January 31st, 2010
Always a good ride is the stretch of PCH between Long Beach and San Diego, California. I had the opportunity to make a part of this ride a couple of nights ago under the full Wolf Moon. Most people would probably prefer to make this ride during the day – for the restaurants, beaches, and the all the sites. However, for me, I prefer to make this ride at night when there is no traffic – particularly under a full moon whose light allows for many viewings of the ocean.
Adam Trotter / AVT
Sunday, January 31, 2010
Sunday, January 24, 2010
Winter Storms in California.
January 23rd, 2010
In California, even the winter storms are cool – assuming the storm is not lethal, of course! (And no, by "cool," I am not referring to any temperature one way or the other.)
Adam Trotter / AVT
PS. The first photo is Palos Verdes. The second photo is Pacific Coast Highway, California State Route 1, at Point Magu.
Do You Know the Way to San Jose? Winter Storms in California.
January 23rd, 2010
Do you know the way to San Jose? What about when the State of California has been closing the main pass out of Los Angeles to the north due to severe and fast moving winter storms? What’s the best way to the Bay area then? Well, I can tell you, there is no way of knowing if it is better to detour and take the US-101 through Oxnard to avoid the Tejon / Grapevine Pass or go straight on through traveling the I-5 Freeway and take a chance on the State closing the road – in which case you may have to sit for hours in traffic or be forced to take another detour in the wrong direction, such as through Lancaster. This is a frustrating dilemma to the motorist.
Adam Trotter / AVT
Do you know the way to San Jose? What about when the State of California has been closing the main pass out of Los Angeles to the north due to severe and fast moving winter storms? What’s the best way to the Bay area then? Well, I can tell you, there is no way of knowing if it is better to detour and take the US-101 through Oxnard to avoid the Tejon / Grapevine Pass or go straight on through traveling the I-5 Freeway and take a chance on the State closing the road – in which case you may have to sit for hours in traffic or be forced to take another detour in the wrong direction, such as through Lancaster. This is a frustrating dilemma to the motorist.
Adam Trotter / AVT
Hey California, You Know You Could Use A Bit of Salt or De-icing agents to Keep the Freeways Open.
Jan 23rd, 2010
Most of us are aware that the majority of soil in California likely has a high salt content. Most are also aware of the environmental issues relevant to using salt as a de-icing agent on the roadways to melt snow and ice so that the roadway is safe for vehicular traffic. My friends tell me, however, that California does not allow or use salt on the roads. In light of these facts, nevertheless, it would seem that the California Department of Transportation should consider using some salt to melt snow and ice to keep the Interstate 5 Freeway (‘The Grapevine’) open through the Tejon Pass to therefore allow vehicles traveling to and from Los Angeles access to the rest of the state to the north. When The Grapevine is closed, one must detour for multiple hours to get to the north; or, if lucky, wait for a police escort through the pass. It is well known that severe storms can be lethal in the mountains of California. But I still often wonder if California closes the road / The Grapevine merely for dramatic effect, or something. I mean, in reality, how many days of the year would any salt be required for safe passage over The Grapevine? Ten days? Twenty days? It would seem in the better interest of the state to keep the road open even it such requires spreading some salt. As one who has driven in a lot of snow and ice, the salt does not just evaporate or wash away / run-off immediately, you know. This suggestion is just food for thought, I suppose.
AVT / Adam Trotter
After thought 1/31/2010. Okay. On second thought…. Well, there are a few lakes in the area of the Grapvine / Tejon pass. So, when the weather gets bad and it snows in the mountains, I suppose I can just take a four hour driving detour to avoid the mountain passes and whatever about the spreading of de-icing salt.
Most of us are aware that the majority of soil in California likely has a high salt content. Most are also aware of the environmental issues relevant to using salt as a de-icing agent on the roadways to melt snow and ice so that the roadway is safe for vehicular traffic. My friends tell me, however, that California does not allow or use salt on the roads. In light of these facts, nevertheless, it would seem that the California Department of Transportation should consider using some salt to melt snow and ice to keep the Interstate 5 Freeway (‘The Grapevine’) open through the Tejon Pass to therefore allow vehicles traveling to and from Los Angeles access to the rest of the state to the north. When The Grapevine is closed, one must detour for multiple hours to get to the north; or, if lucky, wait for a police escort through the pass. It is well known that severe storms can be lethal in the mountains of California. But I still often wonder if California closes the road / The Grapevine merely for dramatic effect, or something. I mean, in reality, how many days of the year would any salt be required for safe passage over The Grapevine? Ten days? Twenty days? It would seem in the better interest of the state to keep the road open even it such requires spreading some salt. As one who has driven in a lot of snow and ice, the salt does not just evaporate or wash away / run-off immediately, you know. This suggestion is just food for thought, I suppose.
AVT / Adam Trotter
After thought 1/31/2010. Okay. On second thought…. Well, there are a few lakes in the area of the Grapvine / Tejon pass. So, when the weather gets bad and it snows in the mountains, I suppose I can just take a four hour driving detour to avoid the mountain passes and whatever about the spreading of de-icing salt.
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