Allure of the BOH trails (opinion)

[Aonar]

I think I can now describe why I enjoy the BOH trail badges so much. At first I thought I might have just become a "collector". Since I received my current email today regarding my most recent badges, it hit me: Each badge has a/some memory/memories attached to it.

As a group from one spot - they remind me of the entire trip. They are like photographs I carry with me on the JP! I am mounting mine in a less conspicuous spot than appears to be the norm. I know that says something about me but no self-analyzing today.

Just thought I would post this because there are many out there who do not understand the pull of the BOH trail program. There you have it. (Lower 3 pics from Colorado trip this Summer)

EDIT: And the finishing touch - Just arrived today.

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[wibornz]

I love the badge of honor trail program. Every time I look at my Jeep, like you, I am reminded of a great trip with great friend. The badges have started many conversations with others that ask about the badges. It is not uncommon for me to come out of a store and see people looking at the badge and ask about them.

I was going to get them all and was kind of obsessed in doing so, then they just kept adding trails so there was no real feeling that I would be able to complete them. I remember what got me to stop chasing them. I had planned a trip to get the ones in Georgia, Alabama and Florida from Michigan. The Georgia trail was closed down, I had to wait 4 days in Alabama for the trails to open up at a Off Road Park. and the one in Florida was just mediocre at best. The Georgia trail was slated to open in Mid-March, it did not open. I drove from Michigan to do these trails. On my way home from Florida, I drove within 10 miles of the badge trail. It opened up three days later, and I just could not wait any longer. It is almost 2,000 miles of driving to go back and get it. Then after being home a week, they added another trail in South Carolina that would have been easy to pick up on my way home from Florida.

Then add in some of the trails are just well underwhelming like Peters Mill Run and Holy Oaks Off Road park and I cam to the conclusion that it just was not worth the financial commitment to get them all. I realized that there were times I was driving 1000 miles past great trails to run a badge trail. So now I will run a badge trail if they are a good trail or if they are on my way and can be done with out a lot of hassle or added expense.


All I can tell you is that if you are in California and you drive all the way across the country to do Peters Mill Run or Holy Oaks Off Road Park, you will be disappointed. Still 36 badges and counting....

 

[west tex]

While I don't have a BOH yet, I intend to pick up a few over the next year. Seems to me they point out the most interesting trails out there, so that's what attracts my attention. I realize that my nearly stock 2 dr won't be capable of tackling the extreme trails, but there are plenty of others that I can handle.

 

[RELBUS]

The badgers are pretty cool. I have never stuck one on my Jeeps though, just not the look I want...but my garage fridge has a few

 

[Aonar]

While I don't have a BOH yet, I intend to pick up a few over the next year. Seems to me they point out the most interesting trails out there, so that's what attracts my attention. I realize that my nearly stock 2 dr won't be capable of tackling the extreme trails, but there are plenty of others that I can handle.

I am in the same boat as you. Luckily there are trails we "stock" folks can hit. I always wheel in stock form B4 lifting, etc. I did add the winch in case I get in over my head and removed the front bumper ends but that's about it. Have fun!

 

[west tex]

Sway bar disconnects and 33" tires are all I've done to mine. It also has factory rock rails and a LSD in the rear axle. I did a whole lot of 4 wheeling in my old '86 Toyota pickup with open diffs and 31" tires, so I feel pretty confident that my current set up will meet my needs. I'll be in Moab in 2 weeks and plan on the Colorado San Juans next September.

 

[traxtion]

I love the badge of honor trail program. Every time I look at my Jeep, like you, I am reminded of a great trip with great friend. The badges have started many conversations with others that ask about the badges. It is not uncommon for me to come out of a store and see people looking at the badge and ask about them.

