Silverado Loop with Emmett

Last Friday, January 22, I left about 6am to meet up with my friend Emmett in front of the Christmas tree farm on Black Star Canyon Road. Originally, we had planned to hike to Santiago Peak from Maple Springs Road. But I learned online just before heading out that morning, that the gate at Maple Springs Road was closed. A gate closed here would add about 7 miles to my pre-planned route. So, plans changed on the spot. We still drove my truck into Silverado Canyon and began our hike on Maple Springs Road. But we began it on the paved road, where the gate was closed and hiked it to the dirt road and then up to The Main Divide. But instead of turning right on The Main Divide toward Modjeska and Santiago Peaks, we turned left, toward the minor peaks, Bald and Bedford, to close up a giant circle that is often called The Silverado Loop.

Heading up Maple Springs Road:

It was a beautiful day and quite chilly. So chilly, that my teeth chattered during the earliest hours. But hiking up that mountain tends to warm things up, especially when hiking up with Emmett. One step from the ultra tall ultra runner is about three of mine (and I suspect that he was even slowing down for me).

Being that the gate was closed, there were no vehicles anywhere, which is very nice. As a matter of fact, there were no people anywhere either. We didn’t see another person until the very end, just a couple of miles from my truck.

After climbing Maple Springs Road, there’s a nice little down hill section, but after that, there’s more climbing. There’s a tremendous amount of climbing on this loop in fact. Talk about suffering. There’s plenty of glorious suffering on the Silverado Loop. Also, plan for lots of hours away from home if you do this hike. Our moving time was 5:41:33 (actual time was of course greater due to occasional stops.)

The Main Divide:Looking back on Maple Springs Road:Heading down Silverado Motorway:

Great company and great trails encompassing approximately 17 miles, with 4,500’ of elevation gain I didn’t get many pictures however. I didn’t notice until I arrived home that there was gunk on my lens and many of my photos were blurred (even the “group” photo of Emmett and I at the top of the motorway was blurry).

Oh, and there was lots of climbing! Did I mention that? My Gluteus maximus muscles ached for 3 days (just in time for my next hike).

Silverado Loop

Saturday, January 11 I headed back to Silverado Canyon for my longest hike/run since I decided to "train" for Calico. The gate to Maple Springs Road was open, so I was able to park directly in front of the trail that I would be ending on -- Silverado Trail. Starting and ending here made what I (& others) call The Silverado Loop measure 16.86 miles on my Amazfit watch (with 3,727' elevation gain). 

The first 7 or so miles were a climb up Maple Springs. It was dang cold at the bottom of the canyon, and that's perfect practice for Calico! Things warmed up after about 8 miles when I finally took off the beanie and long sleeves (also perfect practice for Calico). There was the last remnants of snow toward the top of Maple Springs Road and on the Main Divide in the shadow of Modjeska Peak (which still had snow on its backside). 

As I write this post, I am one week out from Calico . I suspect I stand a good chance of placing last 🤣. Go DFL! But that's okay. Not near the shape I wanted to be in, but in much better shape than I started 3 months ago. So yay! It's been a long time since I've done the Silverado Loop. I cannot deny that I have progressed in the past 3 months. 

Those first 7 miles up Maple Springs are nowhere near the course at Calico (which is mildly rolling hills through desert sand). But the Main Divide to Silverado Trail, that was quite tough, and more comparable to some of Calico's terrain. There was so much climbing in the overall downhill along the Main Divide, that reaching the Silverado Loop took much longer than I expected.  

After turning onto The Main Divide, I focused on running long stretches to make up time for the Maple Springs Climb. I saw no other person on foot. Occasionally I'd see one or two motorcyclists and they'd nod or wave as they went by. I was completely alone and wonderfully lonely. The kind lonely where I don't focus on myself, but instead, on things outside me. I could see for miles and miles in every direction. It was beautiful. And some parts were hard has hell (which I took like a tortoise but recovered quickly after the climbs -- my saving grace in being able to tackle these longer distances). 

When I finally arrived to the top of Silverado Trail, I took note at the sun's position in the sky and thought, "Oh no, did I do it again?" With a quick calculation I realized that I had two hours before dark, and I knew from the last time I got caught out in the dark, that I could make it down that treacherous trail in more than half that time. And I did.

The Silverado Loop was a wonderful experience last weekend. There should be crowds, droves up people up there. Do they know what they're missing? I think not. One of my favorite routes in these local mountains, so I'm not complaining.

Maple Springs Road

Looking back at Maple springs Rd from the Main Divide

On The Main Divide

Ocean View from Silverado Trail

Caught by Darkness

I am really not that reckless, though it may seem so occasionally. Actually, I am quite careful. First off all, I got out fairly late last Saturday, January 4. Still, I had several hours to make it up to Bedford Peak and I thought I could make it before dark even with a hell of a climb like Silverado Motorway (Silverado Trail). I'm not afraid of the mountains and I'm not afraid of the dark -- but I treat them both with mild caution, sort of like I treat water or fire. Water or fire are both wonderful things -- they can save your life, but they can also kill you.

