10-4 Magazine - For Today's Trucker

ROCKY MOUNTAIN HIGH
COLORADO HOSTS ATHS NATIONAL SHOW
By Teen Correspondent Troy Miller

The biggest antique truck show of the year came to the mile-high state on June 7th to June 10th. With well over 500 trucks in attendance at the World Arena in Colorado Springs, Colorado, the 28th Annual ATHS National Show & Convention was set against the picturesque Rockies, including famous Pikes Peak. The show officially ended on Saturday, June 9th, but Sunday offered a unique experience for those who decided to participate – an antique truck convoy to the top of Pikes Peak! Vendors set up their booths inside the walking area of the arena while the trucks were on display outside in the arena’s main parking lot.

Unlike the typical east coast to west coast jump that the ATHS (American Truck Historical Society) usually makes with this big, annual, national event, this year it was held closer to the center of the country. The ATHS shows, being non-competition events, are great to attend because of the laid back attitude – nobody is running around, scrambling to get their trucks immaculately clean and prepped for judging. Trucks of all sorts could be found at this show. From show quality antique “restomod” type trucks that can give any modern show truck a run for its money, to the freshly found treasures of backwoods and ghost towns covered in rust and patina, they were all there.

Everybody has favorites at any sort of event like this, but it would take the entire magazine to give each and every unique antique truck its well deserved space. However, a handful of trucks did stand out in the rows of gleaming paint, blinding chrome, and rust. One of the trucks that seemed to always have the owner busy filling people in on everything from specs to stories, while others gawked at it’s chrome, paint, engine, and other parts, was a perfect 1956 needlenose Pete owned by Berube’s Truck Accessories in Bow, New Hampshire. Driven by Don Berube, who is now retired, it was a four year restoration job that turned out absolutely amazing.

Wes Belcher’s beautiful two-tone blue 1953 Kenworth Bullnose, powered by a 475 Cummins Twin Turbo, and 1951 Great Dane Ice Bunker trailer, came all the way from Berkley Springs, West Virginia, and grabbed much of the crowd’s attention. Mike Stoneman’s patriotic 1951 GMC 970, from Payette, Idaho, was also in attendance and was as much of a crowd-pleaser as Wes Belcher’s KW. With a 500 horsepower Detroit Diesel V8, this truck has more than enough power to get it down the road – and it is immaculate. With its brown metallic paint, set off by a mural of an American flag that turns into a flying eagle with a cigar in its beak, this truck looked beautiful in the bright Colorado sunlight.

Terry Klenske, President of the ATHS, brought out a beautiful (and large) array of trucks to the show. His trucks included a 1955 Kenworth conventional, a 1953 KW Bullnose and a 1967 Kenworth W900A (with the needlenose instead of the standard wide hood). Beyond the Kenworths, he also had a beautiful 1948 Autocar, a 1964 Peterbilt 281TA, a 1953 Peterbilt Bubblenose, a 1962 Freightliner cabover and a 1961 White Mustang. Two of these trucks made it to the top of Pikes Peak – the 1967 Kenworth and the 1964 Peterbilt (which I got to ride up in). All of these incredible trucks are painted a beautiful light or dark green, while some have darker fenders and others feature a classic white stripe and/or triangle that originates at the front of the hood and goes down to a point along the side of the cab toward the back. Terry’s entire fleet is really spectacular.

The morning after the show officially ended marked the beginning of a once-in-a-lifetime event for those willing to take the challenge. About sixty trucks, mostly single axles or tandem axles with a very short wheelbase, lined up in the parking lot after many of the trucks at the show the previous day had departed, to make a 33-mile trip to the top of Pikes Peak. One of the most well-known of the “fourteeners” in Colorado, Pikes Peak rises 14,110 feet above sea level, and the long and winding road that takes you to the top bounces between pavement and dirt as it snakes up the mountain.

Going up in the 1964 Peterbilt conventional with Al Leon, one of Terry Klenske’s right-hand men, handling the driving duties, it was a memorable experience for me, as well as all of the other drivers and passengers who took on the challenge of piloting a several ton truck up thousands of feet of road with hundreds of hairpin turns and no guardrails. The beginning of the climb felt much like going up any mountain pass, but after the elevation really started to climb and the paved road disappeared, it became a breathtaking and exciting ride. Moving between 7 to 15 miles per hour (up to 20 miles per hour in some of the flatter places), the climb was slow, but it gave us, and all those SUV’s we were blocking, more time to appreciate the view.

It was surprising to see some of the trucks that decided to make the trip, including a 1937 single-axle Dodge truck. Even though this truck had to make a stop at about 9,000 feet, it still managed to make the climb without a hitch after that. The only truck that didn’t manage to make it to the top was a 1970’s vintage Dodge cab-over. Once at the peak, the trucks lined up in front of the sign at the top to have a photo taken, both to give them fulfillment in the challenge and proof to anyone who thinks they’re bluffing when they tell them their truck has been to the summit of Pikes Peak.

After a boxed lunch was served to the ATHS members who had made the trip up the mountain (which was, thankfully, served inside a building that had heaters running in it, which was truly enjoyable as the temperatures outside were in the 40s at the peak), the trucks started their way back down. Since most of the drivers kept their trucks in first or low gear to keep them from barreling out of control, the trip down to the bottom was just as slow (if not slower) than the trip up. Once at the base, it was bittersweet – the sweet was having taken a truck 14,000 feet above sea level – the bitter was having to see the show end.

Beyond the show, there were many nearby sights and activities for people to see and do. On the first night, ATHS members attended a fun event at the Flying W Ranch and enjoyed its old-west, cowboy-style barbecue and live music. A tour bus took those willing to make the three-hour trip to Royal Gorge to see the world’s highest suspension bridge. Shopping tours were also available in and around Colorado Springs. Peterson Air Force Base and the Air Force Academy were within a short drive of the show and provided an interesting, patriotic experience for those who chose to go there. Accommodations provided in Colorado Springs truly ran the gauntlet. For those looking to keep more money in their wallet, affordable rooms could be found at the Motel 8 and other locally-owned motels in Manitou Springs, which is located just outside of Colorado Springs. For those looking to indulge in luxury, the Broadmoor Hotel, considered one of the top hotels in the world, provided guests who were willing to fork up the dough to stay in one of their rooms, with the royal treatment.

Next year’s show is scheduled in yet another city near the middle of the United States – Hutchinson, Kansas will host the 2008 ATHS National Convention & Antique Truck Show on May 22nd to May 24th. This year’s show proved to be another great event for the ATHS. All of us at 10-4 Magazine are looking forward to seeing more beautiful, odd, and interesting old trucks at next year’s show. A big “thank you” goes to Terry Klenkse, President of the ATHS, and his driver, Al Leon, for providing me with the chance to ride up to the summit of Pikes Peak in an awesome old truck. What an experience! Thanks, guys.