The Angeles National Forest Trail Race starts and ends on top of Mt. Wilson. This was the view south over Pasadena and the Los Angeles Basin from the mountain-top parking lot, about an hour and a half before sunrise and the start of the race.
Related post: The Angeles National Forest (Mt. Disappointment) Trail Race Returns
Even in Southern California the weather can be a little fickle. Just two weeks ago, heat had been one of my concerns for the No Name 50K. During that race the temperature reached into the mid-80s. Heat definitely wasn’t an issue for this morning’s race on Mt. Wilson. Several days out one computer model had forecast sleet and a temperature of 32°F! Instead, at the start of the race runners were treated to a spectacular sunrise and a temperature of around 40°F.
After a five year hiatus, the Angeles National Forest (Mt. Disappointment) Trail Race is back. Started in 2005 by R.D. Gary Hilliard, this was the 15th running of the highly regarded event. Today we ran the 25K course, but generally a 25K, 50K, and 60K is offered. Rumor has it there may be a longer distance added next year.
Whatever the distance, a hallmark of any ANFTR/Mt. Disappointment courses is that it starts and ends on top of Mt. Wilson (5739′). While not particularly high, the altitude is just high enough to take the edge off a runner’s performance. Many a runner has underestimated the difficulty of the final five-mile climb from West Fork to the top of Mt. Wilson — especially on a hot day in July or August.
Thank you Gary and Pam for your dedication, passion, and the hours and hours of work required to put on a quality event! And thanks also to all the volunteers, runners, and others that support the race.
Here’s a high-resolution, interactive, 3D-terrain view of the ANFTR/Mt. Disappointment 25K course.
All the results from 2005 to 2024 are available on UltraSignup.
Some related posts:
– A Morning Thunderstorm, Debris-Covered Trail, Fast-Paced Fire Road, and Tough Climb on the ANFTR 25K Course!
– Another Scorching Angeles National Forest/Mt. Disappointment Trail Race
Ahead, the lights of two runners turned this way and that, and behind me more headlamps danced up the canyon. The moon was high in the sky and nearly full. I took advantage of a smooth stretch of fire road, and turned off my headlamp to enjoy running in the surreal light.
I was in Cheeseboro Canyon and a mile or so into the 2024 No Name 50K. Along with several other runners, I had opted for the early start. Partly because there’s something special about running in the hours before dawn, but also because strong Santa Ana winds were forecast, and I wasn’t sure how hot and windy it was going to get. So far, so good. The only wind was a sometimes cool, sometimes warm, down-canyon breeze.
Usually, when I run Cheeseboro Canyon, it’s from the Victory Trailhead at Ahmanson, and I run down the canyon. It was good to be running up the canyon for a change. The Cheeseboro Canyon Trail is a combination of fire road and single track that gains about 500′ over the 4+ miles to the Sheep Corral Trail junction. There are several very short, steep, rocky sections, but most of the trail is straightforward and enjoyable. Because of all the rain the past two years, the trail near Sulfur Springs was a bit muddy. Running by headlamp, I managed to step in the muckiest of the mud.
From the top of Cheeseboro, it’s about a mile over to Palo Comado Fire Road on a well-used, up-and-down single track. Just before Palo Camado, I stopped at an overlook to take in the view to the east. San Gabriel Peak and Mt. Wilson were silhouetted in the distance, and a few orange-red clouds preceded the sun.
Once on Palo Comado Fire Road, it took about 15 minutes to get up to China Flat. The timing was perfect — the warm light of the new sun highlighting Simi Peak and the greens and golds of the oak grasslands.
The aid station at Albertson Mtwy Fire Road marked the beginning of a 3-mile downhill to Lang Ranch. I put out of mind that we would be coming back up this hill and just enjoyed the descent.
Following a quick stop at the Lang Ranch aid station, I retraced my steps on Albertson Fire Road back to the Alapay/Lang Ranch Ridge Trail and the start of a scenic 3.5-mile keyhole loop. This memorable segment sets the tone from the start, gaining about 500′ in a mile. The route is a variation of the popular “Lang Ranch Loop,” and the support from the hikers on the trail was much appreciated. So was the encouragement from the awesome group of local runners (in the title photo) — each of the three times I passed them. I still hear their cowbell!
