Return to Camp 9

From my living room window, I can see the radio towers at the top of Mt. Pinetos, where the Camp 9 Fire Suppression Camp is located. Mt. Pinetos sits on the southern edge of the Santa Clarita Valley, along the Bear Divide, and it is part of the San Gabriel Mountain Range. The mountain beckons to me.

Since being injured earlier this year, my physical therapist had advised not to do any climbing while I was recovering and I dutifully heeded that advice. This week, however, I was told that I could resume climbing. So, I planned my return to Camp 9 and Mt. Pinetos Peak on Saturday morning. Since it is not an extraordinarily long climb (about 1,400 meters), I figured it would be a good climb to start with to check in with how my recovery is going, whether I would feel any pain on the climb, and whether my Achilles tendon would become inflamed following the effort.

On Saturday morning, I woke up early, and I was excited about the ride. My excitement was twofold: Not only was I looking forward to the climb, but I was also looking forward to riding on the road again. The past few weeks, I have been riding almost exclusively on the river trails, which is quite boring. (Not to mention, the number of e-bikes and pedestrians milling around or walking dogs has been increasing to to such an extent that I began to think I would rather contend with motorists, inattentive though they may be.) The weather was also perfect for climbing. When I left the house in the morning it was about 54ºF, with clear blue skies, and it was expected to warm up mid-day, to around 80ºF.

The ride went well! For good measure, I rode up the radio tower road and touched the fence at the end of the road. I did not set any personal records, but I am happy to report that my legs felt strong. I felt no pain, and my Achilles tendon did not give me trouble.

After a fast descent back into the Santa Clarita Valley, I completed my ride and started thinking about next week…. Maybe ride out to Mt. Gleason via Acton?