Hi Fred. I finally did it! Beautiful autumn day yesterday. Started in Grapevine (between the north and southbound I-5 lanes) and poked around some of the Ridge Route remnants. Stopped at Dead Man's Curve near Fort Tejon, and then visited the Ridge Route Communities museum in Frazier Park (definitely worth a stop - friendly and knowledgable folks there). Then on to the Ridge Route which was open all the way through from Gorman to Castiac. No backtracking 🙂 One tip for anyone planing this trip. The some of best sections of the road (in terms of original concrete condition) follow the east side of the ridge. Morning or mid-day sun is preferrable. Many of these sections were in the shadows for me. Thank you again, Fred, for the inspiration to do this trip. It's been decades in the making.
My grandfather told me stories about taking this route. I just had a conversation a couple of weeks back with a friend who remembers taking this route with his family. I loved this video. Thank you!
Thank you, AG! I really appreciate the kind words. Just like you, my dad and my spouse's grandmother talked about routinely taking the Ridge Route. It's amazing that it was the best way to go at one time. It's still so serene up there. I love the views. Thank you for watching the video! -Fred : )
We live in Fresno California. Central part of the State. My Dad said when he was growing up in the 20s and 30s, a trip to Los Angeles would take two days by car. Day One is traveling to Bakersfield and spend the night. Next day, going to Los Angeles would take the entire day, going up, down, and sideways, through the Grapevine.
Wow.... I drove from LA to Bakersfield dozens of times and it was fascinating to see how they traveled 100 years ago. Thanks for making this trip. Hope your tires are ok. Great video!!
Thank you, JL! Yeah, a lot of people haven't seen this route, but have heard it it. That's what gave me the idea to shoot it. I have several higher clearance vehicles now, but at the time I shot this, can you believe that I used a Honda CR-V I had at the time for a lot of it? But other than the upper canyon folds/turns, which had a lot of rocks and pebbles, the car's low clearance wasn't too much of a problem. But I would advise using higher clearance vehicles to anyone else though. Thank you for watching the video. Fred : )
I agree with you, Cathryn. San Fernando Road and SF Blvd have the "Historic Route 99" signs, but they only cover so much distance there in the SF Valley. More would help people realize the foundations that a lot of these cities are built on; namely historic market trading and travel routes. Thank you for watching. -Fred : )
I am now 73 years old. About 50 years ago when I was a lot younger I had driven the old ridge route as part of a scenic drive to see what the old ridge route was like. About 50 years ago the old ridge route was in better shape than it is today. At present the old ridge route is a closed road. The old ridge route is an interesting piece of history from an earlier time when travel was slower and it took a much longer time to drive from Los Angeles to Bakersfield.
How great that you got to drive the Ridge Route when it was in more pristine condition, David. Thank you for your remembrances of that time. I wish I had seen it as you did. Thank you for watching the video. -Fred : )
Something nostalgic about taking the roads that no one travels anymore. Hwy 99 used to be THE road from Mexico to Canada. Nowdays anything that wasn't absorbed into I-5 is either a small two-lane from one small town to another or competely let go to ruin. But even ruins can still hold something amazing! Thank you for sharing this. I travel a lot of 99 in Oregon, and it's really neat to see what it looks like in Cali.
Thank you Josh! Yeah, I love seeing those eateries and hotels along the old US 99, those isolated parts now. It's like excavating and finding evidence of what was once was. I watched Psycho recently again to see the old US 99 about where Gorman is today, and also to see the scene where Janet Leigh gets pulled over just east of US 99 on Gorman Post Road. I love that most of that road looks pretty much the same in that one area. Thank you for watching! -Fred : )
You bet, Rick! I'm glad that you enjoyed seeing it. It was a lot of fun to record, and it's very peaceful up there. Hope you have a great weekend, and thank you kindly for watching the video! -Fred : )
Thank you, Tammy! I'm glad that you enjoyed the videos. It's fun making them. I especially like getting out into wide, open spaces (to borrow a phrase form the Dixie Chicks). It's those surprises such as mom and pop eateries and such that make getting out of the big city so fun. -Fred : )
I'm adding this to my bucket list of things to do. My mother's parents took this route in 1930, south to north, with their first child, a new born infant girl, in a Model T Ford.
