Rally Reports

Day 0 – Car Collection Day

May 7^th 2012

Our first day together has seen the crews of 51 cars meet up for the first time, firstly with the process of passing through the formalities, including a whole-car X-ray in the hands of  American customs officials, and  then driving on to our hotel on the outskirts of the city, where safety checks, scrutineering and documentation, together with an hour long route-briefing, has kept everyone fully occupied.  We then all began the hard task of getting to grips with the social aspects of historic-rallying – firstly with a group dinner, and then a night-session from the bar.

We have a route plan of over 8,000 miles that takes in some of the most breathtaking roads in America – so remote, the detailed route-book  that has taken months to stitch together lists only one roundabout, and that is soon behind us on Day One.  Blended into this mix are just over 1,000 miles of timed competition.

Crews from all over the world include the highly experienced, who have won outright past international events, together with first-timers on their first rally. Cars range from a 1923 7-litre Mercedes S which won a top award at the Pebble Beach Concours, to a 1967 1600cc VW Beetle, with the most popular marque of choice being Mercedes, with seven different examples, Jaguar, with six different examples, and five Bentleys. Among the later rarities, a Leyland P76 of Gerry Crown and Matt Bryson, a car we haver seen before on a long distance marathon…. the car is a replica of the works-car that figured in the epic 1974 World Cup Rally, the first double-crossing of the Sahara.

A few teething troubles concerned some crews who found the long sea voyage inside a baking hot container was hardly ideal conditions, and the three-strong team of mobile workshop mechanics have been busy fettling a broken exhaust on a Jaguar XK120 and several cars that had developed electrical faults.

There is a mood of mounting excitement as the day has now almost arrived for the flagging off with everyone keen to get underway. The hotel staff have never experienced welcoming a rally before and have totally underestimated all of us…. in the bar last night, the barman solemnly announced that we had drunk him dry – he had run out of beer.

Day 1 – New York to Frederick

The first car, the Bentley of Sonja and Claudia Schaefer, was flagged away at precisely 8.01am and promptly stalled within a yard of the start line. 

Quickly restarted the crew pulled out of the driveway leaving behind the dull brown edifice of the Newark Double Tree hotel. Today’s route took us straight onto the freeway where crews had to deal with the busy morning traffic as they made their way South Westerly towards the tree lined lanes of Pennsylvania with manicured lawns, freshly painted and well-kept houses and miles of twisting empty tarmac.

We rolled through open farmland, meadows and old deciduous woodland to an agreeable roadside diner for a coffee stop and passage control at Leesport crossing a traditional Pennsylvania covered bridge on the way.

This short refreshment break set us up for the 106 miles afternoon leg to Gettysburg where many crews took lunch by candlelight in the underground restaurant of the Civil War era Dobbin House Tavern.

Unfortunately the clouds had been threatening all day and then the rain duly came, steady drizzle at first then torrents of it. Hoods were quickly fastened into place and wet weather clothing gathered. The road alongside the Sasquehanna River resembling at times the river itself.

On the approach to the civil war battle town of Gettysburg today we also encountered what route designer Kim Bannister assures us is the only roundabout of the entire rally.

Of course there were tales of car problems from the road but none of them serious and most could be described as either shakedown or teething problems. The Dodge of Bruce and Judy Washington wrong slotted ‘more than once’ during the day but they quickly refound the route only to run out of fuel due to an ‘operator error’ on the part of the filling station attendant. The Beetle of Ed and Janet Howle had a windscreen wiper linkage problem which was quickly solved by the sweep crews.

The Ford Mustang of Michael and Eunice McInerney has driven much further than the rest of us however, an over reading trip meter lead them astray more than once. They were last seen heading out of the hotel to recalibrate the trip before dinner but all was not well with the Mustangs 3.2L engine. Diagnosed as overfuelling the investigation and repair looks set to roll into day two.

Paul and Mary Ellen Kane’s Mustang lost a fan belt early on by the side of the freeway but this was quickly remedied by the crew with minimal fuss.

Despite the weather, the car park of Hampton Hotel here in Frederick was a hive of activity for an hour or so before dinner as crews busied themselves with routine maintenance with Caroline Greenhalgh and Tania Slowe being among the first to don their overalls and get the spanners onto the Alvis.

In sporting terms day one was deliberately designed as a relaxed start to the event and all the crews are currently unpenalised, sharing equal first place.

Tomorrow’s early start takes us to the first Time Trial of the Rally then on to some sporting action at the Virginia International Raceway via the beautiful 105 mile Skyline Drive through the Blue Ridge Mountains in Shenandoah National Park.

Day 2 – Frederick to V.I.R.

An earlier start today as crews began to leave the Hampton Hotel at 7.01am. Last night’s rain had stopped but the air was still damp and a mist hung over the fields as we pulled out towards the South West. 

After a short freeway section it was straight up onto the Skyline Drive for a 105 mile (35mph) scenic extravaganza through the Shenandoah National Park.

For the early starters though many of the undoubtedly fine views offered by this route were obscured by dense cloud and fog. It’s hard to exaggerate though the quality of the Tarmac as the road swooped through the trees gaining and losing height from one set of bends to the next. Most sang the praises of the route however the Volvo crew of Nicholas Pryor and Lesley Stockwell found the drive particularly tough as they coped with almost non-existent brakes.

Coffee and a bowl of chilli at the Montebello mid-morning PC led the rally straight into the first timed regularity section at Panther Falls. Smooth graded gravel took us down to a sharp left hand turn as once more we ducked and dived our way through dense forest. Fully expecting to encounter our first bears this section went on for 11 glorious miles and saw the Eagle Engineered E Type of Phil Garratt and Kieron Brown move into the lead with a well-judged effort.

Once again the weather gods chose not to favour us and from the end of the Panther Falls section to the VIR we all got a good soaking. At the VIR a circuit consistency test gave the crews a chance to change up a gear and to stretch their legs enjoying several laps on the beautifully cambered and engineered raceway.

At the end of a long but satisfying day most crews sat down to a very welcome beef salad buffet and a few beers while the Mercedes of Herman Layher and Michaela Zingerle was being worked on by the sweep crews trying to plug a punctured fuel tank.

Other incidents of note from the day’s activities include a broken clutch for Terry Ward – Geoff Nicholls powerful Mercedes 450. They’ve had to lay up for the night and will rejoin the Rally as soon as they can. Steve Hyde and Janet Lynne in the Porsche survived a warning light scare on the VIR. Once they’d pitted they discovered that the auxiliary belt had become detached but it was an easy fix for the sweep crews to deal with.

Tonight we stayed at the Virginia International Raceway as tomorrow there are more tests on the circuit before we head further west to Knoxville, Tennessee.

Day 3 – V.I.R. to Knoxville

With the first car due to leave for their track test at 7.01 am it was another early start but the Virginia International Raceway looked a hundred times better this morning than it did last night. 

The simple application of some sunshine and blue sky transformed the venue from the damp and dull circuit of yesterday to a much more inviting prospect all round. As we made our way to breakfast and the temperature rose with the sun the impeccable grassy run offs, the trees surrounding the perimeter and the track itself began to shed their misty veils.

With such a backdrop to play against the Rally couldn’t be anything else than in good spirits and soon the air was filled with the barking and growling of 30 or more cars eager for their turn on the curves and straights they’d first experienced last night.

With a reseed now in place the Rally was led away by Phil Garratt and Kieron Brown in the E Type which scythed its way through any lingering mist. Ear to ear grins were the most common feature at this finish control. David and Jo’ Roberts gushed that it was a beautiful track and were pleased that they only dropped two seconds but Roy Stephenson and Peter Robinson along with the aforementioned E Type both cleaned the regularity.

Once the ‘play time’ on the track was over though it was back to the more serious business of getting across America and we started out towards the night halt at Knoxville on the banks of the Tennessee River.

The route once again offered us an embarrassment of scenery as we plied our way along the Blue Ridge Parkway lined as it is with trees, ‘chocolate box’ houses and the odd tortoise which was saved from certain death by your very own correspondent.

As we crossed and then re-crossed the State lines of North Carolina and Tennessee the temperature climbed and a definite dry feeling took over.

Claudia and Sonja Schaeffer in the no. 1 Bentley removed the hood of the car and covered up instead with factor fifteen. They still managed to arrive at the MTC however with slightly pink faces.

Alastair Caldwell and his mother survived three unusual brushes with the law, their Rolls Royce proves to be an easy target for curious policemen looking for…. photographs.

More good news comes with the return of Terry Ward and Geoff Nicholls who made it to the VIR night halt with a repaired clutch and managed to get themselves out onto the track this morning for their share of the fun.

There have been some minor issues along the way though and these include a defective fuel pump for the Steinhauser / Collard MkII Jag’ which managed to repair itself just as the sweeps arrived. A mysterious knocking from the rear afflicted the Halter / Englehardt Chevrolet Camaro which turned out to be a loose anti roll bar. Ever resourceful they had a new mount fabricated en route. Jose and Maria de Sousa needed to reattach their steering column this morning before their track session.

Tonight in the Knoxville Marriott the buzz around the bar is not inconsiderable.

Day 4 – Knoxville to Memphis

Pulling out of the hotel on a second consecutive warm and sunny morning – let’s hope this sets a pattern – we drove the first 30 miles or so through what Jake Auerbach (a New York native) described as ‘ribbon mall development’ and what was on offer along the road was truly varied and diverse including a drive through ice store.

We’re skirting bible belt now and as we passed through the beautiful rural Tennessee countryside we were exhorted by many a roadside sign to fear God, love our wives and do good to all men. We pondered this a while as we drove along but after then being told that “God knoweth our every thought” decided to just agree with it.

