Its been less than a month since the CCA Hagerty Fall Classic, but we’re already trying to re-live the adventure through the lens of Andrew Holliday Photography and his wonderful coverage of the Oregon event. He has a full event gallery online, and all photos are available for purchase online. If you missed photos from previous years, he also has images from previous Fall Classic and Spring Thaw events! Gallery password: ccaimages https://aholliday.shootproof.com/category/83687
The archway in front of the hotel was packed with cars, drying out and applying Rain-X for the beginning of day three. The weather appears a little damp, but even Bill and Wendy in the Caterham 7 (no top) couldn’t be deterred by the rain. We were here for driving, and there was still day three to complete!
Our route today explored the 229 and 101 North, but dropped off the main tourist routes for some unknown side roads to spice up the day. We wound through farmlands and foothills, past rivers, over historic bridges, and chased forgotten railway lines as we worked our way north. Despite one quick deluge of heavy water, it was mostly the light misty rain typical of the Pacific Northwest in fall. We had started the event in t-shirts and shorts, but the reminder that fall was upon us had arrived!
Eventually we turned east, heading towards our finish in Forest Grove. Typically a CCA event will end at a golf course, or local restaurant, for a finish lunch. This time, however, we arrived at the McMenamins Grand Lodge which was built in the 1920’s. Originally a Masons lodge, the Lodge now operates as a hotel, and is full of history on each floor.
As our final lunch wound down, it was time for the awards. The Hard Luck award was originally planned for Pat and Pat Brothers, who’s Ford Thunderbird was replaced by a BMW when it couldn’t make the start…but the Camaro driven by Eric Bergman and Mike Ferguson wasn’t going to allow that to happen! With a delayed flight, the guys arrived late to a borrowed car with insurances that it had been “looked over”, and the inspection sheet filled out on their behalf. A weekend spent driving with friends, was also a weekend spent diagnosing, and repairing, a number of items which clearly should have been addressed! So we sent them back to return the car with the best shame we could provide, the Hard Luck Award!
Two of our entrants were prepared to arrive in their 1951 Studebaker Commander, when they heard a neighbour was getting rid of a car parked in their backyard. A poor 1966 Pontiac Executive Star Chief was heading to the crusher before our duo intervened. Rescued from being recycled, they merely replaced the fuel system (adding an ingenious in-trunk fuel tank), swapped out the tires, and arrived in style! The smiles didn’t leave their faces all weekend, they saved the Camaro’s bacon with parts and tools on multiple occasions, and they had most of us searching Craigslist for our next inexpensive ‘barn find’. Paul Johnson and John Ens were definitely worth of the Hagerty Spirit of the Fall Classic Award for 2019!
And with that, the 2019 Hagerty Fall Classic by CCA was over. We bid our farewells, packed up our gear…and sat down with maps?! CCA guests are not the interstate home types. Before the group could depart, maps were scoured, routes run past Portland locals, and a fun route home was selected by groups traveling in similar directions. We can’t wait too compare notes, because the group heading towards the ferries may have found part of day two for the 2020 Hagerty Fall Classic!
A preview of photos by the talented Andrew Holliday is below:
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Our day two route took us through the Willamette and Umpqua National Forests, before heading west to the coast. Once the Pacific Ocean was in view, we travelled north on a section of 101 which copies the famous Pacific Coast Highway in California almost exactly. Soon we were exchanging stories on the beach, before a much needed sleep!
A preview of day two’s photos, once again by the very talented Andrew Holliday:
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I’ve often wondered who comes up with the “ten best” lists and articles we all share, again and again. How did driving the Nurburgring become a thing all car enthusiasts need to do, but driving Spa isn’t? Now that I’ve mentioned Spa, you instantly want to add it to your bucket list…but until I planted the seed, finding out how daring you are through Eau Rouge was just a fleeting thought you had a few years ago. In the same way, I wonder who came up with the original “ten best driving roads of North America”, and why we keep rehashing the same list over, and over. Pacific Coast Highway, Tail of the Dragon, etc. etc. In many ways, the list is flawed…and the first day of the Classic Car Adventures Hagerty Fall Classic worked to prove the point.
What makes the perfect driving road? While the obvious answers is “twisty”, its certainly more than that. The combination of twists and turns, the elevation changes, the scenery, the traffic levels, the pavement quality, and many more factors all need to be considered. The best driving road in a 1964 Buick, is not likely the best driving road in a 1964 Porsche. And yet, there are certain qualities and combinations that make a road exceptional, regardless of the vehicle chosen. Certainly only these particular roads should be considered as “best”.
Our morning began with a clearing mist of rain, after a heavy deluge overnight. We were in Clackamas Oregon, basically “Portland South-East”, for those of us from out of town, and the driver’s meeting was oddly delayed. We hung around in the parking lot for almost a full 45 minutes of socializing before the meeting finally began. A route of remote road choices, little fuel options, and a miniscule selection of just two food options all day lay ahead. Our delayed meeting was simply to accommodate the lunch timing!
