“Just Two Guys Who Wanted to Make a Difference”
by Ron “Brock” Herman
My buddy Dave Milligan and I had been planning to attend the FJ Summit in Ouray, Colorado and soon after finalizing our plans, we heard of the plight of Tellico, as our parent club, the Upstate Cruisers, were the hosts at GSMTR this year. Our local subchapter, the Lowcountry Land Cruisers, wanted to do something to help so we decided to get sponsors and vinyl our trucks to raise awareness during our cross country drive from the coast of South Carolina out to Ouray.
My FJ Cruiser was sponsored by TRD Sparks Toyota of Myrtle Beach, SC, and by Lucrum Industries. Dave had his truck sponsored by Florence Toyota and Creel Tire and Auto in Florence, SC. We also put the Southern Four Wheel Drive Association stickers on the vehicles as their efforts were what paid for the independent environmental study that first raised the issue that not enough science was used in the closing of the area.
The drive out was great, with many asking what Rescue Tellico was all about. The questions continued once we were in Ouray as many stopped by our vehicles both in town and on trail to inquire about the plight of Tellico. Most had not heard of the Upper Tellico OHV Area or its closing. None knew that it was the largest public OHV area with the most diverse terrain east of the Mississippi. During one of the trail rides, I had the opportunity to speak with the guys from Icon and Demello and then later met Mark Hawley of Metal-tech. Having been to Tellico, he understood the problem and offered his help. He invited us to be his guest at the Metal-tech party in the saloon that night and offered to give us a little something to raise money.
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Dave Milligan and daughter Claire are all smiles atop Black Bear Pass. Photo by Brock Hermane.
Brock Herman at the summit of Black Bear Pass, 12,840 feet higher than his home in South Carolina.
Photo by Christine Herman