As the Rally has rolled along we’ve all been touched by the helpful and friendly nature of the American people. This morning for example a team mowing the grass verge agreed to hold back until the regularity section had finished. But as both George Bernard Shaw and Winston Churchill both observed we are indeed two nations divided by a common language. Two of the marshals, Peter Stone and Jim Smith engaged the team in conversation and explained that we were driving more than 40 classic cars to Alaska. The workmen were astounded and one of them turned to his colleague and said, “did you hear that, they’re taking 40 cows to Alaska”.

Leaving linguistics aside however there was some competition today which saw Piper and Piper in the red Aston Martin doing particularly well dropping only three seconds through the twisty regularities.

Paul and Sandra Merryweather took their Mercedes 450SL to second place overall by dropping only four seconds all day. Steve Hyde and Janet Lynne in their beautiful (yet thirsty) Porsche 911 ran out of fuel on one of the sections and lost 1m57 on the day. The E Type of Garratt and Brown however still tops the results.

Away from all of this hectic activity we chanced upon John & Isabel Rowe calmly sat by the bank of Morrison Creek enjoying a picnic lunch.

Bad news however reached us this morning when we heard that the #1 Bentley of Claudia and Sonja Schaefer had been hit by a local car. Details are still sketchy but we know that both girls are being well looked after being quickly taken hospital in Knoxville.

Later in the day on the run to Memphis we came across car 11 sat by the side of Pea Ridge Road with a slight overheating problem caused by a broken cooling fan. The sweep crew of Rob Dominy and Bob Harrod soon had them going again for the long blast down the interstate.

We’re now well settled into Memphis and as tomorrow’s a rest day this should give our old friends tinker and fettle a chance to get busy with the spanners. The rest of us will probably head into town and enjoy. Incidentally, Memphis is in the Central Time zone so we are now six hours behind UK time.

As a one-time famous resident of Memphis said ambition is a dream with a V8 engine.

Day 5 – Memphis Rest Day

Waking up in Memphis after the seemingly all night party on Beale Street several crews made it to the sixth floor parking area to sort out some niggling problems and attend the routine maintenance that is so essential to keeping an old car on the road.

The Auerbach’s Chrysler New Yorker needed some help to trace and remedy a minor electrical fault, Andy Inskip fashioned a lens cover for the headlamp of the Bentley of Martin and Olivia Hunt from a mineral water bottle. The Stockwell / Pryor Volvo had some attention for a faulty master cylinder while Ed Howle, tried to sort once and for all the windscreen wiper issue that had dogged his VW Beetle since day one. Looking at the forecast this could be a timely repair.

Keen to embrace as much of the American way of life as possible we thought we’d take in a few trips to the mall. Specifically, and using the American right to bear arms as an excuse we turned up at a gun shop – wearing short sleeve shirts.

Tommy Bronson’s shop is well known in hunting’ and shooting’  circles and the firepower packed behind his counter is nothing short of awesome. From tiny guns for your ‘purse’ through guns disguised as a wallet to foil a mugger, right up to the proverbial big guns, he had them all. To European eyes this sort of open display of weaponry is alarming but we left in no doubt that it was an integral part of life in these parts.

A large and leisurely lunch at Swanky’s Taco shop set us up for the afternoon and we headed back to the Westin Hotel and Beale Street but the rain has set in once more and this may dampen tonight’s revelry.

Tomorrow we cross the Mississippi and enter a new phase of our challenge where we’re told that the roads will be flatter and the traffic will be even lighter.

Day 6 – Memphis to Eureka Springs

We crossed our very own Rubicon this morning. The mighty Mississippi, and by doing so clearly signalled our intent to conquer the West. Within one beat of that aforementioned V8 you’re out of hip & happening Tennessee and most definitely into farm and folksy Arkansas.

The change from one side of this watery milestone to the other is both sudden and dramatic. Gone are the city blocks, the urban sprawl and indeed the people. In come long straight (empty) grid roads, pancake flat rice fields and most importantly some blue sky and sun shine. In fact by midday we’d see the thermometer hit a very agreeable 24°C.

These roads led us through lush farmland to the first test, a short but sweet gravel section. A Time Control and lunch halt at Janssen’s cafe was most welcome and crews enjoyed the ‘eat till you bust’ all day buffet under the watchful eye of “Tim, the fat guy flipping the omelettes” on the terrace overlooking the lake at Greers Ferry.

Some 50 miles from lunch came test two. A longer gravel test taking in more than 11 miles of beautiful flowing hairpins and a very challenging climb through the Ozark Forest. As we sat and waited for the cars at the mid-point nothing stirred save for the butterflies, the lizards alternatively basking and scurrying around in the heat and the woodpeckers knocking themselves senseless on a nearby tree.

In this silence the first car through, the Mercedes 450SL of Paul and Sandra Merryweather gave us plenty of warning of its approach as it slid through the bend in a symphony of throttle control, steering input and traction. The following dust however proved less attractive. The next car on the road, the E type of Garratt and Brown however had a slight coming together with a tree on a corner but they soon got it back onto the road. Nothing important is bent and the crew reckon a bit of filler and a good session with the T-cut should be all that’s needed. This has slipped them from 1st to 5th place on the leader board but we expect them to be lining up tomorrow for the long drag to Dodge City.

Another Jag’ casualty came in the shape of a cracked rear axle for the Worts / Shackleton MkII. They limped 90 miles into the night halt having rigged up a ratchet strap to hold the two sides of the car together. Tomorrow they’ve got a welder booked so fingers crossed that works out.

Steve Hyde and Janet Lynne were unusually late into the second test in their Porsche, the reason – a broken gear lever linkage. Steve, Geoff Nicholls from car 40 and the sweeps were onto it as soon as they pulled in for the night and we expect to see them back to full strength tomorrow. Finally, the Chevrolet Camaro of Marco Halter and Claudia Englehardt needed some attention for a leaky power steering system.

Tonight we’re in Eureka Springs, a Victorian sort of town with a frontier feel to it. It’s charming and anywhere less like Memphis is hard to imagine and we rounded the night off with Andy Actman on guitar and the town mayor singing hotel California in the bar. A pretty good way to round off a very good day.

Most of the Rally are in the Basin Park Hotel but some of us are in the supposedly haunted Crescent Hotel……

Day 7 – Eureka Springs to Dodge City

Pulling out of Eureka Springs this morning we were promised a long flat day and, mile after mile after mile it didn’t disappoint. We managed three states today dodging armadillos, tortoises and farm dogs. Kicking off in Arkansas, passing through Oklahoma and finishing in Kansas we touched (briefly) on Route 66, enjoyed coffee in the Prairie Rose Cafe and drove through Barnsdall, the former home of Clarke Gable.

The day was punctuated with a series of passage controls strategically place to relieve what I’ve heard the Americans describe as “truckers ass”. At a shade under 500 miles the danger of this condition getting a grip today was very real but at each halt the crews managed to gee each other up for another session behind the wheel.

Once into Kansas made famous by the 1939 film The Wizard of Oz,  we followed our own yellow brick road and, we even brought our very own cast, well part of it at least.

We have Dorothy (Caldwell), Wizards of Oz ….take your pick from Gerry Crown, Matt Bryson, Geoff Nicholls, Terry Ward; several Tin Men and quite a few Cowardly Lions. As for the Wicked Witches and the Scare Crows we’ll let you decide there. Past the nodding donkeys, through the massive wheat fields, along the endless Tarmac and Over the Rainbow we continued our westerly path.

Problems have been thankfully few and far between today. John and Isabel Rowe needed a bit of attention for a loose roll bar mount on their Jag’, while at the same garage we came across Marco Halter & Claudia Englehardt in the Chevrolet Camaro with a minor fuelling problem. Neither issue held the cars up for long however.

We witnessed a remarkable meeting however as Tom and Rosalie Gatsonides in the Alvis encountered some of their old rallying friends driving a Landcruiser along the road to Schidler. As far as coincidences go this must rank right up there with the best of them.

Finally arriving in Dodge City, the birthplace of Dennis Hopper and the setting for the TV series Gun Smoke we knew we were in the heart of the one time Wild West. The city is proud of its history. Cowboy memorabilia is commonplace, there’s a Boot Hill Museum and frequent re-enactments of some of the gun battles which made the town famous. Sadly we didn’t have time to see much of it arriving as we did so close to nightfall.

The run into town though is lined with abattoirs and meat processing plants and one of the locals kindly gave us a quick rundown of the food production process pointing out that “you can’t eat em if you don’t kill em”. With that in mind we sat down to dinner; a cheese salad for me thank you.

Not quite the Emerald City we thought we’d find but a great place for a night halt.

Day 8 – Dodge City to Colorado Springs

Planes trains and automobiles, today we see them all.

Like countless outlaws who’d gone before us the road out of Dodge City was a welcome sight this morning. As the day dawned bright and clear the first thirty miles saw us running alongside the railroad and passing many massive roadside grain silos and prairies full of wind farms. On the road to Montezuma we began to pass the cattle, thousands, tens of thousands maybe lined up at feed troughs or just lying in the dirt. Turning off towards Ulysees we crossed another railway line, we passed prairie sized fields full of irrigation booms and we passed yet more cattle.

Navigation in these parts isn’t difficult. A compass is as good as a GPS as the roads run so straight but signs for Moscow had us worried for a minute but soon we were safely in Ulysees where a pink pig shaped VW Beetle caught our eye. Shortly afterwards we crossed into Colorado – and the mountain time zone – and spotted the first of many mile long cargo trains creeping their way along the tracks.

Further along the route a bright yellow crop dusting plane caught our eye as he wheeled and skewed his way between the irrigation booms, the power lines and the highway. He’s got to be low to spray effectively but he’s also got to remember he’s an airplane. There were times we worried that he hadn’t got the balance right. As we stood and watched we began to feel like Carey Grant in Hitchcock’s North by North West.

Miles of beautifully graded, dead straight gravel took us to the first regularity test and en route we saw an eagle having a prairie dog lunch – a little early we felt but we decided not to make a fuss.

