DS TWO-UP 03: MAGIC MOUNTAIN
What . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Dualsport Ride, full day
When . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Meet Saturday, 12 April, 7:30 AM
Where . . . . . Meet @ BMW Motorcycles of Ventura County
Contact . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Laine MacTague
[DST 03 Orientation]What . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Dualsport Ride, full day
When . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Meet Saturday, 12 April, 7:30 AM
Where . . . . . Meet @ BMW Motorcycles of Ventura County
Contact . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Laine MacTague
I, Laine MacTague, hereby solemnly swear that this was the most challenging Two-up ride that ever there will be made by my own hand…
Several riders new to EarthRider’s VCA Ride Series of rides for BMWMoVC joined us for this one. We had a nice mix of bikes; GSes and GS Adventures, various F-bikes, old and new KLRs, even a KTM. The Two-ups are great rides; affable and scenic, this one didn’t fail us.
After brief morning hobnob we set out from the shop around 8:15. Fourteen bikes got stretched out a bit on the city streets, but thanks in large part to the reliable sweeping of Calvin and his wife Sue on their KTM, we held ourselves together for the slabbing through Thousand Oaks and along 118 into the Valley, where we picked up Santa Clarita rider Neal Knopik before climbing into the Angeles National Forest.
The route up is sort of dual-sport itself; not really gellande, hardly strasse, the once-paved road still is, mostly, but is broken by patches of dirt, and encroached upon by native plant life. Eriodictyon bloomed purple on the shoulder, mixed with introduced Scotch Broom and another more recent introduction, a non-native poppy we have, apparently, hangliders to thank for: Locals told me about a group of hangliders in the recent past who undertook to instigate what they called “Operation Poppy”: They took off over the range carrying 20 lb. sacks of poppy seeds… You can guess the rest.
The road climbs steeply out of the San Fernando Valley, providing broad views of the L.A. basin. It rises in sweeping curves until it reaches a high and narrow saddle, where someone saw fit to perch a fire station. We spent quite a while taking in the view from the helipad.
The air was unaccountably clear. We could see Catalina to the south. Looking north and east we could see the 14 freeway peering out here and there between low hills, all the way to the wall of high ground at the edge of the desert. Snow dusted a few of the mountains to the north beyond.
We spent some time soaking up the view and chatting together, but finally it came time to pay the firemen the road toll (you have to wheelie or they won’t let you through the station). One wheelie sufficed for the group, and we carried on. From here the road broadens and descends to meet Little Tujunga, which we crossed. Our trail took us back up onto the ridgeline paralleling the 14 Fwy corridor: Pleasant, interesting riding with sweeping mountain views.
After a long climb we reached the peak of Magic Mountain and another welcome break. There was quite a breeze, which kept us cool. After some snacks and chitchat we continued more or less easterly. The road became dirt, a high narrow ridgeline trail that eventually brought us to a descent into Soledad Canyon. The descent was long, and provided some challenge. It was rutted in places, and the substrate was often a thin loose layer atop hard-pack; a slippery situation. 
There were even a couple of shallow water crossings to contend with. We took it easy, enjoying the pace. At the bottom of the descent is a parking area with a bathroom – rather convenient. After a brief stop we carried on, paralleling the 14 until very close to the Palmdale offramp. At this point, we linked up with a network of powerline roads crisscrossing a remote, semi-rural area of grassy meadows, wildflowers and juniper bushes. We were climbing again, on the north side of 14 now, cutting overland from the 14 corridor toward our lunch plans at Lake Hughes.
In short order we crested a ridgeline and wide views of the Lancaster area opened before us. We could see well into the mountains near Tehachapi, it was so clear. We descended toward the desert, following the powerline roads that would lead us eventually directly toward our goal. The road climbed and curved and descended, refusing to be dull. At one point we found ourselves at the end of the line, as it were: We rode out a section of road I had intended – and forgotten – to remove from the ride and replace with an easier go-around. Some of the more intrepid riders opted to continue on through this more challenging section, while the majority chose the go-around.
Unfortunately, the go-around turned out to be very little easier. It was graded and wide, but it was still quite steep, and required careful braking and balance to navigate successfully. Avi had a bit of difficulty, but what a sport! New to dual sport riding, he had already been down a few times, and seemed – to be enjoying himself immensely! “No problem! I’m learning!” And off he would go.
Sue almost stayed on the back of Cal’s KTM, but when he stood for better control on the descent, she slid forward right under him! Perfect; we all had a laugh, and Sue got to stretch her legs a bit.
