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Hagerty Silver Summit – Day Two

When we awoke in Telluride, it was to clear skies and incredible views. Towering peaks of granite, lightly snow topped, rising up beyond our condos to blue skies. Below, an eclectic selection of classic cars awaiting more twisty roads. My Instagram started pinging updates at about 7am, a number of entrants were posting photos of their morning coffee along with a classic car and the mountain view. Collectively we all had the same message; “a wonderful thing to wake up to”.

With the driver’s meeting over, we began our descent from Telluride into a route which would take us from rugged rocky mountains with towering pine trees, through desert scrubland and into red rock canyons carved by years of water and river movements. While travelled just 366 miles over the day, it was like changing worlds completely. The Canyons surrounding Moab seemingly having zero connection to the peaks of Telluride..

Our group explored Hole N” the Wall, a famous 50’s road-side stop that still holds all the charm and leaves the impression of stepping back in time. Some toured Arches National park, taking in the wonder of massive stone arches formed by wind and water erosion. Some enjoyed Colorado National Monument, a twisting road with breath-taking views of stone spires, coke ovens and other geological formations. We had shared the same roads, but enjoyed different experiences throughout the day.

Dinner tonight was a gathering of friends, a chance to share stories of the day, and to show off plaid purchases in the past year. Apparently we now have an unofficial “Plaid Party” on Saturday nights! Dave’s love of flannel and plaid is clearly rubbing off of the Colorado natives. As dinner wound to a close, tools were borrowed and parts were sourced, and the party continued outside in the parking lot. A Datsun was getting some cooling fan work, a beetle was needing a hand brake adjustment, another Datsun was getting some cosmetic adjustments. A 914 hosted the “roof top bar”, and friendships (new and old) were celebrated.

As we drove today, through incredible views and changing scenery, I was struck by how different the areas were, our cars were, and our different walks of life. I enjoyed the Rally Bug as Erik Bergman, Jacob Fielding, and Ross Nellums all took a turn at driving it. Each had a slightly different take on the car, but collectively could agree why I love it so much. As we drove along, discussing work, cars and life…I one again enjoyed that events like these are so much more than the cars, the roads, or the scenery. The thing that makes the Hagerty Silver Summit so special is the people.

Enthusiasts gathered for one single reason; to enjoy classic car motoring on fantastic roads. Does it get any better than this?

(Special thanks to Andrew Snucins and Dan Evans for another day of absolutely incredible photography.)

SS2018 – Day One

How do you put the perfect day into words?

I’m honestly not sure it’s possible to share the beauty of today with those who didn’t get to experience it. Last year, as I led the driver’s meeting inside at the beginning of the Silver Summit, I was looking out to a foot and half of snow in Golden Colorado. This year, outside in a t-shirt and shorts, we basked in the sun of Clifton as I went over the usual driving expectations. First year guests were asked to raise their hands, but already they were becoming close friends. Our unofficial Thursday night welcoming party was possibly trumped by the “pre-party” parking lot gathering that occurred while waiting for cabs to dinner. By the time we started Friday morning, everyone was at least somewhat acquainted. “What car did you bring?”, “Oh, how did you hear about the event.” Friendships, which prove to be long term, were being formed.

We began the day by climbing up the Grand Mesa, a risky choice for anyone in a classic car. If you can make it to the top without overheating or a mechanical failure, you’re probably going to survive the whole weekend without problem. It’s steep, and long, and sure to test your car to the max. Once on top, however, the altitude and melting snow help to cool cars as they head south towards Delta. We looped slightly north and then dropped down into Gateway, where a number of guests stopped at the Gateway Canyons Resort for lunch and a tour of the auto museum on site.

Following lunch, we pointed our cars south on highway 141 and perhaps my favourite road in all of North America. Certainly one my top three. The Gateway Canyon highway follows the Dolores River has it snakes its way left and right. The highway is a combination of 180 degree bends, tight 90’s and fast flowing sweepers. Remote and desolate, one carves along the canyons enjoying beautiful red rock cliffs and views of the flowing river. For our journey, we shared the road with 914’s, a 911, the Fiat Spider, a Datsun 240z and a Healey Sprite. Corners were carved, suspensions were loaded, steering wheels gripped, as we wound our way through twenty-nine miles of incredible twisties.

