Mountains to Sea (Ski, Bike, and Surf Adventure)
April, 1998

It's been said that Southern California is one of the few places in the world where you can ski and surf on the same day. Indeed, making a few turns in the morning and then driving to the beach for a late afternoon surf session would seem quite an ordinary feat for most Californians. But to forego the car, and make the trip entirely under human power...

Our odyssey began shortly before sunrise, at Islip Saddle in the Angeles Crest Mountains.

Al and Mark beginning the ascent from Islip Saddle.

Having scouted the route on an earlier trip, we set out for our goal of a small knob (7460') on the ridgeline leading to the summit of Mt. Islip. This would give us access to the chute we wished to ski.

A 7.5 minutes series USGS map showing the ascent and descent route.

A far away view and a closer view of the ski descent.

We reached the knob at about 8:30 am. We rested a bit, waiting for the snow to soften. And soften it did. The sunbaked slopes turned to complete mush. Skiing in ankle to knee deep mashed potatoes offered a challenging start to the day.

Mark in the mush.

I wish I could say that I was slashing through some waist deep freshies in this picture, or perhaps pulling off some sort of stylish maneuver, but really, I'm just lowering the arse-anchor in an attempt to save a fall. And I did save that one, but not the next one.

Mark gets a good scare in a 40 degree section of the chute.

Even Al struggled, but seemed to fare much better.

Al skis a ridge above the chute.

Al skiing another ridgeline, with the Angeles Crest Highway visible behind and far below.

Al thrashing in the deep corn.

Perhaps this picture best gives a good idea of just how thick the snow really was. The skiing actually improved as we entered into the debris filled lower section of the avalanche chute. This was definitely a good thing, as skiing this section rapidly was imperative due to the occasional rockfall hurtling through the throat of the chute.

Al in the throat of the chute.

Al descending the final pitch.

We arrived back at the car at approximately 10:00 am. Some food, water, and a good deal of changing gear, and it was time to begin phase two of our trip.

A map showing the first portion of the bike ride.

A map showing the second portion of the bike ride.

We departed Islip Saddle by mountain bike at 10:45 am. The first portion of the ride crossed an abandoned section of State Highway 39, between Islip Saddle and Crystal Lake.

Al and Mark ready to begin the long ride.

The first two miles of the closed stretch of road provided an interesting combination of clear pavement, densely rock strewn pavement, and slushy avalanche runout. The slushy snow provided much additional challenge, and some good laughs as well.

Mark rolling, slipping, and sliding his way across a snowy stretch of road.

After five miles of biking, we reached Crystal Lake. Here, the ride changed to a high speed descent.

Al (barely visible) descending an empty stretch of Highway 39.

The miles between Crystal Lake and Azusa proved to be the most interesting portion of the ride. Passing two dams and reservoirs, the ascents were few and short, and the scenery interesting.

The overflow from the San Gabriel Dam.

We passed through Azusa at around 1:00 pm, and picked up the San Gabriel River bike path. From here, the ride took on a look and feel that would not change significantly for several hours.

Mark riding along the San Gabriel river, near Downey.

Al rides into the urban landscape, near Long Beach.

You might think that 38 miles along a bike path like this one would become psychologically tiresome. But with breathtaking vistas like the two above, the miles just flew by. ;)

At around 6:00 pm, we finally reached our ultimate destination, Seal Beach. Anxious to get into the water, we stopped for a quick photo.

Al and Mark at Seal Beach.

Though mother nature did not offer us a swell of any significance, we felt obligated to make the best of the sloppy shore break.

Mark offers his best attempt at bodysurfing the shorebreak.

Our trip was finally over. Exhausting, yes. Rewarding, very.