Dave Mitchell posted:Robert I have included my name on the Steamers list. Did I do it right?
Yes you did.
Tahoe folks:
As of now, it looks like most weather services are saying a pretty good chance of thunderstorms for Tahoe, starting around noon on Friday - about when we had planned on arriving. (The weekend forecast is sunny, though.)
Scheduled start for the drive up, from the Auburn Holiday Inn parking lot, is at 10:15 am. If we start a bit earlier, say at 8:15, we would almost certainly be snug in the hotel before any rain starts.
Since most folks driving up from Auburn will be at Anthony's barbecue on Thursday night, let's talk about bumping up the start time for Friday's drive then.
Please watch this space for details.
Local Tahoe Weather...
The Thunder Storms do not start before 4:00PM and are for the most part out in the NV dessert. A few may drift over into to Tahoe but mostly to the North. We have had only minor rain in the South End. The most risky are will be around Donner Summit. Given the 10:00am start we should be fine.
Bring your defroster towels in any event.
I have not put my top up as yet.
See you this PM at Anthony's
majorkahuna posted:Bring your defroster towels in any event.
^ This is the hero we need! Thanks for the local weather report. Too bad our resident weatherman is preoccupied with other storms.
Thank you Tony for your hospitality- it was great to meet everyone. Safe travels today. Looking forward to joining you all when I have my car.
Thank you Tony, the BBQ was awesome. It was a pleasure meeting you and it was nice talking to you. I appreciate your contributions to the SOC and your love of the air-cooled hobby was evident in talking to you.
The adventure was only just beginning.
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yes, there was a bit of weather. The real hero is @Rick99GSX and his brave wife who did this without a top.
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Ryan in NorCal posted:yes, there was a bit of weather. The real hero is @Rick99GSX and his brave wife who did this without a top.
Is that what they lovingly refer to as "weatherproof" rather than waterproof replicas?
Wow!! I am never gonna bitch about Carlisle weather, again!
Don't challenge it, Gordon. You remember that storm that hit the Corvette guys a few years back?
...oh my goodness, was that snow on the windshield and ground?!!!
Will Hesch posted:...oh my goodness, was that snow on the windshield and ground?!!!
Not snow - HAIL !
(Listen to the sound in the video.)
The group is drying out today.
Lost the spear trim on one of my doors in the thick of it.
Man, I'm kind of glad I wasn't able to make it this year... Crazy!!
Looks very sporting! I would have enjoyed the adventure for sure.
Ryan in NorCal posted:The real hero is @Rick99GSX's brave wife who did this without a top.
If you're not going to share pictures of that, one of you gentlemen should have offered her a shirt.
TRP posted:Ryan in NorCal posted:The real hero is @Rick99GSX's brave wife who did this without a top.
If you're not going to share pictures of that, one of you gentlemen should have offered her a shirt.
I was just going to say, "SHE had a top on, their 550 Spyder did not!!".
Ryan in NorCal posted:
The adventure was only just beginning.
What a great picture of a great event. Could someone put names to the faces from left to right? I'ts nice to know some left coasters too. Thanks....
Excellent! Thanks for posting.
Nice!!!
Here's a small sample of the hail ride, which is probably the most extreme weather for any Spyder (and speedsters ) ever!!!
What can I say, this was by far the craziest weather we've driven on! Regardless of the hail we had an awesome time. Thanks for hanging out with us Ryan and for the awesome pics! Wwe hope you and Rachel will come our way for some more driving (with no hail!)
Holy **** I had know idea you got caught that bad. Very brave! Y’all a drink next year.
Impressive. Very, very impressive.
That's pretty hard core! When it's over and the car and both of you have dried out you'll have a great story. Until then it just kinda sucks. Ask me how I know. 
Some day, when we have all dried out, there will be eight million stories from this year's Naked Tahoe. This has been one of them.
Rick and his long suffering companion certainly deserve the Heroes award for having pressed on regardless - in the finest tradition of open motoring (there must be some British blood in Rick's family tree).