Soon we were leaving the desert and climbing towards the town of Telluride. The heat of the desert made way for the cooling breeze of mountain evergreens, appreciated by both car and crews alike. We arrived at the Mountain Lodge Telluride, where the group enjoyed a cocktail party in the log-home-style lodge, followed by the traditional group dinner. As I travelled from table to table to see how the day went, two themes became apparent. Our group loved the roads and fun driving, but appreciated the chance to spend time with fellow car enthusiasts the most. Epic mountain views, a fantastic parking lot party, and incredible machinery was all just icing on the cake…

A huge thank you to Andrew Snucins and Dan Evans for their stunning photography.

2018 Hagerty Spring Thaw – Day Two and Three

Saturday morning arrived early, very early, for everyone involved. Entrants were offered two options for the morning; attend the 8:15am driver’s meeting, or check-in with the organizers at the 11am ferry crossing. And so, as I headed towards the lobby for coffee at 8am, I wasn’t expecting to meet with more than a handful of guests. I was shocked to discover, the lobby couldn’t hold the crowd.

Spring Thaw entrants sure are a hearty bunch! If a six hour highway closure couldn’t break their spirits, an early morning and little sleep was nothing more than an opportunity for more jokes and laughter. The sun was shining, the mountains views were incredible, and we had twisty roads ahead of us.

Departing Revelstoke, we headed south on highway 23 towards the Shelter-Bay / Galena Bay ferry. The road is sparsely populated, curves wonderfully above the banks of Upper Arrow Lake, and offers mountain views worthy of the trip alone. Ferry trips, with classic car friends, are a special experience. Rarely do we get the opportunity to hang out as a large group mid-day, and a short wait for the ferry and a cruise across the lake is the perfect opportunity. A little further south, and the town of Nakusp hosted us for lunch in multiple local eateries.

Following lunch, it was my favourite highway in all of British Columbia. The number 6 between Needles and Lumby may not have the elevation changes of the Duffy Lake Road, but it delivers a unique blend of lake side curves, canyon carving, and mountain switchbacks. From Lumby, it’s was onto Vernon, and then a CCA favourite of Barnhartvale Road into Kamloops.

Arriving at the Hotel 540, we were greeted by the doorman and whisked below to the Underground Parking, completely reserved for our entire group. A brief parking lot party was enjoyed before dinner, where we packed two nights of presentations into a single dinner. Our guests joining us for their fifth Spring Thaw were welcomed into “The Five Year Patch” club, and following that we honoured those who were earning their “Ten Year Patch”. Exclusive Ten-Year T-shirts were gifted to the group by Calye Lacefield and her company JBM Press, and then we moved onto the give-aways. Each year the guests on the Hagerty Spring Thaw are treated to a prize table of gifts donated by Dave Koszegi and the Dave Team Realty group, RWM & Co. and Eautomobilia.ca (Ted Wilkinson’s shop). Their table-spilling donations were added to by Brightsource.ca and P&R Trucking to make a truly memorable collection of goodies. We had Monaco F1 memorabilia, exclusive wine selections, a Jim Clark print, tools galore and a collection of collectable models worthy of the finest living room display.

As the party upstairs was winding down, the party in the parking garage was just getting started. In some corners, the focus was on repairs needed for the next day. A Jaguar was receiving new gaskets to stem an oil leak. Volunteers were sourced to de-bead a tire for a tube swap. In other corners, it was simply a time to share stories and admire the cars in attendance. Hotel staff joined the fun, asking questions and taking photos of the cars to send to friends. “You won’t believe what we have staying here tonight…a Delorean!”

We may have started the day on little sleep, but knowing we had just three days to spend together meant we’d be taking all the time we could to enjoy the time with our fellow car-nut friends.

