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Salomon SpeedComp Trail Running Shoe

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Salomon SpeedComp trail running shoe

A sib of the ultralight SpeedCross 2, the Salomon SpeedComp trail running shoe trades the “snow and mud rated” lug sole of the SpeedCross 2 for a high traction tread reminiscent of a low profile, high performance tire. The result is a fast, lightweight shoe that should perform well on most trails and in a variety of conditions.


Soles of the Salomon SpeedComp (front) and SpeedCross 2.
Mine arrived yesterday and I took them out for a 7 mile spin at Ahmanson Ranch. There were no surprises — the SpeedComp ran very similar to the SpeedCross 2, with good shock absorption and cushioning for such a lightweight shoe.

In addition to the outsole tread, there are a few other differences in design. The toe cap of the SpeedComp extends further back along the welt, and the sole wraps up over the sides of the cap, providing additional protection on rocky trails. A heel pull-tab has also been added.

My pair of SpeedComps (US 9.0) weighed in at a light 22.6 oz.

Update 05/29/09. In rotation with two pairs of XT Wings, and a pair of Adidas Response Trail 15s, I’ve now logged 235 miles on the Speedcomps, and have not changed my opinion of the shoe. I used the Speedcomps in the Boney Mountain Half Marathon, Bandit 30K, and Malibu Creek Challenge 22K, with excellent results — two firsts and a second in my age class.

Update 01/29/09. In rotation with my other shoes, I’ve logged 150 miles in the Speedcomps now. I’ve used them on a variety of trails and terrain, and am very happy with the shoe.

Update 09/21/08. Did the 14 mile Bulldog Loop in the SpeedComps today. This course is mostly ungroomed dirt road, but there is also some rocky single track, a section on exposed sandstone, and even a little pavement. The SpeedComp was comfortable, nimble, and it’s traction on the rocky sections was impressive.

Related post: Salomon SpeedCross 2 & adidas Response Trail 14

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Ahmanson Ranch Trail Runs

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The Victory Trailhead at Ahmanson Ranch -- now Upper Las Virgenes Canyon Open Space Preserve

Following are brief descriptions, Google Earth images, and a Google Earth KMZ file of several trail runs at Ahmanson Ranch — now Upper Las Virgenes Canyon Open Space Preserve. These are shorter courses, generally on dirt roads, that extend as far west as Las Virgenes Canyon. Some longer runs in this area are listed in the Santa Monica Mountain Conservancy Open Space section of my Google Earth KMZ Files of Trail Runs page.

The distances and elevation gains/losses specified are for a round-trip from the Victory trailhead, and are approximate. Any of the courses can be lengthened by 2.6 miles by starting at the El Escorpion Park trailhead at the west end of Vanowen. This also adds about 350′ of elevation gain/loss.

To simplify labeling the courses, the main (dirt) road between the Victory trailhead and Las Virgenes Canyon is referred to as the “Main Drag.” This term was coined by long-time Ahmanson runner Jon Sutherland. The Upper Las Virgenes Canyon Open Space Preserve map refers to this road as the East Las Virgenes Canyon Trail. The road also has been designated a segment of the Juan Bautista De Anza National Historic Trail.

Here is the Google Earth KMZ file for the trail runs described below. To avoid clutter, when the file is opened in Google Earth, only two of the courses are initially displayed. Additional runs and variations can be viewed by clicking on the checkbox for the course.

If you are new to running at Ahmanson, a couple of things to watch out for are rattlesnakes and the heat. It also gets very muddy when it rains. Enough talking, let’s get to running…

Lasky Mesa Mary Wiesbrock Loop (3.7 mi, 270′ gain/loss)

Of the courses listed, this run has the least amount of elevation gain. Following a short stretch of downhill, the route does a big switchback and climbs up to the eastern shoulder of Lasky Mesa. The climb is fairly moderate, but comes early in the run. About 1.2 miles from the Victory parking lot is a “Y” junction, marked by some rocks and a trashcan. (A pair of ravens also like to hang out here.) This is the start of the 1.3 mile loop that honors Mary Wiesbrock, whose tireless efforts helped save Ahmanson Ranch from development.

