Earthy Colors

Behind (as usual) in life. Heat is rising in Southern California, so I’m staying in close to the ocean as my way of coping with it. July 6, I managed to get out pretty late in the afternoon and took a rather lazy hike in Wood Canyon (Aliso Viejo, CA) with some lovely, hot-weathered detours.

Did I say that it was hot?

Anyway, I decided to try out a pair of men’s New Balance trail shoes that I picked up at the San Clemente Outlets on this particular hike since I’d only be out for a few hours. New Balance is my brand, has been for about twenty years and the tread on my current pair is running thin. I decided to give this men’s style a try because I really liked the green earthy colors and they were only thirty dollars, which is quite a steal for trail shoes. Often, the female trail shoes have colors that are too flashy for me.

So into Wood Canyon I lazily made my way and first thing I really noticed was how high the shoe rides up on my ankle. It felt odd, and I’m not sure that I like it. I definitely don’t hate it – it’s not a deal breaker, but I’m thinking these aren’t going to be one of my favorite pairs of shoes. In all though, they weren’t terribly uncomfortable. And I do believe that this is the second time that I learned that I don’t like the cut of men’s trail shoes. I caught glimpses of memories of another pair of men’s trail shoes that I bought many, many years ago (again because of the earthy colors!) as I hiked along Wood Canyon that day.

I got in about 7 and 1/2 miles on July 6, with not much elevation gain (<1k), but it was lovely. I took in some shady detours, the first one being 5 Oaks (which I rarely take, but I wanted to take a look at the newly built bridges and trail reinforcements). On the return, I detoured onto the lonesome Coyote Run Trail and and the spooky Wood Creek Trail that is almost completely covered in forest. The hike of course ended with cool summer ocean breezes which made taking off in the afternoon so worth it!

The Canopy of Wood Canyon

  Along 5 Oaks TrailCoyote Run Trail

The Bridge Over Wood Creek to Wood Creek Trail

Sometimes A Run Doesn’t “Do It”

Today I planned my lackadaisical run instead of a long run.  That is I could run where I wanted, basically run for the joy of it, no pressure, no time constraints.  Thing was . . . I wasn’t feeling much joy.  In fact, I felt downright groggy and depressed.  A run, I thought surely would pull me out.  It usually does.  Especially a lackadaisical run.

The runner I ran in with at the Saddleback Marathon last November told me that he runs up the opposite side of Canyon Vistas to catch a trail that takes him up to the two water towers.  At the top, he catches Five Oaks Trail, the one trail in Aliso/Wood Canyons Park I have not run in its entirety.

That intrigued me and I’ve been wanting to explore ever since.  I couldn’t find the trail though this morning.  Looking back, I should have run up to the neighborhoods and met up with the trail that way.  Instead, I ran down a muddy slope and ran the storm drains until it stopped or masses of fallen trees blocked my passage.  Then I slipped and slid down to the next storm drain, until I finally came out to a road.  And there up, above me, stood the two gigantic water towers high up on a hill.

Making My Way To the Towers

Following several mountain bikers onto the closed trail, I ran up slope thick with mud.  I quickly passed the bikers, as they had to walk their bikes the mud was so slick.  They caught up at the top as I snapped a couple pictures.  Then I watched as they flew down Five Oaks Trail.  I followed behind, taking my time down that steep trail.  My mind was blank.

Five Oaks Trail From Top To Bottom

When I hit Wood Canyon, my run pretty much dragged on.  And I actually felt some anxiety approaching Mathis Trail.  But I ran up it, no problem.  I’m not saying that I took it like a bullet or even ran my fastest pace.  I’m just saying that I ran it peacefully, without stress, enjoying the scenery. 

Flowers Along Mathis Trail

Relief hit when I made it to Top of the World, because that meant I WAS GOING HOME.  Today wasn’t a good day for a run that’s all I can say.  But I did it.  I just didn’t have the umph to push.  And I would have much rather spent the day in bed sleeping.  I should track Day Light Saving Time changes and see if the days are usually this draggy for me.   I can’t deny though, that the my views on this run were a great pleasure to take in.  They weren’t enough to pull me from a gloomy mood though.

From Park Ave. Nature Trail

Mustard Seed Plants Along West Ridge Trail

Miles logged today:  8 miles

Elevation Profile:  +1,589

Five Oaks Trail

I have a love/hate relationship with hills. I love running them, I hate running them, I love running them, I hate running them. I can narrow it down a bit more: I hate running the first three-quarters of a big hill (mile plus kind of hill), and love the last quarter. And I love, love, love, reaching the top.

So when my doctor asked, "Can you not run any hills until this IT band is cleared up?" I politely responded, "No." It was like OUT OF THE QUESTION. He compromised, "How about train on flat trails for now, races go ahead and do hills." I politely responded again, "No." With a smile on my face of course. And then I got to thinking, maybe I should at least cut down the hills. (It's not like I'm a serious athlete or anything-- I do this for fun!)

Tuesday's Top of the World run therefore, was not to the Top of the World. I don't think Tom believed me when I said that I'd run to the end of Wood Canyon and back with him, a relatively flat run. He said that I didn't say it very assuredly (I'm not sure if he used that word. I'm not sure if that is a word : )

Needless to say, it was a lovely "flat run" along Wood Canyon Trail. I put the quotes around flat because now I call that trail flat. Put me on it before I started trail running, you'd find me blubbering in the dirt, crying, "You call this flat???"

One of my favorite spots on Wood Canyon Trail, where you just might see a deer:

We turned around where Wood Canyon hits Cholla Trail, and I wasn't at all missing climbing up that thing. It was a delight in fact, knowing I was going to turn my back on that hell of a climb, a delight to feel no burning in the hip. Tom probably didn't believe that I really wasn't running to the top until that point when we turned around and headed back.

Being the mileage junkie that I am though (and I have been so low lately), we took a detour up Five Oaks Trail, one of the few that I don't have marked off on the MASTER MAP (a crinkled up map that I keep on the back kitchen counter where I highlight all the trails I've run in Aliso and Wood Canyons. My goal: highlight every inch of trail).

Anyway, what a pleasant surprise Five Oaks is! What started off as a dry, sunny trail, turned into a lovely shady, mainly leaf-littered-single-track. It ran along a dry creek bed, where water obviously spilled over some boulders during the wet season. After climbing up some wood plank steps, out of the shaded grove, we turned around, with the promise, "We'll be back", to conquer the rest of that trail that continued, up, up, up : )

Five Oaks Trail:


Miles logged Tuesday A.M.: 9.66