20260315-16 Transgabriel #??: Baldy via That Way

[Taco]

For this installment of the Transgabriel series, I took the train to Palmdale after work per usual, headed east then south to Big Rock Creek, up to Jackson Flat, then down to Wrightwood where I stayed with a big homie of mine. Next morning, up to Lone Pine Canyon Road, down that to what is it, 3n31? 3n31y? I find the letter-number names difficult to remember in my deep dyslexia. Anyway, took that up to the ridge next to Gobbler's Knob, a small pass I've marked as Turkey Pass, then down to 3n06 and up to Baldy Notch, Devils Backbone to the summit, then down DBB to Baldy Road and fried chicken in Azusa. Numbers wise, it was 103 miles with 12,600ft of up.

Some points:
-Big Rock Creek has some minor damage from flooding, in the form of the tarmac being ripped off the roadbed in a few places.
-The dirt section of BRC is fine until just after it turns the corner, and then it's obliterated. Big drop off maybe 5-6ft deep. Easy enough to get around on a bicycle but nothing else with wheels is likely to make it through. It has a few more spots where it's been nuked. Feels good on a bike cause you know you can chill out and nobody will be driving by or anything.
-I rode up the 2 from VG a short distance to a large washed out section. I'm sure there's more, I'll go get eyes on it soon from the high side.
-Surprisingly 3n06/Baldy Road is in okay shape in Stockton Flats. I figured it would be destroyed, but it's all doable by Jeep-like vehicles with good tires (not street tires), etc. A skilled Forester driver could probably make it if he had a skid plate and his vape was fully charged up.
-Devils Backbone is essentially snow-free, with just a few banks to walk across on easy terrain. The 'sketchy part' atop Manker Canyon got a bit beat up and required careful movement with a bike.

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Nothing much else to say. I have thoughts on 'some things' that bother me, such as the closure order that would require that I hit myself in the head thousands of times with a large rock to be able to understand. I can go on about that. You ever come across something so stupid that you can't explain just how incredibly stupid it is?

Anyway, go outside.

[dima]

That russian graffiti is pretty stupid... Also, you're a rock star. This is awesome. The ACH closure it 3-points-ish to Vincent Gap?

[Taco]

Yeah there was a lot of Russian tagging. Guess they were excited to be there. More trash! Stickers on everything and signs everywhere and shit.

Yup, from the 6,000ft gate east of Newcombs to Vincent Gap. Reckon I’ll ride up 39 again and make a right on the 2. Doubt there will be any snow for much longer.