A dozen brave members driving ten various British marques (ok, one was a wanna be Japanese car, the rare, Pre-beam) assembled Saturday morning to set out like our pioneer forefathers, to break trail where the BMCU had not traveled/toured before. The run south on Redwood Rd from our gathering place on 10800 South to Saratoga Springs, was a nice warm up for the cars and drivers. We descended on the Chevron like a small flock of crickets, filling gas tanks and purchasing drinks and food for the road/ordeal ahead.
Our fearless leader, Rich, led us west over Five Mile Pass bypassing Ophir Day and continuing onto a back road into Grantsville that had more than it’s share of whop-de-does and bumps. We only had to turn around twice to find the correct road! (so much for local knowledge lol) Once in Grantsville, the group stopped at the local shopping mall, purchased more food, (this is a hungry herd) and ventured out to the Utah Sea Base where we consumed the aforementioned grub while being graciously entertained by the gentleman who runs the place (sorry I didn’t get his name). He personally gave us a tour of the facility, fed the fish so we could see them, and generally was the perfect host. Did anyone get a picture of the Viking ship?
Then we had to say adios to a couple of our group who were unable to continue due to time restraints. We left the Sea Base a small but a sturdy group, the “magnificent seven”. lol. We cruised even further west and then turned south into the ominous sounding, Skull Valley. The road went straight for as far as you could see and then went even further! Past Iosepa, past The Ensign Ranches, past the Skull Valley Wildlands Fire Base, and still the road kept going straight. Just about the time we thought we were going to see the skyline of Las Vegas, we found we were at the Dugway Proving Grounds crossroads. We stopped there to catch our breath and to try to cool off bodies and vehicles. Jill and I were happy to get out of the Pre-beam to warm up. The air conditioner was keeping us pretty chilly! lol
We had a general conference/discussion regarding the remainder of our route. Gary even offered to buy drinks at the Elks Club in Eureka if we went that way! It was an exceptional offer (thanks Gary), but everyone was beginning to feel like they had had enough of the clear, sunny skies and 90+ degree heat for one day. The consensus was that we would head back toward Tooele, driving the fantastic twisty road over Johnson Pass and then either head north to Tooele or split off and go back around the south end of the Oquirrh Mountains.
All the time during our stop it felt like we were being watched. Since strange things have happened in Skull Valley near the Dugway Proving Grounds, we quickly mounted our trusty LBC’s and headed back towards civilization with a much greater appreciation for our pioneer ancestors.
As it turned out, when the time came for the group to split up, we did so almost evenly. Gary, Herb, Jill and I headed southeast back towards Five Mile Pass and the rest headed north to Tooele to enter the Salt Lake Valley from the north.
It was a long, hot, but enjoyable tour. The total distance, even not going through Eureka, was in the mid 230 +/- mile range. No one had any mechanical problems that caused any delays and I believe everyone had a good time. We learned the value of water in the desert and how hardy those that came before us were.
The next BMCU event is coming up on August 18th; the Alpine Loop Tour. As a contrast to the above tour, the Alpine Loop Tour is the oldest tour that the club takes. It has been held yearly since the inception of the club by some friendly fanatics of British Motors. The scenery on the Alpine Loop is second to none in the state of Utah. Be certain to make time for this awesome, historical tour. See you there, on the Alpine Loop Tour, Saturday, August 18th. More info will be forthcoming, so keep an eye out for it.
Attending: Rich Weyland Tr 250, John Progess Austin Healey 3000, Kevin Cowan Austin Healey 100m, Marie Cowan MGB, Darin Graber Victor TF, Kent & Kathy Jensen Tr 250, Gary Lindstrom Tr3, Wes Himle MGA, Roger & Jill Davis Pre- Beam, Herb Flower Lotus super 7
