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Rasmonis
| Posted on Thursday, February 15, 2007 - 04:48 pm: |
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So this winter weather has me thinking of better places to live. I was goofin' around with Google maps and found this place: Wafford Heights, California. I decided to check it out in Google Earth and noticed this crazy road (rt. 155) heading west out of Wafford Heights. What's it like out there and has anyone here ridden that road? |
Jerry_haughton
| Posted on Thursday, February 15, 2007 - 05:41 pm: |
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What's it like out there and has anyone here ridden that road? Ras, me 'n D just moved from Wofford (not Wafford) Heights in December, and lived virtually at the foot of 155 (aka "The Bostrom"). nice road, if you like perfect pavement and tight twisties. FB |
Jerry_haughton
| Posted on Thursday, February 15, 2007 - 05:53 pm: |
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ps: you'll note that Wofford Heights sits on the west shore of Lake Isabella, which is one of the threads in the "Home Town" section here on BADWEB. there's a ton of words and pix in and around Wofford Heights and Lake Isabella on that thread. the whole area, btw, is known as "Ferrisville," altho i doubt Google Earth recognizes it as such (yet...)
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Unibear12r
| Posted on Thursday, February 15, 2007 - 07:36 pm: |
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Damn!!! Our secret is out. |
Jerry_haughton
| Posted on Thursday, February 15, 2007 - 08:14 pm: |
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shhhhh, maybe nobody but Ras will notice...
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Leftcoastal
| Posted on Thursday, February 15, 2007 - 09:04 pm: |
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Too late! It's a half day's ride from my house. Sounds ike a good way to spend a weekend. whatdyathink? AL |
Bertman
| Posted on Thursday, February 15, 2007 - 09:22 pm: |
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I absolutely hated that road when I was on it last August. Nothing but left-right-left-right-up-down miles of more turns and elevation changes on a newly paved road, BOOORING! You think they are buying it |
Firemanjim
| Posted on Thursday, February 15, 2007 - 09:32 pm: |
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Ah,Mr.Haughton,how goes it with your move?Getting settled?Go riding and find some nice roads? Find me some real estate?? |
Slaughter
| Posted on Thursday, February 15, 2007 - 10:12 pm: |
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Ramon, If you plan on riding up in that area, be sure to announce it! This time of year is still iffy but that whole area from the Tehachapi Mountains up to the Kernville/Lake Isabella area - really has awesome scenic roads. (Do I hear somebody calling for a GROUP RIDE?) |
Slaughter
| Posted on Thursday, February 15, 2007 - 10:26 pm: |
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oh and Pashnit is THE source for road evaulations - member site but a truly great resource: http://www.pashnit.com |
Jerry_haughton
| Posted on Friday, February 16, 2007 - 04:18 am: |
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Sounds ike a good way to spend a weekend. whatdyathink? been there, done that, hope to do it again. You think they are buying it? not a chance. Ah,Mr.Haughton,how goes it with your move?Getting settled?Go riding and find some nice roads? Find me some real estate?? going good. yep. not yet... i told you before, i moved out here to get away from you! Do I hear somebody calling for a GROUP RIDE?
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Nevrenuf
| Posted on Friday, February 16, 2007 - 05:57 am: |
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if that area is any like i got to ride on up in ukiah, i'll bet it's a nice ride. that's the greatest thing you people out in california got to look forward to are those roads. i think they are better than the carolinas. |
Jerry_haughton
| Posted on Friday, February 16, 2007 - 06:13 am: |
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i think they are better than the carolinas. me 'n D just moved to the Carolinas (well, actually just over the border in Virginia), to find out for ourselves who has the better roads. stay tuned. |
Nevrenuf
| Posted on Friday, February 16, 2007 - 06:23 am: |
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i just think northern cal has so much more. going through napa wasn't that bad also. |
Jerry_haughton
| Posted on Friday, February 16, 2007 - 07:35 am: |
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Cali's a great state to ride, to be sure.