I'm glad to hear that, Franaydelott. These kinds of rides are fun because you can find interesting places to stop along the way such as eateries and local sights. Happy New Year to you! -Fred : )
Great job of editing the video after the drive. Certainly not a quick process! I drove the Ridge back in ‘93. Going north from Castaic to Gorman. Took me about 90 minutes. The next time I drove I-5 straight through it only took 30 minutes from Castaic to Gorman. Now that’s progress!
Thank you for the compliments, Michael! I appreciate it. I think about your point each time I go through the Grapevine, which I did just today again, both ways. Not only how fast you get through this somewhat rugged terrain, but also how it's an eight lane highway throughout. It's really an amazing feat! Thank you for watching the video. -Fred : )
4k is even better! Thanks for another cool video. I don’t know if anyone has mentioned it, or if you already made one, but could you make a video on Sierra highway? Start of route to finish?
Hi ishinurskull, yes, I have done a Sierra Hwy Old US Route 6 going northbound from Newhall to Mojave. Here it is: th-cam.com/video/fhjgsRxATmY/w-d-xo.html
Swede's Cut, or also known as the Culebra Cut, was the only point along the Old Ridge Route where a power shovel was used to remove huge quantities of dirt and rocks. The rest if the road was cut using "Fresno Scrapers"; horse or mule pulled devices that pre-date self-propelled equipment. There were enough curves in the original alignment to create 110 complete circles from Grapvine down to San Fernando.
That's amazing, Lane! Thank you for posting this. It blows my mind that in those early days, they took on this tremendous project. I can't begin to imagine the amount of really hard work that it all took. Thank you for watching. -Fred : )
I grew op on the RIdge Route in Lebec. I remember seeing a lot of things that you show in your video. In your video, at 7:41, there used to be a small motel among those trees. That would have been in the 1950's. My mother worked there for a short while. I have been trying to research the name of that motel. When I do online research, it always directs me the the bigger Lebec Hotel in Lebec. Do you have any info on that or info on where I can search that? Love the video and the music.
Hi Connie, I just looked at the video at 7:41 min/sec, and so I see where you are talking about. That must have been such a nice, serene part of the road there because the creek used to ripple down the hill (opposite direction of our travel on the video), and the road just meandered down the canyon. I wish I had seen it that way. I don't recall if he talks about it or not, but the guy who wrote the book on the ridge route, Harrison Irving Scott, does talk about a lot of hotels and motels all along the path in his book, "Ridge Route." Here is the Amazon link: www.amazon.com/Ridge-Route-California-Hardcover-October/dp/0615120008/ref=sr_1_3?crid=2K6H27VOTYUXF&keywords=ridge+route&qid=1698192091&sprefix=ridge+route%2Caps%2C150&sr=8-3 Also, the Ridge Route Museum might know something about it. I think that they have odd hours, so you'll want to call to see when you could speak to someone. Here is the link: ridgeroutemuseum.org/ Thank you for watching the video, Connie. Fred : )
Thank you, Joyce! I try to make the drives somewhat hypnotic to watch. It's kind of how I feel about long drives and seeing the scenery anyways, so I try to relate that in the music. Thank you very much for watching the video! -Fred
That's awesome, Laurie. I met him once when I was interning at KABC Radio in Los Angeles. He was just as nice as he is on TV. He was opening his mail while I was doing some other administrative stuff at the same big table. So we started chatting, and I feel very honored to have met him. Thank you for watching the video. Fred : )
I miss living in Bakersfield sometimes. The city itself isn't that great, but get just outside of town to the west, east, or south, (not north 😆) and you are in some of the most beautiful countryside there is.
Yeah, it's easy access to the state over here. Also, such less density than the LA area, where I grew up. Thank you for watching, Spamanator. -Fred : )
Love the video and music! Just one thought/suggestion..as someone who loves to cross reference google earth when I’m watching videos like this, it’s super helpful and interesting when I can see on a map where something is. Again just a suggestion that I think could really enhance the experience for the type of viewer who is map centric like myself. Thanks for the video!
