Southern California - ***

It's heartbreaking to see this fire. Hope all is well for you and other riders in SB. The smoke was visible in the SFV and the LA basin.

I'm assuming he's ok since he's posting questions in the road section like "what defines a 'road bike'?"

I'm watching the fire now on tv. When I went to bed last night, it seemed like they had everything under control. Now I'm watching mansions burn and flames in dense urban places. I can't believe things changed so quickly.

My mom lives up so I'm planning to take the drive up there this Sat. for Moms' day.

***'s house is in an area that should be safe from this fire. At this point he isn't in the evacuation warning area.

Yeah I'm a few miles away and more importantly a few canyons over. Although this fire went from fairly tame around mid-day to disaster in a few hours, much of the northern part of the city from the foothills to the main street is under evac warning. The wind has been pushing the fire east but fortunately I am west of it.

We could see it driving home tonight and there was smoke blowing out to sea northeast of us (we were at the beach)

I drove to work this morning, and there was hardly any smoke. But then late afternoon, it got really warm and windy, and really picked up.

The area near our house burned last 4th of July weekend and we were evacuated then. But since it burned so recently, I think we're safe.

edit: *** just told me that the area that burned was actually west of us, not between us and the fire. But we're still safe for now.

I'm not worried (yet), but I do know several people that live in the evac areas, several in the areas where the fire is active and a few in the areas that are threatened.

More immediately for me, my regular thurs evening ride goes right through the area where the fire is, so I have to figure out a new route.

We went to the opening night of 'Nite Moves' a 1K ocean swim & 5K run. Usually it's a madhouse. But it was a ghost town. The air was fine where we were, but bad just a mile down the beach. The biggest impact on my life so far has been ABC pre-empting my shows for fire coverage :rolleyes:. (No LOST!!)

Try to stay away from breathing that soot infested air.

I'm not worried (yet), but I do know several people that live in the evac areas, several in the areas where the fire is active and a few in the areas that are threatened.

More immediately for me, my regular thurs evening ride goes right through the area where the fire is, so I have to figure out a new route.

Or, as Derek said, take a rest day.

We went to the opening night of 'Nite Moves' a 1K ocean swim & 5K run. Usually it's a madhouse. But it was a ghost town. The air was fine where we were, but bad just a mile down the beach. The biggest impact on my life so far has been ABC pre-empting my shows for fire coverage :rolleyes:. (No LOST!!)

Do you have Cox, if so you should have channel 807 which airs what is usually supposed to be on in the event of a fire or something else.

Do you have Cox, if so you should have channel 807 which airs what is usually supposed to be on in the event of a fire or something else.

Thanks... where were you yesterday :notamused:

Or, as Derek said, take a rest day.

I'll ride with you gimpy ;)

The wind is pushing the front out to the west toward me now. It is approaching the 154 and the winds are ~60mph

http://www.photoscene.com/kimandsteve/images/6155.jpg

Edit: oh yeah, I rode out west with jmechy aka. gimpy and he crashed again :o

On the way home I could see the fire approaching. :eek:

The wind is pushing the front out to the west toward me now. It is approaching the 154 and the winds are ~60mph

http://www.photoscene.com/kimandsteve/images/6155.jpg

Edit: oh yeah, I rode out west with jmechy aka. gimpy and he crashed again :o

On the way home I could see the fire approaching. :eek:

BTW: that is the view from our driveway. http://smileys.smileycentral.com/cat/4/4_6_100.gif

Thanks... where were you yesterday :notamused:

I don't think I was on much yesterday. don't feel bad, I've missed most of a race (NASCAR) last fall due to a fire someplace (I want to say Malibu) like two hours in they decided to announce that they had a second channel to view regularly scheduled programs.....I was ticked. I beleived they waited to boost their ratings as much as possible, but that is just me.

NBC 4 has one as well - it is 804 and does weather and traffic mostly.

edit - I got home after an extended ride (17k instead of 13ishk) showered and went to bed. woke up ate dinner and then got some :D

BTW: that is the view from our driveway. http://smileys.smileycentral.com/cat/4/4_6_100.gif

and you are still there?

It's a big lens, it's still pretty far away...

reports keep saying it has jumped the 154, then that it hasn't... this is totally insane.

Yeah, they are saying it has now for sure. Anyway, we went from seeming relatively safe to evac warning to evac order in about 5 minutes. We were mostly packed from last time, so we threw that stuff in the car, gathered up all our bike stuff and hit the road.

It's a big lens, it's still pretty far away...

it has jumped the 154 and we are now under mandatory evacuation. Not sure where we'll sleep. They probably have pets at the shelter, and I'm very allergic to cats.

Wow, that looks scary. I wish you the best.

Try to stay away from breathing that soot infested air.

I remember back in 2003 seeing people wearing facemasks to keep from inhaling the sooty air, pulling the mask aside, taking a drag of a cigarette, exhaling, then putting the mask back on.

Made me laugh. :roflmao2:

Stay safe *** and kuf and everyone else up there.

Thanks

May the beer drinking spirits of Bob and Doug MacKenzie put the fire out in 10 minutes so you can return home soon!

good luck.....

Wow! Good luck and hopefully your home will still be there once you return.

Sending some good wishes your way...

Can I help in any way young guy?

Hang in there...hope you come out okay.

We went through the evac madness when the huge Chatsworth fire worked its way over the hill to Agoura a few years ago. Got woken up by the Sheriff at 1:30 a.m.....went to my mom's a mile away and then evac'd from there at 5 a.m.

(Note: I took my bikes too!)

Can I help in any way young guy?

Looking for good rides to the south for the weekend ;)

Come do Cruising The Conejo!

Come do Cruising The Conejo!

I was probably going to just make my own way around the santa monicas... I looked at their site but couldn't find any information of the route.

