nature, nature|weather, photography, photography|black & white, photography|trail running, running, trails, trails|topanga state park, weather, weather|southern california

Trippet Ranch Runner

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Runner at Trippet Ranch in Topanga State Park

When I turned the corner at the Trippet Ranch parking lot and started up the hill toward the Musch Trail, I did a double take. The road was wet and it looked like it had been raining!

While it wasn’t impossible that a rogue shower had been spawned from the deep layer of moisture flowing over the area, it was far more likely the road was just wet from on-again, off-again drizzle.

On the way over from the end of Reseda one thing is for sure — there had been no rain. The dirt roads and trails had been in great shape. It would have been an exaggeration to describe them as damp. Although cool and cloudy, the weather was excellent for running and I’d removed my sleeves miles ago.

The Trippet Ranch Loop is a favorite. I’d taken the fire roads out from the end of Reseda, now on the way back it would be almost entirely single track trail.

Some related posts: Trippet Ranch Oaks, Trippet Ranch Mule Deer, The Heavenly Ranch in the Hills, Ferns Along the Garapito Trail, Garapito Trail Runs

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

Morning Clouds and Sun from the Secret Trail

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View west this morning from the Secret Trail in Calabasas toward Castro Peak and part of Malibu Creek State Park

This morning while the northern half of California continued to be inundated by an atmospheric river, recording inches of rain, in western Los Angeles County temps were cool; there was a mix of sun and wintry-looking clouds; but no rain.

The view is west from the Secret Trail in Calabasas toward Castro Peak and part of Malibu Creek State Park.

running, running|gear

Hoka Mafate 2 Wrapup and Mafate 3 First Impressions

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Hoka One One Mafate 2 (left) and Mafate 3 Trail Running Shoes

Hoka One One Mafate 2 (left) and Mafate 3

Update July 1, 2018. I did get 1000 miles out of that first pair of Mafate 2s. As things worked out, the Mafate 3s were superseded by the Rapa Nui 2. The Rapa Nui 2 was a far more nimble shoe than the Mafate 2/3. The Rapa Nui 2 fit well, ran well and generally had good cushioning. In my experience the outsole wasn’t particularly durable. I had 10 pairs of Rapa Nui 2s, finally retiring my last pair in February 2018.

Since purchasing my first pair of Hoka One One Mafate 2s in October 2012 I have run in five pairs of Mafate 2s, and in December 2013 got my first pair of Mafate 3s:

Mafate 2 Pair #1 826 miles (Oct 2012)
Mafate 2 Pair #2 553 miles (Nov 2012)
Mafate 2 Pair #3 510 miles (Jan 2013)
Mafate 2 Pair #4 343 miles (Mar 2013)
Mafate 2 Pair #5 205 miles (Sep 2013)
Mafate 3 Pair #1 108 Miles (Dec 2013)

The Mafate 2s have been used in races ranging from 50K to 110K, for numerous trail runs in the mountains of Southern California, and for day to day training on local fire roads and trails.

Generally, the shoes have performed well and been durable. I’ve had no seam or sole blow-outs or other catastrophic failures. I’ve had no blisters. I’ve used the stock insole in all but one pair.

The Mafate 2 did have a problem that has been prevalent in just about every model of trail running shoe I’ve used — variation in cushioning. With 826 miles on them so far my first pair of Mafate 2s (title photo) have been phenomenal shoes. I may get a 1000 miles out of them. Even though Pair #5 of the Mafate 2s were purchased the most recently and have the least mileage, they have the worst cushioning. They were a decent pair of shoes — I ran the Kodiak 50M and Whiskey Flat Trail 50K in them — they just didn’t last.

Mafate 2 Pair #4 was used for an extravaganza of mountain running which included runs in the Angeles High Country, Sierra and ascending San Gorgonio Mountain three times in four weeks. The rocky, rough trails took their toll on the foam midsole, wearing it ragged and tearing a chunk from one of the toes. I still use the pair from time to time.

