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After crossing Sepulveda Boulevard, I rode into unknown territory.
After a mile or two of riding past fancy private schools, I caught my
first glimpse of Dirt Mulholland. I expected a dirt road. What it really is is a fire road behind locked gates. It is a segment of Mulholland that you can't travel by car. |
This is where the desert touches Gucci and Mercedes, where pet chihuahus can be eaten by coyotes. --David Thompson |
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I visited the former Nike Missile site,
which is about a mile or two after the pavement ends. . |
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Nike missiles were designed to bring down enemy
bombers. InterContinental Ballistic Missiles (ICBMs) eventually made Nikes
obsolete. This Nike site was operational and guarded around the clock between 1956 and 1968. |
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What an eerie (but oddly tranquil) place. |
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After the Nike site, it was back onto Dirt Mulholland. It was slow going since I'm not accustomed to riding off road, but it was certainly a pleasant setting. Still, it was a relief to get back onto pavement. |
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Around Topanga Canyon Boulevard, Mulholland Drive becomes Mulholland
Highway. After a few miles of upscale suburbia, the real fun began. Suburbia dwindled away and I entered the Mulholland Scenic Corridor. |
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Here's a map of the Mulholland Scenic Corridor. Traffic along this part of the road is an odd mix of hikers looking for the right trailhead and motorcyclists looking for the perfect curve. |
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Many of the motorcyclists
were headed to the Rock Store, a
famous local watering hole. On this Sunday, a little after 11 a.m., the place was packed. |
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After the Rock Store was a long uphill section that would have
been only moderately hard under normal circumstances. However, I was getting
tired and I hadn't had much to eat. (I would have gotten lunch at the
Rock Store if it had not been so crowded.) It felt good to crest the hill. On the downslope was this telecommunications tracking station.
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I knew I was getting near the end of Mulholland
when the ocean came into view. Within a couple of miles I reached Pacific
Coast Highway. I was about 60 miles into my ride, 55 miles of it on Mulholland.
Here's a fun fact: I went from Cahuenga Pass to the beach and encountered four stoplights. Try doing that without a freeway! |
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I rode north on the Pacific Coast Bike Route
to Carpinteria, where I stayed the night. Total milage for this long but
satisfying day: 107.49 The next day I returned to Los Angeles via the coastal route, a ride I documented several years ago. Milage for the flatter and shorter return trip: 93.33 Two-day total: 200.82 miles |