Study of ground pink (Linanthus dianthiflorus).
From a run at Sage Ranch Park.
Monthly Archives: March 2009
Bandit 30K 2009
Steep climb on the Bandit 30K and 14K Courses.
Low clouds cling to the slopes of Rocky Peak, and a cool downslope breeze stirs through the runners gathered at the start line in Corriganville Park. Three… A race organizer holding a “turn on your Garmin” sign is counting us down. Two… Runners anxious to get on the course collectively take a deep breath. One… Go! The first steep climb is just minutes away…
You never know what you’re going to get in the first edition of a race, but in this case the Bandit 30K/14K organizers appeared to have considered every detail. Check-in went smoothly, the race started precisely at 8:00 a.m., the course was challenging and well-marked, aid & water was where it was needed, volunteers were great, and the finish line had an assortment of tasty treats!
Overall, elite mountain runner Jon Clark edged Kevin Gillotti and Jason Perez, winning the 30K in 2:22:29 — averaging 8 minute miles over the demanding course. Among the women, Lisa Fink placed first, finishing in a time of 3:08:28. In the 14K, women took two out of the top three places, finishing first and third. Jen Todd was first in 1:15:22, followed by Karl Bowers and Meredith Davidson. Results and photos are available on the Bandit 30K/14K web site.
Many thanks to the Bandit Race Committee — Randy & Sarita Shoemaker, Larry Lee, and Todd Baker — and all the volunteers and sponsors for a great race! Also, thanks to Tommi Diaz for her photos of the 30K.
Here’s a Google Earth image, Google Earth KMZ file, and Cesium browser view of my GPS trace of the course.
Update 12/09/10. The date of the 2011 Bandit 15K/30K is Sunday, February 20th. A 50K distance has been added!
The photo of runners on Rocky Peak Road is from a run in November 2007.
Some related posts: Bandit 30K Course Preview, Las Llajas Hill 2484, Running Rocky Peak Road, Chumash Trail Rocks & Snow
Southern California Warming Up and Drying Out?
There are still a few rogue mud puddles out at Ahmanson ranch, but the Goldfields are blooming, the meadowlarks singing, and it feels like Spring!
Last week it looked like our rain season might not be over. Now I’m beginning to wonder. This week the GFS and ECMWF forecasts have been much drier in Southern California, with most of the activity focused on the Pacific Northwest. No significant rain is forecast here over the next week, and both the 6-10 and 8-14 day forecasts project below average precipitation in Southern California.
If these medium range forecasts are on the mark, March rainfall for Downtown Los Angeles (USC) will fall well below the 3.14 inch norm. Normal April rainfall is 0.83 inches, and May only 0.31 inches. Beyond March it becomes increasingly unlikely that a big rain event will significantly boost our rainfall total.
Since November 1, Downtown Los Angeles has recorded 8.80 inches of precipitation. This is about what would be expected during a La Nina, and within the range indicated in the composite precipitation map included in the post Southern California 2008-2009 Winter Precipitation Outlook, back in October.
In his March 6 post, Ed Berry suggested the possibility of “more energetic progressive troughs” in the western U.S in the week 2-3 timeframe. That wouldn’t necessarily result in rain in Southern California, but might improve our chances. Numerical weather model performance generally suffers during seasonal transitions, so maybe there are still some surprises lurking in the Pacific. We’ll see!
Variations in Green
From a run to Calabasas Peak on the Secret Trail in February.
Related post: Secret Trail to Calabasas Peak
Above Satwiwa
A view of the Conejo Valley from the crags west of the Danielson cabin site. The grassland area in the valley is Rancho Sierra Vista/Satwiwa in Newbury Park, California.
From Sunday’s adventure hike and run to Sandstone Peak in the Santa Monica Mountains.
Related post: Satwiwa Loop Trail
Serrano Valley from the Chamberlain Trail
From Sunday’s adventure hike and run to Sandstone Peak in the Santa Monica Mountains. Here is a wider view with La Jolla Valley and the Channel Islands in the distance.
Related post: Serrano Valley – La Jolla Valley Loop