Snowballin' (so it won't snow) Country Road Tour Nov 4th

[tmhazen]

You are cordially invited to join us for the

Snowballin' Country Road Tour

Saturday, November 4th, 2006


http://thumb19.webshots.net/t/53/553/4/58/0/2920458000098025379UCGSQP_th.jpg (http://good-times.webshots.com/album/555018009aqmOCf)


Drivers of cars like these (from last weekend) are determined to get in at least one more brisk country road tour BEFORE the snow flies. Mark your calendars for this one boys. It's gonna be good!

I'll be leading the first half of the tour, taking you on some of the best and yet most deserted driving roads in the nation...no REALLY! We'll make a couple pit stops along the route, then have lunch at Hansen's Hold Up (cash or check only) near Fountain City, WI before T-Turbo takes over to lead the second half, winding and twisting our way back on equally amazing roads toward the Cities. If you stay with us for the whole tour, you will probably get back to 494 at about 6:00pm, and you will put about 350 miles on your car, so be ready to DRIVE! People who need to get back earlier are of course welcome to bail out as they see fit.

Two meeting options:

1. 8:00am at Perkins Restaurant, 7165 E. Point Douglas Road S. in Cottage Grove, MN. Take Hwys 10 & 61 southeast past 494, exit on 80th Street and turn left, over the highway then right onto East Point Douglas Road. The Perkins will be on your right before E. Point Douglas Road S. turns left. We will NOT be having breakfast at Perkins (unless you get there at 7:15 or so). The group will leave at about 8:10am after radios are loaned out.

2. 9:00am at the Pickle Factory, 250 First St., Pepin, WI. From 494, it’s a scenic 60-minute drive to Pepin. Take Hwys 10 and 61 south and east out of the Twin Cities. Turn left to stay on 10 East, heading toward Prescott. Cross over the drawbridge in Prescott and turn right onto Wisconsin Hwy 35 South. Pass through Diamond Bluff, cross Hwy 63, go through Bay City, Maiden Rock, and Stockholm. In Pepin, turn right at the BP gas station (good time to fill your tank) onto Prairie Street, then over and down the hill, jog left on First Street over the tracks into the marina parking lot. We will NOT be having breakfast at the Pickle Factory (unless you get there at 8:15 or so). The tour will leave at about 9:10 after we discuss the route and radios are loaned out.

Please note that this is just an informal gathering among friends, not an official outing of any club. Everyone is encouraged to drive responsibly at their own safe comfort level. No one will be pushed to go fast. At intersections each driver will wait for the car behind so no one gets lost. Bring FRS/GMRS radios if you have them. We will have some to loan out also.

Feel free to forward this info to any talented drivers you know. Please respond if you plan on joining us.

Please note that this tour will be cancelled if there is significant snowfall around Fountain City, Wisconsin before or on November 4th. Call me (612-237-1883) if you're not sure.

See you in the twisties!

[benswen]

If you've got the time, try to find County Rd X, off Hwy 93 N between Arcadia and Centerville. I went to school in Winona, so I've done some "touring" in the area in the Miata. County Rd X is simply the best road I've ever driven on - elevation changes, hairpins, and not a soul around. It's a little sketchy when farmers are planting or harvesting (I almost bought the dirt farm one afternoon when a huge farm machine was waiting on the other side of a blind crest - luckily, I was carefully observing the speed limit, and was able pass without incident) but as long as the farmers aren't working, it's clear.

I forget the name of the road, but there's a nice one that winds up out of the bluffs from Fountain City - I'm sure you'll find that one.

I'd be interested in joining you, but I'm sure my little Miatter would be gasping for breath just trying to keep the big guys in sight... :)

[Thornton888]

Sounds like fun.

[tmhazen]

If you've got the time, try to find County Rd X, off Hwy 93 N between Arcadia and Centerville. I went to school in Winona, so I've done some "touring" in the area in the Miata. County Rd X is simply the best road I've ever driven on - elevation changes, hairpins, and not a soul around. It's a little sketchy when farmers are planting or harvesting (I almost bought the dirt farm one afternoon when a huge farm machine was waiting on the other side of a blind crest - luckily, I was carefully observing the speed limit, and was able pass without incident) but as long as the farmers aren't working, it's clear.

