The Hooch is a Hoot
T
he Georgia Recreational Trail
Riders Association (GARTRA)
hosts two annual dual sport rides:
the Hooch every June and the
Fall Foliage Ride each October or
November. These events serve as
the club's longstanding biannual
fundraising activities. Established
in 1992 as a volunteer-run non
-
profit dedicated to promoting
and enhancing public off-road
motorized recreation areas across
Georgia, GARTRA currently has
225 active members.
Beyond being a fundraising
mechanism, each event also
celebrates responsible trail
stewardship and serves as an
all-important communal gather
-
ing of like-minded motorcyclists.
Based at the famous North
Georgia motorcycle meet-up
destination Two Wheels of
Suches, attendees come from
neighboring states, including
Tennessee, Alabama, North
Carolina and South Carolina, as
well as from distant Florida and
Ohio, each year to enjoy two
unique routes, each covering
120-plus miles of scenic Appala
-
chia, winding through the Chat-
tahoochee National Forest and
surrounding areas. Designed to
accommodate both novice and
experienced dual sport riders,
the routes offer a mix of easy
gravel roads, rocky climbs, for
-
est service roads and optional
advanced sections, including
legitimate single-track inside the
OHV trail system Whissinghunt,
one of seven state-run trail sys-
tems that GARTRA maintains in
cooperation with the Forest Ser-
vice—all connected by perfectly
placed short stretches of quiet,
country two-lane paved roads to
tie it all together.
Historically, navigation was
handled via roll-chart route
sheets, an antiquated, old-school
but beloved method that adds to
the event's traditional dual sport
character. However, this year
riders were offered GPX files as
well as a free trail map on onX
Maps for those inclined to enter
the new millennium of motorcy
-
cle-navigation technology. OnX
WIND
IN THE
P46
The Georgia
Recreational Trail
Riders Association
(GARTRA) is an
example of a
motorcycle club
that helps build and
maintain off-road
motorcycle trails.
They have some
amazing trails in
North Georgia.
PHOTOS: JEN MUECKE
