Movement

May 27, 2020, it was Thursday last week that I set out pretty late in the morning for local trails once again. FINALLY. What a glorious day for a person stricken with wanderlust. The Shelter-in-Place has certainly accentuated something that I already knew. And that is: “getting out” is important. I like movement. I like scenery passing by and ground moving beneath my feet. I’ve often called it my medicine, but it’s also sort of an addiction.

There are some people who are “home bodies” and I know and love many of them. My father is a home body – he is perfectly content staying home most of the time. My husband too is a home body, and so are many other people that I know. That’s not to say that they don’t like to get out and travel – they do. But home bodies like to spend most of their time at home.  I am not a home body. Don’t get me wrong.  I love to be home. I enjoy being home. But overall, I am more content planning for an adventure (a mild adventure, nothing too wild!). What it really comes down to though is movement, on putting miles beneath my feet.

So, on Thursday, I tied a face mask on my pack and paid $3 to park at the Aliso/Woods Cyns parking lot. The crowds have thinned out now that restrictions have been lifted. I barely saw a dozen people the entire trip. It was a warm day and a tough hike for me. I wasn’t quite up for 10+ miles, but I gleefully did it and enjoyed the muscle fatigue the next day.

All this time away from the trails and I did not miss all the spring flowers. There’s still flowers throughout the canyons as we come closer to summer. I recall we got lots of rain at the beginning of Shelter-in-Place. In fact, it was pouring rain on the last day I worked on campus. Anyway, I digress. It was a gorgeous spring day in Aliso Viejo and Laguna Beach, California last Thursday (thanks to all that rain in March, April and even May!)

Cave Rock

Aliso Cyn – Wood Cyn – Cholla Trail – West Ridge – Mathis – Wood Cyn – Cave Rock – Wood Cyn – Aliso Cyn

10.64 miles, 1,209’ elevation gain

Car Wreck/Rock-It Loop

March 19 (Thursday) Social Distancing was the talk of the town, but there was still no official shelter-in-place order. I had been converting all my classes to online and learning the software that I would be recording my lectures (Zoom). And so when we had another break in the rain, I was eager to take a break from work and headed on off to Aliso Canyon where the fields were green, but the skies were gray. The parking lot at the ranger station was closed but there was plenty of room to park on the street and in the church parking lot across the street. There were other cars parked about with hikers and mountain bikers -- I'd say 20 to 30. But this wilderness park is about 4500 acres. So if each of those cars had 2 people each, that'd be 60 people in a 4500 acre area, which of course means you stand a good chance of not seeing a single other person there.

The park itself was open, I confirmed by talking with a ranger. And then minutes later, as I was headed out toward Aliso Creek Trail, the rain began to fall. I hurried beneath the structure that houses a piece of historic farm equipment, hoping to wait it out. It was cold windy wind, so I took a gamble and headed off into the native plant garden to a couple of benches that I recalled beneath some trees that overlooked Aliso Creek. What I didn't remember was that those trees were deciduous, which means the benches were completely exposed this time of year (no leaves!). By the time I made it back to my truck in the church parking lot, I was pretty drenched. Fortunately, I was wearing a pair of quick-dry hiking shorts, and I had a dry beanie waiting to replace the drenched one upon my head.

I checked my weather app to see that this storm would be passing and leaving a wide area open for slight rain, or no rain at all. And I just sat there for a while in my truck, taking in the few people here and there scurrying into their cars. Twenty to thirty cars may seem like a lot for this pre-shelter-in-place "Social Distancing" phase we were in. But it's really not for this park on a spring day (and spring break for many), you could easily see 5 times as many people. I finally felt dry enough to venture out of the truck. It was about 11:30 am. I was still on spring break, and the next week, more after that, I was working from home, so I had time to get in a hike, and so grateful I was for that. The dark rain clouds at last parted and Aliso Canyon looked like this:

Aliso Creek was roaring

In Wood Canyon, about to cross over Wood Creek

Because I set out so late on this hike/run (but mainly hike), I decided against the Big Loop or any version thereof. Instead, I decided to head up Wood Canyon, turn off on Mathis, then before the big climb up Mathis, turn off onto Oak Grove Trail. This lovely green and wooded trail leads to a land of fairies and magical spells, a wrecked car from long ago (now destroyed from vandals) and a magnificently steep trail that climbs back up to Mathis (near West Ridge). I don't often find myself on Car Wreck, as it is quite difficult going up. But on this particular day, that kind of uphill climbing was just what I needed.

Kickin' Back on this Bizarrely Placed Bench on Oak Grove Trail

 

Car Wreck Trail

A tiny bit of rain came down on Car Wreck Trail. And surprisingly, I met up with two separate groups of people, each consisting with about 4 people (I think the first group had 5). That's quite unusual. As empty as this park was, I would have figured that one of the most remote trails (like Car Wreck) would have had no people sightings. I did some live video going up Car Wreck (it really is that fun of a trail!). And then at Mathis and West Ridge, I found the trails desolate once again.

I elected to head back via Rock-It and Coyote Run Trails. I saw a couple of people off in the distance on RockIt Trail. I don't recall any others. The park was pretty desolate. 4,500 acres is a lot of land. What a beautiful day it was!

Rock-It

Small Big Loop @ Aliso

This past Friday, I got out for a version of the Big Loop at Aliso/Woods Canyon Wilderness with a friend. We attacked this ("small") version of the Big Loop clockwise. Generally, I do the Big Loop counterclockwise being that I have time to warm up and the climb is more gradual in this direction. Going clockwise means getting most of the climbing done relatively soon and going UP Meadows which is a struggle (but well worth it!).

