Mount San Antonio

Ride Name: Mount San Antonio (aka Mt Baldy)
When: Sat, September 19
Time: 6am
Where: TBD
Ride Description or Details:
From Baldy Village, up Backbone Trail, down Bear Trail to Village.

I don’t know the area well. The ride is a peak bag with a bike, so HAB-aversive riders should skip it.
~~~~~ Optional Details ~~~~~
Meet Location: Baldy Village location TBD.
Skill Level: Intermediate, Advanced
Ride Pace: Moderate Pace
Type of Ride: Loop
Rider Limit: Yes, riders will find their limit
Anticipated Mileage: Guess 30
Elevation Gain: Guess 6k’
Ride Duration: Most of a day
Previous Ride Reports: You’ve seen it on the forum. People call this mountain “Baldy” for some reason.
Possible Bail-Outs: Reverse.
Facilities: Don’t know.
Food/water suggestions: More of everything than usual.
Option to Upload:

 

PS: Nice form upgrades, @Mikie.

 

Ha ha ha! NICE!

 

Dude! Glad to see you're starting off with a nice mellow cruise for your return to SoCal.

I've never been up there... Hmmm.

 

Tahoe or So Cal?

 

FWIW this ride is far better done starting mid to late morning so that you're doing the descent later in the afternoon when there are fewer hikers out. It was already bad before, I imagine this place is slammed way harder than it used to be due to covid hikers/inside people. This is not a ride to do with a large group.

Largest loop option is 16mi/ 6k. Other options are shorter with less vert. The best iteration IMO is done as partial shuttle ending down Barrett Stoddard or Sunset ridge for a few extra k of descent.

Might be able to join you but I'd only do it as a later start.

 

This ride is in SoCal. Me? Depends on the week, apparently.

@Faust29, more or less in the neighborhood? If not this, other(s) for sure!

 

I’m in, barring any unforeseen family stuff.

 

The numbers seemed much worse when I first saw them. Then when I did the math, it wasn’t as bad.

 

Don’t forget to subtract the oxygen.

 

Yea, pops – been way too long! @mtnbikej, I think it might be a rite of passage. You better knock it off just to be sure. @Grego makes four.

@evdog, are we at the rider limit yet??? Love to have ya, man, but I have to be home for my afternoon nap. I'd be down for starting in the dark.

 

I’m seriously considering this. If I feel I am in reasonable shape by then, I’m in. I don’t want to slow the group too much, especially with the giants of IMTB piling on.

 

Seems like a reasonable plan.

A nice training opportunity is the hiking up San Gorgonio and San Jacinto. Spending time above 10k’ as one does there is what a beach dweller needs to make handiwork of San Antonio. Hiking at elevation will be the crux of San Antonio. Push your bike up some steep trails anywhere as training. I’m not kidding. Not as fun as pedaling, but if you want an edge, hit some x-training. Shoulders and triceps get worked on epic HAB.

 

Thanks, these are some good pro tips.

 

'slayer makes 5. But wait, who said I committed??

 

I grew up at the base of Mt San Antonio and spent my youth backpacking and hiking all over it. No sports for me, just hiking and packing!
And at no time was it called by its official name. Always Mt Baldy... just sayin'

Have fun in Baldy!!! If you find my stash hidden up there in 1976 let me know. Coulda been a Thai stick or two....

 

Give us a clue or two, Dan, as to where that stash might be. I might definitely need it.

 

We found a sack at the Rock Slide once. It was enough for 5 to share.

 

Thanks for the local lore! Tied Stick you say? Wouldn’t that be nostalgic!!

Who knows how Baldy got so popular as a mountain name. There’s probably one in every state. There’s one up here in Mount Rose Wilderness. Another off the CO Trail. Don’t make me google...

Come and help us look for your stash.


@Grego, I know you moths can’t resist the flame. And bringing some progeny? I haven’t seen the Slayer in the flesh since he was a child riding like an adult and complaining of being tired afterward. : )

 

He's changed- just a little.

 

True that. But ther'sa chance we might be playing musical destinations. Regardless, I just ordered replacement bearings for my geared freehub.
#WWBaldyBlaster

 

I pushed this ride back over a month because I just got pushed back. I pushed back on that pushback but all I got was pushback. No pushback if you want to do it in August in my absence, but I plan to do it on this revised date (Sat 9/19).

I apologize for the re-direction!

 

I was asked if this outing is still on. Yes, it is.

 

So...like 14g?

 

With some of the iMTBtrails big-ride paragons set to converge at Mt. Baldy, I’m going to have to figure out a way to make some sort of appearance.

Ha! That would take me a year to consume based on the amount of riding I do these days.

 

Make sure you guys stop @ Baldy Pipe. It's more world famous than you'll ever know. Skated it more times than I can count.

 

I had a subscription to Skateboarder in the 70s. Alas, dry docked in AZ...

 

I grew up just a couple miles from there, it has a lot more graffiti than when I would skate it in the mid-70's. Not too many people knew about it at that time.

The tunnel is an overflow for the Dam when it reaches a certain water level. The sketchy part is at the end of the tunnel, there is a drop of around 8-10 feet, and you can ( could in the 70s) hear water running down there. I never had the curiosity or bravery to go down there and see what all was under the tube and concrete and in the dark ass cavernous area, ( you can see it in the second pic, along with the little bridge to get across) but believe me I made sure to get off the board before going dropping off the edge into rocks! Once after skating the tube ( now keep in mind I was not too good at this) I had the bright idea of skating down baldy from where you entered at the top of the Dam. My board was pretty normal length for the time, which is fairly short, made of fiberglass, had rad Urethane wheels which were the brand new hot item ( a game changer, no more clay or steel!), but alas....half way down I ate it. Damn, like Damn!! that Hurt. Hitting pavement at maybe 20-30 mph. the jacket I wore as protection was shredded but I came out with only a little road rash and absolute Full Body Pain for a few days. The next few days I took non-stop safety breaks rather than go to the Dr.
....ahhh memory lane....

 

I did similar crazy shite back in the days of yore. Look for the biggest hills and bomb down on a little fiberglass piece of @#$% one step up from my 2x4 and metal clamp-on skate trucks. Skating was only because we couldn't get a ride to the beach to surf from Monte-freaking-bello. Once I got my '60 Rambler American and my Cal DL I was on safari to stay. 1968 - summer of love.

 

Haha, nice 'rail, guys.

Super Surfer/clay wheels
Bahne 24"/Road Riders
Santa Cruz 24"
Santa Cruz 27"
Simms
Santa Cruz Longboard 40"
Caster Tom Inouye
Alva Pig
A few others forgotten

Still have the SC Longboard and Alva collecting dust. Lots of roadrash, a concussion or two, broken clavicle, poaching pools and closed parks, building ramps – it was a rad sesh. A great outlet for kids in urbania/suburbia.