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From the Crest to the Caldera |
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Written by James Walker
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Monday, 24 August 2009 |
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The day began with breakfast at a New Mexico favorite the Owl Café.  Six cars and eleven members enjoyed a hearty breakfast that would power us through a day of twisty road and beautiful vistas. Veterans Lelo, Joe & Anne and James & Deb as well as newcomers Tony & Sandra, Jim & Tamara and Alan & his dad Mike gathered in the parking lot to meeting and greet each other. No sooner had the cars begun to arrive many curious onlookers were gathering to ask questions and comment on how cool and fast the cars looked. After a short meeting to discuss the route and decide positions we left for Sandi Crest with Joe & Anne in the lead. The 14 mile climb took us to an altitude of 10,678 feet along a road packed with short straights and hairpin turns. A sign at the bottom said "Race in Progress". It was for a bicycle race but we took it to heart anyway! We arrived at the top with elevated engine temps and the smell of freshly scrubbed tires lingering in the air.  The group enjoyed the unparalleled view from the crest and all of the attention the cars got. Everyone took time to get to know each other and their cars better. Tony's Sky was sporting and aftermarket supercharger and some great sounding pipes. Alan's Solstice with the upsized turbo, great pipes and Stage II tune was pushing 350 horsepower; he said the aftercooler was going to need some work soon. Joe's Sky had the newly installed cold air intake with bigger tubes and Hahn aftercooler with a MagnaFlow exhaust system that really woke it up. Jim's Solstice was sporting Lambo doors, a larger turbo and Raptor tires he couldn't stop talking about. Lelo's new Ruby Sky was decked out with a great looking stripe job, while James' Solstice was rolling on some new Stern wheels he had gotten through the GM Roadster Club at a discount.
After getting a few group photos of the cars Lelo took the lead down the hill and on to Santa Fe and then Los Alamos. Our route took us through Madrid and Maggie's Place made famous by the movie "Wild Hogs" and the New Mexico State Penitentiary.  We took the bypass around Santa Fe and headed for Los Alamos. The three lane highway made for some fun as we raced to the top of the hill. Lelo took us to "Daniel's", a place with great sandwiches and ice cream! We visited more and traded stories about our cars and what we do when we're not driving. Lelo then lead us out the back way and we headed for Valles Caldera on a road that was jam packed with turn signs that made almost a complete circle! We motored to the overlook at the Caldera and stopped for more photos of the scenery, and of course the cars. The sight of the cars lined up along the road cause traffic to slow to take a look and at least one guy turned around to let us know how much he appreciated that many great cars all in one place. Joe took the lead again and took us through Jemez Springs and then to Gilman Tunnels. It was a 5 mile side trip to a fantastic gorge with two tunnels cut in the rock that were used in the 1920's for a logging train.  We parked on a small siding off the one lane road and explored the ravine and the small stream running through it. The other folks who had come to enjoy the natural beauty of the gorge were soon enraptured with the beauty of the cars. We spent time describing the models, feature and performance with the onlookers and enjoying their enthusiasm for our passion. Joe led us back down the canyon and we made a short trip to the Ponderosa Winery to sample their wares, visit with their dogs and watch grapes being stomped for wine. Well they didn't actually stomp the grapes, they used a large press that used air pressure to massage the grapes and convince them to give up their juice. The vintner then pumped the strained juice to a vat where the wine making process would begin. The group purchased a few bottle of a vintage that appealed to them and then hit the road for  Bernalillo where dinner at the Range Café awaited. Just before San Ysidro we encountered a DWI checkpoint which held no fear for us, though it looked to be doing a brisk business removing hazards from the roadway. Lelo's papers were in his Kappa Attic which was conveniently stowed in his trunk along with his top causing a 10 minute delay. James & Deb split from the group to travel back to Farmington at San Ysidro. The remaining cars headed south to have dinner. The food at the Range was good as was the conversation and laughs. The travelers bid each other farewell and headed home from a full day of seeing New Mexico's beautiful sights.
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