Humming along in an off-road paradise

MIKE FLOYD
Published Date: 9/20/04

Call it one of those "Wouldn’t it be cool if?" moments: Jordan Weyand and his cohorts in the recreation department at the Nemacolin Woodlands Resort & Spa in Farmington, Pennsylvania, were kicking around ideas and talk turned to an off-road course. Yes, that would be cool. They had plenty of available land and pie-in-the-sky ideas, but no vehicles.

Then one day Weyand came to work and noticed two Hummer H1s parked in one of the resort’s hotel driveways.

"At first I thought it was just a couple of guests," Weyand recalls.

Nope, those were the bosses’ H1s. Joe Hardy, Nemacolin Resort and 84 Lumber chain owner, had heard the chatter and blindsided Weyand and company, buying the Hummers and telling them to go for it.

Yes, sir, we’ll get right on it, sir.

First, some recon was in order, so the Nemacolin crew went to the official Hummer H2 Academy in South Bend, Indiana, for ideas. All they got from GM was a "Good luck with that." After the Indiana visit, sketches turned to drawings turned to a full-fledged, kick-butt concrete and woodlands off-roading paradise.

Opened in October 2002, Nemacolin’s Off-Road Driving Academy was designed with the novice in mind—it is yet another of the resort’s multitude of outdoor activities for its well-heeled guests, many of whom have likely never been off any road. But there are more than enough challenges in the Academy’s 600-acre spread to satisfy the hard-core enthusiast.



The Academy’s first stop is The Rock, a concrete course complete with a 60-degree incline, 40-degree side slope and other obstacles designed to acclimate the driver to the Hummer’s capabilities and what to expect in the woods. The resort’s fleet has grown to four H1s and two H2s, all of which have held up well, Weyand said.

After some rockin’, we took off in an H1 to The Crater, the Academy’s newest area, seven acres of inclines, water-fording ponds, moguls and other challenges the rec department constantly tinkers with to amp up the fun factor. On the way we rambled up some sweet rock steps.

It was then off to the trails where nasty two-tracks wind through a tree-strewn wilderness on the resort’s grounds. When it rains, it gets good and mucky, and even an H1 has gotten stuck on a rare occasion. We could see why as we inched up, down and around fallen limbs, gnarly ruts and other natural hazards.

If you’re a guest of the resort you can schedule an appointment for a two-hour tour with instruction for $275. If you own a Hummer and would like to give the Academy a try, drive-ups are welcome (sorry Jeep owners, etc.—only Hummers allow-ed here) for $125, $50 on Sundays. The Academy also hosts dealer-sponsored Hummer Happening events where dozens of Hummers converge on the course.

The Academy has been so successful that Weyand is floating another idea: autocrossing. Yep, that would be cool, too. Are you listening, Mr. Hardy?

Humming along in an off-road paradise

MIKE FLOYD
Published Date: 9/20/04

Call it one of those "Wouldn’t it be cool if?" moments: Jordan Weyand and his cohorts in the recreation department at the Nemacolin Woodlands Resort & Spa in Farmington, Pennsylvania, were kicking around ideas and talk turned to an off-road course. Yes, that would be cool. They had plenty of available land and pie-in-the-sky ideas, but no vehicles.

Then one day Weyand came to work and noticed two Hummer H1s parked in one of the resort’s hotel driveways.

"At first I thought it was just a couple of guests," Weyand recalls.

Nope, those were the bosses’ H1s. Joe Hardy, Nemacolin Resort and 84 Lumber chain owner, had heard the chatter and blindsided Weyand and company, buying the Hummers and telling them to go for it.

Yes, sir, we’ll get right on it, sir.

First, some recon was in order, so the Nemacolin crew went to the official Hummer H2 Academy in South Bend, Indiana, for ideas. All they got from GM was a "Good luck with that." After the Indiana visit, sketches turned to drawings turned to a full-fledged, kick-butt concrete and woodlands off-roading paradise.

Opened in October 2002, Nemacolin’s Off-Road Driving Academy was designed with the novice in mind—it is yet another of the resort’s multitude of outdoor activities for its well-heeled guests, many of whom have likely never been off any road. But there are more than enough challenges in the Academy’s 600-acre spread to satisfy the hard-core enthusiast.



