San Andreas Fault - Ride Report

[Scud]

Cross Posted from V11LeMans.com

I rode about 150 miles along the San Andreas Fault today.
 

 
I mapped out a bunch of twisty back roads that follow the fault line. Such as this tasty unstriped road.
 

 
The fault itself is rarely visible on the ground, but it was cool riding along the transition zones that have different features on each side - due to the plates sliding past each other over millions of years. I believe the fault is at the bottom of this valley.
 

 
Everything was green from last winter's rain - and this hillside is going to explode in purple soon. I saw a few spots with intense early bloomers, but no pics of those, sorry...
 

 
After leaving the fault line, I headed South on CA-33. This road has been calling me since it denied me recently (due to landslides). So worth it. This section is on the descent toward Ojai.
 

 
Then on to Neptune's Net on the ocean for a bread-bowl of clam chowder... a quick rip up Mulholland Drive... and an agonizing slog through Los Angeles.
 
Ride Stats:
 - 500 miles
 - 11 hours
 - 6,879 max elevation
 - 4 gas stops
 - 9 California Counties: San Diego, Riverside, San Bernardino, Los Angeles, Kern, San Luis Obispo, Santa Barbara, Ventura, Los Angeles (southern pass), Orange, and back to San Diego.

[Huzo]

Is that line depicting your route generated by a tracking device, or did you superimpose it ? I'm sorta nibbling at getting set up with a tracker but haven't yet. It must be a bit unnerving to be knowingly on top of such a critical part of real estate. Can you feel the movements or are they too rare ? BTW, I love your bike, is that what they call a Scura ? Do you have more shots of it "in action" ?

[Tom H]

Nice ride!

Tom

[Chuck in Indiana]

Is that line depicting your route generated by a tracking device, or did you superimpose it ? I'm sorta nibbling at getting set up with a tracker but haven't yet. It must be a bit unnerving to be knowingly on top of such a critical part of real estate. Can you feel the movements or are they too rare ? BTW, I love your bike, is that what they call a Scura ? Do you have more shots of it "in action" ?

That is a special "heart of darkness" model Scura.  Quite a labor of love.
http://www.v11lemans.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=18805

[Scud]

I created the line in my map software, then uploaded it to my Garmin GPS 60, which will display the track in any color I choose. I have it oriented to "track up" not "north up" so the line on the map points the way forward and the map is oriented in the current direction of travel. That way I can see at a glance how soon a turn is coming up.

I've had the Garmin 60 for a long time, and it will also create a track as I ride (or hike) - so that line could have been created by my actual ride - and there would have been a few minor differences as I missed some turns. I have just ordered, and am awaiting delivery on an upgrade though. Garmin has a new handheld unit, called the InReach Explorer. It has send capabilities - so it will do most everything my current unit does - but it will also allow others to track my location from a website and it has texting and emergency response features - like the Spot devices.

As for riding on the fault - I think scientists register some movement everyday, but most of it is small and in unpopulated regions. I have been riding or driving a car during moderate earthquakes - didn't feel them at all. The movement and the vehicle's suspension compensate. But a big one would be a different story.

Here's a cool map of the fault:

http://www.thulescientific.com/san-andreas-fault-map.html

If you zoom in, you'll see lots of twisty roads under the fault line.

Gratuitous Scura Photo:

[oldbike54]

 Thanks Scud 

 Dusty

[Sasquatch Jim]

 Yeah that's right, blame it all on Saint Andrew, it's his fault.

[Park Ridge Phil]

Great looking motorcycle and post. Thanks. 😎

[PJPR01]

  very cool!

[twowings]

Well, if the earth opens up, at least you'll die happy!! Wonderful bike and ride...

[Guido Valvole]

Regarding being on a bike during an earthquake, back in `89 a friend was on his hardtail Harley during the Loma Prieta/World Series quake. He said he didn't feel anything unusual...
YMMV there. Last time I saw him he was on an airhead Beemer.
cr

[Scud]

Regarding being on a bike during an earthquake, back in `89 a friend was on his hardtail Harley during the Loma Prieta/World Series quake. He said he didn't feel anything unusual...
YMMV there. Last time I saw him he was on an airhead Beemer.
cr

One more earthquake and he'll have enough sense shaken into him to get a Guzzi.

[PJPR01]

Regarding being on a bike during an earthquake, back in `89 a friend was on his hardtail Harley during the Loma Prieta/World Series quake. He said he didn't feel anything unusual...
YMMV there. Last time I saw him he was on an airhead Beemer.
cr

That was a doozy of an earthquake...I was in my office in downtown Palo Alto at the time, when it hit, it felt like a bomb had gone off next door.  I remember we lost about 1 meter of water out of the pool at home.  Glad I haven't felt another one since then...

[Scud]

As a motorcyclist, one image from the Northridge earthquake (which was due to a minor fault near the San Andreas) has always haunted me. It's of the motorcycle officer who plunged to his death from a freeway overpass after the quake. I often think about that when I go over those passes. I'm not afraid of being on the open road during a quake - I'm afraid of being in, under, or around man-made structures.

http://cached.newslookup.com/cached.php?ref_id=477&siteid=2395&id=4466748&t=1389987862

[harry h]

SCUD, how was the 33?  I was planing on riding there in the next week or so.  Also, at Neptune's Net, that is Yerba Buena Rd., I used to live at the top.  Great road!

Harry

[Huzo]

I created the line in my map software, then uploaded it to my Garmin GPS 60, which will display the track in any color I choose. I have it oriented to "track up" not "north up" so the line on the map points the way forward and the map is oriented in the current direction of travel. That way I can see at a glance how soon a turn is coming up.

I've had the Garmin 60 for a long time, and it will also create a track as I ride (or hike) - so that line could have been created by my actual ride - and there would have been a few minor differences as I missed some turns. I have just ordered, and am awaiting delivery on an upgrade though. Garmin has a new handheld unit, called the InReach Explorer. It has send capabilities - so it will do most everything my current unit does - but it will also allow others to track my location from a website and it has texting and emergency response features - like the Spot devices.

As for riding on the fault - I think scientists register some movement everyday, but most of it is small and in unpopulated regions. I have been riding or driving a car during moderate earthquakes - didn't feel them at all. The movement and the vehicle's suspension compensate. But a big one would be a different story.

Here's a cool map of the fault:

http://www.thulescientific.com/san-andreas-fault-map.html

If you zoom in, you'll see lots of twisty roads under the fault line.

Gratuitous Scura Photo:

Just beautiful, thank you, and thanks for the good information.

[Scud]

SCUD, how was the 33?  I was planing on riding there in the next week or so.  Also, at Neptune's Net, that is Yerba Buena Rd., I used to live at the top.  Great road!

Harry

33 was like this:





And I was like this:   

There were still some maintenance crews shoring up, or cleaning up, the landslide areas. Still some sandy corners - and worse yet, some sections with a thin layer of dirt remaining from the graders or plows. But lots of long, lovely, clear sections. Stunning green - especially at the higher elevations. Lockwood Valley road was closed to through-traffic (residents only).

Chuck showed me Yerba Buena road about a year ago - lots of great roads in the Santa Monica Mountains.

[harry h]

Thanks for the update.  Was wondering about the condition of the road with the recent storms we have had. 

Harry

[Guzzistajohn]

  good stuff!

[mtiberio]

neat area...

[Chuck in Indiana]

Thanks for the update.  Was wondering about the condition of the road with the recent storms we have had. 

Harry

Yerba Buena has deteriorated from (no doubt) when you remember it. The stretch closest to Mulholland has been repaved.

[Penderic]

Did you miss this one?


 

[Tom H]

As a motorcyclist, one image from the Northridge earthquake (which was due to a minor fault near the San Andreas) has always haunted me. It's of the motorcycle officer who plunged to his death from a freeway overpass after the quake. I often think about that when I go over those passes. I'm not afraid of being on the open road during a quake - I'm afraid of being in, under, or around man-made structures.

http://cached.newslookup.com/cached.php?ref_id=477&siteid=2395&id=4466748&t=1389987862

 :1: :1: I remember that and the pass to Valencia are closed.

Tom