Upstate SC loop?

[Austin David]

@Yoram @UglyFast @mrmustang are around the top-left, I'm around middle-right, and @SENC is charitably on the top-right of SC.  What do y'all think about a long Saturday loop on a clear weekend?  Looking at a map for a few minutes...

 

- Greenville + Charleston (me) meet earlyish in like Sumter. 

- Drive from Sumter to Florence

- meet up with @SENC in Florence, maybe lunchtime. 

- Some of the Greenvillians might want to peel off and head back. 

- Maybe @SENC and I head east to Pawley's or Georgetown

- we can split up and head home.

 

I think that's "long day-trip" sized, and about 2+ hours for each leg.  Gas stops and not-too-small towns, but also no metro areas and backroadable.

 

Anyone is welcome to join, of course. 

[mrmustang]

I was out yesterday in the 90+ humid weather, really beat myself up and I was out for less than an hour. Same with the Tiger before that, just to make certain both cars are trouble free. Now giving the idea of a longer trip in either a 2nd thought. 

 

 

Bill S.

Edited June 7 by mrmustang

[Austin David]

Hm.  Mine is pretty comfortable as long as I'm moving.  It's actually worse with the windscreen and half hood!  I do dress as if I'm fishin, with light clothes and sun protection. 

 

My summer project is to refit some cooled seats, I'll keep y'all posted :-)

[SENC]

If we dont get it done this summer (agree, sun and heat can be brutal in these cars), perhaps a good idea for Fall.  I have a daughter getting married in late November and a drive to/from Texas late Sept/early Oct, but between we should have some decent weather for a nice drive.

[Yoram]

I applaud the initiative.  I am however with Bill re long drives in the summer heat.  I also am not a fan of long "straight" and level roads, which rack up the miles and cramps without bringing to life the unique 7 dynamics.  Additionally I am limited in not having a trailer.  Therefore I focus my current range on the foothills - Rte 276/Brevard, Rte 176/Saluda, Rte 178/Rosman, etc -- up to ~2 hrs radius from us (in <1 hr stints).

I would entertain a 2-night excursion to the Tail of the Dragon from the Greenville area:  An afternoon to get there by back roads (need to confirm which ones), a day up and down the Dragon and area, and ~1/2 day to get back.  The Fall would be ideal, especially for the latter, but I'm up for a day for one of the shorter routes yet this month.

P.S., I too am retired, so weekdays actually preferred due to lighter "tourist" traffic.

Edited June 8 by Yoram

[Austin David]

I'd be game for that.  Not retired but I get time off and could swing a weekday or few. 

[Yoram]

16 hours ago, Austin David said:

I'd be game for that.  Not retired but I get time off and could swing a weekday or few. 

Great!  Do you have a trailer to skip the interstate miles or would you plan to drive up in the 7 to group somewhere in the upstate area?

[Austin David]

Mine's a driver.  The question for me is whether I can get away without weather gear for a few days, or should I fit the windscreen and pack the doors.

[Yoram]

16 minutes ago, Austin David said:

Mine's a driver.  The question for me is whether I can get away without weather gear for a few days, or should I fit the windscreen and pack the doors.

Got it.  Mine is a driver too, but I find 7 cruising down the highway at 75mph for hours tiring and not rewarding.  If we are talking about the Tail of the Dragon, I was thinking of driving from here (Greenville area) to say somewhere around Robbinsville NC (staying 2 nights there).  That's about as long a drive (with stops) as I'm inclined to do in a day.

[Yoram]

So...  J ( @UglyFast ) and I are scheming an invigorating drive this Saturday from Travelers Rest SC to Brevard NC with a stop at Caesar's Head.  Rte 276 up to Caesar's Head and even past it is spectacular.

