Wow that brought back lots of memories lol. I drove that route hauling produce to the cruise lines in portland and seattle for a few years. That exit you started at in weed only had a chevron gas station and a dirt lot across from it. Back then lol damn im old fml
@keithcope81134 жыл бұрын
Me too! Ran this route quite a bit. Your right about the Chevron station, I remember now. Where did the time go?
@trplpwr10384 жыл бұрын
It's 11/14/20 Mike, and I'm just watching this video ... I got into my first logging truck ('62 W900) in July of '62 (I wasn't quite 15) in Hoopa, CA ... quit driving in '81 when I suffered a life-altering back injury ... was in the Army from '67 to '69, and have been saying exactly what you said about those that "don't like" America ever since I returned to the world in July '69. I watch your videos, and others, just to relive what I think of as "the best years of my life", spent driving a semi.
@l78novass763 жыл бұрын
Oh man, Mountain Man Mike; it's been several years since I've driven over Siskiyou summit on I-5. It sure brought back some fond memories! Thanks for the awesome ride along and keep on doing those great videos, stay safe and peaceeee!
@lesd97834 жыл бұрын
Good old Weed
@mrjlbarrett55564 жыл бұрын
@reverse thrust Half of it also burned down 3 years ago...
@sarrasmith25084 жыл бұрын
A beautiful day in the neighborhood. There is something very relaxing and soothing about Riding Shotgun with you my friend. Most enjoyable as always and a little snow. Hopefully I will be home for our next ride. Until then. ✌
@Linda24 жыл бұрын
Thank you Linda.. ☮️
@ridingshotgun12514 жыл бұрын
I drove from Mt Shasta to Portland a couple years ago and fell in love with this part of Interstate 5 before and just after Medford. I was stunned by the beauty and this was during summer.
@Texas804 жыл бұрын
Ah the memories along this stretch! Driving a '64 Chevy Nova station wagon full of bandmates ahead of our cube van with our instruments, sound gear, and more bandmates. 1979-82. The Nova; we had to get out and push to bump start it. We became very good at it. Routine. The Nova was missing a floor in the rear seat so I put a plexiglass window there to watch the pavement go by. From Bellingham to Santa Cruz and all points between. Good music, good people, good times. Thanks for the video Mike.
@motomuso4 жыл бұрын
I like taking the 97 through central Oregon nice drive less traffic .
@daniel15714 жыл бұрын
I was in Medford yesterday. Driving in that rain and dog on I-5 have me a new appreciation on life. 😳
@borninoaklandcali29374 жыл бұрын
Yay Weed, California.. awesome drive down the steep mountain.. beautiful.. thanks Mike.. safe travel ✌ peace
@christinearmstrong8524 жыл бұрын
Sensational scenery.....thanks for taking us along
@stevewintermute1954 жыл бұрын
That one of my favorite spot to stop going that way driving north or south so beautiful.
@rondolan44894 жыл бұрын
Jingle bells, jingle bells, Mountain Man Trucker Mike. Back in the 70’s International Paper had about 100,000 acres of timberland out of Weed plus a lumber mill. Years later they sold the mill and acreage. Back in the 90’s I have ridden my motorcycle on that highway going to Reno for the motorcycle gathering “Street Vibrations “. Oregon’s Governor Tom McCall, Republican, back in the day said “come and visit but for heaven’s sake don’t stay”. There was a sign saying that on the Oregon California border. After him the state went down hill and now we have a governor that believes in sanctuary state.
@tazmod72724 жыл бұрын
Lol.. wow. Too bad they stayed huh?.. good to hear the brief story on Weed.. thx Taz
@ridingshotgun12514 жыл бұрын
Tax Mod..You said alot about the history of Oregon & answered my question! Weed CA was quite a little Mtn town back then! Drugs must have been bad then, early 70s, gas station there had doorless outhouse? Under that old train trestle across the rogue river valley at Grants Pass was a campsite, & a train up in the sky crossed that trestle during night! Ground started shaking & scary! I was unknowingly laying close to a leg of that trestle rr bridge, with train high above! I was back in Oregon in 80s & 90s! In +/- 23 yrs, I seen lots of change there in your state!
@edwardjones96314 жыл бұрын
Edward Jones : I was an import from Michigan. First time to Oregon in 1971 and that was on the east side of the Cascade Mountains, Bend, Oregon. I saw pickup trucks with hunting rifles hanging on gun racks inside the trucks. You could buy hand guns easily and wear them on your side. No one thought anything about it. I thought wow it is still the “Wild West” out here. Later I lived on the west side like Eugene. In the smaller towns you would still see the hunting rifles in pickups. Overtime things just seemed to change. The ‘70’s had their problems but not like today. I would love to go back to the ‘70’s.
@tazmod72724 жыл бұрын
thank you so much for your videos. This particular route is very familiar to me as I start my trip in Vancouver, BC and make my way to Modesto Ca. I am a little surprised at the amount of snow in Weed and yet on the mountain pass there was barely a sprinkling. Stay safe and keep posting these videos.
