Here's an interactive Google Earth browser view of a false-color image of the Springs Fire scar from the Landsat Data Continuity Mission's Operational Land Imager. The image was recently featured on the NASA Earth Observatory web site. The image date is May 4, 2013.

According to the description of the image on Earth Observatory unburned vegetation appears dark green. Burned areas are red, and the most severely burned areas are generally the darkest. Actively growing farmland is light green; plowed fields are brown. Buildings and roads are gray.

This is a 3D view that can be zoomed,rotated and tilted. It includes the GEOMAC fire perimeter timestamped 05/07/13 0348. Placemark locations are approximate. GPS tracks from various runs have been added to mark many of the area's trails. The red track is Sycamore Canyon Fire Road. Requires the Google Earth plugin.

The overlay is large and may take a while to load.

Related post: Springs Fire 2013

Running Down the South Fork Trail from Islip Saddle

Just six days before I'd been sitting in my car at Islip Saddle debating whether to run. It had been COLD. The temperature had been about 35°F and the wind a steady 20 mph with higher gusts. It was cloudy and at times foggy, and it looked like rain, sleet or snow might begin at any moment.

Today I was back at Islip Saddle and the temperature was definitely not in the 30s. On a scale of 1 to 10, today's trail running weather was going to be a 9 or 10. At least here in the San Gabriel Mountains the weather was going to be a 9 or 10. Down in the valleys the temps would hit the mid-90s in some locations.

We were doing the Islip Saddle - South Fork Camp - Vincent Gap - Mt. Baden-Powell loop, one of my favorite adventure runs in the San Gabriels. Because this loop starts by running down to the high desert heat is often a factor, and an early start desirable.

Running down the South Fork Trail it felt like it was going to be a great day for the run, and by the time we were chugging up the Manzanita Trail toward Vincent Gap, there was no doubt about it. There was a cool, down-canyon breeze, and even in the sun the temperature was pleasant. The hatch of gnats that usually follows Spring showers wasn't happening and all in all the conditions were as good as I've had on the loop.

Here is a slideshow with a few photos from the run, and here are an interactive Google Earth browser view and an elevation profile of the run.

Some related posts: Heat Wave, San Gabriel Mountains Running Adventure, Bear Cubs on the South Fork Trail, Islip Saddle - Mt. Baden-Powell South Fork Loop

Trailrunners spend a lot of time outdoors, and as the hours add up so do the chances of wildlife encounters. Encounters can be as common as Nuttall's woodpeckers chatting it up in a oak tree, or as rare as a mountain lion bounding across a road.

The diversity of wildlife in the areas in which I run is remarkable. The wildlife section of Photography on the Run includes posts about encounters and interactions with tarantulas and other spiders, bees & wasps, butterflies, birds, various snakes, lizards, frogs, rabbits, squirrels, coyotes, deer, bighorn sheep, hawks, falcons, owls, bobcats, bears, and mountain lions.

I've found many animals are surprisingly tolerant of a jogging runner. What I will call innate curiosity sometimes seems to offset primal fear. However, it is a delicate balance with a hair trigger.

Earlier this week I did an out and back run at Sage Ranch. A couple of miles into the run I ran up a short hill and then around a huge sandstone boulder. About 10 feet away, perched on the edge of a picnic table was a Cooper's Hawk. And it didn't fly.

I could barely breathe. The bird was stunning. Its sleek dimensions and long, barred tail suggested elegance, speed and agility. I slowly turned away and with agonizing deliberateness, removed my camera from the waist pack. As I turned back to the bird, camera in hand, it flew away.

Birds are among the toughest of creatures for me to approach and photograph. Especially with a 90 mm lens. Most are very wary and will react to motion in their direction.

Over time you learn the habits and behaviors of the wildlife you see. There is a fence line along the dirt road on the east side of Lasky Mesa that is a favorite of flycatchers. I've seen two types of flycatchers at Ahmanson Ranch, the Say's Phoebe and the Western Kingbird. As the name suggests, flycatchers hunt insects from fence posts and other perches.

Both species react to a runner in peculiar way. The game goes like this. From some yards away I'll see a flycatcher perched atop a fence post. The bird will wait until I am about 20 yards away -- not quite close enough to get the shot I want -- then fly four or five fence posts down the line and wait for me to try again. This behavior sometimes continues for a quarter-mile or more and several times has repeated until the end of the fence line.

Why? Maybe people and animals tend to stir up insects and the birds are being opportunistic.

The kingbirds in the title photo were momentarily distracted when one chased the other from the top of the post. The chasee has its crown feathers flared and wings held in a posturing display.

This is an adventurous loop that starts and ends at the Cold Spring trailhead, low on the slopes of the Santa Ynez Mountains in the Santa Barbara Front Country. The route climbs the Cold Spring Trail to Camino Cielo on the crest of the range, and then descends to Forbush Flat and Blue Canyon in the Santa Barbara Back Country.

The Front Country views on the Cold Spring Trail are spectacular, and the Back Country segment from Forbush to Blue Canyon has a classic, isolated character, accentuated by grassy flats, sprawling oaks, gurgling springs and unique geology. Montecito Peak (3214') can be climbed on the way up the Cold Spring Trail and depending on how much time you spend on the summit, adds about 15 minutes.

I was running with Kevin Young, whom I'd met during the Backbone Ultra. Kevin is long-time resident of Santa Barbara and this is just one of the challenging routes in his backyard. As is the case with many trail runs, the mileage of this loop -- about 22 miles -- isn't the best indicator of its difficulty. Many variations of the loop are possible, but one thing they all have in common is lots of elevation gain.

Thanks to the marine layer it was cool along the immediate coast, but inland temps were hot. When we started the run the temperature at the Montecito RAWS was 60°F. A few hours later when we were climbing out of Blue Canyon on the memorably steep Romero Trail the in-the-sun temperature at nearby Los Prietos was around 100°F.

Having done this loop a number of times, Kevin knew it was longer than it looked, and had stashed some goodies at the Romero trailhead. You might think 100 oz. of water would be plenty for 16 miles. On a different day it might be, but today we both ran out of water part way down the Romero Trail. Neither one of us had particularly fresh legs. Kevin was training for a 100 miler later in May and had run 20 miles the day before.

The PB & J sandwich at Romero hit the spot, but after drinking a 16 oz. recovery drink, half of a large bottle of water, and some Gatorade, I wondered if I had overdone the fluids. Nope -- it actually helped a lot and my running attitude improved considerably.

Kevin's route back to the Cold Spring trailhead from Romero initially followed the Nine Trails course on the Edison Catway, but after reaching the Buena Vista Trail continued down to Park Lane. Here we picked up the Old Pueblo Trail, and then worked across to the McMenemy Trail. We followed the McMenemy Trail to the Hot Springs Trail, which we took down to Mountain Drive. From the Hot Springs trailhead it was about a mile on Mountain Drive back to the Cold Spring trailhead. Even though it had a lot of up and down, this part of the run turned out to be surprisingly cool and enjoyable.

For maps of the area see the Multi-use Trails Coalition and Santa Barbara Hikes web sites.

Here's a slideshow with a few photos from the run. We did this run last Sunday, April 28.

Springs Fire MODIS fire detections as of 05/03/13 1115 MDT

Update May 13, 2013. According to the CAL FIRE web site the Springs Fire was 100% contained on May 11 at 24,251 acres. The interactive Google Earth browser view of the Springs fire perimeter has been updated with the fire perimeter from GEOMAC timestamped 05/07/13 0348. This is a 3D view that can be zoomed,rotated and tilted. Placemark locations are approximate. GPS tracks from various runs have been added to mark many of the area's trails. The red track is Sycamore Canyon Fire Road. Requires Google Earth plugin.

Today SMMNRA announced that some areas closed by the Springs Fire will reopen tomorrow morning. Rancho Sierra Vista in Newbury Park will partially reopen, the Sandstone Peak and Mishe Mokwa trailheads will reopen, and the Backbone Trail east of the Point Mugu State Park boundary will reopen. Also see the SMMNRA news release After the Fire: 3 Things You Can Do to Help Nature Recover and the SMMNRA Photostream on Flickr.