At more than ten miles long this loose and flowing route took us through Baker Canyon. This is real cowboy country so we tethered the horse and sat down to watch the cars come through only to be warned off by an unmistakable and chilling rattle from the scrub…… We checked with a passing local “Do you have rattlesnakes here”? “Hell yeah. They’re kinda’ brown and stripey so y’all know what to look for next time”.

Once we’d steadied our nerves and selected another seat the action began. Most of the crews made, light work of the regularity but it wasn’t without incident. Keith Ashworth, drove the whole section with a stuck throttle linkage. He controlled his speed with the brakes but by the end of it had boiled the fluid and we found him and the sweeps hard at it trying to get back on the road only to run out of fuel a little further on. Other incidents of note include the Washington’s Dodge which required a new fuel pump, a 6v pump had been fitted to the 12v system!

The beautiful no. 11 Jag’ of the Irthums broke a rotor arm shortly before the night halt but the sweeps got it going again and all’s well with them.

The veteran Alvis of Greenhalgh and Slowe briefly lost a wheel in the car park. More embarrassing than damaging they got it screwed back on very quickly and agreed to say no more about it.

On the run in to Colorado Springs we caught a glimpse of the looming Rocky Mountains with just a hint of snow on the tops and as we’re staying at the excellent Cheyenne Mountain Resort some of the crews who arrived early enough took it upon themselves to drive the renowned Pikes Peak climb.

A taste of things to come perhaps?

Day 9 – Colorado Springs to Durango

Welcome to the big country. “The land of many uses”.

We all felt sad to be leaving the Cheyenne Mountain resort with its lavish breakfast buffet and excellent coffee this morning, but the pull of the mountains proved too much to resist – and we have a schedule to keep to so we saddled up and headed up the trail. Up, being the operative word.

When we left the hotel the gps sat around 5000ft but within ten miles it had climbed to 6500ft. Over the next ten miles we’d still be climbing and by the time we’d stopped counting at twenty miles we were at 8500ft. In fact this would be about the lowest point we’d see until we reached the hotel in Durango. The long steady climb out of town cut through red sandstone, pine trees and past the snow covered Pikes Peak to our left. A full day was promised and soon we were into the first test, a sublime loop into the woods on well compacted red gravel. We even passed a monastery, “The protection of the Holy Virgin” but the Gods weren’t smiling on us and the reason the gravel was in such good condition was that it was being graded. With such large earth moving equipment in the vicinity the organisers had no choice but to call a halt to the regularity although the crews did drive through, keen not to miss what was on offer.

On the way back down the hill we passed a llama farm and then a fox enjoying a middle of the road mid-morning snack, something small and furry that hadn’t quite made it… The run along Route 50 to Salida a real drivers road with see through bends and well engineered cambers it closely followed the Arkansas River where we saw white water rafting, fishing and rock climbing on offer. All the while though, we were heading towards the snowy peaks that we could see dead ahead.

Through Swissvale and into Salida where we were intrigued to see a sign for www.webuyantlers.com. Take a look yourself, we have. From here it was up to Monarch Pass, through the beautiful San Isobel National Forest with snow sitting in the shadowy pockets and on past a less than beautiful quarry and mineworks. Monarch Pass is one of the highest points of the Rally at 11312ft and also saw us cross the Continental Divide which marks the watershed point of the Pacific, the Atlantic and the Gulf of Mexico. Passed the very tempting dirt road to ‘old Monarchs Pass.

On the way to Black Sage Pass, the venue for today’s second regularity, we saw that we truly were in the heart of Marlborough Country. It’s big, it’s wide and it’s open and it’s called “the land of many uses”. It’s so vast and empty it made Mongolia look busy! But we took note that building and sceptic tank permits were required in Sagauche County.

While on the subject of Real Estate we passed a lovely chalet ranch building for sale on the meandering road into Gunnison. Features included parking for several cars and access to miles of well graded gravel. For further details contact……

Through the Curecanti Park and along the shores of Blue Mesa Lake, where we noted that all motorised watercraft were subject to compulsory mussel inspection, we made our way to the third regularity section of the day. Like the first though this has to be cancelled. A rock fall made it passable only with care in a 4×4 so we diverted along the main road straight to Durango but this wasn’t exactly dull as the road began to rise up once more to the Red Mountain Pass  at 11018ft.

On the way to it, the ‘Welcome to Ridgeway’ sign boasted that ‘what we lack in wineries we make up for in whiners’. Claiming to be the gateway to the San Juans it was established 1891. This is where the real climb begins and we caught up with Martin and Olivia Hunt’s Bentley just as it began to ‘relieve’ itself from the expansion tank. Nothing to worry about, Martin assured us, it was just the heat and he put in a spirited performance hauling the Peking to Paris veteran through hairpin after hairpin with Olivia expertly hanging out as a counterbalance.

So we really were on the home run to Durango now, only one more pass to storm, the 10910ft Molas Pass, down past the miners shrine on the highway adopted by, among others, the Silverton Gunfighters Association and the Durango Photography Club. They’d both find a lot to shoot in a place like this.

We hear of a few problems from along the road today. The red Jag’ of Richard Worts and Nicola Shackleton needed two new fuel pumps but made it to the hotel in good time while the blue convertible Mustang of Hans Middleberg and Jurgen Grolman has suffered with what they describe as an overheating problem. A head gasket was suspected for which a can of K-Seal has been prescribed. A little more investigation may be required.

Winners and losers from the day; a missed PC for the Ian Brawn & Jan Smith Porsche 911 saw them drop from 15th to 22nd place while car 23, the Datsun 240Z of Roy Stephenson and Peter Robinson has fallen from 2nd to 9th place following a slight mishap on the slippery gravel that added a couple of minutes to their total.

After a day like this it’s safe to say that Colorado has left a big impression on us all.

Day 10 – Durango to Page

The sign on the way out of Durango said ‘come back again and again’ and given the memories of yesterday I’m sure many of us would like to. Like all Rally days though our sleepy reluctant departure was tempered with the thought of what lay ahead. And anyone with a guide book or a high school geography qualification knew that what we were about to witness was going to be epic.

Out of Durango, and while not exactly straight as an arrow we headed west to Mancos over a high pine covered plateau. The morning light as sharp as anything we’ve seen so far. We touched on part of the old Spanish Historic Trail as we made our way along highway 160 to ‘Historic Mancos where the west comes alive’. A retro’ VW camper van with surfboard on the roof caught our eye, we liked their style but thought its a long way from the sea buddy.

The landscape was changing, slowly but surely. Gone were the snowy peaks and the alpine switchbacks and in came the classic Western scrub with low gnarled trees and a more  reddish brown desert appearance.

On turning left to Hovenweep National Monument a signpost urged motorcycles to use caution as the road was ‘curvy’ ahead. That’s fine, that’s what we came for! Onwards; past the Canyon of the Ancients to the first regularity section at Ismay, a dry loose and sandy section with some tricky hairpins, off camber turns and sheer drops to the side. Car 10 the Aurebachs’ Chrysler New Yorker put in an ‘entertaining’ effort while car 22 the de Souzas’ Volvo ended up with a maximum time penalty. Overall this regularity put a smile on many a face and somewhere after this we slipped quietly into Utah. Then, only 12 miles down the road was test 2. More of the same, desert track with sand but this time some of the crews weren’t smiling. A tricky regularity caught them out with only car 22, David and Jo’ Roberts achieving a clean sheet.

So, with the competition out of the way we made our way to lunch at Monument Valley the eighth wonder of the world and the MTC. There were some fantastic views on the way with Moki Dugway taking top honours here. After a tarmac climb over the plateau we were treated to a gravel hairpin descent with views bigger than big and wider than wide. We could see Monument Valley approaching for around 20 miles.

South on route 163 to the Mexican Hat fuel station which was a hive of activity as cars were filled with gas and windscreens cleared of bugs. As usual we attracted a lot of attention and one ‘oldtimer’ remarked “You guys look like you’re having too much fun”. How right he was. Then we ran into Monument Valley itself with the buttes and towers rising from the sand and shimmering through the heat haze. There were clouds but they were more window dressing and did little to shield us from the burning sun as the mercury rose above 30°C. The final MTC of the day was here so the afternoon was free for crews to explore the area, the heart of Navajo Indian territory.

In this spirit of exploration, we took in part of the 17 mile drive through the valley on a rough and sandy dirt road and wondered where does that $5.00 entry fee go? We saw cars 21, David and Jo Roberts & 22 Jose and Maria became the first classics to compete in the first hill climb at Monument Valley. They finished in first and second place respectively although needed several attempts to get up.

So much for a bit of playtime but we still had to get to the night halt in Page Arizona, some 123 miles further along the road. The views of the monuments in the rear view mirror were better thanks to the shifting sun than they had been on the approach and we even passed a lineman, a long way from Witchita though.

Our night halt of Page was only founded in 1957 so it’s quite a spring chicken…… Which brings me on to some birthday greetings for the evergreen, 80 years old, Gerry Crown, and for once on an event he’s not the oldest participant. Many happy returns Gerry.

Tomorrow is a rest day and many of us will be boating on the beautiful Lake Powell or taking a drive to the Grand Canyon, or fixing cars. As I write Andy Actman is once more letting rip in the bar. Jimmy Hendrix eat your heart out.

Day 11 – Page Rest Day

Going deep. A land to inspire our spirit.

Rest day mornings are generally slow affairs but today’s was perhaps a little slower than usual it being the morning after the night that was Gerry Crown’s birthday celebration. A civilised breakfast in the lovely garden area of the Page Marriott however cleared most of the ‘cobwebs’.

Once you’ve fixed the car and done your laundry – no tumble dryer required in Arizona – there are a couple of ‘obvious’ things to do when you’re in this part of the world. One is to take a boat trip out onto Lake Powell and the other is to visit the Grand Canyon.