I was behind on that Saturday from the start (taking too long to get out of the house) and then I didn't get to start my hike/run at the trail head. All 5 parking spaces were full and the gate to Maple Springs Road was closed. So, I had to park alongside the road about three quarters of a mile away \.

As I made that miserable but lovely trek up the motorway, I would wander in and out of cell service, and here and there I would hear a ding to signify a text. Turned out that my oldest son had some questions regarding an auto loan he was pursing. And even in the mountains on some God forsaken trail, I'll get back to my children. But when you get cell service marching up that trail, you have to stop in your tracks, otherwise you'll lose it. So, I plopped myself on the side of the cliff a couple of times to talk several minutes with my boy. I suppose the reckless part of this journey came about then. I really should not have wasted any time. I hadn't realized that I would be racing against the darkness. It was reckless not to realize.

Maple Springs Road on way to Silverado Motorway (Trail)

Silverado Motorway is a tough trek with a constant climb. Those phone calls put me back time-wise, but it took my mind off the trail's difficulty and it was good to talk with my son. I probably should have turned around at The Main Divide when I finally reached it. Problem was, I had my heart set on Bedford Peak. I was looking forward to hanging out there for a bit of self-reflection and peaceful moments. I will say however, being a former Girl Scout, I came somewhat prepared having packed warm clothing and the last thing I grabbed out the door was a flash light.

Climbing Silverado Motorway

At Bedford Peak (notice snow on backside of Modjeska Peak in background)

The bench that I expected and looked forward to Bedford Peak was gone. My time at this magical spot was lovely regardless. So much so, I spent too much time taking it all in. I was completely alone on top of a mountain. And I liked it very much. That's not reckless is it? 

The weather was cold, the kind of cold that makes you feel alive. I bundled up with long sleeves, gloves and beanie.  I had one hour before dark. One hour to travel more than four miles across rocky difficult terrain (but thankfully downhill!). I figured that wasn't going to happen, especially because I was going to lose a lot of visibility before dark, during the twilight. I ran at a fast pace (fast for me)  for much of the return, however, with fading light and technical terrain, I had to slow down quite a few times. I lost good visibility at those final (seven!) switchbacks toward the bottom of the canyon when I decided to take out my flashlight. What a great little flashlight my parents put into my sons' Christmas gift bags. It lit up the mountain for me and changed the game. It turned twilight and into day. 

I didn't make it down before dark. But I ran down the motorway much quicker than I would have if I wasn't racing against darkness. I concentrated hard on kicking out the back so that I didn't fall. I've been at this game long enough to know that one shuffle could send me flying (don't shuffle your feet on technical terrain!). By the time I crossed over the creek, I was in complete darkness. Right at that time, fire truck with sirens blaring pulled into the trail head lot. A paramedic came in afterward, and another emergency vehicle raced up the road as I ran down Silverado Canyon to my truck parked alongside the road. As I ran past all of the commotion, I overheard a mountain biker talking into the fire truck. He was describing someone who was sprawled out on the trail, and in "pretty bad shape." People stood on their porches looking up toward Maple Springs Road as I made my way toward my truck. It seemed that this little sleepy town was coming alive with lamps and porch lights and decorative lights roped from trees. A couple of people called out from their porches asking about the emergency vehicles. I hollered back what I knew as I ran by.

I did not learn anything further about the injury that night on Maple Springs Road. (I recently Googled it to no avail.) When I finally arrived to that desolate turnout on the side of the road (as there were no homes on this stretch) my car was one of four remaining. Which one, I wondered, belonged to the injured party? I felt relieved back at the truck, and calmer, and a little bit more alive. It was a good trip. I appreciated being caught by darkness. I wouldn't do it on purpose again, but I was glad that it happened and that I made it back safely.

Total trip was just under 9 miles and 2,265' of elevation gain.

Heading Down

Re-Introducing The Motorway

Saturday morning about 9 am, I headed off to Silverado Canyon in my trusty pick-up truck. Precisely one hour later, I pulled into the Maple Springs Visitor Center’s parking lot. There was one spot left to park in a lot that has only five or so spaces. (The rest of the people park throughout the canyon).

I decided to go up The Motorway (aka, The Silverado Motorway, Silverado Trail or Bedford Trail) to Bedford Peak for an out-and-back. I thought this was a perfect way to break in my brand new Adventure Parking Pass. Plus, I haven’t been up this trail in its entirety since the fires that closed it down in 2014. For those of you who don’t know the trail, it’s the first one off to the left up Maple Springs Road (less than a quarter mile in), and it goes for 3 miles at a tremendous climb. A tremendous climb! About 2,000 feet of gain in those 3 miles.