Another higher mileage issue with my Mafate 2s was that the fabric lining of the heel collar would wear through. This would leave a rough spot on the collar that wasn’t Achilles-friendly.

Enter the Mafate 3. It’s been my experience that manufacturers often screw up the design of a successful shoe when a new “improved” version of the shoe is released. Especially when said company has recently been acquired by a larger organization. In my opinion the Montrail Vitesse, arguably one of the most popular trail running shoes at the time, was ruined when Columbia Sportswear acquired Montrail.

Happily, this does not appear to be the case with the update of the Mafate 2 and the acquisition of Hoka One One by Deckers Outdoor Corporation. From what I can tell the design changes in the Mafate 3 are spot on.

I got my first pair of Mafate 3s over the holidays. Out of the box the shoes seemed to be more comfortable, with slightly more padding on the uppers and a bit more attention to the comfort of the interior of the shoe.

The Mafate 3 outsole is more narrow in the forefoot than its predecessor and as a result the shoe is a bit more nimble. The heel counter and collar has been redesigned. It fits better, is more comfortable, and looks like it will be more durable. A handy heel pull tab was also added.

One change I didn’t like is the Mafate 3s use Hoka’s speed-lacing system. I don’t have an inherent problem with speed-laces. I’ve used them successfully on a couple dozen pairs of the Salomon XT Wings I, II & III and other Salomon shoes. After one run I replaced the speed-lacing of the Mafate 3s with regular lacing. The substitute laces that came in the box were far too short, so I just used the laces from a retired pair of Mafate 2s. Much better!

The cushioning of my initial pair of Mafate 3s is very good, but only time, miles and multiple pairs will tell if the cushioning is more consistent than in the Mafate 2.

The Mafate 3 runs very well, and with the improvements made in the Mafate 3 it may very well be my favorite trail running shoe to date. I just ordered another pair!

nature, nature|clouds, nature|weather, photography, photography|landscape, running, weather

Wave Cloud Sunset

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Dissipating wave clouds provide fuel for a fiery sunset

Tuesday afternoon during a run to Las Virgenes Canyon a series of extraordinary wave clouds developed in the skies of Southern California. Over the course of the 90 minute run the clouds slowly shifted and changed, eventually beginning to dissipate and provide fuel for a fiery sunset.

As mentioned in the post Lenticular Wave Clouds, the unusual “flying saucer” appearance of wave clouds has long drawn attention, the clouds having been depicted in 15th century art.

Here are a few additional photographs of the wave clouds as they developed and then dissipated. More photographs and information about wave clouds will be found in the links below.

Related posts: Lenticular Wave Clouds, Atmospheric Dynamics, Mountain Weather

nature, nature|weather, photography, photography|wildflowers, running, weather, weather|southern california

Drizzle on Datura

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It may have only been drizzle and very isolated light showers, but after the 13 driest months on record in Los Angeles and 42 days without measurable rain — and counting — being able to run in the “rain” this afternoon felt incredible.

If all the comments on Facebook and Twitter about the relief of having a little drizzle are any indication, we must have a built-in sense of the need for rain, and crave it when we don’t get enough.

nature, nature|weather, photography, photography|landscape, photography|trail running, running, running|adventures, trails, trails|pt mugu state park, weather, weather|southern california

Backbone Trail Training 2014 – Kanan to Mishe Mokwa to Wendy Drive

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Backbone Trail Ultra Training Run #2 2014

Rock Formations Along Wet Fork Arroyo Sequit from the Backbone Trail

The Coyote Backbone Trail Ultra was one of the most enjoyable runs I did last year. The low key approach with the emphasis on the experience rather than the clock was the perfect fit for my first 100K+ run. To be able to run the entire Backbone Trail with great support, company and entertainment was fantastic.