Hi ryeguyseattle, I appreciate your suggestion. I have used Google Earth Studio just recently at the head a few of my videos, most of which have not been published yet because I have about 60 days "in the can" typically. But I have still not perfected what I'm trying to do with them as a sort of prologue to the Rapid Topography videos yet. I totally agree with you that some sort of satellite reference either before the videos start, or during the videos, would really benefit them. I just have to experiment and see what would work well. Thank you for watching the video of the Ridge Route. I really appreciate it. -Fred : )
Thats awesome, i thought the road had been closed off lately. I want to drive it as well. What's the point of having 1 gate closed when it's easily drivable?
Hi Charkswitlazers, there is a gate that is normally closed at the southern end (about 2 miles north of Templin Hwy), but you can usually enter from the CA SR 138 side and go south quite a distance. You'll just have to turn around and go back if that gate is shut, which is usually is. The way I did the videos in each direction was to drive to the gate, then go around and continue on, dissolving the jump past the gate. Thank you for watching the video. Fred : )
Thank you for the video last time I tried to make the same trip the road was closed after the hotel with no signs at the start at hwy 138. Is there a way to find out if the road is closed or opened before we start ?
Hi Peter. That's a great question. The only entity that I might think of is the Ridge Route Museum. I don't know if they are privy to daily gate closures, or if they are more focused on longer term swings of activities and conditions. Thank you for watching my video. I appreciate it. Here is the Ridge Route Museum link: ridgeroutemuseum.org/
If you encounter the gate being locked up on Ridge Route, how do you get around it? Turn around and go back? Great edits and very soothing roller coasteresque experience.
Hi WhitSundayDreaming, yes, exactly as you wrote. The gate is way towards the south side of the route, just a couple of miles north of Templin Hwy, so it's better to start from the north side of the route from CA SR 138 to Ridge Route Rd. That way, you'll have a lot longer experience. But it's likely these days that you will find that white gate on the south side closed, so you'll have to turn back around and exit via the north as well. And yet, I did edit through that southern gate for the same reason. Enjoy! And thank you for watching the video. Fred : )
a locked gate how nice,but you can legally be on either side of it right? our good old usfs...so if you were to straddle the gate and a ranger drove up,which side of the gate would he tell you to be on?
Hi Tim, I know that Harrison Irving Scott covers it in his book, Ridge Route (www.amazon.com/Ridge-Route-California-Hardcover-October/dp/0615120008) somewhere, and that of course it depends on where you measured the route from (LA vs the Valley vs Castaic... I would start calling it The Ridge Route in Castaic myself), but with those older cars and trucks, it was probably a good three or four hours from Castic to, let's say, Mettler, I would think, not remembering exactly what he wrote on it in his book. The weather conditions had a lot more effect on travel back then too since the cars' traction wasn't what it is now. I think if I recall correctly, the biggest point Scott made in his book was that there were a lot of stops along the way. There were service stations, motels, look out points, restaurants, and on and on. So that this fact also slowed travel just from the fact that someone bringing an older truck through the Grapevine/Ridge Route had to contend with all of these other visits going on back then. Thank you for watching the video, Tim! -Fred : )
Thank you Cynthia. I think that the land that the road is on is owned by multiple entities; not just one. It's part of the reason, aside from a lack of funding, that there hasn't been any accord for rehabilitating it further. Thank you for watching, Cynthia. -Fred
Hi @beberlys6796, yes it's basically one lane, maybe a little wider, like about two lanes wide in some sections. One has to remember that back then, the cars drove much slower, and I think that everyone was aware that the Ridge Route was a kind of treacherous ordeal to drive. Thank you for watching the video! -Fred : )
Hi Jbawden, I haven't done much of Route 66. Just small sections. But I'd like to sometime in the future when I have the time. US Route 99 is more accessible to me, so that's why I started with that one. Thank you for watching. Fred : )
You mentioned that the gate you passed is normally locked, can you get someone to unlock it so you can drive on? Also did you get special permission to travel the road? #3, some old trucking songs sing about "climbing the old Grapevine" does US 99 go over that?
