April 2024 Bakersfield Road Meet

[Max Rockatansky]

I've been monitoring the forecast.  The latest on wunderground is showing about .50 inches of rain starting around midday Saturday into the afternoon around Bakersfield.  Lake Isabella has a current forecast showing about .40 inches of rain.

If needed, I have a couple ideas lined up if the weather is too hazardous east of Hart Park on CA 178. 

Idea 1:  Head south on CA 184 and Wheeler Ridge Road to check out some ruins of the Old Ridge Route in Grapevine Village.
Idea 2:  Head south on CA 184 and east on Edison Highway/Bena Road (Old US 466) towards Caliente. This would allow access to the Tehachapi Loop through much less rugged terrain.  Bena Road this time of year is pretty scenic with all the greenery.

[cl94]

Both of those are good ideas that I hope we don't need. I'd be down for either, though I did plan to revisit the Grapevine area either Friday PM or first thing Saturday for pictures.

Latest excessive rainfall outlook for Saturday has marginal risk along the central coast, none elsewhere. That could make things interesting for any of us planning to head north via 101/etc after the meet. Snow lines still looking high enough that they are unlikely to be a factor for the area passes, apart from maaaaaybe Walker if temps are on the low end of expected, but rockfall may be an issue.

[Techknow]

I'm going to put this here to give advanced notice:

Looking at the itinerary it's looking to be a busy day, on top of getting to Bakersfield! Ofc I want to drive the new CA 58 corridor, but sometime after Leg 3 or 4 I prefer to park my car and go with someone else for the rest of the road meet. Time isn't really a constraint for me, we could hash it out when we meet up.

[cahwyguy]

Latest excessive rainfall outlook for Saturday has marginal risk along the central coast, none elsewhere. That could make things interesting for any of us planning to head north via 101/etc after the meet. Snow lines still looking high enough that they are unlikely to be a factor for the area passes, apart from maaaaaybe Walker if temps are on the low end of expected, but rockfall may be an issue.

Whereas my plan after the meet is to return to Northridge via a more interesting route (if weather permits):

https://www.google.com/maps/dir/Tehachapi+Loop+(1876),+Keene,+CA/Northridge,+Los+Angeles,+CA/@34.7492242,-119.189283,9z/data=!4m15!4m14!1m5!1m1!1s0x80c1fbf29a9c3ae5:0x98d0a1489206616e!2m2!1d-118.5378281!2d35.1998125!1m5!1m1!1s0x80c29a5722594b89:0x33b2ab0f5b5d6152!2m2!1d-118.5361381!2d34.2354576!3e0!5i2?authuser=0&entry=ttu

(although I might detour to see Route 202 and Business 58)


Tehachapi Willow Springs Rd
Continue onto 90th St W
Turn right onto CA-138 W
Turn left onto 110th St W
Continue onto Johnson Rd
Turn left onto Elizabeth Lake Rd
Turn right onto San Francisquito Canyon Rd
Turn left onto Forest Rte 5N27
Forest Rte 5N27 turns slightly right and becomes San Francisquito Canyon Rd
Use any lane to turn right onto Copper Hill Dr
Continue onto Rye Canyon Rd
Use the right 2 lanes to turn right onto The Old Rd
Thence back to Northridge

[Max Rockatansky]

That's a pretty scenic stretch going back.  I really enjoyed the old stage station at Willow Springs. 

[cahwyguy]

That's a pretty scenic stretch going back.  I really enjoyed the old stage station at Willow Springs. 

I just don't know how it would be in heavy rain, or if there is the likelihood of snow (although I will be in the new Forester)

[cl94]

Rain is probably the bigger concern at the elevations involved, but this storm is supposed to be shadowed a bit more than typical. Little is expected to spill across the Sierra crest in the Tahoe area.

