Attendance

  • Air Mapster 93

Ride Stats

Elevation gain:  2379 ft
Distance:  16.47 mi
Average grade:  6.4%


Past Rides

BIKE GOD Theatre

The theatre is closed this week due to prison riots.

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Air Mapster goes on a solo scouting mission today, hoping to acquire intelligence on the back half of the Glendora to East Fork route.

Last time the BIKE GODS rode this trail, they started at the bottom of the mountain on the Glendora side, riding up, past the summit, and down to the 10 mile mark before turning around. Using his exceptional skills in mappery, Mapster estimates that another 6 miles of descent on the other side would have taken them all the way down to East Fork Road.

Today he prepares to start here, where Forest Route 2N16 meets East Fork Road, and make his way up, joining with the previous route after about 6 miles of climbing. This should provide invaluable information on the feasibility of a complete Glendora to East Fork marathon for the future.

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But what's this? The fire camp here is apparently also co-sponsored by the California Department of Corrections. Air Mapster begins to wonder exactly what is the significance of this signage.
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A slight turn to the right reveals another sign with the arresting truth. A-ha! Evidently the fire camp also doubles as a prison. This certainly makes for an interesting turn of events, showing precisely why scouting missions are so crucial to ride success. Maps only give so much information, and in this case the map did not indicate that the road was impassable due to rowdy inmates.
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Forced by unforseen circumstances to change plans, Air Mapster decides to start from the top of the trail, where it crosses over Glendora Mountain road. He'll ride down towards East Fork as far as he can safely go, before turning around to complete the long ascent back to the summit. Hopefully no prisoners are feeling like escaping today!
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Air Mapster gets started on this ride, zooming by at ludicrous speeds, a tiny fraction of a second separating the photos in each pair.
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The views of the San Gabriel Reservoir along the way down are absolutely stunning!
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Nearing the bottom of the trail, Air Mapster suddenly stops as he begins hearing voices and clanking iron. Carefully peering through the trees, he spies a couple of unsavory characters, including one wearing half an orange jumpsuit, far down the hill. These are undoubtedly a few of the many hardened criminals who are housed at this lockdown facility. The metal clatter almost certainly comes from prison-yard weight lifters.

In near silence, Mapster hops back on the bike and stealthily circles around for a better view.

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From this vantage point, the situation is clear: this maximum security prison blocks any potential ride from Glendora to East Fork. But even more, an alarming situation can be seen unfolding before Mapster's very eyes. The presence of individuals without orange jumpsuits can mean only one thing: the inmates have taken control of the grounds, forcing civilian hostages into such terrifying acts as walking around, sitting at a picnic table, and kicking a soccer ball.

Fearing that he may be discovered and incite a full-scale riot, Air Mapster quietly jumps back on his bike and high-tails it out of there. Even a BIKE GOD would be no match for the dangerous thugs down there if they were to capture him. Luckily, Mapster is blessed with superhuman uphill speeds, so he's miles away before anyone even notices the dust cloud he leaves behind.

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Safely back at the top, our secret operative will have plenty of good intelligence when he files his mission report with the other BIKE GODS. Well done, Agent Mapster!