If you do the loop counterclockwise, taking the right fork at the “Y,” in about 0.6 mile the Mary Wiesbrock loop turns left (south) onto a connector road. This leads to a “T” junction and the southern leg of the loop. A left turn at the “T” continues east through grassland to some ranch buildings, and another left leads back to the “Y” at the start of the loop. All of the loop is on dirt road, and there are some trail markers.

If you miss the turn onto the north-south connector, the north road continues to an overlook at a prominent Valley Oak on the western end of Lasky Mesa. From this point the extension of the south road can be used to return to the standard route and the “Y” junction. This extended version of the Mary Wiesbrock loop increases the length of the course to 4.25 miles.

Main Drag – Lasky Mesa Loop (3.7 mi 380′ gain/loss)

Except for a short stretch at its beginning and end this course is a complete loop. It starts the same as the Lasky Mesa Mary Wiesbrock Loop, but instead of turning left up the big switchback, it turns right onto the Main Drag.  Here, the road curves downhill and then turns west. After passing through a grassy riparian area, the road climbs a short hill and continues westward.

About a mile from the parking lot, a prominent oak tree can be seen on the crest of hill, directly south of the road. This is the “lollipop tree.” In about a tenth of a mile, at a junction with a trashcan and trail marker, this course forks left (south) off the Main Drag , and drops down to another grassy riparian area along the main drainage of East Las Virgenes Canyon. From here the road climbs about 1/2 mile up to Lasky Mesa.

At the top of the climb the road intersects the northern leg of the Mary Wiesbrock Loop. There are three route choices here. This course curves left (east), and then forks left and follows the winding road along the scenic northern edge of Lasky Mesa through valley oaks to the “Y” junction of the Mary Wiesbrock Loop. From here it’s a little over a mile back to the parking lot.

A slightly longer variation also curves left at the top of the hill, but forks right and continues south up a short grade. This leads to a “T” junction and the southern leg of the Mary Wiesbrock Loop. Continuing on the loop counterclockwise, this variation circuits Lasky Mesa’s grasslands around to the same “Y” junction as the standard course.

The third, and longest, variation turns right at the top of the long climb, and does the extended version of the Mary Wiesbrock Loop counterclockwise around the mesa to the “Y” junction.

There is also a scenic 3.3 mile variation that branches from the standard route in the grassy area just before the long climb, and ascends a well-used single track southeast to Lasky Mesa just west of the “Y” junction of the Mary Wiesbrock Loop. A left turn (east) here leads to the “Y” junction in about 200 yards.

Out & Back to Las Virgenes Canyon (5.3 mi,  465′ gain/loss)

This course starts the same as the Main Drag – Lasky Mesa Loop, but instead of turning left a little past the Lollipop tree, it continues west on the Main Drag all the way to Las Virgenes Canyon.

This is a good course for a tempo run — particularly the out leg to Las Virgenes Canyon. When the weather is hot the return leg (gradual uphill, often with the wind) can be tough.

If this run is extended to the Las Virgenes Rd. Trailhead it adds about 0.8 mile to the out and back course.

Las Virgenes Keyhole Loop (6.6 mi, 625′ gain/loss)

This is an excellent and varied course that loops through Las Virgenes Canyon and crosses Las Virgenes Creek twice. Following Winter rains you might even get your shoes wet!

The run starts the same as the Out & Back to Las Virgenes Canyon, but turns right (north) off the Main Drag at a junction (with a trashcan) at about the two mile point. From here, it is about a mile to Las Virgenes Canyon, and another mile down the canyon to the turn back onto the Main Drag.

There is a 7.3 mile variation of this course that turns south off the Main Drag about 1/3 mile east of Las Virgenes Canyon and follows a pipeline service road up to the western end of Lasky Mesa. This climb is known as “The Beast.” Some other roads/trails in this immediate area are posted “Restoration Area — Please Keep Out” so be sure you’re on the right trail.

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Mt. Disappointment 50K 2008 Notes

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North face of Strawberry Peak from near the junction of the Strawberry and Colby Canyon trails.

Note: The Mt. Disappointment Endurance Run is now the Angeles National Forest Trail Race.