After returning to the Lang Ranch Aid Station, I started up Albertson Fire Road a second time. The volunteer at the Alapay/Lang Ranch Ridge Trail checked my bib number, and I began the long climb back to China Flat.
After doing the steep climbs on the Lang Ranch loop, the grade on Albertson didn’t seem so bad. Plus, the weather was cooperating. We were on the second day of a Santa Ana wind event, and I had envisioned running into a 20 mph headwind here. Other than a couple strong gusts, the wind was more of a cooling breeze.
The runner passing me confirmed that the Albertson climb was made for poles — if only I had them. I’d done Albertson on a training run and debated using them for the race. Poles are helpful in a lot of ways, but more efficient uphill propulsion is probably the most important.
After a false summit or two, I eventually reached the aid station at the top of the climb. The smiling volunteers asked me if I needed anything. I told them I was good to go and continued down into China Flat. I could relax for a while. It would be mostly downhill until the aid station in Palo Comado Canyon — about 3.5 miles away.
Running down Palo Comado from China Flat was a bit like the run down Albertson, except it was 20 degrees warmer. With the low humidity, I reminded myself to stay hydrated and not pound the downhill. The Cheeseboro Ridge section of the course was a few miles ahead, and the last thing I needed was crampy legs.
At the Palo Comado aid station, I grabbed a peanut butter sandwich and headed up the hill. Like the climbs at Lang Ranch, the hill was steep but relatively short. As I started the descent into Cheeseboro Canyon, I looked across to the power lines on Cheeseboro Ridge. There were runners over there, and I wondered how they were doing. I would find out soon enough.
At the Cheeseboro aid station, I filled my Camelbak to the brim, put some chips in a baggie to eat on the run, and started up the fire road toward Cheeseboro Ridge.
The Cheeseboro Ridge segment of the course follows an SCE powerline service road for about three miles, gaining more than 700′ along the way. On a hot day, it can be very hot, and on a windy day, very windy. There is zero shade. The Cheeseboro Remote Weather Station is passed about a mile up the service road.
Keeping in mind that the station measures the temperature inside a white, ventilated instrument housing several feet off the ground, the Cheeseboro RAWS midday temp was around 78degF and the wind was 16 mph out of the ENE, gusting to 29 mph. On the fire road, the in-the-sun temp was at least in the mid-80s but didn’t feel too bad.
I was glad to get to the high point of the ridge at the rocky overlook. There were still a couple of small hills to go, but from the viewpoint, it was going to be mostly downhill to the finish.
Many thanks to SoCal Trail, the volunteers, photographers, runners, and everyone involved for a great race!
It was near dawn, and I was driving west on the 101 Freeway, going to the Wendy Drive Trailhead to do a run in Pt. Mugu State Park.
I’d just passed Moorpark Road and changed lanes to exit at Lynn Road. Suddenly, the whole car started to shake. The vibration was so intense it took a moment to realize I had a flat tire. [Expletive deleted!] I pulled onto the shoulder of the freeway and cursed again.
After decades without a flat, I had managed to have two in just three weeks. Both were early on Sunday morning and on the way to do a run. The first happened on Angeles Forest Highway while driving to Islip Saddle. That time, I was able to pull into a large turnout and change the tire. Traffic wasn’t an issue. Not so on the Ventura Freeway. The flat was on the driver’s side, and the shoulder was narrow. I called for service.
Apparently, there aren’t many roadside service vehicles out and about before sunrise on a Sunday. An hour and a half later, I was finally headed back to the San Fernando Valley.
I was first in line when Tires Buy Mark opened at 10:00. While waiting for the tire to be patched, I debated a Plan B for a run. Eventually, I decided to do an extended version of the Bulldog Loop. The run would be in the middle of the day, which wasn’t ideal, but it was nearby. It would be an excellent 16-mile run, even if a little on the toasty side.
At 11:30, I started up the short hill at the beginning of the Cistern Trail. Even though it wasn’t an unusually hot day, the temperature in the sun was already in the 90s, and there wasn’t a cloud in the sky.
It was slightly cooler on the trail along Malibu Creek. There was still water pooled in the creek, and I was glad the seasonal footbridge was in place. A pool near the M*A*S*H site was surprisingly large.
