Is GMR open to bikes this weekend?
 

It's closed to cars and it's usually open to bikes but I can't find any info on the web.

Angeles National Forest,Glendora: Glendora Mountain Road

Road Closed. Only Open To Emergency Vehicles
From Big Dalton to East Fork Road
Begin Date: 10/23/19 03:00 PM
Estimated End Date: 10/28/19 09:00 AM

Angeles National Forest: Glendora Ridge Road

Road Closed. Only Open To Emergency Vehicles
From Glendora Mountain Rd to Mt. Baldy Rd
Begin Date: 10/23/19 03:00 PM
Estimated End Date: 10/28/19 09:00 AM

Source: LA County Road Closures

Yeah, I saw that but in the past when the road is closed to cars they let bikes through. On the Angeles Forest page the last closure mentioned the road being open to bikes and peds but this time it doesn't. Is that an oversight or are they going to stop us? Hate to drive over there for nothing.

I think the difference is for holidays, the GMR closures have always said "closed to motor vehicles." Today they say "Only open to emergency vehicles."

Add to that:

RED FLAG WARNING
* Winds...East to northeast 10 to 30 mph with gusts to 30 mph in the hills and canyons.
* Relative Humidity...As low as 2 to 9 percent.
* Temperature...As high as 92 to 97 degrees.

Everybody is different, but the idea of riding up GMR into the teeth of 30mph winds... yeah, nah. Add the single-digit humidity and temps in the 90s, and that's a day I ride somewhere else.
I had ~15mph winds yesterday with gusts into the low 20s, and it was miserable even on flat ground.
I struggled to do 14mph for two hours, on roads I would ordinarily be well north of 20mph, with less effort.

I've been up there when people have been blown over, it sucks riding mountain roads in high winds. I could easily be talked out of it but friends are planning a ride and they seem to be set on going so....

Ok, I called the Forest Service office and the friendly man said it's open to foot and bicycle traffic. Now if I could get him to turn off the wind.

Wind was not an issue early morning last Sunday on GMR or GRR. All gates were closed including the one below the shack and the one entering GRR from GMR. Winds were predicted to be 15-20 mph at Mt Baldy Village but I did not experience any gusts on GRR between 9 AM to 10 AM. I think the afternoons are a different story.

I was up there once during a relatively mild Santa Ana wind event. Not much of a problem on the way up, but on the descent when coming around some of the outside curves around points, the wind would eddy from different directions, not a real pleasant experience to go around a point and get slammed with a gust coming sideways. Personally I'll pass.

If you go, leave the deep rims at home and be prepared for rapid wind shifts when descending.

https://forecast.weather.gov/MapClic...2#.XbNne697nIU

Doesn't look too bad here.

I was up there last Saturday. I saw the forest dudes chasing all the cars off the mountain. They looked directly at me and didn't say a word. Gate was open when I started and closed when I hit the bottom with a ranger truck just leaving the gate. Just a wave, nothing other than that. :D

But be careful, THEY CLOSE ALL THE GATES, including the one descending from the shack toward Baldy where the road forks.

I'd hate to hit that on a bike.

How about the air quality? Does the smoke fire reach the San Gabriels too?

No smoke up there today. Absolutely beautiful day, light wind on the descent. Lots of riders on the lower part but very few on GRR or at the village. If I lived closer I'd go up there more often.

Speaking of the gates, one actually save my life on Saturday. OK so it didn't save my life but it did save me some hassle. :D

I descended the fast section from the shack to the fork and expecting the gate, made the stop safely. Crossed over the gate then continued on up GRR. I forgot about that gate there so when I saw it I was bummed knowing I had to stop again then start on that little climb from a dead stop not being able to use any momentum.

But as I lifted my bike over the gate I saw something out of place on my tire. Somehow I managed to pick up a goat head thorn and it barely made its way into my tire. Just enough to be in there but not enough to puncture the tube. So I think I was lucky at that point to find the thorn and avoid disaster! :roflmao2:

Thanks for that one Mr. Gate! :thumb:

4 of my friends got flats up there, I was lucky but I got one today.

I meant to but forgot to mention that there was plenty of debris on the road. Plenty of pine needles and brush type debris. I was a bit nervous about going through it but luckily, no cars made it easy to go around. I do usually brush my tires whenever I get a chance on GMR. Especially before the descent, I will check my tires for debris and good air pressure ( indicator something is wrong).

Not to throw it too much off course but I was on a motorcycle blog that indicated a road cyclist was chased by a mountain lion on GRR. I see deer, coyotes, foxes and bobcats but have never seen a cougar. I ride alone most of the time and swear I thought I saw a large animal following me from about 100 yards on GRR. I thought it was just my poor peripheral vision distorting the greenery. Anyone ever encounter a mountain lion on GMR-GRR?

Up higher on GRR there were lots of rocks in a couple places, one of my friends cut a tire and booted it with a gel wrapper. Gel was oozing out after he inflated it. There were also lots of acorns in places. Lady at the lodge said the acorns are a problem there, people can slip on them.

Never saw one up there but I did see one 2 different times when I lived in Kagel Canyon. Both times I was on the mtb. I saw the cat and I thought it was the biggest coyote ever until I realized it was a cat. She just kept walking and I turned around and split.
Another time I was looking over a 20 foot cliff and the cat looked up at me from the bottom. I thought it could hop up to where I was in a couple seconds so I put on a sprint that would have made Mark Cavendish proud.

I was near Baldy Village once, heard a loud roar then saw the outline of a bear walking toward me as I approached. I was getting ready to stop when I realized it was a motorcycle rider that crashed into the side of the mountain. Wearing all black and a black helmet with one of those Mohawk things on top. :D

I see GMR and GRR were added to the LA County Road Closure site through the 18th for a Red Flag Warning.
https://dpw.lacounty.gov/roadclosures/

Moderate winds forecasted 10-20 mph at Mt Baldy Sunday morning.
https://www.wunderground.com/hourly/...ate/2019-11-17

Looks like fun w/o the rice burners and motorcycle crowd!

I don't see what's wrong with burning a little rice on occasion, nor dressing up as a leather bound, power ranger on the weekends :D