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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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2017 Hagerty Silver Summit – Day Two

With all the weather and changes in our most recent event days, it was such a pleasure to be woken up by the sun streaming through my window and the sound of a V8 being warmed up in the parking lot. Carburetors being warmed up in the sunshine could only mean one thing…today was going to be a good day.

The previous days’ snow had melted, jackets were abandoned and the parking lot became a symphony of classic car activity. “Do you have a timing light?”, “Hey, anyone got a booster pack?”, “Okay, seriously how did we not pack JB-Weld?”. While the coffee pot was calling my name, a Volkswagen engine was calling louder…“Dave, your Volkswagen whispering skills are required in the parking lot.”

Jim and Zach’s ’57 beetle was plagued by fuelling issues yesterday, perhaps I could help. While i checked float, needle, tuning and timing I could hear other adventures going on behind me. An E-type’s charging system has decided to take a break, a Datsun roadster needed the complete tool kit spread out on the parking lot, and one of our Camaro’s appears to be using oil at an alarming rate. I suspect the pits at a 24-hour of LeMans have less activity than our parking lot did this morning, but with the sun shining none of us seemed to mind. Breakfast was had while peering into engine bays, which is pretty much the best way one can enjoy a breakfast.

Eventually all our cars would leave the parking lot, with the exception of Tim’s TR6. The overdrive clutches in the transmission have developed a case of ‘On or Off’ action, resulting in a loss of forward momentum, or a large bang followed by a violent launch forward. Rather than tear the drivetrain out of the TR, Tim and his son wisely chose to fill vacant seats in other entrant’s vehicles. Experiencing other classic cars, even from the passenger seat, is always better than the ride of shame in the sweep vehicle!

While the Oldsmobile 442 was a wonderfully relaxing couch-like ride yesterday, you may not be surprised to hear I jumped on the chance to trade keys with Victor and his 914 2.0L. Victor is participating in his fifth CCA adventure, having done the Spring Thaw, Silver Summit and Maple Mille multiple times. Each time, he’s suggested I try out his 914, but we’ve never followed through. Today, he insisted, and I must be honest I wasn’t arguing very hard!

Our group set out from Gunnison, heading south on CO-149. We traveled through canyons into Lake City, up the steep Slumgullion Pass and wound our way into the historic mining town of Creede. The 914 2.0L is a much better choice for the twisties, and Erik and I spent the morning dicing it up with 911’s, 914’s, a few Mustangs and the Mercedes. Arriving in Creede, we planned on lunch with Victor…but the red 914 kept calling our names. The targa top, the sunshine, the twisty roads…it just seems so unfair to leave a great car parked on the side of the road. There’s no delicate way to put this, while Victor and his son Ian dined in Creede, I stole his 914 and headed for the hills once again!

We meandered south through the town of South Fork, and over Wolf Creek Pass into Pagosa Springs. Here we met up with the Porsche crew, and dined while we waited for Victor to catch up. While I did text message him right away on where he could pick up his car, it appears it didn’t arrive. We waited a while for Victor to rendezvous, enjoying some quick visits with other entrants at the gas station. Victor had wisely traded the 442 for a Camaro, but that caused a new problem. Some people we met were telling us Victor was “definitely behind us” in the orange Camaro. The other half were telling us he was “definitely ahead of us”. With two orange Camaros in the event, who knows where he could actually be?! Should we wait, or venture ahead in the 914? Given the choice between waiting at the side of the road or driving a 914 2.0L…which would you choose?

As we headed towards New Mexico, we passed the 442, an MGB, the Ford Falcon and the ‘other’ Orange Camaro. The New Mexico loop was designed for cruising, and the 914 quickly ate away at the miles. We headed south, and then west along highway 64. Eventually the route took us North alongside the Navajo Dam and Reservoir, which offers tight twisty corners in a roller-coaster fashion. Victor’s 914 handles like the autocross champion that it is, carving around the corners and bumps like cones in a course. As I pushed the throttle down, Erik pushed the “virtual brake” on the passenger floor and together we giggled our way towards Colorado.

With our overnight stop in Durango near, the route book had one more surprise for us. Rather than take the usual route into town, we ventured off into little-known side roads for a gentle roller-coaster ride through trees and fields. The parking lot was quite full by the time we arrived. A traditional post-drive party of beers and stories was in full swing, with many curious how I was still in the 914. I pulled out my phone, called Victor and gave him the news…

“Victor, I’m pleased to report your stolen 914 has been recovered, and is down here in the hotel parking lot. Don’t worry, I’ve been keeping it safe for you!”

