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| Goldie, fresh with shirts on, ready for an exit --27 miles of windy roads ahead. |
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| Pasadena Roadster Club Picnic at Newcomb's Ranch 2012 |
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| myself, Frank, Chuck |
PRC, unable to continue the the very popular reliability/poker run due to "clerical issues", settled on a picnic rather then skip another year with no events like 2011.
In my mind, I was thinking it was going to be something like the Throttler's Picnic --a shaded local park, pancake breakfast, lots of spectators, cool cars all around.
I found out later after contacting members of the club and excitedly telling them, "I so want to be a part of it!", that it was 27 miles inside the Angeles Nation Forest. At a secluded rest stop, also known as Newcomb's Ranch.
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| David Steele musician/hot rodder drives the Sparks roadster |
Oh, I was still looking forward to the event. But I would have preferred it maybe not so far from civilization. I knew that it being so far inside the forest would keep spectators away... and it did... very much so. I have to tell you, I like spectators. They make a show fun, busy, buzzing.
It didn't stop the fun we had. I took my wife Wendy, she always makes anything more fun.
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| Wendy bored, shoots us in a reflection |
I was already familiar with Newcomb's Ranch, I spent two weeks there on a low-budget movie shoot (nothing you'd ever heard of), shuttling actors back and forth from LA. This was years ago when gas was $1.50.
But what I wasn't familiar with was the forest anymore. I was a little blown away when I saw for the first time since the fire ravaged these hills for miles all around. I can remember the fires of 2009, it was bad that year. The one in Angeles was called the Station Fire; 160,577 acres burned & killed two firefighters.
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| After lunch, more talk, European austerity I believe was the topic |
So sad to see so much destruction, nearly every mile we drove was burned. I want to fondly remember it as it used to be, because it will take a lifetime for the forest to return to the green-emerald like place it was.
The drive to Newcomb's was a blast. Although Wendy & I got off to a bit of a late start because I was still working under the car at 7AM at morning making suspension adjustments.
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| The love of my life, and my wife |
We left home at about 9:00, stopping for a bagel nearby. We reached La Canada at 9:40 and topped the tank off. There was a '29 tub filling up too, so I knew I was on the right road.
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| The forest, not as I remember it. Result of the Station Fire. |
After a pleasant drive through the windy roads, we finally pulled into Newcomb's at 10:30. Third to last to arrive I beleive.
Lots of chatting with pals, staring at cars, hot rod parts talk of course. Lunch was nice. I made some new friends. Wendy discovered Lilacs grow there (because it snows, Lilacs need a frost). And then we were off by 2 PM, satisfied.
FOR MORE, visit the HAMB's coverage including great photos of the cars: click here
