Doing an annual Birthday Ride on my Harley was a main item on my Updated Bucket List. As of today (7/7/17) I've been kickin' around for 77 years. To be precise, in addition to my birthday being on the seventh day of the seventh month, it happened on a Sunday (the seventh day of the week) at 7 pm. That seems like a long time ago -- I guess it is. But I'm having a good life -- I have a wonderful family, lots of great friends, and I'm in good health. I think with all those sevens appearing, the coming year (I'm calling it my YEAR 77) will be a very special year.
Seven years ago I began making a habit of going for a solo Birthday Ride on my Harley and using the seclusion to review my life over the past twelve months. Doing various activities with friends and family members is preferable to doing things alone, but a serious review of my goals and objectives is best done alone. Riding the Angeles Crest Highway through the San Gabriel Mountains is one of my favorite Harley day-rides. Today, I guess because of all the fuss I'm making about my YEAR 77, it seemed extra special. The weather forecast for today was hot and humid, with thunder storms in the mountains around mid-day. I decided to leave early to avoid the heat and possible lightening, and to ride a 140-mile loop that goes from home through the Angeles National Forest on the Angeles Crest Highway to Wrightwood to have breakfast. However, plans changed when I saw a sign as I entered the mountains that said "Closed to Wrightwood."
Since the Angeles Crest is such a great road to ride on a motorcycle I decided to ride to the road closure (which I was certain was past Newcomb's Ranch), then return to the Ranch for breakfast. Newcomb's Ranch was originally built for skiers but is now mostly a bikers and hikers hangout and is an interesting place to stop for a meal. The photo below is my route to Newcomb's Ranch on the Angeles Crest Highway; the round-trip ride from home to the Hwy 2 closure and back was 133 miles.
The Angeles Crest Highway (Hwy 2) has many curves, interesting stopping places, and wonderful scenery. There are campsites throughout the San Gabriel Mountains and many trail-heads for hikes. About 17 miles up the highway is a side trip to the Mount Wilson Observatory. The Observatory has an interesting history (too long to detail here) and many radio and television antennas serving the Los Angeles Basin are also located there. The 5-mile road to the top is narrow and windy (fun for a motorcycle) but I arrived too early to go in to the Observatory.
There are three places where the Pacific Crest Trail crosses the highway. There are also three summits on this ride; Cloudburst Summit, elevation 7,018 feet, Dawson Saddle, elevation 7,900 feet, and Blue Ridge, elevation 7,381.There are two ski areas along the highway that open periodically when there is sufficient snow; Mt. Waterman (open seven weeks this past winter) and Snow Crest. At about 48 miles up Hwy 2 you reach Jarvi Memorial Vista, which is a pleasant lookout facility consisting of a rock patio area with picnic tables and benches. There is a plaque dedicating the area to Simeri E. Jarvi, who was a well-known Supervisor of the Angeles National Forest and a 32-year veteran of the U.S. Forest Service. Jarvi died while hiking just west of the Lookout location. Less than a mile past the Jarvi Memorial is where the road was closed. As I stopped at the closure, I heard rocks tumbling down a nearby cliff and I saw about six bighorn sheep scrambling up the cliff. I have seen signs in this area saying to watch for bighorn sheep, but after riding the Angeles Crest for over 20 years, this is the first time I have actually seen one.
Photos from the left-1st row: A view of Mt. Wilson from the north (i.e. from the Angeles Crest Highway), Newcombs Ranch, sign at Cloud Burst Summit, the tunnel along the Angeles Crest as you're approaching Jarvi Memorial Vista.
2nd row: At Mount Wilson Observatory, at Jarvi Memorial Vista, at the closure of Highway 2 to Wrightwood, a bighorn sheep climbing up the hill next to the closure. There were about six bighorn sheep, but they spread out and I could only photograph this one.
Click Photo to Enlarge - Use Arrows for Next Photo
Back at Newcomb's Ranch I had a "big" breakfast (only do this on Harley day-rides), skimmed the Wall Street Journal and LA Times Business Section, and reviewed the activities in the seven important areas of my life for the past twelve months. Like always, there are areas where I have been successful, and there are areas where I will set new goals and try to do a better job, but I think for the most part I had a good year. I'm looking forward with great anticipation and excitement to my YEAR 77 coming up. Since I've entered the 4th quarter of my life, there are many activities that I have enjoyed that are just memories now. While I plan to write a blog about new activities during the coming year, I will also write blogs about some of my fondest memories.
Just for fun I've decided to give a gift of $7 to a stranger each month on the 7th. There were two young women campers leaving Newcomb's as I was. I asked one if she would take my photo with the Harley in front of Newcomb's. She was so friendly and cooperative I decided she was the one for this months $7 gift. I handed her a note with a $5 and a $2 attached. She was surprised and appreciative.
Click Photo to Enlarge - Use Arrows for Next Photo
A Little History: Newcomb’s Ranch is currently a restaurant that serves as a bikers and hikers hangout, but has a long history that includes travelers of all kinds and local skiers. Louie Newcomb, known as a “master trailblazer,” built his first cabin in this area in 1888. He sold most of his land to his cousin, Lynn Newcomb, in 1929 and left the mountain for good in 1940 when he felt the Angeles Crest Highway had “ruined the place.” Newcomb’s Ranch was built in 1939 and has changed many times, serving as a restaurant, hotel, general store and gas station. Much of the structure was destroyed by fire in 1976. Lynn rebuilt and opened as a restaurant and later sold to the current owner, Frederick Rundall, who is described as a “lover of nature with a passion for the mountains.” I’ve never met Rundall and have wondered if he also has a passion for motorcycles, since most of his customers are riders.
A Little History of my Annual Review: Over many years before I retired I made a habit of reviewing how my life was going at the end of each calendar year. I categorize my goals and activities in seven important areas of my life; (1) Health & Fitness (Mom always said "If you don't have your health you don't have anything"), (2) Good Relations with Friends & Family, (3) Recreation & Relaxation, (4) Management of Personal Assets & Making a Living, (5) Personal Growth, (6) Travel & Entertainment with Bonnie, and (7) Leaving a Legacy. Success is a moving target - I define success as The Continual Realization of Predetermined, Worthwhile Goals. I try to assess my level of success in each of the seven areas and determine which areas I need to work on in the coming year.
Since my retirement, rather than doing my life review at the end of each calendar year, I have made a habit of going on a ride on my Harley each year on my birthday and doing the review at that time for the preceding twelve months. I will usually find some out-of-the-way mountain cafe, have breakfast, review my activities for the past year, and set some new goals.