Fortunately, Victor is just as wonderful as our other Classic Car Adventures friends. It turns out, as he handed me the keys this morning, he knew he was unlikely to see the car of the rest of the day. While he does own an impressive array of classic vehicles, his 914 is definitely his favourite. Given the choice of anything to drive, he’ll take this particular 914 every time. Perhaps that’s why he’s owned it for over 25 years. I gotta say…I completely agree with him. The smile on my face is going to last as long as this sunburn!

Speaking of sun, Andrew Snucins and Dan Evans spent the day hiking cliffs and baking in the sun to bring us more stunning photos. Today’s preview of photos is below:

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2017 Hagerty Silver Summit – Day One

If you haven’t spent much time in Colorado, a snow storm in May could seem like a bizarre and crazy occurrence. 36” of snow fell in Boulder over the last 48 hours, our start location of Golden was actually white, and here in Colorado they actually named the storm “Valerie”. That’s right, just like a Hurricane, this winter storm had a name. It wasn’t exactly the ideal lead up to a Classic Car Driving event.

So it was with a little trepidation that I walked into the room for our Thursday night “unofficial” pre-event dinner, hosted by Hagerty Collector Car Insurance in their new Colorado office. In just a few short hours we’d be lining up our classic cars for registration, in a parking lot that was currently blanketed by snow. “Right,” I thought, “I should probably address the situation…” So with that thought in mind, I spoke about our pending event. I highlighted alternate route preparations, I suggested the storm appeared to be moving on, I added the usual CCA flourish where a downpour becomes a slight misting of rain. But outside, it was white. It’s kind of hard to hide the white.

We awoke this morning to black roads, and white gardens. The snow was still falling, lightly, but with rising temperatures it wasn’t sticking. Perhaps my luck would change after all! I peered over weather reports, scrutinized highway conditions and highway cameras, and then packed up the final items for registration. Checking each car in this morning, it was nothing but smiles and positive thoughts. Our Colorado guests reaffirmed that this sort of thing can happen, and how they were sure the weather was turning. Our Oklahoma guests, used to extreme weather of another kind, were perhaps a little less enthusiastic of the snow, but still very enthusiastic about the event. Our other out-of-towners were equally excited to start…except, perhaps, the Canadians who joked that they came south to leave this winter weather behind! With warning triangles and registration forms checked, the driver’s meeting began.

2017 seems to be the “year of the re-route due to weather” for Classic Car Adventures, and today was no different. After studying the maps, I selected a route which I believed would give us the best mix of twisty roads, while keeping the group low enough to avoid the potential snow squalls and snow storms. With directions confirmed, it was time to embark on our mission like early explorers.

We started from Golden amongst the snow, and quickly found dense fog along S. Turkey Creek Road. Navigating through the soupy fog, I wondered how Andrew and Dan could possibly shoot photos today…or if we’d see the sun at all on the event. And yet, by 11am the fog was behind us, and by noon the sun was shining. We enjoyed a repeat of some 2016 roads, some of the best on the event, before turning west on highway 24. An hour later we met up with the original route planned in the route book, and headed south towards the Monarch Pass.

The driver’s meeting auxiliary map had split the route into two options at this point. We were to check in at Buena Vista to confirm the pass conditions, and make a decision for ourselves. Those willing to risk possible snow would to head up over the Monarch Pass, while those wishing to avoid it would go on the longer around route though Sagauche.

Climbing up towards the Summit, I was sure we had made the wrong choice. The cars coming in the opposite direction had snow covered front bumpers and license plates. Still, it was just flakes falling and not sticking to the road…so surely it would be okay? “Just another mile then,” we said to ourselves, “we can turn around if it gets bad.” Up we climbed, the weather staying steady, and suddenly there we were on the summit. Sunshine, and dry roads meeting us on the other side. It was a welcome twist from our expectations.

Twenty minutes later, arriving in the hotel parking lot, it was sunny and folks were washing the day’s grime off their cars. One thing you couldn’t wash off, however, were the smiles on our faces. We started the day in Golden expecting the worse, expecting to just bear with it and try and make it to the finish. And yet, here we were. Not only had we made it, but it had been an incredibly fine day of driving. Lucky? Perhaps. Well planned? Well, perhaps ‘well saved’ is a better descriptor. Adventurous? Absolutely.