Hi RichInTalent, no, there is really no one to ask to unlock the gate. I suppose that some entity having to do with either the county, the state forest, or such could unlock it if there were a film shoot or something, but what I did for the video was I simply drove up to the gate, then dissolved to the other side by driving around and continuing from the other side of the gate. I don't know about permissions for the road. The Ridge Route Museum and Historical Society might know more about local rules. They are at: ridgeroutemuseum.org/ That's great that there is a trucking song about the old route. I'll look for it. "Hot Rod Lincoln" (Commander Cody And His Lost Planet Airmen) refers to the Grapevine pass, but the song writers are likely singing about Interstate 5 or Old US Route 99 since that song was written in the early 1970's. Thank you for watching the video. -Fred : )
a locked gate how nice,but you can legally be on either side of it right? our good old usfs...so if you were to straddle the gate and a ranger drove up,which side of the gate would he tell you to be on?
Hi Fred. I finally did it! Beautiful autumn day yesterday. Started in Grapevine (between the north and southbound I-5 lanes) and poked around some of the Ridge Route remnants. Stopped at Dead Man's Curve near Fort Tejon, and then visited the Ridge Route Communities museum in Frazier Park (definitely worth a stop - friendly and knowledgable folks there). Then on to the Ridge Route which was open all the way through from Gorman to Castiac. No backtracking 🙂
One tip for anyone planing this trip. The some of best sections of the road (in terms of original concrete condition) follow the east side of the ridge. Morning or mid-day sun is preferrable. Many of these sections were in the shadows for me.
Thank you again, Fred, for the inspiration to do this trip. It's been decades in the making.
That is so great, Bob! I am so glad that you got to experience the old Ridge Route! Good going! Fred : )
My grandfather told me stories about taking this route. I just had a conversation a couple of weeks back with a friend who remembers taking this route with his family. I loved this video. Thank you!
Thank you, AG! I really appreciate the kind words. Just like you, my dad and my spouse's grandmother talked about routinely taking the Ridge Route. It's amazing that it was the best way to go at one time. It's still so serene up there. I love the views. Thank you for watching the video! -Fred : )
We live in Fresno California. Central part of the State. My Dad said when he was growing up in the 20s and 30s, a trip to Los Angeles would take two days by car. Day One is traveling to Bakersfield and spend the night. Next day, going to Los Angeles would take the entire day, going up, down, and sideways, through the Grapevine.
Wow.... I drove from LA to Bakersfield dozens of times and it was fascinating to see how they traveled 100 years ago. Thanks for making this trip. Hope your tires are ok. Great video!!
Thank you, JL! Yeah, a lot of people haven't seen this route, but have heard it it. That's what gave me the idea to shoot it. I have several higher clearance vehicles now, but at the time I shot this, can you believe that I used a Honda CR-V I had at the time for a lot of it? But other than the upper canyon folds/turns, which had a lot of rocks and pebbles, the car's low clearance wasn't too much of a problem. But I would advise using higher clearance vehicles to anyone else though. Thank you for watching the video. Fred : )
This route could use some 'Historic US 99 signs' -- I think that would a get more people exploring this way.
I agree with you, Cathryn. San Fernando Road and SF Blvd have the "Historic Route 99" signs, but they only cover so much distance there in the SF Valley. More would help people realize the foundations that a lot of these cities are built on; namely historic market trading and travel routes. Thank you for watching. -Fred : )
aw..the less people the better,no gang grafitti.
I am now 73 years old. About 50 years ago when I was a lot younger I had driven the old ridge route as part of a scenic drive to see what the old ridge route was like. About 50 years ago the old ridge route was in better shape than it is today. At present the old ridge route is a closed road. The old ridge route is an interesting piece of history from an earlier time when travel was slower and it took a much longer time to drive from Los Angeles to Bakersfield.
