Targhee Hill Climb
By: Anne Fish
Two miles. Seven marked corners. Screeching tires. A few “incidents”, but other than bruised egos and smashed bumpers, we all had a great time.
Each year the Rotary Club of Teton Valley sponsors the Rotary Teton Hill climb and registration is open to all. Participants are required to wear a helmet, have a fire extinguisher installed in their cars, and have a tech look over the car to ensure it is in safe driving condition. The course is lined with volunteers; the drivers are put into classes, and then allowed to show their stuff up the last few miles of the Targhee access road. Each run group this year had approximately 10 drivers.
The exciting and nerve-wracking part of participating in a hill climb is that you are in your own car, you can wreck your car, and you can get hurt. I guess any of these things could happen on a track, but for some reason, looking down a 500 foot embankment seems a bit riskier than taking a turn at Miller Motor sports Park at 65 mph. That is the fun of it though! It is a challenge for each driver to better his or her time and technique.
Members of the Yellowstone Region PCA who participated in the Hill climb were, Alberto Cerruti, Anne Fish, Joe Whitlock, and Mike Mielke. Each year a King and Queen of the Hill are named. This year both of the crowned Royalty were past winners and serious hill climbers, but we all left feeling as if we were Kings and Queens in our own rights. This is another event that is a lot of fun to participate in -or even to watch (Julie Whitlock and Anne’s parents can attest to that…). Next year it would be fun to see more Yellowstone Region PCA members out there driving their cars. It is so close, why not???
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