The Angeles Crest 100 Mile Run has always been considered a challenging 100 miler. This year it’s going to be even more challenging. Because of trail closures related to the Bobcat Fire and subsequent heavy runoff, this year’s course will be from Wrightwood, out to Shortcut Saddle, and back.
One of the main reasons it will be more difficult is that the course will, on average, be at higher altitude. According to Google Earth, the average elevation of previous AC100 courses has been around 5100′-5300′. This year’s course averages nearly 6900′.
Another big difference is that in the last 25 miles there will be two tough climbs on the highest sections of the course — the climb from Islip Saddle to Baden-Powell, and the climb from Vincent Gap to Blue Ridge.
And, as if that wasn’t enough, most calculate that the cumulative elevation gain is greater on the 2022 course than previous courses. The estimated elevation gain on the AC100 website for this year’s course is 23,228′.
Because of the increased difficulty, cutoff times have been adjusted and the overall time to complete the course has been increased to 36 hours — from 5:00 a.m Saturday morning to 5 p.m. Sunday afternoon.
The elevation profile of the 2022 AC100 course (PDF) was created in SportTracks from the GPX file on the AC100 website. The profile uses elevations corrected with pkan’s Elevation Correction Plugin and 3DEP 1-meter Lidar-based DEMs and a conservative elevation data smoothing setting.
Placemark locations, mileages, and elevation gains and losses are approximate. See the AC100 website for much more information and details. For comparison, here is an elevation profile from the 2017 AC100. Note that the 2017 profile was created using a GPS track from a runner and calibrated using lower resolution (1/3 arc-second) DEMs.
The race starts on August 6, 2022 at 5:00 a.m. in Wrightwood, California. There is a button/link for Runner Live Tracking on the AC100 Home Page. If you are participating, have a great race!
Crest and clouds on the Pacific Crest Trail at 8900′ near Mt. Burnham in the San Gabriel Mountains. From Saturday’s 30 mile training run on the PCT and AC100 course.
Cirrocumulus undulatus clouds
Temps were a bit more manageable on Saturday than Sunday. Saturday the Big Pines RAWS (6964′) recorded a high of 79°F with an “in the sun” temperature of around 101°F. Sunday the Big Pines high was 89°F with a sizzling “in the sun” temperature of about 109°F.
In addition to the air temperature many Remote Automated Weather Stations (RAWS) report the fuel temperature. The air temperature is the temperature inside a ventilated, sun-shielded enclosure approximately 6 ft. off the ground. The fuel temperature is the temperature of a pine dowel in full sun near the ground. The fuel temperature is a good indicator of the much higher temperature runners and hikers can experience in exposed areas facing the sun.
A couple of weekends ago we had cool weather for a 28 mile Angeles Crest 100 training run from Islip Saddle to Chilao Flat. It was a bit windy and chilly at Islip Saddle, but once we were up and over the shoulder of Mt. Williamson the wind settled down and the weather for the remainder of the run was near perfect.
This was the second of four supported AC100 training runs, each covering a different section of the course. These organized runs account for just a tiny fraction of the total mileage a runner does to prepare for this event, and much of the mileage is done on the AC100 course.
Where is the AC100 course? Incorporating segments of iconic trails such as the Pacific Crest Trail, Silver Moccasin Trail and Gabrielino Trail, the AC100 starts in the mountain community of Wrightwood, California and ends in Altadena near JPL, traversing a large part of the San Gabriel Mountains.
Mountain weather — even Los Angeles County mountain weather — can be extremely varied and changeable. At about mile 18 the AC100 course reaches an elevation of more than 9,200′, near the summit of Mt. Baden-Powell. On the same day temperatures on the course can differ by 50 degrees or more. One section can be inundated by a flash flood while another is bone dry. During a Spring training run it might be 100 in the sun at Echo Mountain, while it is snowing on Baden-Powell.
