Ric and Lynn Barton

Ric and Lynn Barton joined the GBR in 1999. They had long been looking for a family-oriented 4x4 club to join with their children Casey, Kira and Conner. The GBR fit that bill perfectly. They met many of the club members on a "wild cat" ride lead by Jay Bird at Rich Mountain. They knew immediately this was a group they would enjoy being part of. Since then they have made many close friends through the club and become part of the family that is the GBR.

They came to the club with a pretty much bone-stock 1996 Jeep Cherokee which was Ric's second. Within 2 months they had added 4.

5 inches of lift, 31 inch MTs and a host of other doodads. The intial build-up was just in time for their first "Winter Madness" with the club. The group was blessed with a nice snow storm that really made the weekend. Within a couple of years their XJ grew to 6.5 inches of lift and 33 inch tires and has held steady there for the most part.

Ric and Lynn are part of the GBR "camper club". This is a small group where the husbands have done what is needed to ensure their wives continue to ride with them on the trails by providing a comfortable place to come home to during camp-out trail rides weekends. Lynn really earned this though, having spent their 13th wedding anniversary in a tent on Tellico's Trail 8 so they wouldn't miss that month's trail ride.

Having served on the GBR Board of Directors numerous times, Ric and Lynn consider it an honor and a privilege to have the opportunity to be able to give back a small portion of what this club-family has given to them over the years.

The latest chapter in their life within the GBR is the newly formed GBR2 (squared) or "Georgia Bike Riders". This is a group of folks within the club that enjoy getting out in nature on two wheels in addition to the usual four. With the spike in fuel prices in 2008, many of the club members found that this was the most economic way to get together and keep heading out into the woods when trail closings and soaring fuel costs kept their trail rigs at home.

The most recent addition to the Barton's off-road family is their daughter Kira's 2000 Jeep Cherokee. She worked hard, saved and bought this XJ herself. Ric couldn't have been more proud!

In addition to a couple of "trail molded" doors, here are the current specs of Ric and Lynn's 1996 Jeep Cherokee:

33x12.50 BFG MTs, Super 35 rear with Detroit, Lil ol' Dana 30 with TruTrack up front; 4.56s; Warn HS9500i; Rusty's 6.5" lift, adjustable UCAs, skid plates, K&N Air Tube, & other odds-n-ends. - GBR2 - Mongoose Wing Comp Pro, 26-Inch MTB 70 millimeters of travel :-)