Angeles Crest Highway

The weather for this week in California is not great.....they are expecting a couple of rain storms, some high winds and a drop in temperature (oh what fun!!) and I must admit that since my thoughts turned to home at the beginning of the week I have finally started to feel pretty tired from the trip. So this week is going to be fairly quiet and battling with LA traffic is not something I get overly excited about!

Yesterday I took off north of the city to Glendale where I tried the Angeles Crest Highway. You may remember I tried to ride Highway 2 a couple of weeks ago but it was closed about 10 miles in on the eastern side of the route (the road was washed-out in places according to the forestry service). Well I decided I would check the same road out from the western end and while it is still not fully open I could ride up some of the way.

It was a nice enough run although I must admit that I left the hotel in my jeans and just a t-shirt under my jacket and by the time I got a mile up the Angeles Crest Highway the jeans had been swapped for the lined biking pants and a sweatshirt and the thermal liner for the jacket had been donned.

It was bright and sunny for the most part although there wasn't any great heat in the sun.

The clouds in the distance started to roll in and the temperature started to drop and so I decided to turn and start my descent back into the valley.

I headed back the way I came and pitched up again in Redondo Beach (after a couple of unplanned detours!).....on the way back I came off the 405 onto the 105 only to realise that it was an elevated highway and the wind was fierce as I climbed....thankfully I was only on it for a few miles.....