Tellico Obliteration

[XJfreakHO]

FS is (has) taken bids on deconstruction (they use the word "Obliteration") of the OHV trails in Tellico. Looks like from the dates that the bidding period has already happened. Either way it's a really bad sign for any hope of getting the trails back. So even if the lawsuit works, by the time it happens there won't be any damn trails to ride anyway. Just from their chosen verb I get the feeling they really want Tellico gone ASAP.

Google this: FED BIZ OPPS.GOV
You'll find these:
https://www.fbo.gov/index?s=opportun...aefb06b3300338

https://www.fbo.gov/download/18d/18d...-_Drawings.pdf

Information from FunkSkunk on NC4x4

http://www.nc4x4.com/forums/showthread.php?t=88089
link to thread over there

 

[YJ-GENRAL]

i understand filling in some of the trails that are causing problems, ie deep ruts that cause too much water to wash down, but to obliterate all trails seems like a bit of an overstep... the trails are to be reconsidered for opening in 2 years or something... but by that time they plan on not having any to reopen im guessing... that sucks.

 

[XJfreakHO]

Seems to be the intention... and I agree I understand completely filling areas that are causing wash down, but honestly, a bit of an overstep is a bit of an understatement.

If they would allow Volunteers to come and redo the bad areas, and build runoff catching areas (not sure what its called but basically small areas that will collect the wash down) they would save loads of money and be able to run tellico again, making profit.

I would gladly make a weekend trip for the cause and help out. Just seems they will do whatever it takes to shut the park down. All because of the Brook Trout and Trouts Unlimited, which is a laugh, but I won't push that any further.

 

[YJ-GENRAL]

the FS wants to shut it down, nuff said, they dont care about reopening it nor do they want to try and keep up the trails.

i was talking to a guy last night about it and he came up with a simple yet profound solution. charge admission (like windrock does) and limit tire size (this would be controversial)... that would do three things, firstly stop alot of the people that have 44 boggers and buggies that like to showoff and spit dirt (not saying that all people with 40's plus are that way, so dont take offense, buts its steriotypical, plus the huge rutts werent made by 36's...</disclaimer>) and secondly stop alot of the people that go there because its basically free and wild (like alot of people on aetna) and thirdly it would make revenue for the FS to help maintain the trails and keep the land happy...

but the FS doesnt want the headache and wishes anything gas powered would stay away... oh well, democracy at its best - minority over majority... thats how its suppose to be right?

 

[XJfreakHO]

the FS wants to shut it down, nuff said, they dont care about reopening it nor do they want to try and keep up the trails.

i was talking to a guy last night about it and he came up with a simple yet profound solution. charge admission (like windrock does) and limit tire size (this would be controversial)... that would do three things, firstly stop alot of the people that have 44 boggers and buggies that like to showoff and spit dirt (not saying that all people with 40's plus are that way, so dont take offense, buts its steriotypical, plus the huge rutts werent made by 36's...</disclaimer>) and secondly stop alot of the people that go there because its basically free and wild (like alot of people on aetna) and thirdly it would make revenue for the FS to help maintain the trails and keep the land happy...

but the FS doesnt want the headache and wishes anything gas powered would stay away... oh well, democracy at its best - minority over majority... thats how its suppose to be right?

Awesome post btw... Too many good points to quote anything but the whole thing.

I agree completely on the tire size, the nearly 20 inch wide 44 bogger is a trail killer. I used to have them on my k10, made it impossible to go trail riding locally (buddy used to own alot of land near the lake) and I would head down to the big mud hole, which used to be usable by my xj on 33s... the 44x19.50 boggers ruined that hole, I was able to get through on 35's still, but only by kicking it with a running start and I barely chugged through it on the 44's. no real throttle.

The buggy guys, man I love watching them, but I do realize that everytime they are near anything remotely resembling a hill they kick it and dig the trail to hell.

I am all for admission, but keep it reasonable, I would gladly pay $50 bucks a vehicle per weekend, not wanting to shell out 50 bucks a person though. Windrock has very fair pricing, but I hate the per person side of pricing. I usually make the trips with a buddy and whichever 2 girls we can get interested, so 50 bucks means he and I spend 25 a piece + whatever we spend on camping food etc... Very affordable weekend is key, but paying will keep the idiots out.

 

[Team Willys]

They did charge for admission... but as stated, they are too damn lazy to do the work required to keep them open. Their claims of reopening has all been BS. I have said that all along. They only said that stuff to buy them time to figure out a way to make it permanent.

My question is... if Jeeps were tearing up the trails and making silt, what the hell do they expect large equipment that are "obliterating" the trails to do? Do they honestly think that tearing up the ground to smooth it out won't just make the wash out worse? It has nothing to do with the fish. That was just a reason that they knew would be backed up by environmentalists and people like Ted Turner who have money. However, the real true reason is that they didn't want to fool with up keep. Plain and simple.

 

[Ghost]

I am all for admission, but keep it reasonable, I would gladly pay $50 bucks a vehicle per weekend, not wanting to shell out 50 bucks a person though. Windrock has very fair pricing, but I hate the per person side of pricing. I usually make the trips with a buddy and whichever 2 girls we can get interested, so 50 bucks means he and I spend 25 a piece + whatever we spend on camping food etc... Very affordable weekend is key, but paying will keep the idiots out.

The admition is nto the answer. I have seen pleanty of idots with $$$ to pay to play. The answer is to police ourselves and speak up when you see someone doing something they should not. Tellico died for two main reasons IMHO. The FS in the area saw the trails as a hassle and not a benefit. The other reason is because the group over the maintaince let it go and did not do much maintaince for years at a time. It was nto all their fault bc the FS was not cooperative from what I have been told. It is sab that it is gone and even sadder that the reason they used to shut it down could be used to close private parks too.

 

[YJ-GENRAL]

yeh its not the answer to all of it but it would help some... but if the FS doesnt want to put in the work then it doesnt matter anyways... like TW put it, its all for show anyways, they just want to permanently close it at any cost... its not for the environment or fish or anything...just cuz they didnt want it.

sad thing is i was getting my jeep (when i first bought it) built up so i could go out there because i had never been and it was like the 4x4 mecca in the southeast atleast for me. but now i hear Harlan is the new Tellico as far as that goes, so i hope to make the crawl this year just so i can say ive been there...

 

[Ghost]

yeh its not the answer to all of it but it would help some... but if the FS doesnt want to put in the work then it doesnt matter anyways... like TW put it, its all for show anyways, they just want to permanently close it at any cost... its not for the environment or fish or anything...just cuz they didnt want it.

sad thing is i was getting my jeep (when i first bought it) built up so i could go out there because i had never been and it was like the 4x4 mecca in the southeast atleast for me. but now i hear Harlan is the new Tellico as far as that goes, so i hope to make the crawl this year just so i can say ive been there...

Well TEllico is and will always be awsome for me. I have been wheeling out there yearly since 02 till it was closed. I will greatly miss it. Harlan is great but has some issues. Hopefully they will get straight in the next year. At least they are trying to make it better. I have seen it posted somewhere that they are comparing Harlan to Moab. Might be on the Harlan site though. I would say that is problaby true in th since that Harlan is where people on the east coast are now wanting to go.

 

[YJ-GENRAL]

its also pretty centeralized for the east coast like moab is for the west...