Previous snapshots:

Springs Fire fire perimeter from GEOMAC timestamped 05/06/13 0555.

Springs Fire fire perimeter from GEOMAC timestamped 05/03/13 2345.

Springs Fire MODIS fire detections as of 05/04/13 1315 MDT with GEOMAC fire perimeter timestamped 05/03/13 2345.

Springs Fire MODIS fire detections as of 05/04/13 0800 MDT.

Springs Fire MODIS fire detections as of 05/03/13 2215 MDT.

Springs Fire MODIS fire detections as of 05/03/13 1700 MDT.

Springs Fire MODIS fire detections as of 05/03/13 0845 MDT.

MODIS Google Earth fire data is from the USDA Forest Service Remote Sensing Applications Center Active Fire Mapping Program web site. Fire perimeter is the most recently available from the GEOMAC web site at the time this post was updated.

The following additional information was included with the MODIS fire detections KML file:

This KML displays the MODIS fire detections at a spatial resolution of 1km for the past 6 hours, 6-12 hours, 12-24 hours and the previous 6 day period. Each 1km MODIS fire detection is depicted as a point representing the centroid of the 1km pixel where the fire is detected. The 1km footprint of the MODIS pixel for each detection is also displayed.

KML file generated by the USDA Forest Service Active Fire Mapping Program. Please see http://activefiremaps.fs.fed.us for additional fire mapping products and information.

Disclaimer: Although these data have been used by the USDA Forest Service, the USDA Forest Service shall not be held liable for improper or incorrect use of the data described and/or contained herein. The information contained in these data is dynamic and is continually updated. This disclaimer applies both to individual use of the data and aggregate use with other data. The USDA Forest Service reserves the right to correct, update or modify this data and related materials without notification.

View Southwest from Sadie Hawkins past Twin Peaks to Mt. Wilson

The snow was rock hard and covered with lodgepole pine needles and other debris. Having experience climbing snow and ice I can usually deal with a little early season snow, but I could see no way to safely cross this patch. The snow was steep and icy, the runout long and the risk high. My usual tricks for crossing short stretches of snow were not going to work.

Snowfall had been sporadic in Southern California over the Winter and this was the earliest in the Spring I had tried to do the out and back from Islip Saddle to Mt. Baden-Powell. I had thought there might be some patchy snow on the north-facing slopes at the higher elevations, but I hadn't expected it to be an issue.

Borrowing from river paddling philosophy, you never run (or hike, or ride) the same trail twice. I knew it was going to be an interesting day when a bighorn sheep darted from the trailhead at the beginning of the run. I'd followed bighorn tracks from Islip Saddle up the PCT for about a quarter mile to an overlook of Hwy 39 and Twin Peaks.

The view from the overlook had been spectacular. Marine layer stratus filled the canyon, nearly immersing Triplet Rocks on Twin Peak's elongated east ridge. The stratus was evidence of a strong onshore flow, but above Islip Saddle a strong -- and cold -- wind was blowing almost directly out of the north. It had been cold enough that I pulled on my extra sleeves, ultralight shell and light gloves.

The wind was unrelenting and seemed to work its way around every corner and into every canyon. At Windy Gap and the other wind gaps along the crest the wind was funneled and accelerated, and I wondered if this would be the day I would see or hear one of the huge ghost trees from the Curve Fire crash to the ground.

At times I go where my camera takes me, and about a half-mile west of Mt. Hawkins it took me off the PCT and onto the Hawkins Ridge Trail. There are three peaks along this ridge -- Sadie Hawkins, Middle Hawkins and South Mt. Hawkins. It had been years since I'd done these peaks, and today it looked like there might be some good views from the ridge.

The Hawkins Ridge Trail was warm and mostly sheltered from the wind and I continued down the trail a little further than necessary before leaving it and scrambling up to the summit of Sadie Hawkins. Warmed from the steep climb I had returned to the PCT and continued toward Baden-Powell.

Near the junction of the PCT and Dawson Saddle Trail there had been patches of snow mixed in with the chinquapin and limber pines, but it hadn't been until the PCT skirted north around Mt. Burnham that the trail was blocked by snow. I abandoned the attempt to cross the icy patch and headed up the steep slopes of Mt. Burnham to the crest.

It was still cold and windy when I reached the summit of Mt. Baden-Powell, but a sparkling day with Mt. Baldy to the southeast across Vincent Gulch, San Jacinto Peak and San Gorgonio area peaks in the distance to the southeast, the Sierra to the north, and miles of stratus to the south. After spending a few minutes on the summit I retraced my steps back down the crest and the PCT to Islip Saddle, making the requisite stop at Little Jimmy Springs along the way.

Some related posts: San Gabriels High Five, La Nina Looming, Running Hot & Cold, Toward Triplet Rocks

Bear Canyon

Doing a moderate run in the San Gabriels and climbing a few peaks was a great way to unwind from the excitement of doing the 68 mile Backbone Ultra last weekend.

I felt good. I'd run more or less normally in the week following the event -- depleted, but without any physical issues. In part that can be attributed to how Coyote Cohorts runs their events. It was basically a long training run in the company of a great bunch of runners and the help of incredible volunteers. Amazing! The long hours of training also really helped, particularly the back-to-back runs following 50Ks and the back-to-back night/day training runs. My shoes -- Hoka Mafate 2s -- also helped, reducing the impact of all the miles.

One of the reasons for doing today's run was to check how Poodle-dog Bush and some other plants are faring in this low rainfall water year. Since July 1 Downtown Los Angeles has recorded only 5.14 inches of rain. Unless we can manage to wring about a half-inch of rain from the heavens before June 30, this water year will go down as the fourth driest since record-keeping began in 1877. The driest water year on record was in 2005-2006 (3.21 inches). Assuming we don't get that 0.48 inch of rain, three of the four driest water years have occurred since 2000.

Something I noticed on the Backbone run and recent training runs in the Santa Monica Mountains is that plant growth and flowering has been surprisingly robust given the amount of rainfall. This was also the case today on today's run -- the manzanita on the San Gabriel Peak Trail was covered in blossoms and bees, and the nightshade and paintbrush along the trail also seemed to be doing well.

What about the Poodle-dog bush, aka Turricula? It looked about the same as last year at this time -- just starting to come out of Winter dormancy. Last year we had above average rainfall in April and it really seemed to spur the growth of Poodle-dog bush. This year maybe we'll see what an extended period of dry weather does to it. Last year some of the Poodle-dog died before the rain in April.

Here's a short slideshow of a few photos from today's run in the San Gabriel Mountains, as well as some photos of plants and flowers on recent runs in the Santa Monica Mountains.

The 1.6 mile hike (one way) from Stunt Road to the rocky overlook at the top of Calabasas Peak Motorway fire road is very popular and has some great views along the way. Some stretches of the road are steep, but there are also some moderate sections and even a short flat stretch to catch your breath.

The route gains about 800 vertical feet to the viewpoint. Although many turnaround here, even better views can be had from the nearby summit of Calabasas Peak. Continuing to the peak adds about a half-mile (round trip) and around 100' of elevation gain.

From this afternoon's run on the Secret Trail.

Some related posts: Calabasas Peak From Saddle Peak, Secret Trail Variations

If a sunflower could be crossed with a Joshua tree the result might look like Giant Coreopsis (Leptosyne gigantea).

As tall as six feet, this peculiar plant looks as if it belongs in some distant place, if not some distant time.

It is a member of the Sunflower family and its bright yellow flowers and feathery green leaves create impressive displays on Southern California coastal slopes following Winter rains. It is well-adapted to our Mediterranean climate, its leaves withering and the plant becoming dormant in the dry months.

These are along the La Jolla Canyon Trail in Pt. Mugu State Park and were photographed on Saturday's run to Mugu Peak from Wendy Drive.

Did a night training run this evening in the Simi Hills, west of the San Fernando Valley, and combined it with photographing Comet PanSTARRS and the crescent moon with my normal running camera -- a Panasonic Lumix LX7.

