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The Ups and Downs of the Angeles Crest 100 Mile Run

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Runner on the PCT near Mt. Baden-Powell
Runner on the PCT near Mt. Baden-Powell

First published on June 30, 2015. Updated June 18, 2025.

August 2nd  runners from near and far will gather in a small parking lot in Wrightwood, California, to start the Angeles Crest 100 Mile Endurance Run (AC100). Begun in 1986, the AC100 is one of the original five 100-mile U.S. endurance races. It has endured fires, floods, the Covid-19 pandemic, and changing trail restrictions.

There’s a tradition of running grueling endurance races in the San Gabriel Mountains. The Big Pines Trail Marathon was one of the first organized mountain ultramarathons in the U.S. First run in August 1934, its course used some of the same trails that AC100 runners enjoy today.

The AC100 is not like a road marathon. It is an entirely different kind of running event and an entirely different kind of running experience. The 2025 L.A. Marathon had about 26,000 participants. About 1/100th of that number — around 250 runners — are expected to start the AC100.

Sunrise from Blue Ridge during the 2015 Angeles Crest 100.
Sunrise from Blue Ridge during the 2015 AC100.

The race begins at 5:00 a.m. Runners work their way through the streets of Wrightwood by headlamp to the start of the Acorn Trail, dawn breaking as they work up toward the PCT. Sunrise finds them above 8000 feet, reveling in the spectacular views from Blue Ridge.

Even at this early stage of the race, the field is already becoming dispersed. By the time runners reach Inspiration Point, nine miles into the run, there will be an hour spread between the first and last runner. Unlike a road marathon, much of the time a runner in the AC100 will be alone.

Because of the devastating Eaton Fire, this year’s course will be the same as in 2022 — a challenging run from Wrightwood to Shortcut Saddle (51.3 miles) and back.

Of course it’s the “back” part that increases the difficulty. Going back to Wrightwood means returning to the high country of the San Gabriels and the high point of the course — Mt. Baden-Powell. As a result, more of the course will be at higher elevation. According to Google Earth, the average elevation of recent point-to-point AC100 courses have been around 5100′-5300′. The elevation of this year’s course averages about 6900′. Because of the increased difficulty, cutoff times have been adjusted and the overall time to complete the course has been increased to 36 hours.

This elevation profile for the 2025 AC100 course was created using a GPX file of a runner in the 2022 race. The elevation profile was corrected using 3DEP 1-meter Lidar-based DEMs and a conservative elevation data smoothing setting. The cumulative elevation gain/loss is ESTIMATED to be around 20,600′. This is based on estimates using SportTracks, Strava, and Google. Placemark locations, mileages, and elevation gains and losses are approximate.

The elevation profile can be downloaded from the Course Overview page on the AC100 website.

Estimated Angeles Crest 100 Mile 2025 Elevation Profile (link)
Click to download from AC100 Course Overview page.

In addition, here is an interactive, high resolution, 3D-terrain map of the 2025 Angeles Crest 100 Mile Race. It is based on the same GPX file as the elevation profile. The view is initially zoomed in on the climb up Mt. Baden-Powell. To change the view, use the control on the upper right side of the screen. Track and placename locations are approximate and subject to errors.

Click to view 2024 AC100 course with high resolution, photographic 3D terrain.
Click to view 2025 AC100 course with high resolution, photographic 3D terrain.

See the AC100 website for official information and details.

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Three Points to Mt. Waterman

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Waterman Meadow on the Three Points - Mt. Waterman Trail

There are a variety of trail runs that can be done from Three Points in the San Gabriel Mountains. The Pacific Crest Trail and Silver Moccasin Trail pass through Three Points, and the Three Points – Mt. Waterman Trail starts near Three Points. Additionally, several Forest Service roads in the area can be used to connect trails, extend routes, or explore the surrounding area.

Mt. Hillyer Trail near Mt. Hillyer (thumbnail)
Mt. Hillyer Trail near Mt. Hillyer

The previous weekend. I’d done a loop from Three Points that started on the Silver Moccasin Trail, ascended the Mt. Hillyer Trail, and then descended forest roads to the PCT. The PCT was followed back to Three Points.

