The Hills Are Alive

Made good on my Bike Every Day promise to go out and get some dirt yesterday. Susan joined me in venturing out to the Beaudry North trailhead where civilization ends and the Verdugo Mountains begin, and we set out, she on foot and me on wheels to do some exploring. We stayed in contact viz our two-way radios that came in very handy for checking in.

Here’s a timelapse of the uphill portion of my ride, All in it’s about three miles with something like a 1,600-foot elevation gain:

Though it’s been somewhere between three and four years since I last put treads to these hills (I still can’t believe it’s been that long), nothing much has changed. I had dreams of powering up to the top, but I did end up granny-gearing it most of the way.

The view from Tongva Peak (El. 2656′) wasn’t crystal clear, but one could see all the way to the coastline. And the clouds were spectacular. The air was clean and the hillsides were green. It was a cool scene. If you know what I mean. Jellybean.

The Verdugos May not be the most scenic, the summits not the highest and the fireroads getting up and down would probably bore most mountainbikers, but for me their proximity and surprising abundance of wildlife make them the the perfect place to get above it all.