Clouds still covered the rocky summit of Boney Mountain as we scrambled up the steep trail on its northern flank. A few hours before a weak front had passed through the area, thickening the clouds and generating a few showers.

Now the clouds were lifting and dissipating, and the just-bathed chaparral glistened in the intermittent sun. This morning, like many mornings in recent weeks, was remarkable. The mountains were alive with the color and vitality of Spring. Purple shooting stars and wild hyacinth adorned the trail, and groves of manzanita and red shanks shone electric green in the warm light.

What better way to begin a day?

Related post: Boney Mountain - Big Sycamore Canyon Circuit

Technorati Tags: landscape photography, trail running, Boney Mountain, red shanks

The Cheeseboro Ridge keyhole loop is a slightly shorter variation of the Ahmanson - Cheeseboro Canyon keyhole loop described in the post Valley Oak Savannah. Since it ascends the Cheeseboro Ridge Trail, instead of descending Cheeseboro Canyon, the ridge route has a bit more elevation gain.

Cheeseboro Ridge separates Las Virgenes Canyon and Cheeseboro Canyon and on a clear day the views are invigorating. Running the ridge is particularly enjoyable in the Spring when temps are cool and the hills are green. In the heat of summer, the surface of the road develops a powder-like layer of silty dust and the experience isn't nearly so pleasant.

If starting at the Victory Trailhead of Upper Las Virgenes Canyon Open Space Preserve, the length of the run is about 12.75 miles with an elevation gain and loss of about 1600 ft. Here's a Google Earth image and Google Earth KMZ file of a GPS trace of the route, and links to trail maps for Upper Las Virgenes Canyon Open Space Preserve and Cheeseboro/Palo Comado Canyons.

Indian warrior's varying tones of carmine contrast sharply with its lush green leaves and create a striking combination of colors when seen along a trail. Surprisingly, it is the green of its leaves that is one of its interesting features.

At times the site of a religious colony, a grit mine, an oil field, and a housing development, Las Llajas Canyon is now part of the Marr Ranch Open Space and Rocky Peak Park. Its oak groves, gurgling stream, varied plants, and unique geology make it a popular place to hike, run or ride.

Ounces count when you're fighting gravity -- in your pack, on your body, and especially on your feet.

The Salomon SpeedCross 2 (left) and adidas Response Trail 14 are my two lightest trail running shoes. My Response Trail 14's weigh 24.2 oz./pair (US 9.5), and the SpeedCross 2's weigh 21.3 oz./pair (US 9.0).

A red-winged blackbird (Agelaius phoeniceus) shows his bright red shoulder epaulets in a territorial display called the song-spread.

From a run of the at Ahmanson Ranch -- now Upper Las Virgenes Canyon Open Space Preserve.

The beauty and intensity of the day was infectious. Hours before a cold low pressure trough digging down from the Pacific Northwest had carried showers, thunder, hail, and chilly temps into Southern California. Its rainfall had refreshed the greens of the hills, and accentuated the yellows, purples and reds of the wildflowers along the trail. Its blustery winds had cleansed the sky.

A few minutes before I had completed one run, and now was starting another. I wasn't certain how much farther I would run -- I just knew I had to run.

The day had begun with friends on the Secret Trail in Calabasas. We had run up and over the shoulder of Calabasas Peak, and then ascended Saddle Peak via the Stunt High Trail and Backbone Trail. The view from the summit of Saddle Peak had extended beyond Santa Monica Bay and Palos Verdes Peninsula to the South Bay and Saddleback Mountain. New snow glistened on Mt. Baldy, and to the west the rocky summits on Boney Mountain stood in bold relief.

That 14.5 mile run had ended at Tapia Park. Now I was on the Tapia Spur Trail on the first climb of the Bulldog Loop. On the wind sheltered slope the bright yellow blossoms of tree poppy had begun to unfurl, absorbing the warmth of the midday sun. Distant peaks loomed to within an arm's reach, and my legs seemed to draw energy directly from the trail. It was a long run kind of day.

Notes: The title photograph is of Saddle Peak from the Backbone Trail, in the Santa Monica Mountains, near Los Angeles. Mt. Baldy can be seen in the distance. The combined length of the runs was about 29 miles with an elevation gain of about 5000 ft.

Some related posts: Tapia Bound, Bulldog Loop and the Corral Fire, Fog Along Malibu Creek

Recumbent view of goldfields (Lasthenia spp.) on Lasky Mesa in Upper Las Virgenes Canyon Open Space Preserve.

Related post: Dealing With Drought

This year's surprisingly generous rainfall is already producing an explosion of wildflowers in the Simi Hills and Santa Monica Mountains.

These are Padres' shooting star (Dodecatheon clevelandii ssp. patulum) and ground pink (Linanthus dianthiflorus) at Sage Ranch Park. Both are California natives.

Related post: Shooting Stars

This photograph of downtown Los Angeles and Century City was taken Sunday morning from the Backbone Trail in Topanga State Park while doing the Will Rogers - Temescal Loop from the "end of Reseda" in the San Fernando Valley.

At the time an offshore wind was scouring out low-lying fog trapped in the Los Angeles basin by a low altitude temperature inversion.

Related posts: California State Park Closures, Will Rogers - Temescal Loop

From a run last week at Ahmanson Ranch -- now Upper Las Virgenes Canyon Open Space Preserve.

Updated 03/13/08.

My run of the "keyhole loop" at Ahmanson Ranch started out as a tempo run -- not so much as being part of a rigorous training program, but because of a dead battery in my car remote. It felt good to push the pace a bit.

Part way through the loop, running up a short hill into the sun, I was struck by a repetitive pattern of backlit leaves in the new growth on and alongside the road. Like little green satellite dishes, hundreds of the round leaves of mallow (Malva neglecta) were facing directly into the late afternoon sun.

Mallow (Malva spp.) is an invasive plant from the Mediterranean area that has flourished in Southern California's Mediterranean climate. In most years, it is very common. I've run and hiked past thousands of these plants, but never noticed this synchronicity.

Tracking the sun makes sense. Our climate has an extremely variable and relatively short growing season. A plant that maximizes its intake of solar energy and growth by orienting its leaves toward the sun would have an advantage over a less adaptable species. This is probably one of the reasons mallow is such a successful invasive. Another invasive that grows alongside mallow, black mustard, also appears to exhibit heliotropism as it is growing. It creates a rosette of leaves facing into the sun by raising leaves on the side of the stalk away from the sun, and lowering leaves on the side of the stalk toward the sun.

From a run during the week at Ahmanson Ranch -- now Upper Las Virgenes Canyon Open Space Preserve.

Technical papers:

Diaphototropic Movement of the Leaves of Malva Neglecta
H. C. Yin
American Journal of Botany, Vol. 25, No. 1 (Jan., 1938), pp. 1-6

HELIOTROPISM AND WATER AVAILABILITY EFFECTS ON FLOWERING DYNAMICS AND SEED PRODUCTION IN Macroptilium lathyroides
ARMANDO MARTINS DOS SANTOS, LUIS MAURO GONÇALVES ROSA, LUCIA BRANDÃO FRANKE, CARLOS NABINGER