We chose the latter and headed down the 89 to Bitter Springs, across the Colorado River on the Navajo Bridge at Marble Canyon (the only bridge for 600 miles standing 143m above the water) up through the pink desert to the North Rim on the Kaibab Plateau, generally considered the less fashionable but entirely more exclusive part of the Canyon. It also stands 1000ft breath taking feet higher than the Southern Rim and is approached through lush meadows and pine forest, in stark contrast to the desert floor below.

Looking out and over the Canyon was an amazing experience and quickly brought out the amateur geologist in us as we theorised and studied the rock formations some of which have stood for around two billion years. It was established as a National Park in 1919.

There’s also a 400 strong herd of beefalo, a hybrid introduced to the area in 1906. They’re not making themselves popular though by fouling water supplies and trampling delicate vegetation. They’re also big and fast and you’re warned to stay at least 75 feet away.  Euphemistically we’re told that the park authorities are working to ‘eliminate’ their impact.

The sweep crews put in a half day today to tend to the walking wounded. Thankfully problems were few and far between. Car 6, Tom and Rosalie Gatsonides Alvis required a new fuel pump. The Car 45 Jaguar of John and Judith Rowe needed some minor brazing to the radiator overflow pipe and many other crews wisely chose to inspect and overhaul their brakes after the ups and downs of the last few days.

So it’s an early night tonight and an early start tomorrow. We head North to Provo in Utah.

The adventure continues.

Day 12 – Page to Provo

Another blue sky morning dawned and after the rest day there was a lot more energy in the air. Well rested crews were up early and keen to get on with the business of the day.  

Andy Actman’s refresher course on regularity timing held last night had gone down well and over breakfast many crews said they’d found it quite helpful. We’ll find out at today who really was paying attention.

In the carpark Martin Hunt was looking forward to trying out his new tyres. He’d had six of them flown in from the East Coast, ‘maybe we’ll be able to get the back end out a little more’ he quipped. It’s going to be another hot day and Ed’ Howle is still worried about the fuel vaporisation problem his Beetle is suffering with.

So out of the hotel and past the greenest and, Lake powell excepted, the wettest place in Arizona, the National Golf Course. A little incongruous amid the pink desert but if you like that sort of thing I’m sure it was quite tempting. Over the Lake Powell bridge with the impressive Carl Hayden dam on the right and North on the 89 with the sun on our backs. Soon we hit the Utah state line, “life elevated”. This was the 45th State to join the union, is the 13th most extensive, the 34th most populous and the 10th least densely populated. So now you know.

Turning right off the 89 into Cottonwood Canyon and through the valley known as the Cockscomb, dune buggies played along side us like dolphins ‘buzz’ a fishing boat as we followed the shallow Paria River. Recent landslips had been cleared and there were some soft and sandy sections to keep crews on their toes. There was a lot of dust though and Judith Rowe wisely sailed by sporting a pair of pretty industrial looking goggles. Later in the day she was to take the helm and let husband John have his turn on the clocks. Further into the Canyon we came across Peter and Zoe Lovett in their Porsche broken down by the side of the road in the lovely red section. Fuel vaporisation and or an electrical problem was suspected. Simon Ayris was quickly on the scene though and had the car up and running with a new rotor arm in no time.

The road surface changed from pink to rust to white back to pink again as it wound its way through the scrub and, fresh from a relaxing spa break the all girl crew of Tania Slowe and Caroline Greenhalgh in the Alvis were making good progress through the bends. They seem to know their car inside out and have had little trouble thus far.

Back onto the tarmac and the Kodachrome basin state park was an interesting option on the way onto Cannonville, but we’ve got a schedule to keep and had to press on to the PC at Clarkes Cafe where we enjoyed a welcome coffee and wished we could stay in the area a little longer to sample the nearby Bryce Canyon National Park. The road through it was sensational so heaven only know what it’s like off the beaten track. We made our way through the Dixie National Forest, past the Lovelady Inn in Antimony and the Otter Creek reservoir.

Once through Koosharem it was left and northwest onto the 24 past the eponymous Reservoir to the TC and lunch halt in Mom’s Cafe Salina, a traditional American diner where crews tucked into a hearty fare. Next door was Burns saddlery which boasted 50 used saddles in stock. Sadly we had neither the need for one or the time to look.

Back on the road, still heading northwesterly through the Juab Valley to the Nebo Loop test. A beautiful sinuous all Tarmac regularity through the Uinta National Forest. The views were stunning (we’ve come to expect nothing else). Then on to the night halt in Provo where we can report that the Ed Howles Beetle has received attention for the fuel vaporisation issue, a spacer has been fitted to the engine compartment lid meaning that more air should be able to circulate.  Bruce and Judy Washington have had the sensor refitted on their trip meter having just about managed so far without one. The MGB of Terry and Sheila Wright needed the Andy Inskip fine adjustment tool to knock their exhaust back into place aft it was ‘shifted’ by a rock in a hard place. Keith and Nora Ashworth struggled on the regularity this afternoon due to overheating. Nora didn’t see much of the scenery on the way in tonight as she couldn’t take her eyes off the temp’ gauge. The garage they visited tonight was closed however so they’ll retry in the morning.

Overall another epic day, the scenery was absolutely fabulous and we’d echo the sentiments of Nicholas Pryor who declared that he was running out of words to describe it.

Having visited the USA many times on business he now feels as I’m sure many of us do that he’s seeing the ‘real America’.

Day 13 – Provo to Jackson

Utah, Idaho, Wyoming. Three more steps along the road.

Oddly, given its status as one of the least populated states in the Union (see Turini passim), the run out of Provo was perhaps the busiest, in terms of infrastructure, shopping malls and traffic lights that we’d seem since we left Memphis. With the Salt Lake on our left we headed up to the Wasatch Cache National Forest. In total we had 50 traffic free miles of urban sprawl and six lane highway to negotiate before we broke into the mountainous ski areas of the Wasatch.

Once off the interstate at Summit Park we were straight into the first regularity through a lush green valley. This little canyon, part of the bigger East Canyon was used by the pioneers in 1847 on their way to Salt Lake City. An ‘oldtimer’ we met with a 007 license plate filled us in on the history of the place, showed his gun and told us he was missing so many teeth because he’d spent all of his money on tyres and gas. They seem to like their cars around here and we saw plenty of muscle cars out and about, Vipers, Chargers, Corvettes and Mustangs were quite obviously enjoying themselves through the turns much as we were so it was a surprise to see “fun free family activity” advertised on a billboard.

Once we’d seen the road to Monte Cristo we knew we could count on having a great time through the second test at Ant Flat, a reddish brown ribbon of gravel snaking through the Bear River Range with tufted alpine meadow and small stands of poplar on either side. The long range views were also fantastic across to snowy peaks and rolling hills. On the descent from the test we followed a crystal clear stream, Mill Creek which tumbled and twisted down the tarmac road to join the Logan River through the Canyon of the same name which took us up to the PC overlooking the beautiful turquoise Bear Lake where we spotted a Chipmunk looking for some treats. So, with all crews present and correct we pressed on down the hill towards the lake shore and into Idaho (“Too Great to Litter”) through a town known as the City of Paris where we looked in vain for the Eiffel Tower and a croissant.

There were still miles to be driven though, through the Caribou Forest, over the Geneva Summit and into Wyoming. (“Forever West”). 156 miles from Yellowstone. We’re on part of the old Oregon Trail now and we crossed the Salt River Pass which was part of this essential route for settlers and traders coming from the East, before the railroad was completed in 1869. Dropping down from the pass we passed through Afton with an elkhorn arch ie an arch over the main street made from elk horns, with two fighting elk on top. You really can’t miss it.

The route took us North across the Salt River Range plateau and as before, all around us were snow-capped mountains. We rolled through the aptly named town of Alpine before turning to Jackson over the Snake River bridge and through yet another endless tree lined canyon. Jackson, our night halt, is a skiing and mountaineering sort of town. There are plenty of bars and hotels. It’s a lively place made more so by our arrival. We took over the Wort hotel where we dined on the rarest buffalo with delicious apple cobbler for desert. Having had another great day on the road and some more quality miles under our wheels the atmosphere in the bar was highly charged.

Many crews are sporting Stetson hats both to shield them from the intense sun and perhaps to blend in little with the locals. Bruce Washington however has taken this blending process to a totally differ level and arrived in the dining room dressed in a pair of leather chaps, a waistcoat, a boot lace tie and toting a six shooter for good measure.

Tomorrow the day is free of timings and controls as we drive through the magnificent Yellowstone Park. We’ll need all of our concentration for the scenery.

Day 14 – Jackson to Bozeman

There was a distinct chill in the air as we left The Wort Hotel this morning although this obviously related to the temperature rather than the ambiance. 

Some of the crews claimed that this hotel was the nicest of the trip so far. Traditional yet efficient and we couldn’t say anything to disagree with this. Many crews had spent the previous evening in the Million Dollar Bar and over breakfast discussed the saddle seats and the stuffed bear which, according to legend, had been killed by a man with his bare hands.

There was no timing today with the idea that crews were free to see as much or as little of Yellowstone as they wanted to so the departure was quite leisurely. The road out of Jackson was as spectacular as the road into it. The Teton range is everything a mountain range should be. Tree lined, jagged and snowy set against a blue sky. Throughout our US trip we’ve seen ‘Adopt a highway’ signs along the road but have never witnessed his scheme in action. Today we did, once a year, one mile either side of their ranch a family of five were voluntarily litter picking. Rat really impressed us.

Until we’d seen what we’ve already seen Yellowstone was going to be one of the highlights of the trip so we were worried that it might not live up to its billing. Fools that we were! The approach through the Teton National Park was breathtaking and once in Yellowstone continued in the same vein as we crossed the Continental Divide three times and thereby in and out of and back into Montana. Established in 1872 the Park is a massive wilderness most famous perhaps for two things other than its landscape. Firstly it’s home to the world’s largest collection of geysers and there was something strangely symmetrical in the fact that there we were chatting to Steve Hyde as Old Faithful blew again. Once the hot air and steam had cleared we turned our attention back to the geyser. Secondly, the wildlife, in particular the bears, wolves and bison.

