RR: Cucamonga Cyn - June 19, 2006

[gurp13]

I'm intrigued by the hills just north of me. So, I drove to the top of Sapphire in Alta Loma and parked the car. The road stretched up into the canyon. It doesn't look that steep, but it is.



I talked to a cool Forest Service ranger. He said they've been having trouble with guys on motorcycles and other vehicles up there. Technically, the canyon's closed (fire danger?), he said, but he said they unofficially allow bikes up there. He said that they don't have problems with mountain bikers. So, I told him I'd keep my eye out in case I saw anyone and maybe even get a picture or a description. He wished me well, told me watch out for snakes and I was off.



I didn't see any snakes, but saw tons of lizards.



Headed up the pavement into the canyon. Here's a view back around the bend where the pavement ends.



Mostly the trail is loose and rocky. It's steep and technical.



Oh. It was hot. Really hot. It was hotter than Denny Hazen, actually.



And rocky.



I kept losing momentum and/or traction. Had to walk a lot. It took me over an hour to go two miles to the saddle that starts the switchbacks. But, it's a nice view down from there.



The sun and dry climate has started killing off the wild mustard which is good 'cause it kept the bees down. Here's a view from the saddle looking up at the switchbacks. You can see these from the streets below if you're on Carnelian or Sapphire.



This trail is mercilous. It just keeps going up and up.



I ran out of time this morning. Had to take the daughter to water polo practice or I would have kept going up. I got about 2.25 miles up before I turned around. It took an hour and a half to go up, 20 minutes to get down. This stuff is easier going down than up.



But, many of the views were worth it.





I'm gonna have to come back another time. See if I can get further up. It'd be a good idea to start earlier next time, I think. Maybe ride faster if it's not so hot. Yeah. Good idea.

[Denny Hazen]

Originally Posted by gurp13

Oh. It was hot. Really hot. It was hotter than Denny Hazen, actually.

No one is hotter than me!

Nice ride report, I enjoyed your pictures, they were amazin' and blazin'.

[mtnbikerdude87]

Is this the same switchback that heads up Cucamonga peak? I see it everytime im heading out to Rancho from the 210. Anyways, looks like a pretty interesting trail!

[LBmtb]

Nice photos, goop! I especially like the lizard one. And yes I did say goop - gurp sounds like burp.

[Pain Freak]

Having been to the top of this trail, I thought I'd never have any interest in doing it again, but for some sick reason I can't put my finger on, I want to climb it again. We will have to get together and plan a ride for this torturous trail in the near future.

[dstepper]

Glen...solo ride...exploring...your da man!

[Innes]

I used to take my Jeep up there before the road was closed when the fires went through. I can't imagine wanting to do that on my bike.

[gurp13]

Originally Posted by Pain Freak

Having been to the top of this trail, I thought I'd never have any interest in doing it again, but for some sick reason I can't put my finger on, I want to climb it again. We will have to get together and plan a ride for this torturous trail in the near future.

With all the walking I was doing, "ride" would be used very loosely. But, I'm game. Maybe if it wasn't so hot I'd feel like I had a little more momentum. I would like to get to the top of the trail, though. Just to see it.

There's another trail that veers off to the left and goes down into the canyon. I'm gonna check out more of that, too, one of these days.

Originally Posted by dstepper

Glen...solo ride...exploring...your da man!

I actually *do* ride alone quite often. And, I've been trying to explore the hills around here. Mike's ridden all of them well before me, of course. But, I just know there's some decent riding up in those hills. Has to be. I'm just looking for the course or loop or whatever.

Originally Posted by LBmtb

Nice photos, goop! I especially like the lizard one. And yes I did say goop - gurp sounds like burp.

Thanks Ellbee. Actually, my mom used to call me "gurp" because my initials are GRP. Seemed like a good handle and it's not all pretentious like my other choices, "Bad Ass Motherf*cker" or "Death Dealer." Those just seemed, I dunno, to give away too much. So, gurp it was.

Originally Posted by mtnbikerdude87

Is this the same switchback that heads up Cucamonga peak? I see it everytime im heading out to Rancho from the 210. Anyways, looks like a pretty interesting trail!

Probably, yes. I've never been too sure which one is Cucamonga Peak and which one is Ontario Peak. But, yeah, these are visible from the 210.

[khai]

glen u know how to take a gd picture!!! nice pic.

[CC]

Hey this looks great...nice way to werk on the skills and endurance. Right in the back yard too. I'm up for a ride, possibly Saturday, so we can start early??

