It’s Hard Getting Back from Shangri La
As the name implies the ride to Shangri La is easier than coming back. As some of you know, the Ojai Valley was the location for the Shangri La Valley for the 1937 film classic Lost Horizon. Similar to the movie, the ride into the valley, while not easy is not extraordinarily difficult. You will have one fairly short climb coming out of Moorpark (875 ft), followed by a descent and rolling hills into Santa Paula. From Santa Paula you will have another fairly mellow climb of about 1,300 feet. You will then descend into the Ojai Valley, the Valley of Shangri La, where you can get yourself a muffin and a cup of coffee at the Emporium Café control. The ride from there is an easy cruise down the coast until you make a left turn onto Mulholland Highway. Like leaving the fabled Valley of Shangri La this is where time becomes important once more and struggle follows. For those of you from out of town, a few of the sections will require close attention to the route sheet, but you will likely encounter other cyclists on the route to help you out as these are some of the most used local cycling roads around. You will climb into the Santa Monica Mountains via Mulholland Highway to Las Virgenes / Malibu Canyon Road in Agoura and then work your way back through the Conejo and Santa Rosa Valleys to Moorpark. There are precious few sections of flat road once you leave the coast and you will either be climbing or descending for the remaining 45 miles. Make sure that you have full water bottles before you leave the coast as the only place between the coast and the Conejo Valley is the motorcycle hang out The Rock Store (20 +- miles) where you can expect to pay $2.00 for an 8 oz bottle of water. Speaking of motorcycles, if you feel that they are a danger to you, call the Malibu Sheriff’s Department at 818.878.1808. (In an emergency call 911) The overwhelming majority of the time they are well behaved, but every once in a while some of them go faster than they should. By calling you can end up saving the life of the jackass on the motorcycle and will reduce your stress so just plug the number for the Sheriff in your cell phone before the ride and call if you need to. The Sheriff is well aware of the problem and will respond quickly. Along those same lines, don’t you go faster than you should on the descents. Keep it under control and enjoy the ride. The section from Agoura Hills to Moorpark Road has several places to grab something to eat before your final run into Moorpark. This is a great winter ride. The views from the summits will be spectacular and the temperatures in the Santa Monica’s and the inland valleys perfect for cycling. Having mentioned that, make sure that you have good lights (not just adequate lights – good lights), front and rear for those short days (just in case for you fast guys) for the descent into the Santa Rosa Valley on Moorpark Road as the pavement is rough and will not be redone for a few years when the new bike route will be constructed. Be safe – not stupid.