@ahbenjamin28894 жыл бұрын
I live in Medford Or. We know the Siskiyou Summit and Sexton Summit very well. Winter storm back in the 90's had snow levels house high in Mt Shasta. The snow and freezing rain made an absolute mess out of I5 in Northern California. Pot holes size size of cars everywhere. Not really but it was bad. Traveled for the military through out the winter to the Bay area. It was a sight to see. I enjoy watching sensible driving videos. Be safe out there. Unprepared, wrong or bad tires, wrong equipment (no chains or snow tires) and plain bad driving habits are the reason people have accidents. Pushing a vehicle beyond its realistic capabilities. They're not snow plows.
@sallyszpak54224 жыл бұрын
Beautiful drive I've enjoyed that trip mate thnx so much from new Zealand
@buzzybee99974 жыл бұрын
I can't thank you enough. This is calming looking around.
@dv75483 жыл бұрын
The American Interstate network should be declared amongst one of the World's Wonders...awesome connectivity for a really vast Country!!!
@felixdatche92784 жыл бұрын
If you pay attention when you drive, you do not need rumble strips to tell if you are going off the road.
@stephensafraniii33964 жыл бұрын
I used to make that run plenty of times. Thanks for the memories!!! My favorite portland, oregon truck stop is Jubitz and kruegers near Eugene. Take care out on that lonely black ribbon.
@6stringgunner5113 жыл бұрын
What a road trip love the mts!! Thanks so much for the ride Take care out there be safe
@kathypage16744 жыл бұрын
What a gorgeous landscape through there.
@StereoSpace4 жыл бұрын
It's incredibly ugly during the summer. Weed often sees 115*F, and everything just turns brown.
@sarrasmith25084 жыл бұрын
State of Jefferson. Hauled the shop to Oregon that route past couple years. Smooth hands, nice video work. Safe travels!
@camachinist4 жыл бұрын
Been 3 years since I have been over the The summit. I have seen a number of trucks visit the sand box on the way down. One just about 10 minutes after he passed me coming up. The north side decent is quite a bit steeper than the grade climbing up. It can catch big truck drivers running heavy and they can cook their brakes pretty quick. Hence the cool down stop in the sand box. Seen it happen several times. I have also seen a few trucks visiting the west bound sand box on the cabbage patch and talked to a driver who actually went into a runoff ramp on the Lewiston grade. He had quite a story to tell about that experience. I have seen a number of drivers seriously smoke there brakes going down hill. Even a couple catch their trailer brakes on fire.
@americanrambler49724 жыл бұрын
Yes.. the Lewiston hill is murder.. but a good truck driver will go down those hills and never use their brakes or just a little . Pick a gear and let the engine brake..(Jake) hold ya..
@ridingshotgun12514 жыл бұрын
Riding Shotgun Absolutely! As a newbie beginning driver I got my brakes hot a couple of times in my rookie year while I gained experience, judgement and more patience. I learned to know both my and my trucks limitations in the mean time. Being told a 80,000 pound truck moving down hill at speed has a massive amount of kinetic energy is very different from experiencing what it takes to actually stop it first hand. Over time I evolved a philosophy and practice on how I used my truck going down grades. My two rules are: 1) keep my brakes cool. I want them to be as close to the same temperature as possible at the bottom of the hill as they were at the top. Because what ever heat you put into the brakes on the way down subtracts significantly from your maximum stopping capacity the hotter you get. And once you reach that heat limit, your brakes go away and you can be in serious trouble. 2) engine braking is for energy and speed management on grades. Brakes are for stopping. Not as an extended speed retarder or grade speed management. They have only a limited amount of capacity to store and reject heat generated with their use. I want to have maximum capability on any part of the hill in case I ever need it. Hence cool brakes anywhere on the hill. Refer back to rule 1. And rule 3) NEVER over drive your ability to do a controlled stop in the foreseeable distance. Especially at night or in the fog or other low visibility conditions. You never know if that stopped minivan full of kids or heard of elk in the road are just beyond your sight distance and you do not have room to stop or maneuver around the hazard because your driving to fast for conditions. More than once I needed to do hard braking at the bottom of long or on long steep grades for a number of reasons. I did not need to be worried about brake fade because I had heated them up using them instead of using engine braking. I also shut down one time in the middle of nowhere eastern Montana because the inky black road conditions were increasing the risk of large wildlife strikes to unacceptable levels because they were popping out of the brush along side the road to safely avoid them.
@americanrambler49724 жыл бұрын
Mike... part of Freedom is being able to make choices... if you have to agree with everything one certain type of people believe, and you want to deport them, that is not freedom. Freedom is having the choice to be different and believe in different things and different ways. Once you make laws that Freedom means you have to agree with one certain group of people, you no longer have freedom.
@FalconXE3024 жыл бұрын
Regarding the smoke you were talking about, they have been doing controlled burns. It is so the terrible forest fires we have in the summer are less severe. For the last couple of years, we have had devastating fires here in Oregon.
@journeyhawk17284 жыл бұрын
I remember years ago after NAFTA was enacted, the trucks started coming up from Mexico. I used to hear horror stories about how unsafe they were. So California had to crack down on inspections to get them off the roads because the feds wouldn't do it. A lot of what California does is to protect itself from the federal government. This was one beautiful drive Mike! I hope you have more vids of Oregon.
@wernerdanler27424 жыл бұрын
Love that Vista Drive exit! I’ve stopped there so many times driving between Portland and Sacramento.
