Angeles Crest today

Discussion in 'USA - West' started by VFR4Lee, Sep 2, 2018.

  1. VFR4Lee

    VFR4Lee Member

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    Went for a ride out Soledad Cyn, and headed back south on Angeles Forest Hwy. Decided to go Upper Big Tujunga to Angeles Crest, and ride up a ways, no set destination. Pulled off a few short miles up at Charlton Flats to take 5. Quite a few gawkers sightseeing, or turning down the side road to go hiking. Plenty of bikes, slow and fast types, and the car squids. Too much for my liking so I headed back down.

    Did not get too far and all of a sudden another bike was on my tail. A dual sport, wtf? I moved right and he went by and it was a Sheriff with flashing red and blue tail light. I decided to not keep up with him, he was moving, and this can't be good. Couple more miles on a whole bunch of bikes and cars are stopped on both sides of the road. The other side / uphill lane is blocked completely, and it looked like someone was giving someone chest compressions in the middle of the lane. :Twitch:

    I assume the MC sheriff was there, but did not see any cops, fire, ambulance at the scene. Must have just happened. Glad I missed it. Hope the rider(S) are OK, but that did not look good. Hope it was nobody I know, or you know. Think I'm staying off that road for a while.

    RIDE SAFE OUT THERE.
     
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  2. 34468 Randy

    34468 Randy Secret Insider

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    It is safe to say, any time you see resuscitation efforts taking place, it really is not good. The few times I have had to do that, it was for not. I'm jsut pleased to hear you were not involved. Hope it was no one else here.

    When I come across accident scenes, I just focus on the road and drive through. I have seen my fair share of blood, guts and death to last me for a few lifetimes. Of course if there is a need to stop, I like to think I still will.

    Ride safe.
     
  3. VFR4Lee

    VFR4Lee Member

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    That's the usual thing, and what I did today. Usually other people are already there, and there is nada I can do to help.

    Although 3-4 years ago, I came up behind a guy on Little Tujunga, we were both riding solo. Went into an uphill right hander with blind entry, and ever popular decreasing radius. He disappeared around the turn, when I got into the turn and saw him again, his bike was sideways, ass was well off the seat. You know the rest. Ended up on his back, in the lane. Nobody else was there, and I stopped to help. Dumb question, are you OK? Share my Gatorade. Was there for at least an hour until ambulance and tow and CHP came. Rider thought he broke his collar bone. Def got the wind knocked out of him. CHP took my info. I never heard another thing about it.

    Be safe.
     
  4. 34468 Randy

    34468 Randy Secret Insider

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    Don't feel ignored over that. I know here, we could not arbitrarily release information about any of the people involved in collisions we investigated due to Privacy Act restrictions. I suspect it may be the same there too.
     
  5. VFR4Lee

    VFR4Lee Member

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    I did not feel ignored. I did wonder what happened with that guy. He was visiting from Pennsylvania I learned when they asked for his ID.
    Guess I would have heard from them if he was not relatively OK.
     
  6. Allyance

    Allyance Insider

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    Back in the late 80’s I was on my way back to Newcomb’s Ranch and this kid passed me too fast about two corners from NR. When I came around the next corner, he was spread out in the other lane, and a Fiat 128 was pulled over just passed him. He had gone down in front of the Fiat, and got hit. You never forget those images.
     
  7. VFR4Lee

    VFR4Lee Member

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    I'm sure you would like to though.
     
  8. duccmann

    duccmann Member

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    My first time up at NR in 84 that’s when it was a little cabin with a fireplace, pulled up and saw a kid lying on the picnic bench outside in front, shorts, tank top and head to toe road rash, I’ll never forget his moans.


    Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
     
  9. VFR4Lee

    VFR4Lee Member

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    Kind of like The Torture Never Stops, from Zappa I'd guess.
     
  10. OCLandspeeder

    OCLandspeeder New Member

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    Lee, I was up in Angeles Crest/AFH on the same day you were. Sunday Sep 2nd, Labor Day weekend.

    The place was a circus. We got there VERY early, around 8AM. We thought for sure we had the place to ourselves but NO! We turned off on AFH and we were moving fast (road was wide open with clear visibility). I was lead rider, approaching a 30 mph corner, and a freakin' Porshce 911 Turbo came rushing in from my left side! Almost took me out as he cut into my lane to make the corner! I didn't even know the car was back there as he must have been moving at 100+ because I was going pretty fast. SOB! I didn't know these cars could go this fast to be honest.

    On the way back from Wrightwood on ACH, around 10 AM now, EVERYONE was out. Large groups of bikers & cars. Newcomb's Ranch parking lot was packed. We didn't even bother to stop. No Porsche tried to kill us coming down but we caught up to a poor noobie rider. I followed him for a bit and the dude almost crashed right in front of me! SOB! He pulled over after that and I was glad he did!

