It's late, and I don't know if I can do a whole write-up, but I definitely wanted to post this. This was our last stage of the day, a nighttime TSD up a winding dirt road on a mountain. I'm driving in this, and that's pretty much exactly what I saw. For most of the section I had to maintain 40mph. At one point a dog appeared out of nowhere and I nearly ran into him. I slid around on the dirt and icy bits a little, and there were decent-sized rocks to dodge. It was a blast! I think I can get into this whole rally thing.
We left Kirkland this morning and had a short TSD section just before the border crossing. We were doing great until we missed a turn and went a few miles out of our way. I managed to catch up and even overtake two cars, so maybe it won't be a total wash. Bob seemed happy with my driving, which is always good since it's his car.
The border crossing was a breeze, probably the easiest I've ever had. As soon as we entered, it was time for nature to put on a display. I was pretty impressed when I saw Colorado, but this put it to shame. We passed Mt. Baker and many, many other massive peaks, most of which we couldn't see as they were hidden in the clouds. Sadly, it was pretty overcast all day, with occasional patches of rain and drizzle. It was only late in the day when the sun finally peaked out here and there. Even so, it was mind-blowingly stunning. The pictures can't possibly do it justice. It was difficult to drive because I really wanted to soak in what was around me. I did notice that there was next to no snow, and the river below was nearly dry. Things seem out of whack. After the beauty of the mountains, we entered what looked like scrub land. Bob said it looked a lot like Montana. Low bushes, kind of sandy, and lots of cattle.
Another thing we noticed were lots of cops. The word seems to be out on us, because you never passed just one. It was like they were waiting for a group of us to go by so they could nail us. Fortunately, I was sticking to the speed limit, so there was never an issue. Although Ross said that he was doing the speed limit and a cop pulled side-by-side with him and stayed there for about 8 miles, I guess just to intimidate him. I also heard that maybe one of our cars did something (haven't heard what) that pissed off the truckers. That probably didn't help. My plan is to not annoy the locals, and hopefully we'll avoid any trouble that way.
The odd thing about the TSD stages is that it spreads everyone out. So you can go an hour or more and not see anyone from the group, but then suddenly see a bunch at a gas station or restaurant. It's kind of a bummer, as the experience becomes very singular. And as much fun as we were having driving, we had the start time for the next TSD looming over us, forcing us to move on even when we maybe wanted a break. It's definitely different from our usual MINI winter drives.
I have to say, the people have been super welcoming to us. I'm starting to get to know a few of them, and they're making me feel very comfortable and part of the group. They don't care that we don't know what we're doing in the rallies, and if anything seem kind of impressed at how we're managing. There are a lot of stories going around from past years, and they are fascinating, amusing, and scary. One guy is a driving school instructor and offered to help me on the ice race stages. They're really happy to answer any and every question we may have, and don't make us feel stupid for asking. It certainly makes a trip easier when you feel like you're surrounded by good people.
Beautiful mountains!
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