Downshift High Desert Region – Porsche Club of America October/November 2017

Telluride Festival of Cars & Colors: Photo by Gerald and Gretchen Kolb

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EDITOR Patty Katz pjmcintosh54@gmail.com 541-602-5762

PHOTOGRAPHERS Roger Saunders Roger Mathus ADVERTISING Peter Olsen visach9@gmail.com 425-469-5470

High Desert Region

Downshift A monthly publication of the High Desert Region Porsche Club of America October/November 2017

DEPARTMENTS HDR Leadership ------------------------------------------- 2 Presidential Ramblings ----------------------------------- 3 Editors Notes----------------------------------------------- 5

UPCOMING EVENTS Calendar of Events --------------------------------------- 6

FEATURES

High Desert Downshift is the official publication of the High Desert Region of the Porsche Club of America, and is published monthly. Any statement appearing in Downshift is that of the author and does not represent the opinion of the Porsche Club of America, the High Desert Region, its board of directors, the Downshift or its staff. Permission is given to chartered regions of PCA to reprint articles in their newsletters if credit is given to the author and to Downshift. Publication office address: PO Box 113, Bend, OR 97709.

Submissions The deadline for submissions is the fifteenth day of the month preceding the month of publication. Please email: pjmcintosh54@gmail. com with “Downshift Material” as the subject line.

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HDR LEADERSHIP The High Desert Region is a private not-for-profit organization organized under the laws of the state of Oregon. The Club was chartered as a region in 2000, and is governed by an elected board of directors. The board of directors is ably assisted by committee chairs who are charged with specific functional responsibilities that help deliver a wide range of activities and events to the membership. All meetings of the board are open to the membership. Board of Directors President Jerry Kolb jkolb@bendcable.com 541-318-8118 Vice President Sam Davis Membership sadaca_2@msn.com 541-317-0731 Treasurer Scott Lauray scottlauray@gmail.com 323-251-9548 Secretary Amy Steigman amysteigman@gmail.com 541-480-8815 Rob Kutz Events rpklaw@bendbroadband.com 541-639-6301 Bob Stark Arrive & Drive rstarkland@gmail.com 541-388-5075 Curt Graeber Website curt.graeber@gmail.com 425-246-2950 Lisa Sarmiento Insurance lisasarmiento@gmail.com 541-610-6194 Roger Sanders Historian roger@bendfireside.com 541-585-2013 Tim Hagner Zone 6 rep simtue@gmail.com 770-510-3313 Peter Olson Past President visach9@gmail.com 425-269-5470

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Presidential Ramblings October-November 2017 Jerry Kolb

“Life is what was happening while you are busy making other plans.”

John Lennon

You will notice that we are doing a combined October-November issue of Downshift. For many of us the deadline for the October issue came and went in a flurry of activity planning and preparing for the Fall Festival Fundraiser on October 1. My October also included the Festival of Cars and a long-planned vacation. The final burst of activity from the Friday before the fundraiser through the following Wednesday when I finished the financial reconciliation, involved about 45 hours of effort, and I was just one of a team, as I describe in the following two-part Ramblings. Part I was written before the event and anticipated an October Downshift. When it became obvious that we were going to need to do a combined issue, I wrote Part II.

Part I

The big news this month is the Porsches & Horses Fall Festival and Gala. I can’t tell you how it turned out, whether it rained or not, or even who showed up for the event. I can, however, tell you that the event was a success. Not just a little success, a big one.

A casual reader of the preceding paragraph might find a logical contradiction therein. How can I not just predict success for an event that has not yet occurred, but make a claim of success, as if I was reporting in hindsight? No, the success I refer to is the success we saw in gathering a group of volunteers together to very quickly put an event together of a type that HDR had never presented.

HDR has historically used its Holiday Party as an occasion to raise funds for its charitable efforts and, over the years, many of our members have raised the idea that it would be nice to separate the two functions. Among the reasons was the fact that many of our members spend their winters in other locations and were precluded from participating. To make a long story short, or at least shorter, the board decided that it would be an excellent idea to have a celebration earlier in the year and that the new event could be used for fundraising, leaving the Holiday Party as a time to gather to celebrate the end of the year.

