By Mark Langton
It has come to our attention that due to vandalism, trespassing, and disrespectful behavior by some inconsiderate mountain bikers, the private horse trail that connects Sullivan Canyon at Queensferry Rd. and the residences below at Old Ranch Road (Brentwood) will have gates and cameras installed.
We have known about this situation for quite a while. And even though this trail was created more than 70 years ago for horses only, hikers and bikers have also been using it. But because of continued vandalism to signs and disrespectful, even aggressive behavior by some mountain bikers toward local residents, the decision to install large gates and surveillance cameras has been made by homeowners.
In our literature it is stated that you should always respect private property (it’s #1 of our Rules of The Trail). I am disheartened to learn that some people would be so blatantly rude and uncaring. CORBA can’t be everywhere all the time, nor should we have to remind people of common courtesy. So please don’t go saying “CORBA should do this or that” in response to this situation; we are just the messenger. Some idiot mountain bikers created this problem, and it’s all because of selfish attitudes. And please do not defend or justify these people’s behavior: The fact is, the trail is on private property, and they shouldn’t have been there in the first place.
Cyclists are encouraged to use the public route: Queensferry to Bayliss, Bayliss (either direction) to Westridge Road, down Westridge and out Mandeville Canyon to Sunset Blvd.
Here is some additional information sent to us by local resident Sara Nichols regarding this situation:
This trail has been in use for almost 70 years. Sometime in the 1970’s one of the property owners on the trail tried to close it off. Suit was brought by one of the horse riders on Old Ranch Rd. on behalf of all the riders. He prevailed and the trail is now a prescriptive easement for horse riders; specifically not bikers. Over the years more signs than anyone can count have been ripped out/destroyed by bikers. Recently, one was viciously vandalized–the metal posts on which it was mounted were either broken or sawed off, leaving two potentially dangerous spikes in concrete sticking up and the sign itself thrown into the canyon below. Though a police report has been filed, it was the last straw. Now a gate and a camera, which will be on 24/7, will be placed on the upper part of the trail. The gate will be installed to make it impossible for bikers to get through.
It is an expense and big inconvenience (getting on and off a horse to open and close the gate) that we have been trying to avoid for years but, unfortunately for the considerate bikers, the bad apple bikers brought this on. We are constantly sending workers there to straighten out the mess they make of the trail so that the horses won’t go lame. They never once have done any repair work on trail. They are aggressive, dangerous and clueless about horses.
We’ll be having a little nighttime fun this Friday. Meet at Marvin Braude Mulholland Gateway Park (top of Reseda Blvd. in Trazana) or at San Vicente Mountain Park (Nike Base in Encino) at 5pm, then ride to Sullivan Ridge down to Murphy Ranch Ruins for a guided tour of this historic site by an expert in local lore. Wear a costume (or bling your bike) for a chance to win a prize. There will be snacks and other goodies. Lights mandatory.
Join CORBA and the Santa Monica Mountains Trails Council as we fix up the Backbone Trail near Latigo Canyon Road. We’ll be doing treadwork, clearing silt out of the drainages and possibly building some new ones. Our work on Saturday will help keep the water off the trail and prevent the ruts from getting bigger and swallowing the trail!
Children must be over 7-years old to attend, and children under 14 must be constantly and directly supervised by their parent or guardian who brought them.
