GEOTREK 3

SANTA MONICA MOUNTAINS:
STUDIO CITY TO TARZANA

Saturday, May 24, 2008

Route: From Summit Overlook on the north side of Mulholland Dr. just south of the intersection of Mulholland Dr. with Coldwater Cyn. Rd., west along both paved and dirt portions of Mulholland Dr. to the Reseda Blvd. Trailhead at the south end of Reseda Blvd.

May 24 Route

Distance: 11.4 miles.


PICTURES OF PEOPLE AND NON-GEOLOGIC THINGS SEEN ALONG THE TRAIL

Click on the small picture to see an enlargement.

(Click on this line to see PICTURES OF GEOLOGY ALONG THE TRAIL
and the hike route traced on a Dibblee geologic map.)

ParticipantsJust a short distance from our starting point at Summit Overlook we came across this roadcut of the Lower Topanga Formation where we took our group photo. Participants for the May 24 GeoTrek included, left to right, Leni Field, Gene Fritsche, Dayanthie Weeraratne, Jonathan Miller, and Sue Fritsche, who took the picture.
Valley OverlookHere we are at the Melhorn Overlook from where one can get a good overview of the city of Van Nuys.
Taco TruckMorning snack time was approaching as we walked along Mulholland Drive looking at rocks in the roadcuts, and just at the right moment we came upon one of Los Angeles' infamous Taco Trucks. Needless to say, we availed ourselves of the opportunity.
Fancy FacilitiesOur luck held out and as it came time for a morning nature call we walked by a movie company portable outhouse. We secured permission from the security guard and found that the facilities had clean flushing toilets, wash basins, soap, and paper towels!
Crossing I-405We came to the halfway point on our hike at the Mulholland Drive bridge crossing of the 405 Freeway just about lunch time.
LunchA short ways farther on we found a nice place for lunch on the lawn of the Bel Aire Presbyterian Church. During lunch we had a good view of the valley area around the Sepulveda Flood Control Basin.
Walking on MulhollandAs we walked along Mulholland Drive we did have to watch for traffic, but the walking surface was firm and flat.
Van NuysThis view of the San Fernando Valley looks across Encino toward the runway of the Van Nuys airport.
Old NIKE BaseAt San Vicente Mountain Park is an abandoned cold-war era NIKE base.
Wild CucumberThis vine that is common in the area bears large, prickly seed pods. It's called a Wild Cucumber.
Encino ReservoirThis view from Mulholland Drive northward across the Encino Reservoir shows the Santa Susana Mountains in the background. The north-south street with lots of white buildings along it is Reseda Blvd.
CSUN CampusHere's a telephoto picture looking down Lindley Avenue of the CSUN campus. On the main campus to the left of Lindley, the Oviatt Library stands out. To the right of Lindley are the campus residence buildings.
Unpaved MulhollandAs we walked along this unpaved portion of Mulholland Drive studying the geology, our emphasis shifted from watching for cars to avoiding speeding bicycles.
The OceanWe finally got high enough along the crest of the mountains to look south and see the Pacific Ocean. In the distance is a large ship and beyond that the Palos Verdes Peninsula.
Steep DownhillNear the end of the day, Gene took a planned short cut. Unfortunately at the end of the short cut was a steep, slippery downslope.
The EndWe all made it safely to the Reseda Blvd. trailhead in good shape.


Return to the CSUN Geological Sciences Department hike index.

THIS PAGE LAST MODIFIED ON MAY 25, 2008

If you have questions or comments, you may leave a message at:
a.eugene.fritsche@csun.edu