This hurdle surmounted, we continued on, admiring the flowers, stealing views of the views while watching the road, stopping to photograph weird fungus growing in the middle of the track, and generally riding the ride. After all; somebody’s gotta do it…
We finally descended out of the hills into green, flower-laden fields. A fast and fun greensward brought us to a sudden surprising halt with a challenging washout. Sandy, steep, and loose, we spent a fair bit of time managing the crossing. The consensus seemed to be that the odd little challenging section was apropos, although if I had it to lead again, I think I would take out that steep descent!
Once we passed the washout there was only a few hundred yards of dirt between ourselves and the 15 miles of pavement leading to lunch! Unfortunately, it too was quite steep, and off-camber. Or so things seemed at first. There turned out to be a simple unpaved descent right next to the of-camber section; riders chose their poison. Everyone descended safely, and several went up and down a few times, just for fun.
What followed was a pleasant stretch of California back road, scenic, curvy, rural. It took us into the narrow northwest / southeast valley that hides the tiny town of Lake Hughes, where you will find the Rock Inn, a local weekend lunch destination for all types of riders. We piled in, ready for a little shade, and eventually found it in the rustic dining room / bar area. Service was – relaxed – but the drinks were cold, and the company was terrific!
We mulled over several options for the return journey, including a side trip out to the California Poppy Preserve, about 15 minutes away, but in the end, the Israeli’s lured us with tales of Turkish coffee…
Have you noticed, what great taste Israelis have in dual sport rides? Well, they have great taste in coffee too, as we found out on DSR 09, when Tomer brought the Jetboil out of his saddlebag and shared coffee with everyone. I think Alon, new to VCDSRS, offered to make it this time – but we had to find a nice shady spot near water. This was a prerequisite. I new of a route that would turn over half of our return to the I-5 corridor from pavement into dirt, and it included several water crossings. Off we went, back into the hills for more, leaving the pavement not 100 yards from the Rock Inn.
It was still hot, even high up, and it was getting late after a long day. It was with general relief that we crossed at a shallow crossing surrounded by oaks, alder, and willow, and set up camp on the roadside for a while. We splashed hot riders with cool river water as they arrived, Alon made coffee… It was a great spot to relax! If we had brought sleeping bags, we’d likely have been there in the morning.
As it was, it was about 6:30 when we started packing up to leave. We still had a few more water crossings to manage before the pavement. Laura had a bit of trouble with one, but Alon came to the rescue again, offering to help her with her bike, and in a short time we were slicing curves through the thin afternoon light, circling Castaic Lake, almost back to civilization. In Castaic we refueled and said our goodbyes before splitting up for our own homeward journeys.
Great ride! Looking forward to seeing you all again soon!
Several riders new to EarthRider’s VCA Ride Series of rides for BMWMoVC joined us for this one. We had a nice mix of bikes; GSes and GS Adventures, various F-bikes, old and new KLRs, even a KTM. The Two-ups are great rides; affable and scenic, this one didn’t fail us.
After brief morning hobnob we set out from the shop around 8:15. Fourteen bikes got stretched out a bit on the city streets, but thanks in large part to the reliable sweeping of Calvin and his wife Sue on their KTM, we held ourselves together for the slabbing through Thousand Oaks and along 118 into the Valley, where we picked up Santa Clarita rider Neal Knopik before climbing into the Angeles National Forest.
The route up is sort of dual-sport itself; not really gellande, hardly strasse, the once-paved road still is, mostly, but is broken by patches of dirt, and encroached upon by native plant life. Eriodictyon bloomed purple on the shoulder, mixed with introduced Scotch Broom and another more recent introduction, a non-native poppy we have, apparently, hangliders to thank for: Locals told me about a group of hangliders in the recent past who undertook to instigate what they called “Operation Poppy”: They took off over the range carrying 20 lb. sacks of poppy seeds… You can guess the rest.
The road climbs steeply out of the San Fernando Valley, providing broad views of the L.A. basin. It rises in sweeping curves until it reaches a high and narrow saddle, where someone saw fit to perch a fire station. We spent quite a while taking in the view from the helipad.
The air was unaccountably clear. We could see Catalina to the south. Looking north and east we could see the 14 freeway peering out here and there between low hills, all the way to the wall of high ground at the edge of the desert. Snow dusted a few of the mountains to the north beyond.
We spent some time soaking up the view and chatting together, but finally it came time to pay the firemen the road toll (you have to wheelie or they won’t let you through the station). One wheelie sufficed for the group, and we carried on. From here the road broadens and descends to meet Little Tujunga, which we crossed. Our trail took us back up onto the ridgeline paralleling the 14 Fwy corridor: Pleasant, interesting riding with sweeping mountain views.