I take it the fire threat to your home was benign. Where'd you sleep?

Are the winds done?

I take it the fire threat to your home was benign. Where'd you sleep?

Are the winds done?

We slept in a red cross shelter at the university a few miles away. We are still under the evacuation order and the firefighters are trying to make a stand at the intersection of two major highways (154 and 192) a few miles away from us. However it has already jumped both of them in various spots. I still feel that our house is fairly safe but another evening of 100+ degrees with 50+ mph winds like last night could really fan the flames. This thing was a few hundred acres yesterday morning and is now 3,500.

I don't know what your riding plans are over the weekend but if you aren't going to disneyland again I wouldn't mind an escort on some of your favorite climbs.

I was probably going to just make my own way around the santa monicas... I looked at their site but couldn't find any information of the route.

Route for the Century: TO back to Agoura via Hillcrest, up Westlake, down Kanan to TO Blvd. Eventually winds back to Cornell, Up Rock Store, down Encinal to Lechusa, up Decker/ Mulholland, down Westlake.
Then Hidden Valley, Dos Vientos, Camarillo, Moopark, Simi and back to TO. That's it..more or less!

Looks like I'm going to be working late tonight and part of tomorrow to keep our labs open to evacuees in need of a computer and internet. If you need a place to charge your laptop or jump online let me know, I may or may not be over here.

Looking for good rides to the south for the weekend ;)

I've got some good ones and you are always welcome.
Hang in there kiddo!

I hope everything works out OK.

I got evacuated during the 2007 San Diego Fires. The worst part is not having accurate or up to date information. We evacuated and found a hotel in Orange County. They had fires up there as well, so we couldn't get any news coverage of the SD fires. Just not knowing can be more scary than anything.

Move into a valley. Nothing ever happens here...

Good luck up there.

My niece in Goleta had to evac. Her place is "ok" so far but who knows? She's had two evacs up there in less than a year.

We're in the era of year-round fires now.

I hope everything works out OK.

I got evacuated during the 2007 San Diego Fires. The worst part is not having accurate or up to date information. We evacuated and found a hotel in Orange County. They had fires up there as well, so we couldn't get any news coverage of the SD fires. Just not knowing can be more scary than anything.

Thanks, I'm pretty sure it will be ok. We are literally in the southwest corner of the evac area. I think there are only about 5 more houses west of us. The tv news coverage is horrible but there is a local paper (www.independent.com) that has really good fast and accurate reporting.


My niece in Goleta had to evac. Her place is "ok" so far but who knows? She's had two evacs up there in less than a year.

What intersection is she near in Goleta?

What intersection is she near in Goleta?

San Remo & North Hope....which I discover is actually Santa Barbara...she's moved. Damn, looking at G.Earth view and that is one heavily populated area.

That area should be pretty safe now... that's near where the fire started, I mean if it came straight down the mountains. The fire split east and west and the center is all burned out now so I don't think it's coming back that way.

She's staying in Ventura....said the smoke is too much for her around that neighborhood.

We slept in a red cross shelter at the university a few miles away. We are still under the evacuation order and the firefighters are trying to make a stand at the intersection of two major highways (154 and 192) a few miles away from us. However it has already jumped both of them in various spots. I still feel that our house is fairly safe but another evening of 100+ degrees with 50+ mph winds like last night could really fan the flames. This thing was a few hundred acres yesterday morning and is now 3,500.

I don't know what your riding plans are over the weekend but if you aren't going to disneyland again I wouldn't mind an escort on some of your favorite climbs.

Wow. Cot sleeping. Wild (or not) adventure! I don't believe I've ever recalled fires happening this early in the season. It's not even summer yet!

Sorry I wasn't able to reply earlier. It was that kind of day. Non-stop work, then more work in Hollywood all night. Just got home. Here's my Saturday - transplanting a Rival group on my bike. Sunday is the day for a test ride. If you're around then, we could meet up somewhere.

Sorry I wasn't able to reply earlier. It was that kind of day. Non-stop work, then more work in Hollywood all night. Just got home. Here's my Saturday - transplanting a Rival group on my bike. Sunday is the day for a test ride. If you're around then, we could meet up somewhere.

Today I have planned a long day... don't have a specific route in mind but I'm going to wander out your direction and hit up Las Flores to see what all the fuss is about, and then criss-cross the ranges as I move westward. Goal is to do roughly 100 miles/10000 feet/6 hours/400 tss. Tomorrow I should be sufficiently tired to ride with you :p

Today I have planned a long day... don't have a specific route in mind but I'm going to wander out your direction and hit up Las Flores to see what all the fuss is about, and then criss-cross the ranges as I move westward. Goal is to do roughly 100 miles/10000 feet/6 hours/400 tss. Tomorrow I should be sufficiently tired to ride with you :p

Or not tired. OK Santa Monica Mountains locals, this is your opportunity to ride along with the likes of *** -- when his legs are jelly. What say we get together and show him some what for tomorrow? I haven't ridden in 5 days, :eek: so I'll either be well rested or rusty. Route and meal destination to be determined. Climbing will be involved.

Las Flores was interesting... it had it's moments.

I topped off at a little store at the bottom of Fernwood. Nice.

Didn't account for the heat though. Should have stopped at the Rock Store and bought some Gatorade & water but thought I could top off at the fire station on Decker. Well, I couldn't find the faucet but it was kind of foggy so I though I would be ok to go down and up Encinal but Encinal wasn't foggy and I really cracked. Refilled at a house on Mulholland and thought I was cooked so I headed "home" but after half the bottle I felt ok and did a loop into Hidden Valley.

Into a headwind

Ouch

Anyway, final stats are 6:15, 98 miles, 11,000 feet, 6 bottles, 2 bars and 4,000kJ.

:D