My first (unintentional) night ride.

We were sitting around the camper Sunday afternoon getting ready to go out and a member of the Carolina ATV riders "Len" stopped by on his Brute Force. Forgive me if the trail numbers are not correct. (old map) We talked for a while and decided to go for a short Brimstone loop. (3, 1, 95,then 8, 1 and 7 back to camp) Sounds fun!! We made great time so when we got back to 8/1 we decided to try to find the tower on the map. (TWRA map #'s from here on) I think the tower is at the top of 14. We did it was pretty cool, great views.

Looked like someone had been talking Skip or Ham radio up there. Very old communications bunker too.

We still had plenty of daylight so we decided to keep going. This is where it got real fun!! 14 to 18. Great overlook at junction of 17,17 and 19.


19A to 19. (really overgrown) Went down 47 a little then cut back on 58 really overgrown!! From 58 we went up 21 to 20A I think, went way up the hill into a dead end (some great hill climbs there) Back down to 21.
Got on 21 and went through some great rocks, a little of creek time too. BEAUTIFUL. OK it is dark now!! So time to head back. I am looking a the map (original "not complete" March map from TE) Looks like 21 and 24 end up in the same place, 24 is a little longer so we take that. What fun!! everything is great until we find this HUGE trench... Looked like some backhoe work and a big rain, Hmmm??? and a 4 ft deep ditch crossing the trail... First time I ever had to winch DOWN HILL!! Picture does not do it justice. You would have to be there.

OK so we made it, now what? Looks like the trail goes on up the other side (nice and clear, wide too) WRONG!! PRIVATE PROPERTY KEEP OUT POSTED!! WTH do we do??? looks like we are 150yds from 47 on the map but I'm not getting shot!! Oh yeah side note. What do the Red bubbles with a white X on the map mean? Did I just find out?!? OK we are screwed!! My new friend Len is already on empty (flashing). We absolutely cannot go back up what we just came down.. NO WAY!! So we blazed up the left side through the woods to a point above the bad washed out 3ft deep rut.


Had to hook the winch up across the trail above just to keep from rolling while attempting to get back on the trail. 45 min later we are back tracking on 21 or 24?? not sure Ended up being 21. We are riding some of the most overgrown trails I have ever seen, IN THE DARK! OK, right on 57 (great trail!! Right on 20, short trip over the creek and back to 47. Len's gauge is still flashing, his fingers are crossed!! AHHH 47 past 9 then...wait for it...past the (right at the church fork!!) sign... Asphalt all the way back, turn left on Winona (didn't almost get rear ended this time!!) LOL Back to camp (it is now 2am) Len's Brute force took 4.8 gallons, it has a 5 gallon tank!!! Couple beers, ribeye and baked potato!! Best meal ever ( thought I might not get another earlier ) Shower and bed (3:15am) Quote of the night? Hannah, "No more night rides Daddy!!"

Sorry for the long write up but I had to share. Wish some of you could have stayed to enjoy this fiasco.

Ya'll took some great trails for a rhino and a 4 wheeler. Sorry I had to say it. I broke a tierod at the posted area ( before TE and brimstones fight you could ride through there) and had to be winched through those 3-4 ft deep ruts and hauled the rest of the way out. Yeah it sucked

I can go anywhere anyone else can...(possibly much slower, might have to pull cable more often) Please don't avoid trails because of us. We are down for whatever!!!

Oh what fun... Helluva times make helluva stories !!

Glad you got another ride in. Looked adventurous too.

MIKE_D wrote:

I can go anywhere anyone else can...(possibly much slower, might have to pull cable more often) Please don't avoid trails because of us. We are down for whatever!!!

Yeah I know, I started out on a 450 rhino and took it though every trail in brimstone. The only time peolpe would run off from me was when they went over 31mph lol

Good writeup,Adventures like that make stories to last a lifetime.

Sounds like an awesome adventure and Mrs. D and Hannah sure are troopers. I bet you slept well after that kinda day.

Sounds like a good ride!!!

Anyone know what the red bubbles with white X's on the map mean?

Calling Highlander!!! What does this mean?????

Great story Mike.....I arrived back at the parking-lot at Windrock once at 4 a.m....... in the winter, with a broken axle.....(quad)

ridepate wrote:

Great story Mike.....I arrived back at the parking-lot at Windrock once at 4 a.m....... in the winter, with a broken axle.....(quad)

I got back at Trails End at 5 AM. I think everyone of us had a flat tire at one point in the night ride. Except for Mark, he had four or five....

Big-R wrote:

ridepate wrote:

Great story Mike.....I arrived back at the parking-lot at Windrock once at 4 a.m....... in the winter, with a broken axle.....(quad)

I got back at Trails End at 5 AM. I think everyone of us had a flat tire at one point in the night ride. Except for Mark, he had four or five....