Since the comet is low on the western horizon and not very bright, it is a difficult object to photograph, and even more difficult to see with the naked eye.

I found a convenient pipe to use as a monopod and took some image sequences using the self-timer. This particular photo is from a single RAW format image shot at f/2.3 for 1 sec at ISO800 at the 35mm equivalent of 90mm.

Here's a larger version of the image. The soft light on the face of the Moon above the crescent is earthsine -- diffuse sunlight reflected from Earth.

The run was also fun. Saw and heard more poorwills and also encountered a mule deer. Didn't see any coyotes, but certainly heard them.

Related post: Comet Holmes 17/P

Lot's of people on the way up and down Mugu Peak. This is the steeper trail on the west side.

After last Saturday's sleep-deprived run to the peak, I had to run it again. This week I'd run fewer miles, had a good night's sleep, and the weather was cooler.

Much better!

This rain season has been another dry one in Southern California with many areas recording about one-third to one-half of the normal amount of rainfall.

I have not seen upper Las Virgenes Creek actually flowing any time this rain season. All the creek crossings in Upper Las Virgenes Canyon north of the Cheeseboro connector have been dry to damp all Winter.

Water is pooled in places along the creek, and one of the larger pools is at the creek crossing south of the Cheeseboro connector. I had to laugh when I ran down the hill and saw this pair of Mallards enjoying the pool.

From this morning's run of the Phantom Loop in Malibu Creek State Park.

Some related posts: Goat Buttes and Century Lake, Malibu Creek State Park Shadow & Sun, No Plan Required

What time was it? 1:00 AM? And I was going to get up at what time? 6:00 AM? And do what? Run to Mugu Peak?

It made sense a few days ago. Do a long night training run, sleep for a few hours, then get up and do another long run.

I couldn't believe it when I woke at 6:15. OK... OK... I'll give it a shot. Bleary-eyed, I drove to Wendy Drive.

The forecast was for another day of record-breaking highs. By Southern California standards most of the Winter had been cool and sometimes even cold. I was sure that a temperature of 80-something was going to feel more like 90-something.

Most of the first few miles of Sycamore Canyon were downhill, shaded and cool. As I passed the Danielson Multi-Use Area it was weird to think that last night we had turned around just a couple of miles up the Backbone Trail from here. Danielson will be around mile 59 of the ultra. Running in the dark and after many miles of technical single track trail, Sycamore Canyon road will hopefully provide at least a bit of mental relief. One foot in front of the other...

This morning I continued to follow the Backbone Trail down Sycamore Canyon and then up the Wood Canyon Vista Trail to the Overlook fire road. Here the Backbone Trail continues left (south) to the Ray Miller Trail. Today I turned right and at the 4-way intersection a little down the road turned left and headed into La Jolla Valley -- one of the "must visit" places in the Santa Monica Mountains. Mugu Peak is on the south side of La Jolla Valley, and stands above the coast at Pt. Mugu.

The title photo was taken from the trail on the east side of Mugu Peak. The eastern part of La Jolla Valley is on the left (above the cactus) and La Jolla Canyon is on the right. Boney Mountain is in the distance. The Chamberlain segment of the Backbone Trail descends from near the high point on the right side of the skyline.

There are several ways to return to Wendy Drive from Mugu Peak and my favorite route is nearly all single track trail. Not today. Today wherever there was a choice I took the one that would have the most shade and water faucets. That meant descending Hell Hill instead of Wood Canyon Vista Trail, and running back up Sycamore Road instead of using the single track trails on the west side of the canyon.

It took a while, but eventually I made it back to the car.

Some related posts: Back to Mugu Peak; Laguna Peak, La Jolla Valley, and the Channel Islands

On my list of things to do to prepare for the Backbone Ultra was a night training run on a segment of the Backbone Trail we would be running in the dark.

Tonight was a good night for that training run for a couple of reasons. One was that the weather was going to be phenomenal. Today several record high temps for the date had been broken, including nearby Camarillo at 89 and Oxnard at 84. It would be warmer on tonight's run than on many of the runs I'd done this Winter. Another was that adjusting for Daylight Savings Time, the moon would rise at about the same time and be in about the same phase as on the day of the event.

The plan was to do two out and back runs from the Mishe Mokwa trailhead. The Backbone Ultra starts at Will Rogers State Park in Pacific Palisades and ends at Ray Miller Campground, near Pt. Mugu. The Mishe Mokwa trailhead is at about mile 52 of the course. The first run tonight would be on the easier terrain of the Backbone Trail east of Mishe Mokwa; and the second would be a more difficult run past Sandstone Peak and down the Chamberlain Trail.

Ann, also training for the Backbone Ultra, joined in on the runs, and as it was beginning to get dark we set off eastbound (toward Etz Meloy) from Mishe Mokwa.

It would be hard to imagine better conditions for running at night; the sky was clear and the temperature in the 70s. Accompanied by a chorus of crickets, poorwills deepened the growing darkness with their enigmatic calls. Sirius, the brightest nighttime star, was to the southeast, behind Orion the hunter, whose sword belt of three stars was easily seen to the south. The planet Jupiter beamed overhead, even brighter than blue-white Sirius, but with a yellowish tint, hinting at the gas giant's atmosphere of swirling clouds.

The perspective of terrain and time changes in the dark. You run more by how you feel than what you see ahead. Whether up or down, moderate hills look more moderate and gradual hills seem almost flat. Some runners say time seems to pass more quickly at night, others tell of arduous miles, wrong turns and distant aid stations.

After running an enjoyable three miles eastbound, we retraced our route and returned to Mishe Mokwa. After eating some watermelon, we grabbed our packs and headed up the Backbone Trail toward Sandstone Peak.

This out and back was going to be more difficult than the first, with about 3000' of gain/loss over a sometimes rocky and technical 12+ miles of trail. With the event coming up in just a few weeks the last thing we wanted to do was something "stoopid." During the day it relatively easy to check your watch, search pockets for missing jelly beans or salt tabs, eat a fruit bar, look around, and do other things on the run. At night, particularly on a technical trail, a much higher level of attention is required and there are many distractions.

The myriad of stars and the glittering lights along the 101 corridor and out on the Oxnard plain were amazing. Along the trail, manzanita blossoms, shooting stars, Ceanothus, and lichens seemed to almost phosphoresce in the diffuse light of the headlamps. From time to time the sweet fragrance of poison oak, just starting to bloom, would waft up from the canyon and mix with the more earthy scents along the trail.

We turned around at the bottom of the Chamberlain Trail, and in a dark-distorted hour were back on the rolling terrain south of Tri Peaks and west of Sandstone Peak. Here the trail follows the drainage of an ephemeral stream. Colder air had collected in the drainage, and the temperature was a chilly 15-20 degrees cooler than the rest of the trail.

Black in the night, massive rock formations towered above the trail, and the hulk of Sandstone Peak appeared huge and insurmountable. At places along the crest there were stunning views of the moon rising over the lights of the Los Angeles basin and at other vantage points equally sensational views of the Conejo Valley.

In a higher mileage week of a higher mileage month it is a long 2 miles from the top of the climb up the Chamberlain Trail to the start of the downhill that would take us to Mishe Mokwa.

In 29 days and 50-something miles we would be up here again, climbing the Backbone Trail to Sandstone Peak, winding through the rock formations of Boney Mountain, and then descending the Chamberlain Trail. What an experience that would be!

Sun, Moon & Stars and Comet Pan-STARRS.

All sun and moon data is from the U.S. Naval Observatory Astronomical Applications Department. The sunrise time is for Los Angeles and sunset and moonrise times are for Oxnard. There may be small differences in the observed times of sunrise, sunset and moonrise due to a variety of factors.

Sunrise on the first day of the Backbone Ultra -- March 30 -- will be at 6:43 AM and sunset will be 7:16 PM. At 6:00 AM the orange-appearing star Antares, the Moon, and Saturn will be in the southwest sky, about 27 degrees above the horizon. About 88% of the Moon's visible disk will be illuminated.

