Earl Canyon Motorway

We were looking for something to do in the area since we had time to kill. My brother suggested that we give this place a try and was really just a hop skip and jump away from home. I can’t believe I have lived here for a large portion of my life and don’t ever remember going on this hiking trail. According to my parents, they took me here once when I was younger but I don’t have any recollection of this.
As you walk up (or down) Jessen, you’ll see a little road that leads past a few more homes and then slowly heads up the hills. While the path isn’t paved, you definitely won’t «lose» the path or find yourself in a bind with things blocking your way. The first trail definitely has a wide enough area where you won’t have that sensation of falling off the side of the mountain. It is slippery because of all the loose rocks so make sure to wear good shoes. This is especially important for your trip back down because some of these places are steep enough to cause you to slide.
You came here not just for the exercise but the scenery. On a bright sunny clear day you can see the skyline of Los Angeles as well as the ocean and making it up to the top really gives you a sense of accomplishment. If you really wanted more, you could continue hiking another 3 miles to head to the next view point. I have seen many people running as well as riding their bikes up the mountain (how they do that I don’t know because I was already dying just walking). You can also walk your dogs up here (but please be responsible and pick up after them!).
Definitely recommend this if you’re in the area and looking to get some good pictures of the city: D

A nice fire road to hike in La Canada.
My friend and Unilocaler Jo Anne S. texted me that she wanted to hike, so I met her at the beginning of the trail.
The Earl Canyon Motorway is a fire road that begins just west of the new Jessen Bridge right by the intersection of Solliden Lane. To get to Solliden Lane you would drive north on Palm Drive from Foothill Boulevard.
First, we headed straight up the road that starts as a residential street. If you go straight you’ll see a big sign for Hall Beckley Canyon. Eventually there will be an intersection and you will turn left. Don’t go straight down Beckley Canyon because it dead ends in about a half mile into a spillway and abandoned home. There is a tree rope we used to climb to the top of the spillway, but once you get to the top there’s no trail. I think the Santa Monica Conservancy or City of La Canada needs to start some work to re-​build the trail once something is done with that abandoned house. It kind of gives me the heebie-​jeebies and I was glad I wasn’t hiking alone. Who knows if riff raff hangs out in this old house that is mostly boarded up.
We turned back and got back on the actual fire road and it goes up a few miles. Next time I hike it I will try to get to the top and I’ll edit this review. We started late and it started getting kind of warm so we turned around.
Also, the Unilocal map is off, but I’ll get that fixed. I sent an e-​mail to Unilocal HQ with the coordinates.
The view is amazing up there. We could see the Santa Monica Bay clearly with the naked eye. The photos didn’t look as clear with iPhone. We could see to Catalina Island which was nice.
This is definitely a nice trail on the side of Mt. Lukens. It may be an easy route to the summit and I’ll try that in the near future.