Statistically, the website tells us we were most likely to have an encounter with a bears at the roadside, well that figures – it’s a Rally. The advice was that if you see a bear while driving do not stop. If the bear is within 100 yards, watch and take photographs from inside your car. Don’t get between a sow and her cubs.

There’s a lot more info’ on the subject of bear safety, you can ask a Ranger – the guys in the big hats and the Park also has a useful set of PDFs which can be downloaded covering topics such as: Understanding the bear’s mindset, reacting to a bear encounter at a distance, reacting to a surprise encounter with a bear at close range, selecting proper bear spray, how to react to a charging bear, etc. The route book took us through the southerly Grand Loop so bearing all of the above in mind we proceeded with caution and needless to say throughout the entire day we didn’t see one single bear although some crews were more lucky and did.

Wolves were introduced in 1995 and they’ve successfully established a population of more than 300. We didn’t see any of them either but we did see more Elk and Bison. From the West exit we had a simple run back up the 191 along the Gallatin River to the night halt at Bozeman.

While most of us had a fantastic trouble free run through the day some weren’t so fortunate. Car 14, the Mercedes, overheated all day and Keith and Nora Ashworth arrived at Old Faithful desperate for both lunch and a view of the Geyser. Andy Inskip and Jim Allen had been in attendance most of the way up the valley and eventually they removed the sumpguard in the carpark to get more cool over the radiator. They’ve booked ahead to Great Falls and have parts waiting for the radiator. They were also called upon by Car 19 the Steinhauser Jaguar which suffered a leaking brake seal. Andy and Jim T’d off the offending part and new parts will arrive tomorrow.

Superlatives were the order of the day over dinner this evening and the Rally went to bed tired but happy.

Day 16 – Great Falls to Kalispell

It was much colder this morning but it was dry at least. We were heading north west all the way to the Glacier National Park and we could see the mountains in the distance almost from the hotel car park. 

This was planned as a short but intense day, the MTC was at lunchtime so we could take time to explore the Park in the afternoon so we set out along the good, fast and straight interstate 89 past the aptly named Freeze Out lake. We were still in Montana and still under those wild skies although today they did have much more of a threatening snowy look to them.

Through Choteau, the Teton ski area, through Bynum and past the Two Medicine Dinosaur Centre to the first test at Gypsy Basin. This was 7.5 miles of regularity played out against a very dramatic backdrop. Glowering mountains on the left, bright green fields of young wheat along the road and beyond that, bleak barren open farmland. This epic gravel track swept us past an incongruous drilling rig with a couple of wide turns and a switchback hairpin. The wind was strong and knifing cold. The crews in the open top cars suffered but not many of them bothered with the hood. The temperature of 10°C was much lower when you added in the windchill. This looked like it was going to be a tough day in the mountains.  On finishing the first section there was a short Tarmac stretch but then it was straight back to the gravel.

The second, Heart Butte regularity came soon after and in its ten mile length there was the usual well graded gravel and long straights heading initially south westerly and then north westerly towards the mountains rather than running alongside it. Then we got into the hills and enjoyed poplar and birch lined hairpins as the route rose and fell with the broken landscape. It was a tricky piece of timing work and only three crews cleaned this section Paul and Sandra Merryweather car 41, Alistair and Dorothy Caldwell car 33 and Gerry Crown and Matt Bryson car 39 with the rest losing a few seconds here and there.

Car 25, Hans-Erik Rhodius and Sabine Letzer in the Ford Escort Mexico Mk1, however was another story and just made the time control, due to a navigational error they ended up 15km off course. When they realised their mistake they made every effort to get back on schedule and slithered into the control seconds before it closed. From the end of this section it was a short hop to the MTC in the Two Medicine Grill where the atmosphere was, to say the least highly charged. Soup, burgers and grilled chicken are all you need when you start with gravel, altitude, fine roads and exquisite scenery. The crew of car 20, Werner Esch and Patrick Fisbach were looking very pleased with themselves and had thoroughly enjoyed the morning.

John and Melinda Raker who are driving the touring route in their Jaguar were once again delighted with the scenery, especially a ‘found metal’ sculpture of two Native Americans on horseback that they’d spotted alongside the road.

This is Blackfeet Country, the tribe indigenous to this region who’s ‘nation’ spreads throughout Montana into Alberta, Canada (where they’re called Blackfoot). They originally owned the land which became the Glacier National Park but they sold it to the US Government in 1896 who hoped to find mineral deposits. None were found however and the land was set aside as a Park in 1910.

After lunch we joined much of the Rally on the drive up to the Glacier Park and Logan Pass. The road wasn’t completely open due to snow that hadn’t been cleared since the winter so we couldn’t do the entire route but what we did see left us wanting more.

Sadly though the rain that had been threatening finally came and many of the fine views were obscured by low cloud, rain and even sleet. This weather followed us all the way back to the night halt in Kalispell and while it may have dampened our clothing it did nothing to dampen the memories of another fine day in the high country.

Incidents today were thankfully few and far between Car 18, the Volvo of David Inns and Pamela Wallis suffered a puncture today and spent most of the evening sourcing a new tyre. When they sat down to dinner they’d manage to find one to fit with a little help from the hotel although the profile is not quite correct.

Finally we hear that Terry and Sheila Wright are due to receive parts for their MGB GT tomorrow and will catch the Rally at the rest day in Osoyoos.

Day 17 – Kalispell to Coeur d’Alene

Rockfalls, regularities and rivers. But still no bears.

Our last day in Montana, a State which has proved to be so popular with the crews and as we drove up the Bitteroot Valley many of us looked through the rear view mirror a little more than usual.

But on to the Rally, both of the tests scheduled for his morning were a proper test of precise navigation. Only those with exceptional powers of time and distance judgement would stand a chance of achieving the target time. This was going to be about pinpoint accuracy with the stopwatch and the throttle.

Yesterday and the day before was about the wide open spaces, the ‘range’ and the mountains, today was about the woods. Enclosed and dark with no chance to see round the next corner to get a fix on your time or position. You were, if you like, flying on instruments. The tests themselves were short, there were relatively long Tarmac sections which allowed you to make up time, while the brief but twisty gravel ‘deviations’ allowed you to lose time.

It’s surprising how tight a regularity can be when you throw in a few hundred meters of forest floor, hairpins and off camber corners. Big old cars turn surprisingly slowly and if anyone doubted that a regularity section so slow and so short could be so closely fought then they only had to witness the reaction of Gerry Crown and Matt Bryson who, at the finish of the second test, whooped with delight when they learned that they had taken precious seconds from Richard Worts and Nicola Shackleton while Alistair and Dorothy Caldwell also lost a few seconds. Unsporting? Not really. All of these crews are serious competitors and at the very least there’s a lot of professional pride at stake. Most crews made a decent fist of the sections but some – no names, no pack drill – were seen to head up into the hills only to return minutes later cursing their lack of attention.

So with the business of regularity over it was time for lunch and today we had the pleasure of convening in Little Joe’s Cafe in Troy where once again the simple fare on offer was more than adequate after the mornings excitement and once again Rally spirits were high with Irvine and Wilson Laidlaw full of praise for the mornings route which had to be tweaked at the last minute because of land slip / flood damage.

We also chatted to Geoff Nicholls, car 40 who had replaced the clutch way back at the Virginia International Raceway. The car was going well but the new clutch still felt a bit sticky sometimes and he was debating whether to leave well alone or take another look.

With lunch and pleasantries out of the way we crossed into Idaho during the afternoon on our way to the night halt at Coeur d’Alene a town which stands on the beautiful lake of same name. We’re staying at Coeur d’Alene Resort Hotel (something of a pattern emerging here) and, with our clocks going back an hour most crews were able to get in a couple of well deserved sundowners out on the deck with powerboats and float planes providing a little extra wow factor.

Incidentally, the town was discovered by French Canadian fur traders and its name translates to ‘Heart of an Awl’, the local tribes were considered to be tough businessmen. More recently though the town has found fame by having some of the best Christmas light displays in the USA so there is a soft side to it.

Problems during the day were once again few and far between. Car 8 Barbara and Michael Hurdle suffered a puncture which was repaired by the sweep crews. Keith and Nora Ashworth in car 14 needed a new brake calliper and late last night serendipity smiled upon them. A chance encounter with a local man who also owned a Classic Mercedes led them to his house and the exact replacement part.

Tomorrow we move to Canada and the first leg of the adventure begins to move to its finish.

Let’s hope the bears know we’re coming and finally show themselves.

Day 18 – Coeur d’Alene to Osoyoos

A tale of two cities. Both of them on a lake.

Coeur d’Alene was as beautiful in the morning as she was the night before; and you can’t say that about many things. So we polished off a great breakfast in the restaurant –  overlooking the lake, packed our bags and set off for Canada, out of Idaho and through Washington State.

After a swift passage Westwards down the 90, through the town of Spokane and a cross country romp through the Huckleberry Mountains we took the Gifford Ferry across the Columbia River. Remarkably, in this day and age, this is a free service run by the community. Without it the drive around and over would add hours to the journey so it’s a big thank you from all of us to the good folks who pay for it. From the landing stage on the aptly named Ferry County side, the West Bank, it was 67 beautifully twisting miles to the town of Republic and the lunch halt TC which was at the Mexican themed Esther’s cafe.

While we waited for some of the crews to arrive we took the opportunity to walk down Main Street (Clarke Avenue actually) and paid a visit to Hardings Hardware. There’s not a lot that you can’t buy in a shop like this. We came away with a new clipboard, a paintbrush and ever the optimist, a can of bear repellent just in case we were to see one and it showed more than a healthy interest in us. Missy, the proprietor was delighted to see us and she, along with some customers, was very keen to hear of our adventures thus far and reckoned that the bear spray was a darned good idea.

