As you know from reading the blogs below, we took an awesome ride Saturday morning…Steve, Josh, Tom, and yours truly. Consider this: On Glendora Ridge Road, it’s 234 curves in just 12 miles! What’s it like? Well, come on…let’s go for a ride!
Glendora Ridge Road…I’ve been riding and talking it up for years. My good buddies Richard and Landon at Motorcycle Classics asked me to do a story on it a few months ago, and here’s the story that ran in that fine magazine…
Destinations: Glendora Ridge Road
Glendora Ridge Road is one of the best kept secrets in southern California, offering 12 miles of well-maintained, low-traffic twisties nestled in the San Gabriel Mountains. And it’s not just 12 miles…it’s 12 miles with 234 curves (yep, I counted them) through some of the most beautiful country imaginable. The striking thing about this road is its simultaneous desolation and nearness to civilization. Glendora Ridge Road is only 45 minutes from downtown Los Angeles.
Steve Seidner riding Glendora Ridge Road
As is the case with many mountain paths, Glendora Ridge Road began life as a dirt road many decades ago. Situated high up in the Angeles National Forest, asphalt came to Glendora Ridge Road in the 1970s. There’s no centerline for most of its length, which requires extra care in navigating its many tight blind corners. Glendora Ridge Road is a unique place, attracting motorcyclists, bicyclists, and the odd sports car or two. It’s a great ride.
Imagine a perfect motorcycle road through a nature preserve, and you’ll have Glendora Ridge Road. It runs directly through one of the premier wildflower spots in the country (the colors are surreal during April and May when the flowers are blooming). Glendora Ridge Road also borders the San Dimas Experimental Forest, a 32-square mile research area. I’ve seen deer, fox, bobcat, bear, tarantulas, and snakes up there. A few years ago, a mountain lion pounced off a cliff and took a swipe at a bicyclist’s rear wheel!
The photo opportunities along Glendora Ridge Road are awesome. Glendora Ridge Road has several areas where the cliffs and overhangs provide shade, so even on a bright day you can get great shots without harsh shadows. I once grabbed macro shots of a tarantula (I held the camera maybe 6 inches or so above the spider), only to later learn those things can jump 10 inches straight up!
Glendora Ridge Road runs roughly east to west (or west to east, depending on which way you travel). I like riding this road in the early morning or at dusk, as it makes for a more interesting ride (fewer folks, and the wildlife is more active.) In the morning, it’s best to ride in a westerly direction to keep the sun out of your eyes, and vice versa at dusk. The road’s curves make it tempting to go faster than you should, but my advice is to take a relaxed pace, enjoy the experience, and don’t push it. Many of the corners are blind, and you never know if there’s a squid pushing too hard coming the other way.
Just as you enter Mt. Baldy Village, the sign for Glendora Ridge Road appears on the left (if you’re not looking for it, you may miss it). You’ll only go about a half-mile before you hit Cow Canyon Saddle. It’s a neat place to get a feel for the length and breadth of the valley skirted by Glendora Ridge Road. There’s a dirt road on the other side, but it’s not open to the public (the dirt road runs about eight miles to an abandoned tungsten mine).
After running west for exactly 12 miles (and as mentioned above, 234 curves), you arrive at the intersection of Glendora Ridge Road, Glendora Mountain Road, and East Fork Road. Glendora Mountain Road meanders down into Glendora. If you turn right to take East Fork Road, it continues on to Highway 39 above Azusa. The intersection of these three roads is a popular meeting spot where riders stop to talk and take in the view. On clear days in the winter, you can see the Pacific Ocean.
Glendora Ridge Road is about a three-hour ride (including the trip from Los Angeles). It’s best to plan for a half day, and my advice is to try the Mt. Baldy Lodge for a great breakfast, lunch, or dinner either before or after your ride.
The Skinny
Where: Glendora Ridge Road, up in the San Gabriel Mountains above Upland, Claremont, La Verne, and Glendora. Getting there is simple – take the Mountain Avenue exit off the 210 Freeway in Upland (about 45 minutes from downtown Los Angeles), follow the signs to Mt. Baldy, and turn left just as you enter Mount Baldy Village.
Why: Incredible riding and scenery!
Best Kept Secret: The Mount Baldy Lodge just north of Glendora Ridge Road in Mt. Baldy Village (try the tuna melt!).
Scenic Route: They’re all scenic. You can retrace your ride back to Mt. Baldy Village, or take either the East Fork Road or Glendora Mountain Road back down to civilization. You won’t be disappointed with any of these roads.
Avoid: Speeding, cutting corners (there’s no centerline, so stay on your side), and getting too close to the tarantulas!
More Information: http://motofoto.cc/glendora_ridge_road.htm, http://californiascooterco.com/blog/?p=806
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