I grew up in Santa Maria and there are still a few remnants of the old 166, pretty much all grown over with weeds and sagebrush. When you talk to older folks they used to get car sick almost every time they went east to where ever they were heading. Many pull overs on the old 166 while the kids blew chunks. I only remember being on it once in the mid 1960's, it was nighttime and i fell asleep after we stopped in cuyama at the Buckhorn for dinner. They started doing major changes to Highway 166 in the late 1960's around 1968 in the western parts between Santa Maria and Cuyama there were major changes to the old highway. Most locals still called the 166, Cuyama Road from the old, old days. Cool video thanks for posting and creating it BTUFF.
Since I’ve lived on Hwy 166 East for 38 years and traveled it since I was 6, one of my “neighbors” up the mountain from me (I’m on Charlie Valley Rd., he’s on Chimney Cyn) was one of the guys who helped build the new 166... his name is “George.”
Not just a few. Most of the old road still exists. It's just out of view. Some small sections are either still in use, or were removed by cuts made to facilitate the modern routing. Some is underwater when the reservoir is full. But the vast majority of it is still there. Enough that they could probably recommission the old routing if they wanted to.
I had to come back and give this a thumbs up! I hate that we’ve come to the point where we take drone footage for granted. That was some amazing footage and I hope I get a chance to explore someday
Traveled it as a child drove once right after i got learner's premit. It was a very narrow and windy road. The view was amazing from up there. For a few years after the new road was built you chould still travel on it .
I traveled on highway 66 many times. Snow wind ice... I didn't find it any more dangerous than the freeway is now. It was a nice trip through some beautiful country.
I drive there almost every other day hauling crude oil as a truck driver and going west like 8 miles before the first bridge you could see a old steel bridge on the lift like 2 miles in to the woods ive been trying to do some research but haven't found anything on that bridge if you do i would truly appreciate it thank you and great video.
Most likely part of this same old routing covered in this video. I know of at least two such bridges. A small steel bridge near the reservoir, visible from the area of the newer bridge. It is underwater when the reservoir is full, but it is usually visible. Another steel truss bridge a few miles up is not visible from the highway. At least not in any car I have traveled in. I'm sure there are more. If you can be a bit more specific on the location, I could give you a more specific answer.
If you want to explore this road more, check out Google Earth. There's old bridges and lots of winding road that's being overtaken by Mother Nature. Find the stretch of land between Bakersfield and Santa Maria. There' a road south of the Twitchel Damn, that you can follow. You'll see an old rusted bridge early in the road.
I live on Charlie Valley Road off of Hwy 166 East, 2 miles east of Tepusquet Rd. Look up my address on Google Earth, 10999 Charlie Valley Road, it’ll show you how close I am to the old Hwy 166.
The old 166 back in the days when it was maintained would have been a road requiring your attention and respect, it looks deadly dangerous. I lived in Southern California in the 50's & 60's and remember some crazy old roads, that's when California was still the Wild West.
Talking to my husband who grew up in the Bakersfield area, he said Highway 46 is one of the highways that has the nickname of blood alley. Highway 65 out of Bakersfield north to Porterville has also been called blood alley.
Interesting, I remember going through there in the sixties and the road followed the river somewhat closely. That ridge road you found must have been a much earlier version, I believe. Ridge routes were more common then, the grapevine also had a ridge route that was abandoned.
you prolly dont give a damn but does anyone know of a tool to log back into an Instagram account? I somehow lost my login password. I appreciate any assistance you can offer me.
@Kyson Darren Thanks so much for your reply. I got to the site thru google and I'm waiting for the hacking stuff atm. I see it takes a while so I will get back to you later with my results.
Try SR 173, which leads from Lake Arrowhead down to Hesperia. On state maps when I rode it on a bike in 2015, it appeared to go all the way through. When I got there, there was a ROAD CLOSED sign, with a long detour, so I rode and walked through sand and gravel for 12 miles. There was a rattler halfway down, and no cell coverage. I had a CDF station number (at the top gate), and was sure to call them when I got back to civilization. I wrote the state a nasty note afterward, and now they and Google Maps accurately show 173 as paved, then a dotted line. Apparently there were plans to put the road through that never came to fruition.
