Tops Up, Spirits High: Scaled Mt. Kearsarge with the Southern Council
Tops Up, Spirits High: Scaled Mt. Kearsarge with the Southern Council
When you plan a group drive months in advance, you make peace with one fundamental truth: Mother Nature operates on her own unpredictable timetable. Originally slated for May, the Southern Council’s highly anticipated Mt. Kearsarge Drive finally got the green light on July 22nd. Our destination was the scenic Auto Road winding up to the summit in Warner, New Hampshire, and our crew was as eclectic as they come—two Minis, two classic Morgans, and a sharp Triumph, all eager to tackle the curves.
The morning had all the makings of a classic New England summer day, right down to the dramatic weather plot twist. Radar forecasts had pinned a passing thunderstorm for around 12:15 PM, giving us what we thought was a comfortable buffer. Naturally, the sky decided to prove the meteorologists wrong and delivered the storm an hour early.
Having learned my lesson the hard way on a previous run—when a sudden downpour transformed my cockpit into an unwanted bathtub—I made sure our top was securely up before we hit the road. The Morgan drivers, bold purists to the core, took the brazen approach and motored straight through the deluge with their tops down. Fortunately, their bravado paid off; the heavy rain eased up and sputtered out about a quarter of the way up the mountain pass.
By the time our little convoy reached the summit parking lot, our persistence seemed to have earned us some cosmic credit. The lingering dark clouds parted, yielding to a brilliant canopy of deep blue and a warm, golden sun.
Standing at the top of Mt. Kearsarge, drying out in the summer heat with panoramic views stretching across the valley, it was impossible to care about the soggy start. It was a classic rally moment—proof that a good road, great company, and a handful of vintage sports cars can outrun even the worst weather timing.