I was going to get them all and was kind of obsessed in doing so, then they just kept adding trails so there was no real feeling that I would be able to complete them. I remember what got me to stop chasing them. I had planned a trip to get the ones in Georgia, Alabama and Florida from Michigan. The Georgia trail was closed down, I had to wait 4 days in Alabama for the trails to open up at a Off Road Park. and the one in Florida was just mediocre at best. The Georgia trail was slated to open in Mid-March, it did not open. I drove from Michigan to do these trails. On my way home from Florida, I drove within 10 miles of the badge trail. It opened up three days later, and I just could not wait any longer. It is almost 2,000 miles of driving to go back and get it. Then after being home a week, they added another trail in South Carolina that would have been easy to pick up on my way home from Florida.

Then add in some of the trails are just well underwhelming like Peters Mill Run and Holy Oaks Off Road park and I cam to the conclusion that it just was not worth the financial commitment to get them all. I realized that there were times I was driving 1000 miles past great trails to run a badge trail. So now I will run a badge trail if they are a good trail or if they are on my way and can be done with out a lot of hassle or added expense.


All I can tell you is that if you are in California and you drive all the way across the country to do Peters Mill Run or Holy Oaks Off Road Park, you will be disappointed. Still 39 badges and counting....

I think the allure of badge trails is they get you to places you may not otherwise get to. Peter's Mill Run is just an hour from Flagpole Knob, which is unequivocally the best moderate trail on the east coast between Pennsylvania and North Carolina. Dickie Bell in North Carolina is right in Uwharrie, which is packed with easy to expert driving. Badge trails are just a starting point IMO and I usually forget to turn the app on to track them anyway.

Fun fact if you are back in Virginia... Flagpole knob is within eyeshot of a "super secret" NSA listening station. So be careful what you say on the CB

 

[Aonar]

I think the allure of badge trails is they get you to places you may not otherwise get to.

Well said.

 

[Zandcwhite]

I think the allure of badge trails is they get you to places you may not otherwise get to. Peter's Mill Run is just an hour from Flagpole Knob, which is unequivocally the best moderate trail on the east coast between Pennsylvania and North Carolina. Dickie Bell in North Carolina is right in Uwharrie, which is packed with easy to expert driving. Badge trails are just a starting point IMO and I usually forget to turn the app on to track them anyway.

Fun fact if you are back in Virginia... Flagpole knob is within eyeshot of a "super secret" NSA listening station. So be careful what you say on the CB

In some locations, the BOH trails are a starting point. Other ones are a destination in and of themselves. Trails like cedar tree and firebreak 5 in tillamook require you to run other trails just to access them and there is an entire network of trails in the area. I doubt many people show up and just run the badge trails. Table Mesa on the other hand is neither scenic nor challenging, and there isn’t much in the immediate area. The rubicon on the other hand is an entire camping/wheeling adventure on it’s own. There are plenty of other trails in the area, not to mention the other great outdoor adventures surrounding Lake Tahoe, and even the casinos/ night life on south lake, all of which we have explored many a time. I still wouldn’t call the rubicon a starting point for any of the other stuff in the area, as it is enough to fill a long weekend and you are back to the daily grind. In reality, the program is a marketing tool for the Jeep brand and they try to add trails all over the country as advertising. I enjoy the program, the conversations sparked by the badges, and the adventures they represent, but have no desire to drive all the way to Florida for a flat dirt road. Odds are we won’t ever wheel east of the Rockies, too many better options far closer to home.

 

[wibornz]

I think the allure of badge trails is they get you to places you may not otherwise get to. Peter's Mill Run is just an hour from Flagpole Knob, which is unequivocally the best moderate trail on the east coast between Pennsylvania and North Carolina. Dickie Bell in North Carolina is right in Uwharrie, which is packed with easy to expert driving. Badge trails are just a starting point IMO and I usually forget to turn the app on to track them anyway.

