This really was a great event. Many thank to dominicminicoopers for planning and organizing it all. This man should make this his full time job! To quote another MINI owner, "If Dominic organized a drive off a cliff, I'd be right there following him!" Yes folks, he's THAT good.

A large group of us got together for about a 400+ mile trek through north central AZ. The temperature fluctuation was from 71-104 degrees. The elevation difference was from 1500-7100 ft.

The best part of the trip is shown in the first three pictures. This overlooks highway 97. It's a 12 mile stretch of highway that connects the 93 to the 96. It's very twisty, chocked full of ups and down, and basically, it's a complete FREE FOR ALL!

What I mean is, for 12 miles, we went FAST. I mean really, really fast. We did this stretch of highway 3 times! I counted a total of 4 other cars on the road during this time. It was extremely secluded.

Posted limits for turns and corners were at 25-40 mph and we were easily doing double that...Yes that means close to 80 mph for a corner recommended at 40! I don't think my revs dropped below 4000 rpms the entire time!

If you guys ever visit us, we're taking you on this run!

I think I finally got to see the limits of what my car can do and I'm very, very pleased :smile:








Here's a horrible pictures of the lineup.







Highway 89A. perhaps one of the most scenic highways in Arizona! Check out the Navi view! Very twisty road!



Another shot along the 89A. I actually caught gravel on one turn and skimmed the guard rail :smile:



Lined up at 7100 feet on Mingus Mtn.



I took this pic with the camera backwards trying to get a shot of the lineup behind me as I was in front but the wind blew the camera over and I ended up with this....

 

Thanks Haf! Honestly, I must hand it to both the roads, to the cars that handle them so well as well as all the great motorers who turn up to the events. Without them, I am merely nothing. :smile:

I call it the roller coaster for automobiles. Lots of places for negative and positive vertical gee's and high gee cornering. Plenty of blind hills where the road turns out from under you when you crest a hill. All the stuff that's very good for the heart rate...if you know what I mean!

In Wickenburg, we had 4 classic Minis and about 11 new MINIs (maybe more...I never did my duty in getting an exact count).

Around Prescott, after about 200 miles of motoring bliss, two of the four classic Minis left to go back to Phoenix as well as about 4 MINIs left to go back home too. But we picked up two more MINIs in Prescott area.

Hey isn't that Mingus Mountain where we just had run to the top of? Great shot!!

 

Wow! Great pics! Thanks hafid! We sure wanted to join you guys but some good friends of ours were hosing down their baby yesterday. We'll make it next time, bizarre rituals or not. Sorry about your scratch. Hope your seat cushion didn't suffer as well.

 

I got too busy running around talking with people, or else I would have taken more pictures. I wish I had one when we were gathered together there in Wickenburg. Anyone with pictures from Wickenburg??

I think we have three people from Tucson that came up for this fun-run. I heard from one person that it took him until 2am to get home. Talk about a trooper, hanging with us for hundreds of miles of motoring then not getting home until 2!! Wow, but boy oh boy, what fun we had!

 

Hafid thanks for the pics. It was great to meet you. Man that was the wildest 12 miles I have run. Breaks were glowing, tires screaming, eyes wide open . Thank goodness we all made it not once but three times!!!!. Great to see others love to do this kind of stuff. Actually I was impressed with everyones skill and the great handling of our MINI's. One run not soon forgot!!

Dom... I have several other roads in mind if you are interested.

 

Mark,

Post 'em here if you'd like. We'd love to hear of them...

Not to take away from the 12 miles of the "now famed" 97, I really love coming down the 96 from Baghdad into Kirkland. That has got to me one of my all-time favorite drives. Not only are the roads similar to the 97, but the vistas and scenery it offers is outstanding! Mingus road is fun also, but much too much traffic for my likings.

The whole 400 miles we motored yesterday only had about 80 miles of "blah" and the rest is 320 miles of fairly scenic driving. So I figure the 25% of blah is worth it to enjoy the 75% of happy motoring miles!

 

All I got to say is. "You ain't Motored till you've Motored Hwy 97 in a classic." "Twice"
Enough said.

Excellent run Dom. And didn't we follow someover a cliff at Yarnell?

 

>>I wish I had one when we were gathered together there in Wickenburg. Anyone with pictures from Wickenburg??

Thanks Mark for the photo!



Bigger version of above photo

17 cars total. 4 classic Minis, 12 new MINIs, and one british couple with a PT Cruiser.

Happy Motoring!
Dominic

 

Call us wimpies but we left the run at Prescott.
Had to get home to feed the animals etc. Val was hungry and that makes her cranky! Tried nuts and jerky at the convenience store but think a sit-down with the fun runners would have fit the bill better. We had a late start this time due to combining with the breakfast run. An early start and social lunch works better I think!

Wouldn't you know it, we were delayed at Sunset Point by a looong backup for an apparent motorcyle fatality. Stay safe on those twisties folks.

The whooptie stretch was fantastic, you all have some skillz! Loved the Joshua Tree Parkway scenery too! And having the classics along was wonderful.

BTW... the Yarnell/Prescott/Jerome run is our favorite day trip. Anyone who hasn't done it should. Thanks to Sunday's run I can add the Joshua Tree & Bahgdad Woopties to the list of favorites (though Val almost decorated the car with breakfast)!
I'll see if we got any good pics.

 

Hi Mike! Thanks for the feedback on getting the motorers fed. I take all blame for not getting a better idea of a lunch stop. The one reason we didn't stop for a group meal is that the timing of the whole event was a little off. It started just before lunch. However, when we go that route again, Bill has shown me a nice little restaurant in Baghdad that we'll stop at on the next one up in those parts. So what did you think of the drive down the 96 into Kirkland? That's one of my favorite drives in Arizona.

 

Here's one of a few coming out of the woopties mentioned. 12 miles of road back through those hills with many curvey roller coaster wash crossings. This is where it ends teeing off to either Bagdad or kirkland etc.

(click for big) While waiting for this shot there was total silence in the air except for the occasional insect, quite a contrast to Phoenix! Then... from in the distance... the sound of an approaching swarm of MINI/Minis! Very cool moment!

_________________
Mike - AZ #217, 8/22/02 build dkSlvr/wht
<a href="http://www.binkydognose.com"><img src="http://www.binkydognose.com/mini/minisig.jpg" width="492" height="90" alt="mywebcrap"</a>

 

AAAHHH! Fond memories! And it was even Green out there! Was there no one else on the roads? Lotta great drives in AZ. Thanks for the great pics.

BCNU,
Rob in Dago

 

Hey mike i love the pic of hafids car i didnt know that you got one of those it came out great. that run was sooo much fun :smile:

 

Here's some more pix I was able to track down...

 

More great pics! Does anyone have any interior shots of the classic ones?

 

Great day...beautiful mountain...good friends...GORGEOUS MINIs!!! + I love it when the classics show up! Thanks for the inspiring pics!!!