It varies from person to person, but if the sky is clear, there is usually enough light to run on easy terrain for about 30 minutes before sunrise and 30 minutes after sunset. That works out to as much as about 13.5 hours of light for the 6:00 AM start group, 10.75 hours for the 9:00 AM group and 7.75 hours for the noon group.

As on the training run, Sirius, Jupiter, Orion and the Pleiades will be visible early in the evening. Moonrise on the evening of March 30th will be at 11:17 PM. At 2:00 AM the Moon will be about 25 degrees above the horizon in the southeast sky. About 80% of its visible disk will be illuminated. At 4:30 AM the moon is about 35 degrees above the horizon in the southern sky.

Comet Pan-STARRS probably won't be visible March 30, but if you happen to be doing an evening training run over the next week or so and have a clear view of the western horizon just after sunset, it may be visible very low on the western horizon. It may be difficult to see in the twilight. For more viewing info check NASA's Asteroid & Comet Watch and Sky & Telescope's updates on the comet.

From this afternoon's run in the hills of El Escorpion Park in the west San Fernando Valley.

Coyotes are curious creatures. You can be nearly certain if one crosses your path, it will continue for a short distance, stop, turn, and watch you.

Recently I had another interesting coyote encounter. I was running along East Las Virgenes Canyon fire road in growing darkness, hoping to make it back to the Victory trailhead before it was completely dark.

I don't know if I heard something, but for some reason I stopped running and listened. There was a small gully full of brush to my right that intersected the dirt road. In a moment or two I heard a growing rustling coming up the gully. I was transfixed. It sounded as if some huge animal was coming toward me.

The rustling grew louder and louder and the brush began to shake, showing the progress of the creature. It all happened before I had time to react, and even if I could have reacted I don't know what I would have done!

All of a sudden one coyote and then another exploded from the brush. The first crossed direcly in from of me in a full gallop and the second took flight, making an impossible flying bound across the road and up the roadcut on the opposite side.

As quickly as they had appeared, they were gone, and the canyon was quiet again.

Some related posts: Coyote Tag, Coyote Tag II

Bandit 50K Runners Descending the Chumash Trail

If my training goal was to be running on spent legs, I had achieved that goal. I was at mile 22 of the Bandit 50K and trying to run up Las Llajas Canyon. On paper (or LCD display) Las Llajas is a gradual climb, gaining a modest 600 feet in a little more than 3 miles. But on dirt and in reality it is an onerous climb that numbs the mind and makes you mumble to yourself, "Why can't I run up this thing any faster?"

Since early December I'd been doing extra training to prepare for the Coyote Backbone Trail Ultra at the end of March. Part of the training plan was to combine the Ray Miller 50K and Bandit 50K with other runs to increase the mileage. I had been following the usual training tenants and trying to vary the types of workouts, the mileage and intensity. So far it had all gone well, but the miles were adding up.

Early in the race I'd taken it easy -- especially up the insanely steep "Corridor Trail." But some trail running temptations can't be resisted and I had pushed the pace going down the Chumash Trail -- one of my favorite trails. Even if that was one of the reasons I was struggling a bit going up Las Llajas, it was worth it.

The new out and back from Las Llajas Canyon to Tapo Canyon was so much better than doing the Chumash-Las Llajas loop twice! The running was varied and challenging; plus we were able to marvel at the race leaders, and share the experience with many more runners! Chris Price and several other runners looked strong cranking it up out of Chivo Canyon. Averaging just a little over 8 minute miles, Chris went on to break the Bandit 50K record he set in 2011, doing the new (and longer) course in an amazing 4:10:23!

The weather forecast had looked a bit iffy earlier in the week -- iffy hot in this case. But temps had cooled by about 10 degrees in 24 hours, and today the weather was excellent. It was on the warm side on a couple of the climbs, but nowhere near what it can sometimes be on a warm Winter's day in Southern California.

After an indeterminate time I made it up Las Llajas Canyon to the split and started climbing up the steep oilfield road that connects to Rocky Peak Road. Part way up I was extremely disappointed to see that my Hill Climbing Helper® wasn't where I left it. This made me even slower going up the hill.

Once the last hard climb to Fossil Point is done it doesn't take long to get to the Chumash Aid Station. Rolling terrain leads from there to the top of the Rocky Peak grade at about mile 27. From there it is nearly all downhill to the Finish.

More than 450 runners participated in the 5th edition of the Bandit Trail Runs, competing at distances that ranged from 6K up to 50K. Many thanks to the Bandit race committee -- Randy, Sarita, Larry, Tommi, Mat and Eric -- and all the Bandit volunteers, sponsors and runners. For more info and all the results see the Bandit web site and Facebook page.

According to my GPS tracks the 2013 50K course was about 3/4 of a mile longer than the 2011-12 course and had slightly more elevation gain/loss. Here's an interactive Google Earth Flyover and Elevation Profile of the new 50K course. The flyover is interactive and can be paused and restarted at any point. You can rotate, zoom, and tilt the view. Mileages and locations are approximate and based on my 50K GPS track. The Google Earth plugin is available for most desktop browsers.

Here are few additional photos. Click the image for more info and a larger image.

Steep Climb	Corridor Trail	30K Leader
Low on Hot Dog Hill	Working Up Hot Dog Hill	Returning from Tapo

Some related posts: Bandit 50K 2011 Notes, Bandit 30K 2009

Even if landmarks didn't give away the southerly position of the sun, the leafless valley oak, green grass, and the dynamic nature of the clouds all say "Winter!"

From a run last week in Upper Las Virgenes Canyon Open Space Preserve, better known as Ahmanson Ranch.

Temps were on the chilly side as we gathered at the Kanan Road trailhead for Backbone Ultra Training Run #2. I think someone said 28 degrees. It must have been that cold. Not only were the trailhead sign coated with ice and garbage can lids frozen shut, among the 20+ runners there wasn't a bare arm in sight.

After taking a group photo run organizers Howard Cohen and Mike Epler sent us on our way with promises of hot soup and other delights at Encinal Cyn Road and Mishe Mokwa. (Delivered as promised!)

At first there was so much frost it was hard to distinguish between the frost and the pandemic bloom of bigpod Ceanothus covering the hills. Even so it didn't take long to get warmed up and enjoy some excellent running on one of the more scenic sections of the Backbone Trail.

The title photo is a view northwest along Etz Meloy Mtwy at about mile 47 of the Backbone Trail. The highest peak on the skyline, right of center, is Sandstone Peak. Sandstone Peak marks the high point of the Backbone Trail and the start of an approximately 7 mile long, 2700' descent into Sycamore Canyon.

Here's a view southeast from the same vantage point along Etz Meloy. The runners are about 9 miles from the Kanan Road trailhead and have just done a moderately graded climb from Trancas Canyon, gaining about 1200' over about 4.5 miles.

For more photos and info see the Coyote Backbone Trail Ultra web site and Facebook page.

Ladyface is the peak left of center. It's west of Kanan Rd. just south of the 101 Freeway. Sandstone Peak, the highest summit in the Santa Monica Mountains, is in the distance on the right.

From this evening's run on Lasky Mesa.

Some related posts: Ladyface Loop, Ladyface the Long Way, Sandstone Peak from Wendy Drive

A luminous stream of headlamps wound up the switchback above the rocky streambed, the lights defining the movement of a huge and sinuous creature making its way up La Jolla Canyon.

In the darkness a great horned owl greets runners with a questioned, "who-whoo, who-whoo." Excited runners answer back with cupped hands, "who-whoooo, who-whoooo." Above, a thick veil of high clouds shrouds the last quarter moon. The clouds will also temper the sun, resulting in nearly ideal race-day weather. The trails are in great shape and there should be some fast times.

As we round the shoulder of a peak the gray-blue Pacific stretches out to Anacapa and the Channel Islands. The sun is still below the horizon, but the clouds to the east are now illuminated in a startling mix of orange and pink. It is an inspiring start to what will be an enjoyable run.

