I joined some of my fellow Glendale Trail Safety Patrol volunteers — Paul, Rafi and Mark — and we tackled the Brand Motorway from bottom to top, with a side trip over to Tongva Peak before heading back down:
For all the riding I’ve done in the Verdugos, I haven’t rolled up or down the Brand Motorway since at least 2002, when a wildfire scorched much of the southern-facing hillsides around that area and subsequent rains washed out portions of the trail. As such I’d long forgotten how much more arduous and lengthy a climb it is than the Beaudry North Motorway (3.53 miles versus about 2 miles). In having my memory refreshed, I’m pleased to report I was able to make the trip up, nonstop — a first.
The 9.37-mile route with 1,873-feet of elevation gain/lost is mapped here
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