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Bimmerfesters' Climb to the Clouds IV, June 9, 2012

83K views 979 replies 44 participants last post by  Zooks527 
#1 · (Edited)
The Bimmerfest 'Climb to the Clouds IV' will be held on Saturday, June 9, 2012 in The White Mountains of New Hampshire. <O:p
For the fourth year in a row we're going to be touring the White Mountains of NH in our BMWs. This event is open to all Bimmerfesters, old and new, the only requirement is that you bring a BMW. In the past we've had a good mix of late model 3's, M3's, and a Z or two. It would be great to have a few E30's, E36's, E46's and maybe even an F30 along. All are welcome. Get ahold of your buddies and caravan on up, you'll have some driving you won't forget anytime soon!
<O:p
As the event has grown many of us have decided to make a weekend mini vacation out of it and stay at the Mount Washington Hotel, or at the Bretton Woods Hotel. Others are daytrippers and drive in from the New England states. They meet at The Tilton Diner for a good breakfast, and then drive north to meet in Woodstock with the 'vacationers'. We all then convoy the rest of the trip which you can read about below.

As we have done in the previous Climbs, we will again be raising a charitable contribution which will be made in the name of "Bimmerfesters Climb to the Clouds". Please read about the worthy cause we have selected at the end of the second post in this thread.

<O:p</O:p
The Plan<O:p</O:p
After everyone meets in Woodstock (huge McDonald's parking area we have all to ourselves!) we hit the road. And what a road it is, the Kancamagus Highway. It's 30 miles of one of the most scenic roads in the USA. All mountains and passes through a National Park.
<O:p</O:p
Next highlight is a great photo-op, a picture of your BMW exiting the Jackson covered bridge, that'll be a keeper. <O:p</O:p
Then we're off for the main feature, the 7.2 mile long road to the summit of Mt. Washington. I'll leave it up to other 'Festers to post their pics and tell a little bit about that adventure, it is one unforgettable trip!
<O:p</O:p
We'll regroup at the base head across the street and have a chicken barbeque lunch hosted by the Mt. Washington Auto Road Co. This will be a first this year and I think the food and the view will be spectacular.

After lunch we head for our next stop, The Mount Washington Hotel. Getting there is half the fun, more perfect BMW style roads. You'll get a chance to check out this magnificent old world resort hotel and then we'll split into two groups.
<O:p</O:p
One group will spend some extra time enjoying hotel amenities and ambience, while the second group heads out for Bear Notch Road. BNR is arguably the best driver's road in New England and it is an experience you won't soon forget.
Both groups then reform at The Woodstock Inn where we will have our Banquet. This fun event, held in an old New England inn and brewpub, has been a relaxing event where many of us have formed new friendships or renewed old ones. As we've done in the past, we'll have an auction to raise funds for charity. In previous years we've donated almost $1700 in the name of 'Bimmerfesters Climb to the Clouds' to Susan G Komen for the Cure.
<O:p</O:p
This year a different charity has been selected, Furby will post about that later in this thread. Check it out, it's a very worthy cause.
<O:p</O:p
After the banquet some Bimmerfesters head home, others go back to their hotel for an evening of drinks and good conversation. A hearty breakfast gets everyone together again before the weekend is over and we're off for home.
<O:p</O:p
The trip is very family friendly, and all ages will have one heck of a day. Last year we were honored to have many friends, spouses and a few children along too. Several lasting friendships began on the Climb, and many more will. It's a fun way to meet your fellow Bimmerfesters. I can honestly say that everyone who has been on the trip has been a pleasure to have along, and we're often surprised that in real life we're a bunch of genuinely nice, and generous, people.

The Details

'Festers, save Saturday June 9, we're gathering for our fourth annual Bimmering adventure! Again last year there were no arrests and all drivers were present and accounted for at the finish line. We're going to push our luck and do it all over again. This actually is a very family friendly trip, and you are encouraged to bring your S.O. and kids along. I guarantee they will see things that they will talk about for years.

Here's a Google Map showing our trip. It is fully interactive so check out all the features. Click on the blue links on the left side and the map will bring up those locations.
When you get to the map, 'pull' it down so you can see the actual tour area. When the map first displays it has the Tilton Diner at the center. You need to look further north.
http://maps.google.com/maps/ms?hl=en...,0.973663&z=10

The daytrippers will meet for breakfast at The Tilton Diner in Tilton, NH and go over the plans one last time. We'll convoy through back country to "Woodstock where we meet the weekenders, and then you're going to find out what 'Freude am Fahren' is all about, NH style: The Kancamagus Scenic Byway. The "Kanc' snakes 35 miles through mountains and valleys of the White Mountain National Forest at an average elevation of 2900 feet. Dozens of twists, turns, hairpins, rises and dips will test your car's suspension, and your concentration while surrounded by spectacular scenery.
http://www.nhtourguide.com/triprepor..._hampshire.htm

The Kanc winds up in Conway which we'll bypass for Jackson, the home of a beautiful covered bridge and the opportunity to take a picture of your BMW passing through. Then it's 45 minutes more of spectacular views on our way to the Mt. Washington Auto Road.