Being familiar with an area's trails is both a pro and a con. The pro is that you know what to expect, but that is also the con. I still had mental scars from the last time I had done the Coyote Trail. The run had been long, the sun scorching and the humidity high. The steep stretch near the top had been an oven. Not today.

From the top of the Coyote climb there are wide ranging views in every direction. The trail continues north along a roller coaster ridge, past Ranch Center Road, where it becomes the Hidden Pond Trail. Rainfall this season has been well below normal -- less than half of normal at Camarillo Airport -- and the pond is little more than a damp spot in the brush.

Even so, the signs of spring are everywhere. The white blossoms of Ceanothus highlight the hills, and new grass carpets the open areas. Along the route I see yellow encelia, violet shooting stars, white milkmaids, purple prickly phlox, orange paintbrush and other wildflowers.

Everyone I talk to feels great. Some runners are escaping the cold climes of the Pacific Northwest and Midwest. Some are running their first ultra. There is talk of running shoes, places and races. The miles pass -- not effortlessly, but with the right mix of more difficult and easier sections.

A quick stop at the Danielson aid station and I'm back on the trail. It's a tough climb up the Old Boney Trail to the Chamberlain Trail and the turnoff for the 50 milers. A 100K looms at the end of March and the plan is to do some extra training miles later today. But I also have a 50K in two weeks and decided today's extra miles should be flat. Deftly passing the 50 mile turn, I wonder if it might have been the better training choice.

In another 15-20 minutes I start the descent into Serrano Valley. Along with La Jolla Valley, which we traversed earlier in the day, Serrano Valley is one of the scenic jewels of the Santa Monica Mountains and a fantastic place to run.

Despite rain during the week, the creek crossings in Serrano Canyon are dry and the running excellent. In a few minutes I reach the landslide part way through the canyon and not long after that I hear the yells and see the smiles of the crew at the Sycamore Canyon Aid Station. As at all of the other aid stations, the volunteers are super-helpful and make sure I have what I need.

Some races feature one or two particularly long, difficult climbs. The Ray Miller 50K has (depending on how you count them) six climbs ranging from about 500' in elevation gain to about 1000' of gain. The 50 mile adds two climbs of 1000' or more, the big one being the 1800' climb from Old Boney to Sandstone Peak.

The last climb of the race -- from Sycamore Canyon up the Fireline Trail, up the Outlook Fire Road, and then up the beginning of the Ray Miller Trail -- is a tough one, gaining about 920' in 2.3 miles. From the top of the climb the downhill to the finish is the favorite of many, and the hope is always that you will have enough left to run it well!

********

In the 50K Chad Ricklefs of Boulder set a new course record of 3:54:08 and Amanda Hicks' 4:46:57 edged Meghan Arbogast by 52 seconds. Getting in some snow-free miles Aspen's Dylan Bowman cranked out a blazing 6:45:08 in the 50 mile, and Amy Sproston -- one of several runners from the PNW -- flew through the course in 8:38:20.

Here's a Google Earth flyover of the Ray Miller 50K course, with the 50 mile option marked in orange. The flyover is interactive and can be paused and restarted at any point. You can rotate, zoom, and tilt the view. Mileages and locations are approximate and based on my 50K GPS track. The Google Earth plugin is available for most desktop browsers.

Many thanks to R.D. Keira Henninger and her support crew, the great volunteers, the sponsors, and all the runners for an outstanding event! Check the Ray Miller 50/50 web site for additional details and all the results.

Runner's blogs/web sites: Chad Ricklefs, Meghan Arbogast, Dylan Bowman, Amy Sproston, Timothy Olson

Some related posts: You Can't Run Just Part Way Up Serrano Canyon, Serrano Valley from the Chamberlain Trail, Return to Hidden Pond, Coastline From Mugu Peak

It was a busy morning at Malibu and Piuma. The Trail Runners were doing the Secret Trail to Tapia; a Backbone Ultra training group was running a segment of the Backbone Trail; another runner was "trying to get back into shape" by doing multiple laps of the Bulldog loop.

I'd done my longer run yesterday. This morning I was looking to do some low impact miles, enjoy the outdoors, and take a few photos along the way. It was one of those "I'll know where I'm going when I get there" kind of runs, and where that turned out to be was the Forest Trail along the south shore of Century Lake in Malibu Creek State Park.

Running the Forest Trail early in the morning, after a rain storm, as the sun breaks through the clouds, with coast redwoods marking the way was about as serene as a run can be.

Related post: Malibu Creek State Park Coast Redwoods

The sun was low and the shadows long when I reached the Cheeseboro Canyon trailhead. My watch read 6 miles. I wasn't sure if I'd taken the shortest route from the Ahmanson Ranch Victory trailhead, but I did know it was going to be a challenge to get back before dark.

Gusty 15-30 mph northeast winds seemed to be growing stronger as the sun set and daylight began to wane. No crickets chirped and no coyotes howled. I pushed on, cursing the gusts and relishing the wind shadows.

Wait a minute -- wasn't there a moon? Didn't I see a crescent just a couple days ago? Turning, I scanned the sky to the southwest. No moon. For a while I deferred the problem of the missing moon and continued to run.

But there had to be moon. I stopped to check. No moon. Finally, I looked up and found the first quarter moon 60 degrees high in the Winter sky, hiding above the brim of my cap.

No worries now. Even if I was a little slow.

Today's plan was to get in around 25 miles, and like last Saturday, I was trying to keep the elevation gain down to something reasonable. I've been doing longer weekday runs, longer weekend runs and more days with runs. If I increased the elevation gain by the same percentage as the mileage I didn't think I would be able to keep up with the extra training.

Today's long run had started with a low impact 8.5 miles from Wendy Drive & Potrero road down Sycamore Canyon to the beach. That had gone well. I'd hooked up with a group training for the L.A. Marathon, and they had set a comfortable -- but steady -- pace.

Sycamore Canyon Campground was just beginning to stir as I ran down the access road. Warm sunlight was finding its way into the camp and other than the camp host, not many people were out and about. Overhead a raucous gang of crows jeered a passing band of parrots, and across PCH a wave crashed on the rocky shore.

I continued running through the campground to the day use parking lot and then down onto the sand at the PCH bridge. The tide was high and from time to time whitewater from a larger wave would rush up the sand slope under the bridge and spill over the berm. I thought of bare feet on cold Rincon sand and how 55 deg water would at first feel warm on a Winter day.

With Part A of my run complete, I started thinking about Part B. If I was going to reach my mileage goal I needed to extend the return route by about 7 miles. To keep the elevation gain to a minimum, I came up with the contrived idea of doing out & backs up Serrano Canyon and Wood Canyon on the way back up Sycamore. It didn't sound very appealing, but would add the necessary miles. Leaving the sand and seagulls behind, I started the long haul back up the canyon.

It wasn't as cold in Sycamore Canyon as last Saturday, but with the down-canyon breeze it was still chilly in the shade. In about 15 minutes I reached the Serrano Canyon Trail and turned east up the canyon. The initial part of the canyon was quite flat and I resigned myself to the idea of running part way up the classic canyon and turning around just before reaching one of the most scenic spots in the Santa Monica Mountains.

At the landslide a half-mile into the canyon the trail steepens briefly and climbs above the creek. Just before starting up the hill I stopped to take a photo of the slide. Looking closer at one of the large boulders, I noticed it contained shell impressions and remnants similar to those found on the Fossil Trail. After snapping a photo I continued up the canyon.

Much of Serrano Canyon was in shade on this Winter morning; but in places the sun would find its way through the twists and turns of the canyon, warming me as only the morning sun can do on a cold day. With almost no water in the creek the 15 or so creek crossings in the canyon were just dips in the trail and the running was free, easy and enjoyable.

I passed the two mile turnaround point with little thought of plans, miles, races or elevation gain, and soon found myself standing on the edge of Serrano Valley's spectacular grasslands. Rock formations on the southern flank of Boney Mountain towered above the valley and a green undercoat of Winter growth accented the trails and terrain. With a deep sigh I continued running into the Boney Mountain wilderness.

