NorCal (Bay Area) DRIVE Chat Thread

[Clipdat]

Had a great drive this past Sunday for the 4th consecutive Sunday Mines Rd drive! Smaller group this time, just three other cars came out to drive, but that actually turned out to be perfect. Sometimes the smaller groups are easier to coordinate and manage, not to mention stay closer together when doing the actual drive.

Got to see @driggity's freshly washed Hot Lava again. Fun fact, this was the color I originally wanted before I got my Whiteout. Unfortunately back when I got my car during the first week of December 2012, they were still in really high demand and cars were just trickling into the dealerships, many of which were already spoken for. Kinda had to go with what they had, unless you wanted to wait for an undetermined amount of time for a different color. I also noticed his gorgeous alcantara Prova steering wheel - I need this thing in my life! Looked online after the drive, it's fucking $750. On second thought, I'm good with the stock wheel.

As we set off for Mines at 9:05am, it was already sunny and warm out, clearly it was going to be another scorcher! And it was, because on the way back later it was 103 on Mines. The drive down was nice and uneventful, with the exception of some oncoming traffic and a few lone cyclists that were easily avoidable. Since I was leading, I was calling back all the oncoming traffic over the radio so that @PMok would get a warning. I found out later that he never got any of my radio transmissions! I guess the canyon walls or just the distance between us prevented that. In the future I will make sure to press the specific "high power" button on my radios when making the calls.

Apparently I was getting in the zone during the single lane sections as I lost my Ultramarine brother that had been closely following me. Later on, he said that I "just took off" - guilty as charged. There's many corners during the initial single lane section where you stay in 2nd gear for several minutes. In this section there's a lot of great right hand turns that you can throw the car into and then accelerate and feel the chassis rotate through the corner effortlessly. It's a great sensation as your car hugs the subtlety banked turn and does exactly what you're telling it to.

When we arrived at The Junction, there were a few other cool cars there. A Mercedes SLS AMG, and a McLaren that I'm unfortunately blanking on the name of. A lot of their newer models look similar to me. I think it may have been the MP4 12C, 650S, or 570S. Too bad they took off before we could snap any pics!

After chatting for a bit, we decided to do Mt. Ham again like the previous week. This turned out to be a great decision as the road was free of any obstructions the entire way up. There was however more gravel on both Mines and this section this week versus last. I believe this is because they're working on installing a traffic light near the single lane bridge on the backside of Mt. Ham. That'll be interesting to see in operation once it's complete.

Coming down the backside of Mt. Ham is definitely a thrill thanks to the added momentum. I took the first stretch pretty easy and used the opportunity to work on my corner entries and to get used to the feeling of weight shifting. Memories of the "slow in, fast out" technique came to mind at this time.

Once the elevation started to even out, I came around a right hand corner at the same time as a howling white sport bike coming the other direction, who's rider was leaning over far and hugging the center lane line. As he passed by I heard the loud bang of a rock hitting my car, and then I felt a rock hit my shoulder! His rear tire actually kicked up a rock into my car that then bounced into me and dropped down somewhere inside. I will have to find it eventually and keep it as a memento of this drive.

Had a great lunch as usual at The Junction and headed back up Mines toward Livermore at a blistering pace as I chased the dark blue blur in front of me. The road was miraculously clear aside from a few slow cars which pulled over to let us pass. We really started pushing hard during the later sections to the point where I was fighting with my car and it's non stop TCS light flashing. Unfortunately at one point during a single lane section, I moved over too far to the right to give an oncoming motorcycle some room and went onto the shoulder. Of course right at this particular section of shoulder, there was an enormous chunk of road missing. Hitting that did not make a nice noise and I was half expecting my wheel to be bent and my tire to lose air. Fortunately I avoided disaster and everything seems to be fine with that front right corner.

After that ~45 minute return trip in 100+ degree weather, it seems like exhaustion quickly catches up to you. On the way home on 880N I was struggling to stay awake. From now on I think I'll be stopping back at the Starbucks starting point afterwards and grabbing a huge iced coffee for the drive home.

All in all another nice experience on Mines. After 4 consecutive weeks so far this year (and 5 sessions last year, and more before that), I am not getting bored or tired of driving this road whatsoever. In fact, after this last drive I'm even more excited to go back and drive it again. I literally cannot get enough of this road.

[PMok]

Originally Posted by Clipdat

Looks like there will probably need to be a second pie run scheduled since it seems like a lot of the regulars (myself included) will not be able to make Saturday's.

