Dixie run 2016

jeeptj99 · Sep 29, 2016

El Diablo said:
I can't blame anyone for anything said about SFWDA because it seem like they are doing a lot of things behind everyone's back.
My only concern is to keep Dixie Run going to keep GMP open because the park makes most of the money to operate it for the year from that event.
Now do not take this as I am receiving anything from the park I don't it's just my home park and don't want to loose another place to ride.
With the rumor of the SFWDA leadership wanting to move Dixie Run to AOP where they will have all there eggs in one basket.
Don't get me wrong I enjoy going to AOP and Toms done a Great job with the park but if they get both events I will be doing like a lot have said already and will only go on non events rides.

Is the park struggling that bad? I hate to hear that i love gmp.

redneckengineered · Sep 29, 2016

It would be extremely easy to setup a Hardline ride at GMP on a yearly basis. You really just need a person that is in charge of setting the date and making the arrangements year after year to keep it consistent. I've been putting on a group ride/event/whateveryouwanttocallit since 2007 and the last few years it has been at GMP and is likely there to stay for the foreseeable future. It's super easy and the park has always been very accommodating. We typically have around 25-30 rigs and 50-60 people. We rent a pavilion as home base and rock out. I just email the park ahead of time each year to let them know we're coming, the dates, approximate # of people to expect, and you're off and running. Everyone looks forward to this ride and it has turned into a big deal within my circle of friends. We even do t-shirts, hoodies, and koozies for it too. I also plan a new years ride away from the other "big" new years events and that has been a big hit.

My advise is don't over think it. Just to get your buddies on board with a few major dates each year and plan the thing.

1tfrot · Sep 29, 2016

redneckengineered said:
My advise is don't over think it. Just to get your buddies on board with a few major dates each year and plan the thing.

exactly. it should be all about supporting the park, not give-aways. I started a group outing at the badlands years ago for a zr2 club I was involved in. it took a couple years to get to bigger #s, but troy and lisa appreciated it and always supported us. we probably did the outing for about 6 years straight and then the group started to get thinner and troy and lisa got out of the park about the same time.

you guys already have a great group of people who love to ride there, just plan it. I'd love to hit GMP again, but I'm always leery of large outings due to wait times for trails. plus it would be nice to put faces with rigs and meet some new people.

TBItoy · Sep 29, 2016

Re:

^ that's all ya gotta do.

That's one great thing about GMP, anyone can rent a pavilion and hang a banner on it and have an "event" any weekend.

Andrew, just curious but when you call and rent a pavilion, mention how many rigs to expect, etc did you ever get pressured to rent the whole park? Or pressured to pay for camping or rent cabins in advance for "your group"?

clemsonjeep · Sep 29, 2016

redneckengineered said:
Those the new 42s?

Yes they are.

redneckengineered · Sep 29, 2016

Re:

TBItoy said:
^ that's all ya gotta do.

That's one great thing about GMP, anyone can rent a pavilion and hang a banner on it and have an "event" any weekend.

Andrew, just curious but when you call and rent a pavilion, mention how many rigs to expect, etc did you ever get pressured to rent the whole park? Or pressured to pay for camping or rent cabins in advance for "your group"?

Never once. They always respond to my emails like they are excited to have us back to the park. When I contact them about the ride dates I always go ahead and reserve 1 room for myself and the pavilion up front and let them know individuals will be booking the other amenities. Then I send the park email out to my group and tell them to contact the park directly to book whatever else they want (ie cabins, RV hookups, etc). This has always been how I've handled it and never had a single problem in years of doing it.

tallnate · Sep 29, 2016

Stuntman Autoworks said:
only video I have, it's me going up crackhead saturday afternoon.

http://youtu.be/YbSTBgbXaNE

I cannot remember how to embed the video in the post so someone remind me and I will edit it.

Nice climb dude! Not sure I've ever seen anyone go straight up the right side and then turn left.

Stuntman Autoworks · Sep 29, 2016

redneckengineered said:
Those the new 42s?

Yes that was about the 3rd day of riding on them.

Stuntman Autoworks · Sep 29, 2016

tallnate said:
Nice climb dude! Not sure I've ever seen anyone go straight up the right side and then turn left.

Thanks man i just went where it would grab. It was good meeting you at the ride also.

Jody Treadway · Sep 29, 2016

smbroady82 said:
that's a sharp ranger man

Thanks man.
It's been around the block over the years, but I just finished putting my own touches on it. (engine trans, t case, axles, brakes, steering and suspension)

Works really well

Sawzall · Sep 29, 2016

I don't care much for events but I like Dixie Run and I will continue to attend as long as it is at GMP. Even if it wasn't my home park I couldn't think of a better place to have it.

RCBTrucking · Sep 29, 2016

I have to speak up. I hear all these negative posts about Dixie run, and it pisses me off. I have been attending Dixie since 1998. That was when it was on the tennesse side of Cherokee. I have raised 4 kids that think Dixie is a way of life. I had my two oldest that was standing at the raffle Saturday night because they had attended 14 years! They talk about it all year and so do I. My two youngest kids have been attending since they were born. They compete in the RC CRAWL, the scavenger hunt, ride bicycles with kids a over the park and they love to ride and crawl! It cost me a little over $200.00 bucks for my family to go, that include my premium membership, the wife's registration and my kids. My two oldest did not ride and only came to the raffle and hung out. I think that is cheap! Hell, if I loaded them up and went to Dollywood it would cost a lot more than that, and not have half the fun. I also ride the entire time, day and night! I will continue to go to Dixie until it is not around. Why? Because it is the ONLY event that my family can go to that is set up for a family. I will attend any event that you guys put together, but I really doubt it will cater to my whole family. Oh ya, I don't have a new jeep with bolt on parts, I drive a beat to hell yota. I am not a new jeep guy, but I respect those guys to, they keep this sport going, and they keep our 4 wheel drive shops open too, because they spend money. Sorry about the rant, but I could not help it. Also, I live 20 minutes fromGMP, and camped in a hot ass tent with a leaking air mattress for 4 nights because that is what Dixie is about, the experience and stories.

