EISPIRATEN

I rode my bike up Glendora Mountain Road to a point a mile or two beyond where it meets the turnoff to east fork road. Perfect weather. Nice views and lots of cool cloud formations above the range.

Got a really good look at a fox crossing the road about 20 feet in front of me. He scrambled up the road cut and sat there looking at me for a short while before disappearing into the brush.

I also hadn't realized what an interesting mix of people you see on this road. On the way up I went by one group of about 25 Koreans doing warmup excercises together at a trailhead, then about eight camo-sporting bow hunters in dispersed in separate small groups, about a dozen longboarders bombing the switchbacks, a steady stream of skinny cyclists and another steady stream of not-so-skinny motorcyclists then several vanloads of downhill mountainbikers riding the shuttle to the top. All of the above were pretty serious about what they were doing, so the occasional stray passenger car that stumbles into the area is usually full of people looking out the window in bewilderment at all the stuff people are doing on that road.

Anyhow, a beautiful morning to be out there.

GMR is an attraction itself, thanks for sharing.

Your first photo look likes it might have been taken close to the place hang gliders used to launch. They would fly down and ride the updraft above the quarry and land in the riverbed below the outlet works. Eventually they started flying all the way down to the mouth of the canyon near Azusa.

I have never been on GMR because I fear that crazed motorcycle riders and sports car drivers would run me off the road. Thanks for the pictures. They are nice.

GMR is generally a safe road bike ride on weekdays.

Your first photo look likes it might have been taken close to the place hang gliders used to launch. They would fly down and ride the updraft above the quarry and land in the riverbed below the outlet works. Eventually they started flying all the way down to the mouth of the canyon near Azusa.

Wow, thanks for that info. I had no idea. I'll add hang gliders to the list of GMR travelers as well. Does anyone take off from there anymore or has it been prohibited? Seems like you hardly ever hear about hang gliders anywhere anymore.

I have never been on GMR because I fear that crazed motorcycle riders and sports car drivers would run me off the road.

I don't have a ton of experience on GMR, but compared to ACH, the folks driving on GMR seem downright civilized. I think there's not as much of a competitive commuter mindset as you can get on ACH. The road is a bit of a longcut that doesn't really lead to any high profile destinations so it doesn't seem like anybody is actually in a hurry to get anywhere. Instead it feels like everybody's on the road for its own sake. Even on a busy Saturday, after you pass beyond the initial switchbacks, the traffic gets pretty spread out.

It's quite rewarding on a bike. The initial climb is a solid workout that's rewarded by long stretches of rolling ridgelines with unique views down into the canyon and up into the high country. Very enjoyable.

walker wrote: ↑

Your first photo look likes it might have been taken close to the place hang gliders used to launch. They would fly down and ride the updraft above the quarry and land in the riverbed below the outlet works. Eventually they started flying all the way down to the mouth of the canyon near Azusa.

Wow, thanks for that info. I had no idea. I'll add hang gliders to the list of GMR travelers as well. Does anyone take off from there anymore or has it been prohibited? Seems like you hardly ever hear about hang gliders anywhere anymore...

I don't know about the present, I quit the LA County Flood Control and left the area in 1978. Shortly after that I was told one of the people that used to land below the dam had flown to the mouth of the canyon then crashed and died. The death may have closed the door to more flights.

Back in the day they were 'trespassing' by landing in the riverbed since it was the upper end of Morris Dam lake. It was an interesting spectacle so we ended up getting to know them and would just drive them outside our gate. No telling how many homeland security rules they might be breaking to do the same thing today. [sigh]