| Author | Message | ||
     Jim_Sb |
Ferris / Slaughter, I should tell you guys I don't care for freeways. Too straight. Boring.  I've been looking at Mapquest and it seems a fun way for me to get from Santa Barbara to up by Ferris would be 150 to Ojai then 33 to Lockwood Valley to I-5 to 99 to Bakersfield then 178 up to Ferrisville. Having said that it's roughly 200 miles so each way so I'm gonna need to hustle because I'm going to need to do some recon as well when I get there. If I'm missing something point it out! But I'll definitely keep you guys in mind, just not realistically sure how much extra-curricular fun I'll be able to have.  | ||
| Matty |
Steve, S3's don't mix well with scuba gear - please keep them apart. Jim, Does the pope wear a funny hat? I'm not missing this weekends ride. It's great to see this place is buzzing. I'm always up for riding, but now that my hobby has also become my source of employment I don't have any time to ride. Why does that always happen? Of course, getting half a million tickets from over zealous law enforcement on the crest hasn't helped any. | ||
| Sparky |
Jim_SB, You could avoid 5 entirely by following the Cal BRAG Tour's Day 2 route into Bakersfield: Stay on 33 to Taft, then 119 east into Bakersfield & 99 to 178 East. Ferrisville, I like that. The tradeoff is avoiding some zig-zag water crossing on LV for some fun high speed strafing on 33, but your 5 rte is probably slightly more direct. A good loop route to checkout would be Sherman Pass north of Kernville. It goes over the Sequoia mtns, across Kennedy Meadows to Nine Mile Rd to 395 & 178 west. That would be a good days ride. And if you go there, see if Grumpy Bear's is still open up on top. Sparky | ||
| Jim_Sb |
Sparky, Yeah, I know the Taft route. After passing Lockwood Valley heading North, the 33 is only good for strafing (until you get to the 58 West!). I don't share FB's penchant for potential jail time though, so I try to keep it under the ton, the twistier the better. The corners are nature's speed limits... Best bet is to prolly follow Matty and let him take the tickets. It's a gift he has. Ferris, love the BFC tale. I'll have to remember that. A few misplaced cowpies could ruin your day. Sounds like all good roads lead to Ferrisville. I know they don't lead to Buellton. | ||
| Road_Thing |
Reading about riding the Taft-Ojai road harks me back to my brief stint in the California oil patch (Bakersfield, 84-86) when I tried to drive that very route in, like, January. That's the ONLY time in my life I've ever had to put snow chains on a car! r-t | ||
| Jim_Sb |
RT, The 33 North from Ojai to Taft is pretty low altitude-wise crossing the mountains, so it's not often closed by snow. You must just be lucky. Angeles Crest Highway, OTOH, will have partial closure for months at a time... | ||
| Slaughter |
Let's somehow do some sort of ride. The problem is if we all head to Isabella, where does Ferris ride? If we wait a couple weeks, maybe a route will suggest itself that makes sense for most folks. Rendezvous somewhere and then invade Isabella from that staging area. As it is this Saturday, we'll just be riding up starting in Palmdale area at 0900, routing details still being worked out. This isn't a great weekend for a Saturday ride for the Buell-ese because of both Battletrax AND the ride from Glendale, Ventura up to Solvang Motorcycle Museum so I'll just do the Cowpie run up to Isabella with the three non-Buells and in a week or two, maybe we'll all do a more planned ride. | ||
| Ferris |
The problem is if we all head to Isabella, where does Ferris ride? not to worry, my friend, i'll manage somehow i agree, there's a great group-romp just waiting to happen here. i had the occasion to drive up Mountain 99 north of Kernville today (up to Johnsondale, following the north fork of the wild-and-scenic Kern River) as part of my job, and was reminded for the millionth time why i chose to move down here from soggy Washington. guys (and gals), i can't wait to show y'all around "Ferrisville". FB | ||
| Jim_Sb |
Slaughter, you must be one heckuva nice guy to worry about Ferris having fun on a Buell. Somehow I think he'll manage if the cows allow it. Ferris, I should've warned you.... I tend to assign nicknames to people and places. When I do, they generally stick. Ferrisville it is. Shall we call Mapquest and have them make the necessary corrections? Jim in SB | ||
| Slaughter |
Ferrisville, Ferrisburg, Ferrisburgh, Ferris Station, maybe since he moved to these Southern latitudes from Washington... how about New Ferrisville... OK OK OK, I am getting carried away. However we get there, there is truly the soul of a ride in here somewhere within the next couple weeks. | ||