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Sleez
| Posted on Friday, February 16, 2007 - 10:28 am: |
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nevrenuf i live 15 min north of ukiah, there are some great roads, i have a typical lunchtime route that takes me out towards fort bragg and back, about 25 miles of beautiful curves....see my home town thread for some of the pics; http://www.badweatherbikers.com/buell/messages/681 7/123607.html?1157060558 hey ferris, did i say i miss you yet??? |
Jerry_haughton
| Posted on Friday, February 16, 2007 - 11:14 am: |
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hey ferris, did i say i miss you yet??? yeah, but tell me again anyway! (ps: how's the Thong?)
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Sleez
| Posted on Friday, February 16, 2007 - 12:00 pm: |
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she has new tires,front rotor and pads, waiting for the roads to dry up a bit! can't wait!! |
Jerry_haughton
| Posted on Friday, February 16, 2007 - 12:33 pm: |
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ah yes, nothing like the feel of new rubbers! dry up? Cali?? wussup??? |
Sleez
| Posted on Friday, February 16, 2007 - 12:37 pm: |
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they are saying rain again up this way for this weekend! |
Jerry_haughton
| Posted on Friday, February 16, 2007 - 05:54 pm: |
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dry here, for the most part, but much colder than we're used to. no chance to ride yet, too busy trying to get our feet back under us. gorgeous country, great roads EVERYWHERE, remains to be seen if they can compare to the Bostrom, tho...
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Rasmonis
| Posted on Friday, February 16, 2007 - 06:13 pm: |
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Isn't satellite imagery great! I want to move there just for the riding. Need a job though, or a great idea. Hmmm... |
Rasmonis
| Posted on Friday, February 16, 2007 - 06:28 pm: |
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Right, Wofford Heights. This is what got me interested:
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Rasmonis
| Posted on Friday, February 16, 2007 - 06:32 pm: |
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This set of sweepers on 178 look fun too!
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Sleez
| Posted on Friday, February 16, 2007 - 07:01 pm: |
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some of my close favorite rides; nice road from legget over to the coast (NCA-1); http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&hl=en&q=WILLITS,+C A&ie=UTF8&t=h&om=1&z=13&ll=39.828313,-123.776779&s pn=0.097291,0.21595&iwloc=addr hwy 20 over to fort bragg, my favorite lunchtime excursion, half way to fort bragg and back in time to grab a bite! on weekends this is a nice way to get away from the heat in the summer, some wonderful 15mph curves and quite a few peg draggers! sometimes a lot of trucks/RVs though. http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&hl=en&q=WILLITS,+C A&ie=UTF8&t=h&om=1&z=13&ll=39.380885,-123.494911&s pn=0.097921,0.21595&iwloc=addr boonville road, splendid weekend run over to boonville, grab a ice cream cone and up 128 to 1 to fort bragg and back to willits on 20! or just bomb the road and turn around and go back, seldom any traffic, and very few side roads to worry about. http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&hl=en&q=WILLITS,+C A&ie=UTF8&t=h&om=1&z=13&ll=39.041453,-123.289776&s pn=0.098396,0.21595&iwloc=addr follow fort bragg/sherwood rd west to the coast, very rutted sometimes, great 4 wheeling road, possible on a uly if the road isn't too tore up! http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&hl=en&q=WILLITS,+C A&ie=UTF8&t=h&om=1&z=15&ll=39.513775,-123.503537&s pn=0.024434,0.053988&iwloc=addr hey Ras, i couldn't figure out the screenshot trick...sorry! (Message edited by sleez on February 16, 2007) (Message edited by sleez on February 16, 2007) |
Rasmonis
| Posted on Friday, February 16, 2007 - 07:22 pm: |
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Google Earth: File\Save Image I then had to resize the images. I used the picture viewer that comes with Office 2003 - set res to 800 X 500 pix. Once I figured it out, it was a snap. |
Rasmonis
| Posted on Friday, February 16, 2007 - 07:27 pm: |
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Sleez, you're one lucky MOFO, those like like a blast! |
Mikexlr650
| Posted on Saturday, February 17, 2007 - 07:50 am: |
