East Side Sierra Climbs

[MTBMaven]

Reading this months Bicycling there is an article on big climbs around the country. The long big climb was the Onion Valley climb out of Independence. This got me to mapping the other big east side Sierra climbs. Below is a list of the big ones I know about from south to north.

Lone Pine to Horseshoe Meadows:
Gain: 7,048'
Avg. Grade: 7%
Mileage: 22.5
Max Elevation: 9,950'

Lone Pine to Whitney Portal:
Gain: 4,677'
Avg. Grade: 8%
Mileage: 12
Max Elevation: 8,300'

Independence - Onion Valley:
Gain: 5,418'
Avg. Gain: 8%
Mileage: 13.2
Max Elevation: 9,170'

Lee Vining - Tioga Pass:
Gain: 3,714'
Avg. Gain: 7%
Mileage: 12
Max Elevation: 9,950'
Note: This climb has a 5 mile section of 12%, starting at 7,550' to 9,530'. Wow!

(General accuracy is +/- 10% on mileage using Topo from my experience. Elevation is subject to accuracy of USGS 30 meter digital elevation models used in Topo.)

[Abui]

Everest Challenge

Also includes White Mountains on East Side of Owens Valley

[Red Ryder]

Silver Canyon

Start at Laws

Start elevation: 4,509
End elevation: 10,870
Mileage: ~16.5 miles
Total climbing: ~ 7,360

I haven't ridden it yet, hopefully this summer

[Red Ryder]

Originally Posted by Abui

Everest Challenge

Also includes White Mountains on East Side of Owens Valley

OUCH!

But maybe in a couple of years

Hmmmm...

[MTBMaven]

Originally Posted by Red Ryder

Silver Canyon

Start at Laws

Start elevation: 4,509
End elevation: 10,870
Mileage: ~16.5 miles
Total climbing: ~ 7,360

I haven't ridden it yet, hopefully this summer

Is this road or dirt? It appears to be dirt on the topo.

[Red Ryder]

Originally Posted by MTBMaven

Is this road or dirt? It appears to be dirt on the topo.

Dirt road, water crossings at the bottom part of it, not a road ride. I just saw that this was on the "Roadie Hangout". I'll go back to my cave...

[MTBMaven]

Oh wow. According to Google Maps Laws to White Mountain is 25 miles (4,100' to 12,500') and Big Pine to White Mountain is 49 miles (4,000' to 12,500') The Silver Canyon is crazy steep. I will have to map that one soon. I hear a killer biathlon here (bike up to the end of the road, hike to the peak, and bike out)

[53-12]

Sonora Pass north of Bridgeport is always a good one, tops out at 9624 ft.

[ubermensch]

Lets not forget the climb that's in our own backyard, Mt. Baldy. At 12 miles with 4600' of ascent, it's no slouch even compared to some of those climbs on your list. I like to paraphrase from this page and tell people that the last section of Baldy is steeper than most of Alpe d'Huez.

A couple of months ago I rode it and it was actually worse coming back down. I made it to the village and had to hitch a ride down hill.

[Jslow]

Don't stop there... ride the fr up to thunder mtn and eat some lunch...then ice yer knees.

[Mdm. Dabalot]

The Silver Canyon is definitely a dirt ride. There used to be a ride called White Mountain in a Day. Laws to the top of White Mtn and back down Silver Canyon.
Over 14,000 feet of climbing cause you roll along a ridge at the top and summit at just over 14,000 feet. I know a guy that did it more than once....

[Bergsteiger]

Awesome. Damn Awesome

[ubermensch]

How about a group road trip on the bikes via 395 and maybe do the climb in Independence, then maybe go ride the highest paved road in California just north of Bishop? I'll pitch in for gas money.

Originally Posted by Jslow

Don't stop there... ride the fr up to thunder mtn and eat some lunch...then ice yer knees.

I've been doing research on hikes up there and keep hearing about that. Definitely planning on taking the mtb up there and do some exploring in the coming months. I won't mind a tour guide if you're ever up for it.

[airgabe]

3 years ago I did some work at WMRC... We 4x4 in there and Silver Canyon is brutal do not know the Miles or elevation but I would love to try someday??

Originally Posted by MTBMaven

Oh wow. According to Google Maps Laws to White Mountain is 25 miles (4,100' to 12,500') and Big Pine to White Mountain is 49 miles (4,000' to 12,500') The Silver Canyon is crazy steep. I will have to map that one soon. I hear a killer biathlon here (bike up to the end of the road, hike to the peak, and bike out)

[Sewellymon]

Originally Posted by Mdm. Dabalot

The Silver Canyon is definitely a dirt ride. There used to be a ride called White Mountain in a Day. Laws to the top of White Mtn and back down Silver Canyon.
Over 14,000 feet of climbing cause you roll along a ridge at the top and summit at just over 14,000 feet. I know a guy that did it more than once....