At first we headed south-east, through the Mount Hood National Forest, before heading south west into the town of Detroit Oregon. In Detroit we enjoyed one of the two dining establishments, and a rare occasion (for CCA) where an entire event meets up to have lunch and swap stories together. I arrived a touch late for lunch, having stopped for breakfast on the road after the driver’s meeting, so it was a quick southern-style barbecue before I jumped in the car to try and keep pace with the early part of the group. Our route continued south, down to highway 20, where my 1958 Beetle just couldn’t hang onto the group through the mountain climbs. Soon I was solo behind some locals, and I missed an important turn onto perhaps the best road I’ve ever driven.
By luck or chance, Warwick had also missed the turn, I had seen him zip in from the other direction thinking he was doing a side trip…but quickly put two and two together, and reversed course.
Coming around the corner, on the correct route for today, I was surprised to find all the cars I had left lunch with waiting for me. A certain camaraderie forms when you’re on a classic car adventure, and they didn’t want to start down what appeared to be a narrow twisty road without our “whole group”. We were four Minis, a Citroen, an RX-7, a Pontiac, the Camaro and my VW Beetle. After the first section of twisty hill climbs, we found a straight section, adjusted our running order, and began the best hour and forty-five minutes of my year. So far in 2019 I have driven the top six roads listed in Southern California, three of the top six listed in Colorado (did the others last year), the top roads listed in the Smokey Mountains, and the top roads listed in both Alberta and British Columbia. Nothing could top todays drive.
The curves never ended, the trees formed a tunnel for roughly 70% of the route. Occasionally we’d be river-side, and the break offered by the water would open up vast mountain views. The road, while paved, is used so little it’s growing moss in the centre. For the most part the dips, yumps and crests formed by years of road movement added to the enjoyment. Where they were car damaging, the route book either gave warning, or the road was painted to call attention to the issues. We weren’t moving at a particularly fast pace, but the road kept you working the entire time. The Minis would dart ahead in the tightest corners, and we would catch up and ride behind in the others. Up, down, left, right, the road never stopped challenging for its entire length. We passed towering dams, vast lakes, and forest so thick we almost needed headlights. The entire time you couldn’t wipe the smile off my face, and you could feel the smiles coming from the other cars in the group. With so many corners, it felt like the Nurburgring. It was as tight and twisty as the tail of the dragon, with a speed limit that says “remote and unused”. When we stretched at the end of the road, everyone was talking about how it might be the best thing they’ve ever driven. Over drinks, later in the hotel parking lot, we were discussing how we’d love to share the route with friends…but hope it stays a secret to be enjoyed.
Perhaps the worst thing to happen to the great driving roads is their inclusion on a “ten best” list. Everyone with a rental car heads to them, adding traffic and congestion to routes which were once someones secret route. In each region where “the best” road is featured, I’ve found similar roads which I think are far better for the driving enthusiasts. Today’s road doesn’t show up on any best list of driving roads in Oregon, and I found it mostly by accident, hoping to extend a route by an hour or so. It was so good, however, that I will plan an entire future Hagerty Fall Classic around this one road, perhaps driving it in the other direction next time.
A road that good? I must have been one incredible driving day…
Special thanks to Andrew Holliday for his phenomenal photos of the day, a preview of which are available below:
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With our final drivers meeting complete for this year, our group hit the road from Prineville to The Dalles for the end of the Hagerty Fall Classic. Despite being the final day for the event, we certainly hadn’t used up all the great roads…and by the time we got to the finish, many of us had wished a second half of the day was yet to come.
Leaving Prineville, we headed west along the Oneil Highway, a meandering journey through golden fields of cut hay. Just as you begin to think about whether the morning will be all rolling hills and fields, the road twists and the towering rocks of Smith Rock jump out into view. It’s a stark, and almost shocking, contrast to the rolling fields. Similar to driving along the plains of Nebraska, only to turn a corner and see an example of the Rock Mountains towering over a tiny town.
From there it was North to Willowdale, where we left the fields and plains for canyon carving. The road twisted relentlessly up onto a plateau where we went through Antelope, the historic towns of Shaniko and Bakeoven, and then tested the brakes all the way down into Maupin.
For the start of the twisties I was following the group of Minis and an Alfa Romeo, with one of the BMW’s and a Corvette behind me. I realized, too late, when the road started to twist and climb that there was no where for me to pull over. The ’58 Volkswagen was going to have to keep up to the Minis and not disappoint the cars behind me. With my foot firmly planted to the rubber mat, I gripped the steering wheel and dove into each corner. As the theme music to a certain childhood movie staring a white car with the number 53 on it played in my head, an old saying came to mind. “Its better to drive a slow car fast, then drive a fast car slow.” No where was this more true than the climb up onto our first plateau.
