Finally, got to drive the Ortega Highway
11-18-2003, 11:17 PM
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Finally, got to drive the Ortega Highway
Those of us wo live in Southern California know of the Ortega Highway, a beautiful twisty (and fast) highway that runs from the coast to Lake Elsinore.
Well, I finally got the time to take my RX-8 there last week. I hit every S and hairpin turn at twice the posted speed limit and this car did not even complain.
I have been told that Mazda always spends a considerable amont of time and money on suspension design for great handling and it really showed.
The car was a joy to drive on the twisties. I highly recommend this drive for SoCal owners. Maybe we can organiza a group ride in the near future.
YaaaaaHoooooo!
Well, I finally got the time to take my RX-8 there last week. I hit every S and hairpin turn at twice the posted speed limit and this car did not even complain.
I have been told that Mazda always spends a considerable amont of time and money on suspension design for great handling and it really showed.
The car was a joy to drive on the twisties. I highly recommend this drive for SoCal owners. Maybe we can organiza a group ride in the near future.
YaaaaaHoooooo!
11-19-2003, 09:52 PM
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Where is Glendora Ridge, can you provide little more specific directions please, thanks.
I saw three police cars on Ortega but they were tied up with investigating an accident on the opposite direction, plus I had my radar detector on.
What other fun roads have you tried ?
I saw three police cars on Ortega but they were tied up with investigating an accident on the opposite direction, plus I had my radar detector on.
What other fun roads have you tried ?
11-19-2003, 10:57 PM
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To get to Glendora Ridge
1) Take 57 North up to the 210
2) Merge onto CA-210 E toward SAN BERNARDINO. 7.22 miles
3) Take the BASE LINE ROAD exit. 0.35 miles
4) Turn LEFT onto E BASELINE RD/ CA-30. 0.22 miles
5) Turn RIGHT onto PADUA AVE. 1.80 miles
6) Turn RIGHT onto MT BALDY RD. 7.18 miles
7) After you go thru the 2 tunnels but before you get into the main part of Mt. Baldy Village is a SHARP left. This is Glendora Ridge Road.
Glendora Ridge Road is about 11 miles long and is not for the faint of heart.
It is just barely 2 lanes wide and runs just below the crest of the ridge. It is VERY twisty. Many of the turns are blind and the outside of many turns is protected only by a dirt berm, long drop on the other side of that berm. Most of the turns you will take at abut 35 MPH and be pinned to the side of the car. The turns flow one right into the next and there are very few straight sections.
I reccomend the following:
1) Run it East to West , this will put you on the outside of most of the blind turns.
2) Take a passenger. The passenger's job is to look up ahead for oncoming or slower traffic. The driver will need to focus on the turn he is on and will have a hard time looking ahead.
3) Be prepared to stop at any time. The road ends very suddenly in a T intersection. You come around a turn and there it is so be prepared. (At the T left takes you down to Glendora, Right takes you back around to Azuza.) Also you sometimes have hikers and bicylists in the road.
4) If you (or your passenger) are prone to motion sickness then take some Dramimine. I'm not usually prone to motion sickness and I feel a little green after a run.
5) You won't be going that fast so don't worry about shifting, I pretty much just put it in second and go, you have a massive power band in the 8, use it.
The road is subject to closure at times due to fires etc.
Run it once and you'll be hooked.
Good luck and stay safe.
1) Take 57 North up to the 210
2) Merge onto CA-210 E toward SAN BERNARDINO. 7.22 miles
3) Take the BASE LINE ROAD exit. 0.35 miles
4) Turn LEFT onto E BASELINE RD/ CA-30. 0.22 miles
5) Turn RIGHT onto PADUA AVE. 1.80 miles
6) Turn RIGHT onto MT BALDY RD. 7.18 miles
7) After you go thru the 2 tunnels but before you get into the main part of Mt. Baldy Village is a SHARP left. This is Glendora Ridge Road.
Glendora Ridge Road is about 11 miles long and is not for the faint of heart.
