Crystal Mountain, WA meet?

[Gregs672000]

Hi gang! Well, we have been out driving lots of great roads and areas in Washington this summer, and after visiting Crystal Mountain ski resort a couple times I have thought to myself "Wow, what a great place to have a car show!" Crystal Mountain is in the Mt Rainier National Park area but is not part of the park, so there is no cost to parking etc. What they do have is a great road to the top (6 miles of just paved, twisty road), an expansive parking lot, awesome views and an enclosed gondola that takes you up (and down if you want) to what is touted as "the best view of Mt Rainier in Washington", with access to lots of beautiful hiking trails etc. There are also super great roads to drive (fast if you like, scenic regardless), wilderness, etc all over the area. We have circumnavigated Mt Rainier twice this year and explored really great and often deserted roads all over the place. There are accommodations at Crystal, food of course (though somewhat understandably expensive) at a couple different restaurants, less expensive but very close by places to stay (Enumclaw for example) and camping, and the area can be a jumping off point for visiting Mt St Helens and other spots. I was imagining a laid back meet, maybe a few voting categories (best in show, peoples choice and what car would you most like to drive home) to have some fun, etc. Best times in WA is in August, and I know that things get a bit crowded with Shasta and Shedd, as well as the all Nissan meet in Canada that time of year, but I wanted to gauge interest. I already spoke to the management there and they were very excited about it, having had a Porshe club meet there as well as a group of Camaros in the past, but nothing this year and nothing scheduled next year. They would offer to block off a section of the parking lot and offer discounts on food and gondola rides (currently $34 unlimited or $24 for one way up to the restaruant and upper hiking trails/Mt view). I was thinking something like a friday registration, car show 10-2pm on saturday, awards, group photo then on your own for fun etc. We could consider a catered dinner or just allow people to do what ever they want. I think people would have a great time exploring the area, maybe getting there on a wed or thursday to really go and drive the area or explore what ever they want (fishing, camping, hiking, shopping, etc). Not sure what kind of turn out to expect, or if this would become an annual meet or not, so that is why I am posting it here to see if there is enough interest for me to pursue it further. I personally think it would draw out some more local folks who find going out of state to be too far, or a few more Canadians or maybe those from neighboring states that don't typically go to Shasta (Idaho, Montana, etc). The reaction I get to the car suggests that many people who are just visiting would enjoy seeing our cars and telling their own Roadster stories.
So, let me know what you think... I am open to any suggestions etc and my ego is not involved in "doing" the show... I just want people to have fun and enjoy this wonderful area when the weather is good.

[RCMike]

It's a beautiful place! Went snowboarding up there a long time ago.. Loved it!

[Linda]

Great place, skied there often too. View from the top is amazing.
Why not just try a one-off event that is very modest, kind of like the Shedd BBQ. Just a gathering with camping, a fun run and BBQ. Skip the awards and all that til you see if anyone cares
it's a lot of work to do meets so starting small makes it easier. The Ratsun crowd does some camping meets with some driving, which sounded like a fun idea. Check their site for info.
With Washington weather you never know , so trying to pick a date with sun that doesn't conflict with the other events (Shasta, Shedd) could increase participants.
Great that you are out driving!
Linda

[vinechoy]

I would come. I'm not sure that I trust my Roadster enough to get to Mount Shasta from Vancouver, BC.

Viney

[AC77]

I think it would be fun, but I agree with Linda. Start small and gauge interest. I would definitely be interested.

Adam

[pebbles]

I like awards

[AC77]

I'll stop at the local craft store and get you a sticker

[pebbles]

I'll stop at the local craft store and get you a sticker

[Linda]

Linda

[cktrap]

I like awards

just like kids sports. A trophy for participating.
No winners
No losers
No sense of accomplishment.
Keith

[AC77]

I like awards

just like kids sports. A trophy for participating.
No winners
No losers
No sense of accomplishment.
Keith

I don't think that's true at all. I coached kids soccer for lots of years and the end of the year "trophy" wasn't about if you won or lost, it was about commemorating your season and celebrating the accomplishments you did have. I wanted the kids to remember their season, to feel good about themselves and to look back fondly on that season of soccer and team of players that would never be the same. So after my first year, I switched from a "trophy" to a one of a kind shirt I would design and hand out at the end of every season. The kids loved that. I'd have kids trying to guess what this year's shirt would look like, it was great. To this day I'll see old players wearing those shirts. My team won plenty of legit trophies and medals. All collecting dust in some box. Shirts, still in circulation

[cktrap]

A t-shirt to commemorate any event is not the same as a winning trophy. You need to be able to learn how to win and how to lose.
Keith

[Gregs672000]

While we're experiencing some mission creep here, I have liked some of the door prizes that I've gotten over the years at Shasta... I still have and use the pocket knife from Sports Imports, and my Datsun Roadsters blanket from the Modesto group as I recall. Still have and display my Road Runner Datsun flag too. What I don't want to do is collect a bunch of stuff and not have very many cars show up, thus the idea to post it here and likely keep it mellow the first time. I've personally NEVER won anything at the dinner raffle no matter how many tickets I bought! And my car is not made for show... while I want it to look good, driving it is more important to me, but that's me and others have different sources of happiness and feelings of accomplishment. No matter what, I want people to enjoy themselves! Keep the info and ideas coming!

[garth]

While we're experiencing some mission creep here, I have liked some of the door prizes that I've gotten over the years at Shasta... I still have and use the pocket knife from Sports Imports, and my Datsun Roadsters blanket from the Modesto group as I recall. Still have and display my Road Runner Datsun flag too. What I don't want to do is collect a bunch of stuff and not have very many cars show up, thus the idea to post it here and likely keep it mellow the first time. I've personally NEVER won anything at the dinner raffle no matter how many tickets I bought! And my car is not made for show... while I want it to look good, driving it is more important to me, but that's me and others have different sources of happiness and feelings of accomplishment. No matter what, I want people to enjoy themselves! Keep the info and ideas coming!

Good discussion here Greg, thanks for leading it.

I am in favour of a PNW area gathering of roadsters and would attend no question if schedule permits. Setting a date is going to be the biggest challenge but there has to be a window somewhere in our monsoon-drought-fire climate!

As for prizes, I suggest a Shedd BBQ format where you get a real cool ball cap sporting a different attendee's roadster every year. A valued memento for all. If prizes are needed to attract attendance, then how about prizes that recognize technical excellence and innovation. Those themes sustain the value and interest in our vehicles. Our community has some unbelievably talented builders and designers!

Keep it going!

[Stretch]

I'm in, how about September? One of our best months up here....

Paul