The Calm Before the Storm @ Beek's Place

Just before my family's (and much of my entire country's, and others') routines and plans for the next month or so came to a screeching halt, and just before this week or so of rains, I made it out to Black Star Canyon up to Beek's Place for a little over 16 miles (2,339' elevation gain). That was Sunday, March 8.  It was a cold day, but not freezing; it was perfect. I kept bundled the entire trip (aside from taking off the beanie). And the skies, they were spectacular -- blue with giant puffy clouds. There were dozens of us out there on the trails that day: mountain bikers, hikers, runners. I was out there getting in some hiking and running on these lovely trails before the rains set in. I was oblivious to how the next week would turn out with the coronavirus (COVID-19) beginning to make its way through various cities in the U.S. Since then, all three of my sons various events, music and such, have been cancelled. Two of my sons will be home for the next month because their public high school has closed. My oldest son's university has gone online, and my teaching has gone online too. Much to my surprise, the shelves are practically empty at the grocery stores. Business establishments have very few people in them. There's fewer people driving the roads. Right now people are getting ready to shelter in place. And its eerie and surreal. 

I am grateful for those hours up Black Star Canyon on March 12. I love Black Star Canyon still! The fields were green and blooming with purple lupin. The breeze was reinvigorating. As usual, I spent far too much time up at Beek's Place. Instead of coming in at 5 hours, it was more like 5 and 1/2 hours. All well worth it. Black Star Canyon was a great way to spend the calm before the storm -- the literal and the figurative storm. As soon as the rain breaks, I'll be back out on the trails. I figure that I'll be safe from viruses there, perhaps the only place for now. 

Making my way alongside the creek, before the climb begins:

Looking back at the dreamy plateau I just passed through:

On The Main Divide @ Beek's Place

Heading Back:

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:

Old Shoes Finally Got Me!

Sunday March 1, weather reports said rain, so I didn't do a mountain hike/run as planned (And I was thinking big! That is my nature, my eyes are always bigger than my "stomach" -- not so much about food, just with goals in general. This is not necessarily good thing in my opinion. This mentality puts me in a perpetual state of coming up short. On the other hand, this mentality has also given me some great experiences. So, I suppose it's a good trade. Anyway, I digress!)

I wasn't too bummed about the weather reports because I just had too much to do. I couldn't give up the hours. So, I cut the drive time right out of the equation and ran out my front door beneath beautiful gloomy skies. According to my weather app, I was safe from rain for a few hours.

Wow was this run was a struggle (I can't really get back into road running, but I try!). I can't say that I felt strong during any stretch of this 6.5 mile run. But the beauty that surrounded me was immense. Really. It was superb: spooky clouds, green ocean waters, a cool breeze to the face. The gorgeous scenery coupled with the music streaming through my earbuds made this run, as miserable as it was, doable. However, I don't currently own running shoes for the streets. And I didn't want to take my newish trail shoes out on the road, so I grabbed an old worn pair of trail running shoes from beneath my bed. I threw in my orthotics stupidly thinking I'd be good. (I write "stupidly" because four days later my left foot still aches. It feels like the left front pad has been bruised, though there's no visible bruise. I can't be sure if it was the shoes, but I'm suspicious that old shoes finally got me!)

My route on this dreamy, dreary day took me along Pacific Coast Highway, Doheny and Capistrano Beaches, including the campground (which was empty), and back, then to the jetty where I looked across at the harbor, then over to Golden Lantern and back up to Pacific Coast Highway where I made my way home. I perhaps took too many pictures. It's a sickness, as I've said. 🤪. Oh, almost forgot. It rained toward the end of this run. And it was lovely!

Doheny Beach, where San Juan Creek meets the Pacific Ocean

Doheny & Capistrano Beaches

View of Harbor from the Jetty

Pacific Coast Highway, Dana Point, California

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!)

Laurel Springs -- Check.

Last Friday, February 21,  I got out for some much needed trails (so few and far between!). For this hike (& run), I was fortunate to have a friend come along and so my goal was to finally find Laurel Springs. I have passed the trail marker along Harding Truck Trail dozens of times. And I have even taken the Laurel Springs trail down a short ways, only to turn back because of the heat.

We took off out of Tucker Wildlife Sanctuary in Modjeska Canyon at about 9am and headed up the huge climb, passing Flores Peak on the way. The climb up Harding is STEEP -- Steep and gorgeous, which helps keep your mind off the climb. Actually, good company and conversation is more what kept my mind off the climb. 

It was a beautiful clear day. Spring flowers were showing themselves along the edges (orange poppies and purple lupin). We did not see a single other person on foot. But we did see the fire department -- they were out grading Harding Truck Trail. 

At exactly 5 miles on my sports watch, we found Laurel Trail, which is no longer marked. It starts off downhill and continues that way for about a 1/2 mile (at most!).

We found Laurel Springs pretty quickly after taking the trail. It's a downhill single-track hike, no more than a 1/2 mile as previously mentioned. Overall, reaching the springs was anti-climatic to say the least -- just a dribble. But the area was overgrown which made for a cool resting place. And the trickle sound of the water was lovely. 

After the anti-climatic Laurel Springs, we hiked back up and layed back on a concrete block structure tucked off of a side trail and looked up at the sky. This was the serene view (picture below). What a lovely view to take in while listening to the sounds of silence. Great medicine! We ran much of the way back. But then we took a little detour into Harding Canyon to scout out a future hike. Looking forward to that.

Running Back with Laurel Bay Leaf in my vest pocket (love the smell!)

Flores Peak

11 miles,

2,778' feet of elevation gain (done pretty much in the first 5 miles!)

Bedford to Bald Peak

February 16, I completed my 55th revolution around the sun. To commemorate the completion of that revolution, I decided to drive out to Corona for a hike up Bedford Road to the Main Divide. I have passed Bedford Road on many occasions while on The Main Divide, but I have never traveled any of it. This is what I can tell you about Bedford Road: It's an exposed climb with faraway views of Riverside County, Lake Matthews and the San Gabriel, San Bernadino and San Jacinto snow-capped mountains. It's also a lonely road with no other hikers or runners (at least on this day), but with plenty of motorcyclists. (I see more motorcyclists on Maple Springs Rd than Bedford however.)

I hung a left at The Main Divide and hiked on over to Bald Peak, a little-known peak in the Santa Ana Mountains. My intent was to measure the route all the way up to the peak. If that had not been my intent, I would have turned around at the base being that I wasn't really up for the scramble to the top. It is quite steep with lots of loose rocks. But I did it anyway, one step in front of the other, sliding back here and there. It was quite a struggle -- but a worthwhile struggle. 

I remained at Bald Peak for quite some time before heading down that treacherous slope back to The Main Divide. The views, the sounds of silence and peace and solitude were spectacular and a great birthday gift to myself. Of course, I was late heading back (which is always the case) and ended up running all of the 6.5 mile return trip back into Bedford Canyon. 

13.13 miles, 3,583' of elevation gain (my glutes felt that!)

Lake Matthews in the distance

Top of Bedford Road @ The Main Divide

Bald Peak

Heading Back