Running and Laughing through the Golden State
Running and Laughing through the Golden State
The Upper Canyonback Trail is located in Encino, CA, in the Santa Monica Mountains. In short, it’s a gorgeous view of the Los Angeles and Hollywood area. Just driving to the trailhead, we drove past multi-million dollar homes. I was even hoping to bump shoulders with a celebrity. I saw a few people on the trail, but who knows.
Recently I ran the Pacific Crest Trail at Willow Springs. Last year, I explored the Pacific Crest Trail in San Francisquito Canyon. Since then, I always seem to go to San Francisquito Canyon since I’m”comfortable” in that section. But I thought it would be fun to check out a new section. Willow Springs is much more open, and you can see close to 100 miles in the distance. It’s filled with wind turbines and small uphills and downhills. For 10 miles, I got about 1500 feet of elevation change.
While on the Eastern Shore of Virginia, I decided to check out Sawmill Park in Accomack County. I was hoping for a reprieve from the summer heat, although that never really happened. Despite the heat, it was enjoyable and was extremely peaceful. Plus, a few wildflowers were blooming.
While in the San Bernardino National Forest, I wanted to check out a new trail. I stumbled upon Little Green Valley Trail when everything else seemed to be closed for a mountain bike race. It was fine, and I didn’t want to do anything “too intense.”
Spoiler: The 500+ feet of climbing in 2.4 miles on the Little Green Valley Trail is actually fairly intense.
One of my favorite parks in the East Bay area is Contra Loma Regional Park. There is plenty to do, whether you want to hike, run, boat, picnic, or even swim.