What's the Deal with Blogspot

I haven't been posting my trail adventures in this blog lately because something strange is going on with Blogspot. The pictures have disappeared! 😕 Well, not actually disappeared. Instead. you have to click on an image thumbnail in order to see it. Apparently, I'm not the only user having this problem but no one seems to know what's going on. I'm a little bummed about it -- my blogposts are photo heavy. So, I'm not putting effort into posts at the moment, until I can figure out how to fix this situation. In the meantime, as always because I'm just picture crazy, I post the full set of pictures (many that never make it to Blogger) here: https://www.facebook.com/LaurenOTR 

2024 Races

For 2024, we’re putting on 2 classic Old Goat races: Billy Goat in April & Saddleback Marathon in November. I am super pleased we have dates approved with enough time to get the word out (Billy Goat time is a bit short though). See below about the races, and please help get the word out. I also have a fundraiser, hoping to help a Kenyan runner travel here for one or both of these races (see more below).

April 6, 2024 Billy Goat Half Marathon Climb:

Billy Goat (with various adoptions of the name like: Billy Goat Hill Climb, Billy Goat 1/2 Marathon Mountain Climb, etc) is Steve Harvey’s (Old Goat) original race. Traditionally, it ran in June to commemorate Steve’s birthday. Traditionally, it was hot as hell. In 2024, we are still commemorating Old Goat’s birthday but just a bit earlier (I will certainly invite him out). The gnats will be fewer and the weather a tad cooler. We’ll probably see some spring flowers too!

Billy Goat 1/2 Marathon Climb is run on Indian Truck Trail in the Cleveland National Forest outside of Corona, California. It is an out-and-back on truck trail to the Main Divide. We’ll have aid about half way up and at the top (The Main Divide).  “It Ain’t But One Hill,” as Old Goat originally dubbed. With Fires and Covid, its been more than a few years since this race was run.

    

November 9, 2024 The Saddleback Marathon: 

This race is my all time favorite, even more so than Calico Trail run, and that’s saying something – I ran Calico 10 times (I think. Maybe it was 9). This race was originally put on by Big Baz (Baz Hawley) and then later Old Goat (Steve). We (OnTheRun) ran it in 2019 and 2023 (re-routed). With fires and Covid, it’s been challenging keeping this awesome race on the books.

In 2024, we are back to the original course (Baz’s), with trail work scheduled completion in summer 2024. We’ve also kept Old Goat’s half option, which goes up the infamous West Horsethief! The course is short of an actual marathon (about 2 miles) but I promise, you won’t feel it.

Get a glimpse of the course here (it’s a little bumpy & blurry):

Saddleback Marathon 2011

Anderson Kipyator Chepkwony

Anderson lives in lives in a rural town about ten miles south west of Nakuru, Kenya. He emailed last September 2023, requesting an invite to the Saddleback Marathon. With an invite Anderson could apply for a visa with the embassy for the purposes of running races. Why is this important to Anderson? There is little to no employment in Kenya.  Running races outside of his country offers him a higher standing in Athletics Kenya which could eventually attract sponsors and possibly a running career in his country.

We sent a Billy Goat 1/2 marathon invite to Anderson and his running friend Evans. After confirming race records, passports and conducting basic online research, I set up a fundraiser in my name hoping to help Anderson get here. If you interested in helping, please see the link below.  Any amount is greatly appreciated – small amounts add up!

We hope to see Anderson and his friend Evans this April (or November for Saddleback, if we can).

Read more about Anderson’s fundraiser here

Spring Approaches

My goal (tentatively) is to hit the trails three times weekly. Started off this week, Monday, with about 6.5 miles in the local coastal hills, my long time stomping grounds, Wood Canyon. The weather is quite chilly nowadays (low 40s F in the morning, 50s in the afternoon) but there’s lots of green peeping through! Spring certainly approaches.

I took a few detours off Wood Canyon, beginning with Wood Creek, that little trail that nobody seems to know about. It’s magical and as usual was empty.

One of my favorite spots along Wood Creek Trail:
Leaf littered path along Wood Creek Trail:

I stopped by Dripping Cave as well, a bit giddy on the way in because the “Trail Partially Closed” sign was gone at the trailhead. Most of Dripping Cave Trail has been closed for several years due to fires. Of course, the closed section was one of my favorite trails in all of Wood Canyon. Turns out, the park has permanently ended the trail at the cave. And the place is so overgrown, I couldn’t even make out the old trail. So, I jaunted up a rocky path off to the side just to make sure. I didn’t find the trail but an awesome secret outcropping to sit at and look out at the canyon. From the spot, I could also see the actual “old” Dripping Cave Trail (the now closed part) and decided not to go for it. I wasn’t in the mood to dodge rangers. I’m not that quick nowadays.

Dripping Cave:
Path up to secret outcropping:

After Dripping Cave, I decided to head back. I took took another detour and jumped onto Coyote Run Trail after Mathis. In contrast to Wood Creek Trail, Coyote Run is not so secret. It’s the way to RockIt, a huge park favorite. On this Monday though, I had it practically to myself. I came upon only one runner and one hiker on this fairytale trail.

Coyote Run Trail:

Staying Local

Not ready to hit the trails. Still holding onto my seat from the 2023 wild ride. I’ve got a tree up still in my living room (fully decorated) and other remnants of holiday decorations around the house. I finally threw out the Christmas wreaths yesterday. I am going to miss that lovely pine smell. (All the more reason to get back to the mountains!)

We are only one week into 2024, I have a little time still to get organized and  to clean up the 2023 mess. The longer I wait to hit those trails though, the less capable I am to actually do it. Every day I don't get my legs moving up a mountain, I grow weaker, both mentally and physically. I can catch up on the mental fitness other ways (though that has been rare lately) and I try to do things that give me some fitness -- like take the stairs or park at the far end of the parking lot. Walking to the grocery store or post office is also a great way to keep some type of physical fitness (though it is waning!). So, I’m pretty much staying local lately with promises and hopes of at least hitting the trails a couple times before spring semester begins. Until then, I’ve been staying local. We’ve got lots of walking material here in my hometown, Dana Point, even some dirt trails. This week on one of my errand walkabouts, I decided to detour to the Headlands and mosey about the roped trails overlooking the Pacific Ocean. It was a beautiful sight. A great small start to getting my feet back to dirt.