I expected it to be warm on the Bulldog climb, and it was. I just pretended I was on the second loop of the Bulldog 50K and continued chugging up the hill. Speaking of which… The Bulldog Ultra was the previous weekend, and a new course record was set in the 50K. Anthony Fagundes did the 29 mile course in the remarkable time of 3:30:03. This works out to an AVERAGE pace of 7:15 min/mile! His race analysis on Strava lists a split on the downhill on Mesa Peak Mtwy fire road at 5:25 min/mile. I don’t have the exact time, but on the first loop it looks like he did the Bulldog climb — from Crags Rd. to Castro Crest Mtwy — in about 30 minutes.
It took me a little longer than that to get up Bulldog. There was a noticeable drop in temperature as I worked up to the top of the long climb. On Castro Crest and Mesa Peak fire roads, the temperature was a relatively comfortable 80-something. The breeze from the ocean was intermittent, but when present, felt like air conditioning.
There weren’t many wildflowers. One interesting exception was Santa Susana tarweed (Deinandra minthornii). It was blooming on the sandstone rocks where the Backbone Trail goes through a prominent rock gateway, east of the Corral Canyon Trailhead.
The plant has a California Rare Plant Rank of 1B.2, which means it is considered “rare, threatened, or endangered in California and elsewhere…” The plant normally blooms after Winter rains. In the ANF technical notes** accompanying its description on SMMflowers.org, B. A. Prigge & A. C. Gibson describe how the plant may produce out-of-season flowers in the Summer, following a wet rain season with late Spring precipitation.
Here is an interactive, high-resolution, 3D terrain view of a variation of the Bulldog Loop that starts at the Cistern Trail. The notations assume the route is being done counterclockwise. An optional out-and-back on the Forest Trail is shown as a red track. Two routes are shown for crossing Malibu Creek in Tapia Park. One route uses a trail that rock-hops across the creek, and the other the bridge on Malibu Canyon Road, near the Piuma Road junction.
The option on Malibu Canyon Road requires crossing the highway twice. There is a pedestrian walkway on the east side of the bridge and a traffic light and crosswalk at Piuma Road. The trail that crosses the creek directly can be a little tricky to find because of other use trails in the area. When there is heavy rain, the flow may be too high to cross the creek safely.
Today, I decided to use the highway. There was a never-ending line of cars headed to and from the beach. It probably would have been faster — and safer — to use the trail. After crossing the creek on the highway bridge, and before doing the climb on the Tapia Spur Trail, I topped off my water at a faucet in the Tapia Day Use Area. Later, I also grabbed a quick drink at the water faucet next to the restrooms at the main Malibu Creek State Park parking lot.
From the main parking lot, it’s about 1.4 miles along Crags Road to the bottom of the Lookout Trail, and from there another three-quarters of a mile back to the Cistern Trailhead on Mulholland Highway.
Some related posts:
– A Displaced Bridge, Exceptional Backbone Trail Views, and a Card Table Along the Bulldog Loop
– Forest Run
– Best Trailhead to Start the Bulldog Loop?
– Bulldog Loop Plus the Phantom Loop
**A Naturalist’s Flora of the Santa Monica Mountains and Simi Hills, California by Barry A. Prigge and Arthur C. Gibson
Update October 2, 2024. I ran the ANFTR 25K Course on Sunday and the cuttings on the Mt. Disappointment/Bill Riley Trail had been removed. The trail was clear and back to normal!
As I drove east on the 210 Freeway, a long bolt of lightning erupted from high in the clouds and pierced the valley below. The thunderstorm near Mt. Lukens looked spectacular. It was backlit by the rising sun, and intermittent lightning flashed against its dark gray clouds.
Theoretically, I was headed to Mt. Wilson. It was July. It was hot. It was time to get on the ANFTR/Mt. Disappointment race course! But was that going to be a good idea? A slight chance of a thunderstorm was forecast for the afternoon and already there was an active storm right in front of me.
The Angeles National Forest Trail Races (aka Mt. Disappointment) is a popular event usually run in the heat of Summer after the Fourth of July. Because of the pandemic, Bobcat Fire, and trail and road closures, the race has been on hiatus since 2020, but a new race date appears to be in the works!
