280 replies to this topic

[MCL968]

Took a drive last weekend to do a little recon on the roads we will be taking for the Saturday drive to Virginia City and back through Carson City to South Lake.

 

I think the group will have a lot of fun on the 28 and the 431/341 to VC. Lots of turns and elevation changes, the SC'd cars will have a real edge on the climbs.

 

Even though it will be July, be aware that we will be cresting 8900 feet at Mount Rose Summit, and the weather can change dramatically at that altitude. We left SLT and it was in the mid 50's and we hit snow at the summit, so bring a jacket and a camera as the vistas are stunning.

[MCL968]

Here's the road at the summit:

Attached Files

•  Spring at 8900 ft1.jpg   78.17KB   0 downloads
•  Spring at 8900 ft2.jpg   78.8KB   0 downloads

Edited by MCL968, 24 May 2016 - 01:55 PM.

[94SilverCab]

Oops, no pic...

[jimham968]

It's 82 degrees right now at 6:19 pm in Williamsburg. No snow here. Beautiful day to take the cab out for lunch!

[Kaj Hallstrom]

Please cancel the snow!!!........I plan a top down drive....We should be ok by then, but the peaks should be all white.

[az968]

Here's the latest on the 968 West Coast Gathering Agenda - July 8-10. Still time to sign up but don't wait too long!

 

Friday, July 8: Arrivals, car wash area at hotel available if needed, late afternoon/early evening no host reception in 968 Park Hotel bar/lobby, casual dinner at nearby restaurants (I'm thinking about a German restaurant, let me know if you are interested). BYO hospitality room at 968 Park Hotel for after-dinner get-together.

 

Saturday, July 9:  Morning gathering at 968 Park Hotel, mid-morning departure for loop drive east on some great roads (departure time TBA), lunch in Virginia City, group dinner at J. T. Basque restaurant in Gardnerville, NV, photo ops, car wash area at hotel, after-hours get-together at hospitality room (BYO or some donated wine and scotch tastings, etc.)

 

Sunday, July 10: mid-Morning departure for loop drive southwest over great driving route for lunch and wine tasting at Vino Noceto. Those that want to depart Sunday afternoon depart can depart from there while the rest return to SLT, group dinner in SLT for those staying.

 

Monday, July 11: Final depart for home.

 

Let me know if you have any thoughts/questions.

[ds968]

I don't think you guys will need to worry about the aforementioned snow ..at the rate temps are climbing here , you may end up with insufferable heat even up there at that altitude . Take your sunscreen ...and rub some on the cars also to protect the paint, lol .

[az968]

Forecast for July 9 is 78, so hopefully that will come to pass and it won't be excessively hot. Hit an all time high in Prescott yesterday of 105! Spent the day in our hot tub to cool off :-)

[ds968]

No kidding ( re AZ heat ) - yesterday was the first time I have ever heard a commercial airline diverting a flight scheduled to land in Phoenix due to extreme heat ; apparently the pilots felt it was unsafe to attempt the descent and landing in " rare air " atmospheric conditions .
Chris, what's your take on that ? Valid reason, or mostly b.s. .? Airlines land in Phoenix and Las Vegas all the time ( not to mention Dubai, Qatar, etc ) in the summer where temps can get to 115 + so I thought this was a bit odd.
Anyway, let's hope that 78 forecast is correct and it does not turn into one of those " feels like " 88 scenarios. But some of you guys might like that .. I get very uncomfortable in anything that exceeds 75 , and even more so I can't stand driving in those temps no matter how much the AC helps the climate inside the car . Cabs would be even worse ( for me ) with the unobstructed exposure to the sun.
Let's set the next 968 GTG in Alaska, mid-winter and you can count me in !

Edited by ds968, 21 June 2016 - 06:34 AM.

[flash]

109 in the shade here yesterday.  it was like a blast furnace when i walked outside.  ridiculous.

 

the problem with the mountains is the thinner air.  that sun can really get you.  be careful guys

[Chris Vais]

DS- When the air temperature gets very high it is less dense and therefore offers less lift and the engines develop less power. Less lift requires a little higher landing speed in order to generate sufficient lift to control the plane and a flatter decent, not always a comfortable ride. Most commercial airlines are twin engines these days and they need to be able to remain airborne, land and fly off the runway on one engine should they loose one.

 

Getting a full loaded F-4 off the runway in Viet Nam used a considerable amount of runway even in full burner. Never a fun experience. When you are launched off a ship by catapult, heat is never a problem. The catapult guys would just dial up the energy. All Navy aircraft have a little black panel on the fuselage that the Plane Captain chalks in the gross take-off weight of the aircraft. the cat officer reads that and dials in the appropriate amount of punch.

[az968]

The Phoenix Sky Harbor airport was shut down completely for aircraft back on June 26, 1990 Phoenix set an all-time record high temperature of 122°F.

 

The aircraft "lift charts" did not go to temps that high so all flights had to be cancelled that day.  This wasn't the only time the "lift charts" had to postpone flights due to Phoenix's hot weather, which I why I no longer live down there.

[JTP]

I ran experimental flight tests in Yuma AZ, had to schedule flights at 0430 to avoid the 120+ heat. A foot off the Tarmac, temps were145 degrees.

[Kaj Hallstrom]

Density Altitude!!!.....something most people never think about......unless you are a pilot....I am looking for Density 968's in July!!

[MCL968]

I was in San Diego today, elbow deep in a I0470 Continental, doing the annual on our Cessna 210. It was about 100+ in the hangar. The pilots were all concerned with air density and takeoff distances. I was just melting and looking forward to Tahoe in July. I expect it will be a great group and a great drive, even with the crowds and the traffic.

[Pauli]

If it's not too late, I'm 99% in. I originally had a conflict, but those dates just got pushed back to the 3rd week of July. I know it's frowned upon, but Robin really wants to camp on the way, so will be trailering the car behind the camper, but lots of 968 driving when we arrive - Lol... I'll bring an assortment of vino from the winery.

What time do you foresee the gathering at hotel in the bar Fri night?

AZ968 - If there are any additional specifics, please shoot them my way. How many, and who all are confirmed?

Cheers,

Paul

[lbpesq]

I was also wondering how many we have confirmed? This is going to be big fun!

Bill

[Chris Vais]

If someone is making up a confirmation list. I will not be attending.

[az968]

I don't have a good count where I am physically sitting right now but over 20 cars, still hearing front fence sitters. Chris, will miss seeing you. I will get a Friday meeting time tomorrow, we get the hotel bar an hour before it opens to the public and I need to confirm the opening time.

Yeah, it's gonna be fun!

[flash]

just a note on attendee count.  after doing this for a dozen years, the "count" is almost never what you think it is, by the time you get to the event.  every year i would get lots of "confirmed" attendees, and every year it would drop to about 70% of that.  there is always a last minute attrition.  the best way to count is via the hotel rooms, or fees you charge.  once people put down their money, they are less likely to bail.  if you keep your eye on that, it will help avoid over-committing to people with whom you make arrangements, and who count on the income derived from those arrangements.

 

i'm not sure how you are getting to 20, given that we have only seen about 10  people here responding in the affirmative, but i wish you the best of luck.  no matter how many you get, you'll have fun.  i personally would have gone, but i have a commitment here to ds968 to take a look at the tune on the only supercharged tip car.  he and i both always went to every 968 event.  in thinking about it, i don't know but maybe 2 of the "old crowd" going to this one.  lots of new faces.  changing of the guard i guess.  cool stuff.