3hr Ride San Gabriels -- any suggestions?

[chanca]

I'm looking to do a longer ride.  I've only done local trails and SM Mtns/Brentwood -- would like to try something in the San Gabriels like Strawberry Peak, Switzer, Merrill etc.  I don't like going on new trails alone (actually, I do, but my wife's not thrilled), so if no one's free, I'll do a longer ride locally like SFR to the top, down to Olive View, back up, then down into Nature Center.  Or Bouquet 6N07 up to 6N08, then hitting FiveDeer and JT on the way back down.  Anybody up for it?

[Dan Cole]

If I can get a bike together and the weather holds up, I would do Strawberry (might be a little snow on the north face) or Merrills.

If we ride before 0800 we could be home by noon on either ride

This is For FRIDAY MORNING[/b]

[chanca]

hmmm...turns out I have to be home by 11a so i gotta do a local ride, i'll post back when i've decided on a route

[chanca]

Sorry for keep changing my mind...I think I'll just go to Tapia and explore for a few hours, gonna go up San Fran Motorway for as far as I can for 1 1/2 hrs, then come back down and try to find if and where it leads to Copperhill, then back up and ride the singletrack down.  My goal is to just explore.  Anyway, will be there from 7a-10a.

[Dan Cole]

Calvin,
So how was your ride?

Find any new stuff worth hitting again?

[chanca]

i rode for 3 hrs, logging 25mi and 3700ft elevation gain.  it was more just to get in a good workout and to explore.  Nothing too exciting in terms of hidden singletrack.  I did not get to the north of the top of Tapia, just putzed around south.  the main thing is I found an entrance from Copperhill/Valencia that is at the top of Avenida Rancho Tesoro.  this is a big discovery for me because I can just ride there from my house and don't have to waste the 30min roundtrip drive to Castaic.  for the future, if I'm by myself for longer rides, I'll just go in through this entrance, then have the option of going over to do the castaic lake XC course and back.  I also found a singletrack along the ridge that somewhat parallels the main singletrack.  it starts off about half-mile south of where the main singletrack splits where it crosses the San Fran Motorway.  it has some nastier climbs and harrier descents (I had to hike-a-bike down one section), but is not as tight so you can pick up some speed.  it then dumps off onto tapia fire road about half-mile down of where the main one does.  all in all, it was more of an exploratory ride.  if you see my GPS route, it goes all over the place with a lot of double-tracking and even some dead-ends that I had to back out of.  I can't ride this Sat, but may be able to Sun afternoon.