It can get hot in the middle elevations of the San Gabriels, but on this run a thick layer of high clouds kept the temperature in the 60s and 70s. There was a steady stream of through-hikers on the PCT, and as usual, they were enthusiastic about being on the trail. Flannel bush was in full bloom, and paintbrush and lupine added patches of energizing color to the trails.

Deer brush along the Three Points - Mt. Waterman Trail (thumbnail)
Deer brush, low on the Three Points – Mt. Waterman Trail.

This weekend, I returned to Three Points to do one of my favorite trails in the San Gabriels — the Three Points – Mt. Waterman Trail (10W04). It is an out-of-the-way trail with a capricious character. On one run, I counted more than 40 trees and limbs across the trail, but on another, none. The trail is defined by use, and depending on the amount of use, some sections may be challenging to follow. All of that is part of the fun.

I usually do the Three Points – Mt. Waterman Trail as part of the Three Points Loop. Today, I opted to do the run as an out and back to the top of Mt. Waterman (8038′).

Large tree removed from the Three Points - Mt. Waterman Trail by the San Gabriel Mountains Trailbuilders (thumbnail)
Large tree removed from the trail by the San Gabriel Mountains Trailbuilders.

It was a good day to do that because the San Gabriel Mountains Trailbuilders had been hard at work, and the Three Points – Mt. Waterman Trail was in the best shape I’ve seen since May 2018. Several large trees had been cleared from the trail. I didn’t have to climb over or go around a single tree. Painful mountain whitethorn and other prickly bushes had also been trimmed. The trail was well-defined and generally easy to follow.

Waterman Meadow was bright green with newly unfurled fronds of bracken fern. Among the Spring wildflowers along the trail were golden yarrow, mountain phlox, southern mountain lupine, beardtongue penstemon, wallflower, and snow plant. Along lower elevations of the trail, deer brush was covered in flowers. There was still a little Poodle-dog bush here and there.

View east from Mt. Waterman (thumbnail)
View toward Mt. Baldy from the top of one of the crags on the top of Mt. Waterman.

Several granite crags are scattered across Mt. Waterman’s summit. Since I wasn’t doing the loop around Waterman, I had time to do a little bouldering. I didn’t recall exactly where the summit benchmark was, but eventually found it on one of the smaller crags.

It’s rare to encounter anyone on the Three Points – Mt. Waterman Trail, but the trail that ascends Mt. Waterman from Buckhorn is very popular. As I ran down from the summit, I began to wonder if I would see anyone when I encountered a small group of hikers coming up from Buckhorn. Those were the last hikers I saw until I was nearly back to Three Points.

Snow plant near the summit of Mt. Waterman (thumbnail)
Snow plant near the summit of Mt. Waterman

The hike to Twin Peaks from Buckhorn used to be another popular option. In 2020, the Bobcat Fire decimated the north face of Twin Peaks. Curious to see the impacts, I did Twin Peaks in 2022. Some stretches of the use trail escaped the fire and most of east summit was not burned. In 2022, there weren’t many fallen trees on the trail, but there are likely more now.

Except in wet years, there are no dependable water sources on the Three Points – Mt. Waterman Trail. There’s a spring partway down the Twin Peaks Trail, but I haven’t visited it enough times to know if it is reliable. It can be hot on this trail, even when there isn’t a heat wave. Although temperatures were relatively moderate today, I drank nearly all the water I had carried.

This high-resolution, interactive, 3D terrain view shows the Three Points Loop (yellow) along with the spur trail to the summit of Mt. Waterman (red). The out and back to the summit of Mt. Waterman is about 15 miles RT with about 3100′ of gain/loss. The Three Points Loop ranges from 20 to 25 miles, depending on the variation.

Some related posts:
– Twin Peaks East, Plus Mt. Waterman
– Feeling a Little Like Fall on the Three Points – Mt. Waterman Loop
– Hot Weather on the Three Points Loop
– Three Points Loop Adventure – July 2020
– After the Bobcat and Station Fires: Three Points Loop Around Mt. Waterman

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Fire Followers Along the Fossil Ridge Trail

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Fire Followers Along the Fossil Ridge Trail. May 25, 2025.