I did the White Mt Peak 100K in '90. Rick Wheeler used to put in on. Tom Richey was the 1st guy to do this ride (in the early 80's?). Rick was inspired, so he started to put it on as an organized ride.

The year I did it, maybe 35 or 40 of the 100 starters made it to the top. And prolly 10 or 15 of them abandoned their bikes on the final hike to the summit (which to me was cheating).

I was not particularly well trained that year (lotsa parenting/ only rode 15 hours in the month prior to White Mt Pk), but I had previoulsly done a fair amount of sierra mountaineering, yosemite big wall rockclimbinig and ultra distance trail runs. And doing White Mt Peak and back was every bit as hard as any of the other adventures I'd had...

other FYI is Silver Canyon is so steep, there is a fair amount of walking even with crazy low gearing.

trivia- Silver Canyon was the site of the 1st Kamakazee Downhill Mt Bike Race ('84). Think they only did it there once/ next year it went to Mammoth Mt

[Abui]

Originally Posted by Sewellymon

I did the White Mt Peak 100K in '90. Rick Wheeler used to put in on. Tom Richey was the 1st guy to do this ride (in the early 80's?). Rick was inspired, so he started to put it on as an organized ride.

The year I did it, maybe 35 or 40 of the 100 starters made it to the top. And prolly 10 or 15 of them abandoned their bikes on the final hike to the summit (which to me was cheating).

I was not particularly well trained that year (lotsa parenting/ only rode 15 hours in the month prior to White Mt Pk), but I had previoulsly done a fair amount of sierra mountaineering, yosemite big wall rockclimbinig and ultra distance trail runs. And doing White Mt Peak and back was every bit as hard as any of the other adventures I'd had...

other FYI is Silver Canyon is so steep, there is a fair amount of walking even with crazy low gearing.

trivia- Silver Canyon was the site of the 1st Kamakazee Downhill Mt Bike Race ('84). Think they only did it there once/ next year it went to Mammoth Mt

It's so crazy steep that on a topo map it's marked "Downgrade Travel Only".

[airgabe]

I will talk steppie into doing this, as I did see 3 MTBERS climbing it!!!

Originally Posted by Sewellymon

I did the White Mt Peak 100K in '90. Rick Wheeler used to put in on. Tom Richey was the 1st guy to do this ride (in the early 80's?). Rick was inspired, so he started to put it on as an organized ride.

The year I did it, maybe 35 or 40 of the 100 starters made it to the top. And prolly 10 or 15 of them abandoned their bikes on the final hike to the summit (which to me was cheating).

I was not particularly well trained that year (lotsa parenting/ only rode 15 hours in the month prior to White Mt Pk), but I had previoulsly done a fair amount of sierra mountaineering, yosemite big wall rockclimbinig and ultra distance trail runs. And doing White Mt Peak and back was every bit as hard as any of the other adventures I'd had...

other FYI is Silver Canyon is so steep, there is a fair amount of walking even with crazy low gearing.

trivia- Silver Canyon was the site of the 1st Kamakazee Downhill Mt Bike Race ('84). Think they only did it there once/ next year it went to Mammoth Mt

[Sewellymon]

Originally Posted by Abui

It's so crazy steep that on a topo map it's marked "Downgrade Travel Only".

and if your brakes give out, you are a dead man, for reals. off the mtn side in a heart beat unless you can eject quick

oh and i wrote "The year I did it, maybe 35 or 40 of the 100 starters made it to the top" .. so i pull onto the summit. once of the last to finish, to be greeted by an array of bongs and pipe-loads. freakin hippy mt bikers!! i love my lettuce as much as the next guy, but the return trip include 2000' more climbing so i opted to abstain. that plus 14K = my head was throbbing by the quick elevation gain

whatever happend to Monte from Pasadena Cyclery and PMBC? He was one of the lettuce wielding summit doods..

[Abui]

Originally Posted by Sewellymon

I did the White Mt Peak 100K in '90. Rick Wheeler used to put in on. Tom Richey was the 1st guy to do this ride (in the early 80's?). Rick was inspired, so he started to put it on as an organized ride.

We almost bumped into each other. I was camping at Grandview. I took my son along and let him sit on the panniers.

[Pain Freak]

Originally Posted by Sewellymon

whatever happend to Monte from Pasadena Cyclery and PMBC? He was one of the lettuce wielding summit doods..

Last time I saw Monte was at Sea Otter 3 or 4 years ago. Before that it seemed like we ended up on almost all the same rides together. I loved his Ti bike.