Sunday, September 1, 2019
Altered Version of The Big Loop @ Aliso
Monday, July 29, 2019
The Way to do Summer Trails
There is where my heart is (hint: those mountains in the background. It's just too darn hot for me there right now).
Saturday, July 20, 2019
One Foot In Front Of The Other
Coyote Run Trail
Monday, July 15, 2019
Goats at Top of the World!
Wednesday, November 14, 2018
No Time to Post–But I’m Gonna Anyway! (Wood Cyn)
Super-duper behind on everything, literally everything in my life. But I do manage to get in my hikes here and again. This one was from over a week ago (Nov. 4) – I took a nice little stroll through Wood Canyon in Aliso Viejo, with a detour onto Wood Creek and Cave Rock trails. It was lovely and quite therapeutic. I saw 2 coyotes and 5 deer – and all at once. Alas, I was not able to retrieve my camera fast enough. Also, it suddenly came to me to check out the creek for crawdads, because it’s fall! And that’s when the crawdads show their faces. I’ve been searching out crawdads since I was 17 years old when my husband and I started dating. We used to catch them in Walnut Creek in Covina California and put them in his aquariums. Sure enough on this hike, I found several walking about the creek floor on my way out. On the way back however, I checked again, and those orange fresh water crustaceans had completely disappeared. I did catch a picture of the crawdads who appeared to be angrily waving their claws at me, and I caught a lot of other cool pictures of this lovely, local canyon named Wood Canyon. I’ll just let them tell the story because I don’t have any time. None. Zero. Zilch!
7.75 miles
Wood Canyon Trail:Wood Creek Trail:My Crawdad friends (look closely through the water):Cave Rock Trail (a hidden gem in Wood Cyn):
Tuesday, December 20, 2011
I Don’t Need No Stinkin’ Camera (Yes I do!)
Sunday night I drove the household crazy with neurotic behavior trying to fix my cameras. I was wrong in my last blog when I said that I’ve killed two cameras on the trail. I forgot about the first camera I killed on the trail. It was during my first long distance trail race, my first Calico Ghost Town race. (Calico Trail Run 2009 – who knows how long MySpace is going to keep my old blogs up : ) I have killed THREE cameras on the trail.
There I sat Sunday night, trying to align the lenses on two of my broken cameras. Beep, beep, beep. Beep, beep, beep. Next thing I knew, I was unscrewing tiny screws and taking the newest of my broken cameras apart, which completely unnerved my husband. “You need to do that at a table . . . you need better light.”
Yikes! I was about to hit the roof. THE CAMERA IS BROKEN. Who cares if I lose a screw or mess up. But I just may luck out and get that lens to snap back into place. Thing was, after dismantling the camera, I couldn’t get the lens to extend. And so, DUH! I put the battery in the camera, and while messing around I gave myself a good shock! Or shall I say, bad shock?
That was that with the camera. I wept over my shock scare and for my silly loss and went to bed.
I woke this morning (Tuesday) and went for a much needed run in Aliso/Wood Canyons. I didn’t dare bring hubby’s professional camera. I’d kill that camera for sure, it’s just so huge. It really didn’t matter that much anyway, it’s not like I haven’t taken thousands of pictures of these trails.
The weather was cold, the park festive with runners, bikers and hikers. I wore my pack, not because I needed it (because there’s a place to refill a handheld at Top of the World). I wore my pack because I prefer to run empty-handed. And though I didn’t have my camera in my vest pockets, I had my phone – my cracked and beat-up phone which has a camera. It even has a video camera. Ha! (Why is my phone cracked and beat-up – ahhhhhh, because I’ve dropped it countless times).
Running Aliso Creek Trail ready to disappear into the fog:
I ran up Meadows this morning, the trail that use to taunt me. And I ran up it with relative ease. It’s a beautiful trail. I’m happy to have conquered it. This morning it was like a spoonful of medicine.
I ran across Top of the World with joy in my heart. I was making good time. So good, that I thought that I’d extend my loop a little and run West Ridge to Rock It.
Occasionally all the things that I need to do would pop into my mind. But the trails pretty much succeeded in wiping my mind clean. Ah, a blank mind, just simply in the moment. LOVE IT!
Breakfast at Top of the World:
West Ridge view of Modjeska and Santiago Peaks:
For new visitors, this is the most exciting section of Rock It. For returning visitors, here’s YET ANOTHER PICTURE of Rock It Trail:
Finishing off Rock It Trail leading to Coyote Run:
Finishing up Coyote Run:
Another glorious trail run this holiday season. Stay-tuned, as I've joined Jessica Deline’s challenge Streaking in the New Year.
Miles run: 11.18 (approx. 18 km)
Wednesday, November 2, 2011
That’s Not Runnin’, That’s Playin’
I had this week’s workouts all planned, two “short” runs, two gym days. Then I would rest on Friday before the big day: SATURDAY. (Yikes!).
Monday, I got the boys off to school then returned home and got back in bed. I slept until 12:30 PM. TWELVE. THIRTY. I guess I was tired. No run on Monday. No gym on Monday.
Okay, so change of plans: two “short” runs and one gym day.
Tuesday morning, I got a 7:10 AM call to substitute teach. Not being in the position to turn down work, I took the job and afterward drove to my regular job for a very long work day. No run on Tuesday. No gym on Tuesday.
My carefully laid-out plans for this week’s workouts were shot in just two days. This morning I had to admit something to myself. Training for Saddleback is OVER. There’s nothing I can really gain (except for some rest) that will prepare me any more for Saturday.
And so today I laced up my shoes, strapped on my pack and hit the trails for some fun running. Actually, it was more like playing. But isn’t all running really playing? I know I get a little serious about it at times, as if it’s my lifeline, but really I just want to have fun. That’s why I love trail running so much – because it’s fun!
I’m kind of glad my plans were shot. Otherwise, I may have not got in such a fun run.
Heading up Wood Creek Trail, it’s still a bit chilly:
By the number of spider webs I broke through, I could tell I was the first runner on Wood Creek Today:
Dozens of these enormous webs hung high throughout the wooded trails:
The sun warms up this single track (Coyote Run) as hundreds if not thousands (seriously) of crows gawk and fly about from tree to tree:
View of Wood Canyon and Coyote Run below from the Nature Loop Trail that brought me high above the creek and to this awesome view of new green growth:
Some delightful feathery blooms:
Photo Op on Cave Rock Trail against THE rock:
Entering Meadows Trail with no anxiety over the approaching climb:
Approaching top of Meadows Trail and look what’s in the distance – hint: Saddleback Marathon:
Top of Meadows showing off Pacific Ocean (Laguna Beach) with an awkward pose :
Top of the World and feeling great!:
Heading back to truck along West Ridge (notice background – Saturday!!):