Beware the Crest

[notacop]

My buddy with a R1100S got run over by the paint striping truck yesterday.

 

With the almost finished repaving of Angeles Crest, he was off to lunch at Newcomb Ranch. Got caught behind the paint striping truck. Followed it for a couple miles and it came to a stop at a blind corner. He and the cars behind him stopped and waited. The cars got impatient and went around. My friend was hesitant to go around on this blind corner and the truck started backing not realizing he was still there. Knocked him over and he was dismayed to see the dual wheels crawling up on his bike. Truck luckily stopped and moved forward. Freaked out the driver who was also a motorcyclist. Munched the fairing and gauges, windshield, etc.

The paving company guys did get his bike up on a lift truck and take him the short distance to Newcombs. He called the Auto club which came and brought him home. He's OK bike is DooDoo. Compensation to follow!

These paving guys have apparently been a disaster lately. Three asphalt, Whose fault?, trucks got into an accident on Upper Tujunga recently and in another incident one side swiped a women motorcyclist who may loose her leg due to this.

The project is almost finished, only the steps to be completed and they are off the hill.

No more paving this week so we may be safe going up until next Monday.

My bet is this paving company has anything but a safe operating record. Low bid , you know.

[mrduck]

Ya gotta beware of the guys driving the bottom dumps hauling the asphalt up there also-they think they're driving sports cars-one over shot a corner and about took two of us out!

Any idea when they'll be done and will the road be open to Wrightwood?

 

[notacop]

there is only a week or two left until being finished with the crest if they keep up the pace they've been doing.

Daren at Newcombs said that the road was repaved from Wrightwood but the wash out has not been repaired. Hopefully Caltrans will put in a signal like they did on the road into Ojai at the wash outs there. Which by the way is better with most of the repairs completed.

Mostly the road is great with the new surface down.

[Jon_M]

there is only a week or two left until being finished with the crest if they keep up the pace they've been doing.

Is it still closed at Islip Saddle?

[JerryMather]

The Crest is still closed to Wrightwood at the gate 13 miles east of Newcomb's Ranch cafe until they do the repairs on the slides.

If they do have to make a bridge over one of them.......you can only guess how long it'll take.

It's already been three years since they closed the gate on us.

[notacop]

Yep, Islip is the end of the world. Great view of the desert on the 4th. New road surface is loverly.

I've read that Cal Trans wants to repair the washed out section of 39 from Hwy 2 to Azuza. Forest service is hesitant and a lot of riders are fearful of the increased traffic from cars in the event of a reopening.

I liked the loop in the old days when it was open.

[Jon_M]

I liked that Highway 39 portion, too, but I also fear the increased traffic that reopening it will bring. Already the traffic on 2 on weekends can be deadly, even with only part of the road open. During the week, it's a different world--like a private road.

[leikam]

Paving is done on the crest all the way to the gate. The surface is excellent. No more washboard corners. Bring a plate for your sidestand; the asphalt at Newcomb's was very soft in moderate temps.

 

Get out there during the week when traffic is light. Saturdays and Sundays are going to be busier than usual for a while.

 

I kind of like it now: 40 miles of mountain road to a dead-end. It doesn't go anywhere so there's no through traffic to compete with riding for pleasure.

[keithb]

I was up on the Crest yesterday to see a buddy who was having a birthday party at Newcomb's. The new pavement is excellent. Unfortunately there is also a lot of CHP there making sure you don't enjoy it toooo much. On the way up 9 Mile Rd. there was a CHP in a cruiser writing up a guy on a sport bike. The rider did not look happy AT ALL. Next, there was a bike accident about 4 miles from Newcomb's and I was told the rider needed a helicopter to take him out. On the way home there was another CHP cruiser inspecting a bunch of sport bikes. He seemed to be looking for illegal stuff on the bikes and had about 4-5 people stopped. Just another busy weekend at the Crest. It keeps reminding me why I don't go up there much anymore.

[leikam]

In contrast, I saw no cops up there today at all. Another good reason to enjoy the road during the week.

[Jon_M]

Unfortunately there is also a lot of CHP there making sure you don't enjoy it toooo much. On the way up 9 Mile Rd. there was a CHP in a cruiser writing up a guy on a sport bike.

As someone who has ridden the crest for forty years, I welcome the CHP. The unstable mix of heavy weekend traffic up there is bad enough, but having half a dozen squids pass you in a corner is reason enough to wish for a little enforcement.