HDR’s calendar is relatively set at the beginning of the year so we had to first find a date for the new event. Not an easy task, as HDR’s summer calendar had few openings. We eventually decided upon October 1 as the date, later than anyone wanted, but having the advantage that it carried no conflicts with other events. Note that next year the event will be scheduled in August.

Those same events that pushed the date for Porsches & Horses back also retarded planning efforts for the event. We came together in the middle of August to create a new event, which gave us very little time, and required a highly dedicated crew of volunteers. I am happy to report that many of our members stepped forward and have

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dedicated many, many hours during the past six weeks to create and bring the event to fruition. I’d like to recognize the work of each in detail, but I realize that any such effort is inadequate because they have assumed responsibility for broad areas as well as individual tasks. An indication of the efforts is that we scheduled many meetings, often more than one per week, and the attendance was virtually 100%.

I’d like to recognize the efforts of group members, with warning that they are not offered in any order of importance. This was a very impressive volunteer effort, and I do not believe we could have succeeded without the efforts of everyone involved. Of course, there is one special person we must all thank and that is Tracy Stout, who not only allowed us to use her beautiful ranch, but also hosted many of our meetings, provided many of the fixtures necessary for the event, and kept us energized with her good humor and constructive suggestions.

Curt Graeber took on the awesome task of coordinating and soliciting the auction items. Karin Johnson worked with Curt to develop the program and organized the tasks required for an effective auction. She also took the lead on the registration process. Sam Davis coordinated the physical aspects of the event, including transportation and setup of chairs and tables, positioning of lighting, and overall layout of the facility. He also created the bid sheets and descriptive material for the auction items. Carolyn Davis designed the table centerpieces, found and acquired the individual components of the centerpieces, and assembled other volunteers to put the various components together. Carolyn, along with Gretchen Kolb, Bonnie Davidson and Jane Trout worked to set up the decorations.

Jane Trout oversaw the food arrangements, including the menu, and Bob Stark coordinated the beer and other beverages, as well as handling all band arrangements. Larry Johnson was our electrical guy and in charge of parking. Yours truly assisted with facility preparation and takedown and was a general “gofer” at the event. Rob and Karon Kutz assisted with general planning. Pete Olson assisted with donations for the auction and helped set up and take down the tables and chairs. Among the mentioned individuals I am certain that the amount of effort added up to well more than 100 hours, and probably 2-3 times that amount. These volunteer hours were freely given and represent the best of PCA. Thank you all!

Finally, we need to acknowledge everyone who donated an auction item and everyone who took the time out of their busy schedules to come to Porsches & Horses. Without your efforts all the planning would have been wasted.

Part II

We pulled it off!

As the more than 100 of you who attended the 2017 Porsches & Horses Fall Festival and Gala will agree, the good news was that it did not rain. But the bad news was that it was still cold and windy! Notwithstanding the weather, the event raised over $10,000 more than its costs. The amount raised meant that we could continue to support and even expand our community outreach efforts, and that our Holiday Party could be devoted to celebrating the season and our fellowship without having to fundraise.

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As expected, the committee did its job, which included a wholesale reorganization and relocation of the silent auction on Sunday morning to reflect the weather. But I also need to express my profound thanks to the donors who made the auction possible with their gifts, and the members who opened their wallets and hearts to bid on the donated items or directly to HDR to support our efforts.

On Sunday as I scurried around the beautiful grounds trying to make sure everything was working, it was obvious that the cold was putting a damper on the event, but most of our attendees smiled and shrugged off the inconvenience with brave comments like: “it is, after all, Central Oregon,” or “I’ll just add a layer of fleece.” I had not been keeping track of the action in the silent auction, and I feared that the cold might dampen the enthusiasm we needed to make the event a financial success. At one-point, Gretchen told me that I needed to go inside to the auction to check it out. I anticipated that I would find a lack of activity, but I found the opposite — over half of the items had already reached their buy it now prices!

Driving back to our home that evening we talked over the event and what we would change if given the opportunity of a do over. It was clear that we needed to move the event forward on the calendar, but that other than that aspect we were pretty happy. Mostly I was proud of the team. Not everything that we tried worked, but the team worked. The financial results would need to be confirmed, but we proved to ourselves that the PCA foundation of volunteerism really can generate results.

The committee is now engaged in taking an in-depth after event look at the entire process to determine what worked well and where improvements can be made. The success of the event implies that there will be a 2018 Porsches & Horses Fundraiser and we hope that our findings and recommendations, as well as a few procedure manuals will help in the planning and production of that event.

