Ron_H

Hey Bigs, those appear to be the roads to which you guided me last Summer. Here are a couple of photos though they're blurred.(guess it was the heat; couldn't have been my driving). A few miles later, a huge deer appeared out of nowhere as I was watching the scenery and looked up to see him staring at me as I passed by. He was about 2 feet from my door taking his time walking across the road and he looked irritated that I was using his road. Lots of variety in road conditions and scenery along that route. Desert to lots of greenery. Not infested with bears either, like Hwy. 70 which I found later.

Brett Matthews

Yep,
The WEST is the BEST ( ala The Doors, The End )

Yeah Bigs, I'm startin' to see what you mean, by the roads you have been speakin' of....

928SS

the airpark is still battling with the county thx to a few locals that are a major PITA - so yet another county planning meeting is being held in the next couple of weeks... the airpark manager is willing to let us go for a romp on the new runway, but wants to keep the place low key/quiet till the current s_storm clears... will advise

bigs

Ron -

Yup, that's the road I had you drive last year. But sheesh man, stay on your side of the center line!!!

Anyway, for you SOCAL folks who are going to the CO GTG in June - or are driving through UT, CO, etc. at any time... Here are the directions for finding and enjoying Utah 12:

1. Take I-15 up to Cedar City, UT. I'd suggest spending the night there, cuz you're gonna want to get an early morning start to fully enjoy highway 12.

2. Take UT state road 14 east out of Cedar City up over Cedar Breaks and down to US 89. (You could also take state road 9 from a little north of St. George over to US 89 through Zion Nat'l Park. This is very scenic, but more heavily traveled, so not as fun for pure driving pleasure.) The first scene is a pic of Cedar Breaks if you have an extra hour for a scenic diversion:

3. When you hit US 89, drive north maybe 20 miles until you reach the start of UT 12.

4. Enjoy UT 12 through Red Canyon, past Bryce Canyon Nat'l Park, to Escalante. The stretch between Escalante and Boulder is amazing. That's where the aerial views and switchbacks are I've already posted. I often drive that stretch, turn around and drive it back the other way, then drive it forward once again! The second and third pics are of Bryce Canyon.

The fourth and fifth pics are of Calf Creek Falls - a short foot trail hike from highway 12. (You can see the big sandstone opening where the falls go over the edge at the bottom left of one of the aerial views I posted earlier) - and one of the slot canyons in the general area.

Continue on UT 12 through Boulder and up over Boulder Mountain - here you'll be up in the pines and quakies. Be sure to pull out and check the views from some of the scenic overlooks.

5. UT 12 ends after you come down off Boulder Mtn. and join UT 24 at Torrey. Turn left onto UT 24 and drive to Loa - maybe 15 miles.

6. At Loa, turn right onto state road 72. This is a wonderful road up over the mountains and will eventually bring you to I-70 which will take you to CO. It has great sweeping curves, NO traffic, and NO cops. I've never seen one there EVER.

Enjoy!

928ntslow

F***ing WOW!!! This could be VERY cool if we get a caravan of 928's running this road to CO. The potential photo ops and vid ops would be suitable for published footage! It would make for a nice SF06 Friday night reception DVD!!!

bigs

Tell ya what, Keith -

I don't think I'm gonna be able to take off work for the entire CO GTG, but I'd be happy to meet up with you SOCAL guys in Cedar City Tuesday night, June 20, get up bright and early Wednesday morning, and escort you guys along the route I've laid out so you don't miss anything. I think you could make it into Denver late Wednesday night if we get started by 7-8:00 Wed morning.

And drive kinda fast.

I might be able to talk the wifey into coming along as well.

Let me know if there's any interest.

Ron_H

OK folks, remember that Bigs will have you driving all over his fine state gawking at all the sights. That will take at least another day in the trip. At least it took me one. But some of the sights may be worth the time. Remember not to exceed the speed limit at all in Bryce Canyon Park; ask me how I know this to be true. Others will, but remember you are driving P cars.

I recall coming into Boulder thinking I must have been in Boulder, CO after driving for so long. But it is a spot in the road. Nice place for getting away but I was only half way through Bigs' "tour". Whew!

Made it back to civilization just as the sun was setting, because I spent so much time in Bryce Canyon Park walking around seeing sights and meeting friendly smokeys and park rangers who wanted to inspect my machine.

