Santa Monica Mountains Backbone Trail Run

I have lived in the foothills of the Santa Monica Mountains since 1972 and hiked, run, biked or 4-wheeled most of the Backbone trail since then but never put it together as a continuous self-propelled adventure. Well in 2001 I have taken a renewed interest in this trail so I could share it with others in the ultra-running community. So here is a detailed description of the trail. I will post my runs as they occur. This has been run in one continuous push by a number of people. Here is one story on the Backbone trail done in a day. Any takers? I have taken the liberty to change the Backbone "Proper" trail to enhance the running and scenic experience.

Trail or Trailhead	Miles	Miles from the start	Miles from the end	Miles for 2 day run start time for scrub run	The beta
Will Rogers State Park (starting at Temescal Canyon via Rivas Canyon Trail) to Dead Horse Parking lot 1725 gain 1125 loss well maintained single track and fire roads must do section of the trail for the ocean views	13.3	13.3	67.3	13.3 0630 start	The best way to start this run is an early morning start at Temescal Canyon Gateway Park. Take the Rivas Canyon Trail east to Will Rogers State Park. This is a better approach if you start early since the gate at WRSP opens at 8AM and closes at 5PM and there is no parking at the gate. Starting at Temescal Canyon Gateway parking lot, take the "authorized Vehicle only" access road to the trail head, right, that takes you through Rivas Canyon. The trail climbs on single track through chaparral and drops down to a dead end road. Spot the trail across the road and begin another climb that takes you to the white gate entrance to WRSP (2.1). Follow the trail left and head uphill onto the Inspiration Point Trail and head to the marked Backbone trailhead turnoff left (0.8). Climb single track and climb marine terraces to Temescal Ridge Trail and go right. Continue to the "Hub Junction" (6.0). Once at the Hub find the trail that goes to Eagle Rock (the high road) not Eagle Springs (the low road). Proceed to Eagle Rock which is worth the short detour (0.8) then to Eagle Junction (0.5), where the low road and the high road meet. Find a trail that goes right (north) to Musch Camp (1.1) where water can be found and then heads south toward Trippet Ranch (0.9). Don't go all the way to Trippet Ranch but find the trail that goes right after a fence line and continues to the Dead Horse Trail (if you are on the 92 Spur trail you have gone too far). Continue to the parking lot for the Dead Horse Trail (1.1). Bathrooms and water can be found here.
Dead Horse Trail Parking lot to Stunt and Schueren Road 1770 gain 150 loss Primitive to moderately maintained single track Steep uphill trail with lots of riparian woodland, ocean and mountain views	5.0	18.3	54	18.3 0900 start	From Dead Horse Trail parking lot find the trail behind the bathrooms that heads down to Topanga Canyon Road. Find Greenleaf Canyon Road and pick up the unmarked trail near some dumpsters on the left side of the road that continues steeply uphill toward the Topanga Elementary School (0.4). Follow the nature trail markers for the flora up the hill (not traversing) and pick up a fire road that intersects this trail. Head down this fire road and when the school is in sight take a hairpin turn right that parallels Old Topanga Canyon Road. You will pass two large water tanks (on your left). Continue downhill through the overgrown narrow trail until you meet up on a blind curve at Old Topanga Canyon Road (0.3). Watch for cars and motor cycles. Visibility is limited at the Old Topanga Canyon Trailhead. Cross Old Topanga Road. The trail crosses a stream and follows a well maintained trail. Mud on the trail is very sticky in this section. This is the beginning of the climb up to Stunt Road. The trail is well marked here as you proceed through the Oak woodland into the chaparral. The terrain changes abruptly and the trail narrows as it enters Hondo Canyon. You will pass an old gate as you begin the steeper climbing under a canopy of Oaks in Hondo Canyon. Sycamore and Bay Laurel are abundant as you climb up the saddle. As you climb out of the canyon the views of the San Fernando Valley and San Gabriel Mountains are spectacular on a clear day as you look east from where you started. As you follow the trail below the Microwave Tower the views to the South toward Catalina Island and the Palos Verdes Peninsula are awesome. Continue traversing toward the west and keep an eye out for fossils on one the boulder near the end of the trail. The trail drops down to a gated paved road. Go left at the trail head down the road. Continue past the gate at the intersection of Stunt and Schueren Road (4.3) and go right down Stunt road.