Although plenty wide and mostly paved the Auto Road will not be an adventure for the faint of heart. There are no guard rails, not a single Jersey Barrier, just you and the mountain. And the valley floor over a thousand feet below.
http://mtwashingtonautoroad.com/drive-yourself/

There will be a 'Fest photographer snapping a souvenir photo of your BMW rounding an uphill switchback with the mountain on one side and...nothing...on the other.
<O:p</O:p

At the top is the Summit House and you'll get a half hour to explore (it's kid safe-mostly). It is unlikely the wind will be like the day when it set a (recently eclipsed) world record velocity of over 230 mph right where we're parking. It's all downhill from there, literally. Driving down can be even more***8230;............ um, interesting, than driving up.
<O:p</O:p
After arriving at the base you're all invited to something new this year, a chicken barbeque. It's across the street at the base lodge, and it should be a great lunch while enjoying an unbeatable view of the Presidential Range.
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We'll then head north and west, skirting the Presidential Range and check out a few more sights along the way while passing through Crawford Notch and dipping south to The Mount Washington Hotel.

The MW Hotel, one of the few remaining Grand Dames of a bygone era recently underwent a multimillion dollar restoration. It's a great photo op and not to be missed. Plan on taking in the view of The Great Whites from the lounge before our group picture out front!

http://www.omnihotels.com/FindAHotel/BrettonWoodsMountWashington.aspx

Those of us who want to have a little driving adventure are heading for Bear Notch Road, others will get to soak up the hotel ambience for a little longer.

http://www.motorcycleroads.us/roads/nh_bnr.html

BN Road, which would itself be a major attraction if not for the Kanc, ends at the Kanc which we will now travel to Woodstock. There we regroup with the rest of the convoy for our banquet.
http://www.woodstockinnnh.com/default.php

Total trip time, start to finish, is estimated at 8 to 9 hours. I'll be driving the route in late May (can't now, it's still snowbound in sections), and will verify all roads and the schedule.

Each driver will receive an info packet with route maps when we meet. However I will post the final route and schedule in late May so that anyone with a GPS can set waypoints if they wish. It won't be required though because the roads are all well marked and you will get maps with your itinerary.

This will be a great opportunity for you and your family to enjoy a day together with your fellow Bimmerfesters. You might even want to stay overnight into Sunday..

Again, all the details will be posted by late May. The trip date is set in stone, Saturday the 9th of June (the 17th is Father's Day).

FAQ

Q. How many BMWs will there be?
A. For tactical reasons we're going to limit it to 40 confirmed cars with 5 more stand-bys as fill ins. Reservations are on a first come, first served basis.
We'll be convoying in groups of 10, each led by someone who did the trip in a previous year. Groups will be formed based on driving style. Everyone will be comfortable with their group.

Q. How are the paid events paid?
A. You handle everything yourself. Don't forget the 'Toll' up the Auto Road, lunch, a drink at The Mt. Washington Hotel if you'd like one, and the banquet for which there are individual guest tabs i.e. you pay for what you consume.

 
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#2 · (Edited)
Q. Will a cellphone work in the mountains?
A. Usually but don't depend on it. Dead zones can be miles long.

Q. My baby doesn't do gravel. Will she be OK?
A. The only gravel we'll encounter will be very short sections of the Mt. Washington Auto Road, but they are extremely hard packed and stones stay put. This seems to always concern drivers, rest assured that although it is gravel you can't tell it from asphalt, it's that hard packed. Additionally, the MWAR speed limit is 10 mph. Think that's too slow? You won't.

Q. I may have some fragile bladders along, will there be bathroom stops?
A. At least every two hours. NH generally has clean and convenient facilities.

Q. Should I bring a camera?
A. If you have a video cam or a GoPro or similar be sure bring it! Wide angle lens for your SLR? Absolutely.

Q. What about food?
A. Breakfast for the daytrippers will be at the Tilton Diner, a NH highlight for bacon and eggs, pancakes, and all the bad stuff that tastes so good. Bring some snacks for the car (no chocolate, or crumb buns, take it from me). Lunch will be the barbeque at the Mt. Washington Base Station.

