California Dreamin' - Our running trail--Aliso Viejo to Top of the World, Laguna Beach-5+ mile round trip.August 2001

Susan and I run this course four or more times a week. This has been one of the few days since May the area hasn't been under a "marine layer until late morning. It is a great conditioning run with lots of up-hills and down-hills. The surface is soft and sandy, and with backtracking and running many of the hills two times or more, it takes about an hour and is 5+ miles. In the spring and summer rattlesnakes can be found in the middle of the run about once a week. More adults this year for some reason...lots of rabbits. Turkey vultures and hawks abound in the fall and winter. There is a resident female Road Runner at the top, and she is frequently seen scurrying in and out of the Chaparral. There is also a mama Bobwhite Quail who also can be seen..this month anyway...running in and out of the scrub with about nine babies. The ever-present lizards always playing the sun-shade two-step. The area is heavily used by trail bikers and walkers on weekends. On most days during the week we encounter very few people...as these pics demonstrate. We are about 4 miles from home, and it provides the ultimate conditioning trail for us. During the winter it is lovely...bright sun, no haze, temps in the 60's most days, and warm. The Santa Ana's and even the San Gabriel mountains can be seen very clearly on most winter days as can great views of the Pacific, Catalina Island, and the entire residential heights at Laguna Beach.

said 2001.08.06 at 16:23:21 PDT