The harder the hike, the sweeter the reward. At least in theory, anyway. But when your calves are screaming, and your lungs are begging you to stop, the pain of reality pushes philosophical pondering aside.
The Mugu Peak Trail wastes no time in dialing up the difficulty. It starts beside Pacific Coast Highway - sea level, basically - and immediately starts climbing. And not in a gentle-switchback-stop-and-soak-in-the-views sort of way. The stunning vistas are there, but it's the steep and rutted trail that commands your attention in an I-can't-believe-I-have-to-walk-up-that sort of way.
I stopped more than once to catch my breath - and gaze up at my fate. But there was no point in malingering. The only thing to do was to follow my wife and keep climbing.
Eventually we reached an intersection offering two choices: left or right. It's a loop, so our choice didn't really matter - we'd cover the same ground. But we went left. Mostly because it looked flatter.
The trail did ease up and entered the broad La Jolla Valley hidden behind the ridgeline we had just crested. Few people came this way and it showed. Prickly overgrowth grabbed at our legs and obscured the trail. We even lost our way a time or two.
After crossing a creek still running with water, the trail started climbing again out of the shady creekbed. But more gently this time. And after offering views of the valley, it unveiled a new panorama - a miles-long sweep of coastline under a gleaming blue sky. The ocean filled the horizon. Below us, Pacific Coast Highway was just a thread. A steady breeze off the water helped to dampen the heat.
A spur invites an optional side trip to the summit of Mugu Peak. After some debate, we took it, thankfully. Again, it's steep. But worth it. On top, there are several places to sit and soak in the view, which stretches from Malibu on the south, to Port Hueneme on the north.
Returning to the main trail, we continued on the loop until it brought us back to the intersection. Turning left, we began a slow descent back to the car. All Trails puts it at 0.7 miles, but my knees insist it was at least twice that.
Back down at sea level, it was time for our reward; two of them, actually. First was lunch at Hollywood Beach Cafe in Oxnard, which has become one of our favorites stops in the area.
Tucked into a small shopping center on a side street, it looks small from the outside. But there's plenty of tables, and even a shaded patio, which is the prime spot. They serve breakfast all day, and don't skimp on portions, so it's the perfect place for hungry hikers.
Our second reward is just down Ocean Avenue at the mouth of Channel Islands Harbor. The Rudder Room is a dive bar - think pool deck pebble floors, to facilitate hosing the place out, I imagine - but is among the few bars I know of on the beach, literally. After getting your drinks, you can walk outside and sit in the sand on Hollywood Beach.
We plopped down on a couple of plastic Adirondack chairs, tired from our five-mile hike. It's a lively place, and on this particular Saturday, a beach volleyball game was in full swing. The players, while skilled, were no match for a certain four-legged spectator. The frisky German Shepherd was constantly on the court chasing the ball, trying his best to fit it between his jaws.
We watched with amusement, enjoying the refreshing rewards we had earned. It was indeed a sweet ending to a challenging day.
Eric Harnish lives in Castaic, which hasn't been the same since losing its beloved dive bar, the Country Girl Saloon.


Let's Go Take a Hike...
Mugu Peak
Search the All Trails site for Mugu Peak Extended Loop.
Hollywood Beach Cafe
hollywoodbeachcafe.com