What an Obscure road

"Wrong Wheel Drive (41%)" (rduncan5678)
05/15/2019 at 18:31 • Filed to: None

This afternoon I took a quick cruise down a road off of the PCH that I have seen often but never bothered to check out. Looking at a map it doesnt really seem like a real road nor does it really go anywhere.

It was not exactly a canyon run as you can see in the lead photo, it was mostly a super narrow road (two way traffic allowed!) and I had no real idea where I was going so I took it easy. There were multiple construction areas with construction vehicles often blocking most of the road and the pavement itself was only one step above not-pavement anyways. Deer Creek road started out as a normal two lane canyon road that could have been driven spiritedly but by the time I got that idea in my head, it devolved into the steep, narrow twisty one lane thing above.

Overall, it was a fun little drive to get out and do some exploring. The views were a bit clouded from a marine layer but it was still breathtaking in some spots along the road. There were many fire damaged spots from last year’s Woolsey Fire as well as obvious mudslide damage from the following heavy rains.

While the technical curves and elevation changes could have been fun had it been a closed course, it was slow going and kind of just mild adventuring instead. The pavement is also heavily affected by seismic activity in the area and not a whole lot of people live out there so the pavement isnt tended to like more well traveled roads. It’s interesting some of the houses out there if you wander around street view. Although unfortunately I believe many of them have burned down since the street view survey in 2012...

Not a road I’d probably go back to but always cool to explore places like that without really following a plan or looking at the map ahead of time.

DISCUSSION (7)

sony1492 > Wrong Wheel Drive (41%)
05/15/2019 at 19:00

Ro ads that undulate from the ground shifting under it can be more fun/challenging, given the dips arnt sharp enough to start acting as potholes.

SPAMBot - Horse Doctor > Wrong Wheel Drive (41%)
05/15/2019 at 19:55

I think I’ve actually been on that road before. My friend with a S ubaru told me it would be fun. It was not fun. So many new rattles. That was years ago so I’m not sure, but it does look familiar

Wrong Wheel Drive (41%) > sony1492
05/15/2019 at 19:58

Ehh I cant have fun if a road is challenging to the point of making it impossible to drive at speed. Due to the risk of random potholes or dirt just throwing the car out of control. So I have to drive at a speed that those things could happen at any moment and loss of control is recoverable. Plus moreso with it being that narrow, I have to be able to dead stop at a moments notice at any turn since I cant see others coming the other way. I end up just preferring decently smooth , dry pavement for any spirited driving. That eliminates the most unpredictable variables and then I can just focus on others on the road or unforseen changes.

This was a perfect maelstrom of crazy elevation changes, super narrow roadway, limited visibility around turns, sheer cliffs with no guardrails, uneven pavement across the road, potholes, loose dirt scattered about, construction every so often, oncoming vehicles occasionally requiring pullout to pass. So while 20-30 mph felt “dangerously fun” it was more towards the dangerous than fun end of the scale, even at that speed lol.

MarquetteLa > Wrong Wheel Drive (41%)
05/15/2019 at 20:13

One of my favorite roads to drive in Colorado runs through Deer Creek Canyon!

Wrong Wheel Drive (41%) > SPAMBot - Horse Doctor
05/15/2019 at 23:57

In the Miata? Haha I've gone up the entirety of Yerba Buena before in the Miata, it was a nightmare. At least the Subaru is a a #rallycar so it's a little less unpleasant.

Wrong Wheel Drive (41%) > MarquetteLa
05/15/2019 at 23:58

Hmm I don't think they have an ocean in Colorado lol. Not surprised it's a common name though

SPAMBot - Horse Doctor > Wrong Wheel Drive (41%)
05/16/2019 at 00:18

It was in the bug when I first moved out. Back when it was still kinda nice lol