Finally got to the top of Verdugo Peak! (This was a week ago Friday, took me a while to post.) Yeah, I know, the photo is gratuitously iconic... but hey, I didn't plant the flag there. Verdugo Peak is "The Crown of Burbank and Glendale." (Ha!) My first ride over 30 miles, first summit over 3,000 feet, and first ride with over 4,000 feet of vertical. Took me 5 tries for Seeker and I to reach the top, and Friday was the last day to do it-- even so, the heat was brutal even at 7:00 PM. Of course, when I took these shots, I didn't realize the summit was actually behind me, at that radio tower.
I'll spare you the photos of the route, which you've seen before. Just a few from this spot right below the top, with the most unobstructed views,, looking over to the La Crescenta valley... you can see just about to the San Bernadino Mountains. That tiny toy village to the right of the telephone pole is Los Angeles.
I was so pissed the first four times I tried and didn't make it, but it turned out to be a great strategy, because I got to know the trail really well, and I started my descent much later than I planned. Again, most of the photos were taken at a peak just below and short of the summit, and when I put away my camera, I realized: The peak with the radio tower (which turns out to be KROQ, a legendary L.A. station) was actually the summit. It was nearly sunset, and I still had maybe a half mile and a hundred feet to climb!
So obviously I went for it-- and there was a gang of 50-60-70 something mountain bikers hanging out there! They were mostly riding non-motorized bikes, and at first, they were a bit reserved until they asked where I'd come from: "East Hollywood." Then they offered me a beer, and told me to come back any Friday night! I'll have to pack an NA beer and go up some Friday in the fall and see them again, but it was sobering to realize: There are guys in their 70s who do this with no motor.
Yow! Took only one shot from the
real summit... but after shooting the photo below, I told the guys I had to bounce, and fast-- I was still 5.5 miles and 2,600 feet from any asphalt... only 15 minutes till sunset, but another 30 minutes after that to last light, so I figured I could get down the gnarliest parts of Brand Park Motorway without needing my light. And indeed, I had no problem, though it was a little hard to read the trail near the end.
The ride down was a bit tricky-- very sandy, very tired, one panic stop when I chose the wrong line, but no crashes.
Stats for the ride:
Total Vertical = 4,300
Highest Elevation = 3,085
Total Distance = 32 miles
Max Speed = 36 MPH (per Bike computer, Strava says 34 MPH)
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