How great that you got to drive the Ridge Route when it was in more pristine condition, David. Thank you for your remembrances of that time. I wish I had seen it as you did. Thank you for watching the video. -Fred : )
Something nostalgic about taking the roads that no one travels anymore. Hwy 99 used to be THE road from Mexico to Canada. Nowdays anything that wasn't absorbed into I-5 is either a small two-lane from one small town to another or competely let go to ruin. But even ruins can still hold something amazing!
Thank you for sharing this. I travel a lot of 99 in Oregon, and it's really neat to see what it looks like in Cali.
Thank you Josh! Yeah, I love seeing those eateries and hotels along the old US 99, those isolated parts now. It's like excavating and finding evidence of what was once was. I watched Psycho recently again to see the old US 99 about where Gorman is today, and also to see the scene where Janet Leigh gets pulled over just east of US 99 on Gorman Post Road. I love that most of that road looks pretty much the same in that one area. Thank you for watching! -Fred : )
Awesome video, My son and I did that trip 20 yrs ago. Wish I filmed it.
Thank you, Jayballer. That's great that you have that memory of traveling the route with your son. -Fred
Awesome video. Thank you for doing this. I would love to drive the old Ridge Route but will probably never get the opportunity to do it.
You bet, Rick! I'm glad that you enjoyed seeing it. It was a lot of fun to record, and it's very peaceful up there. Hope you have a great weekend, and thank you kindly for watching the video! -Fred : )
34:10 --- Civilization!!! Welcome to LA!!! Love this video and the one going the other way (LA to Bakersfield using the Ridge Route).
Thank you, Tammy! I'm glad that you enjoyed the videos. It's fun making them. I especially like getting out into wide, open spaces (to borrow a phrase form the Dixie Chicks). It's those surprises such as mom and pop eateries and such that make getting out of the big city so fun. -Fred : )
I'm adding this to my bucket list of things to do. My mother's parents took this route in 1930, south to north, with their first child, a new born infant girl, in a Model T Ford.
I'm glad to hear that, Franaydelott. These kinds of rides are fun because you can find interesting places to stop along the way such as eateries and local sights. Happy New Year to you! -Fred : )
Great job of editing the video after the drive. Certainly not a quick process! I drove the Ridge back in ‘93. Going north from Castaic to Gorman. Took me about 90 minutes. The next time I drove I-5 straight through it only took 30 minutes from Castaic to Gorman. Now that’s progress!
Thank you for the compliments, Michael! I appreciate it. I think about your point each time I go through the Grapevine, which I did just today again, both ways. Not only how fast you get through this somewhat rugged terrain, but also how it's an eight lane highway throughout. It's really an amazing feat! Thank you for watching the video. -Fred : )
4k is even better! Thanks for another cool video. I don’t know if anyone has mentioned it, or if you already made one, but could you make a video on Sierra highway? Start of route to finish?
Hi ishinurskull, yes, I have done a Sierra Hwy Old US Route 6 going northbound from Newhall to Mojave. Here it is: th-cam.com/video/fhjgsRxATmY/w-d-xo.html
Swede's Cut, or also known as the Culebra Cut, was the only point along the Old Ridge Route where a power shovel was used to remove huge quantities of dirt and rocks. The rest if the road was cut using "Fresno Scrapers"; horse or mule pulled devices that pre-date self-propelled equipment. There were enough curves in the original alignment to create 110 complete circles from Grapvine down to San Fernando.
That's amazing, Lane! Thank you for posting this. It blows my mind that in those early days, they took on this tremendous project. I can't begin to imagine the amount of really hard work that it all took. Thank you for watching. -Fred : )
I grew op on the RIdge Route in Lebec. I remember seeing a lot of things that you show in your video. In your video, at 7:41, there used to be a small motel among those trees. That would have been in the 1950's. My mother worked there for a short while. I have been trying to research the name of that motel. When I do online research, it always directs me the the bigger Lebec Hotel in Lebec. Do you have any info on that or info on where I can search that? Love the video and the music.