With lunch done and dusted then it was on the the regularity sections and that tricky business of juggling speed and distance. Unlike yesterday though we were now out of the woods and into the low hills that form the Okanogan Forest. The track was a good one, wide, well made and well maintained. But it was still very tricky to hit the target time and when Hans Middleberg and Jurgen Grolman from Car 36 arrived they punched the air with joy when they were told that they’d ‘cleaned’ the section i.e. had arrived at the precisely the right  time. We learned later that they’d actually cleaned both of the afternoons sections. A remarkable feat.

After the regularities we crossed quickly and efficiently into Canada through a quiet little border post only a couple of miles from the hotel in the town of Osoyoos which claims Canada’s warmest welcome and, as soon as room keys had been collected many crews were found down in the garage busy fretting and fixing including David Roberts whose transmission parts for the Triumph had finally arrived. The interior was quickly stripped out with the transmission fully exposed. David worked up top while Andy Inskip worked below. Keith Ashworth was found sawing and cutting bits of radiator hose to see if he could improve the cooling situation his Mercedes seems to suffer with. Werner Esch and Patrick Fisbach from the other Mercedes (car 20) were under the bonnet of the white Jaguar XK120 of Bernard and Philippe Irthum but there were only minor problems to sort out here.

There was one mechanical incident out on he road however but not a serious one and the resourceful Hans Erik Rhodius and Sabine Letzer from the Escort stopped in Tonasket just after lunch to have a wheel bearing changed.

Before dinner we sat down for drinks, Osoyoos is a well known wine producing region and then we dined al fresco- overlooking the lake.

Tomorrow is a rest day and as we’re on a lake the choices include a day of watersports or motorboating.

Day 20 – Osoyoos to Vancouver

The Mounties always get their man. Tina finally gets her bear.

Welcome back. We had a lovely restful day yesterday sitting on the lake shore in the sunshine, drinking coffee and playing party games in the bar and on the lawn.

Some of us weren’t so lucky however and David Roberts, Andy Inskip et al spent the day in the bowels of the hotel car park rebuilding the gearbox to the Triumph.

It was a messy and tricky job but they’re all pretty confident that it’ll work. Keith Ashworth was still wrestling with the radiator and cooling problems on the Mercedes.

He’s temporarily fitted a new larger unit to the exterior of the car. It’s not pretty but if it works…….

So today we leave Osoyoos and strike west for Vancouver.

We say goodbye to old friends and hello to new ones. For some it’s the last day of the Rally. The first leg finishes here so tonight it’s the prize giving gala dinner. For the rest of us it’s another chance to chill out, relax and await leg two which begins on Tuesday with another eight cars joining us for the push up to Anchorage.

The drive to Vancouver was leisurely with two passage controls to make sure we were all on the right track. Firstly in the style of a wine land tour through the flat and fertile valley of the River Similkanee we passed neatly tended roadside vineyards beneath rocky cliffs. Then from the PC at Princeton we climbed over the beautifully Alpine Hozameen Range on lovely Tarmac to the second PC and coffee halt in Hope. Through Manning Park and the Gibson Pass ski area. The high point of the day came when we crossed  Alison pass at 1342m (we’re in Canada now and it’s metric). Given our previous experiences, we thought that the sign “Caution, bears in the area” was more in hope than expectation but today our luck changed. Just before the Roadside Rhododendron Attraction we spotted the first one. It ran off though. Then some ten miles further on we saw another bear which was more than happy to to hang around and pose for pictures. Mission accomplished.

The rest of journey was obviously an anti climax and we pitched up at the dockside Pan Pacific hotel eager to try some city break five star luxury and to sit down to the gala dinner. The catering effort was superb and after the speeches, prizes, farewells and welcomes most of the rally moved into the bars to discuss the finer points of life.

Finally we must say a big happy birthday to Judith Rowe. At husband John’s behest we all signed a pair of overalls for her this morning.

He told us that he’d been struggling with an idea for a present and reckoned this was the perfect gift, what a lucky woman.

Day 21 – Vancouver Rest Day

Rest days are always a special event on a long distance Rally and when you have one in a big city like Vancouver you really do have to make the most of it. 

Cars can be fixed in ‘main dealer’ type facilities. Laundry can be done properly. Spares and extra clothing can be acquired and, if there’s any time left at all then you can leave the world of cars and clocks and maps behind and do something completely different for a few hours. In short you get a bit of “me time”.

With last night’s farewell, welcome and prize giving dinner behind us we wake up this morning and find that we’re in Vancouver for a whole day, we have a long leisurely breakfast and then we set about dealing with all of the above. The shopping and dining is quite good in Vancouver and the day passed a little too quickly. It also rained most of the day though and because of the associated heavy cloud, the planned float plane sightseeing tour had to be postponed. Maybe we’ll have more luck when we’re in Alaska. The hotel also has a spa and we spotted one or two members of the Rally soaking away those aches and pains in the jacuzzi.

For those who’ve just joined us though and are not quite so travel stained there were some important pre Rally procedures to complete. Cars had to be scrutinised for safety and eligibility, documentation had to be signed and the all important ticket to get out of the car park in the morning had to be found.

Kim Bannister and Lee Vincent held a briefing for the newcomers to explain the ins and out of regularities, roadbooks and timing. For some this was pretty old hat and it shouldn’t be any problem at all for them to slip back into it. For others it wasn’t and we await with interest to see how things develop.

Unfortunately, as well as the scheduled departures of the crews who planned to leave us in Vancouver a couple more cars have had to withdraw from the event. Paul and Sandra Merryweather have had to leave at very short notice as sadly Paul’s mother is seriously ill. We wish them well on their flight home.

Also, the crew of the little green MGB, Terry and Sheila Wright have decided to call it a day and not to go any further. Worries over the long term ‘health’ of the car have forced their hand after the timing chain issues they had last week. Flights home have been booked for tomorrow and Cars UK have arranged to bring the car home. Again we wish them well and hope we see them again soon.

Tomorrow is another day though and at 07:01 we’ll be off again to see what British Columbia has to offer. We’re heading for Quesnel a drive of some 414 miles.

Day 22 – Vancouver to Quesnel

An early start and another grey day. As we left Vancouver it was damp and drizzly with the threat of more serious rain hanging in the air. 

Traffic was very light though and we quickly made it through Stanley Park and onto the 99 North to Whistler. There were spectacular views over Horseshoe Bay and Howe Sound along the Sea to Sky Highway which threads its way through cliffs and creeks.

The low cloud and mist added to the drama and as we passed Furry Creek the aforementioned threat of more serious rain become reality. We pitied the open cars and those crew members we saw buying waterproofs yesterday got to try them out sooner than they might have wanted to.

Re-starting after the day off however was not what car 33 the Rolls Royce wanted. Half a mile from the Pan Pacific hotel was all Alistair Caldwell managed before the wiring loom went into meltdown. The Silver Cloud stopped dead with dud electrics. Alistair replaced the fuel pump before discovering a short circuit. He managed to get it going and made the lunch checkpoint on time.

By the time we got to Squamish (which claims to be the outdoor recreation capital of Canada) things were looking up. The clouds were lifting and the distant snow-capped peaks stuck themselves into a pale blue sky. The road signs here are in two languages, standard English and St’at’imc (it’s not pronounced as it looks) which is also the name of the Native American Nation who lived here first.

Through Brackendale, the world eagle capital; through Whistler in the Blackcomb Mountains the venue of the 2010 Winter Olympics and up the hill to Lillooet along a road described as a “Winding highway, caution when passing”.

There was still plenty of snow here and it was cold. Duffy Lake had mounds of snow slipping into it but back down the hill there were vineyards and wine tasting in Lillooet which was most unexpected.

In ‘Historic Clinton’ the local community had laid on an excellent BBQ for our lunch. And we must again thank them for their generous hospitality.

Afterwards it was straight onto the gravel and into the regularity sections. Just like in Montana we had it all here, wide open tracks, trees, lakes and rivers. The sections were long, the views outstanding and the hairpins plentiful. No one finished with anything less than an ear to ear grin. Only one crew however managed to finish with a clean sheet for the entire day, Martin and Olivia Hunt in their Bentley which was a remarkable effort. But today if they got close to the ideal time most crews seemed happy.

The glorious gravel continued until the city of Williams Lake where we came upon Bruce and Judy Washington in their Dodge, broken down with an alternator problem. All three sweep crews however had stopped to offer help so they were back on the road in next to no time and they arrived at the MTC in the nick of time to avoid incurring any penalties.

It was also good to see the newly arrived Ford Capri of David and Sarah Rayner enjoying the backcountry. At the end of this, their first day, they lead the Vancouver to Anchorage crews. Gerry Crown and Matt Bryson lead overall by a slender five seconds over Richard Worts and Nicola Shackleton who had to tighten up some loose wheels on their Jaguar at the mid morning passage control only to discover that what they thought was a sticky brake caliper turned out to be a servo failure. This needed some attention from the sweeps and by bypassing the unit they were able to continue for the rest of the day.

At the night halt in Quesnel the hotel car park saw the usual fixing and fettling as the old crews and the new crews mixed and swapped tales from the day. They’re all in it together now.

Day 23 – Quesnel to Smithers

Straight from the hotel and onto the gravel after only 16 miles of tarmac set the tone for the day. It was then another 29 miles – of gravel – through the beautiful Blackwater forest to the first of three tests planned for the day. 

Two before lunch and one just after. They were all forest road regularities of varying lengths and all set to get the best from the crews and their cars.

Throughout the day we passed lakes, creeks and critters and there’s an ever increasing sense of wilderness as we drive North and today some crews were lucky enough to see not just one, but a whole family of bears, a pair of eagles and several moose as they progressed though the dense woodland. Crews may have noticed however that many of the trees were diseased and damaged. They’ve been attacked by the Mountain Pine Beetle, or to give it it’s correct name Dendroctonus Ponderosae. Initially the beetles attack weakened trees but once they have a hold in a forest they can, through sheer numbers go for the healthy trees and infest their bark as well. Sadly the problem is spreading slowly to the East and the North of the British Columbia epicentre. There are management techniques but the twin constraints of space and time mean that we can’t go into them here.