Updated 8/05/09. Added browser view of GPS trace of the course. Uses Google Earth plugin.

Updated 8/20/08. Added Split Rank listings (PDF) for 2007 50K and 50M, and related comments.

Winding down the precipitous Mt. Wilson road, I thought about the run ahead. To my left granite and pine glowed golden in the morning sun, and to my right the mountain plunged in long shadows, 2000′ into the canyon of the West Fork San Gabriel River.

In a few hours I would be somewhere down in that canyon, plodding along sun-baked Red Box road. By then the temperature would be in the mid-eighties, but in the full sun it would feel like a hundred. That would be around mile 23. I kicked a pebble and winced as it almost hit the heel of the runner in front of me. Only at mile 1-something, there were a lot of miles to go.

This was the fourth running of the Mt. Disappointment 50K, and my fourth as well. If ever a race route mirrored the character of its organizer, the Mt. Disappointment Endurance Runs reflect the tough and tenacious character of race director Gary Hilliard. Starting and ending near the summit of 5710′ Mt. Wilson, the figure-8 50K course is a challenging mix of mostly single track trails and dirt roads with an honest 5800′ of elevation gain/loss. A very difficult 50 mile option was added in 2007, and is a favorite of runners training for the Angeles Crest 100.

Even for the experienced trail runner, the Mt. Disappointment 50K is no gimme. Consider the following stat:


Nearly half (44%) of the 5800′ of elevation gain is in the last 5.3 miles of the 31.5 mile race!

Did you push the downhills too hard? Not eat enough? Electrolytes low? Whatever miscalculations have been made earlier in the race will be rung up here — ka-ching! The runner that has nothing left for this climb can take hours to complete it.

One possible gotcha is that 8.6 miles of the first 11 miles are downhill, and it is very difficult to resist being swept along by gravity and the crowd. The early enthusiasm of surrounding runners is contagious.  In 2007, I pushed the pace to Clear Creek too hard, and bonked on the backside of Strawberry Peak. I could barely run. The uphill stretch on the Strawberry Trail to Lawlor Saddle seemed to go on forever, and even the downhill to Red Box was hard to run. I didn’t see how I could finish the race.

How bad did it get? Out of curiosity I used the splits from the 2007 race to calculate each runner’s rank at each aid station, as well as their time between each aid station. At Clear Creek my rank was 58th, and by Red Box it had blossomed to 82nd. That means between Clear Creek and Red Box I was passed (and encouraged) by 24 runners. Here are the calculated 2007 50K Split Ranks and the 2007 50M Split Ranks. Some splits were missing and had to be estimated — these could be wildly inaccurate.

I did finish, but it wasn’t fun. This year I was determined not to repeat that experience. The plan was to be about 10 minutes slower at the Clear Creek aid station; gain back that time, and more, by Red Box (Aid #3); run the Red Box Rd. segment in about an hour; and then do the final climb back to Mt. Wilson in about 1:40. That would put me closer to my 2005 and 2006 times.

Here are some notes from along the way. Times are from aid station to aid station, and are approximate.

Mile 0 to 5.7 (Red Box Aid #1): Kept the pace easy on the paved road down to Eaton Saddle. Didn’t push the climb up Mt. Disappointment, or on the steep, switchbacking trail down to the Mt. Wilson road. 2007: 59 min 2008: 66 min

Mile 5.7 to 10.8 (Clear Creek Aid #2): Continued to hold back some on the pace down the old roadbed to Switzers. Felt good on the short climb from Switzers to Clear Creek and passed a couple of runners. 2007: 58 min 2008: 63 min

Mile 10.8 to 21.2 (Red Box Aid #3): Ran some of the more gradual uphill stretches on the Josephine Fire Road, but walked the majority of it. Passed a few people. The average grade of the 2.8 mile segment up the Josephine Fire Road is about 520 ft./mile, which is somewhat less than Kenyon-Devore’s 616 ft/mile. Enjoyed some watermelon and chips at the “water only” aid station at the top of the climb (mile 13.4). Time up the hill was 43 minutes — about the same as in 2007. Unlike last year was able to run and enjoy most of the Colby Canyon Trail, as well as the downhill from Lawlor Saddle to Red Box. The uphill stretch from the Colby Canyon Trail JUnction to Lawlor Saddle was still a long — and warm — 1.8 miles. Its average grade is about 411 ft/mile. 2007: 172 min 2008: 150 min