I forget the name of the road, but there's a nice one that winds up out of the bluffs from Fountain City - I'm sure you'll find that one.

I'd be interested in joining you, but I'm sure my little Miatter would be gasping for breath just trying to keep the big guys in sight... :)

Everyone will find a comfortable place in the pack. Your Miata is most welcome.

I have been driving and mapping these fabulous roads in the "driftless area" of Wisconsin since the early 80s when I lived in Madison. I have logged literally tens of thousands of miles on these twisties. You're correct that X is a great road, but I can show you dozens that twist and rise and fall even better: Alligator Slide, Pretzel Pass, Joos Valley, Canada Ridge, Lower Eagle Valley, Blank Hill, Wozney Bautch, McDonough, Julson Ridge, Ziegler, Independence Pass, and my personal favorite, Steele Valley, just to name a few.

If you decide to join us a week from Saturday, you will be in for a real treat!

[esper]

the MNsubaru club is doing a run at the same time on the same roads, so look out for some 400-600HP STi's on those twisties.

[CDeutsch]

the MNsubaru club is doing a run at the same time on the same roads, so look out for some 400-600HP STi's on those twisties.

They should be easy to spot. They'll be on the side of the road with their hoods open. :flame:

;)

[tmhazen]

The Subies are welcome to join us. We can always use some more friends.

[magicsammy]

They should be easy to spot. They'll be on the side of the road with their hoods open. :flame:

;)

BaZING!

Score one for team Mitsibishi! :lol: :lol:

[esper]

They should be easy to spot. They'll be on the side of the road with their hoods open. :flame:

;)


After they overheat trying to pull an evo with a broken tranny out of a ditch?

[tmhazen]

Just two words for you, esper: JOIN US!

Show up at the Pickle Factory at 9:00am on Saturday, Nov 4th and you will have fun for sure.

[esper]

Just two words for you, esper: BRING IT! ;o)

Show up at the Pickle Factory at 9:00am on Saturday, Nov 4th and put your gas pedal foot where your keyboard fingers are!

Alright, so that wasn't the most eloquent challenge I've ever thrown down, but you get the idea, Subie Boi. ;o)

drank the evo kool aid so soon and now itching to do battle with subarus? ;) Found the phase "lan evo is king of mountain" going through your head? (that might be an obscure reference for your age bracket possibly)

I'll be visting my grandmother that weekend so unfortunately can't make it.

[SalahK]

If i show up in my Evo...
...then another easy way to spot a 600bhp STI is to draw an imaginary tangent at the very first corner. Look straight ahead and you'll see a pile of Subies that didn't make the corner ;)

However, if i show up in my Legacy...
...then another easy way to spot an Evo is to bring along a hound dog trained in sniffing out burnt clutches. :p

[ricksellner]

rofl Now thats funny look up ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

[tmhazen]

drank the evo kool aid so soon and now itching to do battle with subarus? ;) Found the phase "lan evo is king of mountain" going through your head? (that might be an obscure reference for your age bracket possibly)

I'll be visting my grandmother that weekend so unfortunately can't make it.

Slurp Slurp (drinks kool-aid) Who you callin' "age bracket"? I'm at the clubs every weekend, dirty dancing with the barely legal honeys. Keeps me young and...well...that's a subject for another thread.

That grandmother excuse has to be one of the lamest...

Oh well, at least I know Salah will enjoy himself.

Have fun with Granny. Does she make you sit at the kids table? :)

[esper]

Slurp Slurp (drinks kool-aid) Who you callin' "age bracket"? I'm at the clubs every weekend, dirty dancing with the barely legal honeys. Keeps me young and...well...that's a subject for another thread.

That grandmother excuse has to be one of the lamest...

Oh well, at least I know Salah will be able to keep up with me.