@chrisbullard5901 Жыл бұрын
BRAVO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! SUPER MEGA LOVE YOU ❤😍❤😍❤😍❤😍 THANKS BROTHER ,,
@dimitriosfromgreece42274 жыл бұрын
Thanks for the vids. I use to ride with my dad during summer breaks, got to see all 48 states before I graduated. Love your videos of the PNW, the scenery is the best! I use to live in Portland for a few years then moved back to Bama. Safe travels sir, I look forward to the next one!
@leonardwashington7104 жыл бұрын
That GMC is a true beater!
@josephlineberger4435 ай бұрын
Absolutely positively agree deport the against America group!
@tomhawk82402 жыл бұрын
First load I ever pulled was 6900lbs Denver to Silverbow up the 25 with 40-50 mph side winds, man what a trip to learn on. Never liked light loads after that.
@stevencroon4 жыл бұрын
This route is VERY familiar to me, but I'm usually driving my little Toyota Camry. It's nice to be able to SEE OVER THE GUARD RAILS! ;)
@Thea_MojaveOutliersWhipmakers2 жыл бұрын
Hey Mike been there so many times in that pilot I haul for Amazon san Bernardino to Seattle Washington
@ramonotano50374 жыл бұрын
When I attended the Jr. College at Weed, that south Weed interchange where you spent the night had no development at all, just trees and dirt. I was looking forward to seeing Yreka, where I went to HS, but next you were pulling Anderson grade before dropping down to the Klamath. Very familiar country.
@Dave_95474 жыл бұрын
Ahh COS, I took the Wild Rivers Study course, rafter the Klamath, twice!
@kenlee55094 жыл бұрын
Good luck drive🙋
@remembergodisalwayswithyou68624 жыл бұрын
Your voice is very soothing and relaxing
@Philios2Glory14 жыл бұрын
These are my kind of drives.
@spankyham96074 жыл бұрын
on my Harley from weed to Oly. poured down rain the whole way. rode from Oly. wa. to bend Or. to redbluff ca back to Oly. in 3 days.
@harleyhawk79594 жыл бұрын
Thanks for the great video Mike. And you never edit out your mistakes. But man that was the biggest shoulder i ever saw! Weird. And you drew back with plenty of time. Please don’t change a thing about your commentary on bad drivers. Your anecdotes are a big part of the fun. And I never saw you pass a truck that didn’t need to be passed. The few haters are jealous of your success.
@tomgray61234 жыл бұрын
Been up and down the I-5 a few times in a big rig and a moving box truck. I'm getting set to move back up to WA (Spokane) soon. I recall the passes having pretty steep grades. Anyone know if the northbound route is more steeper/downhill grades then the southbound route or are they the same? I'm thinking the south may have the steeper downgrades?
@leanidis3003 жыл бұрын
Hey, do you really not like California anymore? I love it here, it's just the politics that ruin an otherwise beautiful state.
@tommyv49804 жыл бұрын
Absolutely love California.. hate the politics. ☮️
@ridingshotgun12514 жыл бұрын
Saludos cordiales, Monterrey Mexico
@joelcruz85324 жыл бұрын
Thumbs up , on your politics. I think every TRUCK DRIVER in America Should be on board with their politics that believe right . Just fuel prices alone Should tell you something.
@douglascompton9672 жыл бұрын
Mike. I enjoy your channel especially since I was raised in Colorado and you drive many of the places I’ve driven myself. I noticed your truck never sounds like it reeves over 3,000 rpm. Is that by design or just the way you drive?
@patrickg78194 жыл бұрын
WOW Just Want To Thanks Mike For A Amazing Video
@charleshanna31234 жыл бұрын
I've been to that same Micky D's, under similar weather conditions - returning home to Springfield, OR.....
@MarshallLoveday4 жыл бұрын
That’s my favorite rest area, on the Klamath River at about 12 minutes. Quet and restful.
@GH-oi2jf2 жыл бұрын
"Lollygag" I haven't heard that word in years, since my half-sister used it, who happens to live in Medford Oregon, which you will be driving through shortly
@faybrockhoff41872 жыл бұрын
Hey Mike. Back in the early nineties there was a place called pantyhose junction. It was north of Sacramento at the exit called road 8. Next to the Bingo truck stop. Quite a place. Wondering if you were ever there?👍✌️🇺🇸!!
@dougsigman47244 жыл бұрын
i use to live in Redding I remember they use to close down the Interstate 5 at the fawndale exit on a regular basis...Trucks would be backed up for miles. No fun
@daniel15714 жыл бұрын
MMMIKE..Howdy! Passing by Weed, CA ( In the hippy days because of drugs, Gas stations brought back the outhouse w/o doors!), Good fly fishing in rogue river for 30 miles til Grants Pass. FYI. Thanks for Ride! Be safe! Peace.
@edwardjones96314 жыл бұрын
I remember a few years ago when Weed burned. I was driving south to my reatives house and saw the hill side still on fire.
@Ottos_ScLm_Race_videos_2009_on4 жыл бұрын
Yes, that steep off ramp you mentioned has had a number of bad truck wrecks, so they added that short escape ramp. It has saved some lives of truckers who didn't respect that long downgrade.
@Dave_95474 жыл бұрын
Hell even with a car that off ramp is scary. BTW 96 west is a nice drive a bit of a lonely road!
@DesertTOON4 жыл бұрын
Hi Mike in my seat and ready to go.
