by Steve Geldman

By Lionel Neff

The morning of January 22 commenced at 6 a.m. when the alarm sounded. It was still dark and cold. My wife and I, in a sleepy haze, managed to avoid bumping into each other while piecing together our attire for the day. By 7 a.m., with our coffee down, badges in place, and meal tickets, clip boards, and liability waivers all accounted for, we jumped in our trusty Porsche Turbo. I turned the key and the Turbo roared to life, anxious for a new adventure.

The plan was to meet Art Shinn and Doreen Pankow at 8:30 in the Castaic Denny’s parking lot in preparation for the onslaught of the day’s enthusiasts. At 8:45 a parade of Porsches started arriving. I was gratified to witness our preparations had paid off as the liability waivers were duly signed and meal ticket envelopes dispersed; all went off without a hitch.

We divided 66 Porsche crews into two groups. I would lead Group A while Doreen Pankow would lead Group B in her blue 993. At 10 a.m. all drivers were directed to their cars. The weather prediction was for heavy winds, which proved to serve us favorably. Due to the harsh forecast that in fact did not materialize, the roads were free of bicycles, motorcycles, and, for the most part, other vehicles. One could not hope for a better driving day: mostly clean, curvy roads, beautiful blue skies, and only moderate winds.

Our drive took us from the town of Castaic up Lake Hughes Road for 23 miles of exciting curves. Lake Hughes Road was built by the California Conservation Corps in 1936. At the top, Lake Hughes Road runs into Lake Elizabeth Road. At this point we stopped to allow everyone to gather up and take a few photos. As we travelled over Lake Elizabeth Road, one could not help notice on the left the rock-faced structure of the famous Rock Inn, which in 1928 served the local citizenry of mostly regional farmers and ranchers as the original trading post, post office, hotel, and bus stop.

Five miles farther took us to San Francisquito Canyon Road through the Sierra Pelona Mountains, a range flanked to the south by the Santa Clarita Valley and to the north by the Antelope Valley and Mojave Desert. San Francisquito Canyon Road was the original site of the Placer Mining Company where Spanish missionaries searched for gold. The mines were abandoned in 1848. Between 1924 and 1928, the canyon was the site of the St. Francis Dam, a project of the Los Angeles Water Department. At 11:57 p.m. on March 12, 1928, the dam failed resulting in a flood that took over 400 lives as water raced down the Santa Clara River through Valencia, Newhall, Fillmore, and Santa Paula, emptying into the Pacific Ocean 54 miles down river. However, it was clear sailing for our group of intrepid Porsche drivers.

Four miles into the canyon we turned left onto Spunky Canyon Road and through the town of Green Valley. Spunky was devoid of any traffic and availed us of spectacular curves where every driver deftly displayed their best driving skills. Once over the crest, the panorama of Bouquet Reservoir came into view. The lake was created behind a dam that was constructed on the Santa Clara River in 1934.

Opposite: On Lake Hughes Road, photo by Bill Hallier. Top left: Chief organizer Lionel Neff sharing instructions, photo by Steve Geldman. Top right: The stop to gather up the stragglers at Lake Elizabeth Road, photo by Steve Geldman. Left: First-timers Donna Williams and Elliot Schulman, photo by Dennis Power.

Spunky Canyon ends at Bouquet Canyon Road, at which point the group turned right and, as always, enjoyed the challenging curves for a blissful 11 miles until we reached Vasquez Canyon Road. The group again gathered and we turned left and 7 miles later headed left again onto Sierra Highway. Finally, we turned right onto Davenport Road to Agua Dulce and reached our destination, the Sweetwater Bar & Grill. After 90 miles of uninterrupted driving, it appeared like an oasis for those definitely ready for lunch and a break.

When we reached Sweetwater, owner Joe Marazzico was waiting for us and started serving our meals in short order. Everyone appeared to have had a wonderful time replete with great roads and fellowship complemented by full bellies and fond memories. The best events are often uneventful and that was the case here. Art Shinn and Doreen Pankow are due special thanks for their assistance.

Lionel Neff has been a member of PCA since 2009. Along with Art Shinn, he is SBR's Activities Cochair. Lionel drives a 2017 911 Turbo in GT Silver.

Top: the gathering of Porsches at the Sweetwater Bar & Grill, photo by Steve Geldman Bottom: the dining room with hungry attendees, photo by Bill Hallier

For more information, call Dustin Troyan at 818.584.3240 and visit www.lavaggio.net

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