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The final day of the Hagerty Spring Thaw would bring a favourite route for all involved. Kamloops to Pemberton and only mean one thing, we’d get to drive Marble Canyon and onto the Duffy Lake Road. The run began dry, and halfway through the Duffy Lake road became damp with a slight bit of rain…or almost snow-flakes…depending on the elevation. We travelled in packs, enjoying the final curves and twists in mixed groups of cars. Where else can you find a VW beetle mixing it up with a Lancia Fulvia 1600 HF, a Datsun 240, a Mini and a Ferrari Dino? Only on a Classic Car Adventure’s event, and the mixes were truly eclectic!

With the final descent into Pemberton complete, we headed to a local golf course for the final lunch and awards ceremony. Adam Trinder, and his rear-engined motorcycle-powered Mini were the unfortunate recipient of the “Hard-Luck Award”. A fun run over the Duffy was cancelled by a loss of drive, and Adam rode home to Vancouver on the back of a tow-truck. Scott Stanuil and Sterling Sobczak earned the McGyver award for their ingenious radiator fix on day-one. A rock pierced a serious hole in the radiator of their Datsun, but JB-Weld, aluminum tape, solder and vice-grips were all used in the repair that got them into town and a local radiator shop.

The Hagerty Spirit of the Thaw award was renamed for 2018, honouring the memory of David Ellis, a five-time Spring Thaw entrant. The Spirit Award is saved for the entrant(s) who best demonstrate both the enthusiasm for classic car ownership, and a desire to share that enthusiasm with other people. This year, the list of people worthy of our finest award was long, but in the end there could be only one winner. Arriving upon the stricken motorcycle-powered mini, our honoured entrant could have simply waved and offered to call Hagerty Roadside Assistance. Instead, not one to leave a man behind, Morgan Hay opened his trunk and offered assistance in the best way he could. You might say say Morgan and Adam were tied together by a love of curves and mountain passes. You could say Morgan reached out, and pulled Adam from the brink of disaster…and a long wait for a tow truck. You should definitely wonder why they remained linked for the downhill section, vs simply coasting it out at a slightly different spacing! Regardless, Morgan would not leave Adam and Bob Trinder stranded behind!

And so, for his willingness to put his own Duffy drive aside and render the best assistance possible to a fellow entrant, Morgan Hay is the first recipient of the David Ellis Spirit of the Thaw Award.

With the event closed for another year, we begin to dream of the 2019 Hagerty Spring Thaw…but in the meantime, Andrew Snucins and Samantha Snucins have a wonderful preview of images below. We’ll post up a link to the full photo gallery as soon as they’ve had some sleep, and the editing is completed!

2017 Hagerty Maple Mille – Day Two

A tradition at Classic Car Adventures is the parking lot party. At every event we do, it becomes a natural thing to enjoy stories with fellow enthusiasts at the end of a day of driving. Standing in the parking lot at 1am, with the party still in full swing, it was perhaps a little out of character…but with the day we had, and the location we were in, it seemed absolutely perfect.

Saturday morning in Gananoque began as any driving adventure does. There were classic cars being warmed up, trunks being packed, coffee and breakfast being searched out. Where yesterday’s roads were flowing and meandering, today’s would serve up the twisties. Our route began by heading north, towards cottage and lake country.

Within minutes of leaving our hotel, the pink and grey rocks of the Canadian Shield began to show itself in the rock cuts, river banks, and surrounding hills. Ancient glaciation stripped the shield of it’s soil, and cut its many lakes into the surface. In more recent times, the Canadian shield has proven challenging for road builders, who often choose to go around rather than through it’s many outcroppings. For drivers, this means many twists and turns, ups and downs, and wonderful motoring!

Following Phil’s Jaguar XK120 through the turns, with the red paint playing beautifully against the early changing leaves, you could see how suited the car was for today. We enjoyed an hour of touring with Phil and Linda, enjoying the curves and the lakeside scenery, before they pulled over and we reluctantly agreed to pass. I was a little sad to see such a wonderful car disappear in my rear view mirror, but then quickly realized who was now filling it!