After a long climb we reached the peak of Magic Mountain and another welcome break. There was quite a breeze, which kept us cool. After some snacks and chitchat we continued more or less easterly. The road became dirt, a high narrow ridgeline trail that eventually brought us to a descent into Soledad Canyon. The descent was long, and provided some challenge. It was rutted in places, and the substrate was often a thin loose layer atop hard-pack; a slippery situation. 
There were even a couple of shallow water crossings to contend with. We took it easy, enjoying the pace. At the bottom of the descent is a parking area with a bathroom – rather convenient. After a brief stop we carried on, paralleling the 14 until very close to the Palmdale offramp. At this point, we linked up with a network of powerline roads crisscrossing a remote, semi-rural area of grassy meadows, wildflowers and juniper bushes. We were climbing again, on the north side of 14 now, cutting overland from the 14 corridor toward our lunch plans at Lake Hughes.
In short order we crested a ridgeline and wide views of the Lancaster area opened before us. We could see well into the mountains near Tehachapi, it was so clear. We descended toward the desert, following the powerline roads that would lead us eventually directly toward our goal. The road climbed and curved and descended, refusing to be dull. At one point we found ourselves at the end of the line, as it were: We rode out a section of road I had intended – and forgotten – to remove from the ride and replace with an easier go-around. Some of the more intrepid riders opted to continue on through this more challenging section, while the majority chose the go-around.
Unfortunately, the go-around turned out to be very little easier. It was graded and wide, but it was still quite steep, and required careful braking and balance to navigate successfully. Avi had a bit of difficulty, but what a sport! New to dual sport riding, he had already been down a few times, and seemed – to be enjoying himself immensely! “No problem! I’m learning!” And off he would go.
Sue almost stayed on the back of Cal’s KTM, but when he stood for better control on the descent, she slid forward right under him! Perfect; we all had a laugh, and Sue got to stretch her legs a bit.
This hurdle surmounted, we continued on, admiring the flowers, stealing views of the views while watching the road, stopping to photograph weird fungus growing in the middle of the track, and generally riding the ride. After all; somebody’s gotta do it…
We finally descended out of the hills into green, flower-laden fields. A fast and fun greensward brought us to a sudden surprising halt with a challenging washout. Sandy, steep, and loose, we spent a fair bit of time managing the crossing. The consensus seemed to be that the odd little challenging section was apropos, although if I had it to lead again, I think I would take out that steep descent!Once we passed the washout there was only a few hundred yards of dirt between ourselves and the 15 miles of pavement leading to lunch! Unfortunately, it too was quite steep, and off-camber. Or so things seemed at first. There turned out to be a simple unpaved descent right next to the of-camber section; riders chose their poison. Everyone descended safely, and several went up and down a few times, just for fun.
What followed was a pleasant stretch of California back road, scenic, curvy, rural. It took us into the narrow northwest / southeast valley that hides the tiny town of Lake Hughes, where you will find the Rock Inn, a local weekend lunch destination for all types of riders. We piled in, ready for a little shade, and eventually found it in the rustic dining room / bar area. Service was – relaxed – but the drinks were cold, and the company was terrific!We mulled over several options for the return journey, including a side trip out to the California Poppy Preserve, about 15 minutes away, but in the end, the Israeli’s lured us with tales of Turkish coffee…
Have you noticed, what great taste Israelis have in dual sport rides? Well, they have great taste in coffee too, as we found out on DSR 09, when Tomer brought the Jetboil out of his saddlebag and shared coffee with everyone. I think Alon, new to VCDSRS, offered to make it this time – but we had to find a nice shady spot near water. This was a prerequisite. I new of a route that would turn over half of our return to the I-5 corridor from pavement into dirt, and it included several water crossings. Off we went, back into the hills for more, leaving the pavement not 100 yards from the Rock Inn.
It was still hot, even high up, and it was getting late after a long day. It was with general relief that we crossed at a shallow crossing surrounded by oaks, alder, and willow, and set up camp on the roadside for a while. We splashed hot riders with cool river water as they arrived, Alon made coffee… It was a great spot to relax! If we had brought sleeping bags, we’d likely have been there in the morning.As it was, it was about 6:30 when we started packing up to leave. We still had a few more water crossings to manage before the pavement. Laura had a bit of trouble with one, but Alon came to the rescue again, offering to help her with her bike, and in a short time we were slicing curves through the thin afternoon light, circling Castaic Lake, almost back to civilization. In Castaic we refueled and said our goodbyes before splitting up for our own homeward journeys.
Great ride! Looking forward to seeing you all again soon!