And, ultimately, that’s why we’re all here. For the Adventure.

Special thanks to Andrew Snucins and Dan Evans for braving the snow and cold to bring us these stunning images from today’s adventure.

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2017 Hagerty Spring Thaw – Day Three

Having finally made it home to a couch, I can barely keep my eyes open. I know the feeling is shared amongst many of my fellow driving friends, as we all sit at home unwinding from the weekend’s adventures. Whether it’s finding a spot in the garage for a newly received award, an assessment of just how long the road grime will take to clean, or a laundry list of ‘tweaks and upgrades’ the car might need before the next event…the final day never feels “over”.

The morning in Kelowna was held in sunshine, and after a quick “shady section” where driving expectations were reinforced, the driver’s meeting commenced in earnest. Amazingly, today’s roads would be clear and we could all enjoy the route-book as originally intended. The route would take guests out of Kelowna, through to Penticton before darting west along Apex Mountain Road. From there it was onto Princeton, via the event favourite of Old-Hedley Road. It doesn’t matter how many times we travel along Old Hedley Road, it seems everyone comes off raving about it’s curves and cadence.

New for 2017, instead of going all the way through Manning Park and down to Hope, we opted to gather the group and finish at the Manning Park Resort. Considering the rest of the weekend, and our history with Manning Park, this was a pretty risky decision! In the previous eight years of CCA events, we have never passed through manning park without rain and snow. To park and finish in Manning Park must have seemed simply diabolical…but here were were, in gorgeous sunshine enjoying the early afternoon.

Our finish party seemed a little like a successful ascent of Mount Everest had occurred. Our travellers were certainly exhausted, but the joy and excitement of what had been accomplished over the weekend was palatable. We had endured flooding, crazy route changes, and uncertainty. We had driven 1,476 kilometres, arriving windburned and sunburned, but along the way made new friendships that will last a lifetime.

The finish of any Hagerty Spring Thaw includes the presentation of three coveted awards. First up, is the MacGyver award. This is usually given to the entrant(s) who perform the best or most amazing fix during the weekend. Perhaps it’s using mosquito netting to create a fuel filter, or modifying the windscreen washers to fuel the carburettors. This year, an entrant suggested our own Dave Hord receive the award for “MacGyvering all the route changes”. We decided that was an exceptional choice, especially since Dave hadn’t had anytime to actually assemble the award for 2017!

Our next award is the “Hard Luck” award. Jordan Rodier was certainly in the running, having arrived in an SUV when the fuel system on his Fiat couldn’t be diagnosed. Our own Dave Hord was up for this one as well, having abandoned the Rally Beetle in Abbotsford on Day one with fuelling issues. But it was Chris Beck and Sue Schneider who will be taking the award home with them to Switzerland. They had, you see, flown in to enjoy the event with friends from Calgary. Early this morning they offered to switch their borrowed Pantera with another set of friends, so they could enjoy the V8’s rumble for a stretch. What they also enjoyed, however, was the rumble of a wheel bearing which was quickly destroyed, leaving the Pantera stranded in Kermeos. Rather then finishing the event in the Pantera, it was a ride with Sweep through to the finish.

Our final award, and perhaps the most important, is the Hagerty Spirit of the Thaw award. This one 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. This year’s winner has been trying to get into the Hagerty Spring Thaw for three years. Even their 2017 entry was listed on the wait list for many, many weeks. But it wasn’t just their entry, they had roped three of their friends to enter the event as well. Amazingly, all three found spots on the ‘Thaw, and they were quickly making friends. Despite being a first-year entrant, Greg Long was the one holding spots at his table for new found friends. They heard about special car rotting away in a field, and instead of going off to find it themselves…they convinced other entrants to join them on the hunt. His cars, while certainly precious, were offered to new friends to try, simply because he wanted them to experience why he enjoyed them so much. Greg’s enthusiasm was contagious, his love of classic motoring obvious, and we couldn’t think of a guy more deserving of the Hagerty Spirit of the Thaw.

And so with that, we head to bed for some much needed sleep. Tomorrow’s route for us consists of relaxing and unwinding…and will not be be re-routed!

Special thanks, once again, to Andrew Snucins for providing us with amazing imagery from our weekend’s adventure.

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2017 Hagerty Spring Thaw – Day Two

We awoke this morning to sunshine, and the promise of fantastic road ahead. The driver’s meeting covered the usual items; yellow-cards, lunch options, and (new for 2017 it seems) the alternate route which had been prepared for the washed-out highway. Our original plan was to take the group along a CCA favourite, highway 8 from Merritt to Spences Bridge, but a highway closure necessitated a re-route.

