MTFCA Forum

Old ridge route tour. I read with interest the article in the Vintage Ford about the man who drove a TT over the old route with 3 barrels of white lead.
A few years the San Diego club took a tour which included portions which were still open of the old highway. I will attach some pictures.

A few more pictures.

Beautiful pictures! In Batavia, IL this week we have temps around 0 F. and about 1 foot of snow, so it is great to see warmer weather, if only in photos.

As I remember I was on that tour and the pass was closed near the top as some damn money grabbing company had placed a pipeline right across the surface of the road. Unbelievable
What power these companies have and abuse just for a few bucks.
Another interesting place was the “moon” rocks just south of Lancaster where they often film scenes from other planets. I know one of the Big Bang and a Star Trek movie where shot there.
What I remember most about the tour was the wind when we were coming out of Edward’s Airforce base. It was so strong that we stopped and lowered the top on the touring.

There is a book on the Ridge Route, with lots of old pictures. I have a copy of it somewhere. A friend of mine and I tried to go up the old road on the way home from Bakersfield a few years back, and about 15 mile up the road was closed. Too bad there wasn't a sign at the bottom stating that!

Money grubbing nothing

when a road is closed permanently, often the easement is abandoned and when it is, ownership reverts to the original property owner or successors from whom the property was originally taken. The use of that land is now open to any legal purpose that the land owner so chooses.

This is why it is SO important for local groups to lobby for public access to rights of way when they are no longer used for their original purpose. Think bike paths on old railroad rights of way, or, hey, Old Ridge Route maintenance. Count that as an opportunity lost.

As far as the pipe going OVER the road, I would expect that a utility easement remains in place and the owner of the property had no option BUT to place the pipe over the old road.

Drove the Old Ridge Route a couple of times when I lived in Bakersfield, with the Kern County Model T club. Early 80's. A couple of years later, After I moved away, Huel Houser did a ride along with the Kern County club for one of his California Gold series.

While driving the route back then there was a section of the poured concrete roadway where someone had driven into the still wet concrete, then backed out. The tire tracks were still there. nice tire print. Looked to be 30x3 1/2 size.