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Amazing day. Brooks Falls (currently dry)
above my left shoulder. |
Whenever I hear the name Pacifica, I immediately think, "fog". In fact, in the few times I've been there, I don't think I've seen any part of the city or area because the fog was so thick. Yesterday was a contrast that would make a manic-depresive proud.
Inside Trail's other smarter, though less handsome, half,
Tim Stahler, and I headed over to San Pedro Valley Park in Pacifica to get in a training run and do a little scouting of the trails on which our
Brooks Falls Trail Run event takes place next Sunday (Jan 22) [Registration still open!!!]. We were greeted with brilliant blue skies, warm temperatures, and views even a couch potato would appreciate. After discussing the organization of the staging start/finish area and fiddling with our hydration packs, we got underway by tackling Valley View Trail, a solid, though mildly steady, climb. This loop is a soft prelude to the featured loop up to the summit of Montara Mountain, where the views span from San Francisco's skyline to Mt. Tamalpais that appears to be floating in the Pacific. For the most part the trail is smooth with scattered sections of technical rocky terrain and much appreciated switch backs until you spill onto a wide fire road that leads you to the summit. Cinch down your shoe laces and pull your hat down tight because you're in for a sustained three mile descent, dropping roughly 1,600 feet with constant views of Pacifica and the ocean lapping up against it.
We bumped into several trail runners, including the ever bubbly Janeth Siva. I was left with a new appreciation for the trails here. Our run was 20 miles with over 4,200 feet of climb, capping an 82 mile seven day stretch for me. Post run treats of burgers and milkshakes (yes, we act like 8 year olds occasionally). The participants at our Brooks Falls event are in for a treat. Let's hope for the gift of weather we enjoyed this weekend.
More photos:
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| Pacifica and the ocean as seen from the Montara Mtn Trail. |
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| A look back at the trails that carried us up. |
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| Can't go wrong when mountains meet ocean. |
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| Fire road trail leading to the summit of Montara Mtn. |
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| Finish line spectators. |
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| Stahler's Banana milkshake (aak). |
Hey, it's Mount Falcon, but with the Pacific Ocean in the background! Awesome.
ReplyDeletePretty much shows why California is another one of my favorite places... gotta love the natural beauty and winters like that.
Is Stahler a convert from beer to milkshakes now?Commenting on the weather beforehand is pretty risky,like washing your car,just asking for it to rain.The trails do look nice though,all i see now are ice-skate trails.
ReplyDeleteCan't wait to get on those trails and run the ITR event. See you next weekend.
ReplyDeleteI'm looking forward to next weekend as well, though I fear our weather will not be as good as this weekend!
ReplyDeleteAwesome pics - is that really TL having fun and goofing a bit for the camera??? We like it. Looks like a fantastic venue for a trail race, although the ocean views would make running that cliffside trail dangerous ;-)
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