San Diego to Idyllwild Ride Report

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FJRBluesman

Some call me... The STIG!
FJR Supporter
Joined
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Location
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OK. Question: How many SoCal riders does it take to get a ride together….? Answer: I'm not sure but one guy pulled it off. Thanks to GhostRider, and anyone else who helped, for coordinating this. Also thanks to the Group One leader amansker and his pillion for leading us two-up and he was still able to drag his knees thru the corners… Just kidding he only did that once or twice.

The San Diego crowd GhostRider et al, was kind enough to invite other SoCal'ers for this grand adventure. We took him up on it. People showed up from Orange, Riverside and San Diego Counties, to partake in this San Diego hosted excursion. GhostRider planned out the route, from Escondido CA, elevation 684ft. to Idyllwild CA, elevation 5,300ft. He also made maps for us, planned stop points, and warned Jo'An's restaurant in Idyllwild that we'd be invading their establishment, etc. What a nice guy! We did appreciate it.

It was also really great meeting all ya'll, we have some great people on this forum! It was an awesome ride!!!

The riders:

GhostRider & Pillion (Dave and Beth)

Neil San Diego (Neil)

ynotride (Dan)

FJRBluesman (Simon)

amansker and SO (Andy & Jillian)

Santa Fe Dreamin (Lanny)

Slappy (Jerry)

McRide (?)

FJstaR (Tony)

KB1190 & Friend (Keith & Wes)

Skuehl (?)

I hope I didn't forget anyone....

The Rides:

2 - 2004

2 - 2005 Best bikes IMHO

2 - 2006

3 - 2007 WINNER!!

2 - 2008

1 - V-Strom

The Route Map

We gathered in Escondido at Starbucks at 9am and left about 9:30am or so. A couple of the group were not as well prepared with cold weather riding gear and peeled off for other parts warmer as we continued into the cloudy mountainous abyss. We took all back roads into some very desolate country and some real twisty roads. Weather was great for the most part, mostly cloudy, with some spots of drizzle. Roads weren't too bad a little wet, ok very wet, at Idyllwild, but hey, we got our bikes washed for free… OK they're really dirty now. After a couple stops for stretching, we made it to Jo'An's around noon, for some warm lunch and get out of the cold wet weather. Yes it was rather cold at 5,300 feet.

Around 1:30pm, for the trip home, we split up for those going south and those going north.

Everything went great no issues, no bikes broke down, cause there were no HDs with us, and everyone made it in one piece. I had at least a couple moments so to speak. A dog decided it was the right time to cross the road in front of me and another on coming car, the cage came closer to hitting the dog then I did, I saw this coming and took action. On the way home I did take out a flying bird around Lake Matthews. Ynotride then had to maneuver around the fallen fowl behind me. Animals really like me. I like animals too… medium rare.

Others that took pix, please contribute or add any anecdotal items to this post.

OK OK. Here are some pix…. Enjoy.

At the Escondido Starbucks, I bet they sure would like their parking spots back....

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A cavalcade of FJR's

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The gang! Thanks FJstaR for this photo. Kneeling; FJstaR (Tony), then left to right standing; Skuehl (?), KB1190 & Friend (Keith & Wes), FJRBluesman (Simon), ynotride (Dan), Slappy (Jerry), McRide (?), Santa Fe Dreamin (Lanny), Neil San Diego (Neil), amansker and SO (Andy & Jillian), GhostRider & Pillion (Dave and Beth).

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Our first real pit stop at Warner Springs.

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Almost there! It's drizzling here but we thought it was fun to hang out in the rain. We don't see that wet stuff very often….

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This is a great one. I'll call it, "The Meeting of the Minds", or "The Great Debate". Everyone is figuring out how to get home. We got there OK but, we didn't plan how to get back….

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Stimulating the economy at $4.39/gallon.

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HEY..... it looks like you guys had fun!!! :yahoo:

Betcha that'll make more people want to do it again...and again....and again. :clapping:

 
Damn! Sounds like fun. Great on youse guys for pulling this off. Bravo Zulu Ghostrider!

Returning from San Diego last Tuesday I got to see some of those roads as I headed up to Palomar Mountain via Escondido. It was a beautiful, cool, sunny day and being a Tuesday, nobody was out there. Headed down the mountain the east side like you, but headed to Julian, then I-8 towards home. BTW, took a new road heading from Julian to I-8: S2 through Anza-Borrego Desert State Park. Talk about desolate desert. Passed one car in 40 or so miles. And f*!$#ing HOT. 106-112 degrees the whole way home. Next time I'll stick to S1 which is quite a bit higher and cooler.

I've been to Idyllwild once before, coming up the road from I-10, but that was in a cage. Cool place. Look forward to doing it on the FJR someday.

Wish I could have joined you all.

 
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This was a great ride!!! It was my first ride with riders from the "Forum" and my first group ride since getting my '08. I had a wonderful time. Although we had to endure 41 degrees and rain when we reached Idyllwild, it was well worth it. Great group of riders, great route, and a great time. Thanks for orgainizing the ride.