Have fun with Granny. Does she make you sit at the kids table? :)

I hate to say it but she's actually dying of cancer and I'll be seeing her for the last time. I don't want to dampen the lively ribbing though, its not as if you would have known, so I take no offense.

otherwise I'd still be driving with the subarus, maybe we could meet up and trade initial d phrases re: evo and STi.

[tmhazen]

Well, my best to your grandmother. I've lost four out of six grandparents (including steps), so I know it's no fun.

Can you tell me where the Subies are starting and what their route will be?

[esper]

I suck at directions so i have no idea where we're going when I'm driving with them. I know we end up about 15 miles south of eau claire by about 3-4pm. lots of weird roads with namews like "q" and "zz" and stuff.

They start from St. Paul midway at about 9:30 am.

[jdlhonda]

Hmm I wonder if you hit S I believe it is goes from Maiden Rock to Plum City. Awesome banked susposed to be 30 mph corners( no where near in the right car,:evil: ) My little Civic loved those 90 deg. corners. :D


MN 60 Wabasha to Zumbro Falls is fun as hell too.

[tmhazen]

Yes, the "alphabet roads" are fantastic. County Q between Lookout and Independence is one of the best. Lots of decreasing radius and off-camber turns.

The best roads start further southeast than Maiden Rock and Plum City, on the far side of the Chippewa River in Buffalo County. That's where we'll be carving corners a week from tomorrow.

If the Subies are still in St. Paul at 9:30am we probably won't see them. Too bad. It would have been nice to meet some new friends.

[GUS]

Hmm sounds like fun. Is there any Honda's planning on showing up or would I possibly be the only one?

[tmhazen]

Hmm sounds like fun. Is there any Honda's planning on showing up or would I possibly be the only one?

A Civic guy on clubrsx.com says he's coming as well as an RSX dude. And if a serious buyer for my RSX presents himself before next weekend, we might be able to arrange for an extended test drive...

[GUS]

I would love to purchase such a fine automobile. Unfortunately I am trying to cut back on expenditures due to my collegiate affairs. The next time I take out a loan it will be for a house with a garage. I have always been interested in the RSX though, I wonder how they handle on back country roads, hmm... ;)

[tmhazen]

I wonder how they handle on back country roads, hmm... ;)

The handling of my RSX on back country roads can be described as follows: TOO SWEET! Just ask all the people who have joined me on tours like this one! :)

[tmhazen]

Latest forecast for the tour area says partly sunny and 46 this Saturday. Great driving weather, especially for turbos!

[Thornton888]

I'll probably try to make it. So...two "RSX guys" :)

[tmhazen]

Now the forecast says 30% chance of rain, but we won't be stopped by a few drops.

[tmhazen]

I'll have route maps and turning directions to hand out, so if you can't stay for the whole drive, you'll have the map for later.

[Cman]

I'm in. See you in CG.

Steve

[tmhazen]

Latest forecast looks much better! Partly sunny with a high of 55 and only a 10% chance of precip.

Bring out your ride for one last chance on some great roads before winter. I'm estimating we'll have 20 cars.

[tmhazen]

Fountain City is reporting a light drizzle and 33 degrees as of 6am, but it's dry in Pepin and in Mondovi. The forecast says it will get drier as the morning progresses, so we should be fine. See y'all there!

[tmhazen]

Great day everybody!

Thanks to all the guys and gals who went Snowballin' today. We had 19 cars. Here's a link to some photos:

http://thumb19.webshots.net/t/59/159/5/61/31/2510561310098025379plonud_th.jpg (http://good-times.webshots.com/album/555339891UofMKx)

If it still hasn't snowed by next weekend, there's a good chance that T-turbo and I will set up another tour for Saturday, Nov 11th. This really is the best time of the year to drive!

[ricksellner]

Sorry i missed it get this together in spring and give me a ring.

[tmhazen]

Rick, there's a very good chance we'll be driving again next weekend. Why wait til spring? The best driving weather of the year is RIGHT NOW!

[Thornton888]

I was planning on showing up. But after friday night's festivities a 7am wake-up call just wasn't happening. If you guys go again this Saturday I'll make it for sure. :lol: