914World.com > Day trip to Mt. Wilson Observatory

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ericread

Jan 19 2009, 10:37 PM

I decided to take a day trip from where I live in Irvine, CA to Mt. Wilson, home of the Mt. Wilson Observatory.

For those of you whom don't live in SoCal, Irvine sits at about 45 feet above sea level. The trip to Pasadena (home of the Rose Bowl) is just under 60 miles and takes you to about 860 feet above sea level. Then the road from Pasadena to Mt. Wilson is another 13 miles, and takes you to just about 5,700 feet above sea level. It is also just about one of the twistiest roads I have ever navigated.

This is where you leave CA-2 to drive up a very steep two-lane road to the Observatory and all of the major radio/TV transmitters for LA
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Here's the view from one side...
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And here's the view from the other side...
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ericread

Jan 19 2009, 10:41 PM

This is me (sucking my gut in as far and as long as i can

)
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My new paint! (YAY!)
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I jumped really high before I took this photo

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And of course, the Concours reflector

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ericread

Jan 19 2009, 10:46 PM

Hey, is that a new windshield???
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Again, the Coucours required hood badge

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Yep, that's the road down there...
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Looks a bit smoggy in downtown LA
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On the road home (through LA and on to Orange County)
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Hope you enjoyed the trip!

Eric Read

TonyAKAVW

Jan 19 2009, 10:49 PM

Very nice. I had to work today

I've never been up that road, but looks like I'll have to do that soon.

-Tony

PanelBilly

Jan 19 2009, 11:23 PM

New paint and your driving the car? What about rock chips! I just don't understand how you can take such risks.

r_towle

Jan 19 2009, 11:33 PM

Are you wearing shorts?
You suck if you answer yes.

Hey, nice car BTW...though the windshield looks like its not in square.

Rich

rick 918-S

Jan 19 2009, 11:47 PM

Very nice! Thanks for taking us along for the ride! Paint looks sweet!

Grimstead

Jan 20 2009, 12:11 AM

What color is that?

Looks familiar

ericread

Jan 20 2009, 12:37 AM

I was wearing long jeans on the ride today... But I should have worn my shorts. It was in the high 70's in LA, and about 60 at the top of the mountain. A really, really nice day. Or is this just a come-on and you really want to admire my legs???

The picture of me is at my residence in Irvine this morning. And I was wearing shorts in that picture.

As for the color, it's a metalflake blue - Viper Blue to be exact. It looks really good in direct sunlight. And it helps to hide some of my bodywork blunders

As for rocks and paint chips, I can always get new paint. This car was built to be driven, and that's the fun part

Eric

ericread

Jan 20 2009, 12:41 AM

QUOTE(Grimstead @ Jan 19 2009, 10:11 PM)

What color is that?

Looks familiar

Great loking car!!! I've got a set of those same wheels set to arrive in mid February.

Eric

PeeGreen 914

Jan 20 2009, 12:48 AM

Very cool. I can't wait to do that again this spring.

oldschool

Jan 20 2009, 12:52 AM

QUOTE(ericread @ Jan 19 2009, 10:37 PM)

As for the color, it's a metalflake blue - Viper Blue to be exact. It looks really good in direct sunlight. And it helps to hide some of my bodywork blunders

As for rocks and paint chips, I can always get new paint. This car was built to be driven, and that's the fun part

Eric

Eric that seems to have been a cool ride, I have been up that way before(work)
but now that I have a 914 am there!

dkjens

Jan 20 2009, 01:13 AM

I live right down the hill from there, well almost, the 210 Frwy and Sierra Madre Blvd. When I get mine back on its wheels (hopefully within the next couple of months) I will make that same run. If you do it early weekend mornings you'll have plenty of 2-wheeled company.

type47

Jan 20 2009, 05:05 AM

what a great share! and also an idea for people to share their local sights. i, however, am not going to share any inaugural photos (taking the SO and daughter to the Metro station is as close as i'm going to get. it's 6am here and my job is taxi driver to the metro

)

jim_hoyland

Jan 20 2009, 09:05 AM

Thanks for sharing Eric; I've lived in the area and never been on that road. Does it dead end up there or is there a second route out ?

ericread

Jan 20 2009, 09:45 AM

QUOTE(jim_hoyland @ Jan 20 2009, 07:05 AM)

Thanks for sharing Eric; I've lived in the area and never been on that road. Does it dead end up there or is there a second route out ?

The road goes on through to Victorville, although it is closed in the winter. However, when you take the road to the observatory there are two short loops that take you back to the main road. The observatory loop is one-way and has two lanes. The antenna/video road is also two lanes and for on-way traffic, but has a bit higher elevation than the observatory road. I would imagine the microwave level off the antenna road is significantly higher

If you use maps.google.com and center the map on "Wilson, CA", you can follow CA-2 both directions. The really, really twisty road is "Mt. Wilson/Red Box Road" Fairly narrow with thousand foot drop-offs. Absolutely beautiful.

Eric

craig downs

Jan 20 2009, 01:02 PM

Looks good Eric. You got that done pretty fast. Seems like I just saw that you had it down to bare metal a week or so ago.

mudfoot76

Jan 20 2009, 03:01 PM

QUOTE(ericread @ Jan 20 2009, 01:37 AM)

As for rocks and paint chips, I can always get new paint. This car was built to be driven, and that's the fun part

The car looks beautiful and your attitude kicks ass

orthobiz

Jan 20 2009, 03:12 PM

Beautiful blue

Paul

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