We got quite a few days of solid rain recently. We even saw snow in our local mountains (which summits at about 5,400’). I love the rain. It wakes us in the middle of the night in our little beach shack. And it soothes us with the sound of raindrops on the skylights throughout the day. They say it never rains in Southern California. But I know the truth. I’ve lived here more than 57 years. I know that it rains. You just have to have patience and wait. And the rain comes in abundance. I recall as a child in the 1970s, sitting at the kitchen table looking out onto the flooded streets, wondering if it was ever going to stop raining!
I’m still a bus commuter, and the rain didn’t bother me in the least. I’ve got a couple of good pairs of boots, warm coats, an umbrella and an awesome backpack for the trip. But best of all with the rain, the hills and mountains are covered in green, the creeks are flowing and the falls are falling. I don’t mind getting my feet wet one bit.
This past Friday, a few days after the rain stopped (and it has not since returned), my husband and I headed up Ortega Highway (Hwy 74) for a lovely, ten mile, technical hike to Chiquito (Aka Chiquita) Falls. The creeks were strong and the falls flowing. It was an awesome hike. Lots of boulders to climb over, and erosion crevices to maneuver. The skies were blue and the views far. The return was quite difficult because I was so dang tired. Much of the return is downhill, except for the climbing out from the falls and the last leg, San Juan Loop, which climbs back up into the parking lot across the street from The Ortega Oaks Candy Store. I felt wiped out (not quite trashed) on that final stretch.
San Juan Loop:
Heading up Chiquito Trail:Chiquito Falls:
Along last leg of the trip, on San Juan Loop
Ten tough miles. Afterwards, we ran across Highway 74 to The Candy Store. My eyes teared up as I crossed the threshold. It’s been a while. I purchased a nice cold carbonated soda and a couple pieces of fudge for my youngest son back at home. Felt good to be back.
Tuesday, March 16, I took another trek to Chiquito Falls. They are still dry, even with recent rain but the trail, as usual, magical. 9.5 miles with 2,500' of elevation gain is pretty tough hike for the distance. I HIGHLY recommend this one -- technical single-track the entire way. Most likely, especially on a weekday, you will have the trails entirely to yourself. It’s a little spooky sometimes. But I get over those episodes quickly.I try to remain always alert in desolate areas. Funny though that these trails are so desolate. The parking is super easy in the big lot across the street from the Candy Store on Hwy 74. I did see one biker on this trip. After I had hung out at the falls for a good long while, maybe half an hour, a guy on a bike rode in. As I hiked out, I looked back and could see that he took the exact same seat that I always take right above the falls.
On San Juan Loop:On Chiquito Trail:@ Chiquito/a Falls
We got a couple of days of rain in the first week of March, so when it let up, I headed out to Chiquito Falls (off of Ortega Highway in the Cleveland National Forest). The creeks had a little bit of water, mainly big puddles between the boulders but the falls were dry. I expected as much; we didn’t get a lot of rain. But I didn’t do this hike for the falls, though lovely the falls are when they flow! I did this hike for the beauty and the fact that the out-and-back to Chiquito Falls is a tough ten miles. And sometimes, I just need tough.
The route: San Juan Loop to Chiquito Trail to the falls & back, 9.5 miles, 2,295’ elevation gain.
Eggs. Mainly eggs. Well, I guess there are other items too. But lately, my list of staples has been getting shorter. On a semi-regular basis, I consume (besides eggs), beef, pork, butter, sour cream, mustard, mayonnaise (made with avocado oil), heavy whipping cream (in my coffee), avocado, cucumbers, spinach, red and green leaf lettuce, romaine lettuce, black olives, salsa, stevia drops, nuts, and different cheeses (lately, bleu, cheddar and jack). This is my diet. Occasionally, I vary it a bit by having turkey, chicken or fish (but that is rare) and also by adding other greens like green beans, cabbage or broccoli (and occasionally onions, green preferred). This is not because I crave greens, but rather to add variation. My semi-regularly splurges are nut butters (almond, cashew or peanut – these foods are a yummy dessert!)
I don’t keep track of my macronutrients (proteins, fats & carbs) – I would go crazy if I did that, my schedule is hectic busy right now. When I first began this journey however, I did measure and record everything. I figured that if I was going to try something so radical (as it was to me – believe me, fats were the devil’s seed), that I needed to make sure that I followed a recordable method.
The most significant result that has come out of this way of eating . . . that’s easy, I stopped napping. For years, and I mean YEARS, I regularly napped. I napped as a child, as a teenager, as a young adult, as a middle aged woman. I have ALWAYS napped. I felt like I could not help it – I was just too dang tired. I used to fall asleep in the parking lot waiting to pick up my sons from school. In the last few years, I began to feel so fatigued that I struggled to walk even up the steps of my front porch. Yet, I could run twenty plus miles in the mountains (bizarrely true) but every single time it came with a price, a crash price. The first thing that I did when I got home was sleep. It was nap time, and just like that, 3 to 4 hours in the middle of the day were gone. This was a great hardship for me. Extra recovery-sleep hours only added to the many hours I was away from family hitting these trails. We (my husband and I) tried many things to help with my trail running recovery – salts during, then replenishing calories as soon as possible after, or hot baths, or cold baths, etc., etc. Eventually, I could no longer run twenty or more miles in the mountains. I was on and off again in recovery for a long time (recovery from neuroma, back spasms, plantar fasciitis, broken arm, torn foot tendons, and then just overall weakness and fatigue).
Other significant changes since changing the way I eat are: 1) No indigestion, which was nearly a daily thing, and 2) No brain fog. So, why list my diet at the top of this post? I list it because I am pretty certain that it has much to do with my overall well-being (or at least self-perceived well-being). I can assuredly say that I am out of recovery mode. I no longer suffer from plantar fasciitis. The foot where I haven’t had the nerve surgically removed, seems to have recovered from its neuroma. I can put in strenuous hikes. I can run for several miles (not much, but it’s definitely not starting from scratch). I feel substantially stronger than I did 6 months ago. And I really have to say that I think diet is to blame.
So, with this newly found energy and mental clarity (and let us not forget, no more indigestion!), the trails are becoming increasingly more comfortable. I cannot tell you how important it is to me to get my strength back. I am actually far from where I have been strength-wise in the past, but I am much closer than I have been in a long time. Much. Thanks to a mainly ketogenic diet (and fasting and sometimes a purely carnivore diet – I know – Yikes!!), I can hit Chiquito Trail again and again, as I have for the past several months, and still love the beast.
The weather was perfect for such a tough course – nice and cool, and even a tad cold to begin. I was hoping to see water flowing in the creeks, as we had recently gone through 2 solid days of rains. The trails were wet for sure. And there were even plenty of puddles, as well as, small bits of water here and there in the creek. The moss was bright green, and the floor was littered with brown, yellow and orange leaves. Chiquita/Chiquito is a must do trail if you like trails. It is like an enchanted forest in some parts, and then gorgeous desert in other parts. There aren’t too many 9 mile courses as tough as this. It’s not straight up difficult, but those first 4 1/2 miles, they are definitely moderately difficult, lots of boulders and continual climbs. I was hoping to cut this hike significantly in time compared to my last trip on the same route. I ran some to catch up on time. And so, of course, I took a good tumble on the way back. More of that is explained slightly in my video recaps below. I really love these two trails, they fill my heart, and really just replace my anxiety with tranquility (but alas, only momentarily – that that is indeed worth it).
12/8/18 Stats
Route: San Juan Loop to Chiquito Trail, out to falls location and back (taking the other half of San Juan Loop).
9.2 miles / 14.81 km, 1,739 feet / 530 m elevation gain
