The crest of the Santa Cruz Mountains seems to get snow at least once a year, but it’s still a rare enough occurrence that I get excited about it. On Monday, I drove up to Skyline Blvd. and found picturesque winter scenes after 2-3 inches of snow fell at the higher elevations that morning. Here is a short video (3:12) of the snowy scenes:

I started at Russian Ridge Open Space and hiked up to Borel Hill and then did a loop of the ancient oaks trail, which was spectacular! I then continued to Long Ridge Open Space where a line of snow covered Douglas firs made a scene fit for a holiday greeting card. A bridge over Peters Creek was also nicely situated. Finally, I went to the highest section of Skyline Blvd. at Castle Rock State Park. I went up to 3,214 ft Castle Rock and then hiked over to Goat Rock for more great scenes. At the lowest point, the snow level in the Santa Cruz was at about 1,500 feet, but measurable accumulations were only found above 2,000 feet with progressively more snow at the highest elevations of Skyline Blvd. just over 3,000 feet.

Ancient Oaks Trail

Snowcovered Firs at Long Ridge

Near Castle Rock

More photos at my Picasa Album.

I joined Gary Gellin for a 19 mile roundtrip hike up 3,817 ft Rose Peak in the Ohlone Wilderness. A rare snowstorm swept through the hills and mountains above 1,500 ft in the Bay Area and the objective was to see lots of snow and views. Our wishes came true with 6-8 inches of fluffy, light powder near the summit and over a foot in some spots! The weather was spectacular with crisp, sunny conditions. We enjoyed stupendous views north to Mount Diablo, south to Mount Hamilton, the greater Bay Area, and the backside of Mission Peak  – basically 360 degree views. The snow was spotty until about 2,500 ft, but then it quickly became a winter wonderland. We spotted two coyotes and a plethora of coyote tracks. We also saw cattle tracks as the herd had moved to lower elevations after the snow. Instead of starting in Sunol, we parked along Welch Road and took the Eagle View Trail which travels through a nice canyon and provides great views of the Mission-Allison-Monument ridgeline. Here is a 9.5 minute video I created that is filled with lots of action and tons of great photos!

During my visit to Texas, I did some research on trail running locations. Here is a map of my findings:

View Larger Map

I look forward to seeing more of the Lone Star Trail and the trails in Big Thicket National Preserve next time I visit!

Note: The green shaded area is the Lone Star Trail within the Sam Houston National Forest and the orange shaded area is the Lost Pines Region.

Bright yellow big leaf maple

My favorite local trails in Huddart Park and Phleger Estate are not known for their colorful fall vegetation. The forest is dominated by redwoods, Douglas fir, California laurel, coastal live oak, and tanbark oak, none of which produce striking fall colors.

However, near streams there are a few big leaf maples that turn bright yellow. It is not the quantity that is impressive, but instead their relative isolation. The bright yellow leaves are very prominent and produce an interesting contrast with the relatively dark surroundings.

Here are some photos of the maples that don’t really do them justice along with a few shots of the pleasant forest I took on a recent run.

More photos after the jump!

Delicate maples in the redwood forest

Beautiful trails

Fall Color at Huddart

Sunlight peaking thorugh the thick forest

Redwoods and maple leaves

Lots of redwoods in the canyons

After an awesome adventure run down the Carmel River last week, I returned to the Ventana Wilderness with Holly, Gary, and Jim to see the famous Sykes Hot Springs. The Pine Ridge Trail to Sykes Hot Springs is one of the most popular destinations in the Ventana and without the cumbersome brush and routefinding issues characteristic of most trails in the region, this trail is like a highway. Since the hike to the hot springs is nearly ten miles one way, most people do it as a backpacking trip. The Pine Ridge Trail begins by skirting on the hillside above the Pfeiffer Big Sur Campground and then ascends above the rugged Big Sur Gorge. The vegetation alternates between shady old-growth redwoods in cool canyons and drier ridge lines composed of madrone and oak. There are often great vistas of the wild and scenic Big Sur River canyon below and the Santa Lucia Mountains above. In particular, there are grand views of the rugged Double Ventana Cone. Since this section of the Pine Ridge Trail is entirely on a north facing slope, the route is almost entirely in the shade this time of year due to the low angle of the sun.

