Famous Ridge Route -- Call Out!

[laydownthelaw]

Not too many new posts this week, resulting in my spontaneous decision to hop in the car and go. Don't know where, but I have to back by Monday for work. Hope a few others out there read this, and decide to do the same (before we're all paying five dollars a gallon for gas!)

See you on the road.


ab

[Mark Sedenquist]

AB,

I was working in the office -- read your post -- and started looking for the keys to the rig. I will be on the road in an hour...

Mark

[Don Woodmancy]

And I've got to stay and work, dammit!

[Mark Sedenquist]

Don,

Luckily, I have one of the amazing jobs were "working" looks remarkably like "goofing off" to the rest of the world. We did a quick roadtrip from Las Vegas to Temple Bar Marina in Arizona. The Brittlebush is in bloom and thanks to a recent rain squall, much of the desert is green,

Lake Mead at Hoover Dam is so low that there is evidence of long-lost items dropped from the top of the dam.

Sunset tonight was glorious. Now I am back in the office...

[laydownthelaw]

Just took a day to myself, hitting a few trails in the San Gabriel Mountain area.

Good to be outside.


ab

[Mark Sedenquist]

AB,

Have you ever driven the length of the ridge route highway? It is a classic. It needs to be done before the fire season starts and closes all of the access gates. Several Springs ago, I made it most of the way, but a large wash-out required a u-turn about 2 miles from the southern end. But ran across a LARGE bear out there when scouting one of the muddy sections.

I have some favorite trails in the San Gabriels, hope you had a great day.

M.

[laydownthelaw]

Where is the Ridge Route exactly?

Is it called by any other name?


ab

[Mark Sedenquist]

AB,

I found some great web sites with complete virtual tours of the old road. In brief, it was the orginal road over the pass, connecting Castiac and Fr. Tejon before I-5 was built. A really good map is on-line at http://www.ridgeroute.com/map.asp.

The last time I drove it, I used a late model Cadillac and it was a little iffy in some of the muddier sections. I made my passengers get out and walk in case I slid off the road.

I think you should use your roadtripper skills and go explore for us!

[Mark Sedenquist]

To get the Ridge Route, exit I-5 at Templin Hwy (about six miles north of the town of Castiac) and follow the old route up to Hwy 138.

We may organize a special RoadTrip America tour along the route is folks are interested.

M.

[BoredatWork]

Hey, I didn't know you guys were around this area. I was looking for a drive over the weekend, ended up starting around the SG mountians, up to SB, across the 150 and 33 (great road!) and back down the 5. I've always wanted to go to the Ridge Route, but didn't have a chance to make it. I did stop to see fort tejon and pyramid lake, after 10+ years of driving within 20 ft of it, I never knew it was there. Kinda fun and interesting. Anyway, I'm trying to compile a list of interesting sites in Southern California, you guys have any favorites you wanna add? Not that the list on this site isn't great, but too bad there isn't one huge central list taylored just for me. I guess that's why I'm the one doing it.