Monday, May 26, 2014

Mount Tapatio, Cinco Loco and toponomastics.

Have you ever wondered how things get named?  Onomastics or onomatology is the study of proper names of all kinds and the origins of names. The words are from the Greek: "ὀνομαστικός" (onomastikos), "of or belonging to naming" and "ὀνοματολογία" (onomatologia), from "ὄνομα" (ónoma) "name". Toponymy or toponomastics, the study of place names, is one of the principal branches of onomastics. (See wikipedia.org)

This week I've been in a naming frenzy, as my local running trails have been enlarged due to the work of bulldozers that fought the Cocos fire.  As a result, new trails were created and new trails need names.  


On Sunday we did a club run to check out a new trail I named the Ibex after club member Chris B., who is part mountain goat.  The Ibex, after descending off Lakeview Trail, reaches a high point of 1,186'.  The group stopped here for a moment to regroup.  While there, I decided we had to name the peak.  I asked the group to come up with a name.  A few lame names were offered up. Then Dennis found a used Tapatio hot sauce packet on the ground.

The packet of inspiration
Voila, Mount Tapatio was born.  The great thing about the Ibex trail is it drops the runner down to the beginning of Double Peak Trail.  Prior to the Ibex existing, the Double Peak Trail was effectively an out and back trail for a runner from San Elijo, unless they were willing to run at least another five miles alongside roads.

As a result, the Ibex affords the opportunity for the runner to do what I have christened the "Cinco Loco" or stealing from Princess Bride, "The Five Peaks of Insanity".      



Cinco Loco starts at the the beginning of Jeep Trail at Questhaven.  It then climbs Frank's Peak, Mt. Whitney, Mt. Tapatio, Double Peak and and ends at Radio Tower.  I attempted the run today, but had to pack it in at about three and a half peaks.  The four hours of yard work before the run probably didn't help. Once I decided to pack it in, I took Secret Trail, rather than the trail that takes you up the back side of Double Peak to the amphitheater.  (I'm not sure of the name).

Regardless, here is a portion of the uncompleted run, coming in at 2,850' of gain: http://www.strava.com/activities/145964113.  I'm guessing the entire run will be close to 4,000'.  If I can actually finish it, I'll post the route.  In the meantime, take the Cinco Loco Challenge and let me know if you finish it.


Saturday, May 24, 2014

The Dax Trail and Ibex (Chris B's Trail)

After being taken to task by my wife for naming a tenth of a mile of a newly created trail after myself, I had to atone for my sin (not that I believe in the concept, but I am a recovering Irish Catholic).  I decided to name better new trails after other people.  In my mind, this would balance the scales.

First up was Dax.  Dax is my running guru.  It's not a position that he strove to obtain or even knows he holds.  Dax is a few years ahead of me when it comes to running.  When I started the running club, I found out that Dax had been there and done that in San Elijo.  Dax had also grappled with the dilemma of people showing up for group runs who needed their hand held.  Dax would hold their hand, turning a Sunday run into an interval session, running from the front to guide the runners and then back to shepard the lost sheep. My method is a bit different, I basically tell them to fuck off.

Dax started the North County Running Meetup.  Dax started track sessions at San Elijo.  Dax knows everyone in the running community.  When I write a blog post, Dax writes a better one.  Who is this guy?  He's my running guru.

The day I named a trail after myself, Dax and I had a blog comment session.  There was a bit of back and forth, with Dax commenting that having a trail named after yourself needs to be earned, like a nickname.  I told him he sounded like my wife.  Both of them doing their best to keep my humble.  The odd thing is, later that evening, when I left my house with my dogs, who should I see?  Dax, dropping off one of my neighbor's kids.  When the student is ready, the master appears . . .

Dax's last blog post was about the fire, Double Peak, his emotional connection to it and rebirth.  The trail I choose for Dax is mostly an old fire road that was hidden in plain sight.  The fire exposed it, causing it to be reborn.  I couldn't think of a better trail to name after Dax.  The entire trail is contained within a burn area and will rise again like the Phoenix.