Here are more shots. The first is in California and the other is in Utah:

Jerome Craig

Does this road go to/by Stinson Beach(sp?) If so I have driven that raod and it is absolutely awesome. No shoulder, off camber curves, lanes barely wide enough for 1.5 cars - let alone two cars, drop offs of several hundred feet down onto nothing but rocks. If that's the road I can verify that it takes no prisoners.

Another good road is the one from San Mateo to Half Moon Bay. Don't know the route numbers, but I'd say it's between a 1 and a 2 (sounds like Lawrence Welk) I would do those at Xmas when I'd go out to the bay area.

Here in Northern VA there are two roads I like. "The Loop" - Fairfax Station Rd. / Colchester Rd. / Popes Head Rd. Very twisty, lots of elevation changes, very narrow, places where you can get the car completely airborne, other places where you completely compress the suspension, oak trees as close as 1 foot from the road, a lot of deer, many off camber decreasing radius turns, and one section where the road completely disappears from under the car - dives down on an off camber left/right and then back up hill where you see mostly sky

Oh yeah... there may be oncoming traffic! You MUST stay in your lane at all costs as it is also a favorite training area for cyclist... and the Police firing range is also out there.. never know when you'll run up on one of the Big Bad Blue Meanies.

Unfortunately the morbid side of me likes it sad to say - because quite a few people die on Fairfax Station / Colchester / Popes Head Rd. (Please don't flame me for that remark - hate the game, not the player - it is just a fact, it's a very technical/dangerous ride at speed if you don't know what you're doing and are not careful) It is an unforgiving bitch! I spent a year teaching my son how to drive that loop safely - first in his Honda, then in the Shark.

The other road or area I like is out toward Middleburg/Bluemont. One road in particular - Snickersville Rd, is like a drive in the English countryside. A thin ribbon of asphalt that goes through some of the prettiest farmland you could imagine. The George Washington Inn - circa 1770 is out that way. There are a lot of hedge rows and stone fences, single lane bridges and old stone farm houses. Most of that area was settled in the early 1700s. Almost anywhere out in "horse country" is great.

928ntslow

Well, there's a lake when you first start out which has lot's of boaters and such...may have a beach or two, but the only beach after that is when the run is over as it spits you out onto PCH. I wasn't in a very good mental state at the end of this drive as I was in survival mode just looking for civilization and place to rest/eat...which came another hour or so later when I finally made it down through the darkenss and heavy coastal fog to Bodega Bay.

It does posess these things you speak of, but I can't tell you for sure that this is the same road. If you were crying "Mommy!!!" half way through this ThiNG, then I might agree that you drove the portal to the Devils Lair!

I STILL get freaked out thinking about that drive!

Here is a link to the road Canyon Road It runs from the 101 to the ocean. It runs past Lake Sonoma. You'll find that if you zoom in close enough, there is no record/image for this place.

laneskelton

The santa cruz mountains have some amazing roads, including vine hill, branciforte drive, old san jose road, empire grade, and much more. Most of these roads are very tight and suit a 914 or 911 a lot better but they are still tons of fun in my 928.

CMW

Don't know if it's on here but ORTEGA HWY between San Juan Capistrano, CA and Lake Elsinore California.... it is a definate 3 and it is very long....

mspiegle

Chris - It should have shipped out on Monday

928ntslow

Chris, yea, Ortega has been mentioned a couple of times. You guys seriously need to come up to LA and hit the canyons. You will have a much different view of Ortega Highway.

Foz

I can't believe that none of the Northern California people listed Highway 84 from Woodside to San Gregorio State Beach! Twisties through the redwoods, then gentle curves through the farmland, and terminates at the Pacific Coast Highway at San Gregorio State Beach. And it's only 15 minutes from Silicon Valley! Perfect for blowing off some steam after work...

Ron_H

Yup. Been on that road a couple of times at least. Nice. Like a lot of other roads between 280 and Hwy 1. The only problem around here are the bikers, both pedal and motor. I take the attitude that the center yellow line is a solid concrete wall and CANNOT be crossed. Too many times going around a twistie and a biker is one the solid yellow line in the other direction. Scary. And the pedal bikes crowd the right shoulders of the road. Also scary. They appear out of nowhere. Personally, I prefer Hwy 1.