Posts

Desert, Ashes, Fire, & Water
The Sand Fire
The Sand Fire is burning in Acton. The air was already a little smokey from a fire that burned briefly on the edge of Griffith Park. Friday around 2:15 in the afternoon the sky quickly filled with smoke. By the next morning,…

Desert Beauty
"Each thing in its way, when true to its own character, is equally beautiful." -Edward Abbey, Cliffrose and Bayonets
Driving back to Los Angeles from Silverton, (and from Hardrock 100), we drove alongside a storm. It came fast, but we…

Calico 50K, 2016
Calico 50K was the first ultra I ever ran, six years ago. My bib number for that race was 666, which disturbed a lot of folks who urged me to request a new bib or at least wear it upside down. This year, 2016, was the sixth time I've run the…

The Living Desert: Black Canyon 100K Race Report
I have a thing about the desert.When I was young, maybe six or seven, being American was my only connection to my dead father. My mother was French, my stepfather Canadian, we lived on the Canadian Prairie, and all I had were a few old photos…

Bishop High Sierra 2014 Race Report
After a few miles of thick sand, the course begins what is an almost 18 mile continuous climb, from 4750 to 9,350 feet, a slow, steady 4,500 feet in elevation gain, to the highest point of the course, at Overlook. The change in terrain is stunning.…

Calico 50K, 2014
The race begins with a two mile or so gentle downhill, and then there's about 16 miles of gradual uphill. I don't run enough uphill, it seems. The climbing in the San Gabriels is usually too steep to run, and only the guys in front will be…

Javelina Jundred 2013 Race Report
Javelina Jundred consists of 6 15.4 mile loops, run washing machine style, followed by a 9 mile loop, for an official total distance of 100.8 miles, even though the actual distance mathematically adds up to 101.4 miles. (I guess there is some…

Desert: Calico 50K, Joshua Tree, Salvation Mountain.
I haven't posted in a while. This site is about to undergo a major overhaul. I've gotten so dissatisfied with this presentation that I haven't been feeling like adding any more to it. Of course, I'm tinkering far too much with the new design…

Yermo
My friend Kista and I headed out to the desert early the day before the Calico 50K so that we'd have a bit of time to roam around, see the sights, maybe even take a few pictures before picking up our race packets and then settling in for the…