Once Spring comes around, most ski resorts of the Northeastern US tend to begin closing down for the off season. Holiday Mountain, however, is host to the Appalachian Moto Jam, among the last hurrahs of winter motor sports, putting classic motorcycles to the test on their ski slope Roman Candle. To enter, all you need is an older motorcycle and the motivation to hit the snow, and riders take part in both a one on one short course sprint race, and then the snow hill climb.
With the party starting pretty early in the morning, St Patrick's Day festivities were not left out; Riders showing up in all green, shamrock themed suits, and plenty of music and drinks to keep people warm. The sights were extremely bright, with snow almost completely surrounding the lodges, it was a "sunglasses necessary" event. As noon started to creep closer, the motorcycles began to line up for their short sprint races.
The motorcycles that showed up were a huge contrast compared to other vintage events. The Race of Gentlemen for example is primarily Harley Davidson, Indian, and similar pre-1950 era bikes. The Appalachian Moto Jam sets the bar simply at 1985, has no limitations on make or model, and has a single goal, make it to the top of the mountain if you can. Many of the entries were Suzuki bikes, with a sprinkling of BMW, vintage Harley Davidson, and other purpose built dirt bikes of the 70's and early 80's. One of the more unique bikes that caught my attention was the classic BMW R75/5, as it's not a common entrant in events like this and is always a treat to see in action.
The sprint races went as best as possible, where it was easy to tell apart seasoned riders dealing with snow compared to less experienced riders learning the only way they could. Many of the riders, seasoned or not, had to deal with the unpredictable surface proving it's might. Whether it was an immediate spill or an extremely close call, thankfully all the riders could walk away knowing that no two riders came in contact during the races despite a couple of spills that were difficult to watch.
Once the hill climb started, it was worth every minute of watching. A good portion of the riders were able to keep the throttle pinned long enough to make it to the crest of Roman Candle, occasionally starting to dig in towards the top. The occasional rider didn't make it to the top, and had to do make their way back down the way they came, slowly and carefully to avoid any injury.
Between the motorcycle runs, there were a handful of trikes that ran on the snow, as well as more modern quads getting in on the fun. The quads and trikes were a show of their own thrills and spills, as they raced on the same track.
As the event wound down, I took the opportunity to chat with some riders about the day, sit down and enjoy a live band while getting some lunch and warming up, as well as taking a look at the small indoor bike show that featured both street and off road motorcycles, including a ProCharged Harley Davidson that stood out significantly. As it was my first time out to this event, it was an interesting, and exciting experience that I enjoyed very much. It will simply be added to the Auto Focus calendar as an event to return to, not only for the view from the top of the hill, but for the sights, sounds and thrills.
More pictures from the event can be found here.