 
On the way home I did take out a flying bird around Lake Matthews. Ynotride then had to maneuver around the fallen fowl behind me. Animals really like me. I like animals too… medium rare.
Thanks Ghostrider

You hitting that bird or did the bird hit you was the highlight of my ride :D . I saw it hit your shield then proceed to explode while flying over your head and landing right in front of my tire :assassin:

 
Great ride report FJRBluesman. Thanks to all for coming out and trying to dodge the wet weather. I really enjoyed the bit of rain going up the mountain. Made for a memorable trip. We had a mostly dry and uneventful fun ride back south. (No animals) Let's do it again soon!

 
Yep, more kudos for Ghostrider, great job!

And after getting all of us safely up that mountain, you are now officially qualified to herd cats... :D

And thanks to amansker for showing me those fantastic roads on the way home. I can't believe I lived here for over thirty years and have never seen these roads, right out my back door.

Most of my pictures are the same as FJRBluesman, but since I went to all of the trouble to get them off the camera and on this internet thingy, you all have to look at them now.

Starting point - bunch o' bikes in a strip mall

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First pit stop - Warner Springs

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Lunch stop - JoAn's in Idyllwild

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4 Feejers across the street from JoAn's

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And another shot of all of us gathered around the VStrom after lunch, trying to figure out how to get home

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Thanks again Dave (Ghostrider) it was a great time.

 
Good times everyone!!! I am glad we had an uneventful ride, well almost minus the suicidal Dog. :p I was impressed by the turnout, I guess FJR folk are the real deal. Thanks to amansker and his kind pillion for supplying the additional shirt to my very cold SO, and of course for leading group 1 on this great adventure in to the Abyss, though I too feel the weather just made it that much more memorable and adventurous. Great ride report FJRbluesman, I will not try to top that, you are now our official ride report journalist. :D

I'm glad everyone made it out for the ride it truly was a memorable adventure but, lets not let it be our last, we need to do this again soon. Thanks Jerry (Slappy) for helping herd up and separate the groups. Lunch was great I am wondering to my self hough did they really drop our sandwiches, hmm oh well I got French frys in addition to my soup for the extra wait, what a deal!!!

I say we do a Borrego Springs run before it gets to hot!!!!!

Thanks again everyone my Fiance and I had a blast.

Geese what should I have for lunch, did I leave the coffee pot on at home damn.

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Hi baby I'm warm now thanks to these kind people.

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Now thats a lot of FJR's

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Come on damn zipper it's cold I don't want to freeze.

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Somebody with more talent and memory than I can take a shot at adding some users/names to this. What you dont remember others can fill in.
I suck at photo chopping and remembering names but I will start

FJRGroupshot1.jpg


1. Skuehl

2. KB1190/Keith

3. Vstrom guy

4. FJRbluesman/Simon

5. Ynotride/Dan

6. FJstar

7. Amansker

8. SO of amansker

9. behind amansker's so is ghostrider and his so.

 
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#8 is a radical libber and INSISTS you use her real name - Jillian.

Left of #7 (me) is Santa Fe Dreamin' - blue jacket/head cover.

Left, behind #7 is Neil of San Diego

Behind #8 is Ghost Rider / Dave

Right of #8 is Beth - GhostRider's SO

Very nice meeting you all. The weather wasn't really all THAT bad . . . except that last five miles into Idylwild. It was wet, slick, tight curves. The ride home with Neil was nice and dry. We got to round off some corners on Sage road, Rice Canyon and Couser Canyon. Enjoyed it Neil . . . maybe you will be in town when I install the fuse box . . . heh, heh. I'll get some photos up over the next few days.

BTW - I saw a second coyote 5 minutes after we left the stop on 74.

Dave - Jillian really appreciated meeting Beth. Let's ride another day. Thanks for pulling it all together. Let's do it again.

 
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So ??? Rear -Skuel, KB1190 (Keith), VstromGuy (Wes), FJRBluesman, Ynotride (Dan), Slappy (Jerry), McRide, Santa Fe Dreamin, Neil San Diego (Neil), Amansker& SO (Jillian), Ghostrider (Dave) & SO (Beth), Front - FJstaR (Tony)

 
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We got to round off some corners on Sage road, Rice Canyon and Couser Canyon. Enjoyed it Neil . . . maybe you will be in town when I install the fuse box . . . heh, heh. I'll get some photos up over the next few days.
How did you like Sage Road?

 
Updated first post with names. I forgot Santa Fe Dreamin, Skuehl, and Mcride's name. Sorry I can't recall, too many new names for my tiny brain.

 
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maybe you will be in town when I install the fuse box . . . heh, heh. I'll get some photos up over the next few days.
I'd be happy to help if I can. You know, pass the wrenches and beer. Drop me a note if you want.

I didn't see the coyote, but I sure saw a gaggle of turkeys as we passed Henshaw. Bloody things were nowhere to be found during the turkey season...

ynotride - Sage Road was beautiful! (Rice Canyon and Couser Canyon also) And some of those turns were tight!

 
Somebody with more talent and memory than I can take a shot at adding some users/names to this. What you dont remember others can fill in.
I suck at photo chopping and remembering names but I will start

FJRGroupshot1.jpg


1. Skuehl

2. KB1190/Keith

3. Vstrom guy

4. FJRbluesman/Simon

5. Ynotride/Dan

6. FJstar

7. Amansker

8. SO of amansker

9. behind amansker's so is ghostrider and his so.
[SIZE=12pt]Between #5 and #7 and just above #6 is Santa Fe Dreamin AKA Lanny in the blue, black and a little grey jscket.[/SIZE]

 
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