Hampton Roads Bronco Club

Hey HRBC!
Well, last weekend was the Sticker Event at Uhwarrie National Forest hosted by the NC Bronco Club. That was so much fun. I really can't emphasize enough how important that event was to off-roading. They really took a lot of time and care to put on that event and it turned out fantastically. Here is my recap!

9am - Meet up at the Uwharrie Hunt Club to mingle, air down, and find your group (the admins from the club set this all up and assigned people leads based on their skill level/bronco trim/desired trail difficulty. They had us sign waivers because body damage is always a risk and they are not responsible for your choice to be there.

10am - First group of Intermediate Trail Riders headed out! I was in the first group and following Doug, one of the NC Bronco Club leaders. There were about 6 of us on the trail with Doug in the lead and a nice guy named Lee in the rear making sure everyone was getting through obstacles. We all stayed connected via radios (bring your own radio is usually the case but sometimes folks bring extra for those who don't have any).
I'll be honest, I don't remember which order we ran the trails in, but we went through the following trails throughout the day (note: the difficulty rating is what the Uwharrie website rates these trails as):

Wolf Den - Easy Trail
Slab Pile - Moderate Trail
Dutch John - Difficult
Rocky Mtn. Loop - Moderate
Sawmill - Moderate
Backside of Daniel - Difficult/Moderate

We all went along just fine. Most of us have had some experience off-roading before but one of the members of our group had never done it before (kudos to them for starting out intermediate). The other groups for intermediate trails left 15-minute intervals and I believe there may have only been one other intermediate group while the other Broncos ran the beginner trails.

The trails were pretty simple. Some twists and turns and some bumps to be careful on, but a great ride more or less. Some of the more challenging trails had some rocky ascents and tight spots but nobody needed to be helped out other than some advice via radio. The lead and tail of the trails (Doug & Lee for us) were great about communicating oncoming traffic or when everyone had made it through the more difficult spots.

We stopped for lunch just before the backside of Daniel and we all stretched our legs and had a quick bite before heading up the backside of Daniel and hanging out with the other intermediate group for a little while.

That is where they asked if anyone was willing to do the hill climb on the backside of Daniel (very steep with large rocks and a bit of a challenge). One of our wise owls, Matt (who is extreme and loves to break his Bronco), warned us that if we should consider backing out if we did not have skid plates on the fuel tank, 35s, and front AND rear lockers. One guy named Justin in a green 4-door (I want to say Badlands but looked like a Raptor) who was sponsored from head to toe with different after-market parts (he was with a representative testing a new suspension out there) said he was going to do it. Another person in an old school Bronco that was definitely a rock crawler also did it. I have been seeking a challenge and I said YEP, I'm in. I was hoping more would follow but the warnings of breaking steering racks and tie-rods were keeping people at bay.

Well, the old school Bronco went first and climbed right on up. He didn't seem to have much of a problem. Justin in the green Bronco went next and I think his length and one of the lines he was trying to take jammed him up and he had to winch out of one spot and then was totally fine after. My Bronco had a bit of a slippery spot where the rocks just didn't want to grip, but with some help from spotters (including my husband Justin), the Bronco caught an edge and just grabbed on and pulled me up just fine. So much fun! I want to go back and do it again.

We worked our way back down the trail and met up at the Admin folks' campsite where we hung out for a bit and talked. They were going to have a hotdog roast but Justin and I were tired from wheeling the night before (we got to our cabin at 2am!) and then waking up and doing it again the next morning. Plus it was hot as can be out there so we called it a day and drove back down to the Uwharrie Outpost to air back up and head back to the cabin.

The easy trail riders had a blast too from what I've been seeing/hearing! They had 4 Bronco Sports out there tearing up the trails too which is great to see! They're a little low so easier to damage but they came out and had a good time anyway!

If you're still reading this, thank you. I want to say that events like this is why I started this page because I want to get people together to experience what the Broncos can do and enjoy some wholesome fun in the wilderness! I highly recommend coming to their next sticker event which I'll be sure to let you know about.

Please enjoy the pics of the event and I hope to see you all at the next one.

Jacey