Twisting Asphalt - A SoCal Ducati Motorcycle Blog

Today was one of those days that I dream about; the roads were clear, the traffic light and the coastal temperatures very mellow. I was heading up the Pacfic Coast Highway trying to decide which of the normal loops to take, when it occured to me that I didn’t have any obligations that required me to be back home at any specific time. I can’t remember the last time I felt so free in terms of time. Realizing this, I decided to take the still-nameless 749 up to Ojai on a short day trip…

The opening stanza of Route 33 once you’re North of Ojai

In retrospection the choice seems decidedly contradictory, I was feeling ‘free’ from time and yet I took the most physically draning and tiring of the two bikes I own out. Go figure. Makes little sense to me now as I think back on it, yet at the time it seemed rather logical…I guess somewhere deep inside I was just so damn curious how the Duc would handle ‘33′ - perhaps the longest, most glorious, most forgotten road in what I’ll call our local riding region. That might be a stretch, since ‘33′ is a bit of a haul to get to and on any given day the temp and condition changes between Santa Monica and Ojai can be total opposites.

230 miles later, I’m so glad I did it. I’m still grinning ear to ear (although feeling physically pretty beat up…).

Curves later on…

Sitting here now, it’s a bit hard to explain why this was such a great ride. The specific route taken seems a bit bland when I think about it;

Perhaps it’s because the names of the roads simply don’t do the journey justice. 152 sounds like a bad interstate running through New Jersey, yet it’s not. It’s a flat out hoot - I hadn’t explored it before and I’m so glad I took the chance today… Once you get off the 101 Freeway and turn right on 152, it pops you up and down and spins you around the northern end of Lake Castaic in a series of swooping corners that offer lake side vistas that seem to run for miles. It’s not a hooligan road by any means, however by the time you hit ‘33′ and head towards Ojai, it seems like a tasty appietizer from a ten course meal.

Of course 33 is the reason I went up to Ojai and I’m convinced it’s a road unlike any other in Southern California. I suspect part of the reason is because it straddles both the coastal region and the central valley. Parts of it remind you of the Santa Monica Mountains while other corners make you feel like you’re in Death Valley. And yet other parts seem entirely different than either one of those, almost like a strange combination of a desert forrest - complete with pine trees… And the road is just endless, going on and on forever. Whenever you ask yourself where the great roads lie, this is it…

So now, I’m back home and feeling emotional and physically spent. My wrists are killing me and my body feels decidedly beat up. Yet I’m left replaying the ride over and over in my mind and feeling so thankful for hidden wonderlands like Route 33 and 152. What would life be without avenues for adventure and relaxation?

Here are some picts;

The Top of A Hill

Wideshot from deep in the corner

From the Side of the Mountain

Endless Mountains on a Forgotten Road

From Wolf’s front door

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