Dezert Trash & New Jammies

09-27-09

The KTM has been sitting after 3 weeks on and off in the shop for warranty work. Another typical Palmdale story.
And regardless of my knee hurting for the past 2 weeks I finally got the Orange out and went for a spin. Got the big honkin' Dunlop D906RR rear skin and the uber-tall Renazco seat to test out.
Wrapped up the knee, put on the knee guards, the new Klim jammies and went up to the forest to see if I could sneak in. It was gonna be a hot one.

I didn't bother with Aliso to Angels Forest, surely closed.
Big Rock Creek - Closed.
Headed out to Big Pines Hwy, and Wrightwood entrance - Closed.

Bike looks good, yeah, runs good too.

How you like my new jammies?

Putted around Wrightwood, no access anyhow. Cut back down Big Pines at down into the desert and the heat.
Took my fav cut thru the dez Black Butte Road....awesome damn fast piece of graded hardpack and sand.
How fast do you wanna go? Squeeze the Orange and it just keeps on squirtin'...

Crossed over the highway and into the eastern dregs of Lake Los Angeles. Anywhere north and east of here is one big spread of a trash heap.
Unbelievable the leavings scattered across this place. I swear you could start a furniture store for squatters. You could supply there illegitimate children with baby strollers and toys for all of their formative years.
You name it it's there.

Boating anyone?

I did stop for a moment cuz I was stunned to find a clear spot.

After the insatiable sand whoops combined with dodging old tires and godwhatever else, search for adventure got old.
Heat and junk, and sand...oh and some bigass ant hills
Pointed the consumers GPS west just before the battery went to sleep.
It was inevitable, I'd be going toward or around the buttes. They looked fantastic if you squinted the trailers out.

We decided (KTM and I) to take a familiar backroad up to the old Saddleback Butte area, behind the Ponderosa (again).

Wow. More junk and sand and junk, then north again to Hi Vista. It was so cool back in the day to ride across the desert to the Hi Vista Bar for an ice cold Coke.

Hi Vista loomed ahead...no wait, we're already there.

 

Literally one of the coolest spots in this hellhole.
The Hi Vista Bar

Fuck Hollywood.

After a snack, a smoke and some water, it started getting eerie. The Mexicam Baptist church across the street had the windows open.
The preacher was preachin' in a strange dialect. Outside of that all I could hear was the pulsating sounds of giant pidgeons cooing somewhere, or whatever it is they do. Every time I come here it gets weirder. Jean and I almost hit the Devil Dog on the old /7 here. He waited until we where right even with him then rain across the road in front of us.
Like a bad omen.

Snapped a quick pic of the Elephant Rock of my youth and beat it outta there.

We're was rollin' now...but wait, had to stop a sec. ...
Hmmm.... free junk.
I don't need a TV but my wife might like that plant...

Cut across Shorty cut across.  Desert highways are the best for riding flat out. It's a gamble, puts you right on the edge.
You have to think like a tweeker. Flat out, hair on fire, flat linin' from point A to B.
I made it back to the hills in no time, to hell with the man!

Mt. Emma Road was open to Angeles Forest Hwy. I slipped pass the "sign" and headed up to Aliso Cyn.
Low and behold, no chippies guarding the way into Angeles Forest, so I slipped by that one too.

Got my first peek at the area up there.
Next weekend I'm getting up in here. I have to see the ridgeline trails.

I snuk up a short poleline road.

Just before the good turns start at the top of Angeles Forest.

The new charcoal-flavored Aliso Canyon. That's Acton way in the distance, other side of the burn.

That's about it, 175 miles and I'm beat.

Time to strip off the jammies and lay around and watch WSB.

How about that Simoncelli!?!