*****

I did get in my 25 miles, but not in the way I planned. From Serrano Valley I followed the Ray Miller 50K course backward, running the Serrano Valley, Old Boney, Blue Canyon, and Sin Nombre trails to the Hidden Pond Trail. There I lef the Ray Miller course and followed the Upper Sycamore Trail to Danielson Road and Satwiwa.

This route bypassed Sycamore Canyon road almost entirely and avoided the toil of having to run back up the road after just running down it. One minor issue was that when I got back to Satwiwa, I'd only run 21 miles. That was remedied by running over to Ranch Overlook and back.

Some related posts: Fossil Trail - Pt. Mugu State Park, Boney Mountain - Serrano Valley Adventure Run

February is a busy month for SoCal trail runners. The Ray Miller 50/50 is Saturday, February 2; the Bandit 50K/30K/15K/6K is Sunday, February 17; the XTERRA SoCal Series continues February 3 at Mission Gorge; and the Big Baz Winter Trail Run Series continues on February 2 & 16 at Blue Jay Campground.

Yesterday's run to Mugu Peak included several of the trails on the Ray Miller Course, so this morning I got in some miles on the Bandit trails. The title photo was taken near the high point of the Bandit 50K and 30K courses in Rocky Peak Park.

This year, rather than doing two Chumash - Las Llajas loops, Bandit 50K runners will do a new out and back segment in Tapo Canyon Open Space to Tapo Canyon Rd. Both 50K and 30K runners we'll run up Las Llajas Canyon -- in the distance on the left -- and then up from the old oil field to Rocky Peak Road. After a short downhill Rocky Peak Road climbs to "Fossil Point" the high point of the course.

Here's a Google Earth flyover of the Bandit 30K course, created from a GPS trace of the 2010 race.

Related post: Bandit 50K 2011 Notes

The difference in temperature from the bottom of Sycamore Canyon to the top of the Wood Canyon Vista Trail had to be at least 30 degrees. Down on the Sycamore Canyon Fire Road the mud and mud puddles were frozen and I could feel the cold through my sleeves, shirts and gloves. In the sun near Overlook Fire Road it felt like it was a toasty 60-something degrees.

Trying to get in some less hilly miles, Craig and I were doing the run from the Wendy Drive trailhead to Mugu Peak. There would be no personal bests today. We both had long races coming up and this run would be combined with another (shorter) run tomorrow.

It's tough to find a 20+ mile trail run in the Los Angeles area that doesn't have much elevation gain. Wendy Drive to Mugu Peak has about 2700' of gain. Bypassing the peak would reduce the total to around 2300'. One flatter option in this area might be Wendy Drive to PCH and back with a mile or so side trip up Wood Canyon.

Some related posts: Wendy Drive - Mugu Peak Challenge, Serrano Valley from Wendy Drive, Serrano Valley - La Jolla Valley Scenic Loop

From Tuesday's New Year's Day run in Malibu Creek State Park.

Even though it's only 0.75 mile from the M*A*S*H site in Malibu Creek State Park the end of the Lost Cabin Trail feels a little like a portal to a lost world. Even those familiar with the park might not recognize their surroundings if they were unknowingly transported to this isolated point in Triunfo Canyon.

From my New Year's run in Malibu Creek State Park.

My rambling New Year's run at Malibu Creek State Park had begun on the Cistern Trail. I thought I might run to the base of the Bulldog climb and then back on Crags Road to the main parking area. From there maybe I'd do the Phantom Trail loop or run over to Tapia Park and then back to the Lookout Trail.

The route really didn't matter. It was a classic Southern California Winter afternoon -- cool, but not cold, with a mix of clouds and sun. Grasslands were green with December's rain, and the low sun cast a golden hue over the rocks, oaks and chaparral.

I was running west on the Yearling Trail on the Reagan Ranch property when I spotted a blocky form sitting in a shadow at the edge of a field. About 100 yards away, its profile was accentuated by a backdrop of bright green. Too small to be a mountain lion, too large to be a domestic cat, the wrong shape and behavior to be a coyote, it had to be a bobcat.

Bobcats can be very bold. Last year while warming up for a race at Crystal Cove State Park, I rounded a corner and 50 yards away a bobcat was sauntering down the road. I continued at an easy jog up the road and the bobcat continued walking down the road toward me. I expected it to dart into the bushes, but it just kept walking toward me.

When we were about 20 feet apart, it casually stepped to the edge of the road, near some brush. I slowly approached and then stopped. The cat was five short feet away, with her back to me and head turned toward me. I was astonished to be so close, but a little unnerved by the animals brazen behavior. After what seemed like minutes, but was probably only 10-15 seconds, we both continued on our way.

The Regan Ranch bobcat wasn't nearly as cooperative. I snapped a couple of photos at max zoom (about 90mm) and then as I took a couple of steps in the cat's direction it loped up the hill and into the oaks.

Some related posts: Hawk, Bobcat and Rabbit; Coyote Tag

Sometimes it gets chilly in Los Angeles. The temperature at Downtown Los Angeles (USC) dipped to 39°F last night. That's about eight degrees below normal and only a couple of degrees away from tieing the record for the date.

It gets colder in the valleys. The temperature was in the mid-30s when I started my run at the 'End of Reseda' on the San Fernando Valley side of the Santa Monica Mountains. I was headed over the hill to Will Rogers State Park, then to Temescal Canyon, and then back to Reseda.

When you start a long run on a cool day just as the sun is coming up it's hard to know what clothing you're really going to need. In Southern California it seems more times than not the extra shirt goes into the pack a mile into the run and stays there.

The running was excellent on the Will Rogers segment of the Backbone Trail. I hadn't been on this segment since last Winter and much work had been done on the trail. Even with yesterday's rain the trail was in good shape.

This time I didn't mind so much that I had an extra shirt in the pack. The day had dawned mostly clear with a few scattered and tattered clouds, but by the time I was headed back to the valley it was nearly overcast. It was breezy and cool and there were some big buildups to the south and east of the city. It looked like a shower might pop up at any time.

Some related posts: Chaparral Freeze, Cape Ivy on the Rivas Canyon Trail, Will Rogers Western Ranch House

Bigberry manzanita blossoms from today's Christmas Day run to Saddle Peak from Cold Creek.

Related post: Calabasas Peak From Saddle Peak

Horehound (Marrubium vulgare) is a herb in the mint family that is sometimes used to make bittersweet candy, tea and throat lozenges.

From Sunday's run on the Garapito Trail.

From this morning's run of the Garapito loop from Marvin Braude Mulholland Gateway Park at the southern end of Reseda Blvd.

Some related posts: Ferns Along the Garapito Trail, Garapito Trail Runs

Well, actually you could see some snow on Mt. Baldy and the higher peaks of the San Gabriel Mountains, but that snow was 50 miles away. So far there had been a little frost in the shadows and mud in the low spots of the fire roads of Topanga State Park, but not a patch of snow in sight.

Lynn & Frank were heading back to the land of rain and snow for Christmas and there WAS snow on their local trails. More snow and bone-chilling temps were in the forecast, and a long snow-free run in the Santa Monica Mountains was a great way to celebrate the holidays!

We had taken a detour from the Backbone Trail to the top of Eagle Rock. After enjoying the view we would extend the detour down the Musch Trail and pick up the Backbone Trail at Trippet Ranch. From Trippet we would follow the Backbone Trail down into Topanga Canyon, up Hondo Canyon, over to Saddle Peak and then down to Malibu Canyon.

With a couple of short side trips the distance from the End of Reseda (Marvin Braude Mulholland Gateway Park) worked out to about 21 miles. The distance and elevation gain were about the same as last Saturday's run -- also on the Backbone Trail.

Related post: July Fourth Trail Run to Trippet Ranch, Hondo Canyon and Saddle Peak

Sunday, running in the rain on Rocky Peak, it occurred to me that I'd done a lot of runs on rainy days this Fall.

When I got back from the run I checked the NWS web site and found that during the months of October, November and December there have been 17 days with measurable rain at Downtown Los Angeles. Normal for that period (to date) would be around 9 days.

