Here's the full 19 mile descent from Mount Wilson down to La Canada Flintridge. This is the companion video to the 19 mile climb. For the most part, this is why you climb two hours up a mile high mountain. Unfortunately, my inner thighs (the groin muscles to be technical) love to cramp up about 20 minutes into a descent. And I mean, full on clenching, where trying to move the leg feels like I'm literally tearing muscle away from my femur kind of painful cramping.
Sometimes I just find stuff that makes me say "huh." The strangest thing I saw was that leaf blower being used at that homeless encampment at that underpass. I mean, good job to the guy keeping the path free of debris. As a cyclist, I appreciate that, since I normally wouldn't even be able to see if I ran over something coming from bright light into darkness like that. But how about keeping the electric cord out of the path too?
Just a few minor obstacles in the way of my Saturday ride on September 10th. I always find it odd, but not surprising, when a pair or more cyclists are on a recreational ride take up both lanes of a dedicated bike path. I get it. They want to chat side by side. That's only natural. However, there is usually enough room to ride two-by-two if one of the cyclists stays in the "shoulder." At the very least, if you're going to ride in the opposite lane, swivel your head around periodically to see if someone is coming up behind you.
I came across several reminders of how dangerous mountain roads can be. On the way up to Clear Creek I had passed several riders and had a chance to talk to them when we regrouped at the traffic stop. When a rescue helicopter is called in, you already know it's a serious situation. A motorcyclist had gone over the side of the cliff and they were in the middle of rescue and recovery.
A just washed chain ring can look shiny again. With the dry weather around here, I haven't really "needed" to wash the bike other than to keep the chain lubed, but at some point the sweat drippings make some ugly patterns in the layers of road dust, so I just got to wipe that crap off.
Overcast down in the valley, clear a mile up at Mount Wilson on September 3rd. By the time I got back down the mountain, it was nice, clear and hot. I suppose it was more marine layer than actual clouds.
I checked out the dirt road in Duarte that accesses the newly paved section of bike path to the San Gabriel River Trail. This packed dirt is supposedly how the county wants cyclists to get to the new tar, but it's pretty tricky on 23mm tires. There is a gate closer to the white fence entrance, but I've never seen it open except in those facebook photos in the link. The gravelly driveway next to the school bus depot is always open, so until "phase 2" of the "closing the necklace" happens, that's the guaranteed way to go.
The descent of Mount Wilson Red Box Road on Aug. 20th. This is the companion video to the climbing post. Most of the 19 mile climb, where 14 of it is on Angeles Crest Highway, is smooth and generous with its curves. Mount Wilson Red Box Road is not. There's much less traffic on it and has not been repaved recently like the California Route 2. It still has the gentle slope of 5% grades, but it's much more winding and prone to rock falls.
The debris and gravel in the middle of the road is not a problem while climbing, but is a concern on the descent. The main problem is the intermittent shadiness in the morning which makes picking out rocks, cracks or pine needles pretty difficult after you've been staring at brightly lit pavement right before a tight curve. The curviness already made this a technical descent, at least compared to Angeles Crest, but its other pitfalls make a cyclist pay closer attention to detail.
The climb to Mount Wilson Skyline Park from Red Box on August 20th. I finally got around to editing the video of this ride. You can see my pictures I posted that afternoon. Overall, a 19 mile climb with grades between 5 and 6 percent. Not very steep, but just very long.
Here's just a few moments where people or things did not go my way on my river trails ride on August 13th. Some things happen on a ride that just make me shake my head. A not uncommon occurrence is a driver turning left at an intersection right in front of you because they can't judge your speed correctly. Another is a dude with headphones not expecting traffic on a two lane bike path. Or newbs blocking bike path access because they're not used to the idea that standing on a bike is different than just standing around. You've got to remember that you're an animal with a tail that will knock stuff over behind you, or block a gate.
Other things not going my way are because they're going their own way. Like ravens flying away from a large land mammal only to pick the same direction as said large land mammal. I had a similar experience with a red tail hawk on top of the Santa Fe Dam where the little dude thought he was cresting a hill only to fly alongside a rolling human for about a hundred yards. These ravens were pretty annoyed, not like the relaxed raptor at all. Finally, that film shoot was on that block for over a week. They were filming exterior scenes and even used another house two doors down. It was a real neighborhood scene, which is something you don't see on location very often.
The 4 mile descent to Clear Creek from Red Box on Angeles Crest Hwy. This is the companion video to the climbing half on August 6th. As you can see when I pull out from the parking lot, there is indeed a red box. Also, the "descent" is more like 5 miles to Clear Creek, but the last mile is a 3% grade climb.
I have always cramped my groin muscles in both legs after a long descent like this, and I've found the only way to stop my legs from seizing up is to just pedal faster with a shorter stroke so those big muscles groups don't get a chance to contract all the way. This is sacrificing heart rate and rhythm to avoid pain. Actually, that's basically all endurance sports anyway, just pain management over the course of many hours.
This is time lapse video of my climb to Red Box from Clear Creek on Angeles Crest Hwy on August 6th. It was my first time going all the way up there and it's about a 44 mile round trip for me. It's only (only!) a 4 mile climb from Clear Creek, but that's already after a 10 mile climb from La Canada.
If you stick with the video all the way to the end, you'll hear me try to pronounce Haramokngna. I did go inside and ask how you say it and I wasn't too far off. Just no long vowels.
The Red Box Picnic Area (and yes there is a red box somewhere around there) is also the base of the climb to Mount Wilson using Mt. Wilson Red Box Road. Two weeks later, I went up there for the first time too.
