Running and Laughing through the Golden State
Running and Laughing through the Golden State
While in Lake Tahoe, I ran the Rubicon Trail at Emerald Bay State Park. I heard Emerald Bay was beautiful, and it was a “must-do” at Lake Tahoe. Believe me, even if you don’t run or hike, it’s worth coming out to check out the views. It’s beautiful!
Recently I was in Davis, California, and decided to explore the Putah Creek Trail. It was a picture-perfect day with highs in the 60s, and the sun was shining. I heard it was a nice and low-key trail, so I stopped.
Recently, I took a drive to Lake Berryessa in Napa County. It’s about 45 minutes from North Napa and the largest lake in Napa County. It was formed in the 1960s from the Monticello Dam’s construction on Putah Creek in the 1950s. It provides water to the North Bay as well as San Francisco Bay Area.
When I went in March 2021, it was still recovering from the Hennessey Fire Damage. It’s extremely sad to see how the fire destroyed hundreds of acres as well as homes in the Spanish Flats and Berryessa Hylands.
Let me tell you; there is not a lot of information on running up Mount Diablo. I had my heart set on it, and I found the Mount Diablo Four Peaks Loop, which goes to four summits: Olympic, North, Diablo, and Eagle. You can run up Mount Diablo, but you can also walk or hike too. It’s not easy, and you need a good pair of shoes, water and should be in decent fitness. There is also a road that you drive up to Mount Diablo if you prefer to.
Like I mentioned, running up Mount Diablo is challenging because it’s never really flat. You go up and down, but there aren’t many gradually increases and decreases. It’s either steep incline and decline. When I ran the Mount Diablo Four Peaks Loop, I ended up averaging about 15 minute pace. My fastest mile was one of the fire roads, and it was about 9:50.
Visiting Crater Lake in the winter was not what I expected. First, I knew it got snow. That was not a secret, but how much shock it got shocked me. Perhaps I should have done more research before making a detour in there.
It’s tough to see the actual Crater Lake in the winter, and that’s due to the sheer amount of snow. When we arrived at the lodge, the snow went up to the second story of the house. Whoa! Rim drive is completely shut down to vehicles during the winter at Crater Lake, but you can backcountry ski or snowshoe.
