Our good friends Jack & Connie had put this trip on the calendar and we accepted the invitation to go bang our diff on every rock on the trail!  Last time we were here (3 years ago) it was mentioned that the next time we went, that diff would be shaved.....but alas, there were just too many other things to be done!  It would have helped also  if we had ANY TREAD AT ALL left on our tires!!  Our 42’s were sitting at about 39!  But all that just added to the challenge of the trails!

We pitched camp at the Clayton Country Inn just on the south end of town.  Nice, quiet place with water/electric hookups, rooms in the inn, and a duplex style cabin.   We try to avoid driving our rigs on the pavement, but the 1 1/2 miles in this situation was totally doable.  And our rigs were licensed, so no need to sneak.

We started our wheeling on Monday morning of Turkey Week - and we had the mountain all to ourselves!  Now that was what we liked!!  We used this day as our warm-up, doing Wet n Wild, Jeff’s Ledges, Green Mamba, Jimbro Alexander’s Trail, and Green Mamba Extension.  The water level was very low in the creek bed.  We were happy about this, but sad that they were having drought conditions like Texas. 

On Tuesday we jumped right into Black Sheep, where Jack broke the ball in the CV drive shaft.  While he went back to the motorhome and his garage away from garage, Larry and us did an unnamed loop we dubbed Water Moccasin.  Next up  was KT’s Climb.  We love these kind of ledge trails, but our wheel base was exactly wrong!  No matter where we put ourselves we got double whammied.  So KT had us pulling winch.  :(   By the time we were both helped up, Jack was back from his repair and gave his best attempts - to no success either.  We followed KT’s up to the main road, but we passed on the rocket launch ending .....we took the left fork.  Thinking  Van Alstyne Trail would be quick access to the back of the mountain, boy were we wrong!   It seemed to never end, then we saw NO TRESPASSING signs on both sides of the trail.....oh crap, what did we get into here?  We just kept going and luckily didn’t get a shotgun stuck up our noses.  We figured if we weren’t supposed to be on the trail, it wouldn’t be drawn on the map!  Still not quite sure what that was all about, we made it to Slim’s Slope and did it pretty much non stop.  Next we headed to get some $$$ on Redneck Millionaire, the very technical boulder filled ravine.  The sun was beginning to set when we completed the trail with our 3 rigs.  We then realized getting off the mountain in the dark using our temperamental headlights might be another adventure altogether!  The main road had been so dug out it should have been given a trail name!  With numerous ledges,  we were on the downhill nose dive express!

Wednesday was our last full day of wheeling, so we geared up to get in all the trails on our to do list.  Beginning with Cake Walk, we were surprised at how difficult it had become.  The final ledge was taller and more dug out than before.   Wanting to get back to the other side of the mountain, we take Zig Zag.  Up and down, easy breezy - a good lazy one to enjoy the beautiful surroundings.  At the Gobbler Knob intersection we head left to Ate My Lunch, which then became Plucked, flowing right into Redneck Millionaire.  Difficulty started out high on Ate My Lunch and seemed to get a bit easier as you progressed uphill.  With that said, these were EXTREME trails!  I have to be honest and admit that after these short trails I was ready for some ledges to climb!  Technical trails were challenging and fun, but required so much concentration, they were quickly mentally and physically exhausting.   And I wasn’t even driving!!

On Thanksgiving Day we scheduled half a day wheeling and the other half was designated to stomach stuffing!  Since Monday we had been the absolutely only folks on the mountain.  When we got to the airstrip there was a lone camper and rig!  Life still existed!  We waved and boogied back to Black Sheep, one of our favorites, for a redo.  Unfortunately this trail was now easier.  The rock in the way was now not in the way so you had a freeway right to the unchangeable ledge.  Still fun.  Our last two trails were 3 Trail and Walk in the Park.  Both had some pretty good ledges with several options.  With a cool front blowing in we headed back to the entrance.  Gasper Goo will just have to wait till next time.  Along the way we saw the buggy from that morning making his way on Jeff’s Ledges.  At the airstrip there was another camper and rig!  They’re heeere.......(in little girl poltergeist voice).  The Turkey Day Weekend had officially begun!