Trail Guides

Photos, maps, history, and tall tales of trails mostly in Southern California’s San Gabriel Mountains, but also the Eastern Sierra, New Mexico’s Sandia Mountains, and anywhere else that I end up running in and writing about.

Mt. Williamson, peak

The Happy Hill

The Happy Hill.Halfway down Mt. Williamson I passed a little kid hiking up with his family."Is the hill happy or painful?" asked the little kid as I ran by. "Happy!" I told him.Thank you, little kid, for making my day, a day that was already…
Mt Lowe from Mt. Disappointment

Mt Lowe Trails

A favorite place for me to run in the San Gabriels front range is Mt. Lowe.It's good, scrappy stuff, exposed, rocky (some sections very), harsh, and fun. It's also reachable on foot from town, although I usually prefer to get right to it and…
Rim Trail

North Side of Mount Wilson

The sun was setting as I approached Mt. Wilson on the last stretch of trail. By the time I reached the top, it was dark, and a brilliant almost blood red sunset stretched across the horizon, interrupted in the middle by a low blue cloud.I'd…
Pacific Crest Trail heading down to Sulpher Springs Road

Triple Digits Lonely

Pacific Crest Trail heading down to Sulphur Springs Road 3 PTS TO MT. HILLYER. 6.36 miles, from mile 42.72 to 49.08, elevation just below 6,000 feet. The middle of the AC100 race, and the last section of heat. It starts with 4 miles…
Rotted Tree on the Silver Moccasin Trail

Silver Moccasin Trail

The Silver Moccasin Trail begins at Chantry and ends at Vincent Gap. Comprised of a series of somewhat distinct trail segments, parts of which are shared by other trails, most of which used to be Native American trails, it's 53 miles long,…
Cheeseboro Canyon

Cheseboro Canyon, 21 Miles

Cheeseboro Canyon is located in the northernmost section of the Santa Monica Mountains Nation Recreational Area. Before the ranchers moved in, the Chumash Indians lived in the canyons. The canyons are said to be full of deer, bobcats, coyotes,…