    Later we heard they shut down ACH for a while due to an accident. By then we were already having lunch and was out of there!
     
  11. VFR4Lee

    VFR4Lee Member

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    That was a little before Noon, so maybe the same wreck.
     
  12. Lint

    Lint Member

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    Sounds to me like more reason to go track only. After riding track, I want to enjoy the capabilities of my bike, and there's just no safe way of doing that in the street, so, it leaves me putting along. Might as well be in a big cruiser, at least it's more comfortable.

    Track seems like there place to be for me. I know I'll miss the open road, riding across the country, but there's other ways to do that I suppose. I may just have to have a convertible something follow me home. I absolutely LOVE riding cross country, but with the stress my accident has put on my family, not sure if it's gonna happen.
     
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  13. Gator

    Gator Insider

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    Yeah once you start really hauling the mail at the track the road is just not the same. I still take some mountain trips but they are not nearly as spirited as when I was young. Too many things can go wrong very quickly.
     
  14. OOTV

    OOTV Insider

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    As much as I agree with the track being a more fun and safer environment for riding fast, I personally cannot give up riding in a touring capacity. Nothing says you have to haul ass on a canyon road to enjoy it, especially if the scenery is lovely. Yes, there are road hazards on the open road but if riding diligently, they can be an acceptable risk IMO.

    One of the last rides I did on AFH, there was deer off the side of the road and as I was looking welll ahead, I spotted him. I immediately dropped my speed, let the others who were connected via comms know of his presence and then slowly approached. Of course the deer didn’t run off on the side of the road it was on, it bolted across the road right in front of me and run up the hillside. Being that i ride with two fingers on the brakes, muscle memory did it it’s thing and i was able to avoid a collision. Although I’m sure I’m one of the lucky ones who was able to see the situation coming versus those who were surprised by it, I didn’t let that stop me from enjoying the rest of the ride.

    All that being said, being able to do so much track time with doing the CSS corner working, it has definitely quelled my need to go off and ride the public roads in a more spirited fashion. I think it was the weekend before Labor Day that I rode GMR in what felt like a year and although the pace was brisk it was by no means FAST. It was still an enjoyable experience.
     
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  15. Gator

    Gator Insider

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    I don't think I will ever stop riding on the road. I am doing a lot more dual sport riding and less track riding. I sold my CR 250 this year. That was by far the most dangerous bike. lol
     
  16. OOTV

    OOTV Insider

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    Taking it was a two stroke? Yeah, those things will definitely try and hurt you as soon as you let down your guard!
     
  17. Gator

    Gator Insider

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    Yeah its a 2 smoker. 200lbs of angry. We use to ride dirt a lot. My son and nephew still have YZ 125 2 strokes. One year we were riding a lot, my nephew broke his left arm, my son broke his right arm and I tore an mcl. Funny thing was that all of those injuries were not on the monster jumps flying through the air but rather slow easy stuff. Go figure. The CR 250 was an awesome bike, had 2 of them.
     
  18. VFR4Lee

    VFR4Lee Member

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    I have gotten to where I am not much interested in pushing the bike too hard.
    Just a brisk cruise is fine. Have not done a track day in at least 5 years. I figure if you're not going to push the envelope, you should just stay off the track.
     
  19. OOTV

    OOTV Insider

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    Many people make that assumption, that riding the track means you have to be pushing it. That is not really the case, you can use track time to practice braking, leaning, picking your lines, whatever it is you want to hone. The beauty of the track is that when you do want to push it, it's a safer place to do it than the streets.

    When I do the corner working sometimes I just cruise the track and keep a decent pace and other times I get on the gas and go for it. Most track day organizations have different groups with their own set of sessions, meaning that a slow group will ride their session, a faster group will ride their session and the fastest group rides their session. If you want, many times they let you move between groups, mostly for safety sake and sometimes they will move you, again, for safety sake.

    I have been to a track day where they were session less, meaning the track was wide open to anyone at any level and that can be a bit overwhelming to some as the fast guys can be riding at the same time as the slow guys and unless both are very aware and savvy with track rules, it can get dangerous.
     
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  20. VFR4Lee

    VFR4Lee Member

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    True. You do not have to push harder or ride faster than you want just because you are on the track. Good place to learn, yes. My prior statement was just my thought after my last track day. Streets of Willow was not my fave. Did not feel like a proper race track. Whatever that is. Really liked the big track, although turn 8 can be scary fast, and 9 tightens up. OK, it was fun figuring out how to get by that slightly slower rider when I do not have the power to just blast by on the straight. Ha. Now you got me thinking about it, and participating in hijacking my thread. :Yo:
     
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