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!)

The Way to do Summer Trails

7/24/19 was my last hike for a while because of the weather. It's not a miserable sort of hot on the California coast (yet). But when you're out there hiking on exposed trails, the heat can get to you. Not to mention! There's lots of bees around in these coastal hills. Definitely not a big fan of bees. I like what they do and all, but I've been stung twice so far this summer. I try and ignore them and let them land and take off on me at will. It's when I interfere that I get stung. Anyway, I did not get stung by a bee on my last hike. But there were lots of bees. And there was a young man hiking up Mathis Trail (what a brutal hike in the heat!) who asked me to look at his back to see if he had been stung. Sure enough, there was a bee sting on his back. He didn't look too happy. And who would be -- the hike up Mathis is all uphill and entirely exposed. I, on the other hand, was hiking down Mathis in the middle of the afternoon. It was warm, but again, it wasn't a miserable sort of hot.

West Ridge Trail on the way to Mathis, Santa Ana Mountains in background:

I took my time on this hike because of the heat. I was aiming for about 6 miles, ended up with a little over 7 miles. There were a few people on the ridge. Just one other person on Mathis (the guy who got stung by a bee). And then I had all of Wood Canyon to myself. And I also had all of the climb out (Cholla Trail) to myself. It was a beautiful day. Having no time constraints made this trek utterly enjoyable. I freely stopped to take in views and cool down in the shade. That's the way to do summer trails. 

7.17 miles, 1,171' of elevation gain. From Alta Laguna Park in Laguna Beach: West Ridge / Mathis / Wood Canyon / Cholla Trail / West Ridge

The view from a hidden rock formation on Mathis Trail:

Wood Canyon:

There is where my heart is (hint: those mountains in the background. It's just too darn hot for me there right now).

One Foot In Front Of The Other

Tuesday (July 16) I hit the trails pretty late in Laguna Beach.I can do this (despite the heat) because when I'm hiking, it seems like I can pretty much take any temperature, especially if I take time to cool down in the shaded areas. 

June Gloom is definitely gone (for the most part). We may be socked in during most mornings but that all burns off by afternoon on the Southern California Coast. Nowadays, I'm rarely on the trails, unless it's afternoon. Naturally, it was hot on Tuesday, but still, we haven't seen real heat around here for a while. I'm betting the temperature in the coastal hills was at most 85 degrees Fahrenheit (but it was probably a few degrees less). It can definately get much hotter.

I decided to go down Car Wreck Trail, which is quite steep and rocky.  My legs felt a little tight still from the prior two days of back-to-back short runs. Car Wreck Trail, even going down, was strenuous but it had breath taking views. And near the bottom, about where the car wreck is, the trail get's cool and shady. As you may know, shade is very important. Shade is the reason that I decided not to take up Mathis up out of the canyon. I opted instead for Rock It -- eventhough Rock It is probably more difficult than Mathis, there's little bits of shade! Wonderful shade.

Going down Car Wreck Trail

After a leisurely yet focused hike down Car Wreck Trail, I took Mathis to Coyote Run. Winding in and out from Wood Creek, there was plenty of shade on the trail. Not surprisingly, I didn't see anyone on foot. Most people in the middle of the afternoon opted for sandy beaches just over the hill. 

And then of course, I hiked up Rock It to West Ridge. One foot in front of the other is how I conquered that trail. Just like in life, one foot in front of the other. In all that strategy closed up a 6.19 mile lollipop loop with a elevation gain of 1,191. Much needed.

Coyote Run Trail

Rock It:

Starting at the Top

Generally, I prefer trail routes that get the uphill over with toward the beginning of the run. I despise having to climb out to get home. But I also hate making the same old drive over and over again. I think I hate that more than climbing out at the end. So, this past Saturday, I decided to drive along the coast and drive to Alta Laguna Park, which is near the Top of the World neighborhood in Laguna Beach. Most often I begin my coastal hill running in the Canyons, Wood or Aliso Canyon, so it’s down hill back to the truck.

Starting off with 180 degree ocean views, Saturday I began my run on a down hill – a quick down hill, totaling just around two miles (down West Ridge and then down Mathis into Wood Canyon). From then on, it was uphill, a gradual uphill, which is why I chose this route. I thought that climbing out wouldn’t be so bad if the climb was gradual. And, so for the next FIVE miles I ran uphill, on an unusually warm weekend in February. It was tough. But, I hear that I am tough, so I guess it was okay.

Route: Top of the World, West Ridge, Mathis Trail, Wood Canyon, Cholla Trail, West Ridge to Top of the World