Recently, while doing the Topanga Lookout Ridge Loop, I was surprised to find that the “Closed” sign and tape blocking access to the Fossil Ridge Trail had been removed. The Fossil Ridge Trail has been closed since the Palisades Fire and was closed when I did the Hondo Canyon Trail on May 4.

This 0.6-mile segment of the Backbone Trail connects the top of the Hondo Canyon Trail to Topanga Ridge Mtwy, near the Lois Ewen Overlook. From the overlook, the Backbone Trail continues west to Saddle Peak and then on to Malibu Canyon and other trailheads.

I decided to check out the initial stretch of the Fossil Ridge Trail, intending to turn around if it was obviously damaged, overgrown, or there was some other issue.

Fire followers and other wildflowers along the Fossil Ridge Trail. (thumbnail)
Fire followers and other wildflowers along the Fossil Ridge Trail.

What I found was a trail that had been recently groomed and a hillside full of wildflowers — thousands of wildflowers. The number of large-flowered Phacelias — a showy, purple fire follower — was extraordinary. Also decorating the trail were caterpillar Phacelia, collarless poppy, bindweed, star lily, Catalina mariposa lily, yellow mariposa lily, blue Dicks, and false mustard.

Continuing east on the trail, I passed the rock slide containing fossil shell impressions. The impressions are on a rock that broke apart in the slide. The slide is on the north side of the trail, about a quarter-mile from the western trailhead and 0.4-mile from the eastern trailhead.

After checking the eastern end of the trail, I retraced my steps and returned to the Lois Ewen Overlook. From there, I continued west on the Backbone Trail, visited the eastern summit of Saddle Peak, and then descended the Backbone Trail to its junction with the Stunt High Trail. The Stunt High Trail was used to complete the loop.

Other than the top of Saddle Peak, virtually none of the Topanga Lookout Ridge Loop was burned. The Backbone Trail crosses a huge preemptive firebreak on the north side of Saddle Peak several times, but the firefighters who constructed the firebreak took care to preserve the trail.

Some related posts:
– Hondo Canyon Out and Back Trail Run
– Fire Followers Along the Backbone Trail
– Too Many Flowers on the Chamberlain Trail
– Topanga Lookout Loop, Plus Saddle Peak

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Even A Little Creek Can Get Your Shoes Wet!

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Creek crossing on upper Las VIrgenes Creek

Update May 29, 2025. Thanks to cooler temperatures, the log crossing on upper Las Virgenes Creek didn’t dry out. It now has more water than it did a couple of weeks ago.

The section of Las Virgenes Creek in the title photo is the “log crossing.” This is about three-quarters of a mile up-canyon from the Las Virgenes Trailhead. The crossing avoids a pool that is just downstream.

In recent years, the pool has almost always been present. Even when there’s water in the pool, there may not be water at the log crossing. When there is water, the little stream is usually a bit too wide to jump.

Earlier this month, someone was thoughtful enough to place a basic bridge across the stream at the log crossing. Since then, the crossing has started to dry out, but it’s “the thought that counts,” and hopefully the span will still be there when it is needed.

A bit more than a quarter-mile upstream from the log crossing — just past the pipeline monitoring station and the connector to Cheeseboro — is another, more dispersed creek crossing. Small logs across a couple branches of the creek help to keep your shoes dry. The water at this crossing also appears to be receding.

During the 2011-2015 drought, groundwater levels were reduced to the extent that the upper crossing was dry for many months. In March 2014, the creek didn’t flow here even after four inches of rain!

We’ll have to see how a hot Summer affects upper Las Virgenes Creek. Even if the creek temporarily stops flowing, it will likely come back in the Fall, when the water demands of the local flora decrease.

