Ride Report Chantry/Mt. Zion/Sturtevant Falls

Discussion in 'Ride Reports' started by kanga, Nov 19, 2009.

  1. kanga

    kanga Active Member

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    It was a perfect day for riding. Cool temps, pleasant sun, and nobody on the trails... except the Coroner and a K9 unit.

    I rode the Gold Line and up the hill to meet the crew at Chantry. We rolled out a little after 12:30. Dave had already done a lap of Lower Winter Creek to warm up.

    My rear brake was squealing like a stuck pig, after getting glazed over on a big descent last week, so I swapped out pads at Mt. Zion for the descent, and was glad that I did.

    The Gab was definitely feeling very fall-like with a nice slippery layer of leaves on the ground. At least they felt slippery on my near bald back tire. We stopped at the campground, wondering about the recent plan to oust the caretakers and manage it from another location. The TLC that place gets shows, and I doubt it could be the same with an off-site manager.

    We also swung by Sturtevant Falls which I hadn't done in quite some time. Water was cold, but never too cold for Jay. It was quite pleasant to hang out there. It seems like a pity that when it's really hot, nobody wants to climb that extra half mile, even though they can really cool down when they get there.

    There were a few comic moments, but my information is only second-hand as I missed the action. I'll let Jay tell his version of how to go UTB (under the bars :lol: )

    Thanks for a great ride... great to see Nan getting her confidence up and riding more of the trail each time she heads out there. Kudos girl... keep it up. It was also nice to have a few more faces to go with STR screen names.

    The descent back down the road was fun. I felt good about passing a roadie in a full tuck on my 170mm dual crown bionicon. From there I headed over and joined the OTB ride up Lower Sam Merril, our crew's first group ride there since the fires.

    Thanks guys and gal for a great day. I look forward to the next time.

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    OTB Crew, later:

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  2. davidB

    davidB Active Member

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    The Leave are Falling at Chantry, Riding with the Nanbagger

    Nan aka Dusty again set up this mid-week-skip-work-and-ride at Chantry Flats this afternoon. It's a technical 9.5 mile loop that is mostly all singletrack (if even that in some places). She asked a few of us to join her and we had a blast fooling around, playing on a swing, visiting a waterfall, and keeping the comical crashes to a minimum.

    Who: Steve (Kanga), Jay (Jay), Aaron (Chewyeti), Dell (Ladd_Jasper), Ken (freekengo), myself and Nanbagger.
    What: Mountain biking with fun people
    Where: Chantry, in the hills above Arcadia
    http://www.geoladders.com/show_route.php?route=20673
    When: Started at 12:30pm, finished much much later
    Why: Who cares!


    Within the first mile the trail looks like this...
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    ...and after exactly 1 mile you're up looking down on your cars.

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    The lady of the day on the trail that hopefully makers her coworkers cringe again.

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    Of course she rides it, why wouldn't she?

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    Ken

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    The group today. From left to right: Steve, Aaron, Nan, Ken, Jay, Dell

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    Nan was feeling more comfortable out there today. Riding much more than our last trip out.

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    Chewy

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    Such a beatiful trail this time of year with the leaves falling.

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    Dell, somewhere on the downhill of Upper Winter Creek.

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    We did the bike/hike up the Mt Zion loop that has a bunch of tough switchbacks. Everyone tried this one, no one suceeded.

    Steve trying

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    Chewy trying

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    Hi Nan!

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    On the way up the Zion climb...

    Steve

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    Jay

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    Chewy and Nan

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    At some point we finished the climb up and started heading down the payoff on the other side of the hill.

    Ken leading the way

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    and Nan not too long behind...

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    Again, such a beatiful trail if you have a moment to stop and take a look around.

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    Now for the comical stuff. On the way down there are many stream crossings. Some are pretty big, but many are rideable right now. Or at least attempt-able. A few of us got to watch Chewy pull a spectacular feat of nearly a backflip over a pretty small crossing. The bike was up in the air, he was still clipped in. It looked like something you'd pull jumping into a foam pit. I was still pulling my camera out but got this fuzzy pic.

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    Now here's Ken, showing how it's done, and how small of a crossing it was.

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    We made our way to Sturdevant Camp and did the obligatory swing thing.

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    Jay coming out of camp

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    Again with the trial admiration!

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    I told them about the falls. I made no promises about how much water was in it, just that if they hadn't been, it was about time to head over there and see.

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    We hung out there a bit, again, seemingly the only ones out there today, then headed back the way we came. Nan, all smiles today as expected.

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    Putting off the inevitable for the longest time, the "happy ending" awaited us and got the legs moving again. One particular rider was loosing his mind and acted like a pirate. Don't encourage him.

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    Overall, about as great of a time as you could expect at Chantry. Good times, good people, good food afterwards. Nothing beats a Thursday afternoon ride anywhere, much less as Chantry!

    :bang:
     
  3. kanga

    kanga Active Member

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    Nice pics, and great riding today. Dell, time to merge threads (I posted one a little while ago).

    Cheers!
     
  4. un-kola

    un-kola Just another Homer!

