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33

My sister and I are down in Southern California with the family. When we drove down here from SF on Monday, I threw my bike in the car hoping to get in a couple of quick rides. This morning I decided to try something I'd never done before to celebrate my 33rd birthday.

Claremont is in the foothills of the San Gabriel mountain range. I've driven up Mt. Baldy Road many times, but had never biked up there. So I set out from my parents' house and headed up the hill. I mean that literally, you head north from their house and it's all uphill.

From the start of Mt. Baldy Road, which is about 4 miles from home, it's about 12 miles to the end of the road. I didn't know if I'd make it all the way to the ski area at the top, but I decided I'd try to make it at least to the village 8 miles up. It was a pretty tough climb. At one point I was in my 30x27 (yes, I have a triple AND a 12-27 cassette), my cadence was 43rpm, HR was 177 and speed was about 4mph. For non-bikey folks, that is a very slow and hard uphill grind. And it was oven-hot (because I didn't start until 10am) and dry (because it's the desert). Fun!

I made it to the village after about 90 minutes of steady climbing, sweat streaming down my head. I bought some gatorade and chatted with a ranger at the visitor station. He said the ski area was another 3 or 4 miles, but he cautioned me that it was up some steep switchbacks as he eyed my bike. (The village is at 4200' and the ski area base elevation is 6500'. 2300' in 3-4 miles is pretty darn steep, yeah.)

So I set out from the village thinking I'd climb another 15 minutes or so and then turn around. It really was beautiful riding. I had gotten above the layer of brown smog blanketing the valley. The air was clean and the traffic noises had given way to rushing creeks, chirping birds and wind whistling through pine trees. There were hardly any cars.

I am so glad I brought my bike on this trip. I realized that even when I'm just barely making forward progress and feeling like my lungs might explode, I am doing something I really love. That is incredibly fulfulling and it automatically took me to a happy place despite the heaviness in my heart.

I rounded a bend and realized that I had made it as far as the Ice House Canyon trailhead, which is where the road turns steeply up toward the ski area. I had done 13 miles of climbing and I decided this was a great turnaround point. I've hiked from here many times; there is a wonderful trail that leads up to the Pacific Crest Trail with spectacular views of both sides of the mountains. I have lots of great memories from this trail.

There are a couple of houses by the parking lot and one was advertising local honey for sale, so I bought myself a birthday present. I tucked the pint jar into my jersey pocket for the ride down.

After thirty minutes of descending I was back home.

Next time I'll go all the way to the end of the road. And then maybe I'll take the long way home.

June 12, 2008 11:40 PM