| Slaughter |
Well, looks like there are only 2 of us scouting Ferrisville (3 actually, my buddy is riding his "dearly beloved" on the back of his GSXR 1000) Might do a route assessment for the coming invasion. | ||
| Jim_Sb |
Sparky, when you're in Solvang you'll only be 3 miles or so from Buellton. Great opportunity for a group BUELL bike photo in front of the Buellton sign. Bring your digital camera! | ||
| Slaughter |
Split Pea Soup in Buellton. Gas ;-) AND a photo op! Dang - I am missing it all. | ||
| Court |
Heck, as long as you are in Buellton, take the "looking down the median" picture I took the time I toured the "cities with Buell in the name". By the way, I'm not sure about you but in my book Solvang is one of the prettiest towns (and not just cuase I like pickled Herring) in the United States. Home of lots of neat private aircraft (affluent with lots of home capable of landing strips) and some gorgeous horses (affluent with lots of home capable of holding horses). Personal favorite: The beautiful white board fences and windmills. Court (yeah...I've been there ) | ||
| Jim_Sb |
Court, are you an airplane guy too? If so we'll have to chat sometime. I fly a '76 Beech A36 Bonanza. Yummy. | ||
| Court |
Most folks here (ever pick up a bit of a hint in the Buell naming nomenclature...... ) are. I've lusted at A36's but my time ranges from whimpcraft including the Piper Tomahawk ("just push the yoke in to recover from a ...... Waaaaaaaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhhhhhhh), Warrior (N8939F), 172RG (most of my hours) and a Piper Saratoga. I spent enough time fiddling with a Cessna 310 to figure out I'd rather deal with dead stick than asymetrical thrust. I still hold out the early Citation SP's and the King Air F90's as lust objects. Court (SEL) (so you noticed the Dave Clark, converted to TEAM ELVES duty, headset in on the website?) | ||
| Sarodude |
Loli and I will be doing the Solvang ride this Sunday. We'll probably meet up with the Glendale folk at Ventura since we kinda live in the middle. Silly freewaying back and forth for no reason - though that doesn't usually stop us from going by the dealership! -Saro | ||
| Ferris |
Ferrisville it is. Shall we call Mapquest and have them make the necessary corrections? that'd be bitchin', Jim! Slaughter, if at all possible during your ride up here, take the gang up-river from Kernville on Mountain 99. it's not a turn-'n-burn road, it's more for kicking back and giving your senses a jump-start. M99 is closed about 1/2 mile above Johnsondale, but if you veer to the right here the road points you in the general direction of Lloyd'd Meadow, and even tho you'll be traveling thru areas scorched by last year's devastating McNally Fire, it's still spectacular and well worth the effort. do NOT stop in Johnsondale/R Ranch (even tho the sign says "Public Welcome" ), as the scowling beer-bellied guard with half a mouthful of golden-brown teeth and all the "No Trespassing--Keep Out!" signs apparently overrule the "Welcome" sign out front. hit Sherman Pass, too, if you have time. it's a rush up at 9200 feet, altho the snow level night before last was 4700 feet so not sure how far you can get. if you can't make SP this trip, it'd give you a great excuse to come back again soon, eh? FB | ||
| Slaughter |
Ferris, I'll work thru the routing with my buddy tomorrow. He is riding 2-up and so we are going to be taking it a bit easier. I really do always appreciate local knowledge. We'll ride together sometime before long. Let's see about putting together a ride pretty soon. Weather is looking excellent for a ride tomorrow - ought to be great for Battletrax! Stay safe - rubber down, helmet up. Court and Jim_SB - oh no, more pilots!! I soloed in gliders at 14 in Feb 1968 and power at 16 in june 1978. Instructed gliders from 1972-1978 (when the magic started wearing off) - FINALLY got my private SEL about 7 years ago. Flying out here in the desert is fairly predictable. Dang, I am getting off topic but ... How about scuba divers and/or photographers here?? | ||
| Jim_Sb |
Court, Excellent! No wonder I like Buellers! I started flying in '82 and learned to fly in various small Piper Cherokees, followed by time in a "Traumahawk" as well as most of the small Cessna's before I bought a '78 Piper Arrow III. After a family trip from Van Nuys to Chicago (and back) in 1989 with my Wife and 2 small children my Wife pronounced the Arrow "too small and too slow". Problems I was only too happy to remedy with a half interest in the Bonanza that's been our steed ever since. My lust is for a very capable Piper Malibu. Jim in SB - ASEL / Instrument |