@@paperclip2004 Well it still is there, but with a gate at both ends. Definitely a nice hike or mountain bike ride. The Calfire guys at the top said the state planned it to be a highway but scrapped those plans. It's not labelled as SR 173 anymore on Google Maps.
I think it was around 5:00? It looked like there was a wide spot in the road, to the left. Might have been an overlook/observation point and a pull off to let other vehicles pass?
Nice drone work. I would've hated meeting a big truck on those old roads. Not much clearance. The road still looks to be used by ranchers or the forestry dept.
That’s 104 miles from 101 to hwy 5 on hwy 166. You do that in one hour flat? Not calling you out, but are you driving a Ferrari averaging over 100mph the whole way?
There is no such thing as a dangerous road. The road doesn’t move. It only lays there. There is such a thing as dangerous people though that drive too fast. 🤔
I grew up in Santa Maria and there are still a few remnants of the old 166, pretty much all grown over with weeds and sagebrush. When you talk to older folks they used to get car sick almost every time they went east to where ever they were heading. Many pull overs on the old 166 while the kids blew chunks. I only remember being on it once in the mid 1960's, it was nighttime and i fell asleep after we stopped in cuyama at the Buckhorn for dinner. They started doing major changes to Highway 166 in the late 1960's around 1968 in the western parts between Santa Maria and Cuyama there were major changes to the old highway. Most locals still called the 166, Cuyama Road from the old, old days. Cool video thanks for posting and creating it BTUFF.
Since I’ve lived on Hwy 166 East for 38 years and traveled it since I was 6, one of my “neighbors” up the mountain from me (I’m on Charlie Valley Rd., he’s on Chimney Cyn) was one of the guys who helped build the new 166... his name is “George.”
Not just a few. Most of the old road still exists. It's just out of view. Some small sections are either still in use, or were removed by cuts made to facilitate the modern routing. Some is underwater when the reservoir is full. But the vast majority of it is still there. Enough that they could probably recommission the old routing if they wanted to.
I had to come back and give this a thumbs up! I hate that we’ve come to the point where we take drone footage for granted. That was some amazing footage and I hope I get a chance to explore someday
go check out the second part to this. I fly a mile away around a crazy rock sculpture.
Traveled it as a child drove once right after i got learner's premit.
It was a very narrow and windy road. The view was amazing from up there.
For a few years after the new road was built you chould still travel on it .
I traveled on highway 66 many times. Snow wind ice... I didn't find it any more dangerous than the freeway is now. It was a nice trip through some beautiful country.
I drive there almost every other day hauling crude oil as a truck driver and going west like 8 miles before the first bridge you could see a old steel bridge on the lift like 2 miles in to the woods ive been trying to do some research but haven't found anything on that bridge if you do i would truly appreciate it thank you and great video.
Most likely part of this same old routing covered in this video. I know of at least two such bridges. A small steel bridge near the reservoir, visible from the area of the newer bridge. It is underwater when the reservoir is full, but it is usually visible. Another steel truss bridge a few miles up is not visible from the highway. At least not in any car I have traveled in. I'm sure there are more. If you can be a bit more specific on the location, I could give you a more specific answer.
If you want to explore this road more, check out Google Earth. There's old bridges and lots of winding road that's being overtaken by Mother Nature. Find the stretch of land between Bakersfield and Santa Maria. There' a road south of the Twitchel Damn, that you can follow. You'll see an old rusted bridge early in the road.
I live on Charlie Valley Road off of Hwy 166 East, 2 miles east of Tepusquet Rd. Look up my address on Google Earth, 10999 Charlie Valley Road, it’ll show you how close I am to the old Hwy 166.
Plus, one of my granddaughters lives and manages Twitchell Resevoir.
I can confirm that this was 166 at least at late as January 1, 1967. By 1978, it has been replaced with the current road.
I've been on that old road several times when I was a kid in the seventies ny mom was driving her giant Oldsmobile. It was scary
Great drone shots, thanks for posting. Interesting video.
The old 166 back in the days when it was maintained would have been a road requiring your attention and respect, it looks deadly dangerous. I lived in Southern California in the 50's & 60's and remember some crazy old roads, that's when California was still the Wild West.