Here, I’m about a half mile in, looking back at the canyon from where I started:

The hills were covered in green on Saturday, and also spring flowers, and lots of tiny landslides. Aside from the beauty though, it was a pretty miserable trek. I breathed the words, “Oh lord,” many times, and ran very little on the way up this switchback single track. On the way, I saw lots of other hikers, no runners, and a couple of dozen mountain bikers. I saw deer tracks here and there. I searched for, but noticed no other significant tracks. There was plenty of coyote scat however, and lots of dark lizards scurrying about.

Some of the flowers:

Some more of The Motorway:

Finally reaching The Main Divide came as a great relief. That relief was so great in fact, it made the whole difficult trip worth it. “This is why,” I thought . . . “This is why.”

I turned right on The Main Divide, ran for about a half mile until I came to the trail to Bedford Peak. It’s not marked, but is obvious. Anyway, I found Gary’s bench at the end of the trail (which is now marked “Gary’s Bench,” otherwise, I would not have known it was Gary’s). The old bench that I had sat on before was on the ground, partially burnt, possibly from the 2014 fire. And in the time since I had been there, Gary had died. His family left a new bench in his remembrance and a journal for visitors to write in (which I did).

I sat a while on Gary’s bench, taking in the mountains both close and afar as I listened to the surrounding silence. Then after about ten, maybe fifteen minutes, I ran all the way to the truck. It was a treacherous trot, as I stumbled more than once. And when the cliff was steep and the trail rocky, I hiked, so that if I did fall I wouldn’t plummet to my death.

It was a very difficult 7.87 miles (totaling 2,323’ of gain). All of it, very much well worth it.

Maple Springs!

More than two years ago, Silverado Motorway (AKA Silverado Trail, Bedford Trail) was set aflame by a local resident who apparently was attempting to keep wild animals out of his yard. The fire burned about a thousand acres, all mainly up the Motorway. But the Silverado Motorway trailhead is just about fifty yards into Maple Springs Road. Thus, the fire closed down Maple Springs Road in its entirety. That was the first year I coordinated volunteers for Chimera. The 100 mile course had to be altered, which was a minor inconvenience. More importantly, Maple Springs Road, which zig-zags up Silverado Canyon to “Four Corners,” where The Main Divide in two directions, as well as, Harding Truck Trail meet, was completely and totally closed to all traffic. CLOSED. More than TWO years. I cannot tell you how much this weighed on my heart, as it seemed the longer they kept that gate locked and closed signs posted, the more Maple Springs became the only place I ever wanted to be. Go figure.

For a while there, I telephoned the ranger station to inquire when they’d open up the road again. First it was in September they’d open, then in the spring, then the following fall, etc. Eventually, I gave up hope and stopped calling. Part of me wondered if the powers-that-be wanted to keep the road closed for good, perhaps to preserve the land from us trompers.

Last week, I received the glorious news via a Facebook post from a fellow trail runner who lives in Silverado Canyon (perhaps you know him, Greg Hardesty), that Maple Springs is now open.

Be still, my beating heart!

And so it was, last Sunday (9/11), pretty late in the morning, I drove one hour from my seaside town to the tiny, yet wonderful town of Silverado in the Saddleback Mountains. The parking lot at the Maple Springs trailhead was full which was not a surprise -- I’m sure lots of people have longed for Maple Springs over the past two years.  But I drove on past that, winding my way up a single lane paved road, relatively crowded with hikers, mountain bikers, bikers and runners. Three and ½ miles in, I rested my truck in a small dirt turnout, just where the paved road ends. And then I strapped on my hydration pack, and made my way up Maple Springs Road to “Four Corners.”

The climb up this truck trail was steep. The sun was hot. But it was all worth it. Surprisingly, not much had changed -- I remembered the same huge boulders, the same fallen trees as I traveled up the rocky road. Maple leaves were just beginning to yellow. A dozen or so four-wheel drivers passed me by, some going up, others down. Not a single person was rude along the way -- everyone either smiled or gave a little wave.

I hiked much of that incline which totaled a little over 4 miles. I also snapped a lot of photos, as if I didn’t already have hundreds of them back at home on hard drives, sd cards, and flash drives (which by the way are scattered all over the place, in plastic baggies, in my book bags, etc).  I also scoured the dirt floor for cat tracks, any animal tracks for that matter. I didn’t see any, though the road was so covered with bike tracks that cat tracks could have easily been obliterated. Still, I felt safe, as the mountain was more active than I’ve ever seen it (except for of course, during races).. There have been times that I’d ventured up Maple Springs and didn’t see a single other soul. It was good to have the company my first time out in over two years.

It was good, so good to be back.

9.21 miles (14.8 km), 1,666’ (508 m) elevation gained