While the Minis danced their way up the corners looking like a life sized slot-car set, the BWM and corvette behind me appeared to be enjoying the drive while not riding onto my back bumper. In the ’58 beetle I was merely doing the speed limit up the hill, but I couldn’t have found an single extra mile per hour if you had closed the road and called it a race course.
Leaving Shaniko, along a road we’ve used in a previous event, I looked forward to the reverse of our canyon climb, as you drop all the way down to the Deschute River in Maupin. It’s a series of twists and switchbacks that will test the brakes on any car not driven with foresight and planning. Upon reaching the bottom, there’s a beautiful drive along the river, where the slow speed limits allow you to take in the views and watch the white water rafters next to you in the river. Soon you arrive at a stop sign, and turn left…er, right? Hmm, the route book says right…I don’t remember this road?
Moments later were climbing up a canyon twisty that would be far more at home in the Alps vs the middle of Oregon. Every 100ft there was a sign proclaiming “Abrupt Edge”, when it honestly should have read “no shoulder, that’s a cliff.” With zero guardrails, and a sudden drop for hundreds of feet, I was sure happy to be in the driver’s seat and not the co-drivers spot! We crossed the Deschutes river canyon, made our way up through the grass valley and eventually over to The Dalles, where the Columbia Gorge Discovery Centre hosted our finish lunch.
This being our final meal together, it was time for some awards, recognition, and draw prizes. The Hard Luck award will be headed to Duane and Sylvia, who had to head home early in their Jaguar XK140. A float issue was causing one cylinder to flood, and despite a couple of roadside attempts no repair could be made.
The McGyver award went to Bill and David in the BMW. Initially we thought it would be for the way they managed to repair a clutch slave cylinder with a bolt, and rebleed it on the side of the road…but they decided to add to the effect by arriving at the finish with an exhaust system held onto the car with bailing wire, rope and a whatever else they could find in the car. As it turns out, if you see the exhaust system appears a little rusty on your pre-event inspection…you should probably check to see if it’s surface rust or almost all the way through!
The Hagerty Sprit of the Classic award was (unknowingly) in stiff competition this year. Ross flew in from Colorado, to join Jacob in a car they bought together essentially sight-unseen three days before the event. The Mini crew continued to be the life of the evening party, while entertaining us all on the road with their usual parade antics. Jay and Linda arrived as new entrants, but made friends so quickly they were “regulars” before the Thursday dinner had even started. But in the end, we could only award the honour to one entrant.
They began the weekend as new entrants, but not only quickly made friends…they made it a mission to get to know as many people as possible. Each night they were seen dining with new people, finding out all about what made them join our adventure. On the road, when their center console of their Camaro became a gear-oil volcano through the shifter, they were unfazed. Together with help from other cars, they created axle stands from rocks, diagnosed where the oil fountain was coming from (a torn shift boot) and worked out a system by which the co-driver was now in charge of both directions and oil deflection. When the problem couldn’t be solved on Saturday night, rather than head home directly, they decided that an adventure such as our should be finished! Besides, the whole underside needed to be cleaned anyways…what’s another day of oil? All smiles as they shared stories of their adventure at the finish, Aaron and Zafera were the perfect choice for our Spirit of the Classic award!
RWM & Co. graciously donated two gift certificates worth over $300 each for use at their Delta BC restoration shop. Len Swanson and Aaron Aaron will be making good use of their certificates in the coming winter!
With our event almost complete, it was time to draw for the two Roue Watches which had been asked about all weekend. Bill Eastman, winner of the McGyver award, will be able to time their next repair using his new SSD model Roue watch. Helaine has found the perfect early birthday present for her husband Curt after having her name drawn for the CHR model watch. We think it will look pretty good with his Hyabusa powered Lotus Seven!
All too soon it was time to say good bye until next year. We’ll be back for next year’s Hagerty Fall Classic, and you certainly won’t want to miss out on the fun. Events, much like slow cars driven fast, are much better experienced in person vs. reading about it!
Thanks, once again, to Andrew Holliday Photography for another stunning preview of images from today’s adventure.
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Where else, besides a Classic Car Adventures event, can you find yourself driving a Volkswagen Beetle amongst two Alfas, three minis, a Jaguar, a Caterham 7, a Camaro, an RX7, and a Citroen? That’s exactly how my morning started.
Yesterday, despite throughly enjoying the 1958 Beetle I’ve brought, I found myself often wishing I had the power of the Rally Bug (my usual event vehicle of choice). While I can keep up with the group on the flat sections, as soon as the hills appear the ’58 simply can’t keep pace. It was mid morning yesterday when I even waived sweep on to go ahead without me. “A timing adjustment,” I thought, “and moving to mid-grade fuel, should squeeze a couple more horses out of the tired engine I’m using.”
