Overland Bound Member 6480 Jason Price met up with the Kentucky Toyota Land Cruiser Association (KYTLCA) for a ride through Red River Gorge. It was an epic drive through an unbelievable landscape, and the only part better than the vehicles were the new-found friends driving. 

By Jason Price

Photos by Sarah Walton

One of the great things about overlanding and off-roading is the community of people that you meet.  Take the Kentucky Toyota Land Cruiser Association (KYTLCA).  Mountain Mama and I  recently attended a ride sponsored by them at Red River Gorge. 

It was a great opportunity to meet lots of folks from the region. Kentucky has a very vibrant scene with lots of levels of overlanding and offroading displayed at this event.

There was everything from rock crawlers to overlanders to vintage FJs to fresh off the lot Tacomas. There were even a few people who showed up with Jeeps and a Trailblazer to boot.The ride was divided into four different levels of experience.  I had originally planned on going with the low immediate group. But this was going to be Mountain Mama’s  first outing in which she would be driving. She was a bit nervous, so I decided to tag along with the beginners group to help ease some of her anxiety about putting her 2016 Tacoma through the paces.

We had a motley group. Many of the people on the trip had never been on any kind of trail with their rigs. Some brought along the whole family like we did. Most had been a few times and then there were the leaders of the group.

John was in a Land Cruiser that had seen many a trail and Josh was in a Chevy TrailBlazer that was a wolf in sheep’s clothing.After airing down to 25psi we took off for a short highway ride that soon dipped into some gravel for a few miles. Before you knew it, we were hitting our first dirt, or should I say, mud. As we got deeper and deeper into the ride it became quite apparent that this was not going to simply be a gravel road cruise.

We first hit a muddy uphill that didn’t prove to be a challenge for any of the vehicles but was a trial by fire for the nerves of some. The major obstacle was at the crest of a hill. There was a rock to the left and a narrow trail that was a bit off camber.

Without a view of what you were dropping into, it was a test of faith in John’s ability to lead us. As his voice crackled over channel 7 on our CBs, he gave us the confidence we needed to complete the task.Mountain Mama was anxious as she crested the hill but others on the trail taking pictures helped steady her nerves and even jumped into her rig to coach her and the Taco through the first challenge of the day.  Now keep in mind that the Tacoma is her baby and is a 6 speed TRD Offroad edition. So not only was this her first time but it was a manual to boot. By the time she made it down to the front of the group she was pumped to have made it and was raring for more.The route weaved its way through thick sections of  deciduous forest interspersed with the occasional pine and magnolia patch. The Red River Gorge area is a geological treasure.

Much of “The Gorge” lies in theDanial Boone National Forest and is part of the Pottsville Escarpment.  It has a collection of natural arches that ranks it in the top three spots in the United States to view these natural wonders.

Historically, the area was stripped of its timber.  The remnants of this can be seen at the Nada Tunnel. The tunnel served as a shortcut for a small gauge rail track that was used to remove the timber from the area. The area is still a resource for oil and natural gas.With dozens of pumpers along the route it is a constant reminder of the importance of the land and the need for striking a balance between preservation and sustainable use and its impact on the local economy.   

The area has been a climbing mecca for decades, with many famous routes up the rock to challenge even the most skilled of climbers. Many of those climbs centers around one of The Gorge’s most iconic draws…Miguel’s.  While it was closed for renovations during this visit, it is an iconic place to get a pizza and Ale-8 after a day on the trail or on the wall.We next hit a bit more gravel before getting to a creek crossing and then a muddy switch back. As soon as we crossed the creek and were waiting to ascend the first leg of the switchback, an oil worker attending to a pumper approached our rigs and gave us a warning of the conditions. He also questioned our sanity for attempting such a route with such nice trucks.  I assumed he didn’t know much about the trail prowess of Toyotas.

As we began the assent, the FJ crawled right up the pitch without an issue as did the Tacoma. Mountain Mama worked the clutch in the Taco like she had been offroading for years. Many of the veterans waiting at the top of the hill accused her of being a sandbagger.  The switch back progressed with another muddy pitch that proved to be as much fun as the first. We continued the route to the Bone Yard Offroad Park for killer pork tenderloin sandwiches that hit the spot after a long morning on the trail. As time was running short, a few members of our group headed for home while the rest of us pushed on, now under the leadership of Josh.

He took us on a route that lead through a series of water crossings that tested the nerve of the uninitiated. With water washing well over the tires and ice still in the creek, the slog was a chilly example of some of The Gorge’s most scenic trail.

Cliffs dripped with ice and hemlocks. It was a truly magical place.As we hit the main road back into Slade, our group slowly broke apart as each member’s voice crackled over the CB thanking Josh for such an amazing trip through The Gorge. 

We all went our separate ways but are bound by a common thread of this experience. As Mountain Mama and I settled back into our room with our cubs at the Hemlock Lodge with carry out from La Cabana we reflected on the journey we had just enjoyed.

What stuck out more than anything was the people we met. The KYTLCA made us feel like old friends. As we continue to get more involved with them, we look forward to many more memories and friends to be made.

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