March 11, 2017

San Diego County Road S6 – South Grade Road

DeAndra and I ride Jolene, my former 2004 Honda VTX 1300C, up Palomar Mountain in San Diego County California.

Gemini Description of South Grade Road (S6)

Ascending the western slopes of Palomar Mountain, South Grade Road (S6) is a legendary stretch of asphalt renowned for its relentless complexity and breathtaking vistas. Often referred to as “the tight side,” this historic route gains approximately 3,000 feet in elevation over just seven miles, characterized by a dizzying sequence of 21 hairpin switchbacks. As drivers and cyclists navigate these technical curves, the landscape transitions rapidly from chaparral-covered foothills to dense forests of cedar and fir. The engineering of the road—originally improved in the 1930s to transport the massive 200-inch mirror for the Palomar Observatory—offers sweeping panoramic views of the Pauma Valley below, eventually terminating at the mountaintop plateau where the iconic silver dome sits against the sky.

Feature	Detail
Elevation Gain	~3,000 feet
Length	~7 miles
Number of Hairpins	21
Peak Destination	Palomar Observatory (6,126 ft)

Riding Jolene up Palomar Mountain

Palomar Mountain is at the very least a regional motorcycle hotpot in San Diego County California.  Starting from California state highway 76, San Diego County Road S6 winds its way skyward with several hairpin turns and switchbacks until you reach Mother’s Kitchen where you will often find several motorcycles, bicyclist and others taking a break.  From there S6 continues with softer curves surrounded by towering pines until you reach the Palomar Observatory.

I found the hairpin turns and switchbacks to be very challenging (coming from the predominately flat state of Minnesota).  Riding two up (with my then fiancé DeAndra) on my VTX 1300C with crash bars, I found my foot pegs scraping the pavement a couple of times trying to get enough lean on the bike while negotiating the curves.  It was certainly a skill building ride with beautiful scenery to observe, when pulled over “)

Riding Dexter up Palomar Mountain

On July 6th, 2019, I rode Dexter, my former 2005 Harley-Davidson Ultra Classic, up Palomar Mountain. I will create another post and video of that experience. However, I will say riding Dexter up Palomar mountain despite being a much larger and heavier motorcycle was much easier to handle on the hairpin turns than Jolene was.