Q. Will we be seeing the "Old Man of the Mountains"?
A. Yes and no. He jumped off the side of Franconia Notch a few years ago, and now lies in a 5000 ton heap of gravel on the valley floor. Very sad.

Q. I hear that Motorcycle Week starts June 9th...
A. It does, but all those bankers and lawyers will be far south of us in Laconia, until Monday when they get the MW Auto Road all to themselves.

Q. Is there an entry fee?
A. Nope, just meet your own expenses.

Q. Come on, no one does anything for nothing?
A. OK, how about a $25 suggested donation per car which will be given to charity. This will be collected in Lincoln before we get out onto the Kanc. It will get you a bagfull of swell stuff like refirigerator magnets, postcards with custom stamps, window stickers and who knows what.

Q. Gasoline/Diesel?
A. Major branded stations will be along the way except for the Kanc where there will be nothing. Fill your tank in Tilton or Lincoln and you will have plenty left when we're done. For the daytrippers' benefit there's a Top Tier fuel station (as recommended by BMW) adjacent to The Tilton Diner.

<O:p</O:p
Q. Will my BMW make it up the MWAR?
A. No problem. If there is a problem we'll have one of the Diesels pull you up.

Q. My BMW had an accident. Can I join you in my Honda Accord?
A. Sorry, no, this is an all BMW road trip.

Q. I'm in! What do I do now?
A. PM me for a reservation and make sure I PM you back to confirm! In May I will post a current reservations list so you can see who else is going.

Here is information regarding this year's charitable contribution.

Climb to the Summit of Mount Kilimenjaro to raise money for impoverished children in East Africa.

On Monday, September 3rd, 2012, Furby and dozens of other volunteers, from all over the world, will stand on the summit of Mount Kilimanjaro in Tanzania to commemorate the success of raising money for the VSO charity which helps underprivileged children in East Africa. Mt Kilimanjaro is the highest free-standing mountain in the world summiting at 19,340 feet.
Furby and the other climbers will be is raising money for Voluntary Services Overseas (VSO) to help underprivileged children in East Africa who are suffering from devastating poverty. 100% of the money raised will go to VSO who in turn will send skilled professionals (doctors, teachers, construction workers) to build schools and provide an education for these children. The education that the children will receive will give them the skills they need to help them succeed in life! After completing the fund-raising portion Furby and the other volunteers will travel to Mt Kilimanjaro, at their own expense, to climb to the summit and celebrate the success of the fund raising.
VSO is the world's leading independent international development organization that works through volunteers to fight poverty in developing countries. VSO's high-impact approach involves bringing people together to share skills, build capabilities, promote international understanding and action, and change lives to make the world a fairer place for all. Every day around 1,500 VSO volunteers are working in carefully selected placements, sharing their experience and working to tackle poverty by empowering those really affected by it.

The road to Kilimanjaro's summit starts now!
The VSO team has already begun to prepare, train, and fundraise in order to enable a successful trek and more importantly, to make an impact on the devastating poverty afflicting these children. The success of the trek and the difference that we can make in the lives of the region's children depends on you. Each trekker is required to raise approximately $7000 to enable the work of VSO. These funds are above and beyond personal trip costs, such as equipment, airfare, etc., so you can be sure that all of your donation will do the most good by directly supporting those in need.

How you can help!

This year Bimmerfester's will be raising money to help the children during our fourth annual Climb to the Clouds event. We will cruise through the gorgeous terrain of New Hampshire's White Mountains, climb the Mt Washington Auto Road in our amazing machines (hoping to avoid limp mode), celebrate the friendships that bring together BMW enthusiasts from all over, and to raise money for a wonderful cause via donations, auctions, and raffles. While we are anxious to see as many Bimmerfester's as possible, we understand not everyone can make this trek. This year we are providing a mechanism for every 'fester to participate in this event and support the charity. There are several different options.

1. Direct donation on the charity web page:
The easiest and most straight forward method is to donate on the charity web page: http://www.justgiving.com/ClimbToTheSky.
This page accepts Credit Cards and PayPal, and is the fastest/simplest method of donating. If you so desire, please state a Bimmerfest message in the comments so we can acknowledge your generosity.

