The Wrong Way to Wrightwood
T
12
Story by Lionel Neff
he morning of August 16 was cool with scattered clouds. The alarm went off and with the precision of a Le Mans start Dori and I prepared ourselves for the promised excitement in the day ahead. We arrived at the Moorpark Target parking lot (aka the launch site) thinking we would be the first there. How wrong we were, for the “go-getters” Nick Liakas, Doreen Pankow, Bob Clark, Keith Archambeau, and a host of others, were already on site, imbued with enthusiasm for the day that lay ahead. The pre-ride talk was given ten minutes before our planned 9:30 a.m. departure. There were 35 participants and 20 cars, so the decision was made to divide into two groups. I would lead the first group while Doreen Pankow, being the skilled driver she is, would lead the second.
DER AUSPUFF November/December 2023
On time, off went the first group headed east on New Los Angeles Ave. toward Hwy 23, then to Hwy 118 in mild traffic, which a mid-week drive affords. Our anticipated appointment with adventure begins. From Hwy 118 we transitioned onto Hwy 210 east. At the 35-mile marker, we exited the highway at Sunland Blvd. still together and in formation. The ribbon of Porsches made its way to Oro Vista Ave., our gateway to Big Tujunga Canyon, at which point we pulled to the side of the road to allow the procession of Porsches to reform the ribbon. Here’s where the fun began. Ahead lay the open road fraught with fast, sweeper turns accented with tight twisties. Not for the faint of heart, yet not a challenge for our lofty Porsches and their deft drivers.
