Sometimes a journey begins long before you pull out of the driveway.
For us, this one may have started more than twenty years ago.
From 2003 through 2018, we owned a Hummer. During those fifteen years, we put somewhere around 53,000 miles on it. What makes that number interesting is that roughly 47,000 of those miles were driven off-road.
We weren’t simply taking an occasional dirt road. We traveled trails in several states and spent countless weekends at OHV parks seeing what could happen when you combined man, woman, truck and terrain.
And mud.
There was always plenty of mud.
But somewhere along the way, something happened that had very little to do with the Hummer itself.
We found a family.
The Off-Road Hummer Family
We became part of a group of people and families who shared the same enthusiasm for exploring places most vehicles would never see. We traveled to events in other states and eventually began hosting events ourselves in Michigan and elsewhere.
A big part of that chapter of our lives was our friend Scott Pouls.
Scott taught us a lot. Together we organized events, explored trails and discovered just how much work goes on behind the scenes to make one of those weekends happen. Serving as Treasurer for the Hummer Club gave me an entirely different perspective on organizing events and keeping people connected.
No matter where an event was held, many of the same faces would eventually appear.
Year after year, mile after mile, we watched their kids grow up, and they watched ours.
That is more than a club.
That there is family.
Some of those folks are still wheeling today, and the Hummer Club continues. Scott has even hosted family get-togethers where the Hummers were no longer the focal point. That probably says more about the friendships we made than anything else could.
Our Hummer years also gave us the opportunity to serve with the American Red Cross as a transportation arm during times of disaster. Those experiences left us with countless memories of working beside some outstanding and giving volunteers.
Our off-road chapter eventually came to an end in 2018 when health issues caused us to step away.
Or at least we thought it had ended.
Funny How Life Circles Back Around
There comes a point in life when you sometimes find yourself circling back to something that once made you feel alive.
For us, that moment arrived last spring with the purchase of our 2026 Polaris Xpedition XP 5 NorthStar.
And before Rick G. says it:
No, Rick, it isn’t a Hummer.
But after logging more than 1,200 miles so far this year, I have to tell you something.
We are having a BLAST!
It is different from those old Hummer days, of course. We’re older. The machine is different. The trails are different.
But that feeling when the pavement disappears behind us?
That hasn’t changed much at all.
Three weeks ago, we left Michigan with the Xpedition and began a journey that took us to three different riding areas. Each one deserves its own story, so rather than cram hundreds of trail miles into a single article, we’re going to spend the next few Mondays taking you along with us.
Our first stop was Brimstone Recreation in Huntsville, Tennessee.
And what a way to begin.
Welcome to Brimstone
Brimstone sits in the Cumberland Mountains of East Tennessee, where the landscape seems to have been designed specifically for anyone who looks at a mountain and wonders where that trail disappearing into the trees might go.
Brimstone Recreation manages more than 19,000 acres with over 300 miles of OHV trails and roads, and it is open year-round. (Brimstone Recreation)
Brimstone Recreation official website
Those numbers are impressive, but they don’t tell you what it feels like to actually be there.
You understand that part once you climb into the Xpedition, buckle up, start the engine and head into the mountains.
There are places where the forest seems to close around the trail. Then you climb higher and suddenly the trees open enough to remind you just how much country surrounds you.
And there is always another trail.
Another turn.
Another reason to wonder what is over the next ridge.
That is our kind of traveling.
First, Let Me Save You From Our Mistake
We spent our week at Hoot 1 Cabin, and I have one piece of advice that deserves capital letters:
DO NOT—I SAY, DO NOT—DRIVE YOUR TRUCK AND TRAILER UP THAT STEEP DRIVEWAY!
Trust me on this one.
There is parking available at the end of the campground for guests staying in the cabins. Use it.
Sometimes the most valuable travel advice doesn’t come from a brochure. It comes from somebody who looked at a road and thought, Oh, that’ll be fine.
We also had the pleasure of meeting Mark and Carla, the owners. What impressed us was their interest in making certain their guests were enjoying their stay. The campground had only a few campers when we first arrived, but that didn’t last long. Before we knew it, sites were filling and the place had taken on an entirely different personality.
For RV travelers, Brimstone’s campground has direct access to Trail #1. The campground currently lists water/electric sites, some full-hookup sites, a dump station, showers and primitive tent camping in addition to its cabin accommodations. (Brimstone Recreation)
That ability to leave your campsite or cabin and head directly onto the trail is a pretty nice arrangement when riding is the reason you came.
Now, Let’s Ride
We quickly discovered that navigation at Brimstone is a combination of modern technology and paying attention to what is actually in front of you.
The Brimstone Connection App provides an interactive trail map that can work without cell service once the necessary map information has been loaded. Brimstone recommends opening the app while you still have an internet connection and viewing the areas you plan to ride so the imagery is available later when service disappears. (Brimstone Recreation)
Brimstone Connection Trail Map App
That is something I would definitely do before heading up the mountain.
We found trails that weren’t showing on the app during our visit, so there is still value in keeping your eyes open and reading the trail markers rather than blindly following the screen. Brimstone also sells printed maps at its headquarters. (Brimstone Recreation)
The trails themselves are marked and color-coded by difficulty.
Some of the easy trails follow gravel roads and old logging roads and provide the kind of riding where you can settle in and simply enjoy being in the mountains.
Moderate changes the conversation a little.
Now you begin encountering washouts, ruts, mud and steeper climbs.