Hi Connie, I just looked at the video at 7:41 min/sec, and so I see where you are talking about. That must have been such a nice, serene part of the road there because the creek used to ripple down the hill (opposite direction of our travel on the video), and the road just meandered down the canyon. I wish I had seen it that way. I don't recall if he talks about it or not, but the guy who wrote the book on the ridge route, Harrison Irving Scott, does talk about a lot of hotels and motels all along the path in his book, "Ridge Route." Here is the Amazon link: www.amazon.com/Ridge-Route-California-Hardcover-October/dp/0615120008/ref=sr_1_3?crid=2K6H27VOTYUXF&keywords=ridge+route&qid=1698192091&sprefix=ridge+route%2Caps%2C150&sr=8-3
Also, the Ridge Route Museum might know something about it. I think that they have odd hours, so you'll want to call to see when you could speak to someone. Here is the link: ridgeroutemuseum.org/
Thank you for watching the video, Connie. Fred : )
@@RapidTopography Thank you so much for the information and for taking the time to reply. I look forward to watching more videos.
Love the music, dream like.
Thank you, Joyce! I try to make the drives somewhat hypnotic to watch. It's kind of how I feel about long drives and seeing the scenery anyways, so I try to relate that in the music. Thank you very much for watching the video! -Fred
Pretty sure Huell Howser did an episode on California’s Gold … KCET PBS && it was with very old classic cars … Amazing episode 💯💯❤️❤️
That's awesome, Laurie. I met him once when I was interning at KABC Radio in Los Angeles. He was just as nice as he is on TV. He was opening his mail while I was doing some other administrative stuff at the same big table. So we started chatting, and I feel very honored to have met him. Thank you for watching the video. Fred : )
What a cool video thank you👍👌
Thank you, Sean. I appreciate your having watched it. Fred : )
I miss living in Bakersfield sometimes. The city itself isn't that great, but get just outside of town to the west, east, or south, (not north 😆) and you are in some of the most beautiful countryside there is.
Yeah, it's easy access to the state over here. Also, such less density than the LA area, where I grew up. Thank you for watching, Spamanator. -Fred : )
Love the video and music! Just one thought/suggestion..as someone who loves to cross reference google earth when I’m watching videos like this, it’s super helpful and interesting when I can see on a map where something is. Again just a suggestion that I think could really enhance the experience for the type of viewer who is map centric like myself. Thanks for the video!
Hi ryeguyseattle, I appreciate your suggestion. I have used Google Earth Studio just recently at the head a few of my videos, most of which have not been published yet because I have about 60 days "in the can" typically. But I have still not perfected what I'm trying to do with them as a sort of prologue to the Rapid Topography videos yet. I totally agree with you that some sort of satellite reference either before the videos start, or during the videos, would really benefit them. I just have to experiment and see what would work well. Thank you for watching the video of the Ridge Route. I really appreciate it. -Fred : )
@@RapidTopography Agree(I was already thinking the same thing). How about a smallish window in the upper right (continuously).
Thats awesome, i thought the road had been closed off lately. I want to drive it as well. What's the point of having 1 gate closed when it's easily drivable?
Hi Charkswitlazers, there is a gate that is normally closed at the southern end (about 2 miles north of Templin Hwy), but you can usually enter from the CA SR 138 side and go south quite a distance. You'll just have to turn around and go back if that gate is shut, which is usually is. The way I did the videos in each direction was to drive to the gate, then go around and continue on, dissolving the jump past the gate. Thank you for watching the video. Fred : )
Thank you for the video last time I tried to make the same trip the road was closed after the hotel with no signs at the start at hwy 138. Is there a way to find out if the road is closed or opened before we start ?
Hi Peter. That's a great question. The only entity that I might think of is the Ridge Route Museum. I don't know if they are privy to daily gate closures, or if they are more focused on longer term swings of activities and conditions. Thank you for watching my video. I appreciate it. Here is the Ridge Route Museum link: ridgeroutemuseum.org/
If you encounter the gate being locked up on Ridge Route, how do you get around it? Turn around and go back? Great edits and very soothing roller coasteresque experience.
