If you want to hit more singletrack, you can go down a few freeway exits to Whittier.
Head west on the 60 freeway.
Exit Seventh Ave. At the exit, make two consecutive left turns to head south on Seventh Ave.
Drive on Seventh Ave. until you can no longer go south (because it hits a T-intersection). Make a right turn on E Orange Grove Ave. (head west).
Drive to the end of that street and you should be at a fenced cul-de-sac in which you can see dirt and brush, and a landfill in the distance.
Enter fence through hiker/biker access gap. Head left (south). You will be on a partially paved road. Look for the split in the dirt road to take you slightly uphill on your right side. Go that way and you will be at a little clearing, which has singletrack entrances at either end. Take the one on the south end.
This wide (>3') singletrack will roll around at first, but then go into a series of climbing switchbacks (steep at times, smooth and compact soil) to take you up to an old horse tie-down. It is also a T-intersection. Take the right turn and the singletrack will roll again (compact soil with embedded rocks), but then climb to a T-intersection in the vincinity of a vehicle gate. Don't bother with the gate (but remember it) and just turn left from where you came from to ride on the wide singletrack along the fenceline (compact soil). On the other side of the fence is a fireroad known as Skyline Dr. (fireroad). Soon this straight, wide singetrack will veer sharply to the right through a gap in the fence, and direct you across the dirt road, and down another singletrack.
You will descend along a wide singletrack that turns into downhill switchbacks. The switchbacks are easy, but you should watch out for gaping ruts. There is another path (probably bootleg) that cuts straight down the gradual descent. There is a bit more technical challenge there. As soon as the descent ends, you will be at another T-intersection. Turn left and you will head up a singletrack. It will drop you off right onto Turnbull Canyon Rd.
Head left (east?) on Turnbull Canyon Rd. and you will hit a T-intersection with Skyline Dr. (street). Turn left onto Skyline Dr. (street) and be sure to turn left again at the next T-intersection, which keeps you on Skyline Dr. (street). You will soon find another vehicle gate, beyond which is Skyline Dr. (fireroad). Keep going and you will soon find yourself back at the gate at the top of the first climb. You can go through the gate and head down the same singletrack and switchbacks you originally ascended.
This is a pretty short (less than an hour?) after-work ride and low on the technical challenge side (here I prefer to ride a hardtail shod with semi-slicks), but it is a nearby getaway and allows you to work those climbing legs a little bit.
There is actually a whole network of trails in that area, but I don't know the other paths well enough to write a set of directions for.
Head west on the 60 freeway.
Exit Seventh Ave. At the exit, make two consecutive left turns to head south on Seventh Ave.
Drive on Seventh Ave. until you can no longer go south (because it hits a T-intersection). Make a right turn on E Orange Grove Ave. (head west).
Drive to the end of that street and you should be at a fenced cul-de-sac in which you can see dirt and brush, and a landfill in the distance.
Enter fence through hiker/biker access gap. Head left (south). You will be on a partially paved road. Look for the split in the dirt road to take you slightly uphill on your right side. Go that way and you will be at a little clearing, which has singletrack entrances at either end. Take the one on the south end.
This wide (>3') singletrack will roll around at first, but then go into a series of climbing switchbacks (steep at times, smooth and compact soil) to take you up to an old horse tie-down. It is also a T-intersection. Take the right turn and the singletrack will roll again (compact soil with embedded rocks), but then climb to a T-intersection in the vincinity of a vehicle gate. Don't bother with the gate (but remember it) and just turn left from where you came from to ride on the wide singletrack along the fenceline (compact soil). On the other side of the fence is a fireroad known as Skyline Dr. (fireroad). Soon this straight, wide singetrack will veer sharply to the right through a gap in the fence, and direct you across the dirt road, and down another singletrack.
You will descend along a wide singletrack that turns into downhill switchbacks. The switchbacks are easy, but you should watch out for gaping ruts. There is another path (probably bootleg) that cuts straight down the gradual descent. There is a bit more technical challenge there. As soon as the descent ends, you will be at another T-intersection. Turn left and you will head up a singletrack. It will drop you off right onto Turnbull Canyon Rd.
Head left (east?) on Turnbull Canyon Rd. and you will hit a T-intersection with Skyline Dr. (street). Turn left onto Skyline Dr. (street) and be sure to turn left again at the next T-intersection, which keeps you on Skyline Dr. (street). You will soon find another vehicle gate, beyond which is Skyline Dr. (fireroad). Keep going and you will soon find yourself back at the gate at the top of the first climb. You can go through the gate and head down the same singletrack and switchbacks you originally ascended.
This is a pretty short (less than an hour?) after-work ride and low on the technical challenge side (here I prefer to ride a hardtail shod with semi-slicks), but it is a nearby getaway and allows you to work those climbing legs a little bit.
There is actually a whole network of trails in that area, but I don't know the other paths well enough to write a set of directions for.
There's not much to see at the Nike missile site, just a couple of the underground strucures and one small guard shack were all that were there last time I was up there, several years ago. Locals also might be able to you about the underground structure that used to be at Nogales and Pathfinder which they demolished in about '86 with a loud bang. It was rumored to be a factory of some kind, but I'm pretty sure it was one of the missile sites related to the Nike base.