Elliott · Sep 29, 2016

Crack head was one of the last spots I crawled up before I sold my last Rockwell rig, I was determined to crawl it, it was so wide I had to use both of the rocks on the top for each front tire, I honestly didn't know if it would go or flip over. I sure enjoyed that day. Always fun to climb something that way, Golden mountain by far is one of my favorite parks. Winchin church hill was the last spot I got to climb.

TURNEROFFROAD · Sep 29, 2016

RCBTrucking said:
I have to speak up. I hear all these negative posts about Dixie run, and it pisses me off. I have been attending Dixie since 1998. That was when it was on the tennesse side of Cherokee. I have raised 4 kids that think Dixie is a way of life. I had my two oldest that was standing at the raffle Saturday night because they had attended 14 years! They talk about it all year and so do I. My two youngest kids have been attending since they were born. They compete in the RC CRAWL, the scavenger hunt, ride bicycles with kids a over the park and they love to ride and crawl! It cost me a little over $200.00 bucks for my family to go, that include my premium membership, the wife's registration and my kids. My two oldest did not ride and only came to the raffle and hung out. I think that is cheap! Hell, if I loaded them up and went to Dollywood it would cost a lot more than that, and not have half the fun. I also ride the entire time, day and night! I will continue to go to Dixie until it is not around. Why? Because it is the ONLY event that my family can go to that is set up for a family. I will attend any event that you guys put together, but I really doubt it will cater to my whole family. Oh ya, I don't have a new jeep with bolt on parts, I drive a beat to hell yota. I am not a new jeep guy, but I respect those guys to, they keep this sport going, and they keep our 4 wheel drive shops open too, because they spend money. Sorry about the rant, but I could not help it. Also, I live 20 minutes fromGMP, and camped in a hot ass tent with a leaking air mattress for 4 nights because that is what Dixie is about, the experience and stories.

I've not read all the back story leading up to this post, but I applaud your attitude and the effort the event promoters went through to make it what it is.

If events aren't family friendly the sport and hobby we love will die out.

mcutler · Sep 29, 2016

Re: Re: Dixie run 2016

Elliott said:
Crack head was one of the last spots I crawled up before I sold my last Rockwell rig, I was determined to crawl it, it was so wide I had to use both of the rocks on the top for each front tire, I honestly didn't know if it would go or flip over. I sure enjoyed that day. Always fun to climb something that way, Golden mountain by far is one of my favorite parks. Winchin church hill was the last spot I got to climb.

Love crackhead. I pulled it three times in my buggy, last two times in the dark, last time, two years ago at Dixie at midnight...good times! That's my favorite part of the trail system..3,4,5.

First time

Matt

bgredjeep · Sep 30, 2016

One of these days I'll get over that line. Even the bypass at the top of Crackhead has gotten pretty bad since I was there a few years ago.

I always have a good time at Dixie Run. I think this was the first time I was there that they didn't talk about trying to get Tellico reopened, which was getting old. I went to the raffle for a bit but people just kept going on and on talking about idkwtf so we left and went riding.

Here's a pic my buddy got of me at the top of bounty hill. That one's gotten a lot tougher as well. My group is also talking about another non DR trip to GMP. Love that park.

redneckengineered · Sep 30, 2016

I don't think the hate is so much about Dixie Run the event but it's directed to the joke of an organization that is SFWDA. They are a joke and are a dying organization. The land use organizations out west make them look like a mickey mouse club. I'll never forgive them for the way they handled Tellico. The writing may have been on the wall for that riding area but Southern sure as hell didn't help. Tellico was the one riding area they could really "hang their hat on" and when the fight came to save it they ****ed it up. If you are really into family friendly riding events, start an organization that's only goal is to throw Dixie Run like events but do it several times a year. Focus on the family, education, land use, etc etc. Hell you could probably even make money at it. SFWDA needs to die, they are useless. The specter of collecting membership money under the umbrella of land use is a joke. They might as well just go away for 360 days a year and only show up for the Dixie Run event and no one would no the difference.

RCBTrucking · Sep 30, 2016

I wish someone would step up and put on more events, whether it be for land use,or forthere on profit, I don't care. I know that I am not that person, it would take a great deal of planning, time, and money to make it happen. It would also be a financial loser for a few years until it was built up to a status that attracted the number of people to make profit. Also, you really got to enjoy hard work, people bitching after it is over, and drama, not to mention the fact that the organizer doesn't get to ride while it is going on and must stay sober!! I am out on that one! I think that a few of us could put something together, and make it happen, but partnerships are tough and it would take a real good group of people to make it happen. Any volunteers?

redneckengineered · Sep 30, 2016

RCBTrucking said:
I wish someone would step up and put on more events, whether it be for land use,or forthere on profit, I don't care. I know that I am not that person, it would take a great deal of planning, time, and money to make it happen. It would also be a financial loser for a few years until it was built up to a status that attracted the number of people to make profit. Also, you really got to enjoy hard work, people bitching after it is over, and drama, not to mention the fact that the organizer doesn't get to ride while it is going on and must stay sober!! I am out on that one! I think that a few of us could put something together, and make it happen, but partnerships are tough and it would take a real good group of people to make it happen. Any volunteers?

There's definitely an opportunity there but in the meantime, follow the events at Adventure Offroad Park. They definitely have some family friendly events throughout the year and Tom does a great job organizing.