Never too early to volunteer — please let me know if you would like to join the team for 2018!

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Editor’s Notes By Patty Katz

Well, it has been a hectic two months! As Jerry mentioned in his ramblings, we both had a lot of stuff happening in September and early October, so we’ve combined the last two months into one newsletter.

This summer, the smoke kept me (and I’m sure some of you) sequestered in my home for about 4-5 weeks -- asthma. We had a couple of projects at our house as well, so no RVing either! I’ve also had a problem with my left knee for about 2 years, and finally went to an ortho doc and said, “I want to get this fixed!” So, an MRI showed a couple of tears in my meniscus. I had corrective outpatient surgery early October and am on the mend. However, let me share with you a little story…

Jeff attended the October Arrive and Drive on the 7th. He was excited to take his newly purchased GT4 to the event – especially since it was the last arrive and drive of the year. Off he goes to meet the group. I’m having fun, resting on the couch 3 days post-meniscus surgery watching college football. About 11:30, I get a call from a California number I do not recognize and it’s Jeff. He tells me that the GT4 locked him out with the keys and his phone inside. He said he called a tow truck and they were on their way to take the car to Madras and could I meet him with the other key in about an hour. I’m thinking, “Well, I think I can drive, but it will be in the Macan! How hard could it be because the surgery was on my left knee and I could just keep that knee somewhat straight.” So off I hobble down 13 stairs to the garage and got into my car and left the house.

I was to meet Jeff and Kim and Tim from German Master Tech at Eagle Bakery located at 123 SW “H” Street in Madras. Once parked, I grabbed my cane and shuffled into the bakery. I greeted everyone, and my stranded hubby, then sat down and had one of the BEST sponge cake filled with deliciously light sugary delight! It was heaven! There was also a bit of almond pastry left to sample. Delicious! The son of the owner, who helps out at times, started bringing us rolls and bread to take home. We found out they had recently just opened and were building their inventory of goodies they will be offering. They also have homemade jams and jellies and other various goodies for sale. I HIGHLY recommend all of you to check it out! If Jeff hadn’t had the problem he did, we may never have found this great bakery! Jeff ended up calling off the tow truck for fear of something odd happening when loading the car on the flatbed. Eventually we went back to Antelope to get the car, and made it back home. It was very nice to get out of the house for an afternoon.

It’s hard to believe it’s November already so Jeff and I wish you a Happy Thanksgiving with your family and friends!

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Calendar of Events High Desert Region, PCA Calendar – Update August 1, 2017 May 2017 5/6/17 Arrive & Drive Usual A&D Location Bob Stark, 541-388-5075 5/9/17 Board Meeting Club Carrera Jerry Kolb, 541-318-8118 5/10/17 Member Dinner Club Carrera Ann Sampson 5/20/17 to 5/21/17

Rhodes & Bridges Tour Eugene, Area Jerry & Gretchen Kolb, 541-318-8118,

jkolb@bendcable.com

June 2017 6/3/17 Arrive & Drive Usual A&D Location Bob Stark, 541-388-5075

6/10/17 Deschutes County Historical Society Show & Shine

Historical Society Downtown Bend 8am-Noon

Pete Olsen, 425-269-5470, visach9@gmail.com

6/10/17 to 6/11/17

Hood River Tour Hood River, assemble at A&D site per tour directors

Joe Mansfield & Lisa McCarthy, 541-419-9945

6/21/17 Member Dinner Club Carrera Ann Sampson 6/24/17 and/or 6/25/17

Zone 6 HPDE Oregon Raceway Park, Grass Valley

HDR Contact: Tom Adkins, 541-420-8389, tomatkins78@gmail.com

6/29/17 Arrive & Dine Cowboy Dinner Tree Restaurant Rob & Karon Kutz 541-639-6301, rpklaw@bendbroadband.com

July 2017 7/1/17 Arrive & Drive Usual A&D Location Bob Stark, 541-388-5075 7/9/17 to 7/15/17

Porsche Parade Spokane, WA Sam Davis, 541-317-0731, sadaca_2@msn.com

7/18/17 Board Meeting Club Carrera Jerry Kolb, 541-318-8118 7/19/17 Member Dinner Club Carrera Ann Sampson