I loved. Hugs from Brazil ♥️😌🫰🏾
Talking to my husband who grew up in the Bakersfield area, he said Highway 46 is one of the highways that has the nickname of blood alley. Highway 65 out of Bakersfield north to Porterville has also been called blood alley.
Interesting, I remember going through there in the sixties and the road followed the river somewhat closely. That ridge road you found must have been a much earlier version, I believe. Ridge routes were more common then, the grapevine also had a ridge route that was abandoned.
you prolly dont give a damn but does anyone know of a tool to log back into an Instagram account?
I somehow lost my login password. I appreciate any assistance you can offer me.
@Xavier Finn instablaster ;)
@Kyson Darren Thanks so much for your reply. I got to the site thru google and I'm waiting for the hacking stuff atm.
I see it takes a while so I will get back to you later with my results.
@Kyson Darren it did the trick and I now got access to my account again. I'm so happy!
Thanks so much, you really help me out !
@Xavier Finn you are welcome =)
State 166 was realigned through Cuyama River Canyon in a few phases. West end around Twitchell Reservoir in 1959, the rest between 1968 and 1972.
Drones are great for this type of research.
Cool video, love it.
Dude thats awesome. Great drone work. I wanna ride that road on my ol dual sport.
Check out our other 166 video. It does a fly around a wild rock structure.
Try SR 173, which leads from Lake Arrowhead down to Hesperia. On state maps when I rode it on a bike in 2015, it appeared to go all the way through. When I got there, there was a ROAD CLOSED sign, with a long detour, so I rode and walked through sand and gravel for 12 miles. There was a rattler halfway down, and no cell coverage. I had a CDF station number (at the top gate), and was sure to call them when I got back to civilization. I wrote the state a nasty note afterward, and now they and Google Maps accurately show 173 as paved, then a dotted line. Apparently there were plans to put the road through that never came to fruition.
The road used to go through to Lake Arrowhead to Hesperia. It hasn't in years
@@paperclip2004 Well it still is there, but with a gate at both ends. Definitely a nice hike or mountain bike ride. The Calfire guys at the top said the state planned it to be a highway but scrapped those plans. It's not labelled as SR 173 anymore on Google Maps.
I walked some of that old road years ago, just a trail, had to turn back after a few miles as there were so many Rattlesnakes
I think it was around 5:00? It looked like there was a wide spot in the road, to the left. Might have been an overlook/observation point and a pull off to let other vehicles pass?
Nice drone work. I would've hated meeting a big truck on those old roads. Not much clearance. The road still looks to be used by ranchers or the forestry dept.
The Pine Cyn Forest Service Station on 166 east still has access to the old Hwy. Their my closet “neighbors.”
Where on 166 is this? I live on 166 and this doesnt look familiar to me… is it closer to cuyama or hwy 101?
Between cuyama and Santa Maria
I drive this highway every weekend and I'm still learning it but it takes me an hour flat from the 101 to the 5 most nights.
That’s 104 miles from 101 to hwy 5 on hwy 166. You do that in one hour flat? Not calling you out, but are you driving a Ferrari averaging over 100mph the whole way?
@@mzinns you don't have to have a Ferrari to average 100 down that road. Just know how to drive and drive something light.
At the point where the bird was, it looked like a fault line going up the hill.
You should try and preserve this as a cycle / walking / hiking trail. Or motorcycles if you dare.
Even if it’s abandoned, you could still drive on it with a 4x4.
Before 1970 I believe the center line was white. I think in 1970 or 71 the center line changed to yellow
I miss central cali, it's much different than socal.
The thing at the fork is a water trough and it’s for the cows. Many of the places out there are cattle ranches.
35 04'56.11" N 120 08'22.81" W on Google Earth
MAYBE there were guardrails there once; hard to believe anybody build road there ever-
There is no such thing as a dangerous road. The road doesn’t move. It only lays there. There is such a thing as dangerous people though that drive too fast. 🤔
A road that is in danger of collapsing would be a dangerous road.
What kind of crap is this? Narrator admits he's not even sure what he's looking at and what he's showing others.
Talk louder