Hey scar, are these the kind of roads you were filming on ?
K. Here's 'my' deal on Pally...
When I first bought my '02, way back when...a friend took me to Palomar on a weekend. The guys on the sport-bikes up there were (apparently) crazy-awesome drivers. In fact, because I was a relative newb, they were buzzing my tail-end, effecting what I would call 'unsafe' passes, and generally, not being very accommodating. At one point, I looked in my rear-view and there was a guy so close to my rear, all leaned over in a corner, that it startled me, and I lost my line. That was not a good experience, in fact, it could have been disastrous. I decided then and there that I did not like Palomar and resultantly, never went back.
Last year, a seasoned female rider was up on the famed Mountain, riding her ride, when a squid lost control of his bike. His machine bounced off a guard-rail and into her path. He lived, she did not. (Ever think life is unfair?) I suspect there are scores of stories like this one.
Because of it's incredible reputation, Pally is crowded with underqualified squids. That day, I was one of them.
Earlier this year, the SoCal Busa Bros (Vinny, Charles, Lamb, Craig (Shortboarder) and a couple of others and I) went across (up one side, down the other) Palomar. There was snow at the top, the surface of the road covered in ice and sand. We made it safely across. It was my first time going back there. Also earlier this year, many in the same group went across, and because of the timing, it was a far better ride. Quite enjoyable. To call it 'fantastic' would be an understatement.
As Charles mentioned, we have tons of awesome roads in SoCal. Enough so I can get a Pally-type ride without going there. These other roads don't have the rep that Pally does, so they're not over-crowded dangerous.
Turns out the Mongols were in town and around Palomar this past weekend. For anyone who doesn't know, that's the 'bad' group of Hell's Angels. Really bad. All the LEOs from all over the county were there and focused, so all the rest of the roads were rather devoid of 'the law'. It was sweet.
If you can get to Pally on a non-weekend day, go. If not, I think there's too much activity to really enjoy the road the way it's laid out.
For the sake of sharing, one day this summer, I'll get a group together, head that way, roll the camera, and share the result with ya'llz.
Palomar? Well, it's fabled.
