Ride description:  25.5 miles of climbing @ 6% average grade, on a 75 mile round trip!

      The Death Ride starts in the Mt Baldy Village where the Glendora Ridge Road meets the Mt Baldy Road.  The first climb, a short .9 mi. heart pumping warmup out of the Mt Baldy Village.  Then 2.85 mi. of rolling, easy spinning flat, to the downhill portion of the Reward climb (careful here you can easily hit 50+ Mph).  And, then another 4.54 mi. of rolling hills to the East Fork cutoff (the Y where the Glendora Ridge road becomes the Glendora Mountain road) and then the downhill part of the East Fork climb to the East Fork of San Gabriel Canyon.  The ride continues slightly down hill along the canyon bottom about 4 miles through picnic areas, Camp Williams, Fellows Camp and to the bridge that crosses the top of the San Gabriel Reservoir where it meets Hwy 39.  The grueling 16 mile climb up Hwy 39 to the Crystal Lake area has started here.  This climb up is 4227'.  When you reach the top turn around area, the exhilaration from the climb, and the views are incredible!  The ride back down seems to be easy, watch your speed, 60+ can be reached easily, and some of the turns come up very suddenly. (Anything over 45 Mph on a 7/8" tire is scary)  My arms always ache after this downhill.  Now back in the bottom of San Gabriel canyon across the bridge again, and that slight downhill before feels a lot more uphill now, but just wait, we still have the East Fork climb and the Reward climb left to do. But before those last 2 climbs, a stop at the Camp Williams Cafe is nice for water and refreshments.  Now on to the East Fork climb, 4.95 mi. of wondering why I do these thing?  To the Glendora Ridge.  The rolling flat at the top of that climb is very welcome now!  One more climb left, the Reward climb, 3.5 miles to the reward of....  its all down hill from here! (or ask me personally why I really named it Reward!)  Across the rolling flat area to the last downhill tuck, down the Burma climb back to the Mt Baldy Village.   Back at last, rest and relief, and a cold beer at one of the Baldy lodges. 

Life is good!