Time to Move Along

June 9, 2020 – Rock-it  / Meadows Lollipop Loop

Much needed late afternoon hike – didn’t begin until around 3:30 pm. I took my sweet ole’ time, taking time to cool down in Cave Rock. I finished up the lollipop loop at dusk, which is after the park closes. Aliso/Wood Canyons closes  at sunset. The lot was empty but I wasn’t the only one getting out of the park a little late. There were cyclists returning as well, and the rangers had not yet closed up the gates.

11.53 mi, 1,424' elevation gain. The route @ Aliso/Woods Cyns: Aliso Cyn to Wood Cyn to Cave Rock to Wood Cyn to Mathis to Coyote Run to Rock-It to West Ridge to Cyn Acres to TopOfTheWord to Meadows to Wood Cyn to  Aliso Cyn (Aliso Viejo & Laguna Beach CA).  

 

June 12, 2020 – The Big Loop (Cholla / Meadows Lollipop Loop)

Local once again, mainly because I have gotten used to sitting around for a couple hours drinking coffee and answering emails, reading news, etc. every morning. By the time I’m usually ready to go, it is much too late to drive to the mountains. I didn’t  wait as late this time, but I still started late (around 11 am). What a lovely warm afternoon with spring still in the air and cool breezes on the ridge!

Soon it will be time to change my routine and move along out of Aliso/Wood Canyons. For now, the Big Loop @ Aliso/Wood Cyns is a great go-to loop. 12.05 miles, 1,434' of elevation gain.

 

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

My New Hydration Pack: Nathan TrailMix

I am kind of a baby when it comes to replacing my hydration pack. I have been very happy with my Ultimate Direction Wink (except for its bladder) and have purchased it more than once, perhaps 3 times (not sure). So, when I went to order another Wink, I was dismayed to learn that the company had discontinued the model. No problem, I thought . . . I'll just purchase another Ultimate Direction, just a different model. Turned out, I do not like the new Ultimate Direction designs, and they are over-priced to boot. I am not going to pay $165 for a vest I don't really like (especially since I am poor). And so, for months, I stopped in at every running and sporting goods store I could find. I searched the web and clicked on every single hydration pack that Amazon has to offer. I still had hopes that I was going to stumble upon an Ultimate Direction Wink -- maybe, just maybe, there's a store out there that still had one in storage. No such luck. That meant one thing: It's time to move on.

I finally decided on a hydration pack (for my birthday): Nathan TrailMix. And on this past Friday (March 6), I took it out for a test "run" (but mainly hike) on The Big Loop @ Aliso/Woods (12 miles). I won't bore you with the route (since I have written about this loop again and again, too many times!). I'll just cut to the chase and give you the review of my new vest.

Let me begin with, I did have kind of a lousy attitude because I really don't like change, especially when I was very satisfied with my Wink. My attitude is changing however. I'm 55 years old now. I'm a grown up now, and I can handle change.

I'll start with the pros of the Nathan Trail Mix:

1. The bladder is superb! Fits very nicely in the pack, seals and opens easily.
2. The bladder holds 2 liters -- yay!
3. I have front pocket storage. (Extremely important, and this is difficult to find).
4. The material has a slight stretch to it.
5. It is comfortable (aside from the front strap and how high it rides, see below)
6. I have room to store other things in the back.
7. The stitching is pretty and I like the color.
8. It does not bounce.
9. The price is reasonable (I paid $99 on Amazon).

The cons:

1. I should not have purchased the large size; I have much more strapping than I need.
2. The front pockets are too deep and I cannot close them (no zipper, etc.).
3. The front straps run directly across the boobs (with my Wink, I only attached the bottom strap, which ran beneath the boobs). I find this slightly uncomfortable and I don't like the way it looks.
4. I must attach both front straps of the Nathan when I run, otherwise the pack slips off my shoulders (I don't need to attach both when just hiking).
5. It rides way too high!
6. It does not have as many pockets and compartments as my Wink (& and I really like compartments in my vests!)
7. It says "Nathan" across the back in big letters (I do not want to advertise for the company. I think it's rude to plaster the name of your product in such big letters -- so that annoys me, just a tad, but not enough not to wear the pack, especially a good pack like this).

Overall, this pack gets a thumbs up. I am happy that I purchased the Nathan TrailMix. I believe I will get used to some of the cons. I also plan on purchasing a bigger pack with more storage later when I have money (hopefully, I won't have to wait until my 56th birthday). 😂

On another note -- spring is in the air. It's beautiful out there, and I plan to hit the trails as much as I can manage over the next couple of months. I so am grateful to have this new pack!

Prickly Pears are getting ready to burst into blooms

On Cholla Trail in Wood Canyon wearing the Nathan TrailMix

Lupin is blooming (@ Top of the World, Laguna Beach)

Snakey!

Meadows Trail in all its glory!

Cute little yellow birdie

The video review:

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

Measured Hike

I hiked the The Big Loop (really a lollipop loop) at Aliso (pictured below) last Sunday (11/2).(How's that for parentheses!) 

I'm purely hiking this loop right now, but I can certainly tighten it up and cut my time quite significantly by just picking up the pace of my hike. I want this 12(ish) mile loop under 4:30 hours to start. I figured I could do that with a minimal push, as the last time I hiked the loop (toward end of October), I finished in 4:37. Seven minutes over twelve miles isn't much to cut. 

Sunday, my husband accompanied me and I thought for sure I'd come in less than 4:30, merely because I would be trying to keep up with his pace. We would have probably come in at around 4:30 if he hadn't stopped to look at EVERYTHING. I'm half joking. It didn't bother me to stay above the 4:30 mark (I'm still only in the "Getting Started" Phase on my road to Calico). We ended up completing the loop in 4:44, which is still better than the Big Loop from three weeks ago, by 8 minutes. And the company was better too. Last time and the time before that, and before that, and so on, I was solo. 😉

The Big Loop