It's Not All Bikes

Well, we got some snow the other day. And I had the day off. So it was either go for a ride, or go for a hike...

Can you tell if we're riding or hiking?

When we set off, around 8 am, the snow level might have been 4,000 feet along the front face of the San Gabriels. Looking up San Antonio Canyon towards Baldy, it looked like the snow reached lower. But driving up Mt Baldy Road, it wasn't till just before the school that we saw serious snow. 4,000 sounds just about right. That's also around where we started our hike.

Reminds me of a donut...
...powdered.

Bear Canyon trail starts just up the street from the Baldy Lodge. Street is an overstatement, as you could easily think it's a driveway. I prefer to think of it as the doorway to a magical land... The photo above shows that it is magical, indeed. The photo below shows 1.8 miles into the trail. 6 miles in would be the summit of Baldy, so you know it's pretty steep.

I'm really trying to make this an interesting post, but there's not much I can say. You had to be there. Or maybe you can go there soon!

Clouds are where the snow comes from...

Get that tree some Head and Shoulders!

Kinda seems like they hand out blogs to just anyone, doesn't it?

What's Wrong With This Picture?

Something's wrong?

Well, obviously, if you're going to go all the way up there, you'll want to get some snow in the photo:

That's Better!

Manker Flats

Why do you suppose I would post a picture like this:

The reason is that after a long bike ride, a good cup of joe really hits the spot. My buddy found that after a long bike ride, icing his knee was quite refreshing. Plus, Mother Nature was handing out free ice-packs...

If you don't know where Manker Flats is, it's pretty near to the finish of this year's Tour of California Stage Seven. I bet you some of those pro's will be icing down a few body parts this Spring...

Something tells me they will have a better way to get warm than I did...

Fresh Snow

Some folks can think of better things to do with fresh snow than ride a bike through it. I can't. Maybe it's brain damage from the old drinking days, maybe it's my obsessive nature, but snow just makes me want to ride more than ever.

Looking Forward

Sunday, I braved the traffic up Mt Baldy Rd to get here. Glendora Ridge Road. It was closed to cars due to the snow. So the pedestrians and I had a great time.

Looking Back

There was a lot of snow still on the trees. That's what I'm not used to seeing. I usually see the trees with snow under them. But it had snowed Friday night/Saturday morning and Saturday was plenty cold. So by the time I got up there on Sunday afternoon, there was still a lot of snow up high in the trees. But it was melting and falling and causing little landslides. Kind of unnerving when you are riding alone and the road is right next to loose cliffs...

At the Top

What does my bike have in common with Charlie Sheen? They are both winners. Here is my bike at the very top. With lots of snow.

And speaking of water (or snow) altering the landscape (like I was before the bad jokes) here is a graphic example. The same rains that created all that snow, dug a hole in Palmer/Evey Fireroad. Some kind soul put a tree in it, so that mountain bikers and joggers wouldn't fall in. I looked down and it keeps going beyond five feet deep. It just twists and turns so that I can't see the bottom. But I did see a white rabbit...

There's Snow In Them Thar Hills!

Today's ride was the old standby: Hwy 39 up to Hwy 2. Looking at the mountains, it seems that all the snow has melted except for Mt Baldy and something to the East. But looks can be deceiving when you are looking at the south faces. For example, here is my favorite waterfall. It's between the turn off to Crystal Lake, and Angeles Crest Highway.

Risking Gastro-Intestinal Distress

This is not a picture of me. 

This, however, is.

Once we got up to Islip Saddle (Hwy 2), we could see that there was snow everywhere on the back side of the San Gabriels. Unfortunately, I got a flat, and we were tired, so we made a mental note to come back soon, and bombed home...

It was quite clear up there. It looked like it was hazy below. 

Highway 39

I met my buddy Mannuel at Encanto Park in Duarte and we promptly started up San Gabriel Canyon Road aka Highway 39. I have developed this bad habit of riding and riding. As opposed to riding and taking photos. It would be a good habit, were I not a blogger. But since we had stopped anyway, at the waterfall I use to cool off on hot days, I snapped this photo:

Manny in his Thin Kit by Spongebath Falls

I don't think I need to explain why I stopped to take the next photo. It was just too good. It was the first large patch of snow we came upon. We had been seeing big chunks next to the road since 4,000 feet or so, but this was different. The road is going east and the hill to our right is of the north-facing non-snow-melting variety. This is still before we hit 5k.

I don't know which way to position a bicycle for a photo.
Mountain Biker scum...

We took no more photos till we hit the end of the line. The road keeps going, but with the snow, we did not.

Look at those toasty warm knees!

My outfit looks almost the same as Manny's. But with the simple addition of fleece knee-warmers, I was comfortable all the way up. Manny was getting cold in the shadows. Just imagine the descent! For once, I was able to keep up with him.

Sweet ride!

I think I won the clothing contest, but the bike competition goes to the red, green and gold!

Sunset Ridge

Just a couple pictures for you to enjoy. These are from the Sunset Ridge fireroad that connects Cow Canyon Saddle above Mt Baldy Village to La Verne. I was riding for hours and I only saw two women, two dogs, a baby, and a deer. The mountains were playing peek-a-boo behinds clouds. I guess I was too.

I live for this stuff...

Your humble narrator

I'll be riding into those clouds...

Only one slide forced a dismount...