California Canyon Cramming - October 7

[image: rocks_vfrside.jpg]

Southern California:
The goal was to cram as many cool canyons as I could into a Sunday on the east side of I-5. It was too windy on the west side of I-5.
This was also posted at S-TN and Pashnit.

Soledad Canyon, Agua Dulce Canyon, Sand Canyon, Vasquez Canyon, Bouquet Canyon, Spunky Canyon, San Francisquito Canyon, Lake Hughes Rd./Elizabeth Lake Canyon, Pine Canyon and Lake Elizabeth Road to home.

[image: map-acton-lakehughes13.jpg]


[image: acton_start.jpg]
The Mountains are calling.
Started at the Shell station in Acton -- Crown Valley exit of the 14 Freeway

[image: soledad_ria.jpg]
Soledad Canyon by the Ria Market

[image: aguadulce_can.jpg]
Agua Dulce Canyon -- short and sweet. Could use some fertilizer.

[image: rocks_lean.jpg]
Vazquez Rocks -- Leaning with nature.

[image: rocks_vfrside.jpg]
Should have brought my climbing shoes.

[image: IMG04851y.jpg]
A guy from Pashnit posted this pix from the late 60s -- same angle.

[image: sweetwater.jpg]
Coffee break at the Sweetwater Cafe in Agua Dulce.

[image: bouquet1.jpg]
Ahhh, a sweet Bouquet ... Canyon.

[image: bouquet_mirror.jpg]
Can't decide which way Bouquet is the most fun.

[image: spunky_sign.jpg]
Moments later I passed two fart-canned cages sporting wings (WRXs), who proceeded to chase me up the hill.

[image: spunky_wrx.jpg]
Hehe -- this happened last weekend with a Mustang -- I'm on a roll.

[image: spunky_up.jpg]
I waited for 'em. Took another shot and left.

[image: spunky_gas.jpg]
Downtown Green Valley.

[image: francishelmet.jpg]
San Francisquito Road -- finally open from the 2005 wash out.

[image: francis_road.jpg]
San Francisquito Road

[image: francis_vfr.jpg]
San Francisquito Road

[image: francis_enemy.jpg]
We have found the enemy, and it is us. New boxes creeping up the Canyon.

[image: castaic_lake.jpg]
After a quick slab ride on the windy 5, I headed up Lake Hughes Road above Castaic Lake.

[image: castaicdam.jpg]
Castaic Dam.

[image: damroad.jpg]
Dam road.

[image: rockinn.jpg]
Stopped in at the Rock Inn on Elizabeth Lake Road for a cold one.

[image: magnatour.jpg]
Rock Inn -- Magna Sabre on tour. Nice motor.

[image: dirtbikes.jpg]
Since they changed the name from "Harley's Rock Inn" to plain old "Rock Inn," business has doubled. :nuts:

[image: lakelizroad.jpg]
Elizabeth Lake Road is no slouch either.

[image: lakelizroad2.jpg]
Liz Lake Road.

[image: lizlake.jpg]
Whiz Lake -- Almost made it home without a stop after the one beer.

Awesome! Thanks for posting! :thumbsup:

Nice ride report and pics. Thanks for posting. It's a bummer that our site shrunk your map. My eyesight ain't what it used to be. :idea3:

Those are the roads that Lee (VFR_Lee) likes to ride. You two ought to get together for a date. :blink:

fred

You have made me very jellous!

Nice report! :thumbsup:

Alcohol free beer right! :salesman:

so, you must be: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/User:Jamesb01 am I right?

I don't know how long that additional VFR photo is going to last in an uncropped state...

Nice post :thumbsup:

We tend to ride those roads qite a bit as well. Starting from my neck of the woods, we'll run over Grimes Cyn and take Guiberson to Torrey to the 125 then onto the 5 and off at Parker. Head up Lake Hughes road to Lake Eliz road and then run San Fran to Spunky to Bouquet then either turn around and come back up Bouquet or run the rest San Fran.

Haven't been on Agua Dulce so how does that road compare to the rest?

Thanks for the post. Took the ELizabeth Lake Road one time trying to avoid LA after a Sierra Tour. Would have taken it again during the 06 GP but too hot so went to the coast as fast as I could.

Great roads ..........may have to check out some of the loops now. Thanks again.

I missed this one before. Nice post, and those ARE some of my favorite roads.

Love the Rock Inn for breakfast or lunch. Good breakfast. Good BBQ. :salesman:

They remember me and some of the other guys. Or at least our favorite waitress Jamie does. :thumbsup:

Just watch out for the Hardley's after they've been hitting the "aiming fluid". :beer:

There's a bunch of other good roads up that way too. :goofy:

for two very obvious reasons, I love to watch Jamie work.

I'm really jealous and wish I was home

I miss the Rock Inn also. I need to ride in the street again soon.

ULEWZI miss the Rock Inn also. I need to ride in the street again soon.

Ya think :rolleyes:

Isn't that first set of pics where they filmed Bill n Ted's 2?

Those cool tilted sedimentary rock formations are Vasquez Rocks. right off the 14 Fwy.

They've filmed a lot of stuff over the years there I think. Especially westerns.

Interesting terrain for a short hike. :thumbsup:

Nice, thanks for sharing , you have some nice back country down there, I'm jealous

You guys give Hwy 33 north out of Ojai a run, also Cerro Noroeste, and Lockwood Valley.

Had an all day run up through there today. Best and longest ride in a while @ 307 miles. :warranty:

Ran past 60,000 miles on the VFR's clock. :idea3:

Wow! Six years ago -- need to do this again.

Lee, are you practicing for the weekend?

[image: magnatour.jpg]

Sabre I think but great pic's .......

drewl

Isn't that first set of pics where they filmed Bill n Ted's 2?

Here's a list of productions filmed at Vasquez Rocks over the years:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_productions_using_the_Vasquez_Rocks_as_a_filming_location

Well, I see that was an older ride report so if you have not had any probs with the Givi rack, you are probably overdue. If you have, then sorry I did not catch you sooner! Those look like some awesome roads! I was very fortunate to get to ride some stuff around San Jose a few years ago with PorradaVFR . incredible stuff! Take care, hope you are still on the yellow bike!

Ernie

vfrurknee

Well, I see that was an older ride report so if you have not had any probs with the Givi rack, you are probably overdue. If you have, then sorry I did not catch you sooner! Those look like some awesome roads! I was very fortunate to get to ride some stuff around San Jose a few years ago with PorradaVFR . incredible stuff! Take care, hope you are still on the yellow bike!

Ernie

Yes, my rack cracked, apparently like all Givi racks. I read that they will replace it "free" only to have it crack again. I should have installed it with rubber bushings on the subframe to keep it from pulling on itself, but don't know for sure if that would have kept it from cracking.

Great post, the Magna is actually a Sabre.....

Just out there yesterday riding with Lee. Very nice riding area I plan on going to more often. There is still quite a bit of burn damage but most of the roads are not affected. IMO we should try and keep it a well garded secret.

Switchblade

[image: magnatour.jpg]

Sabre I think but great pic's .......

+2

Saaaaaweetttt!