2. 50/50 Cash Raffle.
The winner receives 50% of the pot, and the other 50% goes to the charity. For this option please PayPal the funds ($5/ticket) to: bimmerfest.c2c4@gmail.com

Please make sure:
  • To state your online name and to mention the C2C4 charity raffle
  • To do this a few days in advance so funds can clear by the raffle event and
  • To check "sender pays fees" if you are funding this by your credit card.
During the C2C4 event we will draw a random ticket. The winner will receive their winnings along with a receipt and acknowledgement of winning the raffle.

3. C2C4 Auction
We have some fantastic auction items. To find out what's up for bid, and how to bid in advance of the auction, go to http://www.avilazar.com

This auction is held during our annual Saturday Night Climb to the Clouds IV Dinner on July 9, 2012.
We encourage everyone to contribute items to be auctioned whether you are attending the climb or not. Take a photo of the item and email it with a brief description to (bimmerfest.c2c4@gmail.com). If you are attending the climb bring your auction items to the dinner. If you are not attending let Furby know in the e-mail and he can provide you with the mailing address.

On behalf of Bimmerfest Climb to the Clouds, VSO, and the grateful beneficiaries of VSO's crucial work in East Africa, thank you for your support!

Feel free to contact Furby with any questions.

Please also consider forwarding this message widely - to anyone who may be interested in learning more or supporting.

Avi/Furball

VSO Charity number 313757

<O:p</O:p
<O:p</O:p
 
#5 ·
In and PM'd. The Massachusetts contingent looks to be well represented.
 
#8 · (Edited)
#15 ·
Subscribed, even though I'm on the Best Coast.
 
#19 ·
I have not returned to Mount Washington since my sole visit as a wee tot, nor even set foot in NH since my relatives there flew south for good. On top of that I believe I am overdue for a proper road trip. I'm in!
(PM sent.)
 
#20 · (Edited)
VSO / Charity Challenge

Hello All,

I am excited for this years event! I want to thank everyone in advance for their help. I will be posting some information later (just checking the spelling, etc).

I will also contact Mt Washington Hotel to get special rates. I am sure they will be excited to have us back!

Regards

Furball

EDIT: The furballs are in motion. I sent an e-mail to my top secret contacts at the hotel. I should hear back from them sometime soon!
 
#21 ·
Draft 1 of the Official C2C4 Postcard

 
#22 · (Edited)
Should have a comma after Mt. Washington, lol.

Excellent goat edit.

For those who do not know... there are no goats in the area. Well... a few old goats of a certain ilk... a few stuffed ones too... but none as shown. This is false advertising.

Clever detail on the license plate.
 
#23 ·
For those who do not know... there are no goats in the area. Well... a few old goats of a certain ilk... a few stuffed ones too... but none as shown. This is false advertising.
There will be no NK-surrogoat this year........ this year you are getting the real deal.

(okay maybe the goat will have to come along for old times sake)

:)
 
#25 ·
Needs more Furby!
 
#28 ·
Work on the reflection of the light on the pavement. Also, the grey above the light looks like a poof of smoke :)
 
#32 ·
So when is this thread getting Stickied?

CA
 
#34 · (Edited)
Here's the confirmed attendance so far. If you sent me a PM and you're not here, don't worry. Send me another.

Captainaudio
Furby
Zooks527
Another Geezer
Professor Cook
Zeichen311
Napoleon
Squidget
Thunder Dump
Bemo
Massgeek
Three others who are trying to tie up some loose ends and hope to make it. Expect at least one to make it for sure.

And we have a special guest who will be flying in just for the event. I'll let that person make the announcement.
 
#36 ·
Here's the confirmed attendance so far. If you sent me a PM and you're not here, don't worry. Send me another.

DSXMachina
Captainaudio
Furby
Zooks527
Another Geezer
Professor Cook
Zeichen311
Napoleon
Squidget
Thunder Dump
Bemo
Three others who are trying to tie up some loose ends and hope to make it. Expect at least one to make it for sure.

And we have a special guest who will be flying in just for the event. I'll let that person make the announcement.
fix't
 
#37 ·
Draft 2

 
#39 ·
Haha, whose plate is SOLEEN? Is that a weight loss thing, or a Saleen joke? Anywho I'm new and this might be a good way for me to meet some people, I'll keep an eye on the thread and make a decision soon!
If you really want to know what it's all about read any of the threads from the CtoC, CtoC2 or CtoC3. Most everyone from the first trip will be on this one too, that says a lot.
 
#41 · (Edited)
I took down the Goat Crossing sign but I am not convinced it was a good idea.

 
#43 ·
As it turns out, my wife's Cornell reunion is that weekend, and as much as I love hanging out with you guys, reunion-weekend rocks!!!

So, no go for me again this year - but have fun folks (and I'll be looking fwd to the pics).
 
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