My Favorite Routes I: the Palmer-Evey...

Two miles up the road from home is the Claremont Hills Wilderness Park. In a place as big as metro L.A. that makes it close enough to be considered my backyard. The CHWP is centered upon a five mile loop trail (dirt road) through two canyons, Burbank and Cobal. Additional roads and trails branch off this main loop leading to the grassy hillsides of Johnson's Pasture (also part of CHWP) with its stand of stately Italian Stone Pines, the well-known single-track of Marshall Canyon and, my destination today, the Palmer-Evey road.

Just a moment to take in the view

Since this is a dirt fire road, it is not the type of ride that mountain bikers go out of their way to do. Never-the-less, it does have it's attractions, some obvious, some hard to find. Leaving the CHWP, the Palmer-Evey climbs and dips in and out of the canyons of the San Gabriel Mountains' front range. On clear days, like today, the views out across the valley below and to the distant snow-covered peaks, Mt. San Gorgonio and Mt. San Jacinto, are spectacular. Up close, wildflowers often cover the hillsides in a petaled mosaic of purples, reds, golds, yellow and white. About 3/4 to 1 mile after leaving the CHWP loop the road delves into one of the larger canyons, though unnamed as far as I know. The slopes of this canyon are deeply shaded by a large extended family of oaks. This is the only canyon along the Palmer-Evey through which a stream flows year-round. That means that a small cluster of Alder grows here, and the local deer herd can often be seen grazing during the hot summer months. While the CHWP is daily invaded by crowds from the urban area, the Palmer-Evey is rarely visited.

Lupin, Spring's first showing

After leaving this canyon the road wends ever upward, passing a small Angeles National Forest boundary sign until it eventually reaches a saddle and road junction where a small stream can be heard gurgling by. This is usually my minimum turn around point, though when my legs are willing, the strenuous climb to the top of Potato Mountain beckons, err taunts. Other seasonal views along the Palmer-Evey.