OPEN RIDES & EVENTS > Past Rides : Pictures, Discussion, & Carnage

Grey Rocks 9/13

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kvom:
Rode this park for the first time yesterday, and was quite impressed.  Lots of trails and obstacles for all levels.  Seemingly though, they give some innocuous names to hard climbs.  "Sunday Drive" was anything but, and the buggy got beaten pretty hard to get up.  I can't wait to see what "Bunny Slope" is like today.

The park/farm is owned by a mining company, but the mine part is away from the trails.

To ride, a group needs to reserve the park for a flat $1K for the weekend.  If we could get 20 rigs then the per-rig cost for the entire weekend is $50 each.  Lots of room for parking and primitive camping, but there's a large covered pavilion with water and lots of room for setting up grills, etc.  The owner also has a large shop that may be available for repairs, according to who is riding or if he is on the premises that weekend.  Met the guy (Tony) and he's cool - wheels a big built YJ.

The park is located in Gardendale, AL, about 15 miles north of Birmingham.  It was a 3 hour drive for me, all interstate except for the last 6 miles.

BigJerm:
How would you compare the terrain to others? So my favorite is Hale Mtn

Sent from S3

cudruln:
I have heard some good reviews about grey rocks from my Birmingham boys. I would be down for a ride over there. We can put it on the schedule for next year

Sent from my DROID RAZR using Tapatalk 4

clark123456:
I like the naming convention!  Someone with a sense of humor...Awesome

I am evidently a beta user of Tapatalk 4 even though I paid for the software...this software is buggy.

kvom:
I haven't been to Hale Mtn, so can't compare.  Most of the rigs there this weekend were pretty well built, although there was a stock JK and a Wranger on 35s unlocked in the other group.  Our group was all locked F/R.  YJ on 37s, Wranger on 37s, Toyota buggy on 37 Krawlers, another Toyota buggy on 37s (both Toys on Propane), and a Truggy on 40s, plus me.  We also had a Cherokee on 33s who did very well the first day, but overdid it at night (steering box failure and bent rim).

Friday we were just the Jeeps and did River Run, which most anyone could do most of (bypass harder section).  Along the way were two rock gardens:  one pretty hard similar to that at Black Moose, the other easier except for the final ledge (Cherokee make it).  After lunch we did a nice rocky sluice called "Canyon", which was a lot like the stream bed we all did at Harlan.  Afterwards there's an easy drive in a flowing stream.  Along the way we encountered a side climb called "Slippery Slope") which I and the Wrangler made, but the YJ failed.  Then we finished with the aforementioned "Sunday Drive".  All three rigs that made it up were V8s and Krawlers.  It would be easier if completely dry and really hard wet.  Friday it was just damp in places.

Today we did two hard runs.  I looked at Bunny Slope, which were three separate climbs.  #1 and #2 are doable with lockers, #3 (which I didn't see) is supposed to be really hard.  I didn't try any of them as the rest of the group wanted to head over to
"Bents and Dents".  You can look up videos of this on Youtube.  I was the first one to get up it with some good spotting at the end, and afterwards the Truggy and the the Toy  buggy on Krawlers made it.  The entry to this is called "Rock Flume" and is a rock garden that may rigs could do and get a view of the trail from below.  There's two ways to get out without attempting B&D.

After we went to "Tub Rock", which is a climb with a couple of ledges.  Again, there are Youtube videos.  The Truggy and the Wranger on 37s made it before me, but I had trouble on the first ledge.  Got the front tires on and tried to gas it, but my rig would just hop and bounce off.  Then I learned that the correct technique is to gas it with the front tires on the apron rock before the ledge.  2nd gear and half throttle and I cruised up pretty easily.  After that it was lunchtime and then load up to drive home.

I saw only a small portion of the park; lots of other named obstacles to be explored.

Tripp (Mortalis) was one the ride and can perhaps add his views.

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