Stunt Road at Saddle Rocks to Las Virgenes Road / Piuma Road 310 gain 2240 loss some well maintained trail with sections of rocky down hill, stream crossings at the end, great ocean views	7.3	25.6	49	25.6 1045 start	From the corner of Stunt Road and Schueren Road head west and continue to run down Stunt Road (0.2). A trail will be visible on the left. Take this trail toward the large water tank. Pass the water tank on the left side and follow the pavement that turns into a trail. When the Radio Towers are visible at the top of the hill, you will come to a fork. Go right. Follow this trail into a narrow canyon through the Saddle Rocks(0.8). Follow the trail through the rocks that resemble catacombs and drop down single track bearing left at all intersections (right will take you back to Stunt Road). Continue down this rolling and rocky trail with intermittent stream crossings until you arrive at a hairpin turn (4.4) at Piuma Road. Pick up the single track trail directly across the street and follow this mostly shaded trail until it crosses a stream and meets Piuma Road (1.9) just before the intersection with Las Virgenes Canyon. Go left and run toward the intersection.
Las Virgenes Road / Tapia Park to Corral Canyon 1600 gain 75 loss well maintained exposed fire roads with ocean and mountain views	6.0	31.6	41.7	31.6 1215 start	Stay on the left side of Piuma Road for 100 yards and take a bushy trail that goes under the Las Virgenes Road Bridge. Cross the creek 20 yards beyond the bridge and pick up the trail that meets the service road. Cross the service road and go left for 40 yards to the Backbone Trailhead (0.1). Ascend this single track trail that meets a fire road (0.6). Continue UP the fire road and climb steep fire roads for many. At the junction of Mesa Peak Motorway go right to Corral Canyon bearing north-north-west (2.0) but avoiding the landslide area after the sign where you pick up a steep singletrack. Continue on the fire road that veers due west until you see the trail split that has a single track that bears right near some large Rock formations (2.8). Ascend the trail true "spine of the Backbone trail" that climbs on sandstone formations makes a sharp left and heads down sandy slopes. Follow the trail to the Corral Canyon Parking Lot (0.5).
Corral Canyon Parking Lot to Kanan Road at Newton Canyon Gain - 400 loss - 560 well maintained single track with some rocky sections. shaded canyon with many stream crossings, rolling single track, mountain views	6.5	38.1	35.7	38.1 1400 start 1530 finish	At the parking lot trailhead drop down onto single track and follow this through the chaparral to a junction, go right noting the power lines above, that takes you into Solstice Canyon (0.6). Follow the lush Solstice Canyon trail with many stream crossings. This trail then climbs to a saddle below Castro Peak where radio towers can be seen above (2.2). Go right 30 yards and pick up the single track (left) that takes you to to Latigo Canyon Road and a dirt parking lot (1.4). Cross the road and follow this single track down into the canyon and then up to meet a private driveway. Cross this and continue on single track that crosses over the Tunnel at Kanan Road. Drop down from the top of the tunnel via single track to the developed parking lot(2.3). Watch for mountain bikers in this section as it is a very popular area.
Kanan Road Newton Canyon / Zuma Canyon Trailhead To Mulholland Drive gain - 600 loss - 160 well maintained single track with stream bridged crossings, short fire road, mountain views	5.5	43.6	29.2	5.5 0730 start	From the Kanan Road trailhead follow the single track past the Newton Canyon Falls. Continue over a well engineered bridge and past Upper Zuma Canyon Falls that will be on your right at a distance to a fire road (2.5). The sign at the fire road will say Zuma Ridge Trail. Go left uphill (0.1) on this fire road to the Backbone Trail. Pick up the unsigned Backbone Trail, right (at a hair pin in the fire road that goes up and left) and up a steep hill until you arrive at a fork with two fire roads. (0.5). Take the fire road on the right that goes slightly uphill (0.1) and pick up the well developed Backbone Trail. This section of the trail is wide and like a highway that continues downhill until you arrive at another well engineered bridge. Cross the bridge and continue down this trail paralleling the stream. The trail veers right and then crosses the final well engineered bridge. Continue up the fire road from the bridge to a gate then up to the paved Encinal Canyon Road (1.6). Cross Encinal Canyon Road and pick up a trail just before the road sign noting the fire station. You will find a gate at Clarks Ranch Fire Road north and continue to a gate that meets with Mulholland Highway (0.7).
