Author Archives: Dave Hord

ST2018 Entry List Letter

Hello Hagerty Spring Thaw Hopefuls!

Knowing that everyone is experiencing heart palpitations with the agony of finding out whether they are “in” or “on the waiting list”…I thought I’d take the moment to highlight a couple of details or things I really need to you know. It takes a couple of weeks for me to put all the email addresses into our system and start emailing you as entrants, so this seemed like the most efficient way to reach all of you before that’s ready to go!

Start Location
The starting location has been confirmed, and this year we’ll be starting in Kamloops B.C. We have hotel space blocked on Thursday Night, and we’re currently working out the dinner details. Once that’s complete, we’ll be sure to update everyone as quickly as possible. But the basic details are:

Thursday Night – Coast Hotel, Kamloops B.C.
Thursday Night Dinner – expect a 7:30pm dinner time -> So you may want to arrange an early day from work, or *cough* that sudden 12hr flu before the Spring Thaw weekend.
Friday Morning MANDATORY meeting – 10:45am. All cars must be registered by 10:30am. Technically you can make it from Vancouver to the start in time for Registration (9:45am)…but we hate early mornings, and suggest you enjoy a Thursday night with us instead.

Finish Location
The Finish location is still a floating point on the map, but the possible circle is getting smaller and smaller. At this stage, with this being our ten year anniversary, you can be sure we’ll be doing the Duffy Lake road to the finish. Finish will either be Pemberton BC, or Whistler BC.

10 years of Photographs??
We would _really_ appreciate it if you could take some time between now and March to look through your photos from year’s past. What we’re most interested to find is photos of guests who have been on tour with us over the last ten years. We have LOTS of photos of your cars, but photos of our friends are going to be pretty fun to see after ten years. Warwick and Dave look like teenagers in year one, while some of you haven’t aged a day. If you have 1-5 great photos we should include in our Saturday slideshow, would you email them to info@classiccaradventures.com?
Bonus points for anyone who has a great photo of the 2011 Bonfire at 108 Mile House!

The 2018 Entry List
The 2018 Entry list will be posted shortly…after a latte and an arbitrary amount of time to add to the agony(!). Hmmm…maybe I should post it 10 cars every hour? Stay tuned…it’s bound to go up, or at least some of it, soon…

ST2018 Wait List Letter

Dear Waiting List Members…

It’s with heavy heart that I write this letter to you, as your name is found on the waiting list for the 2018 Hagerty Spring Thaw. Some of you have become fantastic friends over the last ten years, some of you I am hopeful to get to meet for the first time in 2018…

I know the agony I feel at having limited spaces is only a fraction of what you’re feeling today, having found yourself on the waiting list. I am writing this note to remind you that it’s FAR from over!!

In 2015 we moved ten cars up from the waiting list…
In 2016 we moved nine cars up from the waiting list…
In 2017 we moved twenty-one people up from the waiting list. (it was something like 17 or 18 cars, and the rest of the people joined in as co-driver’s in cars listing a TBA)

We’re talking about classic cars here, and just a hair over three months to the start of the event. Heck, even getting the organizer’s car to the start can be a challenge!

The best thing you can do right now, is not panic. The second best thing you can do is look at your schedule, and work out for me how much notice you’ll need in order to go on the event. Some of you are booking flights, and may need 4 weeks notice. Some of have jobs that require a week or two notice, some of you may pack the car and be ready to go if I call you on Thursday night. Whatever your scheduling requirements are, make sure you have dave@classiccaradventures.com in your email contact list, and 604-849-0076 in your cell phone contact list. If a space opens up, my first call is to your cell phone. I then call your day time phone number, and lastly I shoot you an email. Usually there is a 24 period to claim the spot, unless we’re in the last week before the event in which case I may go down the list by phone numbers until I get someone who can take the spot.

With luck, I’ll be ringing your phone soon enough.

Cheers,

-Dave

(if you’re wondering why this is posted on Jan 22nd 2017, it’s simply because by ‘back-dating’ the letter, it doesn’t show on the homepage of the website)

2017 Hagerty Spring Thaw – Registrations are Open!

The entry form for the 2017 Hagerty Spring Thaw is now posted, and entries officially open at 10am PST. You can find the entry forms by going to the Hagerty Spring Thaw information page. We’re looking forward to watching the entry list grow, and seeing all our classic car friends once again.

ST2018 Additional Entry Details

An important note about 2018 Entries

Hello Entrants!

The following contains important details about the 2018 Hagerty Spring Thaw entry process, which are NOT found in the Supp Regs document. All the information contained below should be considered “in addition to” the supp regs document.