In scouting out the The Dax Trail, I felt like a 10 year old running in the woods.  I was running in the Forbidden Forest, in a foot of ash, getting dirty, not caring and not exactly sure where I was going.  I was reborn.  I was having fun.  It was pure running.  My guru was doing his guru thing without even doing it.  The Dax Trail can be viewed at http://www.strava.com/activities/143899490/segments.  The trail isn't exactly mapped out, it's a bit of a work in progress, like my spiritual journey.


After Dax, I had to name a trail after Chris B.  Chris is my running buddy and friend.  He's the guy who trains with me, goes to races with me, travels around to other locations to do runs, talks to me on the phone about running, gives me advice and encouragement and has an occasional beer with me.

Chris is also a mountain goat.  The man likes his hills.  He might be better served to live in Colorado, but for the moment, we've got him in San Elijo Hills.  For Chris, I wanted to find a hill trail.

Last week, on the way to a beach soccer tournament (I eat, sleep, run, work, walk my dogs, have sex, read and watch my kids play soccer - that's my life - it's pretty good) I took the 78 freeway.  The 78 offers a good view of the backside of Double Peak, which suffered heavy burn damage from the Cocos fire.  In the car I was sure I saw a new firebreak trail made by a bulldozer coming down from Lakeview Trail.  I got excited like a dog on a scent and since then have been waiting for a chance to explore.

A bit of singletrack existed here, but it didn't go very far before it hit a fence.  I discovered today that the fence was run over by a bulldozer.  Again, I felt like a child.  The wonder, the exploration, the excitement of being where I'm not supposed to be.  I ran on or rather hiked up a vertical wall, one portion having a grade of 47.7%, of ripped up shrubs, piles of rocks and thick piles of soil.  Dirty and sweaty, I was running pure and loving it (thanks McDonald's for ruining that phrase).

At the end of the work of the bulldozer, I was feeling good.  I knew I was going to being able to keep going forward.  I dropped down into an old quarry that was fenced off (until last week) and then spotted two v-ditches that ran alongside two hills.  When there is no trail, run the v-ditches bitches (sorry - I couldn't resist). The v-ditches led to a ten foot high gate, behind which sat a maintenance road with a "No Trespassing" sign. The sign may as well read, "Enter Here."  The gate was missing a fence to go with it, so I walked to its edge and onto the road.  The road then connected to a trail that leads back to the Lakeview Trail.

I had done it.  I had linked up the trail.  I had lived up to the club motto of "above, beyond and through."  1.2 miles of solitude and trespass. It gets no betta.  The trail can be seen at http://www.strava.com/activities/145131322/segments and is called "Ibex (Chris B's trail").  The Ibex being a wild goat that lives in the European Alps.


 Thanks Dax and Chris.  Hope you enjoy your fame.  Keep it dirty.
     
 

Saturday, May 17, 2014

Post Cocos Fire 2014 Trail Run & Pictures

On May 16, 2014, post Cocos fire, I ventured back onto my favorite trail in the San Elijo Hills area, the Jeep Trail, part of which is also known as the Way Up Trail. This trail includes what we call the Beast, a 1/2 mile of pain with 348' of elevation gain.  It also includes some nice bowls, that make me wish it snowed in San Diego.

Jeep Trail - gates open - a bad sign
On a bulldozer at the top of Bulldozer
On the run everything looked normal as I ascended the Beast.  Once I got to the top, I began to see signs of the burn areas in the distant. 

However, the first sign of the fire that I encountered was actually a new trail that connects what I call  Jeep Trail Medium to Jeep Trail Long. It's only .3 of a mile but if Strava is to believed, has 359' of elevation gain.  (I walked down it.)  It was created by a bulldozer, hence my naming it the Bulldozer.  I assume it was created as a fire break or as a way for vehicles to get through.  It has about a foot of sandy soil on the surface and will need some time before it turns into a decent trail.  However, it definitely is a legitimate new trail.


Bulldozer - looking down


After coming down Bulldozer and reconnecting to Jeep Trail Long, I got my first close view of fire damage:

Lord of the Rings type devastation near Bresa De Loma Drive

A little to the left of the picture above
I kept running, half expecting some Orcs to attack me and discovered Juan's trail, which was hardly much of a trail at .1 of a mile.  It's an offshoot of Jeep Trail Long, near where it reconnects to Jeep Trail Medium.  It bows out and then comes back, so it doesn't go anywhere new. Despite my wife's protestations that my ego is out of control (something I didn't know), I named it Juan's Trail, after myself via my nickname, Juan.


Juan's Trail 
After reconnecting to Jeep Trail Medium I ran toward Frank's Peak, which did have some burn areas at the south portion. However, the more dramatic burn areas were off to the east.


 From here, I could also see (little) Mt. Whitney, which had been burned up to the trail that wraps around it on the south side.
Mt. Whitney in the center, burned up to trail


 I then ran between Frank's Peak and Mt. Whitney down to Attebury. There were burn areas around here  and another new small trail (.1 of a mile), which I named Shortcut Trail.

Shortcut Trail to Attebury (burn areas to the right)
with Doublepeak in the distance.

Overall the fire resulted in a lot of singletrack being turned into fire road.  Additionally, the fire roads are now a lot plusher on the feet, as the bulldozers left 6 inches or more of sandy soil on top. Here is a link to my Strava run:  http://www.strava.com/activities/142224427

To end, I wish to thank all the firemen who worked to subdue the Cocos fire.  As I ran through the burned out areas, I imagined the fireman out in the middle of the trails, with limited options of egress if the fire turned.  It certainly takes a brave person to work out in the back country in the middle of a firestorm. Great job!      





Thursday, May 8, 2014

Ducks on the run

This morning was my tempo workout.  Today I was doing two sets of three miles, with a two mile warm-up.  I ran from my office on West Broadway, near the USS Midway, along North Harbor Drive, past the airport and to Spanish Landing Park.  I then turned around and ran back the same way a bit and then turned into Harbor Island Drive, which provides a nice scenic loop before returning to North Harbor Drive.  I run this route at least once a week.

I can't say I was feeling it today.  I was trying to get past 6:20 pace and just couldn't do it.  (I think I need to hit the track and do shorter intervals.)  Along the route I passed a number of homeless people.  I pass the same people all the time and now recognize them.  There is the man who does a crossword puzzle on a bench, another who sleeps under his road bike next to a bench and the man with a bike carrying an amazing amount of stuff.

Sometimes I reflect on my position in life and how lucky I really am as I run past.  I wonder how they got to be homeless and what's life like for them.  I then keep running.

On North Harbor Drive, I noticed a woman on the phone, outside her car, on the other side of the street. She was dressed in running clothes and I was wondering why she was on the phone.  I ran past and then the road ends in a cul-de-sac and I looped back around.

As I came back, the woman had begun her run in front of me.  Near her car I noticed a male mallard duck, they are the ones with the green head and yellow beak, in the street.  It was next to something tannish in the road.  I wondered what it was doing.  As I got closer, I realized it was a female, who was not moving and most likely dead.  Presumably this was the male duck's mate.

I ran past and then my first tempo was up.  I stopped and counted to 120.  While I was counting, I watched the male duck.  It would occasionally gently peck the female, as if to say, "Get up, we need to go."  The female never moved.  A raven then flew down next to the pair.  The male would move towards the raven to shoo it away.  The raven would hop a step or two and let out a cry.  It would then move back towards the female.

I watched this all in agony and imagined the woman on the phone called Sea World to see if they could come out and do anything for the female. I felt the pain of the male, unable to do anything to help its mate and wondered how long it would stay by her side.

On the way back, two homeless men greeted another.  Exactly as I passed between them, one said to the other, "See you later Johnny."

John F.
San Elijo Hills Running Club