My Calaveras hills story
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4th Gear
Joined: Jun 2004
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My Calaveras hills story
Well its story time/ramble for me before I go to sleep so read only if you are bored (really bored) 
Well few days ago I during my spring break some of my friends and I go up to Calaveras Hills (NorCal if anyones wondering). This was about my 4th time going up there. We went up with a 240sx (leading), Integra gsr (middle), and me and the end with my MC since they've been up there a lot more than I have. (each car had 2 people in it including driver)
Well on our little run we have 3 check points: one at the peak basically, another one that has a little space on the side of the road and finally at the end of the run. My friend with the 240sx usually takes it pretty hard even though he probably has the worst handling and suspension out of all of us being a rear wheel drive car but ya. He pretty much gets ahead by quite a bit. So we go through and we meet up at the first check point which was with 240sx way ahead waiting for my friend (integra) who go a bit slower.
We meet up at the checkpoint, talk for about 15 minutes and then we were off to finish off the twistys
But this time I went second after the 240sx instead of going at the end. I kept up with my friend in the 240sx and my friends integra was out of site after the first few turns, which were a little wet and had some debris. Didn't think much of it until we got to our 3rd checkpoint where I was congratulated for keeping up with my friend (240sx) and they asked me if my other friend (integra) has been holding me back or something since I usually drove behind him.
Well...a minute or two passes by and we start to wonder why the integra hasn't caught up yet. Tried calling my friend but we didn't get reception up there. My friend with the 240sx decides to head backwards to check to see if anything happend. It turns out my friend with the integra had a minor accident where he lost control on a turn. His car loses control and slides into a pile of dirt that is about 4ft high. If it wasn't for that pile of dirt the car would've gone off of a small cliff into some trees which wouldn't have been good. Luckily everyone came out of this safe with no injuries except to his car which only had bumper, paint, front lip damage.
I've had some other friends who also have had crashes on this run (hitting the mountain, guardrail..etc..) But after actually being on a run that someone got into an accident I thought about whether I should continue to go up there again or not. After the run we got to my house and talked about how accidents on calaveras would be inevitiable wehter it be by pushing too hard, road conditions, animals, or opposing cars since most of the run is done on a road that is one way but cars can come from both directions (if that makes since?).
But now I've come to the conclusion that I won't be going up to do those runs (going hard at least), because it is simply just too dangerous and if there were damage to my car I simply wouldn't have the money to repair it. I do have to say that going up for the twistys is truely an experience with the MC...especially since my car is totally bone stock (performance wise). I wish I knew how it would be with some swaybars and springs but...nahh haha. Thats about it..I'm offf to bed now finally later all.
Well few days ago I during my spring break some of my friends and I go up to Calaveras Hills (NorCal if anyones wondering). This was about my 4th time going up there. We went up with a 240sx (leading), Integra gsr (middle), and me and the end with my MC since they've been up there a lot more than I have. (each car had 2 people in it including driver)
Well on our little run we have 3 check points: one at the peak basically, another one that has a little space on the side of the road and finally at the end of the run. My friend with the 240sx usually takes it pretty hard even though he probably has the worst handling and suspension out of all of us being a rear wheel drive car but ya. He pretty much gets ahead by quite a bit. So we go through and we meet up at the first check point which was with 240sx way ahead waiting for my friend (integra) who go a bit slower.
We meet up at the checkpoint, talk for about 15 minutes and then we were off to finish off the twistys
But this time I went second after the 240sx instead of going at the end. I kept up with my friend in the 240sx and my friends integra was out of site after the first few turns, which were a little wet and had some debris. Didn't think much of it until we got to our 3rd checkpoint where I was congratulated for keeping up with my friend (240sx) and they asked me if my other friend (integra) has been holding me back or something since I usually drove behind him.Well...a minute or two passes by and we start to wonder why the integra hasn't caught up yet. Tried calling my friend but we didn't get reception up there. My friend with the 240sx decides to head backwards to check to see if anything happend. It turns out my friend with the integra had a minor accident where he lost control on a turn. His car loses control and slides into a pile of dirt that is about 4ft high. If it wasn't for that pile of dirt the car would've gone off of a small cliff into some trees which wouldn't have been good. Luckily everyone came out of this safe with no injuries except to his car which only had bumper, paint, front lip damage.