As cars started departing the parking lot after the Driver’s meeting, I quickly tossed my gear in the ’58 and tried to start as close to the first cars as possible. If I start in the front, it will take longer for me to end up all the way in the back! I nosed the car out into the group, and soon we were on the road departing from Goldendale WA.
Our route took us east through Washington farm and wine country, along rolling hills and meandering highways, before heading south into Oregon. As the road meandered, and I followed the group mentioned above, I enjoyed what felt like a touch more power. It’s easy to forget it’s 2018, and instead find yourself looking at the Minis as they dart around corners without (seemingly) any suspension movement. A sharp contrast to the Citroen DS who’s wheels seem to dance independently, while the occupants inside never move due to road conditions. In the absence of traffic, we could be a convoy heading to work in 1968, instead of a rally of enthusiasts out for a fun drive.
At the first gas stop, the Mini’s admitted to me they were holding back to allow me to keep up. I turned my back for a moment, and zip! They were gone from the gas station. I suppose 30 below the speed limit up hill was really cramping their style! No worries, as the Jag, Caterham, Alfas and RX-7 were more than happy to drive with me south to Heppner, where we all found lunch together.
Dining on a Classic Car Adventures event can be an interesting affair. Entrants are typically on their own for lunch, encouraged to support local restaurants along the way. Sometimes, when we all descend upon a small town at once, it can result in some challenges! The poor look on the bartender’s face as we walked into the Tavern in Heppner, and replied “yeah, I think we will” to her question of “are you all going to eat lunch? Roughly twenty of us ordered lunch at once, and as the grill was fired up the exhaust hood in the open kitchen failed.
Secretly, I think our bartender/waitress/chef (she was doing it all herself today) is a classic car owner in another lifetime. She fired up a couple of fans, tossed the multitudes of burgers on the grill and we all made the best of it! When the food arrived, and the smoke dissipated enough that we could see it, we happily discovered it was excellent, and worthy of being “the best place to dine in Heppner”.
Following a hearty lunch, we headed south over mountain passes, through the Umatilla and Ochoco National Forests, carved along canyon walls and eventually popped out at our overnight spot of Prineville OR. Along the way a BMW had to McGyver a repair for a damaged clutch slave cylinder, and a Camaro has started spraying gear oil out of the shifter boot(!), but everyone made it in time for dinner and repairs will be made before morning.
I can’t believe day three is tomorrow, and we only have one day left together…
Thanks, once again, to Andrew Holliday Photography for another stunning preview of images from today’s adventure.
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Imagine, for a moment, that you just spent the day hanging out with your best friends. Perhaps you haven’t seen them for a few weeks, months, or even a year…but the time that has passed simply doesn’t matter. By the end of day one, that’s exactly what the Hagerty Fall Classic was, hanging out with best friends who haven’t seen each other in a year, or maybe ever before!
Alright, in fairness the Hagerty Fall Classic started last night with the “unofficial, unorganized” Thursday night party. These started a few years ago as a way for the out-of-town guests to connect the night before an event, but have become so popular that the local guests are sure to make their calendars free so they can attend. Last night we jammed a local Italian restaurant beyond capacity and got to know one another over rich pastas and Italian reds.
Despite our dinner the night before, however, after the driver’s meeting this morning I was wondering if we had started to gel as a group. Usually I can barely keep the group together until the end of the meeting, they’re briskly walking to their cars to get a head start before I finish. This morning, though, there was a lull. It turns out everyone was trying to work out which friends they were going to start the event with!
We started out in Troudale Oregon, and headed for a taste of the Columbia Gorge, with it’s wonderful roads that twist and turn around both sides of the canyon. The route was quick to head south, in order to give our entrants fantastic views, and the twists and turns, through Mount Hood National Forest. From there it was north to Hood River, where many of us stopped for lunch before crossing North into Washington.
In Washington we carved north through the pine and oak forests of Trout Lake and Klickitat, before heading east, and into the desert scrub region. At one point you’re high up in the trees, the air thick with the smell of pines and, in just a single corner, the road twists and suddenly its dry prairie grasslands. Between the rugged river canyons, the high alpine meadows, the pine and oak forests, and then the dry deserts it felt as though we had driven through four different planets today.
As the group gathered amongst the cars before dinner, one thing was clear; the roads were fantastic and we couldn’t have had better day. Interestingly, by dinner time you couldn’t tell who was a new entrant and who has been here for a few years or more. By the start of dinner, it was clear we were just one big happy family of collector car enthusiasts, a sentiment that spilled out into the parking lot party that went on until midnight. Bed time came, not because we wanted to sleep, but simply because we wanted to be ready and alert for tomorrow’s adventure!
A selection of photos from day one, provided by Andrew Holliday Photography, are below.
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