@johntrevor72814 жыл бұрын
The densest fog I've ever driven in to was just before the summit. It was rather spooky.
@karlcooper3427 Жыл бұрын
beats all that snow and ice we have seen.
@txmom11224 жыл бұрын
always with the light loads
@williamhendrix32534 жыл бұрын
Your truck seems to run pretty smoothly. It's good you didn't have to chain up going over the Siskiyou Summit. When the weather gets bad, they DO shut down that pass on both sides of the border. Yes, it certainly IS a runaway truck ramp. Too many trucks take that downgrade too fast, and yes, they have wiped out on the way down!
@journeyhawk17284 жыл бұрын
Right on I live in Redding
@petepan96964 жыл бұрын
فيديو رائع شكرا لك مشاركتنا هذا
@talal10104 жыл бұрын
OMG I live in Medford I have drove over the siskiyous many many times
@shellysmith12174 жыл бұрын
Can i do it in a car? I want to drive from Tacoma to Nevada City.... Chains... Dang im scared... I think i need a better car
@jahone6943 жыл бұрын
Great scenery.....it's just like your in the passenger seat.....agree with your political views also!
@pontiacman7779864 жыл бұрын
I installed the big sign at that pilot in weed a few years back. That wind up there.....
@TheGor544 жыл бұрын
I kept waiting for the big bridge to come up and forgot that is on hwy. 1. I don't know if semis drive in that area. I am surprised you didn't film driving through Sacramento (not). Most of hwy 5 through the Central Valley in nothing but traffic....nothing to see here.
@oldlady62294 жыл бұрын
very nice country
@larryladouceur73354 жыл бұрын
Coming up on Mount Ashland. I got in a wreck with a semi going skiing at Mount Ashland.
@faybrockhoff41872 жыл бұрын
slush not the drinking kind either hahahaha. why they all coming in there cause they cannnnn....enjoyed the ride thankyou Mike
@LadyMarie8804 жыл бұрын
You will also be driving through Phoenix Oregon, which burned up completely just recently
@faybrockhoff41872 жыл бұрын
Whats ya the truck ya like best Mike.
@johntrevor72814 жыл бұрын
I used to loads Christmas trees out of Independence,Oregon to Calexico… That’s on Hellva of grade to pull. Hopefully your Check engine light doesn’t come on/Lol
@mellow7me7 ай бұрын
Cutting on the shoulder to pass? Overtaking downhill? SWIFT DRIVER OF THE YEAR! 🤭🤭🤭🤭
@richardscathouse4 жыл бұрын
The absolute worst wind and ice up I have ever encountered was at the Weed rest stop.
@jenniferwhitewolf37844 жыл бұрын
Hey bro, what is your average miles per month?
@zorangajic33124 жыл бұрын
Do you own your own truck? Tell us a little about your truck.. Thank you, Mountain Mike.
@elainebos4 жыл бұрын
As you were going over the Siskiyou Summit, the trees looked in bad shape. Were they dead from drought or scorched by recent fires?
@tommarshall3334 жыл бұрын
One of the fires jumped clear across and over the freeway kept going on the other side.
@bigjon15584 жыл бұрын
12/19/21. Someday I will have to decode these 70s songs for you....not that I know all of them. Isn't this the video of that lady in the car driving past you? I just started the video I will see. I wanted to tell you that you weren't shocked at all. You took it like a true M-A-N. (Add your famous sound effect here).
@volaf12182 жыл бұрын
4 mil feet and sometimes snows like there's no mañana
@EduardoSilva-xe3gp4 жыл бұрын
Nice ridefor Saturday afternoon Jan.2022
@joannford58602 жыл бұрын
So, for the comment about 'Californians, but not from California..." That's partly true. The Northern most part of the state, and the Southern half of Oregon gets the rejects from California. The people who can't decide if they want to move to Texas, or Oregon... They should just move to Texas, my opinion. Anyway, back to the video... The AgCops station is about 5 miles from the border, give or take, and the hill right after the station is the Siskyou summit. There's a turn off by Calahans for the Mt. Ashland ski area, which can be a beautiful area in the winter. There's also a Tibet Buddhist Temple off the left side of I-5, in the Colestein valley, but trust me, your truck wouldn't have a chance of making it there, at least not with a trailer. Cars get stuck in the winter, or if it's rained... Sadly, a lot of that burned two summers ago. I personally am leaving Southern Oregon permanently, at least I hope, soon. I currently professionally drive... Would you rather run OTR, doing millions of miles on mostly open road, or would you rather putter back and forth in medium-town traffic all day long?
@sarrasmith25084 жыл бұрын
Agreed
@63connie784 жыл бұрын
Have we been here bfore ///
@darlenebanks13684 жыл бұрын
No, it isn’t a passing lane! For one thing, it’s on the right side. The “sui-side.” For another, it is marked “brake check area.”
@GH-oi2jf2 жыл бұрын
Mike you coming to Portland this trip?
@chrisk10974 жыл бұрын
Went through it. I'm usually 4-5 days behind on my posting. Should try to find a place to list my travels.. maybe a facebook page or something..
@ridingshotgun12514 жыл бұрын
Peace. Amigo
@evangelistamarrocco65392 жыл бұрын
It's a cold 50 degree here up in Westport. The sunny and hot south lol looks unbearable. Bet all those snow birds feel silly
@RayNomadic4 жыл бұрын
Let's go on an adventure.