Another ragged bolt flashed horizontally across the clouds. The cell looked isolated and appeared to be moving to the north. I decided to take a chance and bet that the morning storm was a quirk. Still, it suggested a real possibility of a thunderstorm later in the day.
About the time I passed Trail Canyon on Big Tujunga Canyon Road, it started to rain, and the rain continued much of the way to Red Box. The activity was actually more extensive than the cell near Mt. Lukens — a band of thunderstorms had swept through the San Gabriel Mountains between Mt. Lukens and Mt. Wilson.
Mt. Wilson Road was still wet as I started down the first leg of the ANFTR/Mt. Disappointment 60K/50K/25K courses. If you have to run on pavement, running downhill on super-scenic Mt. Wilson Road after a thunderstorm is about as good as it gets! The cleansed atmosphere and vivid smells in the wake of the storm were remarkable — as were the views down into the canyon of the West Fork San Gabriel River.
This morning, I was doing the 25K course, but all the distances follow the same route to Red Box. They start by running down Mt. Wilson Road to Eaton Saddle and then following Mt. Lowe Fire Road through Mueller Tunnel to Markham Saddle and the San Gabriel Peak Trail. The San Gabriel Peak Trail leads up to the Mt. Disappointment service road and, surprisingly, the high point of the 60K/50K/25K courses. This stretch of service road is higher than the start/finish on Mt. Wilson!
Even if you have run a trail many, many times — and think you’re familiar with it — sooner or later, you’re going to encounter something you didn’t expect. From the Mt. Disappointment service road, the ANFTR/Mt. Disappointment courses turn onto the Mt. Disappointment/Bill Riley Trail. After the first couple of switchbacks, there were an increasing number of cut limbs on the trail. Initially, the cuttings were not much of an issue, but became worse as I continued down the trail.
Partway down, I encountered two very upset hikers who had lost the trail. They had just decided to leave the trail and hike on the service road. They cautioned me that the section where they had problems was just below. They weren’t kidding. I’ve done this trail innumerable times and at one point also had difficulty locating it. I had to wade through an expanse of cuttings to stay on the trail.
I’ve been on trails impacted by forest thinning projects before. The crews that worked on those projects at least made an effort to keep the trails clear. No such attempt was made here — the cuttings were left where they fell, and if that was on the trail, too bad!
It was a relief to get off the Mt. Disappointment/Bill Riley Trail and down to Mt. Wilson Road and Red Box.
Update October 2, 2024. I ran the ANFTR 25K Course on Sunday and the cuttings on the Mt. Disappointment/Bill Riley Trail had been removed. The trail was clear and back to normal!
Unlike last year, Rincon-Red Box Road was in great shape. It was so well-graded that a Prius might have been able to drive down to West Fork. Much of the 5.5 miles down to West Fork are in full sun, so the temperature has a substantial impact. In the 2019 ANFTR/Mt. Disappointment 50K, the thermometer on my pack read about 80 degrees. In the 2017 50K, the temp on the same stretch was about 100 degrees. Today, it was around 90.
Whatever the temperature, there are excellent views down the West Fork and of the Mt. Wilson area. The towers on Mt. Wilson always look tantalizingly close, and the climb up Strayns Canyon doesn’t look that bad. (Ha!) Like last year, there were four or five creek-like crossings of the West Fork San Gabriel River.
The area around the spring at West Fork was a bit overgrown, but a trampled path through the grass below the cistern led to the outflow pipe. I refilled my hydration pack and drank my fill before setting off on the Gabrielino Trail. With the temperature in the sun at West Fork around 95, I should have spent more time at the spring cooling down.
It’s only about 1.6 miles from the spring to where the Kenyon Devore Trail forks left off the Gabrielino Trail, but it often seems longer. Probably because I’m anticipating the turnoff and don’t want to miss it. This morning, it was also the hottest stretch on the course, with the temperature in the sun topping out at around 100 degrees.
Based on some recent runs, I expected the Poodle-dog bush on this stretch to be a problem, but most of the Poodle-dog bush had been trimmed or was wilting. It wasn’t the only thing that was wilting. Shortly after turning off the Gabrielino Trail and onto the Kenyon Devore Trail, the combination of heat and humidity hit me like the proverbial brick. I had to back off the pace.
