# Has anyone ever climbed



## sbrsport (Dec 26, 2005)

Highway 74 out of Palm Desert? On Google Earth they call it Pines to Palms Hyw. It appears to climb from 250 feet elevation to about 5000 feet. Wondering if it is safe with a reasonable shoulder. Thanks for any info.


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## allison (Apr 19, 2006)

sbrsport said:


> Highway 74 out of Palm Desert? On Google Earth they call it Pines to Palms Hyw. It appears to climb from 250 feet elevation to about 5000 feet. Wondering if it is safe with a reasonable shoulder. Thanks for any info.


I've never ridden it (I wouldn't), but there's virtually no shoulder. We just drove up it last Saturday. It's a pretty narrow, windy road. I know there are those that do ride it, though. Definitely not the safest route around, IMO.


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## Gnarly 928 (Nov 19, 2005)

I've ridden it twice. A great climb and not too bad for autos. There is a shoulder, about like most two lanes everywhere...a few feet to a few inches, but there aren't any really blind corners, so motorists can see you a safe distance off. Water should be paid attention to, there aren't many places for it, but there are a few. I'd take 3 bottles this time of year. It can get windy and cold on top, you do get pretty high up there. Excellent descent back into Palm Desert...not steep, but sustained with big sweeping hairpin corners..
You can start right in Palm Desert. At the top, which is hard to define, you'll drop down and connect with hwy 79, I think. That road is pretty scary unless it is mid-day week day, because people try to commute on it or something.. 74, I probably would wait till 9am or so to avoid any early morning drivers headed to LA or SD.
A better desert to mountain ride is out of Borrego Springs up Montezuma Grade. Google that one. We ride that often and sometimes continue on to the top of Palomar, or over to Julian for an epic day of climbing...
Neat cycling roads through out the Mts. between SD and the Coachella Valley desert towns.
Don Hanson


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## jeff262 (Dec 19, 2005)

I plan on going up the 74 from Hemet to Humber Park in Idlylwild in late Summer. I will then be trail running to San Jac Pk and back then riding back down the mountain. I would love to go back down 243 into Banning, but not so sure about it. I don't think I'd ever go up that way, but at 25mph+ on the way down I'm thinking it may be possible.


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## photosbyjt (Apr 7, 2007)

A good long climb is HWY 39 from Azusa to Crystal Lake. It goes up to about 5,000 feet and has some steep switchbacks in the last few miles. Happy climbing. The downhill is fast and fun and traffic is light.


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