Running and Laughing through the Golden State
Running and Laughing through the Golden State
Recently I ran the Lake Ella Trail in Truckee, CA. Lake Ella is roughly 6 miles with the first (and the same last) mile as pavement. After that, the rest is all dirt or singletrack. There are roughly 780 feet of elevation gain on this loop. The downhill is equally as challenging since it’s rocky and technical.
The Middleridge Trail is located in Fair Oaks, CA. It’s roughly 2.8 miles with 328 feet of elevation gain. The day I ran, I ended up doing 5.3 miles, so you can tell I got lost.
The Middleridge Trail is located in Folsom Lake State Recreation Area. In the same area, I ran the Folsom Lake Trail Half Marathon Race Recap (2:03) and ran Running at Folsom Lake. There is a lot to do in Fair Oaks and Folsom, and if you find yourself around the area, I highly suggest it.
Parking for the Middleridge Trail is easy. When I arrived, I got the last parking spot, plus it was free!
I’ve run/hike/walked up Timberhill Park probably close to 50 times since living in Napa Valley. I strongly believe it’s one of the most underrated trails in Napa. It’s rarely crowded, and if you see another person there, you consider it “busy.”
Rockville Hills Regional Park might be one of the best-kept secrets in the Solano area. In fact, even after living around here for 8 months, I only recently discovered it.
Folsom Lake State Recreation Area and Browns Ravine is a beautiful recreation area just in North Folsom. The year I ran the trail half marathon there. The day before, I spent some time checking it out. I wanted to know what to expect when running the trails. Plus, when you are racing, you sometimes end up zoning out and missing the beauty of a park.