The thing is, we've yet to have a day with a half-inch or more of rain Downtown, and we're only at about 60% of normal rainfall for the water year.

At the moment it looks like another weak system passes through tomorrow afternoon and evening, followed by somewhat wetter systems Sunday night and Wednesday.

At times both the GFS and ECMWF have been forecasting a stronger system might impact Southern California near the end of the year. Today the GFS has it in our forecast and ECMWF doesn't. The culprit in the ECMWF forecast is a cutoff upper level low, so look for the forecast to change!

The photograph of the cumulus buildups (north of Los Angeles) is from a run at Ahmanson Ranch on December 13, following the passage of a cold front.

The temp was in the 40s and the chaparral wet with rain when we started the run. We were doing a two part trail run. The first part would be the 15 mile segment of the Backbone Trail from Kanan Rd. to the Mishe Mokwa trailhead on Yerba Buena Rd. The second would be the 6 mile Mishe Mokwa - Sandstone Peak loop.

The weak front that produced the overnight rain had marched on, and now skies were clear and it was a little breezy. As has been the case with many weather systems this year, there hadn't been a lot of rain. Though muddy in spots, the Backbone Trail was in surprisingly good shape, and the running excellent.

In addition to the greening of the hills and the sprouting of many annuals, the frequent, light rains had also created perfect conditions for the growth of a variety of mushrooms and other fungi. Fortunately I was running with a sharp-eyed mushroom collector from the PNW that could pick out partially buried earth stars and other mushrooms among the leaves, twigs and other debris in the deep shade along the trail.

Here are three of the more peculiar fungi. Click the image for more info and a larger image.

Orange Jelly

Comb Tooth

Earth Star

Some related posts: Circle X Crags and the Channel Islands, Mishe Mokwa - Sandstone Peak - Grotto Trail Run

It was after sunset and I was in the last miles of a run at Ahmanson Ranch. A few minutes earlier I'd noticed a pair of white-tailed kites crisscrossing the grasslands of Lasky Mesa. I assumed it was the same pair of kites I'd been seeing up on the mesa the last few years.

The 'osprey' of the savanna, the white-tailed kite is a medium size, gray and white raptor with gull-like high aspect ratio wings. From below the wings have a dark patch near the tip that is distinctive. Also distinctive is the bird's ability to hover. The white-tailed kite and its close relatives, the black-shouldered kite and black-winged kite, may be the largest birds that can hover for an extended period.

White-tailed kites typically hover 80'-100' feet above the ground while hunting. I've watched them hover over one spot and then another, eventually dropping from the sky to strike their prey. Research suggests this is how the white-tailed kite hunts most of the time, but that is not how the Lasky Mesa pair was hunting tonight.

I'd first seen the pair on the west side of the mesa. Now on the east side of the mesa, with the light fading, I saw them again. This time they were flying together -- one in lead and one in trail -- and making a low, sweeping pass, just a few feet off the ground. Obviously looking for prey they continuously made small adjustments to their flight paths, inspecting one interesting spot and then another. There were calls between the birds -- a dialog seemingly related to the hunt. Was that movement? I'll check. No. Did you check there? Yes.

Their behavior had been intriguing enough that I had stopped to watch. The kites were backlit by the western sky and I snapped a photo of them flying in a leading/trailing formation. I had taken a photo of the lead bird and had just switched to the trailing bird when it suddenly spread its sleek wings and tail, pivoted into an impossible turn, briefly hovered, and then pounced on its prey.

The time from the first photo of the pair to the turn and strike was 18 seconds. It was remarkable to see!

Related video snapshot: White-tailed Kites Soaring at Lasky Mesa

The crest of the Santa Monica Mountains east of Castro Peak stands out in bold relief above a tumultuous ocean of low clouds and fog.

From this morning's run of the Bulldog loop in Malibu Creek State Park.

Some related posts: Bulldog Loop or Saddle Peak Out & Back?, Malibu Creek State Park Scenic Loop

Although we didn't have the deluge they experienced in Central and Northern California, Southern California did get some rain. From Tuesday night (11/27) to Monday morning (12/3) Downtown Los Angeles (USC) recorded 1.03 inches, bringing the water year total to 1.36 inches. As of today that's 1.08 inch below normal.

Some foothill and mountain stations were able to wring out much more rain from the moist tropical flow. Opids Camp recorded 3.02 inches, White Ledge Peak 4.09 inches, Refugio Pass 4.61 inches, and Rocky Butte 8.51 inches. For some storm totals from up north and more info about the "atmospheric rivers" that relayed the moisture up from the tropics, see my December 8 post on Southern California Weather Notes.

The photo above was taken between "storms" early Sunday morning, December 2, on a run in Topanga State Park. It started to rain shortly after I finished the run.

It looks like we might get a little more rain this next week, with a chance of rain on Wednesday and then maybe again on the weekend. We'll see!

Because of our warmer Mediterranean climate with dry Summers and (sometimes) wet Winters, many of Southern California's lower elevation native trees and shrubs benefit from retaining their leaves in Winter and are not deciduous.

Those native trees that are deciduous don't usually grow in dense stands or show their fall colors in a dramatic fashion.

Some of the Southern California trees found at low elevation that are deciduous are valley oak, sycamore, willow, cottonwood, ash, alder, elderberry and walnut.

From last Sunday's run in Malibu Creek State Park.

The view west from the Phantom Trail in Malibu Creek State Park to the Boney Mountain massif a few minutes after sunset.

The highest point in the Santa Monica Mountain Range, Sandstone Peak (3111'), is the triangular-shaped peak on the skyline on the right-center of the photograph.

Most of the Santa Monica Mountain Range is part of the Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area. Comprised of more than 150,000 acres and 500 miles of trails, the SMMNRA is the largest urban national park in the United States.

From Sunday's run in Malibu Creek State Park.

Some related posts: No Plan Required, Malibu Creek State Park Scenic Loop, Large Poison Oak Leaves

The marine layer spills over the crest of the Santa Monica Mountains between Saddle Peak and Malibu Canyon.

From this evening's run on the Phantom Trail and other trails in Malibu Creek State Park.

Related post: Saddle Peak from the Phantom Trail

Even by Pacific Northwest standards it had been wet. Over the past five days Portland had recorded over four inches of rain. Earlier in the week heavy rain and strong winds had pummeled the area -- flooding roads, toppling trees, causing numerous traffic accidents and leaving thousands without power.

Today, Thanksgiving Day, was the first in several that no rain was forecast. Taking advantage of the good weather our Thanksgiving Day -- and that of many Portlanders -- started with a hike at the Hoyt Arboretum.

The arboretum's collection includes over 1000 species, accessed by a 12 mile network of well-maintained and marked trails. The collection includes species from around the world. Some examples are dawn redwood from China, butterfly maple from North Korea, Himalayan Juniper from Nepal and Patagonian Cypress from the Andes. Given they are usually found near treeline, I was surprised to see the arboretum's collection includes bristlecone pines.

My run on the Wildwood Trail started at Fairview, at the end of a loop hike in the arboretum that had taken us to an overlook with a view of Mt. St. Helens -- and on a clear day -- Mt. Rainier and Mt. Adams. I had promised to be back to the house in "about two hours " so the plan was to run north on the Wildwood Trail for about an hour and then head back.

Trail runners love running new trails -- especially trails as beautiful and well-maintained as the Wildwood Trail. The 30 mile long trail is just part of a 70+ mile system of trails in a 5100 acre urban park managed by the Forest Park Conservancy.

I was amazed -- after all that rain the Wildwood Trail was in great shape. My socks were dry and my running shoes were just a little damp around the edges. The running was superb. I'd run down to Burnside, up to Pittock Mansion, and then down to Macleay Park. Continuing to descend, I'd run along Balch Creek and past the iconic Stone House.

The theme was green on green, with towering Douglas-fir, hemlock and cedar. A mixed understory of alder and maple was highlighted by mosses, ferns and remnant splashes of yellow, orange and brown.

