Tag Archives: drive

Silver Summit – Day One Photos

SilverSummitd1-0845Day one of our first ever Hagerty Silver Summit is in the books!

The theme for today could best be described as “adventure”, and we sure delivered loads of it.

The day started with our best start location to date. Next door to the Hagerty Collector Car Insurance office in Denver is the “Club Auto Colorado” facility. Once our entrants had checked in, they enjoyed the usual getting to know one another, while exploring the automotive museum and collection at Club Auto Colorado. Once the driver’s meeting was finished, Dave changed into his “lucky flannel”, and we were off!

SilverSummitd1-The first road out of Golden delivered interesting curves and climbs through the sunshine…but it was not to last. The ‘adventure’ started with a brief thunderstorm, with (as Dave would say ‘a slight touch of weather’). But a couple of hours down the road we got some real Colorado weather. Slightly damp in one moment, and 6″ of pure SNOW the next! Perhaps ten miles up the road, sunny and warm for the lunch stop.

SilverSummitd1-1142And so our day went. Fantastic weather one moment, and a “heavy touch of weather” the next. The mechanical gremlins attacked more than a few cars, with electrical issues being the most popular ailment on the tour. Arriving into the finishing hotel, we were a bit surprised to find smiles, laughter and friendly faces. Even our teams who limped in late were excited about the day. Despite the weather, the road selections were spot on. Our entrants reported that we managed to find some incredible “driving roads” to entertain those holding the steering wheel, and amazing scenery for those in the co-pilot seat. We even managed to surprise Colorado locals with some selections they hadn’t driven before.
Our first day running a Classic Car Adventure in Colorado has taught us two things: 1) the state serves up a healthy portion of ‘adventure’! and 2) we’ve found yet another amazing group of Classic Car friends. Incredible people, and perhaps a touch nuts…just like our Classic Car friends in BC.

…we can’t wait to see what Day two has in store for us!

A preview gallery of Andrew Snucins photography is below:

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2015 Hagerty Spring Thaw Day Three Photos

Day three of the Hagerty Spring Thaw finally brought the full sunshine! Our run from Kamloops to Whistler was with tops down and windows open, and for many of us the most fun we’ve ever had. Typically on a Hagerty Spring Thaw cars shift out into groups of 3’s and 5’s, and run together at similar paces. A sunny stop just before the Duffy Lake road saw a number of cars bunched up into large groups of 12’s and 15’s. As fate would have it, the paces matched and we travelled towards Whistler in large groups. The air at the finish was one of excitement and joy, with many people commenting on how it was the most fun they’d ever had. Wonderful photos by Andrew and Samantha Snucins are below:

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2015 Hagerty Spring Thaw, Day Two

Day two of the 2015 Spring Thaw saw much better weather than day one! We started with a little bit of light rain, but it was tops down and only the occasionally misting for most cars during the day. This year seems to be the year of the fuel pump, with many cars now sporting replacement pumps ziptied, hose-clamped and/or tied down in the engine bay. While a breakdown isn’t desirable, it’s awesome to come around a corner and see a whole crowd of folks lending parts, tools and knowledge to ensure their fellow entrants will make it to the finish. A taste of Andrew Snucin’s awesome photography below.

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Colorado Road Scouting

This past week Dave was in Colorado scouting roads for our new Hagerty Silver Summit event. Exploring over 1100 miles of roads, Dave thinks he’s found the perfect route for our first-year Colorado event. We’re aiming to take you off the beaten path, and ensure that locals aren’t going to know each of the roads in the route book. If you’re thinking of joining us for this year’s Hagerty Silver Summit you’ll experience a mix of super tight and twisty mountain passes, amazing ‘destination’ roads with great views, and a great collection of what we think of as ‘cruising roads’ where you’re definitely going to have to keep an eye on the speedometer! Take a look at our sneak preview, in the gallery below:

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Road Exploration – Join the fun!

I’ve been living in BC for about nine and a half years now, and have had the pleasure of driving many of the great roads in this province. Between our own Classic Car Adventures’ events, coaching Mountain Biking or rallying with the West Coast Rally Association…I sometimes feel like I’ve seen it all. I’ve been as far North as Smithers, all the way to Tofino and as far East as the Alberta border. I once tried to highlight all the roads I’ve driven on a Provincial map, but it simply ended up soggy with ink and unreadible. Despite all of this, there are still roads untraveled…and it’s driving me crazy!

R2GB_2012_0277prep_WEBSome of my “must try” roads are going to require a significant amount of pre-planning. I’ve always wanted to drive to the Yukon, why? Just to say I’ve done it. I’ve heard the road to Bella Coola and back is incredible…but that’s not exactly a day trip from Squamish. My ultimate adventure is a story for another time, but lets just say I haven’t tried it yet for fear of having to leave a Beetle buried deep, VERY deep, in the BC backwoods. So while some of the roads on my list are perhaps overly adventurous, some are just a morning away.

Case in point: The Highline.

HighlineRoad

This potential gem links the community of D’arcy (North of Pemberton) with Seton Portage, a community about 25km West of Lillooet. Officially named “The Douglas Trail Road”, it was finally ruled a Provincial Highway in a court decision back in Feb 2013.  I’ve been paying close attention over the years on Motorcycle forums, to figure out when the best time to try the road is, and this is the year! From the un-confirmed reports I’ve read, the road is quite a bit better than previous years, smoother then the Hurley, and should be doable in a classic car. Since adventures such as this one are more fun, and safer, with friends…I’m inviting you along!

Vehicle Eligability
I’m bringing my classic car, but feel free to bring your modern day vehicle if you like. I already know we’ve got a Ford Focus & an approaching-classic Honda along for the trip. I think we can be open to Adventure bikes as well, but would like to discuss mixing cars and bikes with the riders first to ensure we’re as safe as possible.

Important Note:
Please note that this is not an official CCA event, but just a group of friends getting together for some back country road exploration. There will be no sweep, and instructions will be a sheet of Google Map directions (if Dave remembers to print them off).

Packing List
If you’re planning on attending, you’d be nuts not to have the following with you:

  • Warning Triangle (30cm reflective sides)
  • Tow Strap
  • Spare Tire (I don’t recommend a space saver spare, at the very least throw a full size one in the trunk)
  • Tool Kit
  • Basic spares
  • Minimum 2 Gal spare gas tank.

When
 – Saturday June 14th, email the link below for timing and schedule.

Lastly, to ensure that we don’t leave without you. Please email Dave to confirm you’ll be meeting in Squamish at the North Petro Canada on Saturday morning.

  1. Dave Hord – 1979 VW 1302s
  2. John Hinde – Ford Focus Wagon
  3. Tony Latham – Honda Civic Rally Car
  4. Jos Van Berckel  – BMW 1200 Adventure Bike
  5. Regien Van Berckel  – BMW 1200 Adventure Bike
  6. Mark and Jeff Dykstra – Ford Cortina or Dodge Dakota

 

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2013 CCA Event Dates Announced

Hmmm…it’s pitch dark outside in mid-afternoon, our classics are all tucked away in their garages, the streets are lit with colourful displays of mini-bulbs and we still can’t seem to find the scotch-tape. Yes, that’s right, it must be Holiday Season! Around the Classic Car Adventures’ office, that means just one thing: When will we announce the 2013 event dates? Continue reading →