Josh Wardell’s MINI Cooper S

I’ve been busier than expected this week so I’ve been slow to edit and add photos from last weekend, but I have some of my favorites done.

In case you were locked in an american econobox and missed it, last weekend was MINIsOnTop, the biggest MINI event of the year here in the Northeast. It’s a day long of meeting and motoring, concluding with an exclusive drive up the Mt. Washington Auto Road, to view the latest sunset of the year at the highest elevation in the eastern US.

After a meetup in the morning at the Loon Mountain parking lot, we headed out to drive the Kancamagus Highway, a road with great curves and great scenery. Unfortunately due to the traffic caused by 200 MINIs the speeds were a crawl at some times, and due to the constant rain there wasn’t much of a view either. The confusion also spawned several of our infamous U-Turns.


Lunch was enjoyed in parks after driving the Kanc, and we were blessed with an hour of warm sun. Unfortunately the rain returned for the rest of the day. After a break to check in to our hotel and borrow their hose for a quick car wash, everyone met up at the base of Mt. Washington:

At the base we had a wonderful catered dinner and tons of door prizes and raffles were given out, including a free 2-year MINI lease. Before they could even finish giving out all the giveaways people’s impatience got the best of them and MINIs started heading up the auto road:

 

The Auto Road consists of 8 miles of hairpin turns, super-steep grades, immediate dropoffs, and amazing views. Then 220 MINIs fill all the parking lots at the top of Mt. Washington in the rain and fog, where you can then head into the observatory tower, and climb the rocks to reach the summit.

 

In all it was an incredible day, and despite the constant rain everyone had a great time. The weather still wasn’t nearly as extreme as last year, but we certainly hope for a nicer day in 2006! There are literally thousands of photos taken by everyone there. For a sampling, or to upload your own favorites, visit the MINIsOnTop Photo Pool on Flickr.