At Wildwood's junction with the Aspen Trail I was about 55 minutes out. Time to start thinking about turning around. I ran a few yards down the Aspen Trail, then decided I'd rather stay on the Wildwood Trail.

It had been just four days since I'd run a 50K in Kernville, California, and I knew I was going to be slower on the way back. At some point soon I really would need to turn around. I started up some switchbacks, wondering what was on the trail ahead...

Was that rain I heard outside of the motel? Bleary-eyed, I grabbed my phone and checked the current weather radar. If it wasn't raining, it would be soon. The radar showed an elongated patchwork of lime green blotches, sprinkled with yellow, approaching the blue dot marking the room in Kernville, California.

It looked like the front was going to pass through a bit earlier than forecast -- right about the time we would be starting the 50K. The good news was there didn't appear to be a lot of shower activity behind the front. Whether that would be the case in the middle of the day remained to be seen.

The annual Run-4-A-Way Burger Run follows the 14.5 mile Whiskey Flat Trail from the Burlando Trailhead in Kernville up the Kern River to Johnny McNally's Fairview Lodge and Restaurant. This year R.D. Mike Lane had added a 50K. That's what I was running. The "Double Burger" would do the trail both ways -- from McNally's down to Kernville and then back again.

It was rainy, dark and gloomy as we drove up Mountain 99 toward McNally's. I like the rain as much as anyone in Southern California, but hoped the radar was right, and we wouldn't have to deal with wet weather for the next several hours. I reminded myself that when the weather looks wet and rainy it's (almost) always better on the trail than it looks like from the car.

Up at McNally's Donni and Neil got us signed in, handed out the bib numbers and T-shirts, and got us started at 7:01. There were just a few of us running the 50K and the faster runners were soon out of sight. They would make it down to Burlando in less than 2.5 hours.

Whatever your pace, the running was spectacular! The light rain turned to showers after the first few miles. On the higher mountains snow could be seen along the margins of the clouds. From time to time the sun would break through the clouds, illuminating the valley. At one point showers and sun mixed in dazzling display.

The Whiskey Flat Trail was in great shape. According to Stewards of the Sequoia Executive Director Chris Hogan, volunteers worked 500 hours to restore the trail -- clearing brush, improving the tread, removing down trees, and installing water bars to control erosion. Their hard work, and the work of other volunteer trail maintenance groups, keeps our trails open and enjoyable.

Although I wasn't particularly speedy, the run went well for me. I ran the race in Hoka One One Mafate 2s. The Mafate 2s are way different from the shoes I've been using in ultras. The Double Burger 50K is 100% single track and the shoes handled it well. Whether it was the shoes, the weather, my pace, or whatever I don't know; but my legs and feet felt better (and I felt better) over the last several miles of the course than in any 50K I've done the past few years.

Many thanks to Mike Lane, Donni & Neil Higgins, John Seals & Lisa Ross, McNally's, all the volunteers, and all of the hikers & runners for a great event! Here's an interactive Google Earth browser view of the Burger Run course and an elevation profile generated in SportTracks.

Related post: Whiskey Flat Trail Burger Run 2011

Here are a few additional photos from the run. Click for a larger image:

Whiskey Flat Trailhead	Sun Shower	Granite Slabs
Rainbow	Aid Station	View Downriver

Running should be fun! If you're comfortable running twenty miles (round trip) and are familiar with the trails of Pt. Mugu State Park this training "challenge" is way to get in a mix of running on pavement, dirt roads, single track trail, fast downhill, runnable uphill, and a brutal hill climb, and wrap it all up in a fun-to-solve route-finding puzzle.

The "challenge" is to run from the trailhead at Wendy Drive & Potrero Road in Newbury Park to the flagpole on the summit of Mugu Peak. That's it -- the route you use is entirely up to you, as are all other details of the run. At the top of Mugu Peak (if it's not foggy) you'll be rewarded with great views of the coast near Pt. Mugu, the Channel Islands, La Jolla Valley and Boney Mountain.

I ran it last Sunday. A middle-of the pack runner, my training goal was to do it in under two hours. My time was 1:55:30. Turns out my route was about a half-mile longer than what I believe to be the shortest possible route. I pushed the pace some, but have a race coming up, so didn't go all out.

Based on my times in some similar XTERRA races I'm thinking my race pace goal should be around 1:40. A very fast runner might be able to do it in around 1:10. You'll have to decide what's a good goal for you. Just remember that once you get to Mugu Peak, you have to get back! (And keep an eye out for those pesky rattlesnakes and other wildlife!)

A nearly pure stand of limber pines on the north slopes of Throop Peak in the San Gabriel Mountains near Los Angeles.

Limber pines can be very long-lived. The Rocky Mountain Tree Ring Research OLDLIST lists several crossdated limber pines older than 1600 years. The Wally Waldron Tree near the summit of Mt. Baden-Powell is estimated to be 1500 years old.

From an out and back run last week from Dawson Saddle to Mt. Baden-Powell.

Slopes of Mt. Baden-Powell from the PCT Above Vincent Gap

The run from Inspiration Point to Eagle's Roost on the Pacific Crest Trail is one of the best 20 mile trail runs in Southern California. Along the way are great views, old growth forests, ancient trees, an ice-cold spring, and a 2800' climb to the summit of Mt. Baden-Powell.

One of the most popular peaks in the San Gabriel Mountains, Mt. Baden-Powell (9399') is well-known for its association with scouting. It is a favored peak of hikers, ultrarunners and backcountry skiers alike. The question isn't if you've climbed Baden-Powell, but how often you've done the peak -- and for many of us it's too many times to count.

Ann, Craig and I were at about mile 4.5 of the run. We had just descended from Blue Ridge to Vincent Gap and were starting the climb up Baden-Powell. I swore. I could not believe what I was seeing. Someone had spray-painted a large white numeral 7 on a rock at a switchback. Are you kidding? One was too many -- were we going to see spray-painted switchback numbers on rocks and trees all the way up the peak?

Nearly thirty switchbacks later the numbers -- painted mostly on trees -- continued and so did my swearing. Who would do such a thing? How could anyone think this was an acceptable or beneficial thing to do?

The explosion of outrage in the outdoor community was like a fiery supernova. I made some inquiries and was told that an older, neatly dressed man had been seen painting the numbers on Sunday, October 14. Reportedly the man was asked to stop, but refused. Maybe at some point saner minds prevailed because the numbers stopped (I think) somewhere around 27. In any case the damage had already been done.

We did this run last Saturday. The good news is most of the numbers have already been removed. (Thanks David!) Last I heard only two difficult to remove numbers remained, and I'm guessing those will disappear soon.

Things do seem to balance out, and as vile as the spray-painted trees were, there was an offsetting positive force in the forest that day, and we met her at Little Jimmy Spring. Leslie (Banff Trail Trash) looked like she was out for a mile or two stroll. But she had been on the trail since the beginning of August and was at about mile 2275 of the PCT! Effusive and exuberant, her enthusiasm was contagious.

For the remainder of the run we put aside thoughts about spraypaint, and just enjoyed being in the mountains.

Some related posts: Inspiration Point to Islip Saddle Trail Run, PCT from Inspiration Point to Islip Saddle

Last weekend we hiked to Point Bonita Lighthouse, an operational lighthouse perched on an eroded finger of land stretching out into the Pacific on the northwest corner of the Golden Gate.

The current lighthouse became operational in 1877, but according to the Lighthouse Friends web site much of the tower is from the original 1855 lighthouse. The original lighthouse was situated higher on the point and was often shrouded in fog.

About a mile round trip, the adventurous hike to the lighthouse includes steep cliffs, airy view points, a claustrophobic tunnel, suspension bridge and great views of the coastline and Golden Gate. The lighthouse was reopened to the public earlier this year, following the replacement of the bridge that spans crumbling cliffs to reach the exposed point.

The tunnel -- about halfway to the lighthouse -- is only open during visiting hours, currently Saturdays, Sundays and Mondays from 12:30 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. See the National Park Service web site and this NPS Point Bonita brochure (PDF) for additional information.