The weather was absolutely perfect and the scenery was gorgeous (it always is gorgeous but on this particular day it was more gorgeous than normal. As you can see from below (I know -- too many pictures! Alas, it is my sickness.)

Once again, there was lots of good medicine to be had out there on the trails! 

Miles: 9.3 with 1,319' of elevation gain. Route: AlisoCyn / WoodCyn / Meadows / Top of the World / West Ridge / Mathis / WoodCyn / AlisoCyn

View of Saddleback Mountains from Meadows Trail

Almost to the top of Meadows Trail

Finally, the Meadows climb comes to an end!

Pacific Ocean from top of Meadows Trail

View of Top of the World from Meadows Trail

Lupin at the top of Meadows Trail

More gorgeous views (leaving the park to re-enter at Alta Laguna Park, near West Ridge Trail)

View of Saddleback Mtns (once again!) from West Ridge

On Mathis (I think!)

One More Big Loop Before Calico

Yesterday, Monday, January 20 was Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, a federal holiday in the United States. Normally, I teach at two schools on Mondays -- one in the afternoon, and the other in the evening. It's usually a long day and I'm not back home until 9:30 pm. Monday's holiday was much appreciated (for both the extra day of rest and for what others went through to bring about change in my country). And so, I celebrated the greatest civil rights leader our country has seen, one who brought about change by peaceful means (which is a difficult feat!), by taking one more swing at the Big Loop at Aliso/Woods Canyons before Calico 2020.

The decision to do the Big Loop came last minute of course (I guess that's how I roll, I might as well own up). All weekend I had planned on something bigger, perhaps 19 miles, the actual mileage of Calico's race, which is a long 30k. I was thinking of something grueling with difficult climbs. But that of course would bring me to the mountains, adding two hours driving time (round trip) to any grueling route. OR, I thought Sunday night, I could sleep in a little later and take a 15 minute drive to some coastal hills and not work on climbing but instead on an overall push. Beat my recent best. That was my goal: beat 3:19 on the Big Loop. 

I picked up my pace right off the bat on Aliso Creek. Usually, I hike that first paved part. Not this day. Bundled in gloves, jacket and beanie, I ran all of Wood Canyon. I only stopped my run to hike up Cholla Trail, which is pretty steep, but only about a half mile. Surprised and thrilled, I was 15 minutes ahead of schedule when I reached the top of Cholla. I was using a finish time of 3:15 (beating my recent best by 4 minutes) for my calculations. It helps me to calculate times and distances when I'm pushing hard. It helps keep my mind off the fatigue.

Crossing over Wood Creek in Wood Canyon

Wood Cyn (Wood Creek is flowing down and to my left)

Cholla Trail (this is the part where I hike)

I reached Alta Laguna Park 15 minutes ahead of schedule! Fifteen. Minutes. I usually stop to use the restrooms here. But on this day, remember a holiday, there was a line of women out the door! So onward I ran. I was doing so good on time, I didn't want to waste a single second of it waiting in a bathroom line. After taking a couple minute walk break in the Top of the World neighborhoods, I took off running toward the wilderness park entrance at the other end. I figured that if I arrived at Meadows Trail in thirty minutes, I would have no problem creating the Big Loop in 3:15 (four minutes better than my recent best).

My time was so good at the top of Meadows Trail, I was on schedule to not only make the 3:15 time, but if I made decent time, I could possibly break 3:00. I doubled down on my focus and continued running, enjoying the lovely view of Aliso Canyon and the Saddleback Mountains. What a wonder Martin Luther King, Jr. Day it was turning out to be. 

And then, body memory clicked in. Suddenly, after struggling for 3 months waiting for this, my body remembered how to run when it's dirt-dog-tired. I felt it kick in, and with this joyous recollection, I was able to continue running all the way into the ranger station, beating my time by 18 minutes. I shocked myself. I now feel a little more confident about Calico. I may not die! (But I'll still probably take the DFL)

Heading Back into Wilderness Park, on way to Meadows Trail

Top of Meadows Trail (Looking at Saddleback Mountains)

Meadows Trail

Altered Version of The Big Loop @ Aliso

These pictures are from so long ago that I barely remember the hike. I don't know anything from digital data because for some reason my data was not saved! Interesting. This is at least the third time that I neglected to save my data on my Amazfit watch. And that's really odd to me because I always press "save.". So, there may be a gliche in this sports watch. But I posted live video on Facebook, so from that I know that the date of my last hike was August 22, and the final mileage was around eleven miles (which was 2 more miles than I planned -- it's starting to come back to me now). I also remember really forcing myself out the front door of my home. I didn't want to go. But I knew that I needed it. I started in Moulton Meadows Park, a city park in Laguna Beach. From there I took Meadows down into Aliso Canyon, then made my way over to Wood Canyon. I was a good mile in (was on Meadows by then) before I was glad that I forced it. And the rest of the hike, though it was quite warm, was good medicine. Very good medicine, as usual. At the end of Wood Canyon, I climbed Cholla to West Ridge and made my way along the ridge until I eventually was back at my truck in Moulton Meadows.

I may have already mentioned that I am back to work. I have also recently learned that Old Goat races are back on this year. Things are hectic and last minute, but I'll have more news when the permits and sanctions are approved. Until then, here are some of my favorite pictures from a slightly altered version of The Big Loop at Aliso/Woods Canyons.