 

Start point:   Spinx station in TR at 11:00 am.

https://www.google.com/maps/place/Spinx/@34.979925,-82.4255463,17z/data=!3m1!4b1!4m6!3m5!1s0x8859cd2b59270aad:0x4acf1d08abccde51!8m2!3d34.979925!4d-82.4255463!16s%2Fg%2F1tcvvl0z?entry=ttu&g_ep=EgoyMDI1MDYxMC4xIKXMDSoASAFQAw%3D%3D

 

 

Destination:  Pisgah Bakehouse in Brevard

https://www.google.com/maps/place/Pisgah+Bakehouse/@35.2682211,-82.7107133,17z/data=!3m1!4b1!4m6!3m5!1s0x8859bdcf71dec863:0xc140d4ade942a4f2!8m2!3d35.2682211!4d-82.7107133!16s%2Fg%2F11ksq2kqyf?entry=ttu&g_ep=EgoyMDI1MDYxMC4xIKXMDSoASAFQAw%3D%3D

 

 

Return same route (or as the quorum chooses...)

 

Considering the iffy forecast it will be "Run What You Brung" -- your Se7en, or other (hopefully interesting) machinery.

 

Sorry for the late notice but let us know if you can come out and join!

[Austin David]

Sounds like a good run.  I'll watch the weather, mostly watching it rain down here in the low country 

[Yoram]

Looking likely to rain.  I'm likely to bring an enclosed car.  This is like F1, not like Indy or NASCAR - we run rain or shine.

Fewer cars in the way if it rains.

Edited June 13 by Yoram

[Yoram]

It happened!!

Yesterday J and I stuck our necks out and took our 7's up Caesar Mountain to Brevard and back, stopping at Caesar's Head and grabbing lunch at Pisgah Bakehouse in Brevard.  The rain held off for us and we had only a few slow moving obstructions on the way up, almost none on the way down.  The weather was actually just about perfect!

If it weren't for the company it could have been an OK outing...

 

Here we are at Caesar's Head:

 

The normally magnificent view itself was completely clouded/fogged over when we arrived (first time for either one of us):

 

 

 

But the parking lot view was excellent:

 

 

 

 

And here is some unedited footage from the runs (I hope the links work...)

On the way up:

https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/ptaj10tl8jek7eb1kb0xc/GX010009.MP4?rlkey=ox10n2uo6msuzcaikkbrywpk1&st=hi3umh39&dl=0

 

And on the way down:

https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/0inuj65d4gu1wle2zkc71/GX010010.MP4?rlkey=sc6olu5oy0nrjyfh4naja5lle&st=r0qe3je5&dl=0

 

This was lots of fun.  Thanks, J! 

 

BTW, if you look at the videos you may recognize a few issues...

- my coolant temp gauge is still going haywire once in a while

- I need to somehow mount the GoPro lower so the road is not obstructed by the rear-view mirror

- I needed to lock the orientation so it stays with the car and not with Father Earth

- should have worn my clear goggles on the way down (nothing bad happened but...)

- we need to do this again, soon and often

 

Cheers!

 

 

 

 

 

Edited June 16 by Yoram

[Austin David]

Awesome!  My coolant gauge was weird with the connectors.  I snugged em up with some pliers and tape.  

 

I tried a GoPro recording yesterday to get the intake noise but wind dominates everything.

 

We got rain yesterday afternoon and today down here.  I'm dying for a dry-enough spell to get up to the BRP for a day.

 

Thanks for sharing the vids! 

[UglyFast]

Okay to put videos on the wide weird internet? @Yoram

[Yoram]

Just now, UglyFast said:

Okay to put videos on the wide weird internet? @Yoram

I'm hoping USA7s is a bit more discrete than YouTube...

I took the chance, but took extra care to protect your identity -- no face, no license plate, no name.  Mine is all over the dark web anyway.

[UglyFast]

1 hour ago, Yoram said:

I'm hoping USA7s is a bit more discrete than YouTube...

I took the chance, but took extra care to protect your identity -- no face, no license plate, no name.  Mine is all over the dark web anyway.

lol no I’m good with videos. I’m not blending in anywhere in a Viola 7. lol. 
 

On that note, if people care, here’s a tiny timelapse. 
 

Yoram teaching me I’m a crap driver.

 

Longer video later. 

[Yoram]

11 hours ago, UglyFast said:

 

Yoram teaching me I’m a crap driver.

 

So not true.  Just scrambling to keep up.