I've had some other friends who also have had crashes on this run (hitting the mountain, guardrail..etc..) But after actually being on a run that someone got into an accident I thought about whether I should continue to go up there again or not. After the run we got to my house and talked about how accidents on calaveras would be inevitiable wehter it be by pushing too hard, road conditions, animals, or opposing cars since most of the run is done on a road that is one way but cars can come from both directions (if that makes since?).
But now I've come to the conclusion that I won't be going up to do those runs (going hard at least), because it is simply just too dangerous and if there were damage to my car I simply wouldn't have the money to repair it. I do have to say that going up for the twistys is truely an experience with the MC...especially since my car is totally bone stock (performance wise). I wish I knew how it would be with some swaybars and springs but...nahh haha. Thats about it..I'm offf to bed now finally later all.
6th Gear
Joined: Apr 2004
Posts: 1,580
Likes: 0
From: Santa Clara, CA
Hey danbanger.... if you wanna see how it feels to do that run with a decent suspension setup, send me a PM. Ill take you out there sometime.... I love driving calaveras 
I even know where checkpoint #2 is 
I prefer to drive this road at night to cut down on opposing traffic though
I even know where checkpoint #2 is I prefer to drive this road at night to cut down on opposing traffic though
6th Gear
Joined: Jul 2004
Posts: 1,261
Likes: 1
From: NOT Lalaland, CA
DB:
I'm glad your friend is OK! And you have some good points about the risks of testing your car and skills on public road.
But I have to ask... where are these Calaveras Hills???
I'm glad your friend is OK! And you have some good points about the risks of testing your car and skills on public road.
But I have to ask... where are these Calaveras Hills???
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6th Gear
Joined: Feb 2003
Posts: 2,806
Likes: 0
From: Santa Rosa, CA
Here's a Pashhnit link to theCalavaras rd. run:smile:
http://www.pashnit.com/roads/cal/CalaverasRd.htm
http://www.pashnit.com/roads/cal/CalaverasRd.htm
6th Gear
Joined: Apr 2004
Posts: 1,580
Likes: 0
From: Santa Clara, CA
K, lets do it.... definetely make it a night time run to cut down on traffic coming in the opposite direction..... it is a one lane road most of the way.
Hows say..... next friday night? 9 or 10pm? What E36 do you have? M3?
Hows say..... next friday night? 9 or 10pm? What E36 do you have? M3?
4th Gear
Joined: Feb 2005
Posts: 368
Likes: 0
From: Pleasanton, CA
Friday's probably out for me--I've a dinner engagement.
I used to have a '95 M3, but I sold it because kleptos kept stealing stuff off of it (wheels, front facia). My insurance company told me that if I made another claim in a year, they'd drop me. The solution? I replaced it with a '97 328is, and thieves have given it nary a look! Here's a pic:
I used to have a '95 M3, but I sold it because kleptos kept stealing stuff off of it (wheels, front facia). My insurance company told me that if I made another claim in a year, they'd drop me. The solution? I replaced it with a '97 328is, and thieves have given it nary a look! Here's a pic:
4th Gear
Joined: Mar 2005
Posts: 590
Likes: 1
From: Wisconsin
Originally Posted by danbanger
Ya we went at night too..there was a rx7 and corolla (hachi roku) that past by us while we were at the first checkpoint of ours.
Edit: I tried to post up a pic of the Initial D corolla vs. the Rx-7 but I guess the pic is down...
6th Gear
Joined: Apr 2004
Posts: 1,580
Likes: 0
From: Santa Clara, CA
Oh and, I wont be able to check the forums again until 5:00pm tonight... so for people interested in doing this, we can meet up at the In n out burger at McCarthy Ranch at whatever time you guys decide on.
Whos in?!
Whos in?!