Your Hosts For This Event
Pat and Michelle Lewis
31 NorCal members enjoyed the club’s May 1st East Bay Backroads run led by Michelle and Pat Lewis. Larry Anderson (former club Vice President) painstakingly choreographed this route which starts at the Castro Valley BART station and snakes through a twisty maze of Eastbay Hill back roads frequented for its hiking trials, the Chabot and Science Center and striking views of San Francisco.
By 8:45am the first freshly waxed MINIs began to collect at the morning start-point. Additional drivers continued to arrive until shortly before the 10:00 am departure time. Drivers who arrived early enriched the social experience by sharing their passions with other waiting drivers. A beautifully maintained 1964 Mk 1 Morris Mini Minor named “Bobby”, became the new focal point once it arrived.
For more information about “BOBBY”, please see the Norcalminis.com Member Profile webpage for Simon Tildesley, our club President.
The driver’s meeting was held shortly before 10:00am where Simon reminded members of the coming “Hike for Hope” charity fundraiser event. Turning the megaphone over to the run’s leaders, Pat Lewis attempted to remind drivers to remain watchful for bicyclist and shared known route pitfalls which lay ahead. Then drivers eagerly returned to their 31 MINIs to merge to form a lengthy single-column of MINIs which took up every inch of the sizable parking lot.
Waves, smiles and camera phones greeted the departing MINIs as they left the BART Station to turn North onto Redwood Road. Once on Redwood, the lead slowed to permit the group to regroup. A series of stop lights and interlopers needed to be sorted out. The slow pace that followed was maintained by all drivers in order to respect the twisty corners, and occasional bicyclist ahead. The advertised views of San Francisco from Grizzly Peak road disappointed none.
With good route instructions, a leader pre-brief and good fortune, nearly all the MINI’s who set out in the morning made it through the many twisty corners, the residential mouse maze and ample opportunities to get hopelessly lost. Even the Mk1 Morris made it to the end without mechanical mishap.
Drivers who made it to the end celebrated their experience before setting off the head home.
Thanks to all!
Pat and Michelle Lewis