The corner of my eye would catch the light blue or red in my rear view mirror, and I soon realized I was the 5.0L Mustang leading a gang of Porsche 356’s and 911’s! With cottaging season over, and our selected route through more remote locations, we could open up the throttle a little more than yesterday. Lakeside views were replaced by apexes and concentration, as the speed limits rarely dip for the twisty sections. The 5.0L barked at each use of the throttle, and I did my best to keep from slowing the Germans down.

We travelled north, and then south, and then north, and then south, and then…You get the picture. We zig-zagged on multiple highways and country roads as the route book took participants over the best the region had to offer.Gas stops and coffee stops were in tiny towns, with wonderful history. You would be filling up at a modern gas station, while gazing across the street at a general store or post office originally built in 1904.

Around mid day we pointed our cars west, and began to head through the Kawartha Highlands. With potential lunch spots sparce, the recommendation to pickup a picnic lunch was utilized by many. We saw folks stopped at lake side and river side parks, enjoying a period-correct lunch style not often used in today’s road trips.

The remainder of our route today took us through Bancroft, Kinmount and south-west to Beaverton. From there it was a quick dip to the southern shore of Lake Simcoe, where our group arrived at Jackson’s Point. Here we parked our cars lakeside, and began the post-drive parking lot party.

Perhaps it was our late arrival, or the beauty of our lakeside setting, but it seemed dinner time was suddenly upon us, before we could fully enjoy the socializing and winding down. Could it be that’s why the party continued after dinner?

Each of our rooms in the resort had a door that opened into our reserved parking area. As I made my way towards one of the many rooms I had been invited to for a “post dinner party”, I was expecting a small in-room gathering, and figured I’d make my way from one party to the next. Instead, I discovered the entire event was outside mingling in a big parking-lot social. Where we may have spent the day driving primarily in groups of Porsches, Mustangs or British cars…at night, the group becomes one of a single designation; great friends, new and old…

Today’s photos are once again provided by Ralph Saulnier

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2017 Hagerty Maple Mille – Day One

The classic car world is full of stereotypes; British cars have terrible electrical systems…Porsche enthusiasts won’t drive in the rain…Italian cars only come in red…Japanese cars aren’t really classics…the list is long, and usually ridiculous. The one stereotype that has held up over the years, however, is that American brand car owners “don’t drive their cars”.

The Hagerty Maple Mille began today, as with all our events, at the morning driver’s meeting. Route book instructions, driving styles, cautions and Hagerty road-side-assistance were highlighted, before the entire group set out to explore Northumberland and Prince Edward Counties.

We began in Bowmanville, and quickly zipped down to the shores of Lake Ontario where we wound our way through the twisties and trees, crossing historic bridges and towns you’d never realize were just a stones-throw from Highway 401. We explored north to Warkworth, and down through the lakes of Glen Ross before stopping for lunch in Wellington (or Picton). From there it was the twisty and flowing roads of Prince Edward County, winding our way through the vineyards and farms before arriving at the Glenora Ferry. A quick ferry trip, which helped to gather the group and give a break for stories, before we were off to visit historic Kingston. Finally, a short 20km later, we were pulling into Gananoque for our overnight stay. The temperatures were quite warm all day, and it was either into the pool, dipping our feet, or parking lot beers that helped to cool us off.

Here in year three, you’d be hard pressed to figure out whether American Muscle, or European Sports Car is the predominate enthusiast. We’re almost split 50/50, with the American’s taking a sizeable (yuk yuk) portion of the parking lot. What is going on? I decided I must infiltrate the ranks to find out.

I started this morning as co-driver in Paul Hord’s 1966 Mustang Coupe. I can remember being 5 years old going for Ice-Cream in this particular Mustang, back when it was a 289 Automatic. So it was pretty exciting to ride with Paul in what has become a restored 302 5spd car with wonderfully throaty noise and a fantastic amounts of horsepower. In our driving group today were three other Mustangs, and a Ford Fairline 500. We toured flowing driving roads and wonderful small towns. We stopped for butter tarts, lunch in stone-mason building and even stopped to check out a church…turned brewery. Along the way we gathered a Datsun 1600, the Plymouth Fury and even an original Audi Quattro for part of the journey.

