Road Ride Highway 39 & 2 to Wrightwood

I was invited on a ride yesterday (Friday 11/27) with some co-workers and a group of friends they ride with frequently. The original plan was to climb the 39 to Crystal Lake from the West Fork parking lot. I had the whole day to ride while my wife studied so I planned on extending my ride to Wrightwood with anyone who wanted to join.

The entire group pressed on past the Crystal Lake intersection to Islip Saddle (39/2 intersection). One other person was crazy enough to continue on with me to Wrightwood. A bit to my surprise there were several more miles of climbing past the intersection to Dawson Saddle (7,901). Shortly after the saddle my partner decided we needed to head back due to his lack of time and body temperature.

The temps plummeted once on Highway 2 and the wind increased exponentially. There was thick ice on the side of the road in spots. I was quite cold even pedaling up 8% grades at 6,000 feet.

Feeling skunked I am going to head back out on Sunday. This is an open invite to anyone brave/crazy enough to join.

Ride time is 7:00 AM at the West Fork parking lot on Highway 39 (Azusa Canyon). The parking lot is past the OHV area and just before the closed gate. Distance is 72 miles with about 11,000 feet of gain.

Bring at least two bottles (there is not reliable water until Wrightwood 36 miles from the start), warm and wind clothes, food.

Here are some picture to help entice the insane!

 

Update: Brian (BoingBoing) are meeting two others at the parking lot at 7:00AM tomorrow.

 

winds were ridiculous today, wonder how they did.

good job MTBMaven..

 

Brian (MTBMaven) will be posting up a real ride report complete with pix. But I can say that our ride was great. We got within 5 miles of Islip Saddle before the winds got genuinely scary. But it was the fact that the road was covered with ice that turned us back.

I can say that the same weather that kept us from Wrightwood, made for incredible views with clear air, clouds, snow, etc.

Brian and I felt like we needed more. Nick (who had been riding to the trailhead, had a flat, arrived late, and still caught up to us on the climb) joined the two Brians and we took off for Cow Canyon Saddle. Nick made the climb up GMR then realized how much farther his car was than ours'. He found a couple of fast guys to chase down GMR. Brian and I headed up Glendora Ridge Road to get our miles in.

Near Mt Baldy is where the wind was bad. But all was good. I know I'm hoping for a retry on the 39-to-Wrightwood idea. But today was just exactly what it was supposed to be.

 

Better to live to tell and ride another day.

 

I love this ride!

Did it about 3 weeks ago. not to Wrightwood just to Dawsons saddle. but then again we did start from Encanto Park off the San Gabriel River Trail. Yeah winds were intense and the black ice plus wind chill descending make this a very dangerous ride this time of year (unless your properly equipped). Its fun to ride that area early Spring when the weather is nicer but there is still piles of snow along side the road.

Other fun options are to go past Wrightwood down to the 15 fwy, hop on that for a bit (scary fun!) and ride back the beginning of the 39 in Azusa

Or as i did when i turned 30....take the train from Downtown Los Angeles to Sierra Madre Villa Station (end of the Gold Line) and ride to the 39 up to Islip Saddle and head over towards Mt. Wilson and back down to civilization through Chevy Chase and Downtown again. Just under a Century when i did it.

 

BoingBoing pretty much summed everything up. It was great meeting and riding with BoingBoing and Nick (not sure of your STR handle Nick). Thank you both for your willingness to continue on. I was on the fence and if it were not for you guys I would have spent the better part of my Sunday doing responsible things, like cleaning my truck and doing some finishing work on some base boards. This was far more fun!

72 miles and 10,000 feet of gain. Not a bad day. And not a bad Thanksgiving weekend with 3 rides totaling 143 miles and 19,650 feet of gain.

On with the pictures.

Leaving the parking lot, looks inviting yes?


Heading into battle




Sure looks windy on that ridge


Cool looking clouds


This is why we were forced to turn around.


Heading out East Fork Rd


Nick at the intersection of GRR and East Fork Rd


View from Cow Saddle looking west. The whole East Fork watershed below us.

 

Thanks for the pics and report. That ice looks truly scary, esp. if there is any wind!
I heard they opened Angeles Crest Hwy. to traffic again, so expect to see more traffic up there.

 

thanks for sharing... Thats a solid ride week mtbmaven.

 

This was definitely a great ride. Thanks for having me guys.

I started out at Encanto Park (off Huntington Dr.) at 7 am with foolish notions of catching these guys somewhere on the climb. 10 min into my ride... got a flat and used up my only tube. Almost decided to turn around and drive up to the meeting point. I got to their cars at 7:50 and realized I was WAY behind schedule. Tried pushing it as much as I could beyond the gate but the headwinds and increasing grade wasn't helping. Just so happens I came upon the group right as they were hitting the Crystal Lake intersection. Boy was I glad to see them. The descent was FAST and extremely windy (crosswinds were making my front tire nervous). We must've been really close to 50mph at some points. MTBMaven and BoingBoing decided it would be fun to go do East Fork as well... by the point I was pretty beat. Instead of continuing on the ridge to Cow Saddle, I decided to take Glendora Mt. back to my car and called it a day. Definitely a long day in the mountains with about 70 miles give or take.

 

I hate you guys but I hate my job more.

maybe next time.

J