Mulholland Highway to Misha Mokwa gain - 770 loss - 600 non maintained rocky single track on private land with steep climbs, well maintained fire roads with spectacular ocean and mountain views, barely cut trails with poor cambered footing and pungi sticks, pavement	8.1	51.7	23.7	13.6 1000 start at Yerba Buena** after section over Etz Motorway. Shuttle or run 2 miles to Misha Mokwa Trailhead	Cross Mulholland Highway and find the National Park Service marker on a telephone pole on the south side of the street. Take the unmarked singletrack directly across the street from this pole, Take this single track up to Etz Motorway Fire Road (1.5). Note this is not open to the public and you should proceed at your own risk. Take Etz Motorway that continues West and drops down to Yerba Buena Road (3.0). ** Follow this road and note a parking area on the left (0.1). Watch for loose dogs (white dog friendly black dog not). You will see markers for the Backbone trail in process. This "off camber trail" has been cleared of brush but not graded. This continues to follows contours with spectacular views of the Pacific Ocean. This is where the trail work ends and the bushwacking begins. I followed this trail to a point where the trail ends or at least continues past where I think the proper connector is located to meet up with the Misha Mokwa Trail (3.5). Beware of sharp remnants of bushes and old cars. I lost my footing and was skewered through my running shoe, sock and into my foot. There is a bail out point from this trail 0.8 miles in where the road can be accessed. The road can be followed for 0.9 miles to the Misha Mokwa trailhead. By Spring 2002 this may have changed and I will check it frequently before I run the end to end. The Park Service map shows the non-existent trail.
Mishe Mokwa to Sycamore Canyon 650 - gain 2500 - loss maintained single track with some brush, steep downhills with sporatic rocky footing, grassy, ticky single track to steep downhill fire road, great mountain and ocean views	7.2	58.9	15.6	20.8 1030 Start	Head North from the trail head to a junction (0.6). Take the right fork that proceeds into Split Rock and Carlisle Canyon. This is a variation to the true Backbone Trail. Do not take the trail that says Backbone .2 miles. I prefer the trail on the right although the trail up to Sandstone Peak is worth doing at least once. The trail stays above the canyon with views of the Echo Cliffs and Balanced Rock and takes you to Split Rock (1.3). A picnic table here is a nice place to cool down and eat. Bear right and pick up the trail that climbs out of the canyon to signs that direct you to the backbone trail (1.3). Follow the Backbone trail signs to the Chamberlain Trail. Take Chamberlain Trail down to the Boney Trail Junction (3.1). Bear left down "Tick Alley" to the junction, go right down the Boney Trail that will take you down to Sycamore Canyon Road (0.9) Note, another variation is to go right at the bottom of Chamberlin Trail and this will take you down to Danielson Ranch (water and picnic tables). This is the true Backbone Trail but has more fire road running I found less desirable.
Danielson Ranch to La Jolla Canyon 800 - gain 965 - loss well maintained fire roads and single track, awesome mountain and ocean views	8.4	67.3	8.4	29.2 --- 1430 Finish	Turn Left (south) on Sycamore Canyon fire road until a junction (0.2), turn left and follow past Wood Canyon (1.3) to the Backbone Trail (0.2). Turn right immediately crossing a stream and proceed up this single track to the Overlook Trail (2.0). Turn Left (south) until you hit the Ray Miller trail head (2.0). Go right up this trail and follow it as it switchbacks down to the La Jolla Canyon parking lot (2.7)

12/23/01 - Stunt Road to Old Topanga and and back. Also scoped out the trail to Topanga Canyon. Still looking for it...

1/5/02 - Temescal Gateway Park to Kanan Road
1/6/02 - Kanan Road to La Jolla Canyon
2/18/03 - Ran first 38 miles of Backbone as Scrub run for Coyote Four Plan, see elevation profile and heartrate monitor graph