In late March of 2019, 4 of us headed west again to Tennessee and eventually found our way to Georgia. It’s still cold in the mountains this time of year. Prior to this trip, our 3 Jeep XJ Cherokees were in pretty rough shape. We spent considerable time on the tools to improve the mechanical condition of the vehicle. All 3 vehicles made it though without any significant failures (barely). My blue 1998 was the only vehicle with any notable issues. I had a few minor quirks throughout the trip, but nothing that was a showstopper. More on this later.
Late night on the tools getting this ol thing in shape.
Windshield cleaning 101. Them wheels is blingin’.
Fully (over) loaded the night before the trip. My Jeep was carrying two people for this trip and all our gear. Two 40 qt coolers, firewood, and unnecessary fuel cans. I learned during this trip that 40L of extra fuel is simply not needed on trips like this. Generally speaking, fuel stations aren’t that far apart in the southeastern United States.
Our first fuel stop of the trip was an interesting place. The well water was deemed unsafe, the restroom sink faucets were removed. The phrase “not ideal” became a staple of the trip. I edited out the identity of the businesses in the photos. This fuel stop was part of the experience that I feel is worth sharing, not an attempt to bring bad press to the businesses.
At the first fuel stop we realized my Jeep was leaking oil. “Not ideal”.
Over several hours we made our way West. These photos were taken on the Cherohala Skyway. If you want to test the braking system of loaded down Jeeps, this is a fine road for it. Amazing views but hard on brakes.
Finally, we hit the gravel forest roads and started making our way toward camp. We still had a good way to travel.
A stop to enjoy the views. This was the first trip on this black XJ after a suspension overhaul.
This steep mountain climb has a view that I’ll never get tired of. If you’ve seen my other TN articles, you’ll probably recognize this spot.
Looking out the window down the winding mountain road.
After several hours on the road, it was good to be at camp. A light, cold rain came though for a few minutes. It was then that another “not ideal” thing happened. The windows on my Jeep wouldn’t go up. I had to jump on the tools quick to mend it. Luckily it was just a loose electrical connector on the switch.
“I swear the fish was this big”. I have no idea what was happening here or why Bubs was presenting a sack of taters.
It’s a long way down!
Obligatory river photo.
Madlads traversing the Bald River in kayaks.
The views here are magnificent in 360 degrees. I could’ve stayed here all day.
No trip here would be complete without a trip to these structures deep in the forest. This was the first visit for the 3 others on the trip.
I missed it by a mile. This Jeep is getting close to 375k miles now. It has since been retired as my primary travel vehicle but is still in my fleet and is due for some work.
Camp on the 2nd night near a creek. Severe storms came though that night bringing torrential downpours and lots of nearby lightning strikes. Fortunately, our tents fared well, kept us dry, and no trees fell on us.
Tent drying 101.
Cookin’ up a morning feed on day 3.
Remember when I said it was cold? Wind gusts blew ice from the trees onto our vehicles as we ventured along this high ridge. Video is age restricted for what could be considered harsh language.
We stopped to take in the scenery and check the maps for a way out of the forest. By this point we were all around ¼ tank of fuel, not including the extra fuel I was carrying. In the 2nd picture you can see frozen peaks in the distance.
A hilarious moment on that same ridge with a briar patch. Video is age restricted for what could be considered harsh language.
Not ideal! We (slowly) made our way to an auto parts store for a new bolt. With no antiroll bar I could REALLY feel the extra weight in the vehicle. After repairing my sway bar and having a roadside lunch, we headed to Georgia.
Shenanigans at a Georgia waterfall. Video is age restricted due to tobacco usage.
Georgia is amazing.
Well, that ain’t gonna work. Setting up camp on day 3 in Georgia. It took several hours to find a suitable camp site. We eventually found this spot at a National Forest campground in a valley. It was very windy and cold all night, I think it got down to around 15 degrees. The next morning, Nick fell into a creek.
Heading home on day 4. It’s hard to beat a windshield view like that. Photos never do nature justice.
On the trip home, I had a new issue with my Jeep. On the highway, the engine would randomly cut out for a second like it completely died. We stopped once to investigate but never identified the cause. I never knowingly made any repair to fix it and it’s never happened since. I’m convinced the Jeep was telling me it was tired and needed a rest after 4 days on the road overloaded.
Leave a Reply