August 2017

8/5/17 Arrive & Drive – New Members Usual A&D Location Bob Stark, 541-388-5075

8/5/17 New Member BBQ (to follow arrive & drive)

64880 Collins Road, Tumalo

Sam Davis, 541-317-0731, sadaca_2@msn.com

8/11/17 to 8/12/17

Yachats Tour Yachats, Oregon Bob Stark, 541-388-5075

8/16/17 Member Dinner Club Carrera Ann Sampson

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October 2017 9/9/17 Arrive & Drive Usual A&D Location Bob Stark, 541-388-5075 9/12/17 Board Meeting Club Carrera Jerry Kolb, 541-318-8118 9/15/17 to 9/17/17

Oregon Festival of Cars Broken Top, etc., Bend, Jerry Kolb, 541-318-8118,

jkolb@bendcable.com

9/20/17 Member Dinner Club Carrera Ann Sampson

10/1/17 Fall Gala Porsches & Horses, Tracy Stout ranch, Sisters, OR

Sam Davis, 541-317-0731, sadaca_2@msn.com

10/6/17 to 10/9/17

OctoberFast Boise, ID, regular event with Silver Sage Region Leader needed

10/7/17 Arrive & Drive Usual A&D Location Bob Stark, 1-388-5075 10/14/17 Tech Session German Master Tech 9:30am Tim Hagner, 770-510-3313 10/18/17 Member Dinner Club Carrera Ann Sampson

10/28/17 Fall Clean-up, Adopt a road Fryrear Road site John & Eleanor Donohue, 541-383-2440,

johndonohue@bendbroadband.com

November 2017 11/7/17 Board Meeting Club Carrera Jerry Kolb, 541-318-8118 11/15/17 Member Meeting Club Carrera Jerry Kolb, 541-318-8118 11/18/17 Annual Member

Meeting COCC Redmond (directions TBA) 10am-1pm

Ann Sampson

December 2017 12/9/17 Holiday Party Awbrey Glen Gretchen Kolb, 541-383-3285

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2017 Oregon Festival of Cars Story by Jerry Kolb Photos by Roger Sanders

The 2017 Festival was something of a disappointment compared with 2016, as the organizers, who had been so cooperative in 2016, decided that they did not want any marque to have its own display area. The reasoning given was that people displaying their cars at the Festival enjoyed being parked next to a variety of cars, so they could discuss similarities and differences. For whatever reason, the overall entry for 2017, as well as the Porsche entry, was down from the previous year.

Notwithstanding the policy that did not allow us to park together. Our offer to gather all HDR Porsches off the grounds and bring them to Broken Top for placement together was met by being informed we would be separated anyway, We shifted to Plan B and offered to judge Porsches with judges who moved to all four corners of the field. The four classes and their winners were:

Air Cooled Pre-1974

1. Porsche Speedster: Bruce Giampaoli 2. Porsche 912: Jerry & Gretchen Kolb

Air Cooled 1974–1998

1. Porsche 911, Josh Van Eikerien 2. Porsche 911 Speedster, Alan Frickey

Water Cooled 1999–2011

1. Porsche 911, Mike Simmons 2. Porsche Cayman, Bob & Suzi Townes

Water Cooled 2012–2017

1. Porsche Boxster, Alan & Debbie Fuller 2. Porsche Boxster, Scott & Kathi Loring

Ironically, the chair of the Festival organizing committee met briefly with Pete Olson and me late on Saturday to ask for our help in getting more Porsches on the field for 2018. It is interesting to note that the “local” Diego’s show had more than double the number of entries of the Festival, including more than 40 Porsches and almost 40 Corvettes, both of which clubs were encouraged to exhibit grouped by make. A lesson, maybe?

Click here for a link to Roger Sander’s you tube video of the Festival of Cars at Broken Top. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b5zdGuEIF2Y&t=13s

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Road Trip: Getting There Really is Half the Fun — in a New Macan Story by Jerry & Gretchen Kolb Photos by the Authors/Telluride Festival of Cars & Colors

We lived in Colorado for many years, and a favorite time for us is the changing of colors as frost begins to nip the aspens in the high country. Last year we discovered the Festival of Cars and Colors in Telluride, which allowed us to indulge both our love of cars, especially Porsches, and to immerse ourselves in the beauty of the mountains. We had so much fun that we decided to return this year. This is the story of our journey.