San Francisquito Canyon is indeed one of the ideas I had for post-meet. Doubt I'll get that far south, but I would definitely like to get to one of the SoCal wildflower regions this weekend. The bloom down south is much better than we're getting up in NorCal.

[cahwyguy]

Location:  9 AM at the McDonald's off I-5 Exit 257. Address:  20700 Tracy Avenue, Buttonwillow, CA. [...] We will meet for an hour as group before heading out on the road. 

I just want to confirm: We start meeting at 9am, and we head out on the first leg at 10am. My current plan is to head out of Northridge with @M3100 at 7-715am. Mr. Google estimates travel time at 1h45m, which should put us in Buttonwillow by 9am. Grab a decent burger at Carls, top off drinks, pay rent (after all, you only lease drinks), and head over to McDs. You have my cell if you need it.

[Max Rockatansky]

Location:  9 AM at the McDonald's off I-5 Exit 257. Address:  20700 Tracy Avenue, Buttonwillow, CA. [...] We will meet for an hour as group before heading out on the road. 

I just want to confirm: We start meeting at 9am, and we head out on the first leg at 10am. My current plan is to head out of Northridge with @M3100 at 7-715am. Mr. Google estimates travel time at 1h45m, which should put us in Buttonwillow by 9am. Grab a decent burger at Carls, top off drinks, pay rent (after all, you only lease drinks), and head over to McDs. You have my cell if you need it.

Yep, I'll likely be on site in Buttonwillow a little early myself. 

We meet up at 9 AM and depart at 10 AM.  Including myself we have six people confirmed.  I'll be in a red Subaru Impreza with steel rims if anyone is looking for me at Buttonwillow.

Having a look at a more finalized forecast it appears the rain will be arriving at about 2 PM in Bakersfield and will probably hit Lake Isabella an hour later.  Both Tejon Pass and Tehachapi Pass aren't anticipated to receive snow. 

[roadfro]

Thought I might not be able to make it, but now I can confirm. I'll be there as well.

For as long as I've been on this forum and interested in roads, this will actually be my first road meet. I'm excited to meet people!

[Max Rockatansky]

Cool, that makes for seven known confirmed. 

[cahwyguy]

I'll be in a red Subaru Impreza with steel rims if anyone is looking for me at Buttonwillow.

I'll be a in dark green Subaru Forester. I won't have transferred my personalized plates yet (♥CAHWYS), but I will have my CA 1, US 101, and I-405 magnets on the car.

[oscar]

I'm adding another Subie to the mix, this one a silver Forester, with Virginia plates and MEOW and Extra Miler Club magnets.

[SSOWorld]

What that's 4 Subies at one meet?

As if??

[Max Rockatansky]

Four that I'm aware of now that I know Oscar has one.

[oscar]

Four that I'm aware of now that I know Oscar has one.

Speaking of which, the last two days of my trip to Bakersfield were unkind to my Subie's windshield. What started as a small star fracture in an inconspicuous location, from a mystery small rock strike in SW Arizona, grew to about a foot long and keeps growing.

I'm comfortable driving with it for a few days, while I can figure out where to get the windshield replaced (which might be in my next destination, TBD, rather than Bakersfield). But other people might be uncomfortable riding with me and having to look through my damaged windshield.

[cl94]

I have made it to Bakersfield, with my pilgrimage to the intersection of Inyo and Butte completed earlier this evening. While I was afraid that my Subaru was going to get damaged on Elkhorn (Grade) Road in Carrizo Plain NM this afternoon, I appear to have escaped without damage.

[Max Rockatansky]

^^^

Fair chance I'll ask for photos.  I mentioned Elkhorn Grade a lot when I did Soda Lake Road on GN.  Elkhorn will have to wait until I get a high clearance vehicle or get my mountain bike out to Carrizo Plain National Monument.

Four that I'm aware of now that I know Oscar has one.

Speaking of which, the last two days of my trip to Bakersfield were unkind to my Subie's windshield. What started as a small star fracture in an inconspicuous location, from a mystery small rock strike in SW Arizona, grew to about a foot long and keeps growing.

