinburg, TN this past week and then possibly Uwharrie National Forest in Troy, NC to begin with.

The place I found this past week is about 26 miles from Gatlinburg and Pigeon Forge, TN. It would be an ideal place for beginners with trails ranging from easy to hard. The advantage to this location is that it's privately owned and the owner will shut off the site to everyone else while we hold an event there. That's a huge benefit compared to other OHV parks because you can take your time if you're new to offroading, unlike other parks that you will have higher skilled drivers trying to rush you through the trail. This allows you to take your time and get a good feel for the trails and your vehicles capability before proceeding to more advanced trails. I was able to run the easy trails fine in my Pathfinder and didn't have any issues at all. I looked at the medium trails and most of them look passable for a stock vehicle as well, but that would be in ideal conditions and I would not recommend stock tires. I would not run any type of crossover SUV at this location, but you probably would be able to run most of the easy trails if you're careful.

I think it will be possible to camp there, but I will have to speak to the owner further if there is any interest in doing that. There are bathrooms, a nice pavilion area with grills and picnic tables, and air on site available to everyone.

Uwharrie National Forest is somewhere i'm familiar with and there is plenty of room there to hold a large event. They have multiple camp sites and all of them have bathrooms. It is in a more remote area though, so you won't be quiet so close if something happens. Town is about 30-45min away from what I remember, but that may have changed since it's been years since i've attended an event there.

They also have trails ranging from easy to hard there, but there hard trails are in no way for the faint of heart. If you plan to do anything outside of the easy trails you will likely want to have at minimum an aggressive all-terrain or mud terrain tire along with a tow strap and come along. You may even need a lift in some situations. If you plan on doing any of hard trails, you'll need to be lifted with larger mud terrains and a winch at minimum. I would recommend lockers or limited slip axles as well.

So vote or post up and let us know if you have any interest in these type of events! It does not have to be limited to Nissans, or even SUV/Trucks as ATV's and ect are allowed at both locations. The intent would be to maybe start off with a spring and fall event, then maybe expand from there if we have enough interest in the events.

More information on "Outdoors in the Smokies": http://www.outdoorsinthesmokies.com/off ... icles.html

More information on Uwharrie National Forest: http://www.fs.usda.gov/activity/nfsnc/r ... 2&actid=93 and http://www.sfwda.org/uwharrie/

Also, here's a few pics from my trip to Outdoors in the Smokies:

SAM_1518 by K0MPRESSHUN, on Flickr

SAM_1515 by K0MPRESSHUN, on Flickr

SAM_1513 by K0MPRESSHUN, on Flickr

SAM_1508 by K0MPRESSHUN, on Flickr

SAM_1505 by K0MPRESSHUN, on Flickr

SAM_1503 by K0MPRESSHUN, on Flickr

SAM_1501 by K0MPRESSHUN, on Flickr

SAM_1500 by K0MPRESSHUN, on Flickr

SAM_1499 by K0MPRESSHUN, on Flickr

SAM_1498 by K0MPRESSHUN, on Flickr

[frapjap]

If we can get some shine around the campfire and a communal $500 car, I'm in!

[RicerX]

I voted yes, even though my Z would do TERRIBLY offroad.

Therefore, my contribution would be to show up and drink beer. HOWEVER, Chris, I have been sneaking around and looking at R51 Pathfinders myself for a daily. You planted the seed, so it's all your fault.

[frapjap]

I voted yes, even though my Z would do TERRIBLY offroad.

Therefore, my contribution would be to show up and drink beer. HOWEVER, Chris, I have been sneaking around and looking at R51 Pathfinders myself for a daily. You planted the seed, so it's all your fault.

Sounds like you'll fill in for Torry perfectly. Or keep him company depending on if he makes it.

[Kompresshun]

I voted yes, even though my Z would do TERRIBLY offroad.

Therefore, my contribution would be to show up and drink beer. HOWEVER, Chris, I have been sneaking around and looking at R51 Pathfinders myself for a daily. You planted the seed, so it's all your fault.

The passenger seat will likely be open, so you can ride along and drink all you want. Just don't puke in the car when we hit the crazy trails. I'm pretty sure my father-in-law was scared pretty s*** less after riding the trails with me this past week.

I highly recommend the R51, even though they have their issues, but honestly what doesn't? I do recommend trying to find one with the Offroad package if you can because it comes with VLSD axles, hill descent control, skid plates, and larger tires. If you do decide to get one, let me know and i'll give you the run down of what to look for on them. Plus they're easy to find because people are convinced they suck on gas.

It's also worth looking at Xterra's too. I was honestly on the hunt for an Xterra when I found the Pathfinder and it's pretty much the same vehicle, just a little shorter with no third row seating and a little more rugged.

[RicerX]

Yeah the Xterra is on the list too, but the preowned buyer's market is better on average for a Pathfinder from what I have seen so far.

[OriginalWheelman]

Moab?

[Kompresshun]

Yeah the Xterra is on the list too, but the preowned buyer's market is better on average for a Pathfinder from what I have seen so far.

Yeah I feel like the Pathfinder's are kinda forgotten about right now, which makes them an excellent buy. They seem to be the same price, or cheaper in some cases than the Xterra and have a lot nicer of features. Honestly I prefer the nicer amenities they come with anyways and I like having the extra space in the back of it when the third row is down.

Moab?

That isn't out of the question, but I won't be able to do something like that myself anytime soon. We can definitely look at organizing an event there, but i'd like to focus on getting more events setup in the Southeast first. There are a lot more options in the southeast and Moab is really for more experienced people.