My 1995 open-top Hummer sports a reinforced roll cage and a lift, and it proudly wears a lot of battle scars in the form of dents and scratches - so it is pretty apparent that it has been wheeled hard. When other Hummer owners in the northeast see it one of the first things they typically ask me is "where do you go with it?" I don’t think I ever answer that question the same way twice, but I do mention Paragon Park every time.

Pre-running a NEUROC slope

Paragon Park (http://www.paragonap.com) is a 15,000 acre off-road park in Hazleton, Pennsylvania. Hazleton is nearly an 8 hour drive away from my home in New Hampshire, but every year my good friend Chris and I carve a week out of our busy schedules to make a trip down there for 3 days of wheeling.

I often compare Paragon to a ski resort. You buy a pass, get a quick vehicle safety inspection, and then enter the park to play for the day. There are guides available at a reasonable cost, or you can get a group of three or more trucks together to go explore on your own. The trails have signs at each entrance to indicate what types of vehicles are permitted and as well as the level of difficulty. The park offers trails for all levels of driver, so whether you are brand new to off-road driving or an experienced wheeler looking for real challenges, there are plenty of trails to choose from.

The right tools, parts and know-how can make trail breakage part of the fun

Over the past few years Chris and I have gone with several different New England based off-road clubs and a diverse mix of different kinds of rigs. We have wheeled with everything from modified Jeeps to custom built rock crawling competition rigs. These annual adventures have taught us a few things that I would like to share with you – some tips for those who may be considering a wheeling event at Paragon but are not so lucky to live nearby.

First Tip

Technical wheeling on "Q-Trail"

First tip: Getting there and back is part of the adventure, so embrace that idea. An 8-hour highway ride is a long ride in any trail-worthy 4x4. Bring your tools and as many spare parts and fluids as you can fit in the truck. Allow yourself at least a few extra hours of travel time, and plan a stop every couple of hours to let things cool off a little and give the truck a quick visual inspection. Two years ago we were about halfway to the park when we heard a banging noise from the front end. I pulled into a Cumberland Farms parking lot and upon climbing underneath I discovered that a bolt that holds the caliper adapter onto the differential had backed out partway, and the head was banging against the half-shaft bolts. So, I removed the wheel, half-shaft, rotor and caliper. Pulled out the culprit bolt, cleaned and coated it with red thread-locker, and reinstalled. Unfortunately, the brake line couldn’t take all the stress as I maneuvered the caliper back into place and it snapped. To make a long story short, we limped to an auto parts store for a new brake line, with the truck wearing half a soda bottle, a pair of vice-grips, and some duct tape. We lost a lot of time, but we had factored in a half-day cushion on our travel day and didn’t miss any wheeling time. By the way, I now carry a plethora of extra brake line and fittings with me, too. I wouldn’t want to go through that every year we go to Paragon, but I think we enjoyed the trails even more after we overcame those “on-road” difficulties. Same rule goes for the ride home. When planning for departure, allow a full day for the trip home. The extra overnight stay gives us plenty of time to inspect the rig, pick up any required parts, and repair any problems before we hit the pavement for home.

Second Tip

Self-sufficiency means doing whatever it takes

Second Tip: Be self-sufficient or go with other Hummer owners who have parts, tools and experience doing field repairs. Chris and I have been wheeling in my truck for quite a few years now, and we have gotten used to being a self-sufficient two-man crew. The Jeep and Toyota guys rarely have an extra part that will help out a broken Hummer, so if it can break you need to either bring the parts, tools and expertise to fix it, or have a backup plan to get your truck to someone else who can. When we went to the “Cool Ride 2003” event with JonFund Off-Road Club (http://www.jonfund.com), we were able to pull out our air tools and change out a broken half-shaft in the middle of a trail in less than 20 minutes from start to finish. We were also able to lend tools and fluids to a couple of other non-Hummer vehicles that had problems. In 2004, we went to Paragon with the National Hummer Club, Inc. (http://www.thehummerclubinc.com). They had AM General technicians and dealership mechanics at the event, as well as a trailer full of spare parts. If you go to an event that doesn’t have that kind of support, especially one without other Hummers, you had better be able to take care of any problem you encounter by yourself. Many other wheelers love to hate Hummers on the trail, and nobody wants to be stuck behind the expensive truck with a driver that has no idea how to fix the problem – so don’t be that guy!

Third Tip

Idling up the rocks on "Rattler

Third Tip: Hire a guide, or get a map and plan a route. Paragon is a big park, so if you try to meander through without a plan, you will inevitably lose your way, end up on a dead end, or miss out on the better trails. More than once I have been on a club ride where a trail leader did not thoroughly plan out a route, and we wasted part of the day, or missed a “promised” trail. There was even one instance at an event where a trail leader without a park guide led a group of beginner drivers into an expert rated trail, which got the group badly stuck for hours! Don’t try to save a few bucks if you don’t know your way around the park. The guides at Paragon are very helpful. Tell them what your experience level is and what you are looking for, and they can steer you to some trails that meet your needs without unnecessary wandering and lost time.

Fourth Tip

Three-wheeling on "Voo Doo"

Fourth Tip: Have fun, and challenge yourself! There are fewer and fewer places to wheel legally, so take full advantage of the opportunities in this off-road playground. Don’t wheel beyond your abilities, but if you are with other trucks that are taking on some difficult trails, watch how they do it and take a shot at tackling something tough yourself. If you always go out with the beginner crowd, talk to the intermediate crowd at dinner and get a feel for whether or not you are ready to step up. When you are on a challenging trail, ask for a spotter if you need one, but don’t back out too early when it gets tough. Work your way through it – you’ll be happy you did. From red-rated trails like “Voodoo” to NEUROC competition slopes, Paragon offers some trails that will push the limits of the Hummer, or any vehicle for that matter, and leave the driver grinning for days after it is over. Trust me, I know – I am grinning right now as I count the days until my next Paragon trip.