Category Archives: running|adventures

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Back to Mugu Peak

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Hikers nearing the summit of Mugu Peak

The difference in temperature from the bottom of Sycamore Canyon to the top of the Wood Canyon Vista Trail had to be at least 30 degrees. Down on the Sycamore Canyon Fire Road the mud and mud puddles were frozen and I could feel the cold through my sleeves, shirts and gloves. In the sun near Overlook Fire Road it felt like it was a toasty 60-something degrees.

Trying to get in some less hilly miles, Craig and I were doing the run from the Wendy Drive trailhead to Mugu Peak. There would be no personal bests today. We both had long races coming up and this run would be combined with another (shorter) run tomorrow.

It’s tough to find a 20+ mile trail run in the Los Angeles area that doesn’t have much elevation gain. Wendy Drive to Mugu Peak has about 2700′ of gain. Bypassing the peak would reduce the total to around 2300′. One flatter option in this area might be Wendy Drive to PCH and back with a mile or so side trip up Wood Canyon.

Some related posts: Wendy Drive – Mugu Peak Challenge, Serrano Valley from Wendy Drive, Serrano Valley – La Jolla Valley Scenic Loop

nature, nature|wildlife, photography, photography|wildlife, running, running|adventures, trails, trails|malibu creek state park

Reagan Ranch Bobcat

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Bobcat at Reagan Ranch, Malibu Creek State Park

My rambling New Year’s run at Malibu Creek State Park had begun on the Cistern Trail. I thought I might run to the base of the Bulldog climb and then back on Crags Road to the main parking area. From there maybe I’d do the Phantom Trail loop or run over to Tapia Park and then back to the Lookout Trail.

The route really didn’t matter. It was a classic Southern California Winter afternoon — cool, but not cold, with a mix of clouds and sun. Grasslands were green with December’s rain, and the low sun cast a golden hue over the rocks, oaks and chaparral.

I was running west on the Yearling Trail on the Reagan Ranch property when I spotted a blocky form sitting in a shadow at the edge of a field. About 100 yards away, its profile was accentuated by a backdrop of bright green. Too small to be a mountain lion, too large to be a domestic cat, the wrong shape and behavior to be a coyote, it had to be a bobcat.

Bobcats can be very bold. Last year while warming up for a race at Crystal Cove State Park, I rounded a corner and 50 yards away a bobcat was sauntering down the road. I continued at an easy jog up the road and the bobcat continued walking down the road toward me.  I expected it to dart into the bushes, but it just kept walking toward me.

When we were about 20 feet apart, it casually stepped to the edge of the road, near some brush. I slowly approached and then stopped. The cat was five short feet away, with her back to me and head turned toward me. I was astonished to be so close, but a little unnerved by the animals brazen behavior. After what seemed like minutes, but was probably only 10-15 seconds, we both continued on our way.

The Reagan Ranch bobcat wasn’t nearly as cooperative. I snapped a couple of photos at max zoom (about 90mm) and then as I took a couple of steps in the cat’s direction it loped up the hill and into the oaks.

Some related posts:
– Hawk, Bobcat and Rabbit
– Coyote Tag

nature, nature|weather, photography, photography|landscape, running, running|adventures, trails, trails|smmc open space, weather, weather|southern california

Chilly Los Angeles

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Century City and Downtown Los Angeles from the Backbone Trail in the Santa Monica Mountains

Sometimes it gets chilly in Los Angeles. The temperature at Downtown Los Angeles (USC) dipped to 39°F last night. That’s about eight degrees below normal and only a couple of degrees away from tieing the record for the date.

It gets colder in the valleys. The temperature was in the mid-30s when I started my run at the ‘End of Reseda’ on the San Fernando Valley side of the Santa Monica Mountains. I was headed over the hill to Will Rogers State Park, then to Temescal Canyon, and then back to Reseda.

When you start a long run on a cool day just as the sun is coming up it’s hard to know what clothing you’re really going to need. In Southern California it seems more times than not the extra shirt goes into the pack a mile into the run and stays there.

The running was excellent on the Will Rogers segment of the Backbone Trail. I hadn’t been on this segment since last Winter and much work had been done on the trail. Even with yesterday’s rain the trail was in good shape.

This time I didn’t mind so much that I had an extra shirt in the pack. The day had dawned mostly clear with a few scattered and tattered clouds, but by the time I was headed back to the valley it was nearly overcast. It was breezy and cool and there were some big buildups to the south and east of the city. It looked like a shower might pop up at any time.

Some related posts: Chaparral Freeze, Cape Ivy on the Rivas Canyon Trail, Will Rogers Western Ranch House

photography, photography|black & white, photography|landscape, running, running|adventures, trails, trails|smmc open space, trails|topanga state park

No Snow in Sight!