Thanks to the advance car we were able to run all of the sections today without interruption. Yesterday as they drove the route they came across a tree which had crashed down and blocked the road, Andy Actman and Ed’ Rutherford bought an axe and with the help of some locals the log jam was cleared and the report sent back to Rally HQ.

Lunch and the midday Time Control was at Tony’s Restaurant in Fraser Lake. As usual the cars parked up outside generated a lot of interest and many admiring comments from the locals. In the land where the V8 crewcab pickup is king a two seater open tourer is just too good to miss and some of the ‘spectators’ called friends to come down so as not to miss the occasion. The ‘blogosphere’ in this part of the world should be full of classic and vintage machinery tonight.

At the lunch halt we also heard that David and Jo Roberts had been held up with yet more trouble for their Triumph TR250. Having already replaced the gearbox, the overdrive and a wheel bearing, today it was the turn of a shock absorber mount to break on the first regularity. David removed it to finish off the mornings sections and had it welded at the lunch halt. They’re having a real run of bad luck but their trademark cheerfulness is still in evidence.

Anyway, once we’d finished at Tony’s we turned North on the Yellow Head Highway and on to the third and final test which unfortunately had to be cut a bit short because a herd of cows was seen wandering around a bit too close for comfort. We take bovine health and welfare very seriously in this Organisation.

At the night halt in Smithers under some massive snowy mountains the car park was busy. As well as the usual daily checks and preventative maintenance Bert Kersten in the no.3 Bentley needed a damaged rim repairing after it sustained some minor damage this morning but he looked happy enough this evening. Jan Vorboril, the 2007 Peking – Paris veteran, was seen running his eye over the engine bay of his 1916 Lancia Theta.

Car no. 34, the red Mustang was being worked on by the sweep crews, the problem was a slipping power steering belt.

It needs replacing but it also needs the tracking to be adjusted. Both jobs for tomorrow morning.

For some old hands in the Organisation, Smithers and The Hudson Bay Lodge hotel brings back happy memories. They stayed here on their epic Round the World in 80 days Rally in 2000. Dawson, the road to Chicken and the Yukon will rekindle even more memories.

The results published tonight make interesting reading for Gerry Crown who has extended his slender lead to ten seconds ahead of Richard Worts and Nicola Shackleton with Phil Garratt and Kieron Brown still in third place.

As usual we’ve met some fantastic people again today. Interested, helpful and in some cases informative. The woman with fourteen children for example explained that the summers here were short and the winters long and dark.

They can be cut off for long periods evidently. Madam we salute you.

Day 24 – Smithers to Watson Lake

Under the looming bulk of the 2560m Hudson Bay Mountain largely swathed in cloud but with just enough blue sky and sunlight to make it interesting we pulled out of Smithers on the 16 Trans–Canada Yellowhead Highway. 

There are a couple of glaciers at the top of this mountain and we could just glimpse them to our left as we passed the airport and the aptly named glacier view RV Park. Today was the longest day of the Rally at around 533 miles so an early start was called for and we answered.

The 24 hour car once again saved our bacon today and we were forced to make a fairly big change to the schedule. Ed’ Rutherford and Andy ‘Axeman found a large part of the route along the Kitwanga back road had been washed away. Gone, finished, not there anymore. Even their 4×4 couldn’t get through. There was no alternative other than to reroute along the Tarmac for the whole day so the planned regularity section had to be cancelled.

By the time we got to the right turn onto the 37, the Alaska Highway, the rain had started and the mercury had fallen to a chilly 9°C. This turning after 60 miles was worth noting as it was the first of only three we’d have to negotiate during the day. This is straight line country and make no mistake.

We spotted a Black bear just before the Nass River bridge chomping its way through its own body weight in grass, it didn’t seem bothered by us and was too busy eating to pose for pictures. Another three arrived in quick succession after that but by then we’d lost interest and didn’t even bother raising the camera.

The TC and lunch buffet at Bell 2 was a superb effort. Quite the epicurean delight. There was home made beef soup, chilli and a finger buffet. Our hostess with the mostest, Sally, was delighted to have us there. We drank the coffee pot dry (free with fuel), hoovered up the buffet and drained most of the aforementioned fuel from both of the two pumps. This stop was just the thing to warm up the open top crew members such Meredith Vorboril and Olivia Hunt who arrived looking frozen and counted no less than seven layers of clothing as well as two hats. Rosalie Gatsonides also a member of the chilled and topless brigade declared that it was a marvellous lunch and just what she needed.

David Rayner had discovered that he’d lost a wheel nut from the Capri on the way to lunch and as we left he was picking through his box of spares looking for a replacement. Momentarily distracted by this we almost missed the sow (female bear) with her three cubs trotting along behind. This has greatly upped our bear tally since we left Yellowstone but the thought of another 300 miles kept our foot on the gas and eyes fixed firmly ahead as we headed past the Tatogga Lake resort where the Round the World in 80 days Rally had a lunch in 2000.

The lake at Gnat Pass was still partially frozen but we didn’t need a visual clue to how cold it actually was just before mid-afternoon coffee at the PC at Dease Lake. When we arrived we saw Paul Kane’s Mustang up on the axles stands with Andy Inskip underneath looking to repair the starter motor. At the queue to pay for fuel Philip Haslam was breathless in his praise of the road so far. Many crews also took the opportunity to fill a Jerry can or two as tomorrow we drive deeper into the wilderness and as the old saying goes a can in the boot is worth two back at the gas station.

The road from here to the hotel was just as stunning, maybe more so because the sun shone brightly between the showers. Great tarmac, wide and mainly well made, tree lined but with good visibility through long sweeping bends to lakes and snowy mountains.

At times it had a roller coaster quality and we swooped and dived past many logging encampments but nothing in the way of a permanent settlement.

This is wilderness and we love it.

In the town of Watson Lake, the night halt, which is slightly less than a one horse town, we learned that Steve Hyde had a magnesium wheel collapse, ‘at speed’. He did well to bring the car to a safe stop and now he’s on the lookout for some spares. Other than that the Rally is looking pretty shipshape.

We also visited the massive and world famous Signpost Forest where some crews had put up their own memento.

Day 25 – Watson Lake to Whitehorse

The reasons why you have to run a 24 hour car in this part of the world have become clear over the last few days. 

Word came in last night from the Rutherford / Actman combo that the road to Ross River was still under extensive repair and while the town was expecting us – we’d been trailed on the local radio – the feeling was that the graders, diggers and diversions over such a long section of the route would have made it pretty unpleasant.

Additionally they discovered that the Canol Road was closed completely after suffering an exceptionally hard winter. The alternative was either a 600 mile reroute or to take a shorter more leisurely tarmac touring option.

The feeling of the Rally was very much to take the latter route.

It was a beautiful day anyway and route 1, the Alaska Highway, opened up before us across miles and miles of rolling pine clad hillsides. The road itself was built by the US army in 1942 and they didn’t hang around, 1534 miles were laid down in only eight months and twenty three days. We all made light work of the journey as well but no one seemed to be in too much of a hurry. With scenery like this it’s a case of slowly slowly, it’s too good to miss.

Lunch was at the Yukon Motel next to the longest span bridge in Canada. We found great food and a well stocked gift shop waiting for us.

The hamburger soup proved popular as did the tea towels and fridge magnets. The local taxidermist had been busy and there was an excellent display of moose, wolf, bear and a couple of nice beavers for us to enjoy.

Tonight and tomorrow we stay in Whitehorse, the capital of Yukon. Surprisingly given its sub arctic status this ranks among the driest cities in Canada thanks to its position in the rain shadow of the Coast Mountains.

 

It also claims to be both the “land of the midnight sun” and the “home of the Northern Lights”. It’s a good job the hotel has blackout curtains.

When gold was discovered in 1896 the settlement near Miles Canyon was changed forever. Gold fever brought in thousands of miners and entrepreneurs and between them they built the city.

Whitehorse was named after the spray from the rapids on the Yukon which was reckoned to resemble the mane of a white horse.

The rapids are now covered by the Schwatka Lake formed as part of a hydro electric project in 1958.It’s a pretty busy place but still small enough to walk around. Set on the Yukon River, which eventually disgorges into the Bering sea, it’s a pretty busy place but still small enough to walk around.

Ideal for a rest day and we reckon that the local garages will be busy with last minute maintenance tasks such as oil changes, brake checks and maybe the odd tyre fitting or two.

Day 27 – Whitehorse to Dawson City

So another rest day passed, slowly and peacefully in Whitehorse. We found a lovely coffee shop, a brilliant restaurant and a Walmart! 

The hotel laundry went into overdrive and the internet went into meltdown. When we left this morning the feeling that we’re coming to the end of the Rally was backed up by the feeling that we’re at the end of the world. Mile after mile of nothing but trees, lakes and rivers. The sky was grey, the rain light and the wind none existent.The dustv trails from the cars hung around for a long time after the cars had passed. Two regularity sections which totalled something like 40 miles took the Rally well off the beaten track around the shores of the beautiful Frenchman Lake.

Flying the flag, quite literally, for the Queens Jubilee (you might have seen something about this on the news) were Roy Stephenson and Peter Robinson. They sailed through the whole day with Union Flags flying from their Datsun.

When they got to the night halt we found them in the car park with the wheels off the car checking out a ‘funny noise’. Nothing untoward was found though and they put the whole thing back together before tucking into BBQ salmon in the Dawson Westmark dining room.

The Mounties paid a visit to the Rally today at the PC at Mamma’s Kitchen and very pleased we were to see them. Two RCMP Troopers including the Pelly Crossing  Detachment Commander Cpl J.B. Waldner saw the first few cars arrive and hurried home to change into full dress uniform. When they returned they were more than happy to pose for photographs and do more than a bit of glad handing.

