Jeep club roams roads to help motorists

In roadside ditches and especially slippery parking spaces, some drivers found help Monday from a roving band of local Jeep and off-roading enthusiasts.

Members of the Jeep and Wrenches Offroad Club put out the call for its members to assist with rides to work for emergency personnel and to volunteer aid along local roadways. Several put their four-wheel-drive trucks and towing kits to use, said president Kevin Woods of Hermitage.

One man helped a pair of minivans that were stuck in Spring Hill.

Another helped rotate a pair of cars that spun out in Nashville. Members are sharing their stories of assistance online, posting information about where people might be in need and warning about road ?conditions.

"You spend $1,000 on a winch, you want to use it," Woods said. "It's a hobby for us. We have enormous amounts of money invested in these vehicles and we have the knowledge — we actually do training on how to use their winch, their tow straps, their tools — so they know the proper way to do it."

The club includes about 70 paid members, but online groups top 700, so word got around fast. Woods said he also shared offers of aid on other local Facebook pages.

He said the idea follows other cities where Jeep clubs assist hospital employees in getting to work during inclement weather, although for now the Middle Tennessee group hasn't had many takers.

Chad Smith, of Springfield, said he provided early-morning rides for two hospital employees at NorthCrest Medical Center. On the way to help one person, he also encountered an all-terrain vehicle in a ditch and hauled that out.

Some ventured outside

At least one tourist destination, the Johnny Cash Museum, remained open.

The museum attracted New York City visitor Rebecca Hinde, who made a trek of about two miles from East Nashville — on foot.

"I'm staying in an Airbnb, so I'm not just going to sit around," she said. "And it's not that bad."

Hinde said she's used to such storms, and didn't encounter any problems on her walk, although some sidewalks weren't cleared.

She started her journey at Sky Blue Cafe, one of few restaurants she could find open on Monday.

"Lots of places are closed," she said.

Beauty amid the freeze

Professional photographer Heather LeRoy seized the opportunity Monday to capture a rare moment of icy beauty in Nashville.

Riding around the city in her black pickup truck, she stopped often to snap photos.

"I was like 'Wow, this makes Nashville so much more beautiful,' LeRoy said. "Nashville frozen makes it that much more fun."

LeRoy photographed a frozen row of trees near LP Field. She said she was inspired by a recent trip to Colorado.

"I didn't take this storm seriously until about midnight last night," she said.

She went to the grocery store for supplies.

"Even all the gluten-free bread was gone," she said.

Reach Tony Gonzalez at 615-259-8089 and on Twitter @tgonzalez.