Mount Baldy Notch and Crystal Lake

HC: Mile 17

Cat. 1: Mile 73

Cat. 4: Mile 50

This multi-surface ride is a variation of the Mount Baldy and Islip Saddle century and of the Dawson Saddle and Mount Baldy super century.

It starts above San Gabriel Reservoir and initially leads down to Azusa. Sierra Madre Avenue, Foothill Boulevard, and Base Line Road head east to the bottom of the first major climb.

Mount Baldy Road is the toughest ascent to Mount Baldy. The first seven miles lead to Mount Baldy Village and the next five miles to the ski lifts. Below the parking lot on the left (where the road is split), Mount Baldy Road continues on as a dirt road for 3.6 miles to Mount Baldy Notch, gaining 1,700 feet in elevation.

With 6,784 feet of elevation gain, Mount Baldy Notch is the #1 climb in California. The dirt road is rideable on a regular road bike. At the top, a short section of road is wiped out by a landslide, but it can be avoided by turning right instead of left at the road fork at Miners Bowl.

On the descent, Glendora Ridge Road, Glendora Mountain Road, and East Fork Road head to the bottom of the second major climb. San Gabriel Canyon Road and Crystal Lake Road lead up to Crystal Lake, from where the route drops back down to the start.