Southern California - Aliso Canyon

My wife needed the car today, so I couldn't drive out to Calabasas for the regular Wed AM Ride like I usually do. UrbanKnight heard of my plight, so he and I left my house and did the Aliso Canyon climb. This is (most) of the same route/climbing the ToC did on their last stage.

Here's the elevation & stats:

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2347/2346534688_6425390798_o.gif

The Aliso Canyon climb actually wasn't too bad (7 miles, 3.6% avg), or at least it didn't seem that way. It was mostly stair-steps. The last half-mile or so was a steady, steep (9.4%) climb up to Angeles Forest. Then we climbed another 3 miles up Angeles Forest (at 5% avg) to the peak. A nice 8-mile descent before another climb up to Big Tujunga Canyon Rd. and down into Tujunga. A couple of stingers were all that was left to us on Sierra Highway and back into Santa Clarita. Brian can definitely climb better than me and was very nice in riding alongside and giving me pace and company.

All told:
78.6 miles
6357 feet elevation gain
5hrs, 17mins

That's a great ride. I "like" how that route starts off as a false flat, kicks up to a mellow climb, and then *wham* Aliso finishes with a kicker. And then you aren't even done with the climbing. We should try it in reverse one of these days.

Mark,

Another derivative of you route, would have been to return via Little T on the way back to Santa Clarita. It would have added another 2300+ feet if climbing.

Aliso Canyon is a great road. I usually start somewhere in Acton and go up Aliso to Mill Creek summit then up Mt. Gleason. It's a nice long climb with very little traffic. The only thing that sucks is the road up Mt. Gleason isn't maintained so there are a lot of pot holes and debris. Makes for some hairy descending.

Coming back via Little T was the original plan. My legs were too tired by the time we got to the turn off on Osborne so I wimped out.

Of course, if I was in the mood, there was always May Canyon :rolleyes: