Napa State Park

Among the world famous wineries and charming towns of Napa Valley is a wooded state park with some trails for running. The park is surprisingly lush with dense forest including redwoods, oak, madrone, and firs. A nice six mile loop follows Ritchey Creek up the canyon and then ascends Coyote Peak on the way back….

Mount Saint Helena

Serena and I climbed Mount Saint Helena which is located at the head of the Napa Valley in the Myacamas Mountains and is one of the highest peaks in the Bay Area standing 4,344 ft. The mountain is largely located within Robert Louis Stevenson State Park and is ascended via a 5.2 mile walk (10.4…

Thompson Peak, Trinity Alps

Topping out at just over 9,000 feet, Thompson Peak is the highest point in the Trinity Alps, which is a section of the Klamath Mountain Range in northwestern California. The peak is at the headwaters of the most rugged drainage in the Trinity Alps, the Canyon Creek drainage, where several peaks rise above 8,800 feet….

Best Bay Area Hill Climbs

If you are looking for some E (elevation) in the Bay Area, this post provides a great list of hill climbs, including famous mountains like Diablo and Tamalpais, but also lesser known trails and summits. These ascents will not only get your heart pumping, but will also inspire you with the beauty of nature. The…

Mount Diablo

Yesterday I attended PCTR’s Mount Diablo event. The 25k distance was part of the La Sportiva Mountain Cup series so I helped answer questions at a La Sportiva booth. I also met fellow La Sportiva Mountain Running Team members and watched friends have great performances on this unusually cool June morning. I arrived at the…

Los Trancos Trail

The section of trail along Los Trancos Creek is definitely a highlight, but the 7.5 mile loop also offers meadows filled with wildflowers, enchanting hardwood forest, and beautiful vistas of Portola Valley, Palo Alto, and the Bay. Here are some more photos:  More photos of views, wildflowers, and a snake after the jump and be…

Los Trancos Creek

The Los Trancos Trail is a 7.5 mile loop with great variety including rugged chaparral, hardwood forest, meadows, views, and the cascading Los Trancos Creek. On our hike we enjoyed wildflowers, vistas, waterfalls, and even a snake! Here are some photos of Los Trancos Creek and be sure to check out the Los Trancos Trail…

Ohlone Wilderness 50k

I had a great time running the Ohlone Wilderness 50k which is a challenging point-to-point course stretching from Fremont to Lake Del Valle in the Diablo Range to the Southeast of the San Francisco Bay Area. The relatively cool weather helped me lower the course record by nearly 10 minutes to 4:29:45. Ohlone is one…