Telluride is about 1,100 miles from Bend and, as anyone who has tried to get to Colorado knows all too well, you pretty much must get to Salt Lake City the first day to avoid making it a three-day trip. In the past we have taken Highway 20 to I-84 and south through Idaho, but this year we decided to try Hwy 31 South to Nevada and then East on I-80 to Salt Lake City. We had intended to drive our newly restored 912, but unfortunately it was not broken in yet. Our new Macan needed a road trip and seemed like a perfect choice for the trip. The 912 would have been fun, but I must admit it would have been less comfortable.

We left our house at 5am on Tuesday, September 19, with 750 miles ahead before we would arrive in Provo for the night. The car was clean and full of gas, tire pressures had been checked, the cooler loaded with water and road food and we were ready for the highway. It had been years since we had last driven Hwy 31, and we were looking forward to some new scenery.

The trip to Telluride is one that exposes a car and its occupants to many different environments and roads along the way. Highways 31 and 395 to Winnemucca, NV take you through 350+ miles of high desert on fairly good two-lane roads with very little traffic and few reminders, other than the road itself, of a human presence. If one lets his or her mind wander — and it is hard to prevent a wandering mind on the

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deserted roads of Eastern and Southern Oregon — you can find yourself imagining the trials of the pioneers who crossed this land. When you see a pile of cabin logs in a field you are looking at a homesteader’s cabin and a probable failed attempt to scratch a living out of the Oregon wilderness. Sitting in the 18-way adjustable heated sport seats of the Macan’s climate controlled cabin one can be very grateful to be traveling in 2017, rather than 100-years ago, when the cowboys of the area were rounding up horses to sell to the Army for World War I.

Just before getting to Lakeview, OR, 185 miles from the start of our trip, we turned on to OR-140 and, about 65 miles later crossed the state line into Nevada. 150-miles later we arrived in Winnemucca, the junction with I-80, and our first real pit stop. It was Noon, our Macan had performed flawlessly, we had travelled 400 miles, and consumed 20 gallons of gas — we were just over half way to Provo.

Winnemucca to Provo was largely a blur. Posted speeds on the interstate were 75 mph in Nevada and 80 mph in Utah, but most cars and trucks were traveling at 10 mph over the posted limit. Far be it from us to slow anyone down, so we adopted the same habit. As we passed to the East of Wendover, Utah, we looked out the left side of the Macan and saw a collection of RVs and racecars parked out on the Bonneville Salt Flats. Then, as I-80 approached Salt Lake City we passed by Miller Motorsports Park on our right. No time to stop at either place, unfortunately.

We arrived at Salt Lake City about 4pm and headed south on I-15. For anyone who has not been to the Salt Lake City metro area lately that community went on a highway-building spree in advance of the 2002 Winter Olympics and the building never stopped. The main arterials all flow traffic at 70+ during hours that would find Portland traffic at 25-30 mph. Lots of lanes and an HOV lane ensure the smooth flow. I-15 South was no exception and we arrived at our hotel in Provo before 5pm. Metropolitan Salt Lake City, from Ogden South through Provo, is bordered on the East by the Wasatch Mountains. As we drove to the South toward Provo we noted that the upper regions of the Wasatch were dusted with recent snow, and we hoped that the weather would stay clear for our trip into the high country on the following day.

While Tuesday seemed like an endurance run — with the emphasis on endure — Wednesday presented a varied menu of driving experiences. First, we drove on excellent roads (US-6) over the Wasatch Range to Price, then the road straightened as we headed due South. Other than a bit of construction, the road was good, and the two-lane highway was posted at 65-70 mph. US 6/191 jogs east on I-70 for 25 miles before US 191 points due south again to Moab. The road to Moab is a fast and mostly straight road, which is somewhat unfortunate for the driver because the scenery is incredible, as you get deeper into the red sandstone canyon country around Moab. A stop for fuel and some grocery shopping in Moab

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before heading out on the last leg of our journey, told the tale of Moab — one of the few available parking spaces in the lot at the supermarket was marked “Senior Citizen Parking”. We took it gratefully and realized that Moab is a young town!

