Posted: Thu Oct 11, 2007 10:53 am Post subject: Favorite Running Trails
Which are your favorites? Mine include:
Mt. Wilson Trail to Orchard Camp (about 3.2 miles one way with 2200' of gain)
Sunset Ridge Trail (either from Millard Campground or from Sunset Ridge trailhead) to the Echo Mountain Trail to Echo Mountain (about 4.5 miles one way)
Brown Mountain Road to junction with Ken Burton Trail (about 5.5 miles one way)
Mt. Lukens Fire Road from Angeles Crest Fire Station to Mt. Lukens (7.5 miles one way with 3000' gain)
Josephine Fire Road to Josephine Peak (about 4 miles one way)
Switzer Picnic Area to Red Box (about 5 miles one way)
Colby Canyon Trail to Josephine Saddle (2 miles one way)
Sunset/Lowe Fire Road from Eaton Saddle to summit of San Gabriel Peak and then to summit of Mt. Disappointment (about 3.5 miles one way)
Sunset/Lowe Fire Road from Eaton Saddle to Tom Sloan Saddle (about 3.5 miles one way)
Long run when training for ultras: start at Switzer Picnic Area and take trail that goes up to Red Box; at Red Box cross the highway and pick up the trail to the Strawberry Pk/Lawlor Pk saddle; from there, pick up the Strawberry Peak Trail to Strawberry Potrero and then around the north face of Strawberry Peak to Josephine Saddle; continue on to Josephine Fire Road and descend to Angeles Forest Hwy; then go left on Angeles Forest and cross Angeles Crest Hwy; catch the trail that traverses the slope below Angeles Crest Highway (north side of the Clear Creek Information Station). That trail connects with the paved road that drops into the Switzer Picnic Area and so you've done your loop. The total loop is about 15 miles.
I rarely run on trails (I'm slow), but I really enjoyed running down the road that goes from West Fork SG to Cogswell Dam. Really pretty area. I think 14 miles RT.
I run at home on the streets, usually getting 10-15 miles. I like the trails more, as I always come away with better feeling joints.
There's a fire road that goes from Hwy 38 to Morton Peak in the San Bernardino Forest that I like - it's not too far from where I live. It's about 2.75 miles one-way with 1400 feet gain, so a 5.5 mile round-trip. I try to run up it and depending on how I feel I can run between 50 and 80 percent of the way up and all the way down (talking about a slow jog here). If I can ever run the whole way up I'll be thrilled.
Last Tuesday, I was able to get away from work early in the afternoon. It was a picture perfect day and I did a trail run from the Sunset Ridge trailhead on the Sunset Ridge Trail to the Echo Mtn. Trail and on on to Echo Mountain. Millard Falls had lots of water running (you climb above it on the Sunset Ridge Trail) and everything was green including the poison oak along the trail and the ever present poison hemlock. According to the signs, my round trip was 7.2 miles, but it really seems more like just five. I love this route and have done a page for it on SummitPost. http://www.summitpost.org/custom-object/262415/Sunset-Ridge-Trail.html
The loop I did yesterday would seem like a good trail run. Start at the end of Lake Ave. up Sam Merrill Trail to Echo Mnt. Continue up to Inspiration Point and up the east trail to Mount Lowe, run down Mnt. Lowe (west trail) onto the fireroad (old railway bed) and continue down to the Cape of good hope, corss over to Echo Mnt. and back down to Lake Ave.
The ascent is pretty steep for sustained running but the grade is not too steep and it is a good way to get some decent elevation gain (4500 ft gain and 14 miles total).
I am finding myself moving more towards trail running. It used to be I would not run at all, now I am running more and more on the descent. I can never see myself running while ascending, keeping up a fast hiking pace is tough enough. _________________ Travis Linds
www.gpsmountaineering.com
The loop I did yesterday would seem like a good trail run. Start at the end of Lake Ave. up Sam Merrill Trail to Echo Mnt. Continue up to Inspiration Point and up the east trail to Mount Lowe, run down Mnt. Lowe (west trail) onto the fireroad (old railway bed) and continue down to the Cape of good hope, corss over to Echo Mnt. and back down to Lake Ave.
The ascent is pretty steep for sustained running but the grade is not too steep and it is a good way to get some decent elevation gain (4500 ft gain and 14 miles total).
I am finding myself moving more towards trail running. It used to be I would not run at all, now I am running more and more on the descent. I can never see myself running while ascending, keeping up a fast hiking pace is tough enough.
Agree that is a route to put in the San Gabriel Mountains Running Trails book. Ten years ago, I could easily run from the Cobb Estate to Echo and up Castle Canyon to Inspiration Point without one stop. No more. Now, I need a few walking breaks on the Castle Canyon trail. The thing about trail running is you cover ground generally about 3 times as fast as hiking and your pack is ultralight: for runs two hours or less, I carry a pint of water in my hand (assuming it's not the heat of summer). More two hours, I take my camelbak with a gel pack or two for energy and my whistle for emergencies. That's it.
Ten years ago, I could easily run from the Cobb Estate to Echo and up Castle Canyon to Inspiration Point without one stop. No more. Now, I need a few walking breaks on the Castle Canyon trail.
I couldn't imagine even running all the way to Echo Mnt. Keeping up a fast hiking pace is tough enough, i can not see how it would be possible to get up there 3x faster, that would mean getting to Echo Mnt. in 15 minutes for me! I have never really tried running uphill, so maybe next hike I will try it out for a bit. Also, running up Castle Canyon would be brutal! That trail gets pretty steep in places. _________________ Travis Linds
www.gpsmountaineering.com
I couldn't imagine even running all the way to Echo Mnt. Keeping up a fast hiking pace is tough enough, i can not see how it would be possible to get up there 3x faster, that would mean getting to Echo Mnt. in 15 minutes for me! I have never really tried running uphill, so maybe next hike I will try it out for a bit. Also, running up Castle Canyon would be brutal! That trail gets pretty steep in places.
I need to qualify my remark about running being 3x faster than hiking. I derived that from comparing my running times with average Sierra Hike times for a given route. I'm certainly not talking about 3x faster than your hiking paces. And yes, running up Castle Canyon is brutal. As I said, these days, I need several walking breaks to do it.
I did a trail run yesterday on one of my favorite trails, the Sunset Trail from Sunset Ridge trailhead to Echo Mountain. It's about 9 miles roundtrip. It was all clouded up but a great run nonetheless. Here's some video including one video of what I call "Fields of Death."
Mine are:
-Fullerton loop because it is near work place.
-Monrovia Sawpit canyon trail with few options: Take the Ben Overtuff trail then return via the fire road make a 7 miles trip. Or take the fire road up to White Saddle then return to make a 10+ mi trip. Or continue from White Saddle loop to Mt. Bliss using the Van Tassel fire road (I have not tried this route on foot but mountain bike)
_________________ I went out to the country so i could examine the simple things in life. Henry Thoreau
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