Ice Cream Time Trial

Add a comment with your best guess. What is an Ice Cream Time Trial?

Lunch Time!

What's wrong with making lunch plans at 10am? Nothing, normally. But imagine, if you will, two rogue mountainbikers sitting in Starbucks in San Dimas, fueling up for a ride. (On a day best described as "Damn hot")

"Today would be a good day for a beach ride." 

"Yeah, but I've got the wrong bike for that. I'd need gears." 

"Why don't we get lunch in Wrightwood?" 

"Cool, let's do it."

You can do any ill-advised ride you want...
...as long as you're flying the Jolly Roger!

So, I'm not sure when we left exactly. But I know it was 12:30 when we left the Off-Highway-Vehicle  Staging Area on Highway 39. In case you are unfamiliar with the area, that's about the last shade we'd see for an eternity or two. We were about an hour away from what we call "Spongebath Falls." Can you guess what we always seem to do at those falls?

Excellent. We wouldn't want cool weather when climbing the switchbacks. Or any possibility of finishing before dark...

This will help me get down to my "race weight"...

One of the best things about remote mountain areas is how much they are able to charge for food. And how willing even a broke-ass like myself is to pay. And how good it tastes. You could probably sell me strips of cardboard for $10 after I rode 60 miles. And if they are moist and greasy enough, I'd come back next week for more.

See, be seen, or don't be seen. It's your choice at the Evergreen Cafe...

In fact, I did go back to this place the next week. And not for cardboard, this food was top-notch! Despite the "Racoon Saloon" on the sign, they didn't seem to have any pitchers to fill with water for me. But they were nice about bringing me refill after refill...

I hope this guy isn't dead!

 Another bonus about remote mountain cycling destinations--you'll find plenty of patients to practice your EMT skills on...

This picture is from another ride...
But ain't it purty?

I have no idea how to end this post. Except to say, " Ride it like you stole it" And by "it," of course, I mean the mountain range.

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!

Crystal Lake

Now that Hwy 39 is open all the way to Crystal Lake, it's easy to explore the trails up there. While I don't normally like driving to a trailhead, I'm glad we did. With the thin air at 6,000ft, and the fact that I am horribly out of shape, fresh legs were the only thing I had going for me...

First, I must admit that this post has a misleading title. I have no pictures of Crystal Lake. Mostly because I have yet to see the thing. In my defense, would you know where I was talking about if I said South Mt Hawkins? Also, our trip did begin in the parking lot of Crystal Lake Campground.

We headed up, north, and in the direction of Windy Gap, until we saw the start of 3N07.

The trail we took up

It was amazing how much hotter it was when we entered the area ravaged by bark beetles...

Where's the greenery up above?

The road could use a little work. It was pretty easy to get over the half-dozen or so downed trees. But there were also two wash-outs.

We had a little of this...

...because there was a little of this.

The thing I liked most about the trip was the view. I saw a few things I've never seen before. Like most of Glendora Ridge Road right in front of my face to look at. Unfortunately, the air was not clear enough for good pictures. But here's a picture that did come out.

What mountains are these? I can't tell...

Ooops, I didn't recognize Mt Baldy from this angle!

For me, it was extraordinary to look to my left and see Mt Baldy, then turn to my right and see Mt Wilson. Unfortunately, Mt Wilson, being further and lower, did not photograph. You can take my word, or better yet, go look for yourself!

I also saw a flower that you don't often see. According to a Forest Service web-site, "Snow plant is difficult to confuse with other plants, and indeed stands a better chance of being confused with a misplaced piece of meat." That is a sentence I did not expect to read!

If you follow the link above, you can read all about how snow plant is a parasite living off of a fungus that lives symbiotically on the roots of conifers. Kewl!

Is that a steak?

But perhaps the wildest thing we saw was the fire lookout on South Mt Hawkins...

Guess what happened...

Tour of California

My photographic skills are lacking. A posed shot, I can handle.

But action shots?

Flower Power

Today, I did a quick ride around Bonelli to test out my new bottom bracket. It is definitely Spring, but roses aren't the only flowers with thorns...

Okay, cacti don't have "thorns," but you get the idea.

I tend to think of Mustard as the official flower of Bonelli. But this guy is in abundance as well. Sometimes the Thistles are hidden amongst the mustard. So be careful if you are riding through an area overgrown with mustard (most of the park). This stuff stings like the dickens if you brush up against it.

This is a nice flower,
but the picture is too symmetrical for my taste...

I like this composition better,
but the flowers are less impressive...

While the official flowers of Bonelli were everywhere to be seen, California was represented as well. No spines or thorns, just a distinctive hue of orange...

In case you were wondering, Bonelli is not "where it's at." Tomorrow, the party is up by the ski lifts on Mt Baldy. Come out and buy an overpriced Clif Bar from me to support my 2012 Tour Divide bid...

Super Hot Biker Chicks

Whenever I last rode up West Fork (over a week ago), it was hot. As I was descending from Cogswell Dam to the river below, I happened upon these women who were climbing. I figured, if I was hot going down, they must have been super hot going up in that weather!

A couple of champs

I didn't take too many pix that day. And some didn't look as good as real life. But here are two more from that ride. The first is my turn around point. I wanted to go to Mt Wilson, but poison oak was suggesting otherwise.

Lots of places one can go

The second picture is one you may be able to help me with. What is it?

What The (whichever word you prefer) ???