I'm comfortable driving with it for a few days, while I can figure out where to get the windshield replaced (which might be in my next destination, TBD, rather than Bakersfield). But other people might be uncomfortable riding with me and having to look through my damaged windshield.

Right now I probably couldn't even tell if I had windshield damage.  All the bugs have been hatching the Central Valley this week.  Having the weather cool down tomorrow might stave the worst of it off west of Bakersfield.

[cl94]

I have a few Elkhorn photos. Road was so bad that I didn't feel comfortable taking many, but I have some. High clearance is necessary with how bad some of the erosion is, and some of those bumps sneak up on you, even at 10-15 MPH. Several places are little more than tire tracks, though I did see a few other vehicles.

And yes, bugs started showing up en masse in Reno this week. My car is covered. Shame my car wash doesn't have any locations in Bakersfield, else I'd have gotten a wash this evening.

[cahwyguy]

I'm comfortable driving with it for a few days, while I can figure out where to get the windshield replaced (which might be in my next destination, TBD

Depending on where you end up, and the age of your Subaru (i.e., do you have do deal with readjusting Eyesight sensors), it would either be a nearby Safelite location or the local Subaru dealership. Just make sure the window is water-tight.

As for getting the Subaru washed, there should be a rainstorm to take care of that. Shortly after we got my first Subaru (a 2016 Impreza, now with 43K miles we're passing to my daughter), we drove across I-10 to Scottsdale, and got caught in a haboob. New car was covered in dirt and dust. The car wash in Scottsdale took care of that, and the Subaru dealer changed the air filter for us.

This will be the first roadtrip for my new Subaru -- it has under 600 miles on it right now.

[Brandon]

I'm comfortable driving with it for a few days, while I can figure out where to get the windshield replaced (which might be in my next destination, TBD

Depending on where you end up, and the age of your Subaru (i.e., do you have do deal with readjusting Eyesight sensors), it would either be a nearby Safelite location or the local Subaru dealership. Just make sure the window is water-tight.

If you're going with Safelite, 1) they'll do it with your insurance so it won't cost as much, 2) schedule ahead to where you're going so they can have the windshield there when you arrive.  That'll make the replacement relatively fast (I know as I've had to replace several windshields in three different cars over the past two decades due to the rocks on the roads here), maybe an hour tops.

All, have fun today.  I wish I could've made it, but personal circumstances (getting laid off in the middle of February and getting a new, better job in the middle of March) got in the way.

[Max Rockatansky]

Got to Buttonwillow a little early with how fast traffic was flowing on I-5.  I'm at the McDonald's lot north of the I-5 button copy sign along Tracy Avenue.

[SSOWorld]

I'm comfortable driving with it for a few days, while I can figure out where to get the windshield replaced (which might be in my next destination, TBD

Depending on where you end up, and the age of your Subaru (i.e., do you have do deal with readjusting Eyesight sensors), it would either be a nearby Safelite location or the local Subaru dealership. Just make sure the window is water-tight.

As for getting the Subaru washed, there should be a rainstorm to take care of that. Shortly after we got my first Subaru (a 2016 Impreza, now with 43K miles we're passing to my daughter), we drove across I-10 to Scottsdale, and got caught in a haboob. New car was covered in dirt and dust. The car wash in Scottsdale took care of that, and the Subaru dealer changed the air filter for us.

This will be the first roadtrip for my new Subaru -- it has under 600 miles on it right now.

much cheaper to change yourself

[Max Rockatansky]

Just got back home from the meet.  We managed to get the full tour route in minutes before the storm got to Tehachapi Pass.  I'll be sending meet photos to everyone who was in attendance today (thanks for coming, great to put some new faces to known names) and organizing an album. 

[cahwyguy]

much cheaper to change yourself

Actually, they didn't charge us anything.