Trailblazing the Georgia Mountains at Omix-ADA’s Off-road Experience
Sweet southern air, tons of greenery and totally specced-out Rugged Ridge Jeeps. What more do you need?
A five-hour flight from the congested, smoggy LAX airport to the busy, yet placid Hartsville-Jackson Atlanta Airport is an experience all its own. Never mind that I’ve never been to Atlanta before (let alone any part of the South), the anxiety is so very real as I board the plane. Not because I’m a California native going to the eastern portion of the sunbelt states. No, this nervous excitement stems from me actually getting to drive a specced-out custom Rugged Ridge Jeep. Straight from the source. I mean, who wouldn’t be nervous about that?
Jeep curator and parts manufacturer Omix-ADA recently hosted their annual Off-road Experience event and invited JK-Forum to embark on an exciting adventure right in their own backyard, the breathtaking Chattahooche National Forest. Which is part of the greater Blue Ridge Mountain range.
After a very informative briefing on Omix-ADA’s history and their prize horse, Rugged Ridge, we step outside of the Brasstown Valley Resort and are greeted by some of the most gorgeous-looking Wranglers we’ve ever laid eyes upon. As Rugged Ridge Sales Training Manager Dave Logan gives us the rundown on what equipment is fitted to each vehicle, we notice a prime opportunity to snap some photos of these beastly Jeeps.
The one you see above, lovingly nicknamed “Mango,” is just one of six that are prepped and ready for a jaunt on the trails. It is a 2011 Jeep Wrangler JK Unlimited equipped with a bevy of Rugged Ridge gear, including:
- Four-inch Rugged Ridge Lift Kit
- Spartacus Front and Rear Bumpers
- Winch
- HD Tire Carrier
- Performance Vented Hood
- Rock Sliders
- Dash Multi-Mount Phone Kit
- Exo-Top
- Fast Track System
- 13.5-inch LED Lights
- Round Combo Beam
- Elite Door Handle Inserts
- Elite Gas Door
- Spartan Grille
- Hood Light Bar
- Gun Metal XHD Wheels with Rock Rings
- LED Third Brake Light Ring
- Jack Mount
- Floor Liners
- C3 Cargo Cover
- Ballistic Seat Covers
- Console cover
As you can see, it’s dressed to the nines with enough gear to survive a zombie apocalypse. The others were no different. With a freshly-oiled 3.8-liter V6 and sitting atop some fresh BFGoodrich 37-inch KM2s, this orange beauty just beckons our attention. So naturally, it’s the one we choose to trek Beasley Knob Trail near the town of Blairsville.
But there’s just one little problem…
JK-Forum Explores Beautiful Georgia Mountains With Rugged Ridge continued…
