Biker395 

Health related issues have kept my cycling to a minimum as of late, but I managed to get out there yesterday. Besides being a generally beautiful day, it was also noteworthy for something else ... someone who had apparently driven over the side on a twisty mountain road.

I'd go into all about how stupid it is to take risks like this, but there was a time in my very early 20s where I drove almost as foolishsly and managed to learn my lesson without paying this kind of price.

We had LEOs from virtually every jurisdiction on it. Helicopter rescue from the County Sheriffs. Two cruisers from the Highway Patrol. The Angeles National Forest rangers. Two fire engines. Wow.

This must have been terrifying.

The good news is that they didn't go far. Only 40 feet or so down the embankment. They landed on the roof, and we got no response calling down to them. Here is the arrival of the helicopter.



They got REALLY lucky. There was no one in the car or in the vicinity. They apparently self-rescued.




Onward to Baldy Village, where we split a home made cinnamon roll and headed back.


Great spot for a break and a bite.

This "Deadman's curve" has been the site of at least 3 fatalities I know of. If you go over in this spot, it is a 1500 foot drop to the bottom.

Great views.

Iride01 

Wow. Not sure what to think about that. I'm assuming the person for all you know is fine?

Does sort of bring up something I've been wondering for the last year. I've no experience on a bike in the mountains. I'm planning on climbingMt. Evans in Colorado this summer since it's near where one of my son's now lives.

Although I feel very comfortable on the few twisty downhill turns we have here, they aren't anything like the downhill twisty switchbacks on Mt. Evans. I've been hoping I have good enough sense to control my speed and can hold the line I imagine I need to hold around them.

So your pic's and account of this seem somewhat ...... timely!

Biker395 

Yea, there was no one in the car or in the vicinity, so they were assumed to have self-rescued and are OK. The LEOs were just checking to see if the car was reported stolen.

If you don't have a lot of experience with technical descents, definitely take it easy. It is not uncommon for people to overcook a turn (especially on a road they are not familiar with), and that can have nasty consequences. IMHO, the thing to look out for in particular is a long straightaway (where you will likely pick up speed), followed by a tight inverse banked turn and the like. That is why "Deadman's Curve" is so deadly. It lulls people into a bit of complacency. Keep in your comfort zone and you should be OK.

Check that ... MORE than OK. You'll have a blast.

rumrunn6

wonder what it would take to make the wall a little higher ...

headwind15

I live out in Arizona in the land of the 100 mph pick up truck. Yea, If you aren't doin' 80 or 90, then even though you are driving on a double yellow center lined road, and there is oncoming traffic, they would rather be involved in a head on accident (and potentially die) rather than drive at 70 or 80 mph.

Biker395 

Now you have me wondering if that is the right picture or not. Initially, all they had was the low wall of boulders you see there, but cars easily punched through that. Later, they installed those concrete dividers you see on freeways. I think that did the trick, but was a temporary fix, as they later put up a steel guard rail like the kind you see on highways. I haven't heard of anyone going over the side since that time.

I'm not sure if the guard rail starts further into that curve, or if I just took a picture of the wrong curve!

The fatalities I know of were:

1. Teen-early 20s guy from Orange County driving it with a female friend late one night too fast in a Scion XB (the ones that look like toasters). The flew over the side and fell all the way to the bottom. The driver was trapped in the car as the car started on fire (hopefully, he was at least unconscious at that time). The female survived the fall (!) and self-rescued. Even more incredible, she walked up the steep slope back to the main road (1500 feet!) for help.

2. A couple of 20something guys in an Integra went over the side and also fell all the way to the bottom. They did not survive.

The reason this curve is so nasty is because if follows a downhill and relatively straight portion. And it also is a decreasing radius turn ... it gets tighter as you go. No issues at all at bicycle speeds.

Biker395 

We're getting more and more of that here too. People driving ridiculously fast in pretty busy traffic. And average speeds have gone up 5MPH or so post-COVID.

Iride01 

Unless that is a vertical sheer cliff, I'd rather go off the road and tumble or bounce down the embankment. Hitting any kind of immovable object like a rail at the speeds that take people off the proper line sounds like broken bones will be guaranteed.