Event Coverage So Cal New Years Day Cruise - 2022

Looked like fun, sorry I missed it. Thought of you guys as I left Tucson in a pouring rain. Maybe next year.

 

Raining in Tucson huh? Must've been the remnant of what blew through here earlier in the week.

Hopefully next year the weather will cooperate and we'll have a different route. This one wasn't bad, but we've done it twice now, so time for a change.

 

Looks like a fun ride. I'm glad the weather cooperated with you guys. Great pictures!

 

we had a look at your route
many corners
your mate has a great lookout from his home

 

Yep, lot's of corners, makes for a fun ride instead of just droning along a freeway. I have to admit, I stepped the rear end out once or twice around some of those corners, purely by accident of course!

 

@Blues4U
A great cruise to start off the 2022 year. It just makes things a little brighter, hoping the pandemic slows down and we can all get "back on the road, again..."

Hello,

It is a So Cal phenomenon as the winter snows and icy grounds are on the other side of hills and curves. A curve leading around a small bend could be sunny on one side and the other, as slick with ice that has not yet melted. Even if the ice is melted, the cold dark shadow area is a "no sight" thing until one comes around the curve and blind hill slope.

There are a multitude of places all over So Cal, as a lot of those roads wind around the forested areas, keeping the sun from reaching the ground and street surface. Many times we found those spots at the last minute and were driving at a slow enough speed to stay under control.

Once on the Caliente-Bodfish road near Lake Isabella, we had been accustomed to driving on that road up to visit my wife’s parents home in the hills. We had been down that road instead of taking the next grade up highway from Isabella to Bakersfield.

The map photo can be deceiving as the accuracy is there, but the road conditions vary with the weather.

Being old hands at driving that curvy road in many different vehicles from El Camino versions to sporty cars to small station wagons gave us plenty of times to get used to the uphill curves. Also, those same curves going home, downhill were also a warning to awareness. The road stays the same in all weather.


Jnaki

Then disaster stuck as the sun was bright, the early morning was cold, but very clear. We had rounded several sharp curves going "turtle speed" and being cautious. But, one small hill at the bottom of a off camber curve gave us a “no see” situation until it was too late. The rear wheel slid off into the two foot drop off gutter. We were stuck with the right rear wheel in the gutter and the rest of the car in the one lane road.

Luckily, another local was driving his big Ford truck and pulled out a tow cable. After several tries, rocks under the wheel, out pops our car and we thanked him profusely. Thank goodness for Positraction. The rest of the time was slower than a high speed snail for those blind spot curves, even on sunny mornings. Shadows play tricks on blind curves. YRMV

 

Yes, those roads in this type of weather demand your respect. There were still wet spots in some of those curves, and some rocks and debri that were washed down from the hillsides. Our pace was rather slow.

 

That is a good start to 2022!

 

Fun time as always. Looking forward to next year’s run. Hopefully we can hangout at the GNRS and LARS.

 

Hello,

The weather is looking at a big storm system sitting off of the coast and coming toward the whole Western shoreline from Alaska to Mexico. The on going front will bring cold… Mt. Baldy is expected to get more snow with temps down to 20-25 degrees. The predictions have been fairly accurate this winter in most places. There are always odd occurences. Here is a forecast for the middle of the OC, Irvine, CA.

Rain and more rain down on the coast, but the higher elevations will have freezing temps and snow.

Mt. Baldy will be beautiful as always, but, cold and possible rain. Down by the oceanfront, when the weather prediction is 30 % or more, as little as it sounds, we do get rain in varying amounts. Percentage is something of a guess, but as little as 20 % means sprinkles to a series of fast moving rain squalls.

But as we all know, it rains in So Cal prior to the Rose Parade. Afterall, it is winter… On the day of the parade, Jan 1,f or some reason, it clears up for zillions to see the colorful annual Pasadena Rose Parade in living color. Cold? Yes, but no rain…

When we had the 327 powered 1940 Ford Sedan Delivery, we were invited to be a part of the cruising group that was supposed to go down Colorado Blvd. on New Year’s Eve. People always line up to secure their spot for the next day’s festivities. So, it is like a very long block party scene. But, the year we were invited, it was raining for days and up to the evening of New Year’s Eve, still raining. We passed on the cruising event and sure enough, the next day’s Rose Parade was a bright shiny day.

“Fluky So Cal” is not just an application for its residents, but also coastal weather influencing the inland weather, too. Someone is watching out for New Year’s Day activities for everyone to get a good start on the coming future. YRMV