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View to the ocean from Eagle Rock in the Santa Monica Mountains

Well, actually you could see some snow on Mt. Baldy and the higher peaks of the San Gabriel Mountains, but that snow was 50 miles away. So far there had been a little frost in the shadows and mud in the low spots of the fire roads of Topanga State Park, but not a patch of snow in sight.

Lynn & Frank were heading back to the land of rain and snow for Christmas and there WAS snow on their local trails. More snow and bone-chilling temps were in the forecast, and a long snow-free run in the Santa Monica Mountains was a great way to celebrate the holidays!

We had taken a detour from the Backbone Trail to the top of Eagle Rock. After enjoying the view we would extend the detour down the Musch Trail and pick up the Backbone Trail at Trippet Ranch. From Trippet we would follow the Backbone Trail down into Topanga Canyon, up Hondo Canyon, over to Saddle Peak and then down to Malibu Canyon.

With a couple of short side trips the distance from the End of Reseda (Marvin Braude Mulholland Gateway Park) worked out to about 21 miles. The distance and elevation gain were about the same as last Saturday’s run — also on the Backbone Trail.

Related post: July Fourth Trail Run to Trippet Ranch, Hondo Canyon and Saddle Peak

nature, nature|botany, nature|weather, photography, photography|landscape, photography|quirky, running, running|adventures, trails, trails|smmc open space, weather, weather|southern california

Mushrooms and Mud on the Backbone Trail

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Santa Monica Mountains near Circle X

The temp was in the 40s and the chaparral wet with rain when we started the run. We were doing a two part trail run. The first part would be the 15 mile segment of the Backbone Trail from Kanan Rd. to the Mishe Mokwa trailhead on Yerba Buena Rd. The second would be the 6 mile Mishe Mokwa – Sandstone Peak loop.

The weak front that produced the overnight rain had marched on, and now skies were clear and it was a little breezy. As has been the case with many weather systems this year, there hadn’t been a lot of rain. Though muddy in spots, the Backbone Trail was in surprisingly good shape, and the running excellent.

In addition to the greening of the hills and the sprouting of many annuals, the frequent, light rains had also created perfect conditions for the growth of a  variety of mushrooms and other fungi. Fortunately I was running with a sharp-eyed mushroom collector from the PNW that could pick out partially buried earth stars and other mushrooms among the leaves, twigs and other debris in the deep shade along the trail.

Here are three of the more peculiar fungi. Click the image for more info and a larger image.





Orange Jelly



Comb Tooth



Earth Star

Some related posts: Circle X Crags and the Channel Islands, Mishe Mokwa – Sandstone Peak – Grotto Trail Run

nature, nature|trees, nature|weather, photography, photography|landscape, running, running|adventures, trails, weather

Thanksgiving Hike & Run on the Wildwood Trail

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Runners on the Wildwood Trail

Even by Pacific Northwest standards it had been wet. Over the past five days Portland had recorded over four inches of rain. Earlier in the week heavy rain and strong winds had pummeled the area — flooding roads, toppling trees, causing numerous traffic accidents and leaving thousands without power.



Today, Thanksgiving Day, was the first in several that no rain was forecast. Taking advantage of the good weather our Thanksgiving Day — and that of many Portlanders — started with a hike at the Hoyt Arboretum.

The arboretum’s collection includes over 1000 species, accessed by a 12 mile network of well-maintained and marked trails. The collection includes species from around the world. Some examples are dawn redwood from China, butterfly maple from North Korea, Himalayan Juniper from Nepal and Patagonian Cypress from the Andes. Given they are usually found near treeline, I was surprised to see the arboretum’s collection includes bristlecone pines.



My run on the Wildwood Trail started at Fairview, at the end of a loop hike in the arboretum that had taken us to an overlook with a view of Mt. St. Helens — and on a clear day — Mt. Rainier and Mt. Adams. I had promised to be back to the house in “about two hours ” so the plan was to run north on the Wildwood Trail for about an hour and then head back.

Trail runners love running new trails — especially trails as beautiful and well-maintained as the Wildwood Trail. The 30 mile long trail is just part of a 70+ mile system of trails in a 5100 acre urban park managed by the Forest Park Conservancy.



I was amazed — after all that rain the Wildwood Trail was in great shape. My socks were dry and my running shoes were just a little damp around the edges. The running was superb. I’d run down to Burnside, up to Pittock Mansion, and then down to Macleay Park. Continuing to descend, I’d run along Balch Creek and past the iconic Stone House.



The theme was green on green, with towering Douglas-fir, hemlock and cedar. A mixed understory of alder and maple was highlighted by mosses, ferns and remnant splashes of yellow, orange and brown.

At Wildwood’s junction with the Aspen Trail I was about 55 minutes out. Time to start thinking about turning around. I ran a few yards down the Aspen Trail, then decided I’d rather stay on the Wildwood Trail.

It had been just four days since I’d run a 50K in Kernville, California, and I knew I was going to be slower on the way back. At some point soon I really would need to turn around. I started up some switchbacks, wondering what was on the trail ahead…