Cruise Colorado 2005 recap
We are back from the Cruise Colorado and to my knowledge no one melted in the heat. Last year we drove most of the trip in rain and wished for heat and then this year we get the heat and we were wishing for rain. Seems as if we are never totally happy with the weather.
But, we were sure happy with the Cruise this year. I would like to thank everyone who helped with the Cruise, our wonderful sponsors and also everyone who attended this year. I would also like to thank my wonderful wife Candy for all her help.
Weds 7/20 we meet at our assigned spots and off we all went for Crested Butte. Thompsons, Glisans, and McCoulfs met at LaMars for some free coffee. We were joined by Bockmans and the Texas cars (Johnsons and Russells) and then we drove to Confier to meet the West bunch (Paynes, Barden, Walker, Steinwager, Lane, Krisss and Patricks). Then we picked up Neylands, Ortons and Corks in Fairplay. Had a great drive up to Gunnison where we met the Hightowers and the Utah bunch (Stapleys and Duvalls). Scofields and Halls found us at lunch in Gunnison also. Got into Crested Butte in time for a quick nap and then had dinner in Crested Butte. What a neat little town with some wonderful people.
Had a few out of staters this year and they really enjoyed getting out and driving their Cobras in the mountains. Johnsons and Russells from Texas and Stapelys and the Duvalls from Utah. Nice people and they fit in just perfect with our group and had a good time.
Thursday we all drove to Telluride. Beautiful drive but it got really hot in those little cars with no tops. No real big problems with any of the cars on the way to Telluride except for a Red Cobra that still is having trouble with the fuel pump and does not like the heat. Oh, and also someone (will not mention his name - but we now call him Diesel Lane) who mistook the Diesel pump for premium in Gunnison. Thank you Dan Steinwagner and Gary Patrick for your help along the way with these fuel problems.
Telluride is a very special place. Great little mountain town with lots of nice people. We all found some fun little restaurants and also most of us had a great time hiking and playing. The hot tub at the hotel got a lot of use. We found out that Al Bockman has a friend. We also found out that Telluride does have a 15 mile per hour speed limit. No tickets just a lot of warnings.
Friday we all stayed in Telluride. Some hiked, the Corks (Happy Anniversary) rented a Jeep and the Stapleys went on a Jeep tour. A bunch drove to Rico and even some went as far a Cortez for a lunch trip. Gary Patrick and I worked on the red car that does not like its Fuel Pump and got it fixed enough to get it on the road with only minor problems. For lunch we had a little car show at Tracks in Telluride Mountain Village. Got some great pictures of the cars and the crowd.
Friday night we had a pizza party at the motel, then went to town for dessert.
Saturday, the Thompsons and the Duvals woke the whole town up at 5:30 when we left for Ridgeway for our hot air balloon ride. We could see most of the cars drive by and boy do they look small from 1000 feet up. But guess what? You can still hear them. There is no sound like a bunch of Cobras coming at you. Of course there is not much noise up there. Fun ride.
Corks blew a head gasket at Ridgeway and ended up on a tow truck home to Steamboat.
Got into Aspen Snowmass and meet up with Karl Sauer & Chaz and the Cloutier's who drove up from Denver for the night. We all got into the hotel garage in time for the rain to start. And boy did it ever rain. Remember the dinner that Bob and Peggy Payne had planned in the tent on the ski slope? Well, the tent washed away in the rain and we all moved inside for a really nice dinner and party.
We were joined for dinner by Ralph & Vicki Turano from the Colorado State Patrol Family Foundation. We presented them with our donation to the foundation of $1000 and heard a short talk about the wonderful work the foundation does. "Alive at 25" is a major project of the State Patrol and will really help our young people.
Sunday was the day to head for home. Weather was cool and cloudy so most of us decided to drive I-70 home and miss as much of the rain as we could. I hear we had a few go over Independence Pass - brave souls.
I know I have missed something and hope that I have not missed anyone who was there. I do get confused sometimes.
We will have pictures posted soon on the web site (
www.milehicobraclub.com) and we are already planning Cruise Colorado 2006. Plan on joining us next year for some fun time in the Colorado (& Wyoming) mountains.