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What a Drive!

Okay, maybe i'm getting a little ahead of myself here. Let me back up a bit...
(ReWind-ReWind---)

So there I am, nekkid, hanging upsidown by my feet, when this guy in a doctor's outfit slaps me on the bum...
No, wait, too far back (FastForward-FastForward---)

...So the wife & kids are out of town, just me and the Viper. Where to Go...Went up to Santa Barbara & Solvang last week with a buddy, he followed in his 09 Vette, did a jog up the 154, fed the Ostriches, swapped cars,  but thats a different story.

Go on Pashnit.com, look for some new twisties. Hmmm, SR 33 to Cerro Noroeste sounds good. Tuesday noon, sunny skies & zero to no traffic in the forecast. Done deal.

As some of you know, I moonlight as a CHP Officer out of Ventura. I frequently work SR 33 and know the road intimately, at least up to mile-marker 39, north of Ojai. I have made many many high speed trips full code up that hill enroute to the next fallen motorcyclist. So I figure why not do it for fun this time? Nobody's life on the line, just me and the mountain.

Pashnit writes the road up as one of the best in the area: good/great pavement, light to no traffic, excellent twisties & some beautiful scenery. Just beware of the occasional big rock or cow in the roadway.
Gas up in Santa Paula...

and I'm off---
The drive north up the 150 is pleasant, lotsa traffic & slow going. I manage to blast by some slow movers but quickly catch some more. Cruise thru Ojai, hit the 33 connector & I'm off---
School Zone, slow-slow-slow...
And I'm off---
Stop Sign.
And I'm OFF! <L
Zero traffic. I know the next 25 miles inside & out- from the seat of a patrol car. I'm intently tuned to just how much more I can push it into the corners with this car. Much more engine & brake power to play with. lighter car, suspension infinitely better.
>11
Night & Day difference.
The Viper, as usual, is Buttah! A freight train on rails. All power & fury & torque. Way more car than I am a driver.
Quick stop for some picks.
Head on. At Pine Mountain Inn I notice the front door is open. They've had the same "Opening Soon" sign up for the last three years, but I've never seen it open. Quick stop. "Hey there" comes a voice from inside. Tom Wolf, the owner, walks out to greet me. I introduce myself and we spend the next hour exchanging stories about all the dead bikers we've seen through the years. Tells me the history of his place & when he's planning to open 'er up agian "soon". Am given an open invitation to his birthday party / town hall meeting on the 26th of Sept. Very nice man. Bid fare well, hit the road.
I'm in unfamiliar territory now, never been this far up the hill. Interestingly, fresh pavement awaits just on the other side. Nice! Going down the backside is a study in avoiding rocks in the road.
<u
Hit the bottom and its lots of long sweepers & straights. Rocks are gone. Still no traffic. last 20 miles is arrow straight and nearly flat. I smell a WOT Check.
---
Okay, thats enough of that.
Hit the north end & the 33 blends with the 166 going n/e.
Ahh, there it is: Cerro Noroeste Rd.
Hang a right, and I'm off!
Cow-COW!
<3
So the disclaimer is that there are rocks & cows. What they dont tell you is the cows sometimes hang out in corners. Cerro Noroeste has lotsa corners- lotsa blind corners. its also a narrow road. I cant really say that he was in my lane, but he was in the road, kinda on the center line. Facing away from me.

First time I've ever engaged full anti-lock in this car. The Viper can stop REALLY Fast.

So after dredging the depths of my vocabulary in the general direction of the cow, I pull to the right, get out & shoo the cow off the road.
Bad Cow.
Drive a mile or so, pull over. take a break & some more picks.

The next 30 or so miles are a spectacular drive up the mountain. Fresh pavement, great sweepers & twisties, beautiful scenery. All tempered with the knowledge that Cow#2 may be just around the corner.
Get up into the mountains, no more farms, cow fears disappear.
Beautiful!
On the backside of the mountain start to hit local traffic. Small mountain towns. Trucks & minivans. I'm tired anyway.
Hit Frazier Park, then the 5 south. Freeway cruisin' to finish the drive.

Hit the driveway, odo says 188 mile round trip. Whew!

What a drive!
<1

Took tha Big Orange out for a spin on Highway 2. Never been there B4, thought I'd check it out.
...
It was a Tuesday afternoon. I'd heard the weekend traffic up there can get pretty hefty, but today it was just me and the mountain.
<u
I've been on many great roads & rides, mostly astride a Harley. Never one like this tho. As soon as I cleared "Civilization" it became a two lane stretch cutting its way in and through the canyons.
>j
Oh, good grief! That sweeper was Great! Prolly be the only one...wait! Hold-on, carve this turn- High entry/late twothirdsapex/high exit, setup for the next...oohh, that one was even better....
<K
...Keeping it in third, plenty of torque coming out and enough compression going in- havent touched the brakes for miles...

At about 55 miles in I stopped and took a breather. Realized I was getting kinda tired (kinda O> old) and would still have to drive back.
...
It struck me about fifteen minutes into my little break that I hadnt seen or heard a single soul since i'd been there. Hadnt passed one in 20 miles. The only sounds were made by me &/or the wind coming up the canyon.
Spectacular!
...
Of course, as I'm thinking this, the unmistakable ROAR of an American V-8 crescendos in from the east. It builds in fury until a black A/C Cobra blows by in joyous WOT.
>r
Take some pics, suck down some water, soak up a little more silence, then its time to go.
...
The drive back is a little faster- no hidden descending radius killer turns to worry about. I'm familiar with the road now and i push it just a little bit harder- but not much. So many beautifully long sweepers and quick switchbacks - one after the other-What a Great driving road!
...
The car was flawless, tho I see a new set of Borla Cat-Backs in my near future- lotsa heat in the cockpit!
As I type this I cant help but think how fortunate I am to live in the best part of the best state of the best country in the world, and have access to such a great car with so many great roads to ring it out on.
Heres to the Good Life!