Some related posts:
– Upper Las Virgenes Creek Still Flowing in Mid-July
– After the Woolsey Fire and a Lot of Rain: Upper Las Virgenes Creek
– Mallards on Upper Las Virgenes Creek
– The Color of Rain IV

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Hondo Canyon Out and Back Trail Run

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Wood fern along the Hondo Canyon segment of the Backbone Trail
Wood fern along the Hondo Canyon segment of the Backbone Trail

Update October 25, 2025. The Fossil Ridge segment of the Backbone Trail APPEARS to have reopened. The orange tape across the trail at the top of the Hondo Canyon Trail and the CLOSED sign at its western end, near the Lois Ewen Overlook, have been removed. There is a stunning display of fire followers along the trail, including thousands of purple, large-flowered Phacelias.

When the updated restrictions for Topanga State Park were announced on March 21, 2025, one of the open trails that caught my eye was the Hondo Canyon segment of the Backbone Trail.

I’d run the Hondo Canyon Trail as part of point-to-point runs from Will Rogers and the Top of Reseda, but never as an out-and-back run from the trailhead on Old Topanga Road. Done this way, the segment is about 8 miles round-trip, with an elevation gain/loss of around 1700 feet.

When the Fossil Ridge/Saddle Peak segment of the Backbone Trail reopens, extending the route to Saddle Peak will add a bit more than three miles (round trip) to the route.

The turnout for the trailhead is on the southwest side of Old Topanga Canyon Road, about 0.4 mile from N. Topanga Canyon Blvd. Please note there is fire hydrant in the turnout that must remain clear and accessible.

Purple and white Chinese house along the Hondo Canyon Trail. (thumbnail)
Purple and white Chinese house along the Hondo Canyon Trail.

The number of flowers and amount of plant growth along the trail were much more than would be expected in a “dry” Rain Year . Part of the reason, is that the previous two Rain Years were very wet. Another reason is the timing of the rain this Winter. The area received almost no rain until the end of January. Thanks to a wetter than normal February, and normal March, Los Angeles rainfall has been about normal since January 25. When it finally started to rain, it was at a time that was especially beneficial to the chaparral plants.

Here is an interactive, high resolution, 3-D terrain view of the Palisades burn area, zoomed in on the area of Hondo Canyon, Topanga Lookout, and Saddle Peak.

And here are a few photos and notes from the run.

Some related posts:
– Red Rock Canyon – Hondo Canyon – Saddle Peak Loop
– July Fourth Trail Run to Trippet Ranch, Hondo Canyon and Saddle Peak

ahmanson ranch, landscape, nature, nature|wildflowers, photography, photography|landscape, photography|wildflowers, running, smmc open space, trail running, trails, trails|smmc open space, upper las virgenes canyon open space preserve, wildflowers, wildflowers

More Ahmanson Mustard, Two Mariposa Lilies, and a Scraggy Road

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Expansive mustard bloom at Upper Las Virgenes Canyon Open Space Preserve (Ahmanson Ranch)

This year’s expansive mustard bloom continues to draw hikers to the Victory Trailhead of Upper Las Virgenes Canyon Open Space Preserve (Ahmanson Ranch). Even though it’s an invasive weed and fire hazard, when it’s in widespread bloom it highlights the terrain as only mustard can.

A yellow mariposa lily (Calochortus clavatus var. pallidus) (thumbnail)
Yellow mariposa lily

Two of the three mariposa lilies that are found in Upper Las Virgenes Canyon Open Space Preserve (Ahmanson Ranch) are blooming at the moment. The Catalina mariposa lily is especially prevalent along the first half-mile of East Las Virgenes Canyon fire road, near the Victory Trailhead. The yellow mariposa lily isn’t as easily found. It generally blooms after the Catalina mariposa lily, and occurs in widely scattered, small patches. Its yellow is so vivid as to be nearly incandescent. Even less common is Plummer’s mariposa lily, which typically blooms during the heat of summer.

Near the beginning of a run from the Victory Trailhead the other day, a passing mountain biker commented that the fire road in East Las Virgenes Canyon was “really chopped up.” It had rained a few days before, on the Saturday of a busy Spring weekend (April 26). Following the storm, the multitude of shoe imprints and clumps of mud hardened into an irregular, scraggy, concrete-like surface. The footing is the worst near the Victory Trailhead, but gradually gets better the farther west you go on East Las Virgenes Canyon fire road.