US 191 continues south from Moab roughly paralleling the Utah-Colorado state line, as it travels through beautiful dry canyon country carved out of red sandstone that continuously changes color with the effects of light and shade. Twenty miles south of Moab we cut off toward LaSal on a two-lane road (Hwy 46) that crosses ridges of the LaSal Mountains and drops into canyons. We love this road because of its variety and almost total lack of traffic. Population is very sparse and, other than a few very small towns, is largely found on the ranches that dot the area. The terrain has dictated the road and it is not unusual to be traveling along a gently winding section at 50-60 MPH to suddenly find oneself in a rapidly decreasing radius turn signaling a series of 10-20 MPH switchbacks as it drops precipitously from the canyon rim to a section of roadway paralleling a stream.

We had driven along this road for about 70 miles, coming across a total of maybe 25 pickup trucks on the highway when, much to our surprise, we started seeing Porsches, Ferraris, Corvettes and other sports cars traveling in the opposite direction. It looked like a tour of some kind, but it was odd to see all of these different makes in the middle of nowhere. We were going to stop to

find out what they were doing if we found one of them stopped, but the mystery remained, as we never could find anyone who knew anything about the tour.

From Naturita (Pop. 530), the largest community between Moab and Telluride, to Norwood, Hwy 145 travels about 25 miles through ranch country, with looming high mountains many miles to the South. This section of the drive is very similar to ranch portions of our HDR arrive and drives. Immediately following Norwood, Hwy 145 suddenly dropped from the plateau down the canyon wall to the San Miguel River, which we followed the for 33 miles and through 2,200 feet of elevation change to our destination in Telluride. This final leg of our journey was “just another road” in the Colorado mountains — a continuous series of curves painted on a canvas of red sandstone, brilliant yellow aspen leaves shimmering in the breeze, mountain mahogany leaves turning red, and the mountain firs adding a deep green contrast. A basic hazard in this area is tourists who become so mesmerized by the color pallet that they slow to 10-15mph in a vain effort to take it all in.

As you drive the last three miles into Telluride the road follows the North side of a broad meadow in the Telluride valley covering the bottom a typical “U” shaped glacial valley common in the Rockies. Twenty thousand years ago, the Telluride valley floor was filled with a glacier that, over the next 5,000 years melted leaving soil and the rocks that had scoured the valley during the glacial period. The city of Telluride purchased the 550-acre meadow for $50 million in 2007 to protect it from development. As you drive East the mountain rises sharply on each side of the meadow, and as you round the roundabout to enter the town of Telluride the valley

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has narrowed and ahead of you the mountains rise above timberline in a box canyon that is almost 14,000 feet in altitude. The mountains to your left and to your right are 13,000-14,000 feet high as well, but you cannot see them because you are so close to the forested lower slopes. In the winter the sun doesn’t shine south of Colorado Avenue, the main east-west street.

Telluride is a very special city in a spectacular setting. As with most mountain towns in Colorado it owes its roots to mining in the last half of the 19th century, but its present economy is the product of skiing and a series of music and other cultural festivals. We have spent time in all of Colorado’s resort towns and find Telluride decidedly the friendliest to its locals. The town has the only gondola in the US that is a public utility. The gondola runs from the city at 8,750 feet up to a saddle at 10,535 feet, then back down to Mountain Village at 9,540 feet. The gondola is clean and comfortable, and the views are incredible. Anywhere else in the US this ride would be a $15+ for a round trip ride, but it is free in Telluride and it runs from 7am to midnight. In the summer you can take your mountain bike on the gondola, and ride the bike trails for free. If you are skiing you can access 12,225 feet of altitude by lift, providing a total of over 4,000 vertical feet and 2,000 skiable acres.

Telluride is a walking town from May to October, especially when the parts of the mountain accessed by the gondola are included. Parking is a bit difficult except about lodgings, but the town and Mountain Village are both very accessible. Bring sturdy shoes and drink lots of water. The main street in Telluride is only a couple of hundred feet lower than the top of Mt. Bachelor, and the altitude sucks the moisture from your body, particularly when you are in direct sun. The usual mountain weather warnings apply: (1) expect cooling showers almost every afternoon; (2) use plenty of sunscreen and wear a broad brimmed hat; (3) and do not let 1pm find you higher than 11,500 feet. The last of these is very important as electrical storms are routine in the mountains and begin at about the same time each day as a product of the heating of the air by the sun, and the consequent vertical movement of large air masses. Lightning is not the only issue, as getting out of high places may be further impeded by hail.

