Ride Report: Mt. Baldy Death March

[S54MCoupe]

About 20 of us left from Encanto Park at a not-so-punctual 8:20 due to a rider flatting before he even got on his bike (probably a sign of bad things to come) but 20 minutes really makes no difference.

Now, usualy my rides include lots of hot babes, celebrities and fights... all the cool stuff you are used to seeing on MTV's Real World only my world is cooler and more real.

I'm not gonna lie. This ride didn't include any babes, nobody wanted to fight, and all the celebrities were too busy sleeping through the heat. It was HOT outside. Really, really hot outside. When babes and rock stars don't show up for one of our rides, you know that something is wrong.

Now, when we first started the climb up GMR, it wasn't so hot. In fact, by the time it started getting hot down in the city where most of you unluck SOBs were, we were already at a high enough elevation that it didn't get too hot. I rode the entire way to the village with my jersey zipped all the way up. The ride split apart and regrouped, and we even had one of our teamates meet us at East Fork and GMR with a cooler full of Gatorade and water.

Here are some of the riders getting refueled:




From there it was pretty much a straight shot over to Baldy Village.

Here is a side note and some helpful information for anyone who is going to Baldy Village. The little water fountain under the tree runs at about 500psi. I've seen take off the side of someones head, no joke. If you have seen the high pressure jets of water they use to cut metals like stainless steel, you can relate to how much pressure this water fountain has. It makes for a good practical joke on people who haven't been to the Village before. They'll end up with water up their nose and everything. It's even better on a hot day, because you can stand about 10 feet away and have someone else turn the spigot, and cool water will rain down on you and make you forget that it's so hot outside.

So anyways, from Baldy Village to to the Ski Lifts is about 5 miles. It's a pretty flat, easy 5 miles. Any reports of 20% sections, people walking their bikes near the end, dangerous gravel, or 2,110' of elevation gain in less than 5 miles are lies. It's easy. Really easy. I did it while talking on my cell phone, eating a burrito and clipping my finger nails. No joke.

Freddie, with about 100 feet left 'till the end of the 5 mile climb. Not the first to the top, but he was the man of the hour running a 39/23 gear:


Bearclaw 's Team Leader, Jason, getting to the top in good form:


Me, feeling the burn on the last part of the climb:


Dan, a strong rider who felt the effects of doing a long ride despite being sick:




So after a very easy ascent to the top, we made our way back down the really not-steep switchbacks with no fear of the heat and prolonged braking leading to our brakes failing on us.

At the village, we got a big table and the 16 of us who were left ate hamburgers, drank water and soda, and relaxed for a little while. One man who joined us, Cole, even had a beer. This gave him approximatly 10 Man Points. The rest of us wanted to Hydrate. He wanted a Newcastle. For this, we salute him and allow him an elevated platform on our podium of life.

Remember how I said it wasn't hot on the way up? The way back made up for it. It was hot. 100+, with the heat coming off the tarmac making it even worse. By this point, a lot of people had gotten flats. When it was all said and done, there would be a total of at least 10 flats, which caused the group to split up more than usual. Keep in mind, the way back isn't completely flat, there are some short climbs, false flats and rollers, so it isn't a free ride back home.

Once we got to bottom, I was alone. The front group had finished, and the back group was fixing a flat. I made my way up Sierra Madre, but there was a cop at the detour, and I wasn't able to cut through. No big deal, but riding an extra 20 minutes in the heat wasn't too fun. You know it's bad when you spray yourself in the face with your water bottle and the water is so hot it almost burns, haha.

So that was it, I got back to Encanto, hopped in my buddies car, and called it a day.

Me, back at the park after the ride. Hot & tired, but couldn't be happier:

[dhmike]

congrats on completing what sounds like a hellish ride.

[RidetheRAAM4]

I didnt see any of you but I didnt ride on GMR much. I am heading that way again tomorrow morning, possibly, but maybe only doing 2-3 hours of riding, short ride

[S54MCoupe]

Originally Posted by RidetheRAAM4

I didnt see any of you but I didnt ride on GMR much. I am heading that way again tomorrow morning, possibly, but maybe only doing 2-3 hours of riding, short ride

We're doing 5 hours on sunday, up to Crystal Lake and beyond I think. If you want to go, PM me.

[MTBMaven]

Originally Posted by S54MCoupe

We're doing 5 hours on sunday, up to Crystal Lake and beyond I think.

Nice. You guys should head all the way up to Highway 2, turn left, and come down in La Canada. That would be pimp.

[El Salt]

I've done that route, from the park, up GMR / down Baldy a few times. It's a heck of a climb when its not 1000 degrees! Good job!

[S54MCoupe]

Originally Posted by El Salt

I've done that route, from the park, up GMR / down Baldy a few times. It's a heck of a climb when its not 1000 degrees! Good job!

We actualy went back the way we came (GMR) to avoid city riding as much as possible. It was a good ride, either way.

As for the ride up Crystal Lake, we'll see how far the group wants to do. We're planning on going to Seal Beach and back on Sunday, so I don't know how bad everyone wants to burn themselves out on Saturday, haha.

Anyone who wants to come is welcome to join!

[El Salt]

Originally Posted by S54MCoupe

We actualy went back the way we came (GMR) to avoid city riding as much as possible. It was a good ride, either way.

Sweet! Yes, as I'm sure you know, there are some high traffic streets you have to ride if you drop down from Baldy. Again, that is one heck of a ride. I haven't been up that route since spring / early summer. Just too hot!

[S54MCoupe]

Originally Posted by El Salt

Sweet! Yes, as I'm sure you know, there are some high traffic streets you have to ride if you drop down from Baldy. Again, that is one heck of a ride. I haven't been up that route since spring / early summer. Just too hot!

Yeah, not only the traffic, but the second we hit a certain lower elevation on the decent, it was like a blast furnace. The difference in temperatures was sudden and pretty brutal. At least on Glendora Ridge we were able to stay above the heat for a small while. If we dropped down Baldy Rd., it would have been longer in the heat.

Join us sometime in the winter.