@depeeper2184 жыл бұрын
Hell yeah..,☮️
@ridingshotgun12514 жыл бұрын
The City of Weed gets its name from the founder of the local lumber mill and pioneer Abner Weed. ...Thankfully I thought was because of wacky tobacco LOL something in Pacific ...make coastal res. wacky ?! Safe travels✌👍
@sbmatt4 жыл бұрын
Did you stop at the weed rest area, also, you don't have to answer this but do you ever go home to take a break, or is the truck home, If you feel this question is to personal I understand just disregard.
@mandoramirez12054 жыл бұрын
I stopped at the truck stop exit in Weed. I get home every weekend mostly.. home right now and head back out tomorrow.. ☮️
@ridingshotgun12514 жыл бұрын
🙏 nice
@mikioni4 жыл бұрын
Ever drive I 70 thru smoky mountains?
@jamieiwanski94962 жыл бұрын
Big shout out to Caveman Towing 👌🏽👌🏽 if you need a tow truck around grants pass oregon his the one you need to call
@ElverGalarga-zt3uo3 жыл бұрын
$2.50/gal in NY
@ostreds4 жыл бұрын
yep, Calif gas is at least $1-$1.50 more expensive per gallon
@bonham4604 жыл бұрын
Do people buy weed in weed?
@daniel15714 жыл бұрын
A one way ticket to Alaska
@hubertbruun63394 жыл бұрын
Very good video! I can't get my head around the anti-truck mentality. Those imbeciles undoubtedly expect the shelves of their shops to be fully stocked at all times, so how do they suppose the stuff gets there? Ah, I know - by pixies and fairies guiding huge anti-gravity galleons silently through the air at 2 in the morning while the kiddilie-winkies are asleep.
@peteacher524 жыл бұрын
Like this, like that, like I, like he etc. What does “Like” mean?
@josephlineberger4435 ай бұрын
real question; why dont trucks have throw chain systems like buses?
@smeade90674 жыл бұрын
You might want to try that question on Quora.
@charlessmith64124 жыл бұрын
I enjoyed seeing a road trip in clear weather. Instead of talking politics, I’d prefer learning more about the mechanics of the runaway truck lane. It appeared to me that the lane wasn’t paved. I was also surprised by how short the lane was. I would have thought it would take longer to stop a runaway. Also, how does the change in altitude and weather extremes affect your engine? Beautiful scenery today. Thanks!
@KatieReadsKoziesAndMore4 жыл бұрын
What is it like breathing in high altitude? I’ve never been
Wow that brought back lots of memories lol. I drove that route hauling produce to the cruise lines in portland and seattle for a few years. That exit you started at in weed only had a chevron gas station and a dirt lot across from it. Back then lol damn im old fml
Me too! Ran this route quite a bit. Your right about the Chevron station, I remember now. Where did the time go?
It's 11/14/20 Mike, and I'm just watching this video ... I got into my first logging truck ('62 W900) in July of '62 (I wasn't quite 15) in Hoopa, CA ... quit driving in '81 when I suffered a life-altering back injury ... was in the Army from '67 to '69, and have been saying exactly what you said about those that "don't like" America ever since I returned to the world in July '69. I watch your videos, and others, just to relive what I think of as "the best years of my life", spent driving a semi.
Oh man, Mountain Man Mike; it's been several years since I've driven over Siskiyou summit on I-5. It sure brought back some fond memories! Thanks for the awesome ride along and keep on doing those great videos, stay safe and peaceeee!
Good old Weed
@reverse thrust Half of it also burned down 3 years ago...
A beautiful day in the neighborhood. There is something very relaxing and soothing about Riding Shotgun with you my friend. Most enjoyable as always and a little snow. Hopefully I will be home for our next ride. Until then. ✌
Thank you Linda.. ☮️
I drove from Mt Shasta to Portland a couple years ago and fell in love with this part of Interstate 5 before and just after Medford. I was stunned by the beauty and this was during summer.
Ah the memories along this stretch! Driving a '64 Chevy Nova station wagon full of bandmates ahead of our cube van with our instruments, sound gear, and more bandmates. 1979-82. The Nova; we had to get out and push to bump start it. We became very good at it. Routine. The Nova was missing a floor in the rear seat so I put a plexiglass window there to watch the pavement go by. From Bellingham to Santa Cruz and all points between. Good music, good people, good times. Thanks for the video Mike.
I like taking the 97 through central Oregon nice drive less traffic .
I was in Medford yesterday. Driving in that rain and dog on I-5 have me a new appreciation on life. 😳
Yay Weed, California.. awesome drive down the steep mountain.. beautiful.. thanks Mike.. safe travel ✌ peace
Sensational scenery.....thanks for taking us along
That one of my favorite spot to stop going that way driving north or south so beautiful.
Jingle bells, jingle bells, Mountain Man Trucker Mike. Back in the 70’s International Paper had about 100,000 acres of timberland out of Weed plus a lumber mill. Years later they sold the mill and acreage. Back in the 90’s I have ridden my motorcycle on that highway going to Reno for the motorcycle gathering “Street Vibrations “. Oregon’s Governor Tom McCall, Republican, back in the day said “come and visit but for heaven’s sake don’t stay”. There was a sign saying that on the Oregon California border. After him the state went down hill and now we have a governor that believes in sanctuary state.