I set out today to discover what makes these particular Ford enthusiasts different, why they love driving their cars so much, and how I might encourage more American brand enthusiasts to try out the Classic Car Adventures brand of excitement…

What I discovered, however, is a group of die-hard driving enthusiasts, friends who are exactly like my driving friends back home. Their love of exploring, driving and road trips is what fuels their passion. The brand of car never came into question, just as my Mini and Italian friends back home don’t look down on me in my lowly Volkswagen. We’re car people, we’re driving people, we love the open road. My new group of Ford Mustang friends are exactly the same. Come to think of it, these Ford folks have done more miles today than 90% of my VW buddies back home have done all summer. Hmmmmmmmm….

Nine years ago, as Warwick and I set out to create the concept for Classic Car Adventures, one of our primary rules was “the type of car doesn’t matter”. Today I re-discovered how true that is. It’s about the people, the love of driving and a chance to get out and enjoy the roads together.

Our wonderful Hagerty Maple Mille Photographer Ralph Saulnier, was out chasing us down on his Motorcycle all day. A selection of his photographs are below.

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The 2017 Hagerty Fall Classic “Alternate”

Turning the corner at Spences Bridge towards Merritt, it dawned on me…this is the first time in about 8 years that Warwick and I have driven the back roads of BC together, each in our own cars, just the two of us. It was just another reminder of how incredible this weekend had turned out to be.

(Gallery of Photos at the Bottom of the page!)

Our original plan for the weekend was the Hagerty Fall Classic, departing from Troutdale Oregon. With just 8 days to go before the event, forest fires raging in the area of our route forced us to cancel the event. Suddenly we all found ourselves with a weekend free, and nothing to do. Well, shouldn’t we go driving?!

And with that, the “Hagerty Fall Classic Alternate” was created! An idea of what could be done for the weekend was emailed out to our original entrants. Despite having almost no specifics on timing, route, or even if hotels and meals would be available, the positive replies kept coming in. “Car #3 is in for the Alternate!”, “Michael and Don are in”, “are you kidding, we wouldn’t miss it!

And so there we were, Friday night, hanging out in Squamish nearly six hundred miles North of where we thought we’d be. But for this group, it simply didn’t matter. It was old-friends getting to see each other once again. It was new, never-before-entrants, becoming instant friends over dinner. It was excitement, friendship and anticipation…exactly the way the night before an event should be.

We started the next day heading North through Whistler and Pemberton, and then up the Duffy Lake road to Lillooet. Initially the Duffy Lake road was pretty frustrating, as we cruised behind an RV for nearly 25kilometers. I had been following the RV with Michael and Don in the Alfa Romeo, and John and Marci in the BMW. Once we passed him, however, we discovered something wonderful. He’d been holding up traffic for so long, the road was empty all the way to Lillooet!

Our entire group filled up together in Lillooet, before heading off for Lunch in Cache Creek. I joined in with the Mini pack, as they made their way Horsting’s Farmers Market, a personal favourite of theirs. Soon other entrants who had heard Deanna and Nolan’s praise of the place started filtering in. Anyone who hadn’t made it to Horsting’s was dining just up the road at Hungry Herbies Drive-In, a personal road-trip favourite of mine. I must say, after our lunch in Horsting’s, you simply must meet the Mini crew. It would appear Nolan, Deanna, Larry, Anne, Martin and Cori have a knack for finding the best treats and eats in all of BC. With the afternoon in full swing, and a cinnamon bun coma on it’s way, we really needed to hit the road!

As we turned the corner at Spences Bridge, I began to think back to 2008, when we were still forming the idea of what would become Classic Car Adventures. Warwick and I were discussing the way a good event “should be”, and Warwick brought up Highway 8 to Merritt. At that time, Warwick was “the road guy”, and I can still remember the way he described the corners, the elevation changes, the scenery…as though he had just driven it. In many ways, “Highway 8”, was one of the roads which helped us to figure out what we should do.

