Once again, the scenic Unicoi Mountains of Tennessee and North Carolina presented a beautiful backdrop for what has become the largest Toyota Land Cruiser Association event east of the Mississippi River: the Great Smoky Mountain Trail Ride. Better known in Toyota circles as Geesmitter, this great four-wheeling event is set in the heart of the Nantahala National Forest and is attended annually by hundreds of Toyota enthusiasts from every corner of the United States.
Headquarters for the event was located in the Cherokee National Forest of Tennessee, just a short ride from the Upper Tellico OHV area. The trails range throughout the forest, and many times you'll unknowingly find yourself in the Nantahala National Forest of North Carolina. The Upper Tellico OHV area is located near Murphy, North Carolina, on 8,000 acres of land covered with oak, mixed hardwoods, and pine trees. The densely wooded area is laced with trails. On the high ground you'll find some of the straightest trees you've ever seen, while in the lowlands the dense laurel growth will darken the surroundings to the point that things can seem otherworldly.
The steep, hilly terrain is topped by the 4,979-foot Grassy Top Mountain, and the surrounding trails make good use of the countryside, both in terms of difficulty and altitude. The Helicopter Pad, for instance, peaks at over 4,000 feet. The terrain in the area is graced with names such as Hangover Top, Hawk Knob, Tipton Gap, and Peckerwood Creek. And with names like that, is it any wonder that obstacles have names such as Guardrail, Rock Garden, School Bus Hill, Slick Rock, and Boulder Bend?
We arrived at camp late on Thursday morning in our rental car, expecting everyone to be on the trails, but fortunately the GSMTR is unusual in that there are no scheduled trail runs, just informal groups of old and new friends enjoying the trails in a leisurely fashion. We met Hal Hall from Birmingham, Alabama, who invited us to ride along in his '89 4Runner. This leisurely attitude was a welcome change from the hustle and bustle of some of the other large events. After all, the idea is to have fun, not stress out over timetables and schedules.
On Friday, we jumped at the offer to ride with TLCA president Dave Brown in his fine FJ-40, which, by the way, was voted Most Desirable trail rig at Saturday night's barbeque dinner.
Saturday brought rain showers that created some of the slickest mud known to man. Trails that were tame in the dry became nearly impassable due to the mud. However, the rain didn't dampen the spirits of the hundreds who attended the fine barbeque dinner and the raffle Saturday evening.