Then there are the difficult trails.
Those aren’t places to discover whether you and your machine are ready for difficult terrain. They are places to go after you already know the answer.
Brimstone describes those trails as intended for experienced riders, and after spending time in these mountains, that is advice worth respecting. (Brimstone Recreation)
One thing all those years of off-roading taught us is that there is no shame in looking at an obstacle and deciding today isn’t the day.
The mountain will still be there tomorrow.
Something Unexpected Along the Trail
And then we began noticing something unusual.
Here and there along the trail system were laminated pieces of paper attached near the trail, sometimes held in place by a small plastic Jesus.
You could easily ride past without noticing them.
But once we saw the first one, we began watching for others.
The message was Scripture.
One we photographed was John 3:3:
“Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.”
In a place filled with roaring engines, steep climbs, rocks, mud and people testing machines against mountains, there was something unexpectedly peaceful about finding those little messages tucked beside the trail.
Someone took the time to put them there.
We took the time to stop.
Sometimes that’s enough.
These Mountains Were Working Long Before We Came to Play
There is another side to this country that becomes easier to appreciate when you slow down.
The mountains around Huntsville weren’t always associated with side-by-sides and recreational trails. Railroads, timber and coal were once important pieces of Scott County’s economy.
The Brimstone Railroad was one of several branch lines associated with that industrial history, and its tracks remained on the landscape until they were removed during the 2010s. (Scott County)
Today, old railroad remnants, mountain roads and traces of the area’s working past share the landscape with people like us who have come to explore it for an entirely different reason.
That is one of the things I enjoy about off-road travel.
You aren’t simply riding through the woods.
If you pay attention, you’re riding through stories.
Brimstone Doesn’t End at the Brimstone Boundary
This is where riders need to do a little homework.
The surrounding region includes the enormous North Cumberland Wildlife Management Area, managed by the Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency. It covers approximately 205,000 acres across five East Tennessee counties and includes the New River, Royal Blue and Sundquist units, among others. (Tennessee State Government)
That creates opportunities for a much larger riding adventure—but it also creates different rules.
A Brimstone Land Use Permit is required to access Brimstone’s private trail system, including for passengers. (Brimstone Recreation)
Important 2026 change: North Cumberland’s OHV permit rules changed on July 1, 2026. Riders entering North Cumberland WMA now generally need the specific North Cumberland WMA OHV Riding Permit. Certain permits or licenses purchased before July 1, 2026 remain valid until they expire, but the old High Impact permit should no longer be assumed to cover a new North Cumberland ride. (Tennessee State Government)
Current North Cumberland WMA OHV rules and permit information
That matters because it would be very easy to look at one big network of mountain trails and assume one permit covers everything.
It doesn’t.
Check the current boundaries and requirements before riding from one system into another.
Around the Campfire
Would we recommend Brimstone to someone new to off-roading?
Yes, provided you ride within your abilities. There are easier routes that let a newer rider become comfortable with the machine and terrain without immediately tackling the more challenging mountain trails. Brimstone’s difficulty system makes that easier, but trail conditions can change with weather, traffic and erosion.
Do I need a Brimstone permit even if I’m only a passenger?
Yes. Brimstone currently requires a valid Land Use Permit for each person accessing its riding trails, including passengers. (Brimstone Recreation)
Should I depend entirely on my phone for navigation?
We wouldn’t. The Brimstone app was useful for us, and it is designed to work where cellular service is unavailable if you’ve prepared it beforehand. We still like having another navigation option and paying attention to physical trail markings. Printed maps are also available from Brimstone headquarters. (Brimstone Recreation)
Can I stay where I ride?
Absolutely. Brimstone offers cabins and camping, and its campground provides direct access to the trail system. (Brimstone Recreation)
And that driveway to Hoot 1?
I believe we already discussed that.
Don’t do it.
What About the White Knuckle Event?
Brimstone isn’t only about ordinary trail-riding weekends.
Its annual White Knuckle Event brings riders together for several days of riding, entertainment and music. The 2026 event was held May 22–24, with access to Brimstone’s trail system forming a major part of the weekend. (White Knuckle Event)
White Knuckle Event official website
Their slogan probably sums up the feeling better than I can:
Back Roads. Back Country. Back Together.
That last word means something to us.
Together.
Because after all those years with our Hummer family, maybe that is what we’ve missed as much as the trails themselves.
Final Thoughts
When we bought the Polaris Xpedition last spring, we thought we were buying another way to explore.
After this trip, I’m beginning to think we bought something else.
We bought our way back into an old part of our lives.
Not literally, of course. Our Hummer days belong to another chapter. The kids who once came along on those adventures are grown. We’re older too. Life has changed in ways none of us could have imagined when a bunch of Hummers lined up at a trailhead twenty years ago.
But sitting in that Xpedition with Vicky beside me, climbing through the Cumberland Mountains, I recognized something.
The machine wasn’t the same.
The trail wasn’t the same.
But the feeling was.
Maybe that’s one of the gifts of getting older. Occasionally life gives you an opportunity to return to something you loved without asking you to become the person you were when you first loved it.
You simply get to enjoy it again.
We traveled more than 1,100 off-road miles this year before arriving home, and Brimstone was only the first stop of this three-week adventure.
CLICK HERE for our YouTube Trail Ride Video.
There are still two more riding parks and plenty more miles to share.
So meet us back here next Monday.
We’re just getting started.
The Cooper Shortcut Camping Journey Trio 😊 PlusOne!
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