Chilao Epic

Luis said:
Yes, just slightly. Saves 15 minutes if I remember. I took David and I one hour to get up to Chantry flats.

I’m really contemplating doing this on Saturday. I have two other suckers.... I mean buddies that are game as well
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if you are doing it will you be doing your own shuttle?
 
Luis said:
Chilao epic you say?
Just as there are many ways to skin a cat, there are various options on a Chilao epic.
It all depends on where you want the ride to end. Either at JPL or Arcadia.
From Hillyer or Chilao you are basically following the Silver moccasin trail up and over Charlton flats and up and over shortcut saddle.
From shortcut saddle the silver Moc takes you to west fork. That’s where the Gabrielino trail and Rincon-Redbox FR are. Heading east on the fireroad takes you up to Newcomb saddle and the junction of Rim trail and the Gabrielino.
If you follow the Gab eastward here, you end up at Chantry flats.
If you take the Rim trail up you will come out at the Mt Wilson observatories. From there it’s a quick downhill ride on the road to the Eaton saddle and the chunky front side stuff. Merrills, Sunset, El Prieto.
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I have been studying the map and it is making sense now. One question:
From the Observatory, you ride up on Mt Wilson Red Box Rd to Eaton Saddle trail head and you ride down on Mt Lowe East trail-Merrill, Sunset, El Prieto?
 
vinosteep said:
I have been studying the map and it is making sense now. One question:
From the Observatory, you ride up on Mt Wilson Red Box Rd to Eaton Saddle trail head and you ride down on Mt Lowe East trail-Merrill, Sunset, El Prieto?
Click to expand...

Not from the Observatory, from Hwy 2 at the USFS Red Box picnic area, you ride UP the road about 3 miles to the Eaton Saddle/Mt Lowe TH. The Observatory is even further up the road. There trails down from the Observatory are what is known as the "Darkside" on the SCOA Mt Wilson shuttle page.
 
vinosteep said:
I have been studying the map and it is making sense now. One question:
From the Observatory, you ride up on Mt Wilson Red Box Rd to Eaton Saddle trail head and you ride down on Mt Lowe East trail-Merrill, Sunset, El Prieto?
Click to expand...
Or if you are at the observatory, ride down the road past the antennas until you reach a big turn with parking area on both sides. The left side (facing south toward Pasadena) is the Mt. Lowe Road, go up that through the tunnel to begin the Eaton Saddle downhill toward Sunset and EL P
 
mtbMike said:
Not from the Observatory, from Hwy 2 at the USFS Red Box picnic area, you ride UP the road about 3 miles to the Eaton Saddle/Mt Lowe TH. The Observatory is even further up the road. There trails down from the Observatory are what is known as the "Darkside" on the SCOA Mt Wilson shuttle page.[/QUOT

Coming down from Rim trail lands right on Mt Wilson observatory, right?
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vinosteep said:
I have been studying the map and it is making sense now. One question:
From the Observatory, you ride up on Mt Wilson Red Box Rd to Eaton Saddle trail head and you ride down on Mt Lowe East trail-Merrill, Sunset, El Prieto?
Click to expand...
Are you planning on doing this solo? Or you got more people coming with you. The reason I ask is because I have two more friends that wanna do this. So if you got others joining then the paid shuttle is the way to go and we all meet at the shuttle pick up in Arcadia.
I would much rather add some mileage and descend the front range than the dark side. The dark side is loads of fun but descending Santa Anita Canyon from Chantry flats, which is paved, seems anti climatic to me.
I’m more than happy to be the tour guide
 
Luis said:
Are you planning on doing this solo? Or you got more people coming with you. The reason I ask is because I have two more friends that wanna do this. So if you got others joining then the paid shuttle is the way to go and we all meet at the shuttle pick up in Arcadia.
I would much rather add some mileage and descend the front range than the dark side. The dark side is loads of fun but descending Santa Anita Canyon from Chantry flats, which is paved, seems anti climatic to me.
I’m more than happy to be the tour guide
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I am going solo.
This is what I got, looking at Google maps. let me know if it makes sense:

Silver moccasin all the way down to Hwy 2, cross Hwy 2 and continue down on Silver moccasin to West fork, from here we take Gabrieleno to Rim trail, Rim trail to Observatory-Eaton Saddle-Merrills, Sunset, El Prieto.

And I am guessing this is almost all descend with some climbs?
 
EF2FD4F5-1AA9-4E71-ADA9-1EA860C406DD.jpeg


This is the elevation profile for Chilao to JPL via front side. That big climb around mile 10 is an ass kicker. We climbed the Rim trail which is a very difficult climb, to the observatory. It’s downhill from there somewhat just a couple of short climbs with lots of chunky descent. Like @rossage mentioned above the climb to Eaton saddle from Redbox is much easier. We would just ride up to Redbox from west fork on the Redbox rincón fireroad.
 
vinosteep said:
I am going solo.
This is what I got, looking at Google maps. let me know if it makes sense:

Silver moccasin all the way down to Hwy 2, cross Hwy 2 and continue down on Silver moccasin to West fork, from here we take Gabrieleno to Rim trail, Rim trail to Observatory-Eaton Saddle-Merrills, Sunset, El Prieto.

And I am guessing this is almost all descend with some climbs?
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This route is not all descent. And there is no route like it that is. You will climb over to 2000 ft just from West fork to Mt Wilson
I suggest you get a guide, and also take a good hard look at a topo map
You're in for a long day.
 
I did a 29 mile ride with 6k gain elevation about a month ago, it did killed me at the end:
Up Black star, down Skinsuit,up Skyline, down El Diablo,up Skyline , down Black star.
if any one familiar with this route , how does it compare with Chilao epic?

I hope this buys me a ticket if not I pass..
 
Luis said:
Any other takers? If not I’ll just have my wife shuttle us and of course @vinosteep is invited. I can probably squeeze in one more. JPL will be the meeting spot and we will end the ride there.
Hand holding will be kept at a minimum.
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Hey Luis, thanks for the invite and thanks for willing to give a tour but I am feeling a little under the weather with a little cold. And I am a little nervous about struggling on the route. Instead I am going to join the Enduro" shuttle (http://mtwilsonmtbadventure.com/ and that will give me a feel of the trails...

Hopefully I will see you around some time...
 
vinosteep said:
Hey Luis, thanks for the invite and thanks for willing to give a tour but I am feeling a little under the weather with a little cold. And I am a little nervous about struggling on the route. Instead I am going to join the Enduro" shuttle (http://mtwilsonmtbadventure.com/ and that will give me a feel of the trails...

Hopefully I will see you around some time...
Click to expand...
No worries at all.
I might join the Strawberry/Valley Forge crew and terrorize those guys... :whistling::laugh:
 
That was a sly move, daddy-o...hooking Smashface partners from outside the Orange Curtain is no easy task. But I've learned to not underestimate you. :)
 
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