Following last year’s drought-induced hiatus goldfields are once again blooming in profusion on Lasky Mesa. The little yellow “belly flowers” tend to grow in low spots and along paths where rain water pools.
Ahmanson 12K Preview
Race director Nancy Shura-Dervin picked a great year, and as it looks now, a great weekend for the inaugural running of the Ahmanson 12K Trails event.
The hills are lush and green; wildflowers are in bloom; valley oaks are sprouting fresh green leaves; and it’s looking like race day may be one of those “gotta run” kind of days.
According to today’s NWS forecast the area will see dry and warmer weather beginning Tuesday and continuing through race day. While there could be a remnant puddle here or there, four days will be plenty of time for the dirt roads to (mostly) dry out. The Cheeseboro RAWS automated weather station can be used to get an idea of the current weather in the vicinity of the race course.
Over the past 10 years I’ve logged approximately 6000 miles at Ahmanson Ranch (now Upper Las Virgenes Canyon Open Space Preserve) and the loop Nancy has selected for the course is a variation of a favorite.
Here’s a Google Earth overview of the 12K course and a preliminary elevation-corrected profile generated in SportTracks. The course is about 7.4 miles long with an elevation gain of about 740 feet. (Note: The loop is run in the clockwise direction.)
Lasky Mesa has long been used to shoot movies, television, commercials, music videos, and even Internet games. Its wildland character and expansive views bely its urban location. For a few weeks one summer the Mission Impossible III bridge was a Lasky Mesa landmark. The aesthetically-shaped valley oak at the west end of Lasky Mesa is a favorite of production companies and I’ve spotted it in more than one commercial.
The Ahmanson 12K should be an outstanding event on an excellent course in conditions we haven’t seen at Ahmanson in several years.
For more information and photos see the Trail Run Events web site and the Upper Las Virgenes Canyon Open Space Preserve web site.
Some related posts: 10th Anniversary of the Acquisition of Ahmanson Ranch, Coyote Tag, It Was So Muddy That…, Ahmanson Ranch Trail Runs
Chumash Trail Clouds and Sun
Instability associated with an upper low resulted in some pop-up showers and thunderstorms today.
As I ran up the Chumash Trail on the east side of the Simi Valley I kept a close eye on a cell that developed near Ladyface in the Agoura Hills. That cell didn’t track as much to the east as I thought it might, but other cells were developing to the east and south of Rocky Peak and Santa Susana Pass area and at one point I heard the rumble of thunder.
As it worked out, I only had a few sprinkles on the run, but drove home in the rain!
San Fernando Valley Morning Clouds
The rising sun illuminates a translucent layer of cloud trapped by a shallow inversion in the San Fernando Valley. The mid-level clouds above are associated with a system that brought heavy rain to much of California, but would only produce showers in the Los Angeles area.
From Saturday’s trail run to Trippet Ranch from the End of Reseda (Marvin Braude Mulholland Gateway Park).
Related post: Garapito Trail Runs
Peonies Along the Garapito Trail
California peony (Paeonia californica) on an east-facing slope along the Garapito Trail in Topanga State Park. From Saturday’s trail run to Trippet Ranch from the End of Reseda (Marvin Braude Mulholland Gateway Park).
Some related posts: Trippet Ranch Wildflower Run, Garapito Trail Runs, Garapito Trail Green
Trippet Ranch Clouds & Sun
View across Trippet Ranch past Topanga Canyon to Hondo Canyon and Saddle Peak.
The wildflowers in the foreground are wild cucumber (Marah macrocarpa) and Ceanothus (probably Ceanothus megacarpus).
Related post: Trail Run to Trippet Ranch, Hondo Canyon and Saddle Peak