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Sandberg's Summit Hotel catered to the "carriage trade" who traveled the Ridge Route. "Trucker drivers and dogs not allowed," said a sign out front.

ridge was 12 miles an hour for hard rubber-tired trucks. He pulled on out front and he didn't see anyone as he drove by.
into the Standard Oil service station at Gorman to use the restroom The old trucker knew every stop along the road. Next would
and stretch his legs. Across the way a Greyhound bus was loading be Kelly's Halfway House, being halfway between Bakersfield and
passengers from the Gorman Hotel, on its way to San Francisco. Los Angeles. It was about a mile south of Kelly's where a tank
Climbing back into the open cab, the warmth from the radiator truck had gone over the side of the mountain. Kelly's had a 24-
felt good now, tempering the coolness of the mountain air. South hour cafe, gas station, tow truck and some cabins out back. He
of Gorman, he went by Holland's Summit Cafe, a small trucker's noticed a flag out front to signal the motor stage, as it normally
joint that had a gas station, cafe and a couple of sleeping cabins only stopped at Sandberg's Hotel.
for weary truckers. Although it was at the top of a small ridge it Shifting to a lower gear, he began a 2-mile climb to Reservoir
wasn't the summit, which was yet ahead. Summit Cafe. The cafe hung out over the hill, with a command-
Passing Quail Lake, he started up another grade. Shortly, ing view of the canyon below. Here was another example of a
Sandberg's Summit Hotel came into view. It was a log structure business incorporating the word "summit" into its name, even
that catered to the "carriage trade." A sign out front proclaimed: though the real summit was back near Granite Gate.
"Truck drivers and dogs not allowed." He saw a
Packard and a Pierce Arrow parked out front.
A short distance up the road, at 4,233 feet, was
the real summit, near Granite Gate. It seemed like
everything up here had "summit" in its name. Now
he was on top of the ridge, the road having been built
right across the very spine of the mountains, hence
its name.
In another 20 miles or so he would be at Castaic,
another trucker's town at the foot of the grade on
the southern end. Most automobile traffic had
stopped for the night, and trucks dominated the
highway now. He passed the Tumble Inn, a small
rock structure with a few rooms, a cafe and a
Richfield gas station, but there was only one light The Tumble Inn was a small rock structure located along the Ridge Route.

WHEELS OF TIME / www.aths.org September/October 2004 43