Them "same-sizer" 14s work great huh............... But they look cool in the parking lot.....

ridepate wrote:

Big-R wrote:

ridepate wrote:

Great story Mike.....I arrived back at the parking-lot at Windrock once at 4 a.m....... in the winter, with a broken axle.....(quad)

I got back at Trails End at 5 AM. I think everyone of us had a flat tire at one point in the night ride. Except for Mark, he had four or five....

Them "same-sizer" 14s work great huh...............

It was not a pinch tire for me. Something cut the side wall. Even a 26x12 big horn went flat on this trial. It has happen everytime I have road that trail.

I got 2 flats on my 26x12 bighorns and so did Blu-Ray. But damn it sure was fun

Big-R wrote:

ridepate wrote:

Big-R wrote:

ridepate wrote:

Great story Mike.....I arrived back at the parking-lot at Windrock once at 4 a.m....... in the winter, with a broken axle.....(quad)

I got back at Trails End at 5 AM. I think everyone of us had a flat tire at one point in the night ride. Except for Mark, he had four or five....

Them "same-sizer" 14s work great huh...............

It was not a pinch tire for me. Something cut the side wall. Even a 26x12 big horn went flat on this trial. It has happen everytime I have road that trail.

O.K sounds like it was a "Sharpie" trail......those SUCK.

ridepate wrote:

Big-R wrote:

ridepate wrote:

Big-R wrote:

ridepate wrote:

Great story Mike.....I arrived back at the parking-lot at Windrock once at 4 a.m....... in the winter, with a broken axle.....(quad)

I got back at Trails End at 5 AM. I think everyone of us had a flat tire at one point in the night ride. Except for Mark, he had four or five....

Them "same-sizer" 14s work great huh...............

It was not a pinch tire for me. Something cut the side wall. Even a 26x12 big horn went flat on this trial. It has happen everytime I have road that trail.

O.K sounds like it was a "Sharpie" trail......those SUCK.

You have no idea..... I think we had four or five flats when we got off of it. Mark I think had two. It is a very short trail that we started the night ride with. Funny thing is I could not even tell I had a flat.

Big-R wrote:

ridepate wrote:

Great story Mike.....I arrived back at the parking-lot at Windrock once at 4 a.m....... in the winter, with a broken axle.....(quad)

I got back at Trails End at 5 AM. I think everyone of us had a flat tire at one point in the night ride. Except for Mark, he had four or five....

"cough" I didn't get a flat All kidding aside mark really did have atleast 3 flats. To be honest it might have been 4.. I think by the end of the night he only had one good tire and he started with 5. I know we were joking with him while he was sitting in his buggy and told him the tire he just plugged at the last stop was flat again. Mark "swear words" ....Told him I was just kidding put my foot on the tire and pushed it was solid. Then walked over to the other side and pushed and went all the way to the rim.. Told him, But no chit the other side is. It was pretty damn funny. Mark thought we let the air out of it or something..

8ball_99 wrote:

Big-R wrote:

ridepate wrote:

Great story Mike.....I arrived back at the parking-lot at Windrock once at 4 a.m....... in the winter, with a broken axle.....(quad)

I got back at Trails End at 5 AM. I think everyone of us had a flat tire at one point in the night ride. Except for Mark, he had four or five....

"cough" I didn't get a flat All kidding aside mark really did have atleast 3 flats. To be honest it might have been 4.. I think by the end of the night he only had one good tire and he started with 5. I know we were joking with him while he was sitting in his buggy and told him the tire he just plugged at the last stop was flat again. Mark "swear words" ....Told him I was just kidding put my foot on the tire and pushed it was solid. Then walked over to the other side and pushed and went all the way to the rim.. Told him, But no chit the other side is. It was pretty damn funny. Mark thought we let the air out of it or something..

You might have been the only one who did not get a flat. I am suspect of the Roctanes right now. The performance was great. I love them as far as that goes. However, I will keep everyone updated on durability.

What was that thing called?? "Wisper""' Mark and Amy are a riot!!! Cannot wait to ride with them again!!!!

ridepate wrote:

What was that thing called?? "Wisper""' Mark and Amy are a riot!!! Cannot wait to ride with them again!!!!

You got that right....... FUN!!!!

Sorry Mike. Did not mean to hi-jack....

ridepate wrote:

Sorry Mike. Did not mean to hi-jack....

lol me too


BTW Ronnie I wouldn't worry about the Roctanes. If you and chip were the only ones to have flats it would be different.. But Lots of flats all around.. And to be honest even though mine are not leaking I did notice a stick shoved down between the rim and tire today while washing it. I also have a pretty good nick on the edge of one of my rims. So I came pretty close at some point. If it cut the aluminum rim what chance does any tire have...