Climbing Is Fun - If You Want It.

If you live in Southern California and you consider yourself a true cyclist you need to ride up to Mt. Baldy at least once. It's arguably one of the most beautiful and most difficult climbs in SoCal and it's not too far from anywhere in LA or OC. 

Right now, as far as I know Glendora Mountain Road (GMR) and Glendora Ridge Road (GRR) are closed to automotive traffic. GMR and GRR are two of my favorite roads and without cars they're even better. I avoid riding down Mount Baldy Road mainly because it's just a straight shot into the mountain with too many cars and a pretty crappy shoulder in some parts. If you put the extra miles in to ride GMR and GRR you'll suffer, but you'll at least get amazing views in the meantime.  If you have no idea what I'm talking about then check out this link. Otherwise here are some pictures I took that weren't blurred by my hyperventilation and occasional vomiting as I dragged my fat carcass up this mountain: 

Narrow and winding, it sometimes feels like the road that never ends.

Proof that I'm not the only person that likes to climb.

The ribbon of road sits literally on the ridge of the mountain with steep drops on either side.

A ride from the base at the beginning of GMR to the top at the ski lifts at Mount Baldy will add up to 50-55 miles round-trip. I don't know of any water between the start of the ride and Mount Baldy Village so big bottles are a good idea. There also isn't much shade so don't be an idiot like me and show up at 1:00 in the afternoon.