Indian Canyon Road

LENGTH: 14.2 miles TIME: 3.5-4.0 hours DIFFICULTY: streneous TOTAL ELEVATION CLIMBING: 2900 feet RIDE TERRAIN: fireroad and 2 miles paved TECHNICALITY: nontechnical climbing a little technical descending NO WATER
DIRECTIONS: from hwy 14 exit at Crown Valley Road in Acton. Turn right a couple of miles at Soledad Canyon Road. Proceed a little over 5 miles until you see a sign on the road saying Indian Canyon Road 500 feet ahead. Turn abruptly left onto the dirt road. Go a short distance uphill and park your vehicle in the wide opening. Now the fun begins.

If you enjoy the challenge of uphill climbing then this is the ride for you. Remember you downhillers the return trip is all downhill except for a short 200 foot climb out of the canyon near the end of the ride. The starting elevation is about 2250 feet and the peak is about 4900 feet.
Get in your climbing set of mind because there is no warm up here. A steep 350 foot climb up to the first ridge awaits you. From the ridge you can see your destination. Yes the top of that ridge of mountains looking straight at you over 2000 feet above you. Focus on the saddle where you see a strand of pine trees. That is where you will hopefully end up in about 1.25 hours. You now descend into Indian Canyon lined with sycamore trees and cross a couple of streams. It is advisable to have some kind of covering for your nose and mouth because the knats will eat you alive here and also when you get up to the large fir trees near the end of your climb.
You have now travelled about 2 miles and will begin the serious climbing. It is 3.6 miles of switchback fireroad climbing to the ridge which is the Santa Clara Divide Road. The climbing is between 500-600 feet per mile along a fireroad which at times is a little rutted and a little filled with small rocks causing one to exert a little more energy to keep up your momentum. Take a couple of rest breaks. For example take a rest break at 3 mile point and the 4.5 mile point. Its too bad but the last 1.5 miles is the steepest. Enjoy the nice views of the surrounding area. Your daunting goal will always be in front of you. Those damn pine trees that never seem to be getting any closer to you. You will feel good once you get near the top and look down below and say to yourself. Whow I climbed all this.
Once you reach the ridge, take a nice rest break and look at Mendanhall ridge trail on the other side. To your right about 2.5 miles is the 4800 foot peak of Magic Mountain with the communication towers. Sorry, turn left and climb another 400 feet on a narrow steep pavement road to 4900 feet. Drop down 100 feet in .5 miles to a turn out on your right to the end of the ride-7.1 miles. Enjoy the more expanded view of Mendenall ridge and a nice view of Mt. Gleason rising over 6400 feet in elevation. If you are not tired you can take a nice leasurely ride for 15 more miles and climb another 2000 feet to Mt. Gleason. Don't ask me how you will get back? From this point looking down to the pine tree area is North Fork campground. You can see the trail heading down from the campground. This leads to Pacoima Canyon which runs the whole length of Mendenhall Ridge. It is rideable by Mt bike but extremely streneous.
It should have taken no longer than 2.5 hours to reach this nice area. The return trip should not take you longer than 1 hour. Be careful descending. Take your time and enjoy the views that you were to tired to appreciate climbing up. You won't see to many Mt bikers on this route but you could see some 4 wheel vehicles attempting the climb. Be on the alert.

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