rallison

Despite the weather, I was itching to go up GMR/GRR/Mt. Baldy Road today, so I went for it. GMR was looking rather striking with all the clouds overhead mixed in with some sunlight.







Wasn't too cold along GMR, thankfully. Lots of clouds over the tall mountains:



What is cool in the above picture is that you can see exactly where the snow level is with the fire roads.

GRR was lacking in sunlight and the temps were starting to drop:



Arm warmers were put on about there.

3900 feet and the first signs of snow:



Looking a bit scary:



More snow:



Just after Cow Canyon Saddle:



It is officially winter on Mt. Baldy:



(5000 feet elevation right there)

...

rallison

Continued...

Climbing higher and I was right in the clouds:



Some light snow had started falling by that point.

A cigar-smoking snowman:



The Baldy parking lot at 6400ft:



With the flash on:



The snow had just started picking up. Quite an adventure.

FYI, Baldy is hoping to open for skiing/boarding on Thursday.

The rest of the pictures from the ride are here.

Accordion

Wow. You are far braver than I am! Great pics and commentary!

rallison

Braver? Nah. Crazier? Sure. A cyclist riding up to the lifts today was apparently quite the sight - 2 people took photos as I passed, a guy in a truck slowed down and yelled out "Dude! Awesome!", a guy by the side of the road in Manker Flats could not believe his eyes and vocalized this (in a supportive way) and tons of motorists appeared quite perplexed when they encountered me. Those encounters made this a rather unique and interesting adventure.

semaj

Hey I was out there today as well! I got rained and hailed on during my Crystal Lake & GMR loop. It was a pretty epic day for me.

tFUnK

looks like quite an adventure.

i rode around in the oc, and the view of the saddleback in the near distance reminded me of oahu with all the clouds.

rallison

If you made it to Crystal Lake (almost 6000 feet in elevation), I'm sure you experienced some of the cold, crazy weather that I experienced. I got some of that hail early on in the ride (although it was more of a wintry mix - little nuggets of wet, icy snow). Epic I think is a fair descriptor for today's adventures in the mountains. What a day!

An adventure it was. I need to visit Oahu sometime.

Genaro

A little more adventurous that my weekend.

I bought a used trainer.... LOL

How was the descent ?

rooftest

I did 39 to East Fork to GMR yesterday. I thought it was interesting how the holes in the clouds made the weather vary so much. Up 39 I was sweating - then I got rained on on the GMR descent.

Did you descend all the way from the lifts parking lot in the dark? Now THAT's impressive!

rallison

I was all set to start descending when one of the guys who teaches ski school at Baldy offered a lift in his truck. Given the conditions and the increasing levels of snow falling down, I gladly accepted. One of the few times I did not mind skipping a descent!

Garfield Cat

And you lived to tell a great story. You could be the Ansel Adams of California cycling.

idoru2005

Haha, I bought a used trainer back in late October when we had our first real rainstorm. My wife has used it many times since, I still haven't brought myself to using it.

Bud_E

rallison - very entertaining report as usual. Keep 'em coming.

Rick@OCRR

Great report and photos, thanks for sharing!

Rick / OCRR

rallison

Thank you all for the kind words! Working full time now (plus an hour and a half roundtrip commute) means it is a bit tougher to get in these rides and write about them, sadly. So, I may not be as prolific as I have been in the past, but I'll try to get in a report every so often. It is fun

Funny how that works. I bought used rollers a year ago and still haven't used it.

fishymamba

I would have turned back if I saw snow? I hate riding in cold weather.
Me and my friend planned to go to Crystal Lake, but our parents didn't let us because of the weather.

rallison

I used to hate riding in cold weather. Then, I get decent cold weather clothing. Things like a wool base layer and a wind-proof jacket can make a world of difference.

As for your parents rejecting your plans to hit Crystal Lake? I can understand your parents' concerns considering the day you were thinking of riding. Given the cold weather, the storms and the fact that you would be on a completely isolated road with no car traffic whatsoever (except for the rare forest service or chp vehicle), I am not surprised.

With that said...I am also sad that you didn't get to enjoy the awesome ride up 39. I don't know your parents, but if anything works to avoid getting further shot down on adventures like this, it is preparation and knowledge. If you can show them that you are prepared (have extra clothing, food, lights, gps, etc) and are knowledgeable about the route (know how long the traffic-free section is, the elevation gain, etc), you are definitely much more likely to not get turned down. Most parents are simply worried about their kids safety. If you can show that either the activity in question is safe...or that it is safe because you know what you are doing, you will probably be good to go.