For
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| S4's new grille bears similar expression to driver after a day's worth of bouncing from apex to apex. (Photo: Jonathan Yarkony, Canadian Auto Press) |
me, however, the drive to Colorado was a chance to meet up with friends, but my desire to take the S4 was in order to experience the holy grail of driving on public roads: canyons. There are actually Mini groups in California that organize canyon drives in that state's fabulous network of canyons snaking away from the Los Angeles area, but little compares to the majesty and breathtaking drives available to enthusiasts crossing or simply meandering through the Rockies. And when I say breathtaking, I mean I was literally holding my breath around certain turns. One needn't exceed the speed limit to feel 'on the edge' because you often are on the edge of thousand-foot drops and more.
Ontario roads and anything within hours can scarce compare to the canyons leading away from Boulder and crisscrossing the foothills before leading into the heart of ski country, so I dedicated nearly a full day to the exploration of the best roads I could find and striking the perfect balance between man and machine. Even on a short jaunt up to Ward, where we had lunch at the Millsite Tavern--great burgers, by the way--a building that had, in one capacity or another, served loggers since 1869, offered an amazing drive that made speeding seem foolish and unnecessary.
We
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| S4 gets yet another bath. It's not the first - nor the last - time that it will get cleaned. (Photo: Jonathan Yarkony, Canadian Auto Press) |
had many activities planned for our weeklong stay, but I had one day that was almost entirely free, just so I could drive. After consulting the maps and nav system for the twistiest looking routes, stopping off to pick up a pair of polarized sunglasses (and thank the heavens I did as they help immensely) and giving the car a quick wash (it just wouldn't be right to take it into the mountains filthy from the in-town slush and grime; plus, it was photo op time), I headed out of Boulder on, appropriately, Canyon Drive. Someone up there was grinning at me. Although, when you think about it, it's more like common sense.
The Perfect DriveSo off I went with my brand new shades and my sparkling S4
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| Who needs the Grand Canyon when Colorado offers and equally breath-taking drive? (Photo: Jonathan Yarkony, Canadian Auto Press) |
hunting down the curves of Canyon Drive, then later route 72 and 119, never once stepping out of line and always able to slot down to the perfect gear--more often than not that gear was 2nd since the speed limits around switchbacks were usually around 30 to 40 miles per hour. Oddly, the speedometer was only in km/h, so I assume I was well under the speed limit since I felt entirely safe and planted and only occasionally passed a few cars that seemed like they were hobbling around behind walkers, cars like an Acura RL with SH-AWD, a sluggish old Lexus, the occasional Bimmer with xDrive and a handful of Subaru Outbacks. Don't worry, none of the passes were in the least bit dangerous since the roads are interspersed with two-lane sections that are like release valves and everyone in the mountains seemed really good about courteous driving and allowing oncoming traffic to pass.