Driving with a good friend is something we both enjoy. When Warwick is driving, and I’m co-piloting, I never have to worry. I don’t hit the imaginary brake pedal, or find myself grabbing hold of anything in the car (unless it’s out of excitement!). Similarly, when I’m driving, Warwick has never told me to slow down, or tensed up as though I should be. Driving with Warwick is fun…but driving with Warwick, when we’re each in our own car, is even more fun. The beetle and the mini are equally matched in many ways, and yet so very different. We setup for corners in a totally different style. I typically brake, moving weight to the front and power though. Where I’m heavy handed, Warwick, is smooth. Rarely do you see the brake lights come on, he sets the line and drives through in a way that doesn’t seem possible. And here I was, following him through on one of his favourite roads, studying his line and trying to ‘smooth out’ the Rally Beetle to match.

As we filled up in Merritt, a whole crew of other cars met us. The Staffords, the Shepards, the McLagans, the Hollidays and Robert & Jaclyn from RWM had all followed a short bit behind us. “Did you see the herd of Mountain Goats!?!”, they asked us. “How about the momma bear and cubs?!” Warwick and I sheepishly admitted we hadn’t…the only thing I saw was the pavement and Warwick’s Mini!

A short trip up to Kamloops via the 5A, and we met the rest of the group who had already checked into the Hotel 540. A wonderful dinner, drinks and fantastic stories rounded out the rest of our evening before bed. Only one yellow-card was handed out on day one, it would seem the Rally Beetle has a burnt out tail-light!

Sunday morning started bright and early (who plans these driver’s meetings at 8:45am?!), and with the sun shining. Our weather forecast was suggesting rain, but we’d enjoy as much as we could before it started. My goal for today was to try and drive a section of road with each of our participants.

I missed Michael and Don in the Alfa, and John and Marci in the BMW…but I figured that was okay, as we had enjoyed much of the Duffy Lake road together the day previous. Similarly the Mini’s passed me as I was at the gas station with Robert and his Aston, and Ron & Lars in the 2002. The three of us headed down highway 5A together, but not before a very brief uphill run with Malcolm and Geraldine in their MG TC. As the 2002, Aston DB4 and I enjoyed the lakeside curves of highway 5A, I began to think about how perfect the weekend was turning out. I could have stayed all day with those two, but I had other cars to try and experience! Onwards to Merritt!

In Merritt I caught up with Sue and Charlie (Alfa Duetto), Curt and Helaine (Caterham), Robert and Jacyln (BMW Z4), Jim and Sue (E-Type) and then suddenly Warwick pulled in with his Mini. Together we formed a pack, and headed our way down to Princeton. Warwick led, with the rest of us in tow, as we slalomed our way through one of the best driving roads of the province. Upon reaching Princeton, we turned West towards Tulameen, and it was my turn to lead.

The road to Tulameen is the closest thing BC has to Colorado driving. It’s an almost un-ending collection of curves, dips, climbs and descents that roller coaster you from Princeton all the way to Tulameen. It rewards precision driving, and the drop-offs ensure that you remember to keep it responsible! Coming into a corner close to Tulameen we finally caught the Porsche 911’s! Funny enough, Klaus, Joe and Wendy were all parked at the side of the road ready to take pictures of us. (You know, it seems you never see a 911 moving…only “arrived at destination” or waiting for you at the side of the road! I really must get one; they must be a phenomenal car to drive…)

In Tulameen we stopped for coffee, enjoying a quick break with the Mini’s, and the Porsches, before turning around for the drive to Princeton. From there it was onto Manning Park where we finished once again at the Manning Park Lodge. As I stood up to thank everyone, and take care of my usual end-of-event announcements I realized I hadn’t prepared anything at all.

Before the Hagerty Fall Alternate began, I would have said most (if not all) our entrants were friends of mine. But it wasn’t until about halfway through the event that I realized just how good these friends really are. We’re all wired for a love of driving, for a love of getting out there with others. I didn’t set out to create the “Fall Alternate” because I felt I had to offer a replacement for the Fall Classic, I simply still wanted to drive great roads with great people. Similarly, everyone on the event was emailing or calling to join the replacement event even before there were any plans in place. It wasn’t about the destination, or the particular roads. They simply wanted to have a fun weekend with other classic car nuts.

