Welcome to 2026 and welcome back to Driven276. In this episode I’m starting the year off in Gatlinburg, Tennessee, and I’m taking you along for the whole lead-up before we ever touch dirt. I show a quick look at Gatlinburg from the night before, including the drone light show and the New Year’s Eve ball drop, and then we kick New Year’s Day off the right way with breakfast at Flapjack’s Pancake Cabin—because if you’ve been in Gatlinburg or Pigeon Forge, you already know. After that, we make the trek out toward Old Buzzard Roost Road in my 2024 Chevy Colorado Trail Boss. You’ll see the I-40 reconstruction areas and the damage aftermath from Hurricane Helene, plus the construction progress you have to drive through to get to the trail. Once we hit Old Buzzard Roost, it earns that ONX level 3 rating—there’s a water crossing, a steep climb right after it, tighter sections, and more rock as you go. I left the Colorado in Auto 4WD and let the truck figure it out, and it did really well. Forest roads can get confusing, and I did end up second-guessing signage and getting turned around. ONX GPS isn’t always the best in offline areas, so I had to fiddle with it and correct course, but that’s part of the adventure. I also compare it to Buzzard Roost Road on the way out—way less technical—and I’d recommend both routes if you’ve got a high-clearance 4x4 and you’re in the Smokies region.