Mile 21.2 to 26.2 (West Fork Aid #4): In previous years this section has been the most difficult for me, and it was again this year. I could whine about the heat, but I think this is where extra training miles would make a big difference. I was happy to see the creeks running again this year, and stopped a couple of times to dump water on my head. Ahhhh… 2007: 66 min 2008: 61 min

Mile 26.2 to 31.5 (Finish on Mt. Wilson): By the time I got to the West Fork aid station, I was ready for something other than downhill. At the aid station I gulped down three cups of defizzed Coke and some water, and refilled one bottle with Heed and the other with ice and water. I still had two GU’s for quick energy later in the climb. I was able to run part of the 1.5 miles up the canyon to where the Kenyon DeVore trail splits from the Gabrielino trail, and the 3.1 mile Kenyon-Devore trail went well. Many of my long trail runs this Summer — in the Sierra, San Gabriels and on San Gorgonio — have been on steep terrain, and that, along with a slower start, probably helped here. 2007: 112 min 2008: 100 min

Overall, my time was 27 minutes faster than in 2007. But that’s just a figure on paper and doesn’t begin to describe how much better I felt during the race, and how much more I enjoyed it. Start slow, start slow, START SLOW is an ultrarunning adage we all know, but in the fervor of race it is often one of the first maxims that is forgotten.

Again this year, Gary Hilliard and crew made sure everything was just so — trails, aid, awards, finish line food, 2000 lbs. of ice, Brooks t-shirt, goody bag and more. Always an adventure, the Mt. Disappointment 50K is a trail running classic. Many thanks to all that make it happen!

Here’s a Google Earth image, Google Earth KMZ file, and Cesium browser View of a GPS trace of the course, with mile splits generated by SportTracks. In Google Earth, click on the red icon for the split time, pace and elevation change.

The title photograph was taken at about mile 17.5 on the course, just past the junction of the Strawberry and Colby Canyon trails, and is looking back at the terrain traversed by the Colby Canyon Trail on the north side of Strawberry Peak. It is from November 2007.

P.S. About 20 minutes after I finished the 50K, Jorge Pacheco completed the 50 mile race in an astounding 7:41, crushing the course record he set last year by almost 45 minutes! Full results are posted on the Mt. Disappointment Endurance Runs web site.

Google search: $g(Mt. Disappointment 50K), $g(trail running)

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Islip Saddle – Mt. Baden-Powell South Fork Loop

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View of the South Fork Big Rock Creek and Devil's Punchbowl from Mt. Baden-Powell.

Maybe it’s because it’s been in the news recently,  but when pondering how to characterize today’s trail run, I couldn’t help but think of the JFK quote, “We do these things not because they are easy but because they are hard…” This loop is arduous, adventurous, and challenging. While the difficulty of this route is one of the things that makes it interesting, it isn’t just the difficulty that makes it appealing.

Part of the appeal is the mix of trails and terrain, and the contrasting environments. The high point of the route is 9,399′ Mt. Baden-Powell. Cool, airy and alpine, it is the home of ancient Lodgepole and Limber pines. The low point of the route is 4,560′ South Fork Campground. On the margin of the Mojave Desert, it is often hot and sometimes torrid. Midday temperatures here can reach well over 100°F. The route encompasses life zones ranging from the Upper Sonoran to the Hudsonian, and passes through a variety of plant communities. The San Andreas Fault Zone runs along the base of the mountains, torturing the area’s rocks, and producing a complex and fascinating geology.


Erosion gulley on the Manzanita Trail.
From Islip Saddle the route descends the South Fork trail to South Fork Campground, then climbs 5000′ on the Manzanita and Pacific Crest trails to the summit of Mt. Baden-Powell. From here it follows the PCT back to Islip Saddle. In general, the part of the route that is on the PCT — above Hwy 2 — is well marked and maintained. However, on the South Fork and Manzanita trails — below Hwy 2 — you are on your own.