We hadn’t explored new roads in Oregon, but we had run great roads in BC, with great friends. We hadn’t just made the best of a cancelled weekend, we made the weekend into one of best I’ve had all year. The “Hagerty Fall Classic Alternate” sticker will be one of my favourites on the Rally Bug’s side window for many years to come.

A very special thank you to Andrew and Kristen Holliday for all the wonderful photos featured here. We’ll post a full gallery of the Fall Classic Photos as soon as they’re available. http://aholliday.com/

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2017 Hagerty Silver Summit – Day Three

The morning parking lot was sunny and warm, with only a light flurry of activity. The VW Beetle enjoyed a condenser change, and was now running like a VW should. Hmmm…were we chasing “fuel issues” all weekend that were actually ignition related? The smell of starter fluid was wafting across the parking lot, a fairly obvious clue that the Datsun was attempting it’s morning start ritual. But otherwise, it was a relatively easy morning. Stories and laughter were shared in the sunshine before the driver’s meeting began.

With this the final day of the event, I reminded guests of the timing and need to “keep moving” so we could all enjoy the finish awards together. It was somewhat difficult to hide my excitement for today’s route, and the anticipation was shared with everyone who had driven it before. Leaving the parking lot, we turned North onto Highway 550…the famous “Million Dollar Highway”.

If you’ve ever read a magazine article which lists “the best places to drive” in either the USA, North America, or even the world, Highway 550 has been one of the featured destinations. Traveling north from Durango the route follows the Animas river, under the Hermosa Cliffs. Soon, Engineer Mountain becomes visible…the clue for those in the know that things are going to become very interesting. The next 40 minutes is spent gripping the wheel, rowing through the gears, and testing the nerves of your co-driver. We passed over Coal Bank Pass, and then onto the Molas Pass…enjoying views of Molas Lake, the Animas River Gorge, and multitudes of snowy mountain peaks. A temporary traffic stop (in place for avalanche debris clearing), gathered our group for a stunning view of the town of Silverton in the valley below. It was here, while overlooking Silverton six years ago, that I decided Classic Car Adventures needed an event in Colorado.

As I was thinking about the last two days, and the sunny drive we were all enjoying, and just how awesome this whole thing was, Mark Gomez called my name, and pointed at his car. His 1967 Mustang Coupe, fresh from a suspension, steering and brake upgrade, was mine to pilot down into Silverton and beyond. After a quick gas stop it was “Team America” heading North to Ouray. Two of the three Mustangs, the ’67 Camaro and the Olds 442 would travel together. Leaving Silverton the highway heads up the Mineral Creek Valley, before running up the Red Mountain Pass, and through the Uncompahgre Gorge. If you’re co-driver wasn’t nervous before, they sure would be now!

The stretch through the gorge is challenging and potentially hazardous. There are tight switch backs, steep cliffs which meet the road edge on either side, and zero guardrails. This section is known as the Million Dollar Highway, as it’s rumoured it cost a million dollars a mile to build. I suppose, when you think about it, they were on a budget…no money left over for guardrails or safety!

Soon, however, you begin a steep decent though switchbacks that literally ribbon across each other. If you time it right, you can see 3 levels of your classic car friends in some of the corner sections. The road straightens out of for a moment, turns a tight curve around a cliffside, and the Town of Ouray suddenly becomes visible in the Valley below. Our entire group managed to meet up for a coffee and ice-cream stop in the town, enjoying the many buildings from the late 1800’s, before heading North towards the finish. Having enjoyed the Mustang immensely, I opted to jump in the co-driver’s seat of David’s Porsche 911 for the next leg of our journey.

