Those Close Calls

[Alexander]

Having been 40+ years on the road in an 02, there were those close calls, some standing out more than others.

 

Fourteen years ago on a late November day at about 3:00PM I rounded a sweeping turn at about 50mph from south to north on the 6,000 ft. level of  Angeles Crest Highway 30 miles north of Los Angeles. When I entered the shade on the north side there was 1" thick ice on the road. I tried slowing down by downshifting, but that put me in a spin. And,I flew off the road backwards, only to be stopped  by brush, burnt the previous summer in a large wildfire. My friend, an avid 02 and BMW enthusiast rode with me as the passenger.  We were really lucky to get out of this one alive. And, our luck improved when a neighbor popped out of nowhere with a Humvee and a winch, who pulled my car back on the road. It was a miracle that one of my neighbors pulled up by chance. I was actually able to drive the car back home, but I had to turn my steering wheel 180 degrees to keep the front wheels straight due to a damaged steering box arm. 

 

I'm in the video in green pants and black / grey jacket while my friend is in the blue jacket. I didn't have any grey hair at the time. There was extensive damage to the passenger door and quarter panel from one of the tree branches which gave us a bear hug. My car came to rest on a small 4" wide trunk of a tree. The angle was so steep that the rear bumper and panel were unscathed. The tree rested against the edge of the rear deck lid.  I only saw the sky while seated and looking through the windshield. Immediately before my car is winched back up I walk back to it to place it in neutral. I remember thinking, "I got to get back in there to place it in neutral".

 

It took me six months to do my own repairs. I replaced the door and repaired the quarter panel and deck lid having it resprayed. Over the years I've honed my body working skills as  I've become good with a hammer and dolly, heating and shrinking sheet metal, applying filler and block sanding. I just need to get a good spray gun &  compressor and practice spraying. I'm tired of the shops, their prices and lack of enthusiasm and attention to detail. Furthermore, most of them no longer know how to work with single stage paint and lack the proper equipment to apply it. 

 

What was I doing up there ?

I was doing some reconnaissance to check the snow level at one of the local ski areas, as I'm a skier. And, yes ! sometimes I use my 02 for the local ski trips.

 

I took one of the picks below from the 8,600 ft. level at the top of Chair #4 of the Mt. Baldy Ski Area, 45 miles east of LA. The view is over the LA Basin looking west towards the Pacific Ocean, visible in the distance along with Catalina Island. Yes, this is Los Angeles. When most people think of LA they think of the warm climate and the beach. Many people who first visit this place are surprised to learn that it is ringed by mountain ranges, some peaks reaching 10,000 and 11,000 ft. Mt. Baldy, or Mt. San Antonio is the tallest peak in the San Gabriel range at just above 10,000 ft. It is visible from downtown Los Angeles. Mt. San Gorgonio stands at 11,053 ft and is located further east in the San Bernardino Range. And, just across the high desert pass its brother, Mt. San Jacinto, overlooks Palm Springs at 10,834 ft. The Palm Springs aerial tram will take you up the mountain to the 8,500 ft. level. If visiting Palm Springs, I recommend a ride on the tram which takes you from the hot desert to a cool alpine climate with a spectacular view. Just, don't forget your jacket. For those of you driving down on Interstate 5 from San Jose, Sacramento and "Frisco" you have to climb that steep grade and drive over the 4,160ft Tejon Pass, overshadowed by the 8,500ft. tall Mt. Pinos.   Anyways, enough of the tour guide crap.

 

 

Edited November 7, 2023 by Alexander

[OldRoller]

You were indeed fortunate in that episode. It could have been seriously worse. No injuries other than your nervous system. Panels, metal, paint can be fixed, while the human body is difficult to 'fix' on a whole different level. Thanks for sharing.

[Lorin]

Good story and great looking car. 
 

Are the guy in the grey jacket or black jacket ?

[Mike Self]

That's pretty scary!  Did either of you become members of the "brown shorts brigade" during the adventure? 

 

mike

 

 

[Alexander]

On 11/4/2023 at 6:16 AM, Lorin said:

Are the guy in the grey jacket or black jacket ?

I'm the taller guy with glasses in the two tone Black / Grey jacket who walks back to the car to put the transmission in neutral immediately before the car is pulled back up.

 

It was unusually cold on that November day. We were heading up to the 7,000 ft. base level of the historic Mt. Waterman Ski Area, only known to locals these days. We were only 7 miles from our destination. The Ski area has been operation since 1939. During the 70s and 80s it was a hub of activity, owned and operated by the man who started it, Lynn Newcomb, until his passing at age 91. He also owned the restaurant, Newcomb's Ranch, just a  mile up the road from our accident scene and a well known destination for sports motorcycle and auto enthusiasts.

 

Mr. Newcomb was a former forest ranger with good connections to the state agency which kept the roads open. And, he ensured the roads were always cleared of snow and open to keep his businesses running. There was no need for man made snow back then before the global warning trend and especially at this location in the mountains. 60% of the mountain is advanced steep terrain with a small lodge half way up the mountain, out of sight from the road. The parking lot is minuscule, where you can drive by the ski area without noticing it. It's really the quintessential mom & pops operation.