Separate Room Option – Please note that for the 2018 Hagerty Spring Thaw, we may not be able to accommodate any separate room requests. We are still working on options, but our current hotel contracts have ‘just enough’ rooms, without any extras. We will do our best to accommodate, but this year will be particularly difficult. Choose your snoring (or non-snoring) co-driver accordingly!

Post-Mark Dates – Years ago, when our cars were rolling fresh off the assembly lines, dropping a letter into the mailbox was both a normal, and common, occurrence. When you did so, mail was picked up on the same day, and a stamp was placed upon your letter which both marked the stamps so they couldn’t be reused, and dated your letter with the date it was sent.

These days, I actually couldn’t tell you where to find a mailbox, I always have to drive to the post-office.

I’ve been told, but cannot confirm, that letters today may not be stamped with the date they were mailed. Now, I’ve been watching each piece of mail that arrived in my mailbox since Dec 1^st, and all of them are dated. BUT some of you have been very concerned. For those of you who are paranoid, you have two options; choose a service that automatically dates the letter, or simply go to the post office to drop off you letter and you can ask them to stamp the date on your letter.

Why is this important? Entries this year will be considered in order of their post-mark date, NOT the date they arrive. Those of you sending Xpress-post, FedEx, UPS, or DHL don’t need to worry, those services automatically date the shipment when you purchase the service. Only those of you using standard Canada-Post and USPS with a traditional stamp need to ensure your letter is stamped with the date.

DO NOT use a service that requires a signature!! Dave is out of town – Shortly after issuing the official Supp Regs for the event, I was called by the LeMay Museum and America’s Automotive Trust, asking if I could assist with an event. Having occasionally been the guy on the phone asking other people to save my butt with some help, I thought it only prudent that I “pay it forward” when asked to help. Unfortunately, I will be out of town when your letters start arriving; enjoying sweep duties in the east-coast winter storms!

Arrangements have been made to ensure that your entries, regardless of method used, will be picked up daily and not lost. We will not, however, have someone waiting daily to sign for envelopes. Please ensure you use a service that does not require a signature upon delivery. You’re more than welcome to use a service that allows for tracking, just confirm they won’t require a signature or your entry will not arrive.

If you have any questions regarding the above, a telephone call is likely to go to voicemail if I’m travelling. The best way to get a hold of me is by the following (in order of preference):

1) Text message to 604 849 0076
2) Facebook message
3) Email to dave@classiccaradventures.com

Cheers,

-Dave

2017 Hagerty Spring Thaw – Registration Info!

Wahoo! The 2017 Hagerty Spring Thaw supp-regs document has been uploaded! Inside you’ll find all the information you need for the 2017 Hagerty Spring Thaw, which will be held from May 5th to 7th 2017. Head to the event information page to download the 2017 documents.

As per previous years, applications are accepted via mail, courier and in-person at the CCA Squamish office. A number of spots have been reserved for guests using mail or courier to submit their application.

The Hagerty Spring Thaw sells out every year, so we definitely encourage applying early. So far, in eight years, we’ve almost managed to get every guest on the waiting list an open space…so don’t be scared to enter if you see things filling up. It’s never surprising to hear a restoration isn’t going as quickly as planned, and a space subsequently becomes available.

Hagerty Maple Mille – Day Three

Waking up for day three, we were surprised to find a thick coating of frost on our vehicles. While a simple reminder that the classic car motoring season is coming to an end, it turned out to be a signal that great scenery lay ahead.

Today’s route took the group from Petawawa through Round Lake, before heading East to Eaganville. Once in Eaganville, we turned West and the twisty roads really began. We enjoyed highway 512 through Foymount, and then explored a touch of Letterkenny. Unfortunately, no locals with problems could be found*, so onward we went towards Combermere and then up to Barry’s Bay. While Combermere to Barry’s Bay was on the day two route, day three featured a new road which instantly became the favourite of many. Tight and twisting, the road was a delight…and had the added bonus of ending at an ice cream shop!

From Barry’s Bay we went around Elephant Lake and down to Maynooth, and then made our way towards Halliburton. Here the morning’s frost was remembered as many of the trees and finally started their fall colour change. As we traveled south of Algonquin park, the traditional fall colours of yellow, orange and red began to overtake the surrounding forests. The sun was out, the tops were down (mostly), and the twisty roads and fall colours entertained us all the way to the finish.