Just a heads up, the following weekend will be the Gilroy Garlic Festival which means increased traffic in the area. Last year we did the pie run on that same weekend and the drive was ... slow. Which is in part why we're doing this one a little earlier.


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[BigFatFlip]

Originally Posted by PMok

Just a heads up, the following weekend will be the Gilroy Garlic Festival which means increased traffic in the area. Last year we did the pie run on that same weekend and the drive was ... slow. Which is in part why we're doing this one a little earlier.

Or...we could do it a lot later, like in a couple weeks? Eh?

[spike021]

Originally Posted by BigFatFlip

Or...we could do it a lot later, like in a couple weeks? Eh?

That'd work much better for me. I work full time during the week so my weekends are usually pretty booked in advance.

If we did this like the weekend after Gilroy Garlic Festival it'd be much better for those of us who need to plan the time for it.

[Clipdat]

For big annual events like this, maybe there could be a poll made several weeks in advance, with like 2 or 3 different upcoming date options. That way people can vote on the day that works best for them, so that the maximum number of people can consume pie simultaneously.

Originally Posted by PMok

Just a heads up, the following weekend will be the Gilroy Garlic Festival which means increased traffic in the area. Last year we did the pie run on that same weekend and the drive was ... slow. Which is in part why we're doing this one a little earlier.

[My Key]

Originally Posted by BigFatFlip

Or...we could do it a lot later, like in a couple weeks? Eh?

Originally Posted by spike021

That'd work much better for me. I work full time during the week so my weekends are usually pretty booked in advance.

If we did this like the weekend after Gilroy Garlic Festival it'd be much better for those of us who need to plan the time for it.

Originally Posted by Clipdat

For big annual events like this, maybe there could be a poll made several weeks in advance, with like 2 or 3 different upcoming date options. That way people can vote on the day that works best for them, so that the maximum number of people can consume pie simultaneously.

Would be much appreciated. That way I can schedule maintenance around it or let my wife know so she doesn't work that day.

[PMok]

I understand some of you are disappointed that you can't make it to the Gizdich Ranch drive this coming weekend. We will go forward with holding it then, as that is what has been planned.

If someone else wants to step up and organize additional visits to the Ranch this summer, and poll the public about who can make it when, please go right ahead. I always appreciate it when others can help out with leading drives, organizing events, and planning activities. Anyone can do this! As I used to say on the morning drives, "I'm not in charge, no one's in charge. We are all friends who all happen to drive the same car and be going in the same direction."

[Clipdat]

@PMok, @finch1750: Skaggs Spring road.

https://goo.gl/maps/d7EZaX9HFkr

[Mchilese]

Originally Posted by Clipdat

@PMok, @finch1750: Skaggs Spring road.

https://goo.gl/maps/d7EZaX9HFkr

That would be cool to get a group together to do that. Everyone will just have to be good doing an all-day thing. Good direction, though. The times I've done it, it's best going from West to East.

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[Clipdat]

Oh, yeah, I actually mapped it in google maps going east to west, but the screenshot is misleading. But yeah then I was thinking, well where do you go from there, after you end up on highway 1? I guess the most natural thing to do would be go in reverse direction back the same way we just came.

Alternatively, if you start on the highway 1 side, how do you get there? It would take pretty long to travel up highway 1 all the way from the SF area.

Originally Posted by Mchilese

That would be cool to get a group together to do that. Everyone will just have to be good doing an all-day thing. Good direction, though. The times I've done it, it's best going from West to East.

[finch1750]

Originally Posted by Clipdat

Oh, yeah, I actually mapped it in google maps going east to west, but the screenshot is misleading. But yeah then I was thinking, well where do you go from there, after you end up on highway 1? I guess the most natural thing to do would be go in reverse direction back the same way we just came.

Alternatively, if you start on the highway 1 side, how do you get there? It would take pretty long to travel up highway 1 all the way from the SF area.

Hwy 1 south to Panoramic Hwy?

[My Key]

Originally Posted by PMok

"We are all friends who all happen to drive the same car and be going in the same direction."

Isn't that the same thing we would say to cops?

[Clipdat]

Guys I found an alarm clock to help you get out of bed for those early morning drives:

[ame="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SWv7BWEoQmM"]Flying Alarm Clock Demo - YouTube[/ame]

[PMok]

Originally Posted by My Key

Isn't that the same thing we would say to cops?

exactly. I make sure everyone's got their story straight before we set off.

Skaggs Springs... I have been wanting to do that one for a long time. Yeah it will take some commitment and a whole day to go. I'd say take 101 to get up there, do it both directions, then cruise back. Hwy 1 probably too slow and Pano Hwy will be congested by mid-day on a weekend.