Other important news is that the leader board has changed after the regularities. Gerry Crown and Matt Bryson have lost their lead by 13 seconds to Richard Worts and Nicola Shackleton who’ve been sniffing around the top spot all week.

Tonight we’re in Dawson the one time capital of the Yukon. It’s a real frontier town with working gold mines. The treets are dirt and the sidewalks are boardwalks.

As we write we’re sat in Bombay Peggy’s a ‘saloon bar’ with Who Bear tuning up and jamming in the background. Theyre a local five piece band who’ve only been together for three weeks so they haven’t got anything on iTunes yet.

With rhythm guitar, drums, double bass, violin, ukulele and keyboards they’ve certainly got the full set and they know how to use them. They’re playing live at 8.00pm which unfortunately is when we sit down to eat so we’ll miss them but the rehearsal was pretty good.

Philip Young the Rally Director has found his niche tonight. He’s been driving the shuttle Landrover between the hotel and Rally carpark. He last visited the town in 2000 as part of the Round the World so finally  he’s putting his local knowledge to good use.

Day 28 – Dawson City Loop

Dawson City, a drinking town with a gold mining problem

We woke this morning to the sight of ‘them thar hills’ shrouded in a thick dense fog and a very damp feeling in the air.

A long gravel loop was planned for the morning and as we sat down to breakfast in the Westmark Inn we all hoped and prayed that the mist would lift before we got going.

We’ve become used to fine long range views and we didn’t want anything to spoil our day of romping down the remote tracks that circle through the forests south of Dawson.Once the cars had been coaxed into life it was up into the sound of the basoons from the Bentleys in the street outside reverberating off the wooden clapboard houses heralded the start of another day.

As we headed towards the old Klondike hills via Bonanza Creek Road and Adam’s Gulch a bright golden sun shone through and the mist began to lift. What lay ahead of us were two regularity-test sectons through working gold mines and past excavations of exhausted hopes up to a high ridge… here a view stretching to the far horizon gave us all a glimpse of the snow covered Ogilvie mountains to the North and the darks slabs of Tombstone mountain was just about visible among them.

Bonanza Creek Road was so named because in 1896 one of the biggest ever gold deposits was found just off this ridge by Skookum Jim, Dawson Charlie and George Carmack, and the hunt for gold continues today with rally-crews looking to strengthen their grips on the medals they’d earned over the last four weeks.

The leaderboard remained unchanged with the red Jaguar of Richard and Nicola Shackleton still leading the blue and white Leyland P76 of the all-Australian crew of Gerry Crown and Matt Bryson. The Jaguar crew reckoned they dropped a few seconds and at the end of the run looked apprehensive, knowing the Leyland team were keen to regain the lead. The Leyland is a replica of the car Matt’s father, John, navigated on the epic 1974 World Cup Rally, the first-ever event to make a double crossing of the Sahara Desert. We could hear the unmistakable growl of the Rover-V8 engine powering the big car up the side of the mountain as the crew hunkered down to another day of intense concentration.

We returned to Dawson after the fun and games of the morning to sit down on the cafe boardwalks in the sun, drink coffee and eat the locally made cakes. All very agreeable. A stroll around the dirt-roads walking the wooden boardwalks of a town that looks and feels just like a film-set from a Western is like a step back in time… with most of the town being totally original.

Dawson is situated at the meeting point of the Klondike and the Yukon rivers. A grave-yard of old broken wooden stern-paddle steamers, is just outside the town.

Tomorrow we take the ferry of a more modern sort to cross over the Yukon into Alaska… Canada will be left behind as we re-enter America for the final few days to Anchorage.

Day 29 – Dawson City to Fairbanks

We crossed another Rally Rubicon this morning when we boarded the George Black ferry to take us across the Yukon River. Wide, deep and fast flowing the power of the water forced the ferry to trace a long sweeping arc across the gorge and like countless bounty hunters before us we pressed on in search of our very own El Dorado. 

Once up and out of the cutting the views from the other side let us see how important the river was to the town as it sits between Klondike and Yukon. Before the roads came to the area, river travel was the only way.

So, how did the day pan out? This was the final day with Time Trials, one in Canada one in the USA. Both sections on twisty gravel that swoops and rises over blind crests… By now most crews are getting the hang of this but the day was to prove something of a game-changer. The Jaguar crew of Richard Worts and Nicola Shackleton still holds the lead, but the battle for second overall became intense, the Leyland P76 of Gerry Crown and Matt Bryson ended the day on exactly the same penalty total as the Jaguar E-Type pairing of Phil Garratt and Kieron Brown, who put in a good effort all day to close the gap on the Australians.

To get to the US border we had to first drive the Top the World Highway and this proved to be one more epic climb to add to long list we’ve already ticked off on our odyssey along with the Skyline Drive in Virginia, the Monarch Pass and the Red Mountain Pass In Colorado, the Moki Dugway in Arizona, the Grand Loop in Yellowstone, the Going to the Sun Road in The Glacier National Park…

The border itself was uneventful, no Canada out control only a USA in and the Rally sailed through with no fuss at all. A house at the Poker Creek border post proudly proclaimed its status with population of just two, and an elevation of 4127 ft. We would have drawn quite a crowd if there’d been anyone else available. Straight after the border was test 2, long and gravelly – what else. We were in Forty Mile River Country “the land shaped by the power of running water” and we made our way gently towards the river bottom and along the creek passing the mine workings along the way.

The lunch in the three-hut village of Chicken was fantastic. This is a legendary old staging post but now a destination in its own right as the two tour buses parked up proved. The cafe had buffalo chilli, fruit tarts and good coffee. Just the stuff  to refuel a hungry rally. In the next door gift shop the sheer volume of fowl related miscellany was staggering. From the fridge magnets bearing inscription I got laid in chicken to the Chicken key fobs and T-shirts it had to be seen to be believed. Sue, the proprietor remembered our Round the World Rally coming through town 12 years ago and she was pleased to see us again. A bar lined with hats and underwear completed the madness that is the town of Chicken. Everyone enjoyed this stopover and many said that if they’re ever in the area again they’d most certainly drop in again.

But it was on to Fairbanks after lunch and we still had some miles left to crunch through the Alaskan wilderness on a very good tarmac highway. The great snowy Wrangell mountain range lay ahead of us in the distance. We crossed the Robertson River only half full of ice, great thick chunks of it like icebergs pouring meltwater into the murky brown ferment.

On the run in to Fairbanks we passed the Eielson airforce base as first a transport plane then a fighter took off as another two landed. There’s a NATO exercise happening at the moment but it’s a bit ‘hush hush’ if you know what I mean. Needless to say we heeded the signs prohibiting stopping, slowing or photographing.

Tomorrow is a rest day. Then one more session takes us to Anchorage and the prize giving.

Day 31 – Final Overall Results

In the land of the midnight sun it’s hard to say that another day dawned when the previous day didn’t seem to end. Anyway, it got a bit brighter around 5.00am so we figured that it was time to get up and after breakfast we all pulled out of the Wedgewood Lodge for the 350 miles drive south to Anchorage.

It’s the last day of Trans America today, there are no time trials so we’re touring down route 3, through the Denali wilderness with the obligatory snowy peaks and silver shining rivers as our travelling companions. Somewhere in that huge mass of snow and rock was Mt McKinley, the highest point of North America. We’d hope get a closer look at it from the terrace at the lunch halt but it was still pretty much hidden by cloud.

Unbelievably we drove across the Tenana River into a town called Nenana where a boat called the Yanana was parked up on the shore. Into the cafe for a quick banana milkshake.  Lunch itself was a very agreeable affair in the McKinley View Lodge with soup and rolls and fresh coffee and fruit pies bringing up the rear.

We arrived in Anchorage with the usual mixed emotions. The sense of relief and pride at having made it so far is tinged with the sadness of leaving behind the friends we’ve made along the road and the reassuring Rally bubble. Class winners, medal winners, the special award winners …… you’re all winners.

Everyone has been truly bowled over by the sheer variety of scenery and the way the route plan weaved one remote road into another that often proved even more remote. There were many highlights – from the Blue Ridge, to Yellowstone, to the Grand Canyon, but everyone has been in full agreement that the driving under big skies down totally empty roads has been a resounding success.

The evening saw the Gala Prize giving dinner where the silverware was handed out. After a month on the road, the two lads in the E-Type, Phil Garratt and Kieron Brown were stunned to find that they could not find a single second to open up a clear margin and had to settle for a dead-heat second overall with the most experienced rally driver on the event – Gerry Crown. His big Australian Leyland being one of the more unusual cars on Trans America. The Leyland and the Eagle-prepared E-type both finished behind the winning Jaguar Mk2 of Richard Worts and Nicola Shackleton and is the first time there has been a Jaguar 1st and 2nd result on any Endurance Rally Association event. For Richard, who used to rally Triumph Dolomites and Triumph TRV8s, it’s his first “big win” and he was understandably delighted modestly ascribing the victory to a dose of good luck when he managed to find somewhere to weld up his rear axle in Eureka Springs.

Terry Ward and Geoff Nicholls in the blue Mercedes V8 saloon won the True Grit trophy after dropping two days to fix a clutch and then playing catch up – and Spirit of the Rally was a special award that went to Dorothy Caldwell aged 94, who ran the clocks and the maps from the co-driver’s seat in the Rolls Royce Silver Cloud that allowed her son Alastair to stroke it home to 6th place, and the highest position for a Rolls Royce on an international timed event since a works Silver Ghost won the Austrian Alpine Rally in 1913, according to our resident rally historian, Syd Stelvio, who no doubt recalls that triumph well. “This has been a wonderful event, with a terrific atmosphere, and I’m planning to come back and do it again in five years’ time,” said Dorothy at the prize giving.

So that’s all folks. Thanks for reading and maybe we can do it all over again sometime soon. Finally, if you’ve been one of our Facebook Friends or have Twittered news of the event thanks very much.