Lol.. wow. Too bad they stayed huh?.. good to hear the brief story on Weed.. thx Taz
Tax Mod..You said alot about the history of Oregon & answered my question! Weed CA was quite a little Mtn town back then! Drugs must have been bad then, early 70s, gas station there had doorless outhouse? Under that old train trestle across the rogue river valley at Grants Pass was a campsite, & a train up in the sky crossed that trestle during night! Ground started shaking & scary! I was unknowingly laying close to a leg of that trestle rr bridge, with train high above! I was back in Oregon in 80s & 90s! In +/- 23 yrs, I seen lots of change there in your state!
Edward Jones : I was an import from Michigan. First time to Oregon in 1971 and that was on the east side of the Cascade Mountains, Bend, Oregon. I saw pickup trucks with hunting rifles hanging on gun racks inside the trucks. You could buy hand guns easily and wear them on your side. No one thought anything about it. I thought wow it is still the “Wild West” out here. Later I lived on the west side like Eugene. In the smaller towns you would still see the hunting rifles in pickups. Overtime things just seemed to change. The ‘70’s had their problems but not like today. I would love to go back to the ‘70’s.
thank you so much for your videos. This particular route is very familiar to me as I start my trip in Vancouver, BC and make my way to Modesto Ca. I am a little surprised at the amount of snow in Weed and yet on the mountain pass there was barely a sprinkling. Stay safe and keep posting these videos.
I live in Medford Or. We know the Siskiyou Summit and Sexton Summit very well. Winter storm back in the 90's had snow levels house high in Mt Shasta. The snow and freezing rain made an absolute mess out of I5 in Northern California. Pot holes size size of cars everywhere. Not really but it was bad. Traveled for the military through out the winter to the Bay area. It was a sight to see. I enjoy watching sensible driving videos. Be safe out there. Unprepared, wrong or bad tires, wrong equipment (no chains or snow tires) and plain bad driving habits are the reason people have accidents. Pushing a vehicle beyond its realistic capabilities. They're not snow plows.
Beautiful drive I've enjoyed that trip mate thnx so much from new Zealand
I can't thank you enough. This is calming looking around.
The American Interstate network should be declared amongst one of the World's Wonders...awesome connectivity for a really vast Country!!!
If you pay attention when you drive, you do not need rumble strips to tell if you are going off the road.
I used to make that run plenty of times. Thanks for the memories!!! My favorite portland, oregon truck stop is Jubitz and kruegers near Eugene. Take care out on that lonely black ribbon.
What a road trip love the mts!! Thanks so much for the ride Take care out there be safe
What a gorgeous landscape through there.
It's incredibly ugly during the summer. Weed often sees 115*F, and everything just turns brown.
State of Jefferson. Hauled the shop to Oregon that route past couple years. Smooth hands, nice video work. Safe travels!
Been 3 years since I have been over the The summit. I have seen a number of trucks visit the sand box on the way down. One just about 10 minutes after he passed me coming up. The north side decent is quite a bit steeper than the grade climbing up. It can catch big truck drivers running heavy and they can cook their brakes pretty quick. Hence the cool down stop in the sand box. Seen it happen several times. I have also seen a few trucks visiting the west bound sand box on the cabbage patch and talked to a driver who actually went into a runoff ramp on the Lewiston grade. He had quite a story to tell about that experience. I have seen a number of drivers seriously smoke there brakes going down hill. Even a couple catch their trailer brakes on fire.
Yes.. the Lewiston hill is murder.. but a good truck driver will go down those hills and never use their brakes or just a little . Pick a gear and let the engine brake..(Jake) hold ya..
Riding Shotgun Absolutely! As a newbie beginning driver I got my brakes hot a couple of times in my rookie year while I gained experience, judgement and more patience. I learned to know both my and my trucks limitations in the mean time. Being told a 80,000 pound truck moving down hill at speed has a massive amount of kinetic energy is very different from experiencing what it takes to actually stop it first hand. Over time I evolved a philosophy and practice on how I used my truck going down grades. My two rules are: 1) keep my brakes cool. I want them to be as close to the same temperature as possible at the bottom of the hill as they were at the top. Because what ever heat you put into the brakes on the way down subtracts significantly from your maximum stopping capacity the hotter you get. And once you reach that heat limit, your brakes go away and you can be in serious trouble. 2) engine braking is for energy and speed management on grades. Brakes are for stopping. Not as an extended speed retarder or grade speed management. They have only a limited amount of capacity to store and reject heat generated with their use. I want to have maximum capability on any part of the hill in case I ever need it. Hence cool brakes anywhere on the hill. Refer back to rule 1. And rule 3) NEVER over drive your ability to do a controlled stop in the foreseeable distance. Especially at night or in the fog or other low visibility conditions. You never know if that stopped minivan full of kids or heard of elk in the road are just beyond your sight distance and you do not have room to stop or maneuver around the hazard because your driving to fast for conditions. More than once I needed to do hard braking at the bottom of long or on long steep grades for a number of reasons. I did not need to be worried about brake fade because I had heated them up using them instead of using engine braking. I also shut down one time in the middle of nowhere eastern Montana because the inky black road conditions were increasing the risk of large wildlife strikes to unacceptable levels because they were popping out of the brush along side the road to safely avoid them.
