Mulholland Highway

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Schizophrenic Diversity: West of The Rock Store, it's a perfect 5 on our 5 scale!

 

That everything you see south of Hwy 101, on the map above, wasn't declared a national park 80 years ago arguably constitutes Southern California's most heart-felt environmental tragedy of the 20th Century, one that cost this region the extinction of the California Condor. Nobody should have been allowed to build residential housing in the southern Transverse Ranges. However, if there weren't any homes, then there wouldn't be such a diverse array of canyon roads for which to enjoy. Yet, another example of the ultimate price paid by species we consider expendible relative to the opportunity cost of humanity's hedonistic pursuit, that we mindlessly erased another chunk of Earth's gene pool for no good reason but to pave through this biome so that self-absorbed Hollywood movie stars could wake up to a view of the Pacific Ocean, tread lightly: There's still a considerable damage axiom. Your appreciation and respect for this region should be somewhat more evolved than those held by the entertainment industry's beautiful, but shallow people. So, divorce that suburban "fuck-you, me-first" attitide that works so well under crony-capitalism, at least for a little while, in traversing through God's canyons. Show some appreciation...

 

Remember, it's chaparral-climax vegetation up there (fire-spore germination). So, don't light-up.

No closed circuit road racing facility in the world can hold a candle to Mulholland. From the Rock store going west is a terrific all around drive where you'll usurp the cornucopia of canyon driving: You'll go well into triple digits, you'll have to bang down into your first gear for blind haripins that are perenially sanded down, you'll get some air cresting blind rises that arc mildly to the left or right that will suck the air out of your diaphram and butt-pucker your seat, fast banked turns, fast diminishing radius turns with blind apexes, natural chicanes, multiple apex sweepers, shutes that plunge, then rise so violently, you'll bottom out your suspension, hill climbs, and fearsome downhills, it's diversity, and its contiguity to so many other canyon roads, makes Mulholland Hwy everybody's favorite. Since it never takes snow, it's a natural candidate for year around canyon fun.

Between Kanan Rd and Cornell Rd is Ed & Vern's Rock Store... I like their pancakes & coffee. We always eat breakfast there.

Going west from the Rock Store, in Agoura Hills, toward Kanan Road, be sure to put on a good show. Just above, there's an overlook where people congregate. Heading west on Mulholland, from that biker joint, is a terrific drive through deep green forest. People usually congregate at that vista, just above, overlooking Mulholland, who watch drivers and bikers meander through, below. From there, you can look down and see the whole canyon. It's breathtaking. I always pour it on a little extra, through there, put on a nice show on behalf of us car guys... From time to time, there tends to be an unusual nonpecuniary reward for doing so.

If there's any particular aspect of Mulholland that truly stands out, the segment which lies between the Rock Store and Kanan Rd is it. Having that segment of Mulholland all to yourself is a dream... an idyllic series of sweepers, esses, and switch backs that cut a swath through rock and forest. It's so easy to drive! Mostly 2nd and 3rd gear stuff, going west you ascend several hundred feet, knowing all they while people are probably watching you from the overlook, above. Exiting the second to the last 180 before the overlook, people up on the vista look above you straight down upon you. I like to hit those esses hard; efficiently. Coming to the last 180, I light the tail lights red hot, drop 2nd gear at the apex, accelerate out, sprint car style, before snatching 3rd, racing up the straightaway for the drive bye, passing people idling at the overlook. For those who put on a good show, (blood alcohol content permitting...) enthusiastic females at the overlook are commonly prone to flashing their mammalian protuberances at you, as you go by.

Perhaps there's hope for mankind, after all.

Once through there, I reeled-in and passed a very surprised enthusiast in a black Ferrari F360. Leaving the Rock Store after breakfast, walking across the road to my car, a black one, with the pretty yellow chevrons pasted to the front fenders went by. By the time I strapped in, he must have had a 30 second lead. He must not have known the road. I passed him on the last 180 before the overlook. He gave chase the short distance from there to Kanan Rd. Once across Kanan Rd, I left him for dead...

Going west from Kanan Rd, it's a different world. Continuing west, most people get lost by inadvertently forking left on Encinal Canyon Road. Those who fork right are rewarded with the schizophrenic character of Mulholland. The segment that runs to Decker Canyon/Westlake Blvd is very fast, and choppy. Dangerous, too. It's punctuated with a couple of tricky turns that will take you from your 4th gear, down to your second, unexpectedly. Once on the Westlake/Decker segment of Mulholland, it narrows substantially. You'll hit blind, dirt laden first gear switchbacks, and a very fast blind rise that arcs slightly to the right that's taken flat out in any car (...you will get air). As you crest that rise, the car gets very light, then you plunge downhill into a descending shute that subsequently rises before the next second gear apex.

After every turn, it's a new valley... It's like a dream.

Once past the Decker Canyon Road segment, it opens up into a downhill run with esses, doglegs, double apex sweepers, with intermediate to heavy braking zones as it winds its way to Leo Carilllo State Beach. That Mulholland is punctuated with stop signs or traffic signals, at every opportunity, about everywhere, it's only going to get worse. So, enjoy it while you can... "these are the good old days."

General Note: Watch for speed traps at Cornel Rd, and Troutdale Rd. Watch out for sport bikes congregating at the Rock Store, at Malibu Lake. And, above all, watch out for bicycles, and sport bikes coming the other way. Once past the Rock Store, though, the canyons are pretty much your own. We've provided some biker links to the Rock Store, below:

~ The Rock Store!

~ Get Together at the Rock Store!

~ Say Hi to Ed & Vern at the Rock Store

~ The Rock Store by Motoworld

~ zCalifornia Highway Patrol: All zCHP command centers.

~ zCalifornia Highway Patrol: Traffic Incident Information Page (interactive).

~ Freeway Speeds: Nice web site to tinker around with.

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