La Cañada Flintridge sits at the foot of the San Gabriel Mountains, in the foothills north of Pasadena, and its main job on a ride is to be the last good place to buy petrol before the road turns serious. This is where the Angeles Crest Highway, State Route 2, begins its climb into the Angeles National Forest, and where a lot of Los Angeles riders meet on a weekend morning. The town itself is a prosperous, leafy suburb of about twenty thousand people, known for its good schools, the Descanso Gardens, a large botanical garden with camellias and a rose garden, and for being the home of NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, whose engineers have sent spacecraft to every planet from this corner of the valley.
Fill the tank here. The mountain road ahead is long, with limited services, and the climbs burn more fuel than you expect. The highway rises from the suburbs in tight bends, passing through chaparral hillsides that smell of sage and warm dust on hot days, and climbing past viewpoints over the Los Angeles basin. At the higher levels, it enters pine and fir forest, with temperatures dropping noticeably. Beyond Islip Saddle, it continues toward Wrightwood and the high desert, with long views over the Mojave on a clear day.
The road is a classic motorcycle ride, with smooth surface in many places and long, flowing curves, but also a certain risk. Traffic can be heavy on weekends, with riders, cyclists and drivers, and some sections have fatalities every year, so rider caution is a good idea. The highway has also been closed repeatedly by landslides and wildfire. The 2009 Station Fire started in these hills and burned over a hundred and sixty thousand acres, and rock falls after storms remain a threat. Check the Caltrans road status before going, because gates at various points may be shut.
Weather in the foothills is warm and often smoggy in summer, and the mountains can be much cooler, with snow at the upper elevations in winter. A light jacket under your riding gear is useful, and water is worth carrying. Early morning is best, both for traffic and for the light, and spring, after winter rain has turned the hills green, is the finest season of all.
When you return, La Cañada has no shortage of cafes and a few decent places to eat along Foothill Boulevard, and the town makes a pleasant end to a day.