Hi WhitSundayDreaming, yes, exactly as you wrote. The gate is way towards the south side of the route, just a couple of miles north of Templin Hwy, so it's better to start from the north side of the route from CA SR 138 to Ridge Route Rd. That way, you'll have a lot longer experience. But it's likely these days that you will find that white gate on the south side closed, so you'll have to turn back around and exit via the north as well. And yet, I did edit through that southern gate for the same reason. Enjoy! And thank you for watching the video. Fred : )
a locked gate how nice,but you can legally be on either side of it right? our good old usfs...so if you were to straddle the gate and a ranger drove up,which side of the gate would he tell you to be on?
Good question. I don't know.
I am curious to know when that route was in peak use and how long that drive would have taken.
Hi Tim, I know that Harrison Irving Scott covers it in his book, Ridge Route (www.amazon.com/Ridge-Route-California-Hardcover-October/dp/0615120008) somewhere, and that of course it depends on where you measured the route from (LA vs the Valley vs Castaic... I would start calling it The Ridge Route in Castaic myself), but with those older cars and trucks, it was probably a good three or four hours from Castic to, let's say, Mettler, I would think, not remembering exactly what he wrote on it in his book. The weather conditions had a lot more effect on travel back then too since the cars' traction wasn't what it is now. I think if I recall correctly, the biggest point Scott made in his book was that there were a lot of stops along the way. There were service stations, motels, look out points, restaurants, and on and on. So that this fact also slowed travel just from the fact that someone bringing an older truck through the Grapevine/Ridge Route had to contend with all of these other visits going on back then. Thank you for watching the video, Tim! -Fred : )
Can you do more old lost routes...liking dem a lot. Or routes famous people might have taken like Hollywood to San Simeon. Just a bit of poz feedback.
You bet, Martin 0691. Great suggestion, and I'm currently working on some others. Thank you very much for watching! -Fred
The Ridge Route is owned by the Sierra Club.
Thank you Cynthia. I think that the land that the road is on is owned by multiple entities; not just one. It's part of the reason, aside from a lack of funding, that there hasn't been any accord for rehabilitating it further. Thank you for watching, Cynthia. -Fred
is a one-lane road in most areas. Dangerous drive.
Hi @beberlys6796, yes it's basically one lane, maybe a little wider, like about two lanes wide in some sections. One has to remember that back then, the cars drove much slower, and I think that everyone was aware that the Ridge Route was a kind of treacherous ordeal to drive. Thank you for watching the video! -Fred : )
Peak road-geeking right here, maybe better than Rt 66?
Hi Jbawden, I haven't done much of Route 66. Just small sections. But I'd like to sometime in the future when I have the time. US Route 99 is more accessible to me, so that's why I started with that one. Thank you for watching. Fred : )
Not a great place to have car trouble!
Indeed, @kalijic1 It's a long walk. -Fred : )
You mentioned that the gate you passed is normally locked, can you get someone to unlock it so you can drive on?
Also did you get special permission to travel the road?
#3, some old trucking songs sing about "climbing the old Grapevine" does US 99 go over that?
Hi RichInTalent, no, there is really no one to ask to unlock the gate. I suppose that some entity having to do with either the county, the state forest, or such could unlock it if there were a film shoot or something, but what I did for the video was I simply drove up to the gate, then dissolved to the other side by driving around and continuing from the other side of the gate. I don't know about permissions for the road. The Ridge Route Museum and Historical Society might know more about local rules. They are at: ridgeroutemuseum.org/ That's great that there is a trucking song about the old route. I'll look for it. "Hot Rod Lincoln" (Commander Cody And His Lost Planet Airmen) refers to the Grapevine pass, but the song writers are likely singing about Interstate 5 or Old US Route 99 since that song was written in the early 1970's. Thank you for watching the video. -Fred : )
a locked gate how nice,but you can legally be on either side of it right? our good old usfs...so if you were to straddle the gate and a ranger drove up,which side of the gate would he tell you to be on?
Good question. I don't know.