Santa Monica Mountains - The Backbone Trail is badass for trail running

The Santa Monica Mountains, located northwest of the LA Basin, extend east-west from the Hollywood Hills to Point Magu. The mountains are mostly within the Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area (SMMNRA), and are managed by a partnership of National Park, State Park, and local conservancies. The SMMNRA contains lots of trails, but the crown jewel for trail runners is the Backbone Trail. Started in 1978, the trail nearly complete, with only 5 miles left to be built. The trail offers 60 miles of dirt routes and singletrack and is a fantastic way to explore the mountains.

Corral Canyon Trailhead

In a Nutshell

• Trail Surface: soft dirt, hard dirt, loose rock, pavement at road crossings.
• Bathrooms/water: Go before you go, and bring your own water. Both are scarce at Backbone Trail trailheads.
• Dogs: Must be leashed.

Route:

Unless you’re training for an ultra marathon, you probably don’t want to do the whole trail at one time. Fortunately, the trail crosses several of the main paved roads and there are numerous trail heads to choose from. Click here for an overview map of the SMMNRA Backbone Trail.

If you’re looking for a 6.5 mile run, the segment from Kanan Dume Road to Malibu Creek State Park (off of Corral Canyon Road) is ideal. This stretch can be done from either direction as a point to point run, or done as an out and back if you’re looking for something longer. There’s a nice parking area at the Kanan Dume trailhead and a spectacular view at the Malibu Creek State Park parking area at the end. 

You can extend this run further in either direction to add mileage, or do an out and back for great half marathon training route. From Kanan Dume Road to Corral Canyon, the trail is rolling, with about 600 feet of elevation gain. The trail has portions that follow ridgelines and are exposed, but other sections that dip under the canopy of tall coastal chaparral and woodlands, providing some nice shady sections.

If You Go:

Much of the trail is remote, with miles and miles of rugged terrain, rolling hills, and ocean views. Definitely tell someone where you’re going and treat this like a wilderness run (because it is!). The best part about running in the Santa Monicas? And after you complete your badass run, you can swing by one of the nearby beaches for some r & r.

Special Addition Wyoming - Run with the Horses Marathon & Half

I promise I will post another LA trail run soon, but after running this grueling and beautiful race last weekend, I felt compelled to share it here as well.

View from Wild Horse Canyon Road

In a Nutshell

• Trail surface: 4 miles of pavement, the rest was dirt road & gravel
•  Bathrooms/water: the race was well supported with porta potties, water, and snacks. If you do this run on your own, there are bathrooms at Expedition Island. Water you should bring.
•  Dogs: Must be leashed. Very exposed, and in August, very HOT

Routes:

For both the marathon and half, it was an out and back course. The race started at Expedition Island in Green River, Wyoming. The sun had just barely broken over the horizon when my friend and I arrived to pick up our packets and race numbers. The air was cool but had a promise of extreme heat, or maybe that was just the race director’s dire sounding warnings as we lined up at the start. We were warned of rattlesnakes, heat, no trees, no shade, and that traffic would not be stopped along the route. And with those words of encouragement echoing in our ears, we started the race!

Wild Horse Canyon

The first two miles wound through town with several police officers directing traffic to let us pass. At the edge of town we took a right on White Mountain Road. After less than a mile, the pavement petered out and the road became Wild Horse Canyon Road. From then til the turn around, it was up, up, up. The starting elevation was 6,500 feet and I could certainly feel the lack of oxygen as we climbed. The scenery, however, more than made up for the lead feeling in my legs.

The road wound through canyons and then opened onto a high plateaus with incredible views of the Painted Gorge that Green River is famous for. The bluffs indeed were streaked with color and illuminated beautifully in the early morning light. I snapped a few photos with my phone and kept moving.

Look closely - can you spot 2 horses?

The miles crept by, and the runners spread out along the road. Mile 3 went past, then 4, and finally 5. I was finally starting to feel ok, probably because the course had flattened out a bit. At the 5 mile rest stop, a race volunteer alerted us to the wild horse herd that had begun to come over a far ridge. The horses camouflaged so well with the grasslands, it took a moment to see them, but sure enough, two wild horses were eating their breakfast alongside the road.

Another mile and half and it was my turn around. My friend was going for the full marathon, but I was only in it for the half. I gave her a hug of encouragement and we parted ways. The second half of the race was pretty much all downhill, and I picked up my pace a bit. I was surprised at how steep the hills were that we’d run up!

This was his 400th Marathon!

Around mile 8 or 9, I saw a super badass guy running in a horsesuit with a sign that read ‘400^th Marathon’ – wow, talk about encouragement. Speaking of, everyone was incredibly friendly and because it was an out and back course, there were a lot of “good job!” and “keep it up!” from nearly everyone I passed on the way back.

I cruised all the way back into town, the miles ticking by. With a mile and half to go, my hair elastic snapped and I was forced to steal a pink course ribbon to secure my ponytail for the final mile back to Expedition Island. Even so, I ended up with 2:22 and an age group win. Not too bad.

If  You Go:

This race is fun, it’s beautiful, and it’s a community event. The chamber of commerce puts a ton of work into making the race a good experience for everyone. Despite the easy-going atmosphere, it is challenging course. Do train at elevation to prepare! If you're thinking about running this event next year, here's the race website: http://www.runwiththehorsesmarathon.com/

Special Wisconsin Edition - Hixon Forest Park Trail Run

Yikes, it's been a while since I got a trail run posted up here. Travel and work have kept me busy. This past weekend I visited Minnesota and Wisconsin for the wedding of two dear friends. The wedding was in La Crosse, Wisconsin, on the banks of the Mississippi. Being my first time to the area, I scoped out some local trails and squeezed in a 4.5 mile run before the festivities!

 In a Nutshell

• Trail Surface: Soft dirt sections, hard packed sections, and a few rocky stretches
•  Bathrooms/water: Pretty clean porta-potty at the trailhead had TP and hand sanitizer. Bring your own water.
•  Dogs: Must be leashed.
• Difficulty: Moderate

Route

Here's me running along the Hickory Trail.

Starting at the lower parking lot, I ran along the dirt access road to the upper parking lot and then past the golf course. At the first trail junction, I turned left onto the Gully Trail. It was uphill from here, through a dense green forest and along a very narrow singletrack. Shortly, the trail connected to the Hickory Trail and traversed over to the Bicentennial Trail. I continued uphill and the trail opened onto a meadow where the road was visible. The trail traversed again passing a sign with a map. I knew I wanted to get up to the Lookout, so followed the trail downhill and back into the woods. The trail wound its way up again and opened to a viewpoint. In the distance, forested bluffs and the City of La Crosse were visible. After enjoying the view for a few moments, I headed back into the green forest and downhill along the Sumac Trail and then back to the parking area. The forest was very dense and very green. Quite a different trail experience than LA! 

View from Lookout Point

If You Go

Hixon Park has a really nice online map with mileages and difficulty for its interconnecting trails. After taking a look at the trail map, I was a little nervous about remembering which trail turn offs to take. Fortunately, there are trail signs and maps posted along the way.