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A short but spectacular walk in Telluride is to walk east from the downtown area on Colorado Ave. past the festival areas and on up by the Pandora mill. Then look up and you will see the tallest waterfall in Colorado at 365 feet. The trail follows a steep road with lots of switchbacks for 4-miles to the top of the falls, and has plenty of places to view the falls in all their glory, but the view of the falls is grand just looking up at them. At the top of the falls, is a powerhouse building and it has one of the most interesting stories of all of

Colorado. In the 1890s the mines in the Telluride district were all facing a severe energy shortage — energy being at that time wood used for creating steam. Most of the trees on slopes around Telluride had been cut down for steam generation and for timbers to frame up the mines. Wood or coal had to be hauled so far by mule teams that it could no longer be done at a price that would sustain ore production.

At the time there was a local resident by the name of LL Nunn. Nunn was an erstwhile lawyer who worked for a local bank and had a few mining interests. He was also familiar with the work of Nicola Tesla in applications of alternating current (AC). Direct current (DC) had been used for some time in the east, but was restricted because it had to be generated and distributed at the same voltage, which meant that power plants had to be located very close to where the power would be used. Smaller wires, on the other hand, can distribute AC, over long distances and the voltage could be stepped up or down as needed to operate different machinery. However, AC had not been beneficially applied for industrial uses even though it would theoretically work. Nunn engineered a hydraulic power plant with the assistance of George Westinghouse and installed it at Ames, about 7 miles west of Telluride. Collaboratively they designed an electric motor that would operate on AC using Tesla’s patents for induction motors. The system worked, and Nunn began to develop similar power plants around the west. One of the early plants is in the powerhouse at Bridal Veil Falls.

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The Telluride Festival of Cars & Colors takes place in two venues. There is a display on the golf course in Mountain Village of concours level cars and motorcycles, and there is an event called Cars on Colorado, where they have exclusive parking for cars that have registered for the event on the main street in Telluride. Cars on Colorado is a free event, while the event at Mountain Village is a bit more serious and has fees both for entering and for viewing. For 2017 Cars on Colorado was a bit damp, as it rained periodically all day. The rain impacted the number of cars somewhat, but the quality was still high with 10 recent Ferraris, 15 Porsches, 12 Corvettes, a couple of Lamborghinis and a new Ford GT. There were many other cars as well, including a fully restored Gremlin alongside a full complement of American muscle cars as well as a few hot rods. Notable for Porsche fans were a very nice backdated 3.2, and a preservation 1966 911 that is the daily driver of a local. Not for sale!

Because of the Saturday rain the field concours was moved to a hangar at the airport. Saturday was devoted to American cars, but there was a very nice 356 that snuck in to stay dry. The owner is from Durango and drives it regularly to his Telluride condo in the summer.

By the next morning the rain was gone, and the sun was back, but there was a little frost on the grass, which delayed placement of the cars on the concours field. There were a wide variety of cars ranging from a Ford 302 powered MGA, to exotics like Lamborghinis, Ferraris and a beautiful 57 Corvette hot rod powered by a Z-06. From a Porsche perspective, notable cars included a 959, a 911R, a 918, a couple of GT-3s and two 356s. Each of these cars was beautifully maintained, and their owners drive all of them regularly. The most interesting vehicles, however, were motorcycles. A collector from Wichita, KS, brought a superb collection of one-hundred-year-old motorcycles. Among them were a 1917 Indian V twin board track racer with 4-valves per cylinder, a 4-cylinder inline Indian, an early Limited with an acetylene lighting system and my favorites, a 1972 Ducati Desmo, and a vintage Indian flat track racer that is owned by a Telluride window washer and serves as his daily transportation.

Monday morning it was time to leave. As we turned west onto Colorado Avenue to head out of town the sun was peaking over the 13,000-foot high ridge in the basin to the East of Telluride to send us on our way. The rain that we had experienced on Saturday had fallen as snow above 10,000 feet and it was clear that winter would soon arrive. There was a low fog over the meadow in the cool of the morning as we said goodbye to Telluride for another year. As we headed down the canyon we had a long drive ahead but hey, we had a new Macan and we were looking forward to enjoying the road ahead.

Ford GT