Mike... part of Freedom is being able to make choices... if you have to agree with everything one certain type of people believe, and you want to deport them, that is not freedom. Freedom is having the choice to be different and believe in different things and different ways. Once you make laws that Freedom means you have to agree with one certain group of people, you no longer have freedom.
Regarding the smoke you were talking about, they have been doing controlled burns. It is so the terrible forest fires we have in the summer are less severe. For the last couple of years, we have had devastating fires here in Oregon.
I remember years ago after NAFTA was enacted, the trucks started coming up from Mexico. I used to hear horror stories about how unsafe they were. So California had to crack down on inspections to get them off the roads because the feds wouldn't do it. A lot of what California does is to protect itself from the federal government. This was one beautiful drive Mike! I hope you have more vids of Oregon.
Love that Vista Drive exit! I’ve stopped there so many times driving between Portland and Sacramento.
BRAVO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! SUPER MEGA LOVE YOU ❤😍❤😍❤😍❤😍 THANKS BROTHER ,,
Thanks for the vids. I use to ride with my dad during summer breaks, got to see all 48 states before I graduated. Love your videos of the PNW, the scenery is the best! I use to live in Portland for a few years then moved back to Bama. Safe travels sir, I look forward to the next one!
That GMC is a true beater!
Absolutely positively agree deport the against America group!
First load I ever pulled was 6900lbs Denver to Silverbow up the 25 with 40-50 mph side winds, man what a trip to learn on. Never liked light loads after that.
This route is VERY familiar to me, but I'm usually driving my little Toyota Camry. It's nice to be able to SEE OVER THE GUARD RAILS! ;)
Hey Mike been there so many times in that pilot I haul for Amazon san Bernardino to Seattle Washington
When I attended the Jr. College at Weed, that south Weed interchange where you spent the night had no development at all, just trees and dirt. I was looking forward to seeing Yreka, where I went to HS, but next you were pulling Anderson grade before dropping down to the Klamath. Very familiar country.
Ahh COS, I took the Wild Rivers Study course, rafter the Klamath, twice!
Good luck drive🙋
Your voice is very soothing and relaxing
These are my kind of drives.
on my Harley from weed to Oly. poured down rain the whole way. rode from Oly. wa. to bend Or. to redbluff ca back to Oly. in 3 days.
Thanks for the great video Mike. And you never edit out your mistakes. But man that was the biggest shoulder i ever saw! Weird. And you drew back with plenty of time. Please don’t change a thing about your commentary on bad drivers. Your anecdotes are a big part of the fun. And I never saw you pass a truck that didn’t need to be passed. The few haters are jealous of your success.
Been up and down the I-5 a few times in a big rig and a moving box truck. I'm getting set to move back up to WA (Spokane) soon. I recall the passes having pretty steep grades. Anyone know if the northbound route is more steeper/downhill grades then the southbound route or are they the same? I'm thinking the south may have the steeper downgrades?
Hey, do you really not like California anymore? I love it here, it's just the politics that ruin an otherwise beautiful state.
Absolutely love California.. hate the politics. ☮️
Saludos cordiales, Monterrey Mexico
Thumbs up , on your politics. I think every TRUCK DRIVER in America Should be on board with their politics that believe right . Just fuel prices alone Should tell you something.
Mike. I enjoy your channel especially since I was raised in Colorado and you drive many of the places I’ve driven myself. I noticed your truck never sounds like it reeves over 3,000 rpm. Is that by design or just the way you drive?
WOW Just Want To Thanks Mike For A Amazing Video
I've been to that same Micky D's, under similar weather conditions - returning home to Springfield, OR.....
That’s my favorite rest area, on the Klamath River at about 12 minutes. Quet and restful.
"Lollygag" I haven't heard that word in years, since my half-sister used it, who happens to live in Medford Oregon, which you will be driving through shortly
Hey Mike. Back in the early nineties there was a place called pantyhose junction. It was north of Sacramento at the exit called road 8. Next to the Bingo truck stop. Quite a place. Wondering if you were ever there?👍✌️🇺🇸!!
i use to live in Redding I remember they use to close down the Interstate 5 at the fawndale exit on a regular basis...Trucks would be backed up for miles. No fun
MMMIKE..Howdy! Passing by Weed, CA ( In the hippy days because of drugs, Gas stations brought back the outhouse w/o doors!), Good fly fishing in rogue river for 30 miles til Grants Pass. FYI. Thanks for Ride! Be safe! Peace.
I remember a few years ago when Weed burned. I was driving south to my reatives house and saw the hill side still on fire.
Yes, that steep off ramp you mentioned has had a number of bad truck wrecks, so they added that short escape ramp. It has saved some lives of truckers who didn't respect that long downgrade.
Hell even with a car that off ramp is scary. BTW 96 west is a nice drive a bit of a lonely road!
Hi Mike in my seat and ready to go.
The densest fog I've ever driven in to was just before the summit. It was rather spooky.
beats all that snow and ice we have seen.
always with the light loads
Your truck seems to run pretty smoothly. It's good you didn't have to chain up going over the Siskiyou Summit. When the weather gets bad, they DO shut down that pass on both sides of the border. Yes, it certainly IS a runaway truck ramp. Too many trucks take that downgrade too fast, and yes, they have wiped out on the way down!