Our route took us through Montrose, Delta and Orchard city before handing us a final taste of the twisties for 2017. We ascended the Grand Mesa, the world’s largest flat-topped mountain, via a series of switchbacks. Once on top, the highway is a beautiful ribbon of gentle curves working it’s way around the many lakes in the area. Just as we were eight miles from the finish, we saw a Warning Triangle on the side of the road, the CCA way of saying “mechanical issue ahead”. As passing car pulled over to see if we could provide assistance. Surprisingly, Jim (the owner of the VW Beetle) was deep in the act of “paying it forward”. He was underneath Duncan’s Mustang changing out the fuel filter. The rest of us passed the time by either passing requested tools to the good doctor, or throwing snowballs at each other. With the Mustang fuel filter fix completed, a final request was heard from under the Mustang “uh, could you guys lift it up so I can get out?”

It’s a true hero who squeezes himself under a car so tightly, it takes four people to lift the rear end to get him out!

Just as I was about to get back into the 442 for the final seven miles to the finish, I heard Saloman calling my name. Now, if you’ve followed us for the last three days worth of stories, you probably know what’s coming! I have to be honest, I’ve wanted to drive his car since the first time I saw it back in 2015. While my test drive to the finish might have only been seven miles, it was enough to confirm I must own a 911 one day.

As we pulled into the Mesa Lakes Lodge, a lakeside log cabin restaurant, the parking lot was packed full of classic cars. Not only had our whole group made it to the finish, we had done so in the same 30min window. We dined on Elk Burgers, enjoyed the presentation of awards, and gazed upon a sunny lake with classic cars parked lakeside.

This year our Hard Luck Award winner was Tim Lloyd. Friday Morning was a rough start, and it wasn’t the weather. As we packed up at our hotel room it was discovered that something had high Tim’s trailer overnight. Unfortunately, that wouldn’t be the end of his woes. Last year, Kevin Lewis was our Hard Luck winner, having stripped the teeth off of 3rd gear in his Austin Healey Sprite. As per tradition, Kevin returned in 2017 with a Hard Luck Trophy, made from the damaged transmission bits in his car. Perhaps the award has a theme in Colorado, Tim’s TR6 developed transmission problems on day one with the overdrive clutches failing badly near the end of the day. Tim heads home with a fantastic new trophy, but not before heading all the way back to Gunnison to pickup his Triumph…

The MacGyver award is given to the entrant(s) who have the best fix for a problem on the event. MacGyver was known for always being prepared. Equipped with only a swiss army knife and his endless knowledge, he could take the materials he found around him and create amazing fixes for bizarre problems. This year, our MacGyver award winner took a slightly different approach. He packed every item on the “mandatory spares list”, and used every single one of them. When the materials at hand ran out, he used his secret “swiss-army-knife”. If you’re going to enter a car that has issues on the event, you can’t make a better choice than a Volkswagen Beetle. CCA’s Dave Hord can probably fix it for you, or at least get you running each morning! So, for his ingenious use of “feed the organizer beer and your car will start running”, Jim Hazlehurst was awarded the MacGyver award in 2017.

Our Spirit of the Summit Award, presented by Hagerty Insurance, is reserved for the entrant or entrants who best exemplify the Spirt of Classic Car Adventurism that Dave and Warwick set out to establish nine years ago. Truthfully, I wish we had packed an award for everyone this year. Looking out at the snowy roads on Friday Morning, each and every one of our entrants who drove off with a smile on their face deserves the recognition.

Our recipients this year are two car-enthusiast buddies who regularly buy project cars together, and have a bond formed over all things petrol related. You can often find them by the eau-de-petrol, as they seem to be working on the fuel system of their current event car at every Silver Summit! But, beyond unreliable cars and a shared passion for driving, these two are constantly helping everyone out. Whether it’s a much needed tool, a spare part, space in their cooler, or a cold beer, Ross and Jacob are the first on the scene, and the first to offer…whether they know you or not. They can take a frustrating day of unreliable motoring, and turn it into an adventure story you wish you were apart of.

Sadly, this concludes the Hagerty Silver Summit for 2017. We said goodbye to our classic car motoring friends, but made plans to see each other again soon. Whether it’s cars-and-coffee, a skiing vacation, or simply the Hagerty Silver Summit next year, we can’t wait to be back enjoying more time with all of you.

A preview of images is once again provided by Andrew Snucins and Dan Evans.

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