We hung back to give @RONSTR a hand with his ailing engine and continued after the first hailstorm for a few miles before getting clobbered by the second. Even with a top, conditions turned to white out and we had to stop for about 20 minutes before we could carry on. Most people we saw in 'real' cars were pulled over at that point, too.
We reached the hotel as night was falling, only to find the trim strip on one of my doors had been stripped away by the hail and two inches of standing water on the rear floor.
And I used to think I knew why these things are called tubs.
Unfrigginbelievable!
The hail storm was epic! The lightning was amazing. The stories will be spoke of and remembered for a very long time. The friendships are the reason we do this. I can't wait for the next adventure.
The calm between the storms:
We thought the worst had passed, waiting for Ron's tow truck at the Homewood post office. Little did we know. I like how the melting hail is rolling off the hood and making two neat little piles in front of the car.
This is the last known photo of the trim strip on my passenger door.
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WE made it home safe and sound, some times running good some times not so much. Thanks every body ho waited for us an offered help. Thanks Mitch for you tools and labor
Sacto Mitch posted:Most people we saw in 'real' cars were pulled over at that point, too.
This. It was bad. As I was leading the first convoy through the storms, fighting to keep the tail lights in front of me in view so I could roughly estimate where the road was, I saw the same thing. When I saw the break lights glow brighter all I could think was, "Keep going! There's a Spyder behind me! Gotta keep moving."
@Sacto Mitch wrote- "This is the last known photo of the trim strip on my passenger door."
Great pic Mitch! So, does this mean the trim is coming off and you're going outlaw?
You know, in the mountains anything can happen. As a younger man I did a lot of hiking/backpacking and still get out with friends 2 times a summer dune buggying/4 wheeling in the mountains in southern BC. I've been snowed on every month of the year. Our Labor Day weekend trip (which we did again this year) is a great example; we've been snowed on, and we've had years where we were in shorts and t shirts most of the day (as it was this year- only the 3rd time in 16? years). My oldest son was 16 the first year he joined us (this was his 3rd trip) and 1 of the first comments when describing his first trip to a friend was "my dad's friends are crazy!". It's always an adventure, and always fun.
Looks like you guys had a great adventure. Al
Dave Mitchell posted:The hail storm was epic! The lightning was amazing. The stories will be spoke of and remembered for a very long time. The friendships are the reason we do this. I can't wait for the next adventure.
Next time you need to put the top down on the Fiat so you can experience the adventure. LOL
As a wise southerner I know once said "Holy Carp!!" OK, maybe he isn't so wise, but still . . . Despite this dramatic (or did he say epic) hail storm, I REALLY want to do the TdeH. Been threatening for a while, and will work harder next year to make it. Been a while since I ventured west to visit w/ my Best Coast buds.
Here are a couple of the pictures I took of Mitch and Ron's car after we all pulled over. It got worse after this and that is what you see in Rick's video.
The couple in the red Mercedes SUV were dry and warm, but VERY empathetic about the situation.
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David Stroud posted:Ryan in NorCal posted:
The adventure was only just beginning.
What a great picture of a great event. Could someone put names to the faces from left to right? I'ts nice to know some left coasters too. Thanks....
From left to right:
Ryan from NORCAL and his wife Rachel (I know I'm spelling it wrong because I heard her say it's not spelled like everyone thinks), Noel aka MajorKahuna, Rocklin Mike, Sacto Mitch and his wife Kathy, Nancy M, Robert M, Larry Bull, Sally Sloan, Troy Sloan, Ron aka Ronstr and his wife Karen, Dave Mitchell and his g/f Dee, Vanessa #WHONEEDSATOPINAHAILSTORM and Ricky aka RICK99GSX, and MUSBGINNY with MUSBJIM behind the camera.
Great picture
FOLKS:
OK hands down!!! Rick and his wife are the bad Azzzzz's of the entire SOC... Holy sheet man... !!
Please.......... lets all give them a standing ovation!!!
I know for a fact Terry has no Guide book for that type of storm driving... But I'm sure he will write one now!!
You guys have my greatest respect ever!!
tebs