Our new route would take us first along Highway 5A, before turning north on highway 97C towards Logan Lake. Here, we turned left and enjoyed a section of yesterday’s route in reverse, this time running down the hill into Ashcroft instead of up it. Our group of 95 cars basically dined together, in one of two places. Half of the group descended upon Cache Creek, where we enjoyed Herbies Drive-in…a famous burger joint which has been in operation since the 1950’s. The other half of the group continued on to Clinton, where I suspect the restaurant of choice was the Cariboo Lodge, famous for it’s country fare. I had just settled into my Herbie’s Milkshake when the first text arrived…

“Flooding on highway 97”, it read from living near by, “barely got my truck through” was the next text. A phone call quickly followed, and I pulled Warwick and Andrew in for a speakerphone conversation and a roads consult. Between the three of us, (Andrew Snucins, Warwick, and I) we quickly determined that my route book was no longer going to work, that two of the main options for getting to our evening hotel were closed, and an emergency plan would need to take place.

Warwick and I went car to car and table to table in Cache Creek to give the best information we could on the “new route option”. I suggest that in quotes, as at this stage it consisted of “drive the route book to this town, and then google your way to this other town.” While we gave Cache Creek lunch guests these vague directions, Andrew was dispatched to Clinton to provide the same for those folks. The group would still be following the route book for a good 2-3 hour loop, which would buy me time to determine a solution.

While the classic cars headed North, my co-driver Greg and I headed back to Kamloops to find a spot the cars would cross on their way to Kelowna. Greg drove, while I scoured road reports, closure reports and the maps to try and give our guests the best option possible. We parked on the road-side, created the best “CCA STOP” sign we could muster with the supplies we had, and I hand-wrote two copies of the new route instructions.

As each car came into our impromptu checkpoint, we handed the sheet over and asked them to take a photo of the notes on their cellphones. Directions were confirmed as understood, and guests were waved off with a laugh and hopes they’d find the hotel without too much trouble.

Despite three major route re-routes, pulling off in a somewhat-questionable checkpoint location, and having to drive off with only a small cellphone photo of the route instructions…every one of our guests, to a tee, was smiling and laughing and having a great time. Flooded roads, questionable new directions and roadside re-routing just didn’t seem to matter. Sometimes “getting there” is the adventure, and today our guests were living it…and loving it.

Our previous loop through highway 24 from Green Lake to Little Fort had proven to be a favourite of the weekend. Little traffic, phenomenal curves, exceptional elevation changes. By the time cars rolled into the re-route checkpoint they’d had a wonderful sunny drive. Our re-route allowed them to skip some of Highway 1 and Highway 97, and instead sent them south on the twisty Salmon River Road. If you’re going to re-route your entire event, you can do a whole lot worse than a twisty road which would make a great trip on it’s own!

All 95 cars made it to Kelowna for dinner, and while certainly exhausted from the day, everyone was clearly enjoying themselves. Behind me at dinner was a prize and give-away table literally stuffed and overflowing with gifts. Thanks to Dave Koszegi, Ted Wilkinson and RWM&Co, almost every car will be heading home with a new automotive related item in the trunk tomorrow.

The day may have been an organizing challenge, but as one guest suggested to me at dinner; I don’t even have to worry about a route for next year, we’ve barely used this one that was printed in the route book!

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2017 Hagerty Spring Thaw – Day One

Gathering in Squamish this morning, the air was filled with anticipation, the joy of seeing old friends again and the excitement for the start of the 2017 Hagerty Spring Thaw. Usually the organizers are greeting our guests, enjoying a coffee and checking out the wonderful cars that appear in the parking lot. This year, however, I’ve been told I was looking slightly more stressed…typing away on my laptop.

You may think the weather, slightly raining in Squamish was to blame, but no. I was on the phone and laptop checking weather reports, avalanche reports and road closure reports. Our main road for the day, Duffy Lake Road, was closed the night before by an Avalanche. By 7:30am it was open, and avalanche dangers were lowered from high to moderate. Perhaps the event could travel as planned? At 7:45am, however, the text messages started coming in. “Mud slide closes highway 99”, “Have you heard…Duffy’s closed.” Where I would normally spend the morning greeting and catching up with guests, instead I was typing out new instructions to replace almost the entire day in the route book.

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