Personal Stories: Jeep Adventure on the Blue Ridge Parkway
Ultimate Jeep / Blue Ridge Parkway Adventure, near Floyd, Virginia
by Jim Jamesson
One of my coolest Parkway experiences to date:
The trip to New York City was cool. Times Square, WTC site, I was like any NYC tourist. Like any typical trip back home, you can't help being bummed out knowing the fun is over. Sitting on the computer, checking email, and that damn dinging sound of AOL driving you up the wall. The thoughts seem to collide with the new memories of the cool places, interesting people, and new adventures.
Taking the interstate is one of my least favorite activities, and the few hour savings on the most boring ass roads, to me is not worth it. I always try to take scenic byways, back roads thru hick towns, or any other interesting way to get anywhere in this country. Coming back from the big apple, I decided I'd go home the same way I came up... Front Royal, thru Shenandoah National Park, Blue Ridge Parkway, and right back to my now-hometown of Asheville, NC.
Near the beginning of the Skyline Drive, I saw a couple backpackers attempting to hitch hiking back to their car. They told me they've been trying for a good while and were grateful somebody finally stopped. We joked about all these people who must be scared to give someone a ride, perhaps because we are in a dangerous.... gasp.... national park. We shared stories of places we have visited, activities we had in common, and drove all over the road trying to get close to the thousands of deer in this cool park. I only regret not asking them their names, and if the couple from Michigan ever reads this page, email me!!! :)
After dropping them off at Loft Mountain, the trip back seemed to be long and dragged out. I was thankful for the company of my new friends. After stopping in an Arby's and adding to my gut investment fund, I started back on the parkway. The miles ticked by slowly, as I've done this stretch of road countless times in both cars and motorcycles. It wasn't till mile marker 141 when the action took a quick turn.
Half asleep and freezing my ass with the top down, a blonde chick comes walking out of the woods and flags me down. She is alone, and looks a shade bit worried over something. "Maybe you can help me... I drove down this dirt road in my truck, and got it stuck when I tried to turn around". Instantly, the sleepiness was gone, the cool guy juice was flowing, and my eyes lit up looking at this super-muddy-dirt-off-road-jeep-paradise-on the side of a mountain road. She hops in, and off we go down this really bitchin road. It starts off with deep mud, switchbacks, and straight down the mountain views. How cool this is! We talk a little, and finally arrive at this old, rustic, unused barn. Around the side, down this muddy dirt hill lays her Toyota Tacoma, buried axle deep in the mud, looking pretty sad. She was stuck.
Pretending I was MacGyver, I tried to assess the situation, and figure out a way to get her unstuck without anything to pull with. Some crawling around the barn yields an old, disintegrated looking rope. Knowing this won’t work, we give it a shot anyway. Not surprisingly, the rope just got shorter and shorter with each attempt. "Shit." Time to head into town, if we can find one, and see if we can borrow a tow strap, chain, or something.
Driving down the parkway for a bit, we see a gravel road that just goes off thru the trees. Since its getting dark, we got nothing to lose. We drive by someone sitting on his porch. Nice guy, a little thrown off trying to figure how he has a visitor in the middle of nowhere. He directs us to the J&J Market in Floyd, Virginia. Asking the Martha Stewart looking lady behind the counter, and several customers, nobody has anything we can use. Martha proceeds to give us a lecture on how we shouldn't go on private property and try turning around in the mud. (Dear Martha, you were a real help that night. Sincerely, Jim. I mean what the hell...?)
A call to 1-800-PARKWATCH, and a really nice guy named Gene says he will track down a ranger for me, but tells me that there aren't any in that area at this time. After some time goes by, my new blonde friend Avery buys me some candy and a Yoohoo for all my help. Sometimes you just want a Yoohoo. The closest ranger told us that he wouldn't come out, but to call a wrecker. Both being broke, we figure that wrecker will cost a little cash. We decided just to drive around Floyd and find something, and soon after spot a dumpster with a rope tied on it. So back we go down the cool road to the truck.
Going on midnight, all attempts to pull with our new rope fail. The bank is too steep, and the truck is too stuck. Digging around the barn again yields some old rusty chains, but they suffered the same fate as both ropes. We decide the smartest move now is to head back to Roanoke, and buy a tow strap. Off we go, back down the cool road.
Just as we get back to the parkway, a mad speeding tow truck goes flying by, lights blaring in the dark. After flagging them down and explaining our situation, the drivers decide the only way to pull it out is with their rig, “that jeep just ain’t gonna pull nothing like that”. Figuring they are professionals, and I don’t want to seem like the stubborn jackass, I offer to at least drive them down to her stuck truck in the jeep. So back down the cool road we go, Avery in the jeep, and the tow truck guys hanging on the rear bumper talking about his old YJ. They assured us that this road was cake, and that this wasn’t nothing compared to where they’ve had their tow truck. Back we go to the tow truck.
About 100 yards down the road, the rear of the tow truck breaks loose, and is teetering on the side of the mountain. This was followed by a steady stream of cuss words heard by all the wildlife in Floyd. It’s really something to see, middle of the night, some crazy mud road, driving behind this huge tow truck teetering off a mountain. Now this was cool! It took 2 hours, a lot of trees, and electric winch to pull the tow truck back to the main road. There was only one casualty, a tree that just couldn’t hold the weight. As it came crashing down, it rips off the mirror of the tow truck, somehow missing the cab. Holy crap! This keeps getting better and better, it’s just that the truck is still stuck.
Super Dave, as the other driver called him, told us the only chance we have now is the jeep. He fishes out a tow chain from the cab, and off we go back down the cool road. The truck was out in about 2 minutes. Avery was overjoyed that her truck was no longer helpless, the tow truck drivers were goofy eyed that the jeep did the job—“yeah these jeeps never let you down, theys’a workhorse for sure man…”. Me on the other hand, was a little disappointed that everything was done. The sadness of going back home could only be delayed so long. I gave the drivers 20 bucks for some Waffle House, they were appreciative, and after joking around with them for about an hour they took off. It’s rare to find people with the ability to laugh and joke, even when things go wrong. I am grateful to have met them.
After they left, Avery and I chatted for a while about the night, and decided just to find a place to camp for the night. Back down the crazy road we went. She cooked me the two healthiest meals I’ve ever had in my life, one a late dinner, and the other a very late breakfast. I spent most of the morning spying on a couple sleeping bears living near the barn, climbing a really cool tree, and thinking about the past few days. After parting with my new friend, home was not so far away. I just hope she was able to get her truck back to the parkway, after driving it back down the crazy road. :)