RW>RN> That took guts!
 
RW> I had plenty to go around in those days. :o)
 
We were all indestructible when young.
 
RW> Yes...as a young man with super reactions, I would have been able to stop
RW> that VW long before the 18 wheeler came to a stop. I figured worst case,
RW> I could adjust my speed to ride his back frame to a stop. That is,
RW> unless he ran into a brick wall.
 
Maybe so, but you do realize that the 18-wheeler has air brakes and the VW
does not.  (-:
 
RW> One can experience smog on a daily basis in California. Especially during
RW> a Santa Ana condition (east wind blows the smog off-shore). On any given
RW> day, you can look out to sea and see a yellowish-brown haze. If you're
RW> out there, you can barely see the coast through it. It's a lot better
RW> than it was 40 years ago, but it's still a health hazard.
 
You're right about that.  I remember having some difficulty breathing
because the air in the smog is so harsh.  We were all glad to get out of it
alive.
 
RW> The highway (I-5 now) splits near the bottom of the mountains around
RW> Castaic, CA and the two roads intertwine and twist up/down the mountain
RW> like a grapevine, thus the name. In some places you can see the opposite
RW> lane, in others you can't. It's almost the same on the northern side of
RW> the mountains, but not as steep. If you go to Google Maps and take a look
RW> at it, you can see the split just south of the I-5/99 intersection. It's
RW> actually labeled as such, if you get in close enough. Once you get up to
RW> Lebec, they come together again, then you go south for a ways and it
RW> starts to go down. It's quite a ride.
 
Thanks.  I'll do that.  It sounds interesting, but I'm unsure I'd want to drive it.
 
 
Regards,
 
Roger

... Look unimportant - The enemy may be low on ammo
--- D'Bridge 3.26