 

After Mr. Newcomb's passing the ski area switched ownership several times. For over a decade it's been owned by a local who only opens it up over the weekend for skiing, snow, weather and road conditions permitting. Even during a good snow season the ski area has often remained closed because of a lack of will or resources to clear the roads after a snow storm. If they are not cleared immediately the snow accumulates, packs, hardens and turns to ice, making it impossible to clear until it melts in spring. So, when some of us local hard core skiers notice an opportunity, we head up the mountain and call the owners to  convince them to open the area.

 

I've been up that mountain so many times and never got in any trouble until that day in late November. I just wasn't paying attention. It was early in the season.There wasn't much snow on the sunny southern side of the mountains where the road starts to sweep around the mountain. So, I got lulled into a false sense of security. And, I was probably busy talking to my friend. When I finally rounded that long sweeper to the north side of the mountain, I was in a lot of trouble. I noticed my mistake too late as I looked down the road to see mainly white ice for 200-400 yards. So, I dared not apply the brakes. I thought I can slow down my speed by downshifting. But, the downshift induced a spin. That was a scary moment, heading down a narrow mountain highway, backwards on ice at 50mph.

 

Another mistake I made was not mounting my spare stock steel wheels with the 165/80 x 13 tires. I was riding on my 205/60 x 13 rubber, the worst things you can have on snow and ice.

Edited November 13, 2023 by Alexander

[bob02]

Slavs, your 02 is proportionally perfect, to my eyes anyway. Glad you all made it out of that one.

 

 Bob

[Alexander]

On 11/4/2023 at 8:29 AM, Mike Self said:

That's pretty scary!  Did either of you become members of the "brown shorts brigade" during the adventure? 

It was weird, like an out of body experience. As we were spinning I felt like I was observing everything in 3rd person. As we went off the road we crossed a turn out which consisted of about 20ft of deep gravel. This slowed us down. But, I should have pressed down on the brakes or pulled the e-brake at that point. Perhaps that would have stopped us before going over. But, when you're spinning the g forces work against you. It's hard to think, much less act on anything. I froze. I think I would have handled it better, if I had some driver's school track experience. It was a scary moment.

 

No we didn't soil our pants or anything like that.

 

After we got out of the car we realized just how late in the day it was. The temps were dropping. So, we walked to the nearest and only establishment in the mountains, the Newcomb's Ranch restaurant just a mile up the road. There is nothing else around for the nearest 30-40 miles. The restaurant was established on a ranch owned by the Newcomb family since 1875. A member of that family, Lynn Newcomb, opened one of the oldest ski areas in the area in 1939, Mt. Waterman Ski Area, 6 miles up the road. After he passed the family sold the restaurant to a new owner. Well, when we got there the new owner was just about ready to close down for the day. He was intoxicated and wouldn't let us use the phone and started complaining about his business and all the patrons who drive up the mountain to hang out there. At one point he said he was going to bulldoze the restaurant down because he hated his customers along with all of those who drive up there and fly off the road. As he was telling us to get lost a Park ranger drove up, and I relayed to him what happened. I also told him that the A-Hole owner wouldn't allow us to use the phone to call for assistance and a ride down the mountain. The ranger observed the owner drinking a full glass of wine while getting in his car intoxicated. Seemingly unsurprised, but still Shaking his head in disbelief, the ranger opted to assist us while allowing the restaurant owner to drive off down the mountain in an old VW Beetle. He gave us a ride back down to the accident scene. As we were standing around a neighbor with a Humvee and a winch drove around the bend of the road and stopped, offering his assistance. He recognized me and pulled my car back on to the road. Everybody was relieved, including the ranger, who could now drive back home as well. 

 

I heard the restaurant closed down permanently in 2019-2020 and that the place is up for sale.

 

Newcomb's Ranch - La Canada Flintridge, California -

WWW.NEWCOMBSRANCH.COM

---

Newcomb's Ranch, La Canada Flintridge is a picturesque and affluent community located in the San Fernando Valley of Los Angeles County.

 

Edited November 7, 2023 by Alexander

[Alexander]

11 hours ago, bob02 said:

Slavs, your 02 is proportionally perfect, to my eyes anyway. Glad you all made it out of that one.

Thanks Bob. I try to keep the car looking period correct. I've just installed slightly stiffer springs, Bilsteins and fat sway bars. Otherwise I leave my motors stock. The previous owner, an old friend, installed a 2 liter and 5 speed overdrive while retaining the 4.11 rear diff. But, he had it modified to a limited slip. My friend passed away from injuries he sustained from a car accident in his early 60s Ford Ranchero. Before he passed he gave me his 67 1600 which he purchased new  in 1967. I serviced the car and did much of the work on it while he still owned it.

[bmw_e30]

your neighbor in the humvee is armenian

 

 

[Alexander]

4 hours ago, bmw_e30 said:

your neighbor in the humvee is armenian

Yes, the only Armenian guy I know who's not cruising around in a BMW or Mercedes, HA HA HA !

[BimmerGuy65]

Hey wow you definitely had a guardian angel working for ya that day buddy. What rims are those?  Sweet '02.

[Alexander]

1 hour ago, BimmerGuy65 said:

Hey wow you definitely had a guardian angel working for ya that day buddy. What rims are those?  Sweet '02.

Those are English Cosmic wheels in 5 1/2" x 13". The offset is unspecified, but according to the fit and some specifications I've seen it is ideal at about 22-25. I have 205/60 x 13" tires mounted and didn't have to bend in the rear fender lip, plenty of clearance.