June Gloom – Bring It On

That time of year has arrived, the time that we on the Southern California coast call June Gloom.  Several years in my twenty plus years in The O.C. we haven’t seen the sun for the entire month of June.  Tourists hate it.  They expect the resort beach towns to be warm and sunny during June.  I, well, I have to admit, I like it.  The air was so full of moisture this morning, puddles formed on the walkways.  The breeze was cool, almost cold.  Still, I wore shorts and short sleeves for my run, because I knew just about ten minutes in, I’d be warm enough.

I decided on a loop starting down Wood Canyon, one of my usual loops.  Today, I noticed immediately, was one of those days that everything was beautiful.  Not sure if it was the June Gloom, or if it was that I was just so dang happy to run trails.  I noticed a nest stuck up on the kiosk, literally stuffed with birdies.  I crept in close, but not too close, for a picture.  Last thing I wanted was to panic the little critters and make one of them fall out of the nest.  I also spotted two deer (in different locations) on Wood Canyon Trail.  They lazily grazed as I ran up the trail, seemingly unaffected by my approach. 

Wood Canyon (if you’ve been in Wood Canyon, and it didn’t look like this, try entering the park from the other end – off Canyon Vistas, and not via Aliso Creek Road, by the ranger station).

Birdies huddled together in kiosk nest

Mountain Lion food

I ran to the end of Wood Canyon.  Then I back-tracked a tiny bit to Meadows Trail for a nice run up, up, up to the top.  Beginning my climb, I noticed a mountain biker about half way up, and I thought to myself, “pass him.”  That trail is tough to run up, even tougher to bike up.  I’ve seen many a mountain biker walk his bike up, so it’s not that difficult to pass a biker, even one with such a head start.  But it’s not easy.  About half way up, I forgot about the biker, as I had lost sight of him.  Then about five minutes later, I turned a corner and there he was drinking from his camelback, standing next to his bike.  When I passed him, he didn’t seem happy.  Maybe he was, but he didn’t respond to my head nod, and he had kind of a sour look on his face.  Poor guy.  I know exactly how it is.  Anyway, he hoped on his bike, and if I didn’t know better, I’d think he was trying to pass me.  He never did.

Here we go again!  Entering Meadows Trail (HUNDREDS of bees swarm about me at this moment)

Top of Meadows Trail, ah, ya right!  Not gonna mess up my loop!

Looking back down on Meadows Trail (Aliso Canyon mid picture)

Pausing for a pose at Top of the World

9.60 miles happily, joyfully run this morning