Annotated Mt. Wilson Towercam Image
The Mt. Wilson Towercam is usually pointed in the direction of the Angeles high country. When it is, it provides a great overview of about two-thirds of the AC100 course. The view extends from the top of the Acorn Trail at about mile 4 (in the distance on the far right), along the crest past Mt. Baden-Powell, Throop Peak, Twin Peaks and Waterman Mountain to Three Points at about mile 43. Chilao is hidden from view, but the Charlton Flat area and a section of Edison Road is visible on the left. Newcomb Saddle, at about mile 68, is on the lower right. Here’s an annotated Towercam image that shows the approximate location of these features.
Bill Westphal’s Altadena Weather & Webcam gives a lower elevation view of the San Gabriels, near the AC100 Finish. The view is NE toward the Sunset Ridge Trail and Mt. Lowe Road, around mile 93 or 94. The course goes from the right of the photo to the left, but is mostly hidden from view.
If you are willing to jump through some Java security hoops the Mountain Hardware Live Interactive Cam in Wrightwood is a couple blocks from the AC100 Start. It has views of downtown Wrightwood, Wright Mountain, the Heath Canyon landslide, Blue Ridge and several other locations. I temporarily enabled Java and followed the troubleshooting info linked on the web cam page. I’ve been able to get it to work on a desktop system using Firefox or Internet Explorer. Note that enabling Java and adding non-secure URLs to the Java exceptions list decreases the security of your computer.
Following are several Remote Automated Weather Stations (RAWS) and Weather Underground Personal Weather Stations (PWS) along or near the AC100 course, in order from Start to Finish.
It is important to note that the air temperature given by RAWS stations is the temperature inside a sun-shielded, ventilated enclosure 4-8 feet off the ground. Basically it’s the temperature in light shade. The temperature in full sun can be 15°F higher. I’ve found the “Fuel Temperature” to be a better gage of how hellish it’s going to be on exposed areas of trail. (The Fuel Temperature is the temperature of a ponderosa pine dowel in direct sun.)
Big Pines BPNC1 RAWS (6964′) – Off Hwy 2 near Mountain High Ski Area. Top of Mt. Baden-Powell can be 12+ degrees cooler and much more windy. Was 64°F at 6:54 a.m. for 2015 AC100. Fuel temp at 11:54 a.m. was 92°F.
Chilao CHOC1 RAWS (5450′) – Approximately 1.25 miles WNW of Chilao aid. Fuel temp at 1:53 pm was 95°F for 2015 AC100. Air temp at 6:53 pm was 79°F.
Clear Creek CEKC1 RAWS (3000′) – Approximately 6.8 miles W of Shortcut Aid (~4793′) and 2.9 miles W of Red Box Aid (~4620′). Was 71°F at 8:54 p.m. for 2015 AC100.
Mt. Wilson MWSC1 (5710′) – Approximately 1.5 miles NW of and 780′ above the top of Mt. Wilson Toll Road (~4930′). Compare to JPL 5600′. Was 69°F at midnight for 2015 AC100.
Henninger Flats HNGC1 RAWS (2800′) – Approximately 0.8 miles WSW of Idlehour Aid (~3168′). Marine layer can increase humidity on this section of the course. Was 69-70°F from 4 a.m. to 7 a.m. for 2015 AC100. Fuel temp was 89°F by 11a.m.
Altadena KCAALTAD18 PWS (1214′) – Approximately 0.6 miles S of Finish. For 2015 AC100 temp ranged from 66°F at 2 a.m. to 63°F at sunrise. Temp was 79°F at 9 a.m., 82°F at 11 a.m., and 86°F at 1 p.m. Humidity was high with dew point about 70°F.
The day before the Angeles Crest 100, after checking in for the race in Wrightwood, I drove over to Inspiration Point to have lunch, go for a short hike, and enjoy being in the mountains. The day was exceptional.
Lightning Ridge skyline and clouds
Pine Mountain and Mt. Baldy from Lightning Ridge
Blue Ridge, Pine Mountain and Mt. Baldy from Lightning Ridge
Sulphur flower
Mt. Baden-Powell from Lightning Ridge
PCT near Inspiration Point
Sulphur flower along PCT near Inspiration Point
PCT marker at Inspiration Point
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