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i'm with ya ras! currently live in ny, the cost of living here is rough(15K taxes on a 1600sqft house??). we're looking to move just not sure where. i haven't thought much about cali mainly because i figured the cost of living would be similar to ny. thinking maybe carolina's, lived in austin, tx for a while, loved it. i'm told it's not the same town anymore, (i lived there 12yrs ago) much more expensive now. |
Nevrenuf
| Posted on Saturday, February 17, 2007 - 07:59 am: |
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hey sleez, willits is that town that has that arch as your going into town if i remember correctly. it's been 2 1/2 yrs since i was out there. liked that road on the north side of ukiah that has that sign that read the next 28 miles zigzags. went out to fort bragg numerous times. if you get up there check to see if a short itailian guy named piazza is still working at the brewery gift shop and if so tell him that jeff kemp's brother says hey. also went and changed my discs out to 21 and got the race end cap finally but haven't put it on yet. bike sounds better with the 21 though. |
Rasmonis
| Posted on Saturday, February 17, 2007 - 09:21 am: |
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Mike, I think I can afford Wofford Heights. 4 more years or so before "little Ras" goes off to college. She dreams of becoming and automotive engineer. Once she's on her way, I'm moving to a warmer, twistier location. |
Mikexlr650
| Posted on Saturday, February 17, 2007 - 10:05 am: |
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funny, i would have thought of maryland as warmer, lol. it's 14 degrees here right now. |
Unibear12r
| Posted on Saturday, February 17, 2007 - 11:06 pm: |
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155 (nicknamed "The Bostrom")is a GREAT road but the Lion's Trail on the other side of the lake is even BETTER. The Canyon (178) is nowhere as good. The road and asphalt is excellent but I've come around corners to find jackknifed beer trucks and rocks the size of houses leaving you nothing but a long drop into the rocky, raging Kern as a option if you can't stop. Added hazards are the tons of crossing foot traffic (two and four legged),lots of slow cages and heavy CHP coverage. |
Jerry_haughton
| Posted on Sunday, February 18, 2007 - 08:57 am: |
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Ras, there are several real estate companies located in the Kern River Valley (which is the overall area surrounding Isabella Lake, including Wofford Heights). Southern Sierra Properties "specializes" in Wofford Heights real estate, and was the listing agency when we sold the 'Dome this past December. Tom Poplawski is the owner, and was our agent. Century 21 has an office in the town of Lake Isabella. they were the selling agency on our house, and the agent's name is Robbin Smith. arguably the most "desirable" place to live in the Valley is the town of Kernville, located on the north end of the lake, about five minutes north of Wofford Heights. Kernville is the Valley's "postcard" community, quaint, cute and rustic, right on the banks of the Kern River (designated a "Wild and Scenic" river), everything in walking distance, neat little antique shops, several nice restaurants, a brewery, car shows several times a year, mountain bike festivals, whitewater rafting, etc., etc. Click Realty specializes in Kernville properties. real estate costs more in Kernville than other parts of the Valley, for all the reasons mentioned above and more, but a home here is a very solid investment. hope this helps. FB |
Essthreetee
| Posted on Sunday, February 18, 2007 - 09:48 am: |
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I have been on that...one of my favorites. I live in Visalia, which is just a few backroads to it. If there is going to be a group ride POST UP first. I want in. I would love to meet some of you fellow badwebbers, and get a chance to ride with some fellow Buellers. I always feel so alone here...I think there is one other Buell that I know of in Visalia. |
Unibear12r
| Posted on Sunday, February 18, 2007 - 12:10 pm: |
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I have to agree with Jerry. I think that the Kern River Valley is a great place to live or visit. In fact Whiskey Flat Days is going on there this weekend. Ess- give me a pm or post on the Bakersfield, CA stormfronts thread if you want to ride around here. I'd be happy to show you around! |
Rasmonis
| Posted on Sunday, February 18, 2007 - 03:22 pm: |
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Thanks for all the info! Let me check it out. |
Sleez
| Posted on Monday, February 19, 2007 - 10:53 am: |
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nevrenuf, yeah, that's willits, "Gateway to the Redwoods";
some real estate info for this area; http://www.movetomendo.com/phototour.html |
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