There are rock slides on the South Fork trail, and there are steep, washed out erosion gullies on the Manzanita trail. Recent thunderstorms have further damaged the eroded sections of the Manzanita Trail. In addition, the Manzanita trail crosses boulder-strewn washes that can make the trail difficult to follow. It is not a trail I would want to be on when there is heavy rainfall. The South Fork and Manzanita trails are part of the High Desert National Recreation Trail.

Google Earth images and KMZ files, and more info about the loop can be found in the posts Complications, Wally Waldron Limber Pine, and Heat Wave.

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San Gorgonio Mountain – Falls Creek Loop

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Falls Creek trail on Mt. San Gorgonio.

Lowland blues got you down? Are you beginning to think faux pine tree cell towers aren’t that ugly? Do you gaze longingly at distant mountains and then realize you’re looking at a billboard?

When I feel that way, one of the close-to-home hikes/runs that satiates the alpine craving is the Falls Creek loop on Mt. San Gorgonio. The ‘Falls Creek up, Vivian Creek down’ route has been a high mountain favorite of mine for a number of years. It is as rigorous as it is beautiful. About 24.5 miles long, it gains approximately 6600′ on the way to the 11,499′ summit of San Gorgonio.

Even at 7:30 in the morning, the climb out from the Momyer trailhead on the steep, south-facing slope of Mill Creek canyon had been warm, but in about an hour we were in the firs and pines, and contouring into the shaded drainage of Alger Creek. Another 30 minutes and the trail has joined the route of the original Falls Creek trail — climbing to the eastern side of the divide between Alger Creek and Falls Creek and turning north as it entered the Falls Creek drainage. (A spur trail descends to Dobbs Camp.)


Small stream below Saxton Camp.
The trail up the Falls Creek drainage has few switchbacks and is deceivingly steep, but the segment is one I always enjoy. Near Saxton Camp its course works back into a lush side canyon, where it crosses an idyllic stream in a pastoral mountain setting. Above Saxton Camp, the area has an isolated, big sky, big mountain feel. Bright green slopes of manzanita extend upward for miles, and stale flatland sights, smells and sounds are displaced in favor of deep blue skies, the minty fragrance of pennyroyal, and the raucous shouts of Stellar’s jays.

Just get me to Dollar Lake Saddle… Please! I don’t know what it is about this section of trail, but the short 1000′ climb from Plummer Meadows to Dollar Lake Saddle is always tougher than I expect. Maybe it’s the altitude, maybe it’s the miles I’ve run during the week, or maybe it’s a gravity anomaly — whatever, it’s a relief to get to the saddle.


Lodgepole pine above the Jepson - Little Charlton Peak Saddle.
Above the saddle, the trail becomes more airy and alpine, and at times there are views of the summit area of Gorgonio and down Gorgonio’s north face. Adrenalin flows and the effort required seems to ease. Sometimes running, sometimes hiking, we continue up the rocky path.

About an hour above Dollar Lake Saddle, we jog across a nice flat stretch of trail just below Gorgonio’s summit. It’s around noon when Andrew and I weave our way through a final few boulders to the summit. Relaxing on the summit, we chat with others about their routes, and talk about running and the mountains.

In February, Andrew caught the trail running bug. In May he completed his first ultra — a fifty miler. Now he’s training to run the Angeles Crest 100 mile endurance run in September. Today’s ascent of San Gorgonio is the first of two long mountain trail runs he will do this weekend.

After about 15-20 minutes on the summit, we jog back to the Vivian Creek trail, jump on the escalator and head down. There are the usual stops to get water at Upper Vivian Creek (the last water was at Plummer Meadows), and to take a few photographs. There’s also a quick stop to have our wilderness permit checked.

Around 2:50 we’re off the mountain and crossing Mill Creek, and in a few minutes we’re running down the blacktop and back to Momyer.

Here’s a Google Earth image and Google Earth KMZ file of a GPS trace of the loop. Surprisingly, it is only about 1.5 miles shorter than the “high line” loop that ascends East San Bernardino Peak before traversing to Mt. San Gorgonio.