Right on I live in Redding
فيديو رائع شكرا لك مشاركتنا هذا
OMG I live in Medford I have drove over the siskiyous many many times
Can i do it in a car? I want to drive from Tacoma to Nevada City.... Chains... Dang im scared... I think i need a better car
Great scenery.....it's just like your in the passenger seat.....agree with your political views also!
I installed the big sign at that pilot in weed a few years back. That wind up there.....
I kept waiting for the big bridge to come up and forgot that is on hwy. 1. I don't know if semis drive in that area. I am surprised you didn't film driving through Sacramento (not). Most of hwy 5 through the Central Valley in nothing but traffic....nothing to see here.
very nice country
Coming up on Mount Ashland. I got in a wreck with a semi going skiing at Mount Ashland.
slush not the drinking kind either hahahaha. why they all coming in there cause they cannnnn....enjoyed the ride thankyou Mike
You will also be driving through Phoenix Oregon, which burned up completely just recently
Whats ya the truck ya like best Mike.
I used to loads Christmas trees out of Independence,Oregon to Calexico… That’s on Hellva of grade to pull. Hopefully your Check engine light doesn’t come on/Lol
Cutting on the shoulder to pass? Overtaking downhill? SWIFT DRIVER OF THE YEAR! 🤭🤭🤭🤭
The absolute worst wind and ice up I have ever encountered was at the Weed rest stop.
Hey bro, what is your average miles per month?
Do you own your own truck? Tell us a little about your truck.. Thank you, Mountain Mike.
As you were going over the Siskiyou Summit, the trees looked in bad shape. Were they dead from drought or scorched by recent fires?
One of the fires jumped clear across and over the freeway kept going on the other side.
12/19/21. Someday I will have to decode these 70s songs for you....not that I know all of them. Isn't this the video of that lady in the car driving past you? I just started the video I will see. I wanted to tell you that you weren't shocked at all. You took it like a true M-A-N. (Add your famous sound effect here).
4 mil feet and sometimes snows like there's no mañana
Nice ridefor Saturday afternoon Jan.2022
So, for the comment about 'Californians, but not from California..." That's partly true. The Northern most part of the state, and the Southern half of Oregon gets the rejects from California. The people who can't decide if they want to move to Texas, or Oregon... They should just move to Texas, my opinion. Anyway, back to the video... The AgCops station is about 5 miles from the border, give or take, and the hill right after the station is the Siskyou summit. There's a turn off by Calahans for the Mt. Ashland ski area, which can be a beautiful area in the winter. There's also a Tibet Buddhist Temple off the left side of I-5, in the Colestein valley, but trust me, your truck wouldn't have a chance of making it there, at least not with a trailer. Cars get stuck in the winter, or if it's rained... Sadly, a lot of that burned two summers ago. I personally am leaving Southern Oregon permanently, at least I hope, soon. I currently professionally drive... Would you rather run OTR, doing millions of miles on mostly open road, or would you rather putter back and forth in medium-town traffic all day long?
Agreed
Have we been here bfore ///
No, it isn’t a passing lane! For one thing, it’s on the right side. The “sui-side.” For another, it is marked “brake check area.”
Mike you coming to Portland this trip?
Went through it. I'm usually 4-5 days behind on my posting. Should try to find a place to list my travels.. maybe a facebook page or something..
Peace. Amigo
It's a cold 50 degree here up in Westport. The sunny and hot south lol looks unbearable. Bet all those snow birds feel silly
Let's go on an adventure.
Hell yeah..,☮️
The City of Weed gets its name from the founder of the local lumber mill and pioneer Abner Weed. ...Thankfully I thought was because of wacky tobacco LOL something in Pacific ...make coastal res. wacky ?! Safe travels✌👍
Did you stop at the weed rest area, also, you don't have to answer this but do you ever go home to take a break, or is the truck home, If you feel this question is to personal I understand just disregard.
I stopped at the truck stop exit in Weed. I get home every weekend mostly.. home right now and head back out tomorrow.. ☮️
🙏 nice
Ever drive I 70 thru smoky mountains?
Big shout out to Caveman Towing 👌🏽👌🏽 if you need a tow truck around grants pass oregon his the one you need to call
$2.50/gal in NY
yep, Calif gas is at least $1-$1.50 more expensive per gallon
Do people buy weed in weed?
A one way ticket to Alaska
Very good video! I can't get my head around the anti-truck mentality. Those imbeciles undoubtedly expect the shelves of their shops to be fully stocked at all times, so how do they suppose the stuff gets there? Ah, I know - by pixies and fairies guiding huge anti-gravity galleons silently through the air at 2 in the morning while the kiddilie-winkies are asleep.
Like this, like that, like I, like he etc. What does “Like” mean?
real question; why dont trucks have throw chain systems like buses?
You might want to try that question on Quora.
I enjoyed seeing a road trip in clear weather. Instead of talking politics, I’d prefer learning more about the mechanics of the runaway truck lane. It appeared to me that the lane wasn’t paved. I was also surprised by how short the lane was. I would have thought it would take longer to stop a runaway. Also, how does the change in altitude and weather extremes affect your engine? Beautiful scenery today. Thanks!
What is it like breathing in high altitude? I’ve never been
Adam Brunt altitude sickness is terrible! : (