Always a premier ride via FJR 1300’s (16 / 14) in the San Jacinto Mountains, Scenic Byway. This route from sea level to the Ortega Hwy (SR 74) winds through the mountains to Idyllwild (5,413′) and on to the Coachella Valley Vista Point / twisties to Palm Desert (245 miles round). Well known as a favorite moto ride and one of the most dangerous roads in SoCal, we sadly arrived at a moto fatality (edited) near Palm Desert.
Weather was great at about 62 deg on the mountain and 90’s in Palm Desert! A segment of Route 74 named “Seven Level Hill,” just south of Palm Desert, California, appears in the 1963 American comedy film It’s A Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World during the opening minutes of the film, when the major characters of the film meet for the first time following a car accident.