The Pine Ridge Trail descends down to the Big Sur River for the first time near Sykes Hot Springs, which are located about 500 meters downstream from where the trail crosses the river. From here, you can either use a use path to skirt above cliffs and stay dry or cross the stream a couple times. The hot springs are located in an amazing setting perched above the cascading Big Sur River and surrounded by a lush redwood forest. It’s a remarkable place to take a soak and relax. There are three small pools: the upstream pool can fit two people, the downstream pool is basically a one person bath, and the pool about 50 feet up the hill is the largest and can hold four visitors comfortably.

Big Sur River by the hot springs

Terrace Creek Trail, Coast Ridge Road, Map, and more photos after the jump!

On the return trip, I diverged from the Pine Ridge Trail at the Terrace Creek Trail junction. I took the Terrace Creek Trail up to the Coast Ridge Road, which was taken down to Highway 1 and section on the highway back to the trailhead. This return route adds about 2.5 miles, but it’s worth the extra mileage and elevation gain in my opinion. The Terrace Creek trail is steep and entails over 1,400 ft of climbing in less than 2 miles, but the forest service crews recently completed a thorough overhaul of this trail. The fantastic job of the crew drastically improved the tread and removed all brush and impediments. The Terrace Creek canyon is one of the highlights in my opinion. Featuring numerous small waterfall steps, the creek is aptly named, and features a spectacular grove of old growth redwoods with a plush carpet of redwood sorrel and ferns.  While the climb up to the Coast Ridge Road is unforgiving, the reward is a spectacular 360 degree view from the top, including Ventana Double Cone, the Santa Lucia Mountains, the Pacific Ocean, and the Big Sur coastline. From the highpoint, the well-graded Coast Ridge Road is taken down to the Ventana Inn and Highway 1 with sweeping views of the ocean and coastline accompanying virtually the entire way. The final 1.7 miles is along the highway, but it is all downhill and took me only 10 minutes to run. Total mileage for the trip was nearly 22 miles.

Gorgeous views from Coast Ridge Road

Upper Hot Spring Pool

Historical fires stormed through most of the Ventana Wilderness in 2008, but crews have done an amazing job rehabilitating the trails and removing deadfall. It was also amazing to see the resiliency of the forest. In particular, it appeared that few of the naturally fire-resistant redwoods succumbed to the flames. While the outer shell of the trunks was often black, the trees seemed healthy and new growth was emerging from everywhere. A ranger I spoke to said the fire was long overdue and it was beneficial and necessary for the health of the forest. Only eighteen months after the fires, the scars are already fading.

Another great trip to the Ventana Wilderness and I look forward to more in the future!

Map of the route (click for larger version)

Ventana Double Cone from the Coast Ridge Road

The Big Sur River Canyon (the red trees are madrones adorned with copious red fruit)

Manuel Peak and the Big Sur Valley

Lush forest along Terrace Creek

Large redwood with rock wall background

Redwood Sorrel

Small waterfalls along Terrace Creek

I joined Gary Gellin and Jim Moyles for a point-to-point adventure run along the wild Carmel River in the Ventana Wilderness. The route starts at China Camp along Tassajara Road (rough dirt road) and finishes below Los Padres Reservoir. The first 3.5 miles is along the Pine Ridge Trail with great views into the Tassajara Creek drainage and the rugged Santa Lucia Mountains, including Junipero Serra Peak (the highest point in the range at 5,862 ft) and Ventana Double Cone. Evidence of the huge fires two seasons ago was evident, but the vegetation is coming back and I even spotted small pine saplings.