Once sweep pulled in, I presented the traditional Classic Car Adventure’s awards. The Hard Luck award was awarded to Bob Faulkner, who unfortunately wasn’t able to attend to receive it. Bob and Lynda’s gorgeous TR6 decide to quit shortly after a morning gas stop. Diagnosis and repair attempts were unsuccessful, and the TR6 was towed back to the start (where a truck and trailer were waiting). Bob’s unfortunate luck didn’t end there, as upon arriving to the the truck he discovered a tire had gone flat during the event!

Our Macgyver award is traditionally presented to the entrant with the best ‘fix’ along the event. About mid-day, Mike and Catherine Martin began to smell fuel as they were driving. Initially thinking it was probably one of the cars ahead, Mike and Catherine agreed they should at least pull over and check their own car. Good thing, as a fuel fitting had vibrated loose, and they escaped any serious consequences. Our Macgyver award includes tubes of JB Weld, as we think it probably represents today’s classic car emergency repair of choice. We conveniently mount the tubes to the perfect display and mixing tray, lets hope Mike didn’t need to use them on the way home!

Our final award, the Spirit of the Maple Mille, is reserved for the entrant or entrants who best demonstrate the spirit of Classic Car Adventures. This year’s recipients were John and Marci Hinde, who drove their Intermeccanica 356 all the way from B.C. for the event. But the drive alone wasn’t the only reason for their recognition. The pair help with registration, they spent the three days hosting our first-time entrants and convinced friends and family to join in the event, signing up our sweep crew from Bromley Automotive. If that wasn’t enough, this is their fifteenth event with CCA…so they’ve clearly got the same adventuring spirit we have!

Sadly, though, with the Spirit of the Maple Mille award complete…our weekend was over. As we filtered out of the restaurant saying goodbyes, it was clear that next year is going to see the same group returning…likely with many of their friends in tow. The 2017 running of the Hagerty Maple Mille is going to be quite the party!

Photos for the 2016 Hagerty Maple Mille are provided by Ralph Saulnier Photography

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2016 Hagerty Maple Mille – Day Two

The dew was heavy before breakfast, but by the end the sun was shining. Our group gathered in the parking lot of the morning driver’s meeting, where Dave presented two new pages for the route book. Our closed road of yesterday was going to be re-used, but a simple re-route meant we wouldn’t lose any twisty roads, or have any major delays.

The group departed the hotel, and soon found ourselves exploring a little more of Renfrew Ontario that perhaps we planned. A simply “Turn Left” in the route book somehow got typed up as “Turn Right”, which confused more than a few teams. No real worries, however, as the route book also suggests signs and landmarks which allowed the first half of the group to figure it out on their second time around the block. Once Dave had arrived and realized his mistake, the rest of the field were treated to a tall guy wearing flannel standing in the road directing everyone in the right direction. Some of the Renfrew locals, however, were quite confused! Truthfully, though, the fact that Dave was standing on the corner was a little bit of coincidence. The ’67 Camaro Convertible he was traveling in had developed some fuel issues, and they pulled over right at the route book error to diagnose and repair.

Despite a few hours of trying, ultimately, they were stumped. All was not lost, however, as Hagerty Roadside Assistance is included for all entrants, and soon a tow truck would arrive. While Jonathan enjoyed the Ontario countryside (aka: waited for the tow truck), Dave shoehorned himself into the back of a ’69 Camaro and went ahead to meet up with the rest of the event.

Our route today began with rolling roads with flowing turns, best suited for the larger cars, before dropping into some tight twisties which favoured the smaller European entrants. After about an hour suited to each type of car, the rest of the day was spent swapping out ideal sections or roads in a somewhat random fashion. We started by heading West out of Renfrew, dropped South for about an hour through long-forgotten towns, and then worked our way West again. Soon we were driving North West towards Palmer Rapids, and then began our “lunch loop” to Bancroft, where groups refueled both body and car.

Returning from the lunch loop, crossing over the morning path, a few groups of cars were surprised to find Dave standing on the side of the road no car in sight. “I know Paul is driving solo in the Mustang,” he’d explain, “so I’m just waiting for him to pass so I can jump in.” An odd thing to come across, perhaps, but a reminder that anything can happen when you take classic cars 1200 kilometres in a single weekend!

The finishing roads for today took us through Barry’s Bay, and then turned North East towards the town of Petawawa. The route book instructed a specific time to meet in the lobby, and warned that missing it would mean no transportation to dinner! We boarded the bus, a simple roll-call was taken, and were soon whisked away to the Petawawa Golf and Country club. Once there, we enjoyed a fantastic dinner with friends old and new. The tables were alive with stories of carburetors, great roads, and the sharing of adventure stories…traditions where ever car people seem to gather, and the perfect ending to a day of great driving.

Photography for the Hagerty Maple Mille is provided by Ralph Saulnier Photography.

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