Today’s run — the second of four 2014 Backbone Ultra training runs — was from Kanan Road to the Mishe Mokwa trailhead near Circle X. This approximately 15 mile segment is one of the most scenic on the Backbone Trail with expansive views and superlative sections of single track trail. The 850′ climb from Encinal Canyon to Etz Meloy Motorway is so well-graded you (almost) don’t realize you’re gaining elevation.

I was looking to get in some extra mileage and it turned out running cohort Ann Ongena was as well. Ann was marking the course for the training run, so the plan was to do the Kanan to Mishe Mokwa segment and then continue from Mishe Mokwa another 13 miles or so to the Wendy Drive trailhead in Newbury Park.



A little before dawn Backbone Ultra RD Howard Cohen dropped us off at the Kanan Road trailhead and then headed back to Mishe Mokwa to coordinate the training run. The temp at the trailhead was around 60 degrees, which is about 30 degrees warmer than last year’s frosty training run on this segment.

For some reason my GPS watch was a little slow to sync with the satellites, and while I waited Ann was already busy on the trail. Course markings don’t have to be numerous or obtrusive to be effective. The few markers she would place would be removed by Tres when he swept the course.



The run from Kanan to Mishe Mokwa went well. As has been the case too often this Winter, the weather was nearly ideal for running. Last year at this time Downtown Los Angeles had recorded 4.35 inches of rain for the water year (since July 1). That was well below average. This water year to date we’ve only recorded 0.97 inch of rain — a meager amount and less than in the record driest water year of 2006-2007.

On this run and all the runs I’ve been doing this Winter I’ve been looking at how the chaparral plants deal with drought. Generally, they reduce their water needs by not flowering, remaining dormant, dropping leaves, producing much smaller leaves, folding or rolling their leaves and in other ways. Some annuals simply don’t germinate. Some plants such as chamise, with its needle-like leaves, deal with drought well; others such as bush monkeyflower are barely recognizable.



As I reached the high point of the Yerba Buena segment of the BBT above Mishe Mokwa and Circle X I vividly recalled being there during last year’s Backbone Ultra. It was about 9:30 at night and I had been running for 15 hours. I could see the lights of the aid station in the valley below and then heard — or thought I heard — cheers for a runner reaching the aid station. Although barely audible, those cheers picked up my spirits as much as they did the runner reaching the aid station!

I didn’t hear any shouts from Mishe Mokwa this morning, but the thought made me smile. Overhead the layer of clouds which had been with us most of the morning was beginning to dissipate, and the temperature was beginning to climb. Across the valley Boney Mountain’s iconic rock formations stood in relief against a mackerel sky and I stopped a couple of times to photograph the scene.



At Mishe Mokwa we enjoyed the fare at Howard’s & Victoria’s rolling aid station and relaxed for a few minutes as a large group of hikers assembled and then started up the trail.

When marking a course it’s preferable that when the main group finishes the run the course-markers be comfortably ensconced in folding lounge chairs, an IPA in hand, sweat-free and looking as they have been there for hours. With more miles to cover I substituted a soda for the IPA and after about 10 leisurely minutes we followed in the hiker’s footsteps and continued up the Backbone Trail to a busy Sandstone Peak — the highest peak in the Santa Monica Mountains.

After spending a few minutes on the summit of the popular peak we worked over to the west junction of the Tri Peaks Trail, then down the Chamberlain, Old Boney and Blue Canyon trails to Sycamore Canyon. Here we left the Backbone Trail and enjoyed a little easy running up Sycamore Canyon to the Upper Sycamore Trail. Upper Sycamore ends at Danielson Road, which we followed to Satwiwa and trails that connect to Wendy Drive.

Some related posts: Backbone Trail Training 2014 – Stunt to Kanan, Backbone Ultra – Training Run #2 (2013), Backbone Ultra 2013

Photography and inspiration from running and other adventures in the Open Space and Wilderness areas of California, and beyond. No ads. All content, including photography, is Copyright © 2006-2024 Gary Valle. All Rights Reserved.