re: quattro ski trips

[Henry Harper <hah@srv.net>]

I don't know about you guys, but I've been taking my own little quattro ski 
trips the past couple of weeks. Just thought I would share.

Last weekend, I went to Grand Targhee via Pine Creek Pass (180 mile round 
trip), it was rather uneventful. Or the quattro made it feel uneventful. Still 
kind of sore, not in good skiing shape yet.

This past weekend, I went to Targhee again on Saturday. Don't know why, but the 
traffic was heavier/slower, so I got to do some passing on the way up and down 
the hill - base lodge is at 8000'. Whee! Why are these Suburbans and Outbacks 
going so slow? *Now* ask me if I want a NA V8. Beautiful sunny day, nice snow 
too. Skied myself into the ground on the quad, 15 minute round trips with no 
lift lines. Then wheee all the way home. Roads were mostly clear below 6500', 
thanks to the sun.

Sunday, took my friends who had been my passengers on the 
quattro-caravan-to-Jackson over to Jackson Hole. Pine Creek Pass has several 
miles of 5-6%, Teton Pass has about five miles of 10%. Yawn, the quattro 
doesn't even heat up from cruising temperatures. We were discussing who should 
drive (Peter has a Cherokee), and on the phone I could hear Kim in the 
background chanting, "Audi, Audi, Audi." That was settled. It was another 
beautiful sunny day, again with not even any wind. Jackson's snow had taken a 
beating the day before, so it wasn't all that great. But hey, still beats 
working. And much improvement in technique from two days of reinforcement. 
Better ski-shape now.

I filled up upon returning home, 360 miles in two days, not particularly 
mindful of speed limits, but not really high average speeds either because of 
traffic and twisty mountain roads, just over 14 gallons - a bit over 25 mpg, 
for those of you reaching for your calculators.

Then yesterday I had my token sacrifice to the Audi gods, that part of the 
accelerator pedal formerly flimsily attached to the good part was floating 
around on the floor. No thanks to my big clunky feet in big clunky hiking boots 
stomping it all weekend. I applied the recommended 
big-paper-clip-through-small-new-holes method, using a T-handle pushpin and 
very convenient cordless drill at lunchtime.

Might be heading for the Salt Lake area again sometime this month, but I will 
probably try to pull off another two-fer here this coming weekend. Anyone want 
to join me here or there? Mi casa es "q" casa. Kim's dad is going to be at a 
B&B in Park City this month before he goes to MD-11 school next month. I could 
prolly get that info, for anyone interested.

Now about that Torsen beast, I haven't been bitten yet. I find it really easy 
to modulate the oversteer once the Hakkas are finally broken loose - which 
takes some serious foot-planting. Maybe I don't go over the magic 30-degree 
oversteer mark? I get maybe 15-20 degrees before I chicken out, the front is 
still pulling in the direction the wheels are pointed, good clean fun. There's 
a nice 180 on the way up the Targhee hill, marked at 20mph, that's really fun 
to zap out of uphill. Traffic permitting, only on the way up not down, just in 
the last part of the turn so I can't kiss any guardrails. Am I only being a 
7/10s driver?

Sure having fun though,
Henry Harper
http://www.srv.net/~hah
1991 200 quattro, 83k, ski resort assault vehicle
1988 GTI 16v, 173k, new belts sitting on the seat, in the garage