At Church Divide, we turned onto the Carmel River trail and soon after descending from the pass we found the headwaters of the Carmel River. A trickle quickly grew into a stream and by the time we reached lovely Pine Valley, the stream was flowing nicely. The fall colors in this section were gorgeous with maples and sycamores displaying bright orange and yellow leaves. This area is also heavily populated with madrones, which are adorned with so much red fruit that the trees appear red from a distance. At Pine Valley, we stopped for tea at Jack English’s cabin. Jack English is 90 years old and has lived in relative isolation in Pine Valley for over 35 years. Supplies and food are brought to him via horseback. It was great to meet Jack and hear about his experiences and history of the region.

Jack English's Cabin in Pine Valley

After Pine Valley, we temporarily left the Carmel River and climbed up to another pass to enter Hiding Canyon. Hiding Canyon was very brushy with numerous blowdowns and other impediments obscuring the trail for a couple miles. A small climb out of hiding canyon signaled the end of the brush and we were treated to great views of the upper Carmel River canyon. Next, we descended down the Carmel River and began over two dozen river crossings. These crossings are necessary because travel on either side becomes blocked by rock walls that descend all the way into the river. The trail connecting the river crossings is nothing more than a use  path and was often nonexistent due to brush and dirt slides, but the objective is simple, follow the river downstream.

More after the jump!

Pine Valley

The Carmel River canyon was spared fire damage and is lush with ferns, numerous species of hardwood, and even some fir. The setting of crystal clear water, smooth river rocks, and lush forest was amazing to experience from outside and within the Carmel River! The total distance of this section is around six miles. For the last three miles, the trail climbs up and above the river and then Los Padres Dam. At the dam, 0.8 miles remains to the parking area.

Crystal clear waters

One might expect that this route is largely downhill since it starts at over 4,000 ft and ends at under 1,000 ft. The reality is that there are numerous small climbs on this route with total elevation gain likely well over 2,000 ft. Combine this with the brush and off-trail travel and it becomes a real adventure. However, the reward for this physically challenging route more than compensates. This was my first exploration into the Ventana Wilderness and I look forward to more adventures in this vast area in the future.

Gorgeous Carmel River

Fall foliage and Carmel River

View from the North Wilderness Trail

I had so much fun on my last trail run on the Lone Star Trail that I decided to check out another section before my departure back to California. This time I chose the Little Lake Creek Wilderness at the west end of Sam Houston National Forest. This small wilderness area protects a mature stand of pine and hardwood forest. The main Lone Star Trail runs through the center of the Wilderness while the South Wilderness and North Wilderness trails pass through the south and north respectively. The difference between the wilderness area and surrounding forest is immediately noticeable – the pine trunks are much larger and the understory is thick with brush and small trees.

The trails here are awesome. The whispering pines, the lushness, the solitude, it’s an amazing place to run. On this day, there was even some great fall color. Since these trails and the entire Lone Star Trail are only open to foot traffic, they are not eroded and are well padded by leaves and needles. The terrain is gently rolling with some short steep bits climbing out of creek drainages but otherwise generally flatter so you can really pick up the pace and I was moving under 7 minute pace most of the time. It’s an exhilarating feeling to move fast through a thick forest on single track. The North Wilderness trail was my favorite section of this run with twisty and extremely tight single track, branches to duck under, and logs to steeplechase.

Wilderness Sign

This area has numerous loop possibilities off the main Lone Star Trail and I did an 11.7 mile loop combining the North Wilderness Loop and the Sand Branch Loop. Other loops in the area that can be added on include the South Wilderness Loop, Richards Loop, and Lake Conroe Loop. A single loop of over 40 miles can be designed in this area! I look forward to checking out the South Wilderness Trail and other sections of the Lone Star Trail next time I am in Houston!

Fall foliage

More photos after the jump!