The Academy’s first stop is The Rock, a concrete course complete with a 60-degree incline, 40-degree side slope and other obstacles designed to acclimate the driver to the Hummer’s capabilities and what to expect in the woods. The resort’s fleet has grown to four H1s and two H2s, all of which have held up well, Weyand said.

After some rockin’, we took off in an H1 to The Crater, the Academy’s newest area, seven acres of inclines, water-fording ponds, moguls and other challenges the rec department constantly tinkers with to amp up the fun factor. On the way we rambled up some sweet rock steps.

It was then off to the trails where nasty two-tracks wind through a tree-strewn wilderness on the resort’s grounds. When it rains, it gets good and mucky, and even an H1 has gotten stuck on a rare occasion. We could see why as we inched up, down and around fallen limbs, gnarly ruts and other natural hazards.

If you’re a guest of the resort you can schedule an appointment for a two-hour tour with instruction for $275. If you own a Hummer and would like to give the Academy a try, drive-ups are welcome (sorry Jeep owners, etc.—only Hummers allow-ed here) for $125, $50 on Sundays. The Academy also hosts dealer-sponsored Hummer Happening events where dozens of Hummers converge on the course.

The Academy has been so successful that Weyand is floating another idea: autocrossing. Yep, that would be cool, too. Are you listening, Mr. Hardy?

Humming along in an off-road paradise

MIKE FLOYD
Published Date: 9/20/04

Call it one of those "Wouldn’t it be cool if?" moments: Jordan Weyand and his cohorts in the recreation department at the Nemacolin Woodlands Resort & Spa in Farmington, Pennsylvania, were kicking around ideas and talk turned to an off-road course. Yes, that would be cool. They had plenty of available land and pie-in-the-sky ideas, but no vehicles.

Then one day Weyand came to work and noticed two Hummer H1s parked in one of the resort’s hotel driveways.

"At first I thought it was just a couple of guests," Weyand recalls.

Nope, those were the bosses’ H1s. Joe Hardy, Nemacolin Resort and 84 Lumber chain owner, had heard the chatter and blindsided Weyand and company, buying the Hummers and telling them to go for it.

Yes, sir, we’ll get right on it, sir.

First, some recon was in order, so the Nemacolin crew went to the official Hummer H2 Academy in South Bend, Indiana, for ideas. All they got from GM was a "Good luck with that." After the Indiana visit, sketches turned to drawings turned to a full-fledged, kick-butt concrete and woodlands off-roading paradise.

Opened in October 2002, Nemacolin’s Off-Road Driving Academy was designed with the novice in mind—it is yet another of the resort’s multitude of outdoor activities for its well-heeled guests, many of whom have likely never been off any road. But there are more than enough challenges in the Academy’s 600-acre spread to satisfy the hard-core enthusiast.



The Academy’s first stop is The Rock, a concrete course complete with a 60-degree incline, 40-degree side slope and other obstacles designed to acclimate the driver to the Hummer’s capabilities and what to expect in the woods. The resort’s fleet has grown to four H1s and two H2s, all of which have held up well, Weyand said.

After some rockin’, we took off in an H1 to The Crater, the Academy’s newest area, seven acres of inclines, water-fording ponds, moguls and other challenges the rec department constantly tinkers with to amp up the fun factor. On the way we rambled up some sweet rock steps.

It was then off to the trails where nasty two-tracks wind through a tree-strewn wilderness on the resort’s grounds. When it rains, it gets good and mucky, and even an H1 has gotten stuck on a rare occasion. We could see why as we inched up, down and around fallen limbs, gnarly ruts and other natural hazards.

If you’re a guest of the resort you can schedule an appointment for a two-hour tour with instruction for $275. If you own a Hummer and would like to give the Academy a try, drive-ups are welcome (sorry Jeep owners, etc.—only Hummers allow-ed here) for $125, $50 on Sundays. The Academy also hosts dealer-sponsored Hummer Happening events where dozens of Hummers converge on the course.

The Academy has been so successful that Weyand is floating another idea: autocrossing. Yep, that would be cool, too. Are you listening, Mr. Hardy?

This is a nice place to play, our HH was there in July and we had a great time.