2008-11-30 Torrance to Hondarosa

300 miles the hard way

It was a horrible ride.
So bad, I didn't take any pix.
I got cold, the weather was horrible. It dropped down to 40 degrees F.
I had to put my jacket liner in, it was *that* cold.
Even had to install a pair of thicker socks.

But I digress.
Went to FairLaners to see Smitty and some fjr peeps.
Smitty looked like Smitty.
Fairlaner looked like Fairlaner.
Andy n Silver Penguin looked like Andy n' Silver Penguin.
BeemerDons looked like BeemerDons.
Met Mr. and Mrs. SypderBret, a nice couple!
and of course, Mrs. Fairlaner, aka Cat Lady, looked just as good as always. What *does* she see in FairLaner?
Met Robert and Glen too!

We ate Fairlaners food.
Drank his booze.
Watched Smitty play with wires and fondle FJR's.
Played with a truly psycho cat. Pet, purr, pet, purrr, pet.....BITE! whadupwiddat?
Slept on couch. Nice couch. Dark in house.. Where the hell is the bathroom?
Oh, well, this plant will do..

Left fairly early with nary a hangover.
Breakfast at some place, Hof's Hut,or something like that.
Designed a non-freeway, very RenoJohn-like route. All two lane whenever possible.
300 long, tedious, boring, cold, visually challenged sections of road.
Oh well, someone has to do it, and me, being the CBA prez and all, was up to the task.

Cruised the long-ago local stomping grounds.
Visited the house I used to live in.
Saw old neighbors now using walkers, hunched over, frail and weak, being helped by kids of the kids I used to play with. Didn't say hi, just watched.
Stopped by my Aunt's house.
She's lived there since she and my Uncle Dutch bought just after WWII. Amazing.
Papers on the porch, obviously not home.
Circled the block, stopped, burned a mental image.

Finally, Santa Monica, and the long, horrible, forced march starts.
Wow, this thread really sucks without pix.
Must suck to be you reading this and not have pictures to look at.

OK, here's the route.



The first section in detail.
Too many damn curves for an FJR.
Been years since I've been in dem dere hills.
Where did all the MacMansions come from?


Stopped by the Ed and Verns Rock Store.
Serendipitously ran into Mr. and Mrs. SypderBret!
Mrs. Spyder was looking kind of bored while Sypder n me were drooling over Ducatis, MV's, and other exotica.
Mrs. Spyder perked right up though at the thought of arriving at the promised land of spa.

Time to go.
More twisities.
Damn, getting late in the afternoon.
Making the ride worsen, some corners weren't dry.
They actually had some wet spots on them.
I'd ride through the wet spots, then take a stolen Fairlaner rag and wipe the tires dry.
Safety First.

The second section.


Look closely, find Pine Mountain Club.
I arrived in the dark.
Freakin sun, abandoned me again.
And it was getting cold, I'm sure it was approaching -23 F.
Snow still in the hills.
Ah, Pine Mountain Club.
Restaurant open.
'Screamin Squirrel'?
Sure.
Nice folks in the ScreamingScreaming Squirrel.
A couple on a hot date from Simi Valley, just next door to the porn capital of the word, San Fernando.
A nice retired couple from Arroyo Grande, CA, a Cal Poly alumni.
A local couple, he's drunk and a hoot.
She's pissed he's drunk and even funnier.
Great waitress, wonderful attitude.
Hmmmm... Chili Burger and hot coffee. ummm. Good.

Crank up laptop to charge cell phone.
No cell phone reception.
Waitress notices, says, I'll get you the code for free Internet!
Cool!
Email the loverly. She's actually reading email, so the status check is a-ok.

Hook up the forum, waitress notices the blue screen.
'My husband reads that forum all the time'!
Wow, how weird is that?
Hubby, PMC Fjrider, has a 2006 Feejer!
Exchange handles, say goodbyes to new friends.

Change thin socks to thick calf length socks.
Heated vest.
Liner.
Warm gloves.
Clear prescription glasses.
Clean shield.
Phook. Now I'm sweating.
Time to go.


The last leg, in the dark, in the cold, in the wet corners, with no moon, no cell phone reception, no cars, no trucks, just me n' Krzy8 on a lonely, lonely road to nowhere.


Really dark out there.
Ran the Solteks for the longest continuous time ever.
Worked on bettering my night time riding skill sets.
Hmm. Solteks + High beams = better corner light fill.
Wonder if running two sets of external lights is possible.
Solteks + vest = 13.4 volts. Maybe some 550's?

Hiway 58 and the whoop-dee-doos.
True fun.
Where does the road go over the crest?
Solteks spotted a 747 flying overhead at 30,000 feet.

Arrive home.
Harley is super happy to see me, he was attacked this weekend by a mean German Shepard.
Call the loverly.
Make me whiskey.
Hot tub.

Thoughts and images.
A truly fine ride, challenging, lots of seat time, high degree of concentration required.
No missed corners, no LEO stories.
Drift off to sleep.