East jct of North Wilderness and Lone Star Trail

Little Lake Creek

Lone Star Trail

Beautiful scenes

Palmetto in low lying area

Boardwalk

Palmetto close-up

More great pine forest

Narrow single track

Thick woods

North Wilderness Trail

Lone Star Trail

Towering Pine Trees

Sweet

Lone Star Trail Sign

One might think that Texas doesn’t have good venues for trail running. Think again. The Lone Star Trail is a 128 mile trail in the Sam Houston National Forest an hour north of Houston that runs in an ark shape spanning from the west end to the east end of the forest.  The setting is the extremely attractive piney woods ecosystem where several species of pines and hardwoods create a very pleasant forest. A few areas of the region have heightened protection, including the Little Lake Creek Wilderness, the Big Creek Scenic Area, and the Winters Bayou Scenic Area. Moreover, one can connect into Huntsville State Park for another 30 miles of more traveled trail (these are shared with equestrians and bicyclists). I imagine 99% of Houstonians have never heard of this treasure, let alone anybody outside of Texas, but it definitely deserves more interest and attention (or maybe not? I like the solitude and wilderness feeling).

Lush mature pine forest

The trail crosses several roads and a few miles are on country road in order to connect through private property. However, by in large, the 128 miles are great trail, primarily single track with a shady forest canopy. There are several loop possibilities that are included in the mileage total so I believe that if one were to run it straight through on the shortest possible route it would be about 100 miles. What a stellar point-to-point course that would be!

Sweet singles in the woods

On this day I ran a 6 mile stretch of the Lone Star Trail (12 mile round trip) from Big Creek Scenic Area to Double Lake. The Big Creek Scenic Area has great plant diversity and a thick understory. The 4.7 mile section to Double Lake is gently rolling single track through towering pine trees – great stuff. Double Lake is a small lake with camping and recreation (road accessible). There are several water fountains at Double Lake to refill the water bottle. I continued past Double Lake on the Lone Star Trail for another 1.25 miles to the crossing of FM 1025, which was another awesome section of twisty single track under the pines. I noticed several offshoot trails around Double Lake and later found out there is another 8 miles of trail around the lake. These trails are open to mountain bikers but they look like more great single track. Since it’s hunting season in Texas, the orange shirt from this year’s edition of the  Golden Hills Marathon came in handy! Thankfully, I didn’t interrupt any hunts

Orange shirt stands out!

More photos after the jump!

Nice scene

Double Lake

Big Creek

Single track from dreams

Drier area

Piney Woods

Vegetation Tunnel

Parking area

Brazos Bend State Park is only a 45 minute drive from downtown Houston, but it feels like a different world. This lush park is primarily located on the Brazos River floodplains with thick bottomland hardwood forest that gives a jungle ambiance. I can imagine how humid and hot these woods become in the summer months from June through October. Species include huge moss-cloaked live oak, black willow, cottonwood, and sycamore. Over 30 miles of trail traverse through the 5,000 acre park and some of them are primitive providing a wilderness feeling. More than 300 species of birds make the marshes and wetlands of this park home and there are many species of mammals, amphibians, and reptiles, including a sizable population of the American Alligator. Here are some photos from the trip:

Lush forest

Little Blue Heron

American Alligator lurking

Turtle Love

More photos after the jump!

Lush forest

Birds in the Creekside wetland

Brazos River

Lots of birds here!

Creekside Wetland

Another Heron shot

The highlights page for 2009 is up on my website! After 2008 featured scenery predominantly from the Washington Cascades, this year’s edition has more shots from California’s Sierra Nevada than ever before. Areas visited in the Sierra include the Minarets, Palisades, Kings-Kern Divide, and Rae Lakes area. The first adventure run of the season was in the lovely Trinity Alps of far northern California and I look forward to returning there in the future. In Washington, trips included Mount Olympus, the Ptarmigan Traverse, Clark Mountain, and the Suiattle Crest. However, photos from Olympus and the Ptarmigan Traverse were not used as much since they were featured prominently in 2007 and 2008 respectively. Please contact me with questions, requests, or comments – I am happy to provide information or sell original quality photos.

Lake Reflection

Here are links to the complete list of highlights pages dating back to 2005!

• 2009
• 2008
• 2007
• 2006
• 2005