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    Nice r.r. Dave.Chewy looked like me the other night when he and I were going up the switchbacks at Schabarum park.What a hoot.-Lloyd :wave:
     
  5. BandMan

    BandMan New Member

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    Great RR Guys!!!

    Nice report! Chantry is on my short list of where to ride. Hopefully I won't see the weekend tour bus loaded with hikers#-o.

    Damn Chewi looks like the Yeti side is coming out in the wild!:lol:

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  6. mpmffitz

    mpmffitz Farm Freerider

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    My wife and I did a trail run up there last weekend I thought I was in China, there was so many Chinese all over Chantry and sturevant.

    Great RR, there is never enough pics of that place. My top five favorite trail in socal. This area is the epotimy of socals beautiful wilderness high country.
     
  7. Chewyeti

    Chewyeti Circus Bear

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    LOL - absolutely freakin awesome. Trail was in great shape, everyone in good spirits, had a blast.

    Something about riding the bike i never ride, with tires i've never ridden on, and some other quirks LOL... made for an interesting day!

    I got stiff armed by a 4" diameter branch that someone had cut down, i wheelie-backflip-omg-i'mgonnadie-move that still has me baffled... (totally just stopped going forward, and all my momentum went vertical LOL), taking a little dip in the waterfall was fun too!!!

    All in ALL excellent time with excellent people....

    And dave, its RAMBO not a pirate!
     
  8. F.A.D.

    F.A.D. POWERED BY MUSUBIS

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    Good times indeed! Although it tends to be an expensive trail for me to ride...... Let me see..... last time was a bent derailleur hanger and a xo rear derailleur, and this time was a severly bent rear brake lever...... Both from a OTB incident.... Funny, I was just making fun of Chewy with his UTB incident, then I go the opposite route and go OTB at the next creek crossing.#-o Karma's a BIATCH!:lol: Does anyone make a xc/am/fr/dh 29'er bike that weighs under 25lbs? It seems that I can use one......:-k:lol:

    Oh well.... There's always NEXT TIME!:bang:
     
  9. Piranha

    Piranha Member

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    Wow......:(
     
  10. dstepper

    dstepper (R.I.P.) Over the hill

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    Sorry we missed you guys out there yesterday. It was a good day to be in the woods. Try coming all the way down Winter Creek from Mt Havard sometime...that is the Happy Ending. Winter Creek above Hoegee Camp is excellent.

    Dean
     
  11. Letyrides

    Letyrides Roar!

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    Awesome pics, looked a little chilly! A ditch day?! I'm jealous.
     
  12. Dusty

    Dusty New Member

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    3rd time is the charm

    Another perfect ride on a perfect day. I was so proud of myself that I not only rode more of the trail but really, really, really enjoyed it. I only had 1 freak out moment all day, but since no one saw it, I wonder if it really happened. The guys were very kind to regroup like they did, and I think their wait time was less. It was great to see Kanga and Davidb, us OC folks don't alway get to ride with the LA peeps. Good to see Dell and share the pizza with him and Chewy. Chewy will have to patent the UTB trick, I do not recommend it, he nearly poked his eye out. Thanks guys for such a great day on the trail. Ken never has issues on the trail except when we get to Chantry :-k I don't think its Karma, its just his turn... and we all have one.
     
  13. CalEpic

    CalEpic member

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    You're in good company Chewy. Last time I rode Chantry I OTB'd on a stream crossing too. Still have a busted up finger from it. Damn those submerged rocks
     
  14. Pain Freak

    Pain Freak Dead or Alive

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    I guess I should of asked around. I sat here at home wondering if any rides going off.
     
  15. Schecky

    Schecky SoCalMTBubbs

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    Nice Kentana bike Freek! Is that the Ventani-style frame?
     
  16. F.A.D.

    F.A.D. POWERED BY MUSUBIS

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    Yeah! it is the Ventani edition ciclon'. loving the ride so far.
     
  17. JKat

    JKat Lover of Cholla

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    Does anybody have a map or link to Chantry/Mt. Zion/Sturtevant Falls so I could ride this with some friends?

    Also what city is this in?
     
  18. dstepper

    dstepper (R.I.P.) Over the hill

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    Closet city, Sierra Madre.

    Angeles National Forest does not seem to put up maps on there website but instead refer to places to buy maps. Many bike shops carry Franko Maps. But the best I have found in Tom Harrisons Map of Mt Wilson. They give elevation gains and mileage between trailheads.

    http://www.tomharrisonmaps.com/
    http://www.adamspackstation.com/index.html
    http://www.fs.fed.us/r5/angeles/maps/brochures/big_santa_anita_canyon.pdf
    Dean
     
    Last edited by a moderator: Nov 20, 2009
  19. JoeTruth

    JoeTruth Active Member

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    Excuse you, Dean! We are NOT a closet city and have been out for a while. We let the rainbow flags fly proudly and are not ashamed. Thanks! ;)

     
  20. ladera Dave

    ladera Dave New Member

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    Great report, Lone Ranger and I will be there tomorrow with all of the Tour guides.
     

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