Quote:[It was hotter than Denny Hazen, actually]
Remember Goop next time - you only need 1 shirt...Denny has probably got his zipped all the way down.

[SScheetz]

Originally Posted by Pain Freak

Having been to the top of this trail, I thought I'd never have any interest in doing it again, but for some sick reason I can't put my finger on, I want to climb it again. We will have to get together and plan a ride for this torturous trail in the near future.

I’ve ridden this on a motorcycle a few times, years ago, but never on a bicycle.

Let’s do this thing. It looks more techy than I remember. It used to be a wide rocky road and pretty crowded on weekends with 4X’s and motorcycles.

Mike, is there a top? I've only gone up to the campground. The road continues after that so I figured it would come out somewhere. Can we make a loop?

[dirttorpeedo]

hey burp,the left trial goes to mt. baldy comes out to the power station,armondo is planing that as we speak.i've riden motorcycles thru to sierra rd. and mtb's up also.back when i rode moto's you cood go all the way thru,it's blocked by rock slides and boulders.big hike a bike ride/walk.ask ride to live/jon.

[RIDE 2 LIVE]

Originally Posted by dirttorpeedo

hey burp,the left trial goes to mt. baldy comes out to the power station,armondo is planing that as we speak.i've riden motorcycles thru to sierra rd. and mtb's up also.back when i rode moto's you cood go all the way thru,it's blocked by rock slides and boulders.big hike a bike ride/walk.ask ride to live/jon.

HEY CHRIS, is that the ride that i did last summer with the boys that u picked us up at dearskin cnyn?

[gurp13]

Maybe if we offer to do trail work, they will let us use dynamite. Gotta move those boulders! Dirty, you're a good rider, you carry the dynamite and I'll ride in front with the matches.

[RidetheRAAM4]

I will head up there with you guys. I know if you take it up to mt baldy you can ride the trail down to the campground in baldy. I hiked up it once and I would think it possible to ride probably 90% of it down with a few spots that would be suicidal to walk. Riding up that trail would be very very difficult, but down could work. We would need to set up a shuttle though. Very early shuttle.

[Pain Freak]

Whoaaa, wait a minute guys. This is a killer ride. In the sense it tried to kill us once. Like Mr Dirt has said the road is gone in some places. I mean we had to hand our bikes to each other while we stood with our backs against the cliff to get the bikes through and we were looking down at over 75 feet. We started in Fontana and we rode around to the Lytle Creek side and fought the wind the whole way. I still consider this the hardest ride I"ve ever done. The road used to go all the way and you could make a loop out of it. The boulders were huge and at one point I put my hand on one the size of a volkswagon and the damn thing started to move. Not a little either, it came towards me for about 6 inches before it stopped. We spent more time porting the bikes then we did riding them and we all ran out of water and food at the halfway point in the ride.

Well, I guess I would do it again, but I'd find this very difficult to call this a ride. More like a bouldering, riding, hiking trip. I'd definately consider this a dangerous type ride. But also a great challenge. Yeah, I'll do it again.There are some places where the fireroad has collapsed and there is no road left. The rangers asked that we avoid this one as there is no way to get emergency crews up there without a helicopter.

[gurp13]

Actually, I think the ride that Armondo is planning is the ride to Baldy that forks off north while the trail I rode goes up and east. I wouldnt' mind taking that trail higher 'cause I like abuse. But, I'm guessing the Cucamonga Canyon ride to Baldy might be in better shape.

Or, I could just f@ck off.

[Tom Cosgrove]

Glen as you ride up the road you approach the forest service sign and a fireroad on the left. You can take this road east all the way to the 15 fwy.
When I ride it I take it to a junction that goes down Amethist for a good loop of about 12-14 miles. Let me know if you want to ride it.

[gurp13]

Eventually, I'd like to ride all the trails up there. I remember seeing a fireroad that goes along the foothills. Is this what you mean?

[RidetheRAAM4]

Originally Posted by gurp13

Eventually, I'd like to ride all the trails up there. I remember seeing a fireroad that goes along the foothills. Is this what you mean?

I think it would be near impossible to ride all the fireroads around there. If you get over towards the lytle creek side you can go across the creek and find more fireroads and then cross undeer the 15 going up the "cahome" (i have no clue how to spell that) pass and find more fireroads. Not the same mountains really, but endless fireroads. I've explored some over the creek by the 15, not as high, but still some really fun stuff (for fireroads).