The WE-Ride for next Sunday, March 3, winds along the foothills eastward from Sierra Madre, climbs up scenic San Dimas Canyon, then drops into Claremont for coffee before returning to Sierra Madre. We had a great turnout this weekend on March 24, about 25 riders, and we're looking forward to another good ride together.
Before gaining the name “San Dimas”, the area below this significant canyon was known by the more prosaic name of “Mud Springs.” The canyon and nearby valley became part of a Mexican land grant entitled Rancho San José in 1837, which included 22,340 acres carved out of the extensive holdings of Mission San Gabriel after it was secularized in 1834. Local lore says that bandits inhabited the canyon – possibly Native Tongva resisting the growing incursions of ranchers into an area that had up to this point seen little Spanish or Mexican presence – and raided the rancho’s cattle. The raids led one of the Mexican rancheros, Don Ignacio Palomares, to complain loudly about these “thieves” with reference to San Dimas. (St Dimas, or Dismas, was the ‘good thief’ executed next to Jesus of Nazareth, as mentioned in several Passion narratives in the Greek and Latin traditions, although the name ‘Dismas’ first appeared only in the 4th century.) This led locals to call the canyon “San Dimas”, which was later extended to the town that grew up below the canyon.
The current weather report for Sunday shows a high of 56° with a chance of showers early; we'll be monitoring the outlook carefully during the week, and will update as needed.
Start Time: 8:00 AM at Sierra Madre Memorial Park
Route for Download: https://ridewithgps.com/routes/45687329
Distance: ~60 miles
Elevation gain: ~3100 ft
Coffee Stop: Village Plaza in Claremont (Indian Hill Blvd between 1st and 2nd. Choices include Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf, Pain Quotidienne, Nobibi Smoothies, Yogurtland, Poke Dot, and Blaze Pizza, all with an outdoor seating area. https://maps.app.goo.gl/R2SuYuaxQczDXVaH6