# Angeles Crest Highway



## -CM- (Jan 6, 2006)

Just finished a fifty mile jaunt on ACH from Red Box out 25 miles and back. Fantastic day to do it, with crystal-clear skies and great temperatures. Not a ridiculous amount of traffic either, especially after Newcomb Ranch. I've done this many times, and always enjoyed it. Even gone all the way to Wrightwood and back a few times - _that's_ a serious ride.

But I'm sad to report that the road is getting to be quite deteriorated in many places. The stretch between Red Box and Clear Creek has been really bad for quite some time, but out from Red Box toward Wrightwood it's been descent. Not any more. Very sketchy in many places, making riding bumpy at best, and quite scary sometimes, especially in the shadows. I hope they plan on repaving it soon, because another winter will really do it in. I'll have to carefully consider going up there again, which is a shame, because it's very near my house.


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## AmoJohnny (Aug 12, 2005)

Good ride,

Now you should consider RIDING up to red box, then maybe even wrightwood if you feel like superman.


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## -CM- (Jan 6, 2006)

AmoJohnny said:


> Good ride,
> 
> Now you should consider RIDING up to red box, then maybe even wrightwood if you feel like superman.


Done that more times that I can keep track of. Starting from Red Box is a great way to get above the heat. 

One of my daydreams is to ride from my house to Wrightwood and back. That'd be about 150 miles with around 15,000' of climbing. Not sure if I could actually do it. Fortunately, the road is closed and I can't do it, even if I wanted to.


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## Bixe (Jan 28, 2004)

*Angeles Crest*

Thanks for the update on the ACH road conditions.

My seasonal preference is the spring when it can be a little messy in places or in the fall when it cools off. I also prefer riding on weekdays when the traffic is minimal.

I'm with you regarding riding from either Clear Creek or Red Box. The segment from La Canada up to Clear Creek is just too hairy for me, traffic-wise. I used to ride that section quite regularly, but the traffic has become too potentially lethal the last several years. The same for Angeles Forest Highway up to the Upper Big Tujunga Road (UBTR): The pavement is too torn up and the traffic unforgiving.

If I want a few more miles on the way back down ACH, I'll ride the UBTR to Angeles Forest Hwy and back up to ACH. That pavement is in good condition and the traffic is light.


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## LCFrecrider (Jan 4, 2006)

you're right that it is very painful between clear creek and red box... Upper Big Tujunga Rd is great... Today I did la canada to clear creek to UBT via Angeles Hwy, then back to angeles crest and down... about 47 miles.. The weather is perfect now...


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## -CM- (Jan 6, 2006)

LCFrecrider said:


> you're right that it is very painful between clear creek and red box... Upper Big Tujunga Rd is great... Today I did la canada to clear creek to UBT via Angeles Hwy, then back to angeles crest and down... about 47 miles.. The weather is perfect now...


That's a great route, and you have me thinking about doing it in the reverse direction. Climbing on a bad surface is much better than descending on it.


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## rcordray (Jul 30, 2006)

*Today on ACH*

I followed your lead on this. Parked at Red Box and set out eastbound on the ACH. About ten miles in I came across a Ducati rider sitting by himself on the side of the road. His helmet was off as was one of his shoes. His moto was nowhere to be seen. I asked him if he was okay and he said no, that he was really shook up. I said "where's your bike?" and he pointed over his shoulder. I looked down the mountain and the bike was strewn in pieces down the canyon wall. The handlebars and cockpit were completely busted off. He'd hit gravel at high speed and went flying off the road.He said: "I crawled back up here because I was afraid no one would find me.." He was riding alone. I asked him about his foot and he was pretty sure he'd broken it, but there wasn't other bodily damage evident. At this point, I whip out the cell phone, but no service. I'm convinced he's going into shock, so I get him to lie down along the shoulder with his head downhill. This was in a section where there was no shoulder whatsoever, and he's literally only about three inches off the pavement. I put the one boot that was off under his neck and prop his knees up with his helmet and ask him questions to keep him talking. There's no one around and it was pretty early, so the usual moto traffic was minimal. After maybe 5 minutes a group of three more moto riders come flying along, so I flag them down and explain the circumstances. They quickly park bikes fore and aft and take up positions to divert any traffic. A few more motos pull over and we've all been there about 15 minutes when a CHP cruiser shows up. The patrolman takes over and doesn't seem to be interested in taking any statements, so I quietly lean down and tell the guy that he's in competent hands. He thanks me sincerely and I slip back on the back and head on up. The rest of the ride was pretty quiet after that. I rode to Dawson's saddle which is 5.5 miles beyond the locked gate at the old 39 junction. It's easy to lift your bike around the gate, and that stretch was utter solitude with 100 mile views of the northern deserts. Dawson's is the high point of ACH at 7910'. Total back to Red Box was 64 miles round trip and about 6500 feet of climbing. Really beautiful ride. Go early and you'll beat most of the crazies out joyriding.


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## -CM- (Jan 6, 2006)

Sounds like that guy was lucky to be able to have been able to get back up to the road and be found. Could have been a lot worse.

The stretch of ACH from where the road is currently closed all the way to Wrightwood is especially nice. Very Alpine, and from the top of Dawson Saddle, you get a great view of the desert basin to the east. Closer to Wrightwood the forest thickens up, and the pine scent is incredible. But I don't think I'd ride up there by myself, especially on the closed section. Too many things can just happen, as I learned in June when I crashed.

But it is tempting...


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