SCC Hits The Road Again on Angeles Crest Highway!

Written by: Deuce

Glendale – August 8^th saw a dozen Challengers winding their way through the Angeles Crest Highway stopping at Newcomb’s Ranch and the scenic Mt. Wilson Observatory. This was SoCal Challengers second cruise event this year and was as memorable as their first cruise which went across the Ortega Highway in Orange County. A pre-ride breakfast at the historic Foxy’s Restaurant in Glendale was enjoyed by a majority of the participants.

A group of us down in the OC decided to meet early to make it up to Foxy’s for the breakfast at 7:30 a.m. We met at Dan’s shop in Anaheim. I made it there first and saw G1 arrive shortly after. It was the first time I was able to meet G1’s wifey Brenda. I was excited that she finally attended an SCC event. Super nice gal, too. We need more participation from our significant others. I’m extremely lucky that my wife attends almost every event with me no matter what. That’s not the usual with the other members however, and I know they would love to have their spouses and family with them. Dan was next to arrive and I got to hear his ride with his new mods. The car sounded fantastic. I was very thankful for Dan as it was my second event without my car. “Jack” was still under construction. Dan let Heather and I use his SRT-8 Jeep for this cruise so I could go. James came last and brought his nephew’s girlfriend Chris. She had attended events with us before and it was good to see her again riding shotgun with James. We hit the freeway and headed north.

Upon arriving at Foxy’s in Glendale, we were greeted by several members that were already there. Dave, Kevin, Howard (Along with wife Nicki), and Jim were parked and ready to eat. We also got to meet Bob from Rowland Heights with his black Challenger. Great guy and we were glad to have him join us. Foxy’s opened in 1964 and is famous for their omelettes that have a south of the border flair. We ate heartily, James and I called each other liars, and after an hour or so, it was time to head to the meeting place for the cruise.

We met at Dave’s shop in Glendale and picked up members Chris and Rick. We had another guest join us too. Brandon came all the way up from Coronado in San Diego to ride with us. He brought his silver Challenger with him (More silver, more silver, more silver). Once everyone was there Dave gave the guidelines for the ride and handed out packets for everyone. I then had the pleasure of giving new members, Jim, Rick, and Howard their club shirts. We welcome them to the SCC family. It was time to drive!

We hopped on the 2 Freeway and proceeded up Angeles Crest Highway. The weather was great, 75-80 degrees and not a cloud in the sky. It was amazing how quickly you go from big city to two-lane mountain road. The curves were as I remembered them, soft and sweeping with lots of middle and late apexes. The last time I was on that road was on my sport bike I had owned some ten years earlier. This time I was on four wheels going much, much, slower and enjoying the scenery. We stopped at Newcomb’s Ranch for lunch and were extremely lucky to find parking for all of us relatively close together. Heather and I sat with Kevin and Brandon for lunch. When we came out people were staring at our cars from afar. I asked Rick to open his hood and all of a sudden people just started coming over to look at his engine bay. A lot of good conversation ensued with motorcyclists and car drivers alike. One gentleman we met was a retired Chrysler mechanic who gave us and our cars a lot of praise. We got the usual rock start treatment before we saddled back up to head to Mt. Wilson.

Upon arriving at Mt. Wilson we encountered a packed parking lot as there was an endurance racing event going on. Lots of runners running around everywhere thinking it was a great idea to run up the side of a mountain on a Saturday….. for fun. Luckily, we all found places to park and enjoyed the view from 6,000 or so feet up. Jim suggested we take a group shot, and me being one with no shame, I used the idea because it was a great one. I walked over to one of the runners who had finished the race and was enjoying a Moosehead Beer to take a photo of us. He agreed to take the shot and it came out great. We chatted for a while and after an hour or so it was time to head back home.

Dan had approached me earlier that day about going home the scenic way through Wrightwood instead of back through Los Angeles. Again, great idea. G1, Brandon, Chris, James, and I joined Dan and took this route home. I had never taken this route before past Newcomb’s Ranch and it didn’t disappoint. Great mountain views and a great view of the high desert off to the left for most of that route. We were surprised as we rounded one corner by a huge glider going straight up very close to the guard rail. You don’t normally approach a mountain corner and think, “I bet we’ll see a big-ass glider fly up right in front of us”. It was definitely a surprise. James hit the big 3,000 mile mark in his Challenger and stopped for a photo op. Dan thought his car was a rock knocker and took out a sizeable boulder. Luckily, he suffered no damage but the Forest Service is seeking his vehicle for rock removal duty. There were a lot of rocks to dodge on that road. Thankfully no one else hit anything. We stopped at the 15 freeway to fuel up and head home. Dan helped a newlywed couple from Italy put gas in their car as they had no clue how us “Americans” do it. They were heading to Vegas. Dan and I took part of the old Cajon Pass road back home which I hadn’t been on since I was a kid on the back of my Grandfather’s motorcycle. That brought back some great memories. It was a great day for everyone.

I’d like to thank Dave for planning and doing the legwork on this event. It went really well. I’d also like to thank Dan for letting Heather and I attend this event in his Jeep. Another cruise is coming shortly!!!!