Not long after that, I was startled by a runner coming up behind me. It turned out to be another runner from the West San Fernando Valley! Charlie was training for UTMB and putting in a tough 27-mile, 8700′ gain day. We had a great conversation about races, running, and adventures in the mountains. Despite the heat, he was moving well and soon disappeared up the trail.
I continued chugging up the trail, noting familiar features as I climbed higher and higher. Eventually, the white dome of the Hooker 100 inch Telescope came into view, and I knew I just about done!
As I worked up the final half-mile of trail, I could see only a couple of isolated build-ups of cumulus clouds. One was over the desert and the other was to the east near San Gorgonio. The sky over Mt. Wilson was mostly clear.
Here’s a high-resolution, interactive, 3D-terrain view of the Mt. Wilson – Red Box – West Fork – Kenyon Devore Loop. The loop is a slightly shorter version of the ANFTR/Mt. Disappointment 25K.
Some related posts:
– After the Bobcat Fire: Running the ANFTR 25K Course
– An ANFTR/Mt. Disappointment 2020 Adventure
In my experience, there are several things you can count on when running in a KHRaces event — a challenging, well-marked course, well-placed and supplied aid stations with helpful volunteers, reliable timing, good food at the finish line, and plenty of portable toilets at the start. That was certainly the case for the 2024 Malibu Canyon Trail Races in Point Mugu State Park.
The 100K, 50M, 50K, and 30K courses used many of the same trails as those in the Ray Miller Trail Races — including the hallmark start and finish on the Ray Miller Trail. The courses were out and back — which means you get to say hi to everyone in your race and be astonished by the speed of the faster runners.
Ten days before the race computer weather models were predicting the possibility of hot weather, but as race day approached the marine layer prevailed, and on June 8th the weather — though a little humid — was cool and cloudy throughout the day. Here are temps and other data on race day from an SCE weather station near the 50K turnaround near the Danielson Multi-Use area.
A few hours into the race, some runners looked like they had been in a rainstorm. For once, I was well-hydrated at the end of a race!
The wettest back-to-back rain years (measured at Los Angeles) in 100+ years had a tangible effect on the race, resulting in numerous get-your-feet-wet creek crossings and stunning displays of wildflowers.
Some runners were determined to keep their shoes dry, but most got their feet wet at least a couple of times. Having run with wet shoes most of the Winter, I surrendered to having wet socks and shoes early in the race. Just about every time my socks and shoes started to feel somewhat dry, another crossing would soak them.
I lost count of the stream crossings on the 50K course, but using Google Earth imagery from May 2023, it looks like there were around 12 (times two) crossings in Sycamore Canyon, plus a few more in Wood Canyon.
My hands were wet most of the race and the only wildflower photo I took was of a striking yellow mariposa lily along the Guadalasca Trail. During a training run on the course in May, I took this photo of wildflowers along the Wood Canyon Vista Trail (Backbone Trail). That was a sunny day!
In many ways, volunteers make the race, assisting and encouraging runners in any way they can.
With the cool weather, there were some very fast times. Scott Traer crushed the 50M in 7:07:43, and Osvaldo Cerda flew through the 50K in 3:52:17! Paul Sinclair successfully defended last year’s first-place finish in the 100K with a time of 10:22:31. In the 100K, Angela Avina was the top woman and placed third overall with a time of 11:08:20. Zac Campbell and Jess Illg were the top man and woman in the 30K.
My run went about as well as any 50K I’ve done. I had no issues during the race and felt good at the finish line and afterward.
Runners don’t expect a course to be exactly 50K — 31.1 miles — and the distance varies from race to race. The longest “50K” I’ve run was nearly 35 miles long and the shortest about 29 miles. My track for this race was just over 32 miles.
Here is an interactive, 3-D terrain view of my GPS track from the Malibu Canyon 50k. The initial view is zoomed in on the Guadalasca section of the course, but the view is easily changed using the control on the upper right.
All the results can be found on Ultrasignup. PAKSIT PHOTOS did a fantastic job covering the race. Their photos can be found here.
Many thanks to Keira Henninger and KHRaces, all the runners, and especially the volunteers for an excellent race!