It is just barely 2 lanes wide and runs just below the crest of the ridge. It is VERY twisty. Many of the turns are blind and the outside of many turns is protected only by a dirt berm, long drop on the other side of that berm. Most of the turns you will take at abut 35 MPH and be pinned to the side of the car. The turns flow one right into the next and there are very few straight sections.
I reccomend the following:
1) Run it East to West , this will put you on the outside of most of the blind turns.
2) Take a passenger. The passenger's job is to look up ahead for oncoming or slower traffic. The driver will need to focus on the turn he is on and will have a hard time looking ahead.
3) Be prepared to stop at any time. The road ends very suddenly in a T intersection. You come around a turn and there it is so be prepared. (At the T left takes you down to Glendora, Right takes you back around to Azuza.) Also you sometimes have hikers and bicylists in the road.
4) If you (or your passenger) are prone to motion sickness then take some Dramimine. I'm not usually prone to motion sickness and I feel a little green after a run.
5) You won't be going that fast so don't worry about shifting, I pretty much just put it in second and go, you have a massive power band in the 8, use it.
The road is subject to closure at times due to fires etc.
Run it once and you'll be hooked.
Good luck and stay safe.
11-19-2003, 11:12 PM
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Other fun rides
Carbon Canyon.
Used to be a really nice ride. Quite a bit of traffic on it now between OC and Chino
Santiago Canyon
Runs from Chapman Ave in Orange over to El Toro Rd. Nice Sunday Drive. Cooks Corner is a locally famous biker bar close to the El Toro Rd side, lots (often over 100) of nice Harleys there on any weekend. Run out some sunday morning and have breakfast.
Trubuco Canyon
Runs from Cooks Corner to Rancho Santa Margarita. Very scenic. Live oaks form a tunnel over the road for the most of it. Some nice tight switch backs at the RSM side.
Silverado Canyon
Another nice scenic ride.
Carbon Canyon.
Used to be a really nice ride. Quite a bit of traffic on it now between OC and Chino
Santiago Canyon
Runs from Chapman Ave in Orange over to El Toro Rd. Nice Sunday Drive. Cooks Corner is a locally famous biker bar close to the El Toro Rd side, lots (often over 100) of nice Harleys there on any weekend. Run out some sunday morning and have breakfast.
Trubuco Canyon
Runs from Cooks Corner to Rancho Santa Margarita. Very scenic. Live oaks form a tunnel over the road for the most of it. Some nice tight switch backs at the RSM side.
Silverado Canyon
Another nice scenic ride.
11-24-2003, 02:43 PM
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I've got my "I survived the Ortega" T-shirt from the Lookout Cafe. 
CHP is everywhere and tired of pulling wrecks and bodies out of the ravines, mainly knee-dragging sportbiker racer wannabes overshooting corners, crossing into oncoming, or hitting sand/dirt mid-corner. There are no guardrails. Mazda, other makes, and publications rarely road-test their cars/bikes there anymore. Too bad because it is a heckuva road.
CHP is everywhere and tired of pulling wrecks and bodies out of the ravines, mainly knee-dragging sportbiker racer wannabes overshooting corners, crossing into oncoming, or hitting sand/dirt mid-corner. There are no guardrails. Mazda, other makes, and publications rarely road-test their cars/bikes there anymore. Too bad because it is a heckuva road.
11-24-2003, 11:26 PM
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Toadman,
Last week on Ortega I saw three new and yet unreleased Chrysler cars being driven there, obviously for testing. I have seen pics of them as spy shots in car mags, so they were recognizable.
Also, last year I saw a strange looking beast on Ortega like nothing I had ever seen before in a bizarre Orange color, turned out to be the upcoming Infiniti FX35/45 in Bronze color.
Anyway, but you are correct in the large number of accidents on Ortega, bikes and cars alike.
Last week on Ortega I saw three new and yet unreleased Chrysler cars being driven there, obviously for testing. I have seen pics of them as spy shots in car mags, so they were recognizable.
Also, last year I saw a strange looking beast on Ortega like nothing I had ever seen before in a bizarre Orange color, turned out to be the upcoming Infiniti FX35/45 in Bronze color.
Anyway, but you are correct in the large number of accidents on Ortega, bikes and cars alike.
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