Related post: San Gorgonio High Line

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Three Points Loop Plus Mt. Waterman

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If you spend much time in the mountains, sooner or later you’re going to get caught in a severe thunderstorm. I don’t mean you’re going to hear a little thunder and get a little wet. I mean you’re going to find yourself in the middle of a heart-pounding, ear-splitting, ozone-smelling, sense-numbing storm that drenches you through and through and wrings the nerves from your body.

Having been caught in such thunderstorms while climbing in Yosemite, running in the San Gabriels, and running at Mt. Pinos, I do my best to avoid the beasts. Sometimes, it is not an easy thing to do.

Take this weekend for example. I have a 50K race coming up, and in addition to increasing my weekday mileage, I needed to do a Sunday run of about 20-25 miles — preferably in the mountains.

The Sierra was out. A monsoon pattern virtually assured widespread, and possibly severe, thunderstorms. Some forecast models were saying that the focus on Sunday might be the Ventura County mountains, so Mt. Pinos — the site of my most recent thunderstorm adventure — was also out. Both San Gorgonio and San Jacinto had been hit pretty hard on Saturday. That left the San Gabriels, and thunderstorm activity was expected there as well.

The choices were A — get up really early and try to beat the heat and humidity and run local; or B — get up really early and try to get in a mountain run before the weather OD’d…

Running up the Mt. Waterman Trail, one of my ever-optimistic running partners voiced, “Hey, have you heard about the unusual number of lightning deaths recently?” So far it had been a spectacular day. A broken layer of mid-level clouds — remnants of yesterday’s storms — shrouded the sky. By keeping things a little cooler, the clouds had delayed the development of today’s thunderstorms.

We had started at Three Points and run up the Pacific Crest Trail to Cloudburst Summit, then down into Cooper Canyon, where we left the PCT and ascended the Burkhart Trail to Buckhorn Campground. In Cooper Canyon it was obvious there had been heavy rain the day before. Everything was wet, and the willows and lupines along the creek glistened in the muted morning sun. Rivulets of rainwater had incised rills in the trail, pushing pine needles and other debris into patterned waves.

I had already lost the “when it would start raining” bet. I had said 11:00. It was 11:00 now, and still there was very little cloud development. So little in fact, we decided to do a quick side trip to Mt. Waterman (8038′), and jokes were being made about the rain gear in my pack. (My GoLite 3 oz shell made a huge difference in the severe thunderstorm on Mt. Pinos.)

About the time we summited Waterman, things started to cook. The canopy of protective clouds was beginning to thin and dissipate and some cumulus cells were starting to build. I wondered if we would make it back to the car before it dumped.

We didn’t. About 30 minutes later, as we worked down the back side of Mt. Waterman toward the junction with the Twin Peaks trail,  we heard our first grumbling of thunder. In another 30 minutes it started to rain; slowly at first, with large icy drops, then building in intensity, as prescribed in long established thunderstorm protocols. Periodic claps of thunder echoed overhead, and to the north and east.

About 3 or 4 miles of trail remained. Here, the trail winds in and out of side-canyons and for the most part is well below the main ridge, but at some points it is very exposed. Minutes before, we had run past a lightning scarred Jeffrey Pine. Burned and blackened, the bolt had killed the tree. I pick up the pace and try to put the tree out of mind.

It rained hard for a while and then the intensity diminished. The air temperature didn’t drop and the wind wasn’t strong. It seems most of the lightning is cloud-to-cloud and away from us. I’m drenched, but happy — instead of being fierce and frightful, this thunderstorm has been almost puffy-cloud friendly.

In steady rain, we cross Hwy 2 and jog up the trail toward the Three Points parking lot (5920′). As we near our cars, we’re startled by a loud boom of thunder directly over our heads — a not so gentle reminder that thunderstorms come in all sizes, and none come with a guarantee.

Here’s a Google Earth image and Google Earth KMZ file of the loop, including the side trip to the summit of Mt. Waterman.

Some related posts: Manzanita Morning, Three Points – Mt. Waterman Loop