The Wrong Way to Wrightwood

Story by Lionel Neff

The 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.

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.

The allure of the road through Big Tujunga Canyon came to an end at the junction with Angeles Forest Hwy. The original plan was to proceed south to Angeles Crest Hwy. However, you know what’s said about the best-laid plans. Angeles Crest was closed due to the severe damage incurred during the continuous rains last winter. Therefore, Plan B was implemented wherein Angeles Forest Hwy North was the substitute route. This was not a disapointment. The curves that lay ahead, coupled with a pace set on the fringe of pure passion, brought a smile to everyone’s face. The excitement continued until reaching the 65-mile point at the turn-off for Mt. Emma Rd., where the contour of the route changed in midstream.

The route here transitioned to miles of brisk, speedy, sweeping curves over the Sonoran biome. At the 75-mile point, we found our road had flowed into Fort Tejon Rd., where the curves again were coming alive as was our quest for more. At the 82-mile point, our anticipation and hopes for more excitement were teased with what Valyermo Rd. had in store for us.

At the 96-mile point, we were deftly guided to Big Pine Rd. where tight, irrational, palpitating, and tighter-than-expected curves, added to our glee. The landscape changed to pine forest. Though challenging, the road once again was to be defeated by Porsche’s unmatched road-handling attributes while piloted by their skilled drivers.

What a marvel. We were at the summit as we entered the last stretch of road to Wrightwood. The mountain town sits at an elevation of 6,000 feet in the San Bernardino Mountains and has a population of about 4,600. The ribbon of Porsches proceeded to our destination, the Grizzly Café. The journey had been 101 miles. Little did we know how lucky we were until told by a waitress that earlier that morning a heavy rain had descended on the area. Fortunately, we had arrived to blue skies and warm conditions. It had been a wonderful drive and we looked forward now to a hearty lunch. The meals were wonderful, as was the service, only to be exceeded by the close fellowship shared amongst our members. A special thanks to everyone who participated in this great event: a tribute to what a wonderful club we are.

Lionel Neff has been a member of PCA since 2020 and is SBR’s Activities Co-chair. He drives a 2017 911 Turbo in GT Silver.

Editor’s footnote: How could this be the “wrong way” to Wrightwood, when the drive for Porsche Club members was engaging, enjoyable, and perfect for what our cars were engineered to do? Well, the “wrong way” comes in because these roads were not the way your friendly, driving-directions app would have you go. This adventurous route had been carefully planned out by our author. Thank you Lionel!