Fun fact if you are back in Virginia... Flagpole knob is within eyeshot of a "super secret" NSA listening station. So be careful what you say on the CB

I understand it give us a reason to wheel and travel. When I chase badges, I travel all over the US to do so. From the Rubicon Trail in California to Florida all from Michigan. It is not uncommon for me to put 3000 to 6000 miles on to go get badges. I will most likely still get them all, it is just frustrating to drive a couple thousand miles and think, hey I have this section of the country done, nope a week later, I have to go all over the Eastern US again. Chasing badges is not free. It irked me that I waited 10 days past when they said the trail in Georgia would be open, hanging out in Florida to drive with in minutes of the badge trail, and get home and hey they opened it back up 3 days later. I am still kind of pissed off about that. We are not talking a couple hundred dollars, I talking ten days of lodging, and hanging out in Florida, then the cost to return to Georgia and the additional 2,000 miles....20+ hours of driving to return to the trail..... For a plastic badge. I drove past some very cool spot to wheel to do the badge in Georgia and it was a big bust.

So off my soapbox. Still love doing the badge trails, love that Jeep does this for Jeep owners. I think it is very cool. That they have identified trails all over the US and provided away so that Jeep owners can easily find/map to the trails and they have a fairly accurate description of the trail. I also think that Jeep should make the rules a little more stringent. The I can check into the trail and not run the trail should be addressed. The badges just don't mean as much now that I know that you don't have to run the actual trail and can still get the badge.

 

[Aonar]

"So off my soapbox. Still love doing the badge trails, love that Jeep does this for Jeep owners. I think it is very cool. That they have identified trails all over the US and provided away so that Jeep owners can easily find/map to the trails and they have a fairly accurate description of the trail. I also think that Jeep should make the rules a little more stringent. The I can check into the trail and not run the trail should be addressed. The badges just don't mean as much now that I know that you don't have to run the actual trail and can still get the badge."

My Emphasis:

This makes me a little sad. I did not know/must not have read this in the threads. I would agree that there should be a way to be positive the trail was run. Not sure how in some areas where there is spotty to no reception. Not a tech guy here but there has to be a way. Seems to take away the meaning/intent OF the program.

 

[Zandcwhite]

The idea that other people cheating the system and not running the trails somehow lessens the value of the badges YOU earn is lost on me. There's millions of people who don't take their own wedding vows seriously, that doesn't lessen the value or meaning of mine. If you cheat to earn a badge of HONOR, you are only devaluing yourself.

 

[Aonar]

This makes me a little sad. I did not know/must not have read this in the threads. I would agree that there should be a way to be positive the trail was run. Not sure how in some areas where there is spotty to no reception. Not a tech guy here but there has to be a way. Seems to take away the meaning/intent OF the program.

The idea that other people cheating the system and not running the trails somehow lessens the value of the badges YOU earn is lost on me. There's millions of people who don't take their own wedding vows seriously, that doesn't lessen the value or meaning of mine. If you cheat to earn a badge of HONOR, you are only devaluing yourself.

AND you are right in that I WILL KNOW if I was honest or not. Truly all that matters BUT I would still like to see a change if cheating is possible.

 

[Zandcwhite]

This makes me a little sad. I did not know/must not have read this in the threads. I would agree that there should be a way to be positive the trail was run. Not sure how in some areas where there is spotty to no reception. Not a tech guy here but there has to be a way. Seems to take away the meaning/intent OF the program.

AND you are right in that I WILL KNOW if I was honest or not. Truly all that matters BUT I would still like to see a change if cheating is possible.

Cheating will always be possible, there are literally apps that allow you to spoof your GPS location. Short of having to track your entire route using GPS like Gaia and sending in the file it would be tough to eliminate cheating. Then there's the entire enforcement team you'd need as a result. It's a free program that is clearly understaffed already based off how long it takes to get any kind of response from them. Don't take it too seriously. Not to mention, you can buy any badge you want off ebay, so even of they made it more stringent you'd still have people with badges they didn't earn.

 

[Coops4284]

I love the program. While yes there are some BOHs that are very easy (Holly Oaks ORV), the do allow beginners to get a taste of being off pavement. My Jeep club is about 2 hours south of Holly Oaks, and we use the park to teach wheeling 101 to our new members. The incentive to the new members is they will get a BOH. I currently have 3 and will be in Moab in 3 weeks and will be picking up 5 while I am there. Have I wheeled tougher stuff, absolutely (Slade Kentucky Hot Damn & Holiday Hill/Gate Keeper). But I still enjoy hitting BOH trails.

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