TALES FROM THE TRAIL (AND SOMETIMES THE ROAD TOO)

Tuesday, July 27, 2010

My Old Friend Mathis

Building up my long run, I cut Tuesday's run short and went for a small loop at Aliso/Wood Canyons Wilderness Park.  Of course I ran to Top of the World, because I want those hills.  The skies were gray which meant cool and misty weather.  Perfecto.  The park was virtually empty -- of people that is.  Squirrels and rabbits scampered about the trails.  And coyotes yelped off of Aliso Creek Trail as well as Wood Canyon.

I ran up a trail that I haven't taken in a long time -- Mathis Canyon Trail.  I remember the first time I ran, crawled, make that, kinda hiked up Mathis Trail.  It was my first trail run in Aliso/Woods, I believe my second trail run, period just about two years ago.  I thought Mathis would never end. 

Today, I thoroughly enjoyed my morning loop.  I picked up my speed down Meadows Trail, took it faster than last time.  I ran back to the Ranger station feeling strong, with plenty of water still in my pack.

Featured Trail of the Day:

Miles ran this morning: 9.08

5 comments:

  1. Great use of music in the second half of the video. Is Mathis still a wide fireroad? It looks like it has narrowed. Nice to be at the top.

    Can you comment while running? You could cut down the time of your video if you put some text at the start and comment while running.

    I ran on the Turtle Ridge Trails this evening. I haven't run on them in a long time. I wish I brought my camera. The views were fantastic tonight.

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  2. Nice video Lauren! I've never gone all the way up Mathis. I've only gone as far as the turn off toward Dripping Cave. How does it compare to Cholla?

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  3. Thanks Eric. I think Mathis looks narrower because of the brush growth. But it is still a pretty wide fireroad.

    I could comment while running if I weren't running UPHILL : )

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  4. Thanks Glenn! You have to go to the top of Mathis, especially now that you've done the Harding Hustle -- Mathis will be easy compared to that. I think Mathis is much harder than Cholla, basically because it's longer (and overall, I believe much more of an elevation gain). But there are also more flat and little downhill areas on Mathis. In the springtime Mathis is gorgeous -- very colorful with wildflowers, where Cholla is more like a desert trail.

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  5. Oh, and Eric, I tend to think of Mathis as only the uphill portion -- the uphill is all fireroad, but before that, there's some single track. Maybe that's what you were referring to.

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