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Running from the Wind

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Windblown stratus on Santa Monica Bay with Palos Verdes Peninsula in the distance

The tinge of frost on the rusty M*A*S*H ambulance wasn’t so much of a surprise, but that there was not even a breath of wind at the M*A*S*H site was astonishing.

Overnight unrelenting winds had rushed and roared through the palm trees above the house and I’d steeled myself for what would surely be a difficult run.

A cold December morning at the M*A*S*H site in Malibu Creek State Park.
A cold December morning at the M*A*S*H site in Malibu Creek State Park.

But when I arrived at the Cistern trailhead on Mulholland Drive there was almost no wind. A layer of cold air trapped against the crest of the Santa Monica Mountains in the Malibu Creek drainage was shielding the area from the wind. At least for a while.

When I’d left the house in the West Valley the temperature had been a balmy 64 degrees. As I turned onto Mulholland Highway from Malibu Canyon Road my car’s thermometer had read 32 degrees and at the trailhead it had been 46 degrees. Along Malibu Creek at the M*A*S*H site I’d guess the temperature was in the mid-thirties.

California fuscia along the Bulldog Motorway fire road.
California fuscia along the Bulldog Motorway fire road.

Incredibly, the climb up Bulldog Motorway was one of the most pleasant I’ve done. Near freezing temperatures gave way to warming Winter sunshine, and as I worked up the grade I wondered how long the respite from the wind would last. To the northeast I could see the telltale dusty haze from strong offshore winds in the San Fernando Valley. At some point those winds would scour out the protective layer of cold air or I would climb above it.

It wasn’t until about halfway up the Bulldog climb that the wind started to pick up. But it was still far less windy than I had expected. Several sections of Castro Peak and Mesa Peak fire roads were in the lee of the crest, and the running was excellent. The variegated patterns of sun, stratus and wind on the Pacific was spectacular.

Rocks along the Backbone Trail near the top of Corral Canyon in the Santa Monica Mountains.
Rocks along the Backbone Trail near the top of Corral Canyon.

Once I was off the crest the wind diminished to little more than a zephyr. In many areas — such as at Tapia Park and along Crags Road there was no wind at all.

But it was still windy in the West Valley. When I got home from the run I checked the Cheeseboro RAWS, which is about 6 miles NNE of Malibu Creek State Park. Between 9:30 and 10:30, when it had been dead still on Crags Road, the Cheeseboro RAWS had recorded steady winds of 30 mph, gusting to as high as 50 mph!

The title photo is of windblown stratus on Santa Monica Bay with Palos Verdes Peninsula in the distance.

Some related posts: Malibu Creek State Park Scenic Loop, Vertical Relief

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

Best Trailhead to Start the Bulldog Loop?

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Goat Buttes and Century Lake and Gorge in Malibu Creek State Park.

There are several places runners can start the Bulldog Loop: the main parking lot at MCSP, Piuma & Malibu Canyon, and Malibu Canyon & Mulholland are all popular starting points.



One of the best trailheads for starting this loop is often overlooked — the Cistern Trail and Phantom Trail trailhead on Mulholland Highway. Starting at this trailhead adds about 1.5 mile and 500′ gain/loss to the standard 14+ mile loop. Less than a quarter-mile into the run this variation passes one of the best viewpoints in Malibu Creek State Park. 

The run begins on the Cistern Trail on the south side of Mulholland and follows that trail about a quarter-mile to the Lookout Trail junction. At the junction the route turns right on the Lookout Trail and follows it about 0.4 mile to the Cage Creek Trail, which leads down to Crags Road and the regular Bulldog Loop. Near the end of the loop, after climbing a hill and passing the spur trail down to Century Lake, the Lookout Trail is taken from Crags Road back up to the Cistern Trail and car.



Much of Malibu Creek State Park and the route of the Bulldog Loop can be seen from the Cistern Trail at the beginning of the run. There are excellent views of Reagan Ranch, Brents Mountain, Goat Buttes, Century Lake and Gorge on the way down the Cistern Trail and climbing back up the Lookout Trail at the end of the loop.

The run can be easily extended by tacking on the Yearling and Deer Leg Trails in the Reagan Ranch area or by doing the Phantom Loop when the Grasslands Trail & Crags Road junction is reached after passing the MCSP parking lot.

The title photo is of Goat Buttes and Century Lake & Gorge from this morning’s run of the loop.

Some related posts: Century Lake, Dam and Gorge on Malibu Creek, Malibu Creek State Park Scenic Loop, Vertical Relief

nature, nature|trees, photography, photography|landscape, running, trails, trails|malibu creek state park

Coast Redwoods Along the Forest Trail

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Coast redwoods along the Forest Trail in Malibu Creek State Park

It was a busy morning at Malibu and Piuma. The Trail Runners were doing the Secret Trail to Tapia; a Backbone Ultra training group was running a segment of the Backbone Trail; another runner was “trying to get back into shape” by doing multiple laps of the Bulldog loop.

I’d done my longer run yesterday. This morning I was looking to do some low impact miles, enjoy the outdoors, and take a few photos along the way. It was one of those “I’ll know where I’m going when I get there” kind of runs, and where that turned out to be was the Forest Trail along the south shore of Century Lake in Malibu Creek State Park.

Running the Forest Trail early in the morning, after a rain storm, as the sun breaks through the clouds, with coast redwoods marking the way was about as serene as a run can be.

Related post: Malibu Creek State Park Coast Redwoods

photography, photography|landscape, running, trails, trails|malibu creek state park

Lost Cabin

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Lost Cabin site Malibu Creek State Park

Even though it’s only 0.75 mile from the M*A*S*H site in Malibu Creek State Park the end of the Lost Cabin Trail feels a little like a portal to a lost world. Even those familiar